All the News That's Fit to be Tied

I have an axe to grind, but unlike the New York Times, I freely admit it.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Sunday Morning Acid Heads

If there was a more serious punditry in America I probably wouldn’t be writing this piece. But to listen to the Sunday Shows you would think that Barack Obama just became President and had nothing to do with the atmosphere that had developed over the past two years. It was like John McLaughlin, Chris Wallace, David Gregory and Christiane Amanpour had taken acid and were having hallucinations on television. Obama’s Tuscon speech and his subsequent peace offering to the Republicans is an admission of his failure to live up to the unifying campaign promises he made in 2008. His speech was filled with all the right words, but they were just words. A slurry of platitudes does not a great speech make. He was speaking, but he was not listening as the raucous crowd made it sound like a rally rather than a solemn moment. At any time he could have asked his adoring fans to show some decorum. At any time he could have said that cheering, shouting and whistling were inappropriate. He didn’t. I should like to single out Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times who said in view of the incident the audience should be given some slack. I would only add that these were college students, not teeny boppers at a rock concert. Sweet also gave a pass to those who blamed Sara Palin for the shooting saying those that did were just “upset.” As far as Obama reaching out to the Republicans goes, the simple truth is he must if he hopes to accomplish anything. The Republicans control the one thing Obama wants the most: the purse strings of the U.S. budget. The speech in Tucson, his call for civility and a new tone does not change the fact that Obama and the policies he supports were soundly defeated in November. It does not change the fact that he has been one of the most partisan President's in recent history. I hope the Republicans do not forget it. Maybe the passage of time will help the effect of the LSD taken by the hosts of these shows to wear off.