by Thomas Craig

Recently, every time I watch or read the news I am bombarded by a string of Republicans who are so anti-Obama that they insist on criticizing every single action that the President makes.   There were even pundits going into a rage about such ridiculousness as the new puppy that the Obama's received.  Now, I don't want you to worry that I am suddenly turning left in my political views.  I am still as Republican as ever.  That being said, we need to take it down a notch.  There is a difference between intellectual and reasonable debate about the President's actions and pathetically attacking any and all actions merely for the sake of being "anti-Obama".  Let us take two recent events.  First, we have the recent release of the CIA memos showing that the USA did in fact torture both proven and alleged terrorists.  Ever since those memos were released, there have been hordes of Republicans screaming about the risk of letting our enemies know what we will and will not do to them.  Instead of worrying about that, can we instead try to focus on the fact that the United States of America, the beacon of hope and freedom in this world, has for the last seven years been torturing human beings?  I don't care who the human beings are.  We turned our back not only on one of the principles to which this Nation was founded, but to the very idea of America.  Republican, Democrat, or anyone else who calls themselves an American has a duty to condemn those actions.  History will remember the last few years for such violations of the Constitution and our descendants will question our complacency over it, much like we do when we look back at slavery in the last two centuries. 
     We also need to calm down on the rhetoric regarding the President's recent attempts at improving ties with Cuba and Venezuela.  I, nor anyone else, could ever possibly condone the actions and the lack of freedom in both of those Nations.  I don't like these two Countries anymore than I like China.  It is difficult for me to believe, however, that we cannot only befriend China but become its number one customer economically, yet we can't reach out to even speak to Castro or Chavez.  By closing off ties with those Nations, we are hurting ourselves financially and allowing both regimes to open their lands to hostile places such as Russia and Iran.  Our policy should be similar to our policies with China, Saudi Arabia, or Russia.  We don't approve of their actions, however, for the sake of peace we will at least answer their phone calls.  Doing so might even bring some good such as allowing us to promote capitalism (much like China) and giving us a foothold in potential safe havens for anti-American entities.
     The point is, we do not need to throw mud on every single thing that the President does, especially because the current Republican Leaders say so.  Remember, it is the current Republican Leaders who have brought our Party to its knees and have dropped the ball countless times over the last eight years.  Let's use our heads when watching the actions of the President.  We have PLENTY of material to fuel our anger and it is our patriotic duty to watch and question everything that our President does.  All I ask is to just remember that simply because President Obama does it, it does not mean it is automatically wrong.

There’s this annoying (in my opinion) presence across the Internet that I’ve personally encountered on multiple sites. After an unpopular president has departed and a new Messiah has come in to replace him, the Internet has become filled with a variety of commentators that I’ve lovingly coined as “Obamobloggers”. After trial and error, I’ve come up with a few guidelines for dealing with these phenomena.

Scenario: There’s a comment conversation occurring on say, Facebook, where an Obamoblogger is dumping paragraphs of rhetoric surrounding the notion that the American people voted for “change” so everyone who doesn’t like it should just “get over it”. You only feel the need to respond because the comments are directed to something you posted, or something a “friend” posted.

STEP ONE: Identify

Key Words and Phrases for Identification:
 
“Get over it”
“Change”
“Old and tired”
“It didn’t work”
“And I used to be a Republican” (thrown in for credibility)
“The last 8 years [yadda yadda]…”
“Thanks to George Bush [yadda yadda]…”
“The policies that got us here…”
“Get in touch”
“My party is in power”

STEP TWO: Diagnosis

“Hostile” – In the instance where ALL CAPS is used, it may be safe to assume the Obamoblogger is hostile. However, be cautious with this approach as the sneaky “bait and switch” tactic may be employed. This involves either a sob story intended to promote guilt or pompous chatter meant to prove their theories further using their own life as justification.

“Hippie” – The retort is filled with unrealistic ideals pointing to the embrace of all forms of life. In this instance, Americans are referred to via colorful language such as “mass murderers”, “thieves”, or the infamous “village air raider”. This blogger is not to be confused with the Ron Paul groupie, although their radicalism may give the initial impression that such is the case.

"Air Puff" – This blogger knows no more about politics and government than your dog. All judgments and perceptions are based on "feel good" inspirations of the moment and a need for inclusion and identity. Phrases like "give him a chance" and "a better future" are used although when challenged to demonstrate the issues being given a "chance", none can be identified.

STEP THREE: Recommended Treatment

The following are options useful for dealing with these types of Obamobloggers:

Option A: Say nothing and shake your head.

Option B: Make a joke. It doesn't make a difference as to the subject matter – all will likely result in offense being taken.

Option C: Give an educated response citing the various misgivings of the piece, offering a plausible rebuttal with cited sources.

Option D: Make use of language equivalent to a verbal middle finger.

"Hostile" – I recommend either Option A or C. Being ignored denies them further fuel to fight with, and sometimes facts will completely change the conversation in your favor. Be cautioned however – choosing Option C may divert your entire day's activities into this conversation.

"Hippie" – I recommend Option B or C. Facts are this blogger's enemy, and not being taken seriously won't inspire any heated response since they're so used to it.

"Air Puff" – Option B is the only recommendation. Option A will make them feel like they've made a difference by having their voice heard, C will waste your time, and D is too harsh for their developing political minds. B might embarrass them and perhaps induce some reflection and research – but be careful you don't blend D with B.

In summary, when dealing with an Obamoblogger, defensive or not, just remember one important thing: They are only the product of a castle built on air.

These times are not those of Camelot – they are those of Carter (or worse).

Don't lose your cool. Don't waste too much time. Don't feel like you're outnumbered.

Oh, and if you're lucky, sometimes they will admit their own fate:

"[We] had to sit back and watch Bush and the Republican Congress screw us. Your turn."

– Quoted from a recent personal Obamoblogger conversation (mistakenly using Option B…).

by Dacia Nichols  (view Dacia's Blog at www.republibabble.com)

Obama, we believe in thee.  It seems that reality is slowly creeping in to the mind of the man who came on a horse named "Change".  Just a few months in, the President is witnessing the harsh realities of the world.  He is learning that despite his election and massive campaign rallies, people around the world are protesting and (surprise, surprise) they still hate America.  The last eight years led many, especially Obama, to believe that the world did not hate America, they just hated George W. Bush.  Well, it seems that the protests abroad have not subsided, only slightly switched demographics.  Instead of seeing Muslims in the mideast protest against America every day, we now see Europeans and Russians protesting every day.  Add to this the continual Tea Party Protests occuring across our Country, and you get a universal harmony which comes a bit short from the Utopia promised to us by Obama.  The President has ended the War on Terror yet he continues an "Overseas Contingency Operation" because those darn terrorists just don't seem to realize that Obama is the President and they can stop hating America now.  The United States which used to maintain a strong presence in the world, now seems to become a running joke amongst hostile Nations.  North Korea obviously does not think much of Obama's threats over their missile launch, and they were proven to be right.  After all the rhetoric and warnings, North Korea is still going to launch the missile test  and we are going to roll over and smile as they do it.  Obama is meeting with Russian President Medvedev at the G20 summit to try and improve relations.  They will smile and shake hands, and then Medvedev will return to his Country which is hanging on by a thread and continue the scapegoating of the evil Americans.  Obama's efforts in Russia will be as useful as his efforts in Iran.  No matter how "nice" we are to them, these Nations will continue to hate us because as long as their Governments can blame their problems on us, their people will be distracted away from the failings of their own Leaders.  European Leaders, mostly extreme left-wingers by American standards, are almost unanimously against Obama's economic recovery plans.  It's not that I believe that the career politicans leading Europe know more than a one-term Senator and Community Organizer from Chicago, it's just that I think the Leaders of Europe (who don't have our finances) are reluctantly restricted by logic in finding solutions to the economic mess.  Obama the saviour, who wanted to turn America into the shining light and beacon of hope in the world once again, is instead turning us into the misguided, laughed at, wrecking ball, Paris Hilton of the world.

by Thomas Craig

Call me crazy, but I enjoyed the press conference last night.  I was highly amused at the awkwardness between the President and several members of the Press.  I laughed when Obama got agitated and snapped at CNN's Ed Henry.  There were legitimate questions being asked and the President danced around each one.  I think it is because of this reason that the Press was getting frustrated and kept asking follow up questions which were simply just reiterating the original question.  It's great when Obama gets angry at the media for not just rolling over and wagging their tails as if he wants to say, "how dare you question me!"  The greatest question of the night was definitely about the deficit and the passing on of trillions in debt to future generations.  This, of course, is in direct contrast to his campaign promise of not pushing our problems on down the road to our children.  I was also pleased to see that the expansion of Government which the President is requesting was brought up.  The President wants to grant the Government the power to take control of financial companies.  I would love, just once, to hear a reporter ask the President or his pets in Congress a simple question.  I want to hear "How much Government is too much?"  I want to see what the President says about that.  To a much lesser degree I'm interested in Congressional Democrats answer to that as well.  I want to hear it from all of them except Pelosi and Frank.  To be honest, the sight and sound of Pelosi and Frank make me nauseas now.  (I'm becoming allergic to bullsh*t.)  We are down a troubling path but next year we have a chance to start correcting our mistakes.  I believe it is crucial for us to vote out these socialists in Congress.  That is the beauty of Democracy, we can vote them out.  That is, until the Government takes that away as well.

by Thomas Craig

If you happened to miss Mitt Romney on Larry King Live this past week, I highly recommend you try to watch it online.  Romney brings up many interesting points but what stuck out to me was his statement that Obama is "learning on the fly".  He pointed out that Obama has never run a business (and certainly not a Nation) and that he is learning by trial and error.  The inexperience of our President is troubling to many, as it should be.  This inexperience has allowed the Congress to run wild.  It almost feels like they are saying, "George W Bush almost destroyed this Country, so now it's OUR chance to try to destroy the Country".  The AIG debacle is the first instance where the President and Congress cannot flat out blame Bush.  How did they react instead?  They tried to cover their butts by passing an unconstitutional bill which will tax AIG bonuses at a 90% rate.  I am amazed at how quickly the House introduced this bill and passed it.  Imagine if Congress worked that fast on solving our real problems.  The President is being taken advantage of by the radical elements of his Party.  Pelosi, Reid, Frank, Dodd... these are the faces of the true Leaders of America.  People who do as they please and serve only themselves.  Leaders who believe enforcing illegal immigration laws are "un-American".   You can't turn on the news without seeing a story about another State in financial disarray.  It is downright scary that States are depending on the stimulus funds to keep operating.  What happens when the stimulus funds run out?  They will be right back where they started only with more debt.  I wish we could just focus on the economy but our inexperienced President, unfortunetly, is lacking the ability to focus.  He is seeing this as an opportunity to exapnd Government programs and control.  Tea Parties are symbolic and fun, but they aren't getting the message across.  Americans need to bring their protests to the doorsteps of every Politician.  Let us protest in D.C. at the steps of the Capitol.  Let us go to our Representatives offices in our own districts and protest there and demand answers.  It is coming my friends.  We have two choices.  We can stand up now and demand responsibility or we can lay and wait until we wake up one morning, stripped of all our abilities to take ownership of our Government.

The AIG outrage is understandable.  Americans are well within their right to protest the use of funds by criminally-inept businessmen in a dying company which we were forced to become 80% owners of (despite overwhelming opposition).  That being said, it makes me sick to my stomach to listen to all the empty rhetoric coming from Washington about this.  Why is all our outrage aimed at AIG?  Why do we not direct a large bulk of that rage towards our elected leaders, who KNEW about this long ago.  Not only did they know about it, but politicians such as Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) made sure to protect these bonuses by sticking in provisions to the stimulus bill.  I suppose those kinds of things happen when Congress accepts a bill without reading it first.  (Makes you wonder what else was plugged into the stimulus bill.)  Now, everyone is calling for AIG's blood.  We are angry that they were not fiscally responsible with our money.  THEY WEREN'T FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH THEIR OWN MONEY!  If these people knew how to manage money properly, we wouldn't have had to bail them out in the first place.  We should have expected this type of moronic behavior from them.  If your dog gets into your closet and destroys your shoes, is it his fault?  Perhaps it is the fault of the owner who left their shoes on the floor and the closet door open, and assumed that the dog will reason that the shoes hold value to its owner and therefore should not damage them.  Come on!  President Obama knew about this, Geithner knew about this, hell everyone knew about this.  They are getting a free pass on this for some reason.  Perhaps these "Leaders" who are just sooo angry right now can make an effort to show their solidarity with the People by donating the contributions that AIG made to their campaigns to charities which will increasingly be the life support for millions of Americans who lost their jobs, many thanks to AIG.  Politicians such as President Obama or Sen. Dodd who both received over $100k from AIG.  Why would we expect something like that though, from the Congress which receives automatic pay raises every year.  There is something brewing within the American People and we are all starting to get a whif of it.  While Obama governs on a policy of "hope", let us show our Government what something real looks like, for instance... VOTING THEM OUT!

by Thomas Craig

by Thomas Craig

That's right Ladies and Gentlemen!!  The very same place you will find Terri Hatcher promoting Desperate Housewives and John Cena promoting whatever cinematic gem he just churned out recently, you will get a candid one-on-one with the current President of the United States of America.  The Commander-in-chief himself, tired from concerts with Stevie Wonder and dinners with Hollywood's most glitzy, will appear on the Tonight Show to discuss family life, the wackiness of politics, and maybe even a pitch for that record budget of his.  No offense to Jay Leno, but is this really the place for a sitting President to make his case to the American People?  I think it is bad taste and it shows a complete disrespect for the intelligence of the American People.  I suppose the Administration sees this as "thinking outside the box".  Sure, why not?  Anything that can distract People from the bankrupting of their Nation can only be a positive thing when you are amounting a ridiculous debt.  President Obama is running this country based on one notion- trust.  His whole plan is to convince Americans to just "trust" him.  What is worse is that millions of People are falling for it.  While everyone is smiling at the President, the Government is growing and our tab is growing.  Every step towards a bigger Government is a step away from individual freedom.  The Founding Fathers knew that to be true.  Obama is trying to expand government over every single aspect of our lives.  I ask you this, when is the last time the Government did not royally screw up a program that they were managing?  Please, just give me one example.

by Thomas Craig

I know, the title is maybe a bit much.  I'm having a hard time lately just like I know you are having a hard time as well.  We are standing by and watching our Country change into something and it terrifies us because we don't know what it will become.  What is even scarier is that it seems like our Government doesn't know what it will become either.  I sit and I pray that the Obama administration will surprise us and we will be lifted out of our current state.  Every day that passes, however, seems to convey the message that the President and our Government are in complete disarray.  It seems like our Government is being run no better than a fraternity house.  I'll tell you what I see.  I see a stock market that is failing because of a lack of direction and focus in our leadership.  I see a President who promised to stop earmarks and then goes ahead and signs off to 9000 of them.  I hear a President, who promised America that he has solutions, and instead merely blames his predecessor and throws his hands up as if to say that since he didn't cause it, he shouldn't be held responsible to fix it.  It’s almost as if we should be grateful that he is trying to fix it at all.  I see a Treasury Secretary who has zero faith from the People as well as Congress.  I see Republicans who advocate reforming the Party and vowing to return to our principles, and then go ahead and add in thousands of earmarks themselves.  I see a Speaker of the House who treats her position as if she won the lottery and can say, do, and spend whatever she pleases.  I sense, because my actual sight has never witnessed even a picture of it, trillions of dollars of debt that is borrowed from our Children or China (I'm not sure which is worse).  New taxes will take effect, and old taxes will rise.  Sure, only "rich" people will have their taxes increase.  You won't feel it at all unless of course you happen to purchase goods or services of any sort.  I see trillions spent on bailouts and stimulus.  I hear the call of our Leaders for trillions more to be spent to stop what the free market is naturally trying to accomplish.  Around the world, I see foreign nations test our resolve and flex their muscles and in return we invite them to sit down and talk.  I see Afghanistan failing and Mexican drug cartels pressing hard on our border.
Our individual freedoms are shrinking and our Government is growing.  More than ever before are we so controlled by our Government.  What saddens me is that America asked for it.  They saw a young man who talks a good game and who sold them Heaven itself.  That man is now winging it and trying to learn as he goes.  Of course the alternate option was not much better.
Republicans need to accept the misdeeds perpetrated by the Party during the Bush years.  I supported Bush and so I am guilty as well.  I supported the Patriot Act and I supported the expansion of our Government.  Both violate the Republican principles of individual freedom and limited Government.  I see all of this and I pray that our best days are ahead of us, but I fear that we might not be able to come back from where we are going.

by Thomas Craig

Once again I am simply amazed at how the Democrats, time after time, prove to be anything but productive for minorities, yet they still capture the minority vote.  Two recent issues have caught my attention.  First, in a disgusting display of hypocrisy, the Democrats will be ending the Washington D.C. school voucher program.  This means that many underprivileged children who are attending excellent and top-rated private schools (such as the ones many Democrats send their children to, including President Obama) will now have to return to the failed public schools which continue to hash out students who cannot even name the three branches of government.  The degradation of all aspects of our society can always be traced to a healthy mixture of poor leadership and ignorance of the masses.  Many of our schools have failed and the same Democrats who insist on bankrupting our Nation by financing zombie banks, also seek to force underprivileged students to obtain mediocre at best educations in these institutions.  I wouldn't be so against this if the public school system was revitalized in some way.  To begin with, education, much like most things, should be handled at a more local level.  The thought of our children's education being decided on by the geniuses in Congress is a chilling one.  The other issue in recent affairs is President Obama's commitment to merit pay.  This is a completely foolish way to go, much like No Child Left Behind was a foolish mistake.  Let me give you an example.  In many schools, the classes are broken up into skill levels.  Students are grouped by their above-average, average, or below-average skill levels.  All three groups are given the same test.  How is it fair for the Teacher who oversees the below-average group to be penalized when their students don't perform as well as the above-average students?  What is even more ridiculous is that there are many schools that require Special Education students to take these very same tests, and they are held to the same standards as the rest of the students!  Special Education Teachers are being punished in a way for not having a student with a disability perform as well as a student in an above-average class.  This is disgusting and a gross mismanagement of our children's education.  Furthermore, we've all heard examples of Teachers and Principals changing grades on students’ tests so that their schools don't get penalized under the No Child Left Behind Act.  Imagine the cheating that will occur when a "merit bonus" is offered to an underpaid and underappreciated Teacher.  Mark my word, it will become more and more of the norm.

In addition to this, can I just ask the silly question of how the President intends on paying for this?  Or will we just continue our addiction to obscene borrowing and spending?