Thread: Obama: A Diversion Isn't Supposed to Work like This

Obama: A Diversion Isn't Supposed to Work like This

Posted by Bobby Eberle
July 28, 2009 at 7:36 am

President Barack Obama has been taking his lumps. His sky high approval rating has been steadily falling, and his massive spending and fondness for big-government programs are starting to reveal his true colors to the American people. Then, of course, there are his plans for health care. The plan continues to be attacked by Republicans and "blue dog" Democrats, and more Americans are fearful that with the government involved, health care will only get worse.

With all this going on, it sounds like the perfect time for a presidential distraction, right? Notice how when things get going tough for a president, there always seems to be something that pops up to divert attention and make him look more presidential? Based on several comments I've received, there are some who believe Obama's comments about race and police actions were meant as a diversion. Somehow, I don't think the reaction was what Obama had in mind.


As Obama was about to wrap up his health care press conference last Wednesday night, a reporter asked a completely unrelated question pertaining to the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates. The president had spoken for about an hour on health care, but jumped right into the question.

The case involved a neighbor of Gates seeing two men forcing their way into Gates' house. She called the police because she thought it was a break-in. The police arrived, saw Gates, and Sgt. James Crowley proceeded to question him. This is where things went bad quickly as Gates failed to cooperate, and instead shouted at the officers and accused them of being racist.

Obama acknowledged that he didn't know the facts, but went on to answer the reporter's question anyway. Obama said the police acted "stupidly" in the case and that Black and Hispanics have traditionally been victims of racial profiling. This set off a firestorm to say the least.

Apparently, Obama wasn't given the "Presidential Book of Secrets" which tells how to run a proper diversion. The whole idea of a diversion is to temporarily take the focus off the bad issue and place it on an issue that makes you look better or, in this case, more presidential. That last thing a person using this tactic wants to do is make himself look worse. In this case, Obama handled the Gates-Crowley situation so poorly, that when America refocuses itself on health care, they will only have a worse impression of Obama than before.

Just look at what happened. Obama says the police acted "stupidly," yet by all accounts, the police acted by the book. Obama implies that this is yet another case of racial profiling, a charge that the Congressional Black Caucus also jumped on. As it turns out, there was no profiling involved at all. First, as I pointed out previously, the police were responding to a call. They weren't just driving by and saw a Black man doing something. They were called to the scene by Gates' neighbor.

In addition, as you can see from the 911 call, the woman never mentions race. She was asked about it by the 911 operator, but she couldn't tell for sure. She certainly did not say that two Black men were breaking into a house.

Henry Louis Gates 911 Call Tape (HQ) - With Transcript

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-sHU4Kf ... r_embedded

And then there are the colleagues of Sgt. Crowley who are now speaking out. If Obama had a diversion in mind, these are not the type of comments he was hoping for:



Cambridge cops support Crowley 2:56CNN's Don Lemon speaks with several Cambridge police officers who pledge their support for Sgt. Crowley.Source: CNN | Added July 26, 2009more CNN video

Now, in order to make nice, it appears the White House "beer sitdown" is on. According to an Associated Press report, both Gates and Crowley will be heading to the White House on Thursday to meet with Obama and have a beer. The damage from this incident has clearly been done. As Scott Rasmussen notes in a new poll, 46% of respondents rated Obama's response to the press conference question as "poor." Only 26% said Obama did a good or excellent job of answering the question.

But what about the real issue? What about health care? Obama's health care press conference showed a 13 percent decrease from his previous press conference. According to a new Gallup Poll, two in three Americans doubt Congress' grasp of health care issues.

As Brit Hume notes in his analysis, "Congressional job approval is down to 30 percent in the newest FOX poll. The president's job approval rating stands at a record low 54 percent, with only 43 percent approving of the job he's doing on health care. In that same poll, health care now stands fourth on people's priority list behind fixing the economy, creating jobs and reducing the deficit."

He promised a new era of bipartisanship, then went along when Democratic congressional leaders rammed through a staggering spending bill in the name of stimulus on almost a straight party-line vote. That bill exploded the budget deficit and clearly alienated Independents, a crucial swing vote in America, and a group prone to worry about deficits.

Only 38 percent of them now approve Mr. Obama's performance on health care. These are the people who decide elections in close congressional districts, like the ones represented by the so-called Blue Dog Democrats. Small wonder the leaders want them to vote before they go home.

Some senators appear to be working on a compromise, but key elements of what Obama wants are missing. As the Associated Press reports, the plan "excludes a requirement many congressional Democrats seek for large businesses to offer coverage to their workers. Nor would there be a provision for a government insurance option, despite Obama's support for such a plan, officials said."

Obama has put his popularity to the test from Day 1. He was right in that the electorate was looking for change, but he is dreadfully wrong to assume that America wanted socialism. His proposals show a one-sided mind focused on making government more powerful and Americans less free. As the heat continues to build, Obama's "diversion" only added more fuel to the fire.

If Obama was looking for a way to get Americans to see him as a uniter and not a divider, then he picked the wrong issue. His associations with people like Gates and Rev. Wright show a dark side that will speak loudly to the American people long after the health care debate is over.

http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=1771

The race card is tattered. Americans of all races want Barry and his political hit men to cease and desist.

Your a "coward" if you don't talk about it, your a "racist" if you do. Where to run?

How do you approach Amnesty with these parameters in place?

ELE, I hope you are right. After this media blitz, frenzy, or fiasco, what will be left in the backs of American's minds when the Comprehensive Immigration (aka amnesty) debate takes place?

Will Americans be walking on glass?

Originally Posted by roundabout

Your a "coward" if you don't talk about it, your a "racist" if you do. Where to run?

How do you approach Amnesty with these parameters in place?

I refuse NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!
I'm no coward, but I'm not that bright either.
I'm all for an in-your-face debate, if the other person can handle the truth.
If they can't, that's when the Race Card is thrown in.

I refuse NOT TO TALK ABOUT IT!!!!!!!
I'm no coward, but I'm not that bright either.
I'm all for an in-your-face debate, if the other person can handle the truth.
If they can't, that's when the Race Card is thrown in.

But in the middle of a national debate, can you afford to have the race card thrown in?

We all be very brave and determined to do whatever we can do to fight the Socialist movement in our country. If we don't fight it's going to happen. if we do fight and continue to be a thorn in their side ever step of the way, we have a chance of winning back our country. It ain't over yet.

I think the hate crimes and other legislation is being put in place now so that if we speak out against Amnesty we will be charged with Hate crimes.
However we must remain steadfast in our efforts to help our country and people get out from under the domestic terrorists forces.

For starters we can do the following:

1.I think we have to continue to press the issue about Obama's birth certificate even though the Supreme court will probably never hear the case and/or honestly review the evidence.

2.We have to work to get him impeached so that the anti-American laws be has enacted can be reversed.

3. We can either compel our legislators to become States Rights States and contest the Federal government's mis-use of power and/or we can relocate to States Rights States that also oppose Amnesty.

For starters we can do the following:

1.I think we have to continue to press the issue about Obama's birth certificate even though the Supreme court will probably never hear the case and/or honestly review the evidence.

It's coming up on MSNBC after the break.

I sent O'Reilly an email last night blasting him for saying this,
"He has a Birth Certificate, we looked into it, and Hawaii sent us a copy!"

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???

He was all smug and I could have spit on him!

We need to stand up for Lou Dobbs too!
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html

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Donny Deutch is filling in again today on MSNBC for the jerk one-eye Schuster.
Watch him he freaks out, gets mad and hollors. Yesterday he attacked the black Co-host!
He even said, "I don't know why I'm so mad!"

They Dems are eating their own!

It is hysterical!
In fact his show last night was all fluff and no hard hitting news..
With everything going on and he found nothing controversial to report????

It's 15 minutes into the show and they have had their first fight already.
It was over taxing sugary drinks...

He said, that's ok, I wiped the floor with her yesterday!"
She said they started fighting at 8am this morning!

When the Birther issue comes up he implodes!