It amazing how much President Obama has been disrespected from all sides of the political spectrum since he took Office. I know many on the right will point to Truthers during the Bush administration – but I don’t remember President Bush or any other President for that matter having to publically prove that he was in fact born in the US and was therefore eligible to be President of the United States.
I know what you are thinking – let it go, that was so last week, this is not a time to politicize this event. This is not a time to politicize this event? Seriously? This is not a time to politicize?
When President Bush ousted the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2003 and declared ‘Mission Accomplished’ – where were the calls to not politicize that event? If Usama Bin Laden died under the watch of a Republican President, do you think we would have got such an understated announcement as the one given by President Obama on Sunday? I can’t remember seeing any banners on Sunday?
None.
I also feel it was extremely shameful from some on the right to downplay President Obama’s role in the operation to kill Usama. It is right that the majority of the credit should go to the now legendary Seal Team 6 that carried out the operation, but people should not underestimate the courage it took for this President to choose the option of a manned raid rather than a drone attack. If things went wrong, the right would not have been blaming the Seal Team which carried out the attack, they would have been blaming Barack Carter. This was an extremely gutsy decision by the American President – a decision right out of 24 – and he should be lauded with praise.
So back to politicizing this debate.
As much as people are now trying to calculate what this event will do for Obama’s re-election chances – I must say that I am firmly in the camp of minimal effects. We are already seeing a bump in his poll numbers, but I suspect that economic matters and gas prices will be the biggest factors to whether he gets elected in 2012.
But, I believe that this event will be the catalyst for the GOP to get serious about finding a candidate to put against Obama. If this past week has taught us anything is that Obama is a formidable politician and leader. It will be extremely foolish for anyone in the Republican Party to underestimate this man any more. No longer can they frame him as weak, a dither or worse, sympathetic to terrorists – the President has proven that he is as cold blooded and ruthless as they come.
The GOP need to start onto a path of growing into a big tent party again – a party that welcomes moderates, not chases them out with pitch-forks. They need to stop looking for the next Reagan and try to find their own Obama – someone that will transform their party and potentially transform America. Someone that will compete with Obama for the youth vote and minority vote. They just need to become serious again. No more Trumps, no more Palins, no more Bachmanns but, dare I say it, more Romneys and Rubios.
If the GOP continue to go down the root of conspiracy theorists (there are those who doubt Usama was killed at all, i’m expecting Trump to emerge as their leader), television presenters/racists and opportunists (yes, I’m looking at you Gingrich) then they have to deal with the real possibility of four more years of President Obama.
Just a normal everyday bloke writing about films.