I remember during the 8-year Bush Presidency, various friends of mine on the Left eviscerated President Bush on every word stumble, misplaced thought, “unpolitical” correct utterance, and his Texas ways many times. They eviscerated him on blogs, in conversation, anywhere and anytime. I told them that they better be ready (with a thick skin) because when their guy or gal becomes President, the Right is going to get some serious payback. To sum up their response:
So what? Our guy or gal won’t be as stupid as President Bush!
Fast forward to present day yesterday where folks in the “Multimediaverse” are all agog at President Obama’s Special Olympics remark on The Jay Leno Show Thursday night. I talked to one of those “Bush eviscerator” friends of mine this morning and here’s the conversation (somewhat paraphrased):
Me: “Obama is going to get it good on that Special Olympics remark last night.”
Friend: “Whatever. He’s still not as dumb as President Bush.”
Me: “That’s irrelevant. President Obama is going to get it good in the micro-parsing age by the outraged and false outraged. You did it to Bush.”
Friend: “Whatever.”
For the record, I absolutely hated President Bush being eviscerated for every word stumble, misplaced thought, “unpolitical” correct utterance, and his Texas ways. I remember President Bush’s “gynecologist love of women” remark and how various bloggers and serious media types just ran with it as an indictment on President Bush holding the office. President Bush isn’t stupid. Isn’t Hitler. Isn’t crazy. If he was, we would be living in an America from a Twilight Zone episode.
So now we have President Obama’s remark about the Special Olympics. And the “Multimediaverse” are taking the comment and carrying it “Sinister-ville”, “Not Fit To Be President Land”, “Hate All Disabled People Kingdom”, and other nefarious destinations. Just like they did with President Bush and his rhetorical missteps. Since I have a disabled cousin (she’s a paraplegic, Leno fan, and didn’t vote for Obama since she’s a Green Party gal), I asked her what she thought about the remark via e-mail. Her response (used with permission):
“Not the best thing to say I guess but I’m not mad. When your President, you talk so much that I expect a slip-up. His comment just didn’t feel vicious to me. Ignorant, since I’ve seen Special Olympians bowl very high and perfect games, but not vicious. I’ve heard things 100 times worse laced with serious venom about the disabled. You know what the President should do?! He should do a fund-raising bowling thingy with Special Olympian or disabled bowlers. He’s going to get whipped since he’s a terrible bowler. Take his lumps in the bowling alley, say he’s not worthy for the Special Olympics, and smile. He has such a terrific smile. But you know how folks are. Forgive and forget is what Jesus does. Not what we do.”
Amen dear cousin. Now I know my cousin doesn’t speak for every disabled person. And I understand them and their families being chaffed at President Obama’s remark. But I don’t get and absolutely detest is how slip-ups like this (and this issue is small in the grander scheme of things, no disrespect to the disabled) are blown up into major indictments on a President’s leadership. President Bush had numerous slip-ups but the Union continued. President Obama has had slip-ups (and probably more) and guess what: the Union will continue. Sorry if that upsets you but it is true.
In conclusion, President Obama is a terrible bowler. I think he needs to avoid all bowling alleys and stick to the basketball courts until he leaves office. Seems like he just can’t win when it comes to bowling.
I’m not complex. Don’t have time for all that. And all that complex stuff bad for the stomach. Just color me simple and plain with a twist.