A magazine profile of President Barack Obama has set the commentariat a‑talking.
On racism, the president says that “some” folks hate him because he’s black; and others support him because he’s black.
Wow. What was obvious in 2008 seems … painfully obvious now.
Similarly, the prez ’fessed up (again) to his past marijuana use — and his long-term tobacco habit. He uttered the word “vice.” He noted that marijuana doesn’t seem any more harmful than alcohol … which implies that the prohibition of marijuana makes less sense than the once-prohibited but now-legal hootch.
A reasonable opinion. Held, before President O’s pronouncement, by a clear majority of the public … not as radical, but as obvious.
So why make such a big deal about these statements? Because of previous taboos? It’s not as if Obama took leadership on any of these ideas, moving them from “horrors!-false” to “blah-true.”
Years ago, the movie Bulworth featured Warren Beatty as a senator who, all the sudden, started blurting out things he believed to be true, but which were not usually said in public. It was a comedy. (Your tastes and appraisals may vary.) The prez comes off as nowhere near as outrageous (or straightforward) as the Beatty character, though he, too, has rapped in public.
But perhaps we grade on a curve. A president speaking obvious truths is memorable not because the truths are daring, but because of the novelty: a politician has deigned to acknowledge truth.
File the brouhaha under O, not for Obama but for Obvious.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
4 replies on “Prez States Obvious; News at 11 ”
The President is consistent, he is giving up a number of failed wars, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and perhaps other areas of the mid-east. He may be preparing to give up the failed war on pot (but is certainly not leading the charge — just reacting).
Now if he could only understand that we have failed as well in the war on poverty and the attempts at nationalizing education and the medical care system, we might start to get some where.
Sadly, I suspect that he is simply abandoning some wars in an effort to free his ability to escalate others.
Keen insight, JFB.
The comment on racism. DID HE/ COULD OR CAN HE, EVER THINK THAT SOME (MANY?) PEOPLE DISLIKE AND/OR DESPISE HIM BECAUSE OF HIS SOCIALISTIC ( AND TO SOME EXTENT) ANTI-AMERICAN VIEWS? (Starting with his 2008 European trip where he apologized for American greatness).
And his making recess appointments when C the Senate is in session. And his attacks on the Supreme Court; and Arizona (siding with a foreign nation against a state); his (and his wife’s) extravagant vacations and expenditures; and the list goes on.
Racism has little to do with it.
I agree with JFB. Obama recognizes the harm of government force in the forms of military meddling (in spite of his rhetoric that Afghanistan is the good war) and the war on pot/drugs.
He obviously doesn’t recognize the harm he does in taking 40% of the fruits of workers labors from them, where government then decides who gets it, after paying for the bureaucrats to do it. He’s all for more of this kind of harm.