"For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country. Not just because Barack is doing well, but I think people are hungry for change."
When I first heard that Ms. Obama said this, I wasn't too upset about it. Yes, it looks pretty ridiculous on the surface, but I realize that sometimes people misspeak, try to say one thing while the words come out sounding completely different. Surely Michelle Obama has been proud of her country before now. Again, the quote itself is ghastly, but I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Until today, when she attempted to clarify her comment.
"What I was clearly talking about was that I'm proud in how Americans are engaging in the political process. For the first time in my lifetime, I'm seeing people rolling up their sleeves in a way that I haven't seen and really trying to figure this out — and that's the source of pride that I was talking about."
Well, forgive me for being a stickler but that didn't exactly make things better, did it? What she basically says is that the source of her pride is the people engaging in the political process. Is that it? Is there nothing else about America that makes her proud? Well, she didn't say. She finally admitted that she was proud of her country as a whole, but only after being asked specifically.
I have been a bit disappointed in the Obamas lately. First the plagiarism thing. Now this. It's not the actual occurrence that disappoints me as much as the response. Barack brushed off the plagiarism thing as a non-issue as though it is silly to even bring it up. Well, in fact, it is a big issue. Obama is known for his speeches and if he is ripping off from someone else I think that's significant, and so do a lot of other folks. An apology and some remorse would be nice to see. Yet, Obama doesn't seem to think it's a problem. The same can be said about Michelle's comment. They basically brushed it aside as a non-issue when she should have apologized and then mentioned any number of things about America that make her proud. It seems lately that the Obamas are beginning to come across a bit arrogant and elitist. Not good for his image.
Ms Obama mishandled the entire situation and it's going to haunt her husband's campaign. John McCain won't let this one go. Conservatives and Moderates don't appreciate the blame-America-first mentality of the far Left, and her comment falls in line with just that kind of mentality. First Ted Kennedy endorses him, now this. Not good for someone who's trying to court the middle and a few disgruntled Republicans.
7 comments:
I don't think it will haunt them. One of Obama's traits thus far has been a Reagan-like teflon-ness. Things like that aren't sticking to him. It just makes the person bringing it up look petty and small.
My hunch.
Wouldn't it be ironic if, for all of their yearning for a new Reagan, the Republicans found it in President Obama - and regretted it!
I was recently on a subway in Belgium, where I met a man from Pakistan that was extremely hesitant to tell us where he was from upon learning that we were Americans. A grown Pakistani man (who was in Brussels for a conference on human rights) was afraid to tell three 20 year old American girls where he was from, for fear that we would no longer be interested in talking to him, or would have negative things to say about him.
For a long time now I have known that our image throughout the rest of the world isn't all that great. But until I met the man on the subway I hadn't been truly ashamed to be from the United States. Sure, it's a great place and we have great rights and life is glorious and perfect. But I have been given a reputation, against my own free will, as a close-minded bigot who only wants to interrogate and demean people of middle-eastern descent. I do not at all believe that it is, in that case, "un-American" or "un-patriotic" to feel embarrassed about the man and the administration that leads our country. THAT is how we are viewed. Sure there are good things that we enjoy that few other people do, but that is not what those other people see. We are represented by a handful of people that have done nothing short of a complete and total disservice to us.
The point that Ms. Obama is making is that she is proud to be an American because instead of being represented by those who MISREPRESENT her, she now has the chance, thanks to people taking part in the political process, to help make a change to something that so many more people can be proud of.
I hear her and I agree 100%.
Good point, Allisoni. For many of us, there has been much shame brought on the US the past 8-32 years because of actions done in our name and policies created by our politicians.
With Obama, we feel like there might be a real change. Most of us are astute enough to realize that Obama is no savior, that he won't be perfect. But we do feel like he might just be a change. Moral, ethical, real in ways that our past few presidents haven't been.
That's not all Americans, but it represents a huge number of us and, for us, we understand exactly what Ms Obama means. We love our country and because we love our country we have been shamed by many of our leaders.
It's time for a change and we're hoping that, with Obama, yes, we can.
Dr John speaks wisdom, but who will stifle their vanity? We have been under attack from a brute, suicidal Theocracy since November 4, 1979.
Such Anti-American Gibberish is absurd non-sense, and people mouth
it with little knowledge of recent history. I would urge spending a few hours w/ a Search Engine. Look
up the above date, type in Embassy,
then Ayatollah Khomeini. That was the first, in a series of increasing violence over the last
29 years. Jimmy Carter was a timid,
loving sweet little guy, that refused to Act, and it Emboldenment
and Thrilled a Dormant Kill-Culture
into Suicidal Murder Around the Planet, not just here in the USA.
>>
Airline high-jackings, Steam-boat
high-jacking & piracy, 1983 Marine Barracks, Khobar Towers, Saudi Arabia, 1993 NY City, Madrid RR Bombing, Bombay, India RR bombing,
London Bus & Rail. In 2000, the USS
Cole (Bill Clinton's Tenure).
Sept 11, 2001, 2972 Innocent Died.
>>
When Saddam rolled in Kuwait (1991) Bush 41 knew, that the 4th Largest Army in the World Must Be Stopped. But Why?
Because, This Madman (not a religious nut) was set to roll his
tanks into Saudi Oil Fields, take the Holy Shrine at Mecca. He was Nebuchadnessar, King of All The Middle East! He had a French-built
Nuke Lab in 1981. Any of you know that? Those Terrible Israeli Jets
took it out, slowing things down.
>>
Today It's Old Persia (Iran) that enriches U-235. Their Holy Prophesy
tells them, that after the "Great War", their 12th Imam (the 'Madhi', dead since 941 A.D.) will return, restore the Caliphate, and bring this old world 1,000 yrs of Peace!
>>
On this side of The Pond, we have
another loony-tune that came here in 1956 from Budapest; a financier.
He'd Made 7 Billion Dollars nearly
destroying the Bank of England playing the Money-Markets! Did he buy a 200 ft Luxury Cruiser, and a few acres in Dubai's Millionaire Waterfront? No, he decided that the USA was full of imperfect rascals needing "CHANGE". When the Twin Tower fell on 9/11, Uncle Georgie Soros jumped into action, helped fund some "Peace Groups" like A.N.S.W.E.R. & "Code Pink", and supported United For Peace & Justice in 2002. Leslie Cagan's the
boss of 1300 Local & National Groups today, plus 5 New Pacifica Radio Stations, and she has an interesting history of Hate the USA
because as a teen she was in Cuba
in the early 1960's helping Castro
& Che Guevara. These three were thrilled when USSR's Nikita Khruschev made a gift of several IRBM Nuke Missiles to point at the
Eastern Half of the U.S. (Cold War,
heard of it). Search U.F.P.J. If you despise the USA, you're gonna love Leslie!
Well, Uncle Georgie Soro set up a
propaganda machine that would make
Hitler's Josef Geobbels envious!
Got a young dude, appointed Eli Pariser 22, CEO of MOVEONDOTORG., Spent a few hundred million to set
up a Hate Bush/Cheney Vast Left-Wing to bend the minds of Sports Fans & Celebrity Worshippers, and
distributed Impeach Bush Bumper-stickers. Ever seen one?
And you really think you had an
Independent Idea, when you began hating "Dubya"? Get real, people!
2:40 A.M. Good Nite, Students!
Have fun correcting my spelling &
horrid grammar. reb
__________________________________
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com
Basically a complete stranger who knows nothing about you unfairly stereotypes you as a person of hate and you react by feeling ashamed to be an American.
It's not that this complete stranger knew nothing about her, it's that he DID know something about US policy. That's what's embarrassing - what's been done in our name.
"Sure, it's a great place and we have great rights and life is glorious and perfect. But"
Unbelievable. I'd say that "John Washburn" and "Snake Hunters" have it just about right.
You could have made the Pakistani happy by offering to nuke Israel and adopt Sharia law here in the United States. That's what they want.
Sorry, Allison, but if you think that the majority of Pakistanis want peace love and understanding you are not well informed. According to a poll I saw on National Review a few weeks ago 46% of Pakistanis think OBL is a great guy. I could go on but that should give you food for thought.
Why do many Muslims hate us? Because we don't stone gays, we let women live in freedom, and won't adopt Sharia law. Because we challenge them to adopt liberal pluralistic systems. Because we realize that Hamas and Hezbollah aren't "freedom fighters" but jihadist terrorists.
Why do many Europeans hate us? Because they're lost in a sea of postmodern multicultural political correctness in which the only thing that matters is getting that retirement check and ensuring universal health care. No one goes to church over there anymore because they don't believe in anything. Islam is the fastest growing religion in Europe (and if demographic trends hold, Europe will be majority Muslim before the end of the century). With the exception of the UK and The Netherlands they won't even send a decent amount of troops to Afghanistan which is why Sec Def Gates criticized them recently.
No I don't think all Muslims think that way so just relax. But an awful lot of them do, and more importantly, the ones in charge do.
"I do not at all believe that it is, in that case, "un-American" or "un-patriotic" to feel embarrassed about the man and the administration that leads our country."
Guess what? Neither do I. President Clinton embarrassed the heck out of me but it never occurred to me to be ashamed to be an American over him. I was in France during his impeachment and 2 French one day gave me the "oh you're persecuting the poor man" routine. I told them politely but firmly that it was none of their business and to worry about themselves.
But even if Obama or Hillary get elected and do all sorts of stupid things I would never be embarrassed to be an American.
Now have a nice day!
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