Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...campaign-2012/

We’re getting a scary preview of the final weeks of the 2012 presidential campaign. It’s going to be all about race and race-baiting.

For anyone who grew up in the South not so long ago, the irony is thick, bitter and ugly. Democratic pols of earlier generations reserved their fiery rhetoric — of blaming black folks for faults and misdemeanors large and small — for the last fortnight of the primary campaign. Then they let fly.

Some of the desperate friends of Barack Obama are playing the race card already, as the president’s poll numbers continue to crater in every ethnic and geographic category. The wise men in the White House avert their eyes from the data, trying not to look at the wreck on the highway. There’s the hint of impending doom in poll findings among independents, Jews, Hispanics and even blacks, where the president has long been untouchable. His approval ratings have fallen dramatically as the economy continues to tank and evidence mounts that neither the president nor his wise men have a clue what to do about it. Doubts grow, not about the president’s race, to which white voters everywhere have shown remarkable indifference, but about the president’s competence.

Mr. Obama was elected nearly three years ago on the wings of hope and the breath of prayer. He has gone a long way as a salesman with a wink, easy banter and a good shoeshine. He had no experience in business and had barely made a mark in either the Illinois legislature or the U.S. Senate, but he had an ingratiating manner and he could preach a sermon like nobody since Billy Sunday, Billy Graham or Adam Clayton Powell. But now a lot of people black and white are frightened — indeed most people are flat-out scared - and the only people talking about race are Mr. Obama’s friends.

Morgan Freeman, the actor who has a home in the Mississippi Delta where he has prosperous business partnerships with white folks, thinks America is as sinister as ever, and then some. He told an interviewer for CNN that the election of Mr. Obama has made racism worse, not better, because the tea party “is going to do whatever they can to get this black man outta here.” With that, he lapsed into incoherence.

The president’s slide in popularity, after his election raised such high hopes, “just shows the weak, dark, underside of America. We’re supposed to be better than that. We really are. That’s why all those people were in tears when Obama was elected president. ‘Ah, look at what we are. Look at how this is America.’ You know? And then it just sort of started turning because these people surfaced, like stirring up muddy water.”

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, who decried Mr. Obama’s compromise on the borrowing limit as “a sugar-coated Satan sandwich” (you should get cheese on that, with a side of fries), urges black voters to keep their complaining in check because “nobody wants to do anything that would empower the people who hate Obama.” He didn’t identify those people, but we’re entitled to think they’re of a pale persuasion.

The president knows he must find a way to restore the black enthusiasm of 2008 if he has even a shot at a second term, so he’s determined to reprise the spirit of the civil rights struggle of the ‘60s. “Take off your bedroom slippers,” he told the Congressional Black Caucus. “Put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complainin’. Stop grumblin’. Stop cryin’.” But it’s not clear who they’ll be marching against.

Finding a boogeyman among white folks will be difficult this year. Cotton Ed Smith, Bull Connor, Herman Talmadge and the bad guys of yore have been in the graveyard for a long time. Even more improbable than a black man in the White House - everyone is accustomed to that - is a Rasmussen poll released this week suggesting that in the unlikely event the election were held today, Mr. Obama would beat Herman Cain by only five points. This is a week after Mr. Cain won a straw vote in Florida, leading all Republican candidates. Mr. Cain, the son of a janitor and a cleaning lady, is that rare businessman of any color with a fire in his belly for politics. He sings the music of America, and he knows all the words.

Herman Cain’s chances to win the White House are easy to discount; the odds say he’s an unlikely star shooting across a troubled sky, soon to disappear below the far horizon. But even the brief prospect of a black Republican challenger for a black president says something loud and clear. What a country.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

If BHO's lieutenants are playing the race card, then they are the second to do so, since the racist and anarchist Tea Party played it long ago. Where was the TP when GWB and the Congress were racking up the deficit and fighting unjust war on an innocent sovereign nation? You guessed it!... sipping their mint juleps. The TP didn't show up until, "coincidentally", a black man was elected. Funny how that works out, eh?

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

What's even funnier is that that "unjust war" has been going on for the entirety of his term. As I type this, our men and women are still over there. So what's your point? If, as I believe you've stated before, I could be wrong, Bush deserves to go to jail for starting the war, then why isn't Obama in jail for continuing it? He is, after all, an accessory after the fact.

It's an inconvenient truth that his numbers are falling. His approval rating is down, and frankly, I don't think they're polling white people to get hispanic/black numbers. People that were originally happy with him are now unhappy. Unless he spontaneously changed races, I'm pretty sure it's more due to performance, or lack there-of.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

What is truly ironic was his snake oil speech on bringing our troops home. Well 3 years later, here at mother Knox, we are extremely busy concurrently training (2) Brigades to deploy soon. One of those Brigades will replace our resident Brigade in A-Stan, the other is going to that so-called sovereign nation. One who wants to bring troops home, change the outlook of the nation, and end an unjust war sure has a Central Florida watermelon and Southern Comfort concoction approach to doing such.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

I have NEVER said any PotUS should be in jail, do NOT confuse me with SpiritWarrior. While I agree with many things SW says, I realize the futility of the commoners trying to incite such a thing. After all, the House would rather impeach over a blow job, than impeach over mass murder being committed at their Military-Industrial Complex masters bidding.

And I thought my point was pretty clear,,, but here it is again... The TP played the race card long ago. Remember that part of my post?

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Two things can be, and in this case are, true at the same time. One, that his numbers have slipped amongst ethnic groups (considering where they were during election time when we were so afraid of Caribou Barbie being one heart attack away from the Oval Office, how could they not be?), and two that many of his most vehement detractors are absolute racists.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Let me pull the whole post into this, instead of the cherrypicked line you responded to. Let me point you to the part I highlighted, usually when people say they could be wrong, that's generally what they mean. Confusing things people say is exactly how I got on disability in the first place. However, that doesn't change the base part of the question: are you applauding Obama for his actions fighting an "unjust war", or are you calling for his impeachment? If the former, why? It's an "unjust war", and as Felix pointed out, PotUS was supposed to be bringing the troops home, but instead, he's getting more ready to go. Where I come from, accessory to is the same thing as actually pulling the trigger, so Obama is just as "guilty" as Bush was supposed to be.

Again, as I said before, it's a case of "your side of the aisle did it, it's a crime, my side did it", where "it" is the exact same thing, "it was needed to stop (insert problem here)". If people are applauding Obama for continuing what they see as Bush's crime, then the only word that fits is hypocrit.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

I think it's quite possible to;
1. Have voted for BHO.
2. Lament the endless wars.
... and not be hypocritical.

BTW, the "unjust war" mentioned in my post IS being ended by BHO. Now we just have to deal with the Afghan mess.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

It is, however, impossible to say the war is a crime committed by Bush, and then applaud Obama for fighting it w/out being a hypocrit. Either it's a crime, or it isn't. That is what I said in my previous post as well.

While one can indeed end wars by sending in more troops, and just turning the whole country into a parking lot, the usual system for ending hostilities involves a cease fire, negotiations for peace and a withdrawal of troops. So by which scenario do you put forward that he's ending the war? Since we know that more troops are being trained, and sent in, are we to assume that he's going to do the former to end it?

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Why do you insist that I have called the Iraq war a "crime"? I called it "unjust". The Iraq war was "legal" by most criteria; the international community did not protest overmuch, and some nations even helped out. But the legality of the war does not change my opinion that the war was unjust.

BTW, what would you do? Here's the scenario... RTB has just been inaugurated PotUS, and has inherited 2 wars... the winding down of Iraq and the nasty mess of Afghanistan. You are now Head of State, and the prestige of the US is reflected in your actions, whether you like it or not. What to do?

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

FYI: As of today, there is no official cease fire or fancy named treaty in place. Our troops are in transition from knock and blast, to teach, coach and mentor (Advise and Assist).

Of the "reduction" of boots on the ground, the 50K "withdrawn" are located in the Kingdom(s) of SA and Kuwait. From there, they can conduct "security" patrols, perform "routine" Traffic Control Points (TCPs), provide a "Reactionary Force", and provide a "show of force" into Iraq as needed. America has been duped to believing that those 50K troops withdrawn returned home. Don't forget about the 40 odd thousand boots physically on the ground in Iraq! That equates to 90 odd thousand troops on the ground, up slightly from W's less than 90K, and slightly down from the almost 110K surge. All in all, more troops on the ground in the region.

Real numbers for A-stan are in a 'need to know' category...

As far as the war, I supported getting in, kicking ass and taking names, then rapidly departing with dignity. I did not support 5+ years of petty operations followed by almost 3 years of please can't we all just get along and thank you!

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

That should go over well in elementary schools... right about the part where they say "with liberty and justice for all". You know, kids just might pick up on that 'we'll do the right thing if you cross our palm' concept.

But anyway, once a new Prez gets in power, they never seem to go thru with the withdrawals of our military from (insert nation here). Why is that? What do they learn in the briefing process that changes their mind?

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Don't get mad. I like your idea. I would do that too... but these hard-ass approaches never seem to get implemented.

My style (or lack thereof) irritates some people. I have the ability (curse?) to see both sides of almost any argument, and the temptation to play devil's advocate almost always wins out.

I'm not so much against nation-building as I'm against the forced importation of our culture onto another. So I guess I'm basically against nation-building.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Seems pretty clear to me this is a case of the "you break it, you buy it" rule.

Abruptly leaving either Iraq or Afganistan in a state of "U.S.-caused politically de-stabilized combat-torn mess" would simply be irresponsible. Sucks we put ourselves in those messes like we did to begin with.

The OP isn't even worth commenting on beyond pointing out it is a kind of bunch race-baiting drivel as bad as the bunch of race-baiting drivel it points out. The "takes one to know one" rule applies here IMO.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

If I was elected with one of my campaign promises being to end the wars, I'd end them by the most expedient means possible, even if that did mean withdrawing, and leaving them to sort out the mess that they've been trying to sort out for 2000 some odd years. Especially if, immediately after getting into office, I'm suddenly awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.

I've said this before, and it bears repeating, as Azred pointed out, if they want our help, they can foot the bill. This is not "Pay to Play" per se, but more pay our expenses for getting in your business, with a clear start/end of service date. There would also be a contract, showing that the government in question did indeed request our aid, and did indeed agree to the terms. I am frankly tired of being bashed on online sites simply because I'm an American, and being treated like every decision made by my government was signed off by me. I would take the steps to insure that these people understood that my actions were taken, and paid for, by the foreign government in question, so that there can be no mistake who's responsible for me doing what I'm doing. Then these people can unload on their own governments, at their own risk, of course, since in some countries, speaking out against your government means you disappear...

We were told that Obama was going to end our involvement in the ME, and frankly, that has yet to happen, and isn't even being realistically discussed. Instead, troops are being moved from one part to another, and trained for even more insertions. We were lied to, for whatever reason. A Nobel Peace Prize was awarded based on that lie, and yet, here I am defending myself because I find that reprehensible. The man's race has no bearing on it. The truth has no race, it simply is. The truth is that we are still fighting every day in the ME, and we're still there because the current PotUS isn't doing anything to get us out. He is, instead, riding the gravy train of that war, Bin Laden, and milking it for all it's worth.

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

Re: Oh snap, Pruden calling it!!!
 

I don't buy "you break it, you buy it."

If something is morally wrong, you simply stop it.

But, as I'm sure Felix will confirm, everything about our relationship(s) with anything in the Middle East has been F'd for 40 years. We're basically to the "you own it" phase.