Re: Florida vs. Zimmerman - Q.E.D????????
Fair enough.
Here's a thought on the whole, "Could be my son" kerfuffle. Why must we as a society always assume the lowest common denominator when analyzing what a politician says? Is it not possible that Obama meant he could relate to how Martin's parents felt when losing a child and not an omg moment? Every time I read a story in the Nice Planet thread about a child being abused my heart aches almost as if the child were my own. Why can't we on occasion give our leaders the benefit of the doubt in manners such as these and let the country collectively continue in civil discourse? Is that comment really going to make or break ANYONES vote? Probably not so let's move past it.
(btw that's not aimed art you specifically op)
Well, sure. But the Old Pio dictum is "everything a president does is political" or at least involves a political calculation. In this case, polling data are showing a decline in enthusiasm among black voters, for whom turnout is the key to electing any Democratic president. Recall that a 60% increase of black voters in Florida in 2000 (as compared to '96) very nearly made Al Gore president.
By making the statement he did, Obama (in my view intentionally) gave his blessing to the relentless and continuing race baiting on this matter. Almost immediately, he posed with Sharpton, again giving the presidential seal of approval to this fourflushing, lying, race pimp. I'm afraid none of this is accidental or unintentional. The fact that it damages the fragile relationships between the races is of no concern whatsoever. He's got an election to win. And nothing is more important than that.
He has a track record here. He jumped with both feet into the middle of the fracas between his pal Skip Gates and the Cambridge police, allowing that they "acted stupidly" without, apparantly, a scintilla of knowledge about what really went on. It's not credible to suggest that Cambridge (with a black mayor and police chief) is like Selma. No dogs. No fire hoses. No Bull Connor cattle prods. And just to put the cherry on the sundae, the officer who cuffed and stuffed Gates was the guy in charge of teaching race relations to other officers. And there was at least one black officer on hand, who didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just the arrest of a middle aged, mouthy, Harvard professor who thought he was waaaay to important to show an ID when asked.
So this blew up in the president's face and he scrambled to regain the high ground by having the "summit" in the Rose Garden. As I've suggested, wouldn't it have been nice if, in addition to noting Martin's resemblance to himself, had also said vengeance against random white people is inappropriate? He hasn't. And he won't.
Nothing that boy did "justifies" what happened to him. That's why my posts don't mention pot smoking and all the rest: irrelevant. Although the irony is if he hadn't gotten into trouble at his high school he wouldn't have been at his dad's place at all, and would presumably still be with us.
Bottom line: I'm sure Obama was sincere in his feelings. But he's smart enough to know there's political hay to be made here. And he took advantage of the situation for all it's worth. And still is.
