Obama's Speech to the Children

The press is abuzz with the backlash against the President's plan to speak live to schoolchildren across the nation. Sure, I'm aware of Bush 41 made a similar speech in the early '90's (and was met criticism from the Left) but let's be real: I love George Herbert Walker Bush, but a great speaker he was/is not; the very notion of anyone fearing a Svengali performance from him is laughable.

Locally, Green Bay, Elmbrook, and West Bend Districts have decided against showing the speech. Other areas, such as Milwaukee, have handed off the controversy down the chain of command, making it a school by school, and sometimes class by class decision.

I have every confidence, especially in the wake of the furor, that the speech will be full of cheer leading rhetoric and devoid of substantial content, left/right or in-between. My original, very vocal complaint was the list of activities the White House asked accompany the speech. Yeah - uh, CREEPY. Don't quote Kennedy's "Ask Not" blurb at me - Kennedy asked you to serve your country, not the Oval Office.

Like I said on FB, if my kids are going to worship some dingbat with an inflated ego, dammnit, it's gonna be ME :)

If their schools decide to run the speech, I won't pull them out, but I will read the speech first and if necessary, offer my (gentle) opinion. He is (sigh) our President, and so I will not disparage him openly in front of the kids.

I want to point out something though. This has all been blown out of proportion, but I won't lie and say it doesn't tickle me a bit. Putting that aside, let's go back to that line about the Left going after Bush 41's speech and failing to rouse the public's ire.

To quote the Journal-Sentinel.

The difference is, this time, it's resonating.

"It's not about the speech itself," [UW-Madison political science professor] Franklin said. "It's the right's ability to seize on it and the ability to build on a narrative about Obama."

You'll see and read a lot of polls that predict doom for Obama and this Congress. I concur with the assessment for Congress - there should be a lot of Dems fearing for their job on the Hill, although much can change in a year - but I don't have much confidence (yet) in tossing out Obama. The luster has worn off, but the Cult of Personality may resist change, just to avoid admitting they were duped in '08. And much, MUCH can happen in three years to resurrect a campaign.

But here's where Obama IS failing. Bush was hated. Hated, like no other since Nixon. If he had announced a similar speech the left would have gone apeshit, the right would reflexively have argued against them, and Everyday Joe would have shook his head at the fools and gone on with his day.

Obama is not hated by most people. Any yet, the Right goes apeshit, the Left responds, and Everyday Joe seems, more and more often, to side with the right. This was true in derailing the health initiatives, and today it's causing large school districts to tremble.

Remember, Obama won Wisconsin, and took Milwaukee handily. And yet now, on something as simple as a televised speech, the public speaks loudly enough to cause MPS to shun a decision and take it on a case by case basis? Wow.

That, and not any poll number, leads me to question the effectiveness of The White House here in late summer 2009. Every compromise costs him support on the far Left (anyone read the Left's scathing attacks on his escalation in Afghanistan?) Every controversy increases the right's confidence, and the publics trust in what they say. And every overblown, waste of time dogfight chips away at the center that is the be all and end all of any electoral victory.

If, IF, that continues into 2010 and beyond, sayonara.

* * * *

Green 'Czar' Van Jones is another clumsy example of the White House's summer. This guy is a 'former' 911 Truther, or else someone dumb enough to be 'duped' by a 911 Truther; someone who called Republicans "Assholes" in a public forum (I blame Rahm's culture of vulgarity for instigating that one), he's done a public impersonation of Bush on Crack , and said only white kids shoot up schools.

Quote: "You've never seen a Columbine done by a black child. Never. They always say, 'We can't believe it happened here. We can't believe it's these suburban white kids.' It's only them. Now, a black kid might shoot another black kid. He's not going to shoot up the whole school."

Fine for Chris Rock to say on stage, but not appropriate for a public official.

Get rid of him. He's a liability, and a PR disaster that draws even more attention away from Obama's goals (oooh, on second thought: let him stay).

The bigger question is: why haven't they dismissed him already?

UPDATE: Someone in the WH must read this blog (here's hoping they don't put me on one of their 'watch' lists.) He's now resigned his post.