Barbara's Sharebook 

The Far Right, is trying their darndest, to EXPLOIT ANY dis-satisfaction with President Obama, ANY disappointment, ANYthing less than total fulfillment of expectations; into TOTAL, TOTAL DIS-ILLUSIONMENT with President Obama. {What, they've got something better to offer?} To some extent, it seems they may be succeeding. The Far Right, make no mistake about it, is TRYING TO MAKE A COMEBACK. Their strategy, is not only to distance themselves from Bush. {Who's he? we never heard of him!} The Republicans are trying their darndest, to channel 8 YEARS OF DISGUST WITH, AND HATRED FOR, BUSH/CHENEY AND THEIR POLICIES, into -- watch it! -- HATRED OF PRESIDENT OBAMA.

Their line is, that "ALL politicians are the SAME; ALL of them are crooks, not just Republicans are; Obama is NO DIFFERENT; Obama is NOT ANY BETTER; there is NO DIFFERENCE between the Republican and Democratic parties, between Bush and Obama; Obama is out to get you {no differently than Bush and his cronies were}"; et cetera et cetera.

This is a kind of SIMPLISTIC, KNOW-NOTHING, EASY POPULISM. One that makes NO distinctions between ANYthing. If it exists, we're AGIN it.

It is also rather EASY to promote, because there is this undercurrent..... of not exactly "racism" in the old sense. But, Obama is {I love that term!}, an "EXOTIC OTHER". So, it is EASIER to be SUSPICIOUS of him, if he is not one of your own "family". That is Human Nature, I guess. All I am saying, is, that it makes the Repugs' job easier. I am NOT saying, that anybody is a "racist"; or, that any criticism of President Obama, has a "racist" origin!

I criticize Obama myself, have done so and no doubt will find plenty to criticize in the future. What I am saying, is, there is a SENSIBLE, REASONABLE ground between total "worship" of Obama {and I don't know a single person who actually does so!}; and TOTAL CONDEMNATION of President Obama; of ALL Democrats; ALL reform advocates; ALL politicians; ALL actions; etc. etc. etc. It is the Far Right that is trying to MANIPULATE; and make you SO DIS-ILLUSIONED, that they think you won't vote or hope -- or do further work on the issues -- at all. THEN, having distracted you and gotten you riding off on the WRONG track, they WILL have a chance at a comeback. And that WOULD be totally disastrous. And it WOULD be "different" -- and much, much, much, much WORSE.  BMutiny T