OBAMA AND THE FAILED ELECTORATE
By Maj. Gen. Jerry R. Curry (ret'd)
CurryforAmerica.com
Senator McCain got it wrong in his January 6th Washington
Post editorial when he enthused that President
Obama’s
This was an opportunity for Obama to do what he has not done very well these past two years -- to be and to act presidential. Instead, he failed to provide the wisdom and guidance the nation so desperately needs at this time.
After expressing his sympathy for the victims and families of this great
tragedy, he should have paused, looked into the
camera and spoke directly to the dishonest, ignorant
political and news media pundits who, unrestrained
for a week, had so viciously lied in ascribing
motives to and in blaming the innocent. He should
have said, “I have a message for all of you who have
tried to turn this hideous event into a political
circus. Your actions are despicable. Now knock it
off!” Instead, he mealy mouthed, “Our political
discourse should be more civil than it currently
is.” The
six people killed and the thirteen wounded deserved
much straighter talk than that from the President of
the
One concise, heartfelt, healing statement that Obama’s speech contained was, “Make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.” These were good words -- presidential words -- and I’m sure they were said from the heart.
He also took a page from President Carter’s book who once proudly told the nation that he had turned to his young daughter Amy for guidance on how to run the nation. In this instance, Obama turned to the precious nine year old Christina for guidance. He said, “That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed.” Then he said, “I want us to live up to her expectations.” Presidents should be setting the standards for nine year olds and helping them understand what are acceptable beliefs and expectations for citizens of this great country, not following what he thinks is a nine year old’s guidance.
Of course, no Obama speech would be complete without a few falsehoods sprinkled in. He mentioned a school book entitled “Faces of Hope” where written into the margin beside Christina’s photo is, “I hope you know all the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart.” Then he adds that, “Here on earth, we place our hands over our hearts.” But Obama places his hand over his heart when the National Anthem is played only because of the scathing criticism he got for not doing so. Before the criticism, pictures showed him standing while the anthem was played with his hands clasped tightly together in front of him.
Daniel Hernandez, a new member of Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s’
staff risked his life to come to her aid. He
staunched the bleeding from her head with his bare
hands until others could provide coats. He spoke
before President Obama and gave a real presidential
speech, one with no notes, no teleprompter and
straight from the heart. Mark him well, one day he
may become President of the
Obama also opined, “For the truth is that none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack.” On the contrary, we do know exactly what caused it. The local community college that the shooter, Jared Loughner, attended had to summon the police five times because of his outbursts. Ultimately the college suspended him from classes until he underwent a psychiatric evaluation, which he never did. A fellow student suggested that he would probably one day go on a shooting spree. His girl friend was afraid of him.
So the signs were clear for anyone who was willing to see them – his family, the police, the sheriff, the college and the community. This is a shooting that need never have occurred. But it did happen and the nation desperately needs to recognize, identify and curtail such acts of madness. Presidential leadership and guidance is essential in helping us truthfully and intentionally label those acts for what they are.
Unfortunately we have elected a man to lead us who knows neither how to lead nor where to focus our attention. The fault is ours, the electorate’s. The nation can and will survive Mr. Obama, but it cannot continue to survive an electorate whose judgment is so bad and whose common sense is so lacking that it elects such a man to be its president.