Immanuel
Gold Member
- May 15, 2007
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If anything, the petty criticism I've heard of Obama has been far worse. Outside of a loon fringe, the criticisms of Bush were based on policies. You didn't have members of Congress claiming things as outlandish as the president was an illegal alien, or that he was planning to kill the elderly in their sleep.
I think it must be in how you look at things, because most of the criticisms of Bush that I remember were that he didn't speak intelligently or he had big ears making him look like a monkey etc. There was some criticism of the war or how we got into to war, but most of it was about his lack of speaking ability.
As for President Obama, I see more of the criticism as being his politics i.e. universal heath care and the stimulus plan which is thinly veiled socialism at its worst.
Basically, I would have to say it falls to your interpretation of the criticism, because in your words, "or that he was planning to kill the elderly in their sleep", which was not the criticism at all, rather it was that his policy would lead to rationalized healthcare and some people would not receive the needed care.
Nor, do I recall anyone claiming he was an illegal alien, but rather that based upon the Constitution he was not eligible to be President.
Then again, there was plenty of criticism, much of it deserved, in how President Bush wrangled us into a war in Iraq. And whether or not we should be there which were attacks on the President's policies.
I'm not saying you are wrong about the attacks on President Obama, as much of it is childish, but so was much of the attacks on President Bush.
Note: I am speaking general public here and you did mention Congress, but I think it applies to both.
Immie
That's completely dishonest. For starters, if government providing health insurance resulted in care being rationed to the elderly, why is that not already occurring now, since everyone over age 65 is in a government health insurance program? Also, you elevate the birthers to a level of seriousness they haven't even remotely earned. Notice that they continue the crazy crusade even after Obama's birth certificate was released to the public.
First of all, Medicare already rations healthcare just as private health insurance does. Also, I did not say that the people who were making those claims were accurate, but rather that the way you stated the criticism was incorrect to the majority of concerns about the plan. I pray you were not deliberately being dishonest in how you presented the quote.
Second, the birther complaint was absolutely not what you dishonestly painted it as. They (unless maybe you can find a few loons (probably a Congressman or two) who did) never said he was an illegal alien. Many people were concerned that he was born in Kenya and that disqualified him from being President; therefore, it was you who was being dishonest. They were also concerned that he refused to produce evidence that he was born in the U.S. Anyone that was honest would admit that until evidence of his U.S. birth was produced there were legitimate reasons that people would question his right to be President. Once he produced evidence to the courts that he was eligible, it was time to end the attacks.
There are going to be crazy people that will continue this crusade until President Obama is long retired and living out the rest of his life as a former President like Jimmy Carter and President Bush. I'm sorry, there is nothing we can do about that. As far as I am concerned the matter is decided.
But the truth is that the attacks on President Bush were no less personal rather than policy related than the attacks on President Obama.
Edit: Also, you should note that the discussion was not about the accuracy of the attacks but rather whether or not the attacks were personal (big ears) or policy related.
Immie
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