He has proven to be the consummate hyper of hope and
conniver of change. Should we have
expected anything else from Barack Obama, the man of a thousand contradictory,
conflicted identities?
Let’s recall just a couple of the double standards, double speak,
and double binds of the Obama presidency to date. The White House blog structures our
discussion nicely, since Barack fancied himself to be a new, improved,
technologically astute emperor determined to remake America in his own swaggering
image and likeness.
Before the celebratory confetti had been shoveled away,
Macon Phillips, Obama’s Director of New Media for the White House, wrote on
January 20, 2009 at 12:01 P.M: “A short time ago, Barack Obama was sworn in as
the 44th president of the United States and his new administration officially
came to life. One of the first changes is the White House's new website, which
will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with
the rest of the nation and the world.”
Calling his posting, Change
has come to WhiteHouse.gov, Mr. Phillips announced three priorities, quoted
below:
Communication --
Americans are eager for information about the state of the economy, national
security and a host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth
content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the briefing
room, keep tabs on the blog (RSS feed) and take a moment to sign up for e-mail
updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know
about major announcements and decisions.
Transparency --
President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and
transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering
on that promise. The President's executive orders and proclamations will be
published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts
to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You
can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration
and about the President’s policy priorities.
Participation --
President Obama started his career as a community organizer on the South Side
of Chicago, where he saw firsthand what people can do when they come together
for a common cause. Citizen participation will be a priority for the
Administration, and the internet will play an important role in that. One
significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the
President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for
five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President
signs it.
Since the material relevant to Barack Obama’s abject failure to achieve
his self-selected three priorities is inexhaustible, I will be brief and merely
illustrative in my criticism of each.
Obama’s communication is best explained by considering his approach to
race relations in America. Whether black
professor Henry Louis Gates versus white policeman James Crowley or black
adolescent Trayvon Martin versus “white Hispanic” community watchman George
Zimmerman, Barack’s comments never fail to contribute to the problem rather
than to its solution. Amazingly, even Newsweek (April 16, 2012) feels
compelled to ask, “Is Obama Making It Worse? An exclusive Newsweek poll reveals
the persistence of America’s stark racial divide.” For example, the article
reports that President Obama’s comments, epitomized by, "If I had a son,
he'd look like Trayvon" received support by 78% of blacks, but only 28% of
whites. And, to the question, “Was
Trayvon Martin’s death racially motivated?” 80% of blacks agreed, but merely
35% of whites.
Sad, isn’t it, that a biracial man who should be able to understand,
empathize, and constructively “communicate” with white and black Americans
instead uses race to elevate himself politically rather than to promote racial
understanding and harmony.
Regarding transparency, we can refer directly to the literal words of the
Whitehouse.gov priorities and ask whether Obama has published all non-emergency
legislation to the website for five days, and allowed the public to review and
comment on them before he signs legislation.
Politifact.com says “Promises Broken” and cites three examples:
“Credit card bill of
rights passed without five-day break.” Angie Drobnic Holan, May 26, 2009;
“Still no ‘Sunlight
before Signing’" Angie Drobnic Holan, February 4th, 2009; and
“Obama signs first
law without Web comment.” Angie Drobnic Holan,
January 29th, 2009.
Finally, what about participation? You know the answer to that one. Titillated Barack
Obama signs a health care bill after which close Democrat confidant, Nancy
Pelosi, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, gleefully had said, “We
have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it.” Or, more recently, Obama is caught on an
open microphone saying to Russian President Medvedev:
Obama
- On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be
solved but it’s important for him [Prime Minister Putin] to give me space.
Medvedev
- Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…
Obama-
This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.
Of course, any criticism of Barack Obama is sure to
elicit a counter-charge of politically-based racism and/or partisanship—a most
effective presidential divide and conquer, attention-deflecting strategy. Unfortunate for Barack and his apologists,
that rebuttal falls flat in the latest incident of his majesty’s
freeze-out-the-opposition, anti-participation campaign. When Obama tried to withhold details of his Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations, over 60 Democrats wrote to challenge
him. One of them, Senator Ron Wyden
cited the President’s failures in all three alleged Obama
priorities—communication. transparency, and participation—when he wrote:
The
majority of Congress is being kept in the dark as to the substance of the TPP
negotiations, while representatives of U.S. corporations -- like Halliburton,
Chevron, PhRMA, Comcast and the Motion Picture Association of America -- are
being consulted and made privy to details of the agreement.
So much for communication, transparency, and
participation.
What began as the Barack Hussein Obama brand of hope
and change has degenerated into national dejection, division, and stagnation on
a grand scale. Not quite the same
old political games, that’s true. Today deception
is wrapped in the garb of a fast-talking, back-slapping, dark-triad personality
of presidential proportions characterized by narcissism, Machiavellianism, and
psychopathy. A disingenuous, deceptive,
identity-conflicted man has rewritten the book on theory and practice of
upper-echelon demagoguery, and millions of gullible Americans have accepted it
as gospel.
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