Treat Obama like every other President
...Williams is right and I expect I will have reasons to criticize Obama regularly--not be cause he is black, but because he is a liberal Democrat and they tend to pursue policies that have failed in the past. I would not insult the man by patronizing him or letting him get away with less than the best.If his presidency is to represent the full power of the idea that black Americans are just like everyone else -- fully human and fully capable of intellect, courage and patriotism -- then Barack Obama has to be subject to the same rough and tumble of political criticism experienced by his predecessors. To treat the first black president as if he is a fragile flower is certain to hobble him. It is also to waste a tremendous opportunity for improving race relations by doing away with stereotypes and seeing the potential in all Americans.
Yet there is fear, especially among black people, that criticism of him or any of his failures might be twisted into evidence that people of color cannot effectively lead. That amounts to wasting time and energy reacting to hateful stereotypes. It also leads to treating all criticism of Mr. Obama, whether legitimate, wrong-headed or even mean-spirited, as racist.
This is patronizing. Worse, it carries an implicit presumption of inferiority. Every American president must be held to the highest standard. No president of any color should be given a free pass for screw-ups, lies or failure to keep a promise.
...
Does no one realize that to be good you must surround yourself with people that are in your best image and best communicate your principles without outside influences? If President Obama does this, he will be labeled a great president. No matter, he is faced with problems that stem from many past administrations that were not properly directed from as far back as laws and policy have been written. Change at the Federal level is not all from the Executive branch but from the legislative and judicial. Our President is Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. He issues Executive Orders but does not write law. He can veto Legislation or pass it but it can be passed by a majority. We have checks and balances in our Government but the process is slow. The best we can expect from a liberal Democrat is status-quo and at worst laws passed that will take scores of years to overturn. Now we look at having new Justices appointed that will be liberal as well. All this passed with a liberal Congress. I am amazed at what Americans want for their next generation.
ReplyDelete