The Unpresidential Obama

Keith Koffler:

The president is president of all of us. Not just the Democratic Party. Even during a campaign.

It’s one thing to lambaste your opponents and their ideas. But the president of the United States should not be describing the other Party as un-American. It’s worse than sordid, divisive politics. It’s an ignominious, even somewhat frightening thing for a president to do, and it demonstrates a real ignorance on the part of Obama about the Constitutional role of his position.

Let’s look at what he said last night at a fundraiser in San Jose, California.

Some of you here may be folks who actually used to be Republicans but are puzzled by what’s happened to that party, are puzzled by what’s happening to that party. I mean, has anybody been watching the debates lately?

You’ve got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change,” he said, to applause. “It’s true. You’ve got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don’t have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because they’re gay. That’s not reflective of who we are . . .

This is a choice about the fundamental direction of our country — 2008 was an important election; 2012 is a more important election.

The key phrase above is “That’s not reflective of who we are.” As he has before – most notably in describing the budget by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) that was adopted by the House – Obama is suggesting that his opposition is un-American.

He’s vilifying an entire Party with a couple of extreme examples – it did not sound like more than a few in the audience were applauding or booing at the moments he mentions, and the reactions were likely more about the general issues raised than a particular gay soldier or condemning anyone to death.

It’s pure demagoguery, from the avatar of hope and change. And in the manner of a demagogue, he pretends his meaning is the opposite of what it is. As he divides us, he claims he’s only trying to bring us together.

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There is more.

He has always labeled his opposition as unAmerican, it is just that people did not notice so much when he was targeting President Bush.  He looks pretty desperate at this point and he is driving the center away from him.  Since there are not enough liberals to elect him, it looks like a bad strategy.