Our Political Discourse Has Gone to Hell (So Let Me Go With It)

Our country no longer has statesmen.

None. Zero. Nada.

We have a political divide that is repugnant at all levels. We have a two-party system in which both parties are merely consumed with besting each other to the other's peril. Neither truly party cares, in large part, for the electorate which they seemingly view as a necessary evil; mere simpletons who can be manipulated in any given direction on any given day.

Conservatives right now are the focus of my angst (although I can just as easily call out the liberal extremists). President Obama has had what? Seventy days in office? And he hasn't completely done everything he's promises despite the fact that he's had a whole 70 days?

I listened to Rush Limbaugh equate George W. Bush's entire eight years the other day to Obama's first two months and thought to myself "There are people out there who will not question comparing accomplishments in 96 months to two. They will think Rush has a point here."

The reality: Limbaugh is a an infantile hack who panders to under-educated individuals' most base emotions. I have to actually shut down brain cells whenever I listen to him.

Just tonight listened to another conservative claim that when President Obama gave a short ceremonial bow to Saudi Arabian King Abdullah, he capitulated to Islam on behalf of the United States. The bow looked like this:


OBAMA BOW

Now, of course this is crazy. But that hasn't stopped conservative talkers from preaching their stupidity to their faithful. However, this might just prove that maybe the political parties are right. Maybe the electorate really is made up of mere simpletons who can be manipulated in any given direction on any given day.

Why do I say this? Remember that guy who was president right before Obama?

Here are some reminders showing him...


KISSING ARABS...


...HOLDING HANDS WITH ARABS...


...BOWING TO A FOREIGN POWER...


...PRANCING WITH PUTIN.

Apparently, conservatives are hoping that everyone has forgotten Bush's foreign dalliances. DAMN THOSE CAMERAS!

Can they really be concerned that President Obama won't be the dignified leader that Bush was?

The fact is, in pursuit of diplomacy, our foreign leaders have always acted in deference when traveling abroad (or hosting members of the Saudi royal family over for sleep overs). To try to attack President Obama is just more of the same old anti-muslim, religion-baiting that appeals to, frankly, the not-so-bright with short memories who only seem to remember what Rush Limbaugh told them yesterday.

Hence I publish this as a public service.

More later,

Mark