Go ahead and admit it President Obama screwed up in his response to the Gates arrest

[democracy1st]

Across America there was already racists cops ready to find a reason to not support this president. He lost his cool and went overboard on the matter.

In every police department there's corruption,and in every city or town there's violent criminals of all races.

He's right there's racial profiling and its horrible,but at the same time there's some horrible crimes and criminals of all persuasions perpetrating the most hideous crimes imaginable every freaking minute of each and every day across this nation.

When you're dealing with law enforcement and or soldiers that stray,there's a certain way the POTUS should go about addressing the issue.

[EFerrari]

1. What? Obama was excellent. And he's going to get a lot of support

from several different communities for taking a stand on racial profiling.

[liberalmike27]

24. What Did Obama Get Wrong?

I don't know what fact he thinks Obama got wrong. Cops were investigating a call about a "possible" burglary. Correct. They reported to the house, and the guy, probably pissed because cops came in behind him, rather than allowing him to go get the license, was pissed. We'd all be pissed, but I guess blacks aren't allowed to be normally mad in this situation.

He showed his license. Check. Officers knew at this point the neighbor was mistaken, and it was time to back out, and apologize, and give him the badge number and name. Stuff happens like this, and I'm sure it is difficult, but they for good reason invaded his home, and once they found out, they should simply have apologized, and then left.


I don't know what fact Obama didn't know, it seems he got it right. I might add, he didn't call the officers stupid, he said these officers handled this one situation stupidly, an adverb. Even psychologists say you criticize the behavior, not the person. And he certainly didn't criticize all cops, nor are all cops paragons of perfection.


I think this guy Crowley will come around to realizing the lack of legs to stand on, under his position eventually. Gates had a right to be a little upset, and they should have quickly realized that. We are all forgiving as to this being a difficult situation, but sticking to your guns, when they are the wrong ones, is just stupid.

[EFerrari]

28. Obama didn't get anything wrong. He was brilliant.

Straight forward, careful but he made his points. We're just not used to moral leadership anymore.

[boppers]

2. Another post shredding the constitution.

*sigh*

:popcorn:

[AspenRose]

40. And our president is a constitutional scholar, no less.

Scoot over, I want some. :popcorn:

[saltpoint]

3. President Obama was correct in his assessment.

Let's let the local police department explain themselves.

[David Zephyr]

4. I don't think he screwed up at all.

Not a bit.

[bluestateguy]

5. No

I will make no such admission.

[FrenchieCat]

6. If it wasn't this, it would have been something else.

You are talking about folks who were waiting for an excuse.

Glad that this is out of the way, and they can now hate as freely and deeply
as they wanted to anyways.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Obama's acting uppity.

Fuck that noise.

[depakid]

13. And the professor was surely acting uppity

[BunkerHill24]

8. Go sell nonsense somewhere else...we're all stocked up here. n/t

[EFerrari]

16. Good as it Gets, only it was crazy.

[BunkerHill24]

19. yeah...I love that movie

:hi:

[EFerrari]

20. That movie was my 12 year marriage. I lmao when I saw it.

:)

[bliss_eternal]

9. when you become president, let us know...

...i'll be sure to ask you at that time, how it "should be handled."

:hi:

[depakid]

10. It was a perfectly reasonable response

though it sure would seem that a LOT of Americans find it preferable to try to place very unreasonable people. Largely in this case out of cowardice-

[Political Heretic]

11. Dude, nothing the president does is ever wrong. Sheesh.

This is DU, ffs.

[BunkerHill24]

22. I don't agree with everything our President says

Indeed, as a citizen, he has every right to say what he believes...and in this case, I agree with him, and he is spot on, imo.

[Blue_Roses]

12. bullshit

to not say anything is feeding the problem.

[Chulanowa]

14. Are you kidding?

You must be. Because I can't imagine anyone seriously saying this. Obama messed up, because he may have lost the support of racist and corrupt cops? That it should get "swept under the rug" so to speak, because there are other crimes to look at?

We should not have to fear our police. The president certainly shouldn't, either. But that's what you're suggesting here, that he should be afraid of losing the racist crook vote.

[TheKentuckian]

15. yep, and that way should be to call them on failing to behave as their oaths demand.

You want to live in a police state? North Korea is probably hiring.

[PretzelWarrior]

17. Damn. He lost the "racist cops that didn't vote for him before" vote??

What was he thinking?

[CakeGrrl]

18. Fail.

The POTUS did not "address the issue" - his opinion was explicitly solicited, albeit as a probable attempted set-up, at a press conference.

He is not acting in any official capacity, and there really is no "issue" since the charges are dropped. If Gates is going to litigate, the President's comments are not material.

Racist cops aren't going to support the President if they don't want to. They don't need an excuse.

THEY are one of the real "menaces to society" with bad attitudes and firearms. There's no reason to kowtow to that dangerous element to score political points.

[Jim Sagle]

21. Whadda crocka chickenshit bullshit.

[bertrussell]

23. He went easy on them

His response was both diplomatic and to the point.

[EFerrari]

30. Welcome to DU, bertrussell.

I agree. He did very well.

[bertrussell]

34. Thanks

Thanks for the welcome, EFerrari.

[dkf]

25. Huh?

Maybe POTUS should simply avoid saying anything perhaps? I disagree completely. The policeman was an idiot. They serve us and if they find an innocent homeowner they should apologize and leave ASAP.

[laugle]

26. I guess we will

know when the polls come out! All this hating on the police in general is not a good thing!

Next time you have some trouble, i.e., burglary, theft, assault, etc., who you gonna call-- "GHOSTBUSTERS!"

[FrenchieCat]

27. All cops are not equal.

Just like all Black folks are not interchangeable.

[laugle]

33. I had a

burglary and I was damn glad they came in a few minutes.

I'm glad you said they are not all equal, because many of them are good cops. There's just too much hating going on today at DU, it's getting ugly around here and time for me to go.....nighty night.......

[EFerrari]

29. Obama didn't hate on anyone. He pointed out stupid behavior was stupid.

[laugle]

31. Maybe you should read my post

again, I said hating on cops......geez..........

[EFerrari]

35. He didn't hate on cops. Maybe you should watch the video of his remarks.

It's the last video at the top of the page right now:

http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?ei=UTF-8&toggle=1&fr=yfp-t-151&cop=mss&p=Obama%20Gates

[laugle]

36. Your

boring............go away.........ignore

[EFerrari]

37. And your welcome.

lol

[Binka]

42. Cindy would be embarrassed that this person quoted her

I thought the posters name was laughable.....no really. Too bad it isn't.

[EFerrari]

43. Hey, Binka. Good to see you, sweetie.

:hi:

[Binka]

51. Back At Ya Goddess Of Beth

We need a Bay area meet up......SOON! :hi:

[alcibiades_mystery]

52. A culture of police impunity is not a good thing

That the police seem to be sacrosanct in public discourse is not a good thing.

[Cali_Democrat]

32. *facepalm*

[Hekate]

38. No. Like Joe the Cop said, he didn't vote for Obama in the first place....

The photo that I saw of the college professor showed a neatly dressed older black man wearing a white beard. How often in any cop's career do they apprehend a person matching that description for a B&E? The professor showed them his ID, and that should have elicited a friendly exchange about neighbors watching out for each other and how both the cops and the prof were glad that it was checked out. "Good night, SIR." How in hell did this escalate to the point that the prof demanded to see their badge numbers (as was his Constitutional right) and then they handcuffed him?!

If I mislay my key and have to try to break into my own home, I expect to feel embarrassed, and if one of my neighbors asks a patrol car to swing by because they don't recognize me in the dark I expect to be able to wave the cops down and maybe ask for their help in some fashion. If they want me to prove I live there, fine and reasonable. I don't expect to be treated like a criminal.

But then, I am a middle aged white woman, not a black man.

The cops in this country who have a problem with what the President said need to get over themselves. The Cambridge cops screwed up, big-time. The cops in this country who want to use the President's statement as an excuse to disrespect him need to be told flat-out: "He's the President. He's black. Get over it."

Hekate

[SleeplessInAlabama]

39. Oh come on. Lost his cool?

Because he was just FLYING over the podium at the lady who asked him the question.

[AspenRose]

41. Which is exactly why Obama couldn't afford to show any anger during the election

Because ever so slightly peturbed black people speaking truth or defending themselves = Out of control maniacs with chips on their shoulders, losing their cool

:sarcasm:

[elocs]

44. My guess is that now if he could do it all over again he would have phrased it differently

while still indicating the same meaning. I'm afraid your thread is not going to go over very well here though.

[Baikonour]

45. There should have been no response or address, period.

I understand that Gates and Obama are friends, but Obama should have quickly skirted the question and moved on. No response was needed, and the question from the idiotic "reporter" shouldn't have been taken.

[zbdent]

46. where's paulsby jumping on your ass for saying that there's corruption in

EVERY police department in every city? Many cases, he's jumping on generalizations like this ...

[Karenina]

47. The stupid... it BURNS!!!

:silly:

[Zomby Woof]

48. It's Wood Shop Week on DU!

[BklnDem75]

49. You mean there's racist cops that support Obama?

Could you quote where Obama goes overboard? Did you actually hear his response?

[Political Heretic]

50. Obama took a bait question and said more than he politically should have

Doesn't matter if he's right or not. It was a silly derailment to a health care-focus. Obama accidentally helped create an unnecessary distraction.

[babylonsister]

53. FAIL. nt

[DevonRex]

54. Complete and total bullshit. nt

[SeattleGirl]

55. I don't think he screwed it up at all.

I just don't agree with you on this.