What if a President comments on a "local police matter" and no one trashed him for it?

[EffieBlack]

It's almost amusing to hear certain folks get their shorts all in a bunch because President Obama had the NOIVE to offer his observations on a "local police matter" in the Gates case. For example, this morning, George Will - as is his wont - whined that,
"Presidents should understand that some things aren't any of their business such as local police disputes in Cambridge, Massachusetts . . . I ask you to imagine a) Dwight Eisenhower being asked about a local police episode in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and b) Dwight Eisenhower being foolish enough to answer the question. There are some things that are none of the President's business."

First of all, Dwight Eisenhower - or Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton or George Bush - would never have been asked about a local police episode in Cambridge, Massachusetts - at least they would not have been asked what such an incident said about race relations in America.

But I'll bet that not one of these people who are complaining about President Obama "wading into a local police matter" uttered a peep of criticism about George H.W. Bush's "intereference" in the Rodney King beating:

"It was sickening to see the beating that wasrendered, and there is no way--there's no way, in my view, to explain that away. It was outrageous. Those terrible scenes stir us all to demand an end to gratuitous violence and brutality." May 21, 1991

[goclark]

1. Excellent reminder ~

[eleny]

2. I thought everything that happened in America was local to the presidency

:shrug:

[cleveramerican]

3. His connection to Harvard, Cambridge and Dr. Gates make the question a good one

his answer created a sideshow that should have been averted.

[EffieBlack]

4. Oh, please - here YOU come again beating the same dead horse

I think everyone here is well aware of your views on this - you've been running from thread to thread making sure we do . . . Do you have ANYTHING useful to add to these discussions?

Oh, and by the way, he wasn't asked about his view of Cambridge or Harvard or Professor Gates. He was asked what he thought the incident said about the state of race relations in America.

[cleveramerican]

5. his personal connection

makes the question a good one.

every reporter in America wishes they asked it.

trashing me is useful?

your comments also have been pretty similar on several different threads.


its called a point of view

[Empowerer]

6. But he wasn't asked this question based on his personal connection

He was asked about it because he is black.

And while every reporter may have wished they asked him the question, a good number of them also criticized him for answering it and then blamed him because THEY obsessed over the issue for the next several days.

But, the OP's point is correct. Many of the same commentators who are insisting that the President was out of line in commenting on the matter never said a word in the past when presidents offered their opinions on local matters.

[cleveramerican]

7. his personal connection is the ONLY reason

He was asked, probably the only reason he answered too.
if it was about some unknown stranger in some city where The President never lived,
he definitely would have avoided it.
and it probably wouldn't have been asked

this is just my opinion, which is all any of us ever have

[Raineyb]

10. And you've made your rather ignorant, repugnant one quite clear.

It's still revolting.

[Cha]

12. No, genius.."his answer" created

learning lesson for America that you don't get.

[cleveramerican]

17. even He wishes we weren't talking about this.

He said as much,Thats the part YOU don't get.
Its still too recent to decide what the "Lesson" is.
Your ahead of me on that, Whats the big overarching lesson in your view?

[Cha]

23. You don't get it.. so

end of story.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Ah. GHW Bush's speech during the events following the King verdict.

I lived in Los Angeles at the time, in a neighborhood that saw the whole range of insanity. We were under curfew and all. One of my neighbor's kids, about 10, was watching GHW give his speech on TV with some of us. In the middle of the quoted portion, the kid turned to me and said "He's happy." What? "He looks like he can barely stop from smiling. Why would he be happy?"
The kid was seeing truth. And it distressed him to no end. May 21, 1991.

[wildflower]

9. I have to agree with those wondering why...

why was the question even asked of him at all? At a press conference on health care?

[cleveramerican]

18. is it possible

he wanted the shitstorm as a diversion of some kind?

[Leo The Cleo]

11. So on point

This is very real. So, why can't a President answer these questions.

[Political Tiger]

13. Not to mention the Terri Schiavo case

The Republican Congress and George W Bush went out of their way to get involved in that local matter! Hell, they even made a special (unconstitutional) law just for her, and George W Bush did something he never did before or after ... he interrupted one of his many vacations to go to Washington to sign the bill!

All President Obama did was offer an opinion after being asked a question. Unlike his predecessor, he didn't purposely go out of his way to get involved nor did he take any action on behalf of Professor Gates like Dumbya did for the Schiavo family and their anti-choice thugs!

My, those filthy hypocrites have short memories!

[EFerrari]

14. Dr. Gates is also a public intellectual and a national figure

who has received the highest honors from our government. He's not just any college professor.

[democracy1st]

15. any politician calling out law enforcement in public will regret it,you know why?

even with racial profiling,corrupt officers,etc. It doesn't hold water to the amount of crimes taking place. Anyone politician that wants to bit.. about law enforcement can do that but at the end of the day you'll regret it,because criminals will always overshadow law enforcement transgressions a thousand fold.

[Karenina]

16. Especially those dark-skinned ones!!!

Let's get REAL here! THEY commit most of the crimes! People here don't want to accept that truth. ;-)

[democracy1st]

19. WTF you talking about everybody commits crimes regardless of color

[EFerrari]

20. No, it's because the cop unions are powerful. And even so,

the mayor of Cambridge did apologize to Dr. Gates. Good for her.

[Cal33]

21. Do you think it possible that when this incident happened,

it was an opportunity for the Republicans to try to use it to their advantage?
They quite possibly planted Journalist Sweet to ask this question - hoping
that Obama would say something that they could use, or twist around and use.

[Hansel]

22. Civil Rights laws are Federal Laws.

So Obama was not commenting on a "local police matter". He was commenting on a Federal matter as Gates was claiming he was arrested based on his race. Had Gates decided to pursue the matter in court, he would have used Federal laws.

Also, pundits have no problem with other police officers who were not there during the incident commenting on the case and supporting Crowley, but Obama was suppose to keep his nose out of it and his mouth shut. The nearly constant disrespect the media displays toward Obama, a lot of it because he is Black, is really disturbing. I don't think a day goes by without someone in the media discussing his race and expecting something different from him because of it.

The whole white media needs to take a crash course in racial sensitivity and how not to look like racist dickheads. Nearly 90% of them sound like idiots when they discuss the topic.