A question about Obama's honor

[MouseFitzgerald]

Throughout the last week or two its become very obvious that John Boehner has no respect at all for this president. Obama has been holding meetings and the word is that they are usually pretty cordial and they always say that they were productive. Then John Boehner or Eric Cantor or Mitch McConnell then go on various media outlets and bash Obama and lie about what he has been offering and not offering and whatever.

Now as a human being if I am working closely on a project or involved task with a co-worker and everything seems to be going fine and then after work I hear that this co-worker is talking shit about me and what I am doing in regards to that project I am going be fucking pissed off, I am going to confront the person about it, and I will likely not show that person any respect ever again.

What I dont understand is why Obama lets these people treat him like dog shit and then criticizes them only in the most superficial, professional way. I get that hes the president and he cant just start yelling and screaming and cursing and I get that its important for him to remain calm and not over-react, but I feel like there is a line that Boehner, Cantor, and McConnell have crossed over the past 2 weeks in regards to their tone when speaking about this president. They give these press conferences that are just insane. They lie about the process, they lie about what they originally wanted, they lie about what Obama has or hasn't been offering and they just act like rude smug pieces of shit.

I cant understand how as a human being, not as a president, Obama is able to just sit back and say "oh come on guys, we gotta get it together, we gotta do this for the American people". Does he really not understand that we are so far past the point where logic has anything to do with whats going on? Republicans are willing to make us default even though they are being offered everything they originally wanted, that is fucking crazy. Thats not just a little ideological partisan difference its insanity.

This entire situation is far beyond politics, it has nothing to do with the debt, it has nothing to do with spending. Its personal. Republicans are engaged in a personal attempt to destroy Obama's presidency. Its incredibly obvious, yet Obama refuses to acknowledge it. I just dont understand how he could possibly think that Boehner is operating in good faith or that he respects him and wants to come to a fair agreement. I get that he thinks hes "post-partisan" and that engaging in any sort of ideological partisan argument is not positive, but the republican leadership is out there flat-out slandering you on a daily basis and then going into meetings with him and pretending like everything's fine.

The reason I say this is simply because of how personal and absurd Boehner has made this debate. Boehner is treating Obama like a chump and seems to be proud of it. It kills me that the president, supposedly the most powerful person in this country, can be so ridiculed and lied about by the opposition parties leader (who he deals with on a daily basis), but not seem to care. Just on a personal level, I would not be able to handle working with someone who is nice to my face and then talks mad shit about me to other people knowing that I'm gonna find out. I'm not saying I would quit or start a fight, but I would confront the dude, I would demand that he explain what the fuck he is doing and why he is acting like that. But Obama just doesn't seem to think that the republican leaderships attitude and behavior towards him matters when it very clearly does. Their personal dislike of the guy is dominating the debate and I dont think Obama can afford to ignore it anymore.

[kentuck]

1. You will learn more as you mature...

Do not move in haste, grasshopper. :-)

[Ruby the Liberal]

2. Thats why they call is Kabuki theater.

[vi5]

3. He values "High Broderism" above all else....

He has spent so much time reading all these asshats in the DC media and their lamenting about things not being "bipartisan" or civil, and how they long for the days of Ronnie and Tip going out for a beer together, and their longing for that wonderful, mythical centrist politician that he has made being that and becoming that his be all, end all goal. Witness for evidence his obsession with things being "historical" and "grand" and how he refuses to call the Republicans out on their evil intent and obstructionism.

I'm more and more convinced every day that I see him in action and read and hear his words that it's less that he's a corporate stooge or a puppet and more that he really does believe his own "post partisan" bullshit and more than anything else wants to cement that as his legacy: as that least reasonable man that brought everyone together and made history.

Unfortunately we're all going to suffer in the process of him seeking dc media approval.

[DFab420]

4. Simple. Obama realizes the Office he holds is much more important

then his personal emotions.

He's the President of the United States of America.

He doesn't talk shit, he doesn't go on cable and point and go nah nah nah nah nah

He's the President.

He rises above the petty.

[FLyellowdog]

5. Thank you for saying what we need to be reminded of. nt

[DFab420]

9. Just here to help

:hi:

[Fearless]

6. And what good has that done?

[DFab420]

8. You mean other then save face for the office of the President??

Other then preserve a small amount of dignity that the office calls for?
Other then not slip into the pedantic, vindictive cycle of news punditry?

No clue, but then again I guess preserving the respect for the highest seat of power in our country isn't THAT important, I mean Pres. Bush didn't care and that worked out real well for him as well as the country...He totally had the respect of other world leaders...

[Fearless]

10. I'd rather be hated and correct than loved and wrong any day.

[DFab420]

12. Hmm how about hated and wrong?

Cause if the President came out and started bitching about how people were being mean to him, I'm pretty sure that's what the next step would be....

When I was growing up I was taught that bullies thrive on the attention you give them, the more you get upset the more they want to upset you...However. If you remain magnanimous, you rise above the petty displays, and those around you will see this..And it will reflect poorly upon those doing the bullying.... It's called being...what's the word I'm looking for...Presidential?

[Fearless]

14. I'm looking for a president that will stand up for the American people even if it means "bitching".

[DFab420]

15. Great! I've got one for you.

He is the 44th President of the United States.. President Barack H. Obama.

You should look him up.

[SkyDaddy7]

16. EXACTLY!

The crying here on DU has become absurd! President Obama is doing a very good job especially considering what he is up against.

[Fearless]

17. When exactly does he start working for the American people? Could you cite something?

[DFab420]

19. Sure, but it means I have to make a list again..and you'll prob just say they are token again but..

1. Lily Ledbetter
2. Matthew Shepard Hate Crime laws
3. Memorandum allowing LGBT the same visitation rights as everyone else
4. The Consumer financial protection bureau
5. Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America's Veterans
6. Signed the Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which provides health care to 11 million kids -- 4 million of whom were previously uninsured
7. Added 4.6 billion USD to the Veterans Administration budget to recruit and retain more mental health professionals


Do any of these count as "working for the American People"? I mean, to me it does, because all of these have helped AMERICANS, but maybe I misunderstand what you mean by working for the American people?

[Fearless]

24. OK...

1. Signed bill but didn't actively campaign for.
2. Ditto.
3. Ok.
4. Compromised the teeth out of it. Gave in on it's leader.
5. Ok.
6. Reauthorized. Maintained the status quo but didn't add to it.
7. Helped veterans.


Ok so we have... made a semi-helpful bureau and semi-funded vets and semi-helped GLBTQ people. Ok.

[DFab420]

25. Tell you what

When you a ready to be sincere in you discussions, we can continue. But since you refuse to even take any action in good faith.
I see little use it trying to tell you how myopic your view of progress is.

Next time you have a loved one in the hospital and they won't allow you to visit silly because of who you are you can talk about "semi" help.

Next time you have PTSD and no doctor to see you can talk about "semi" helpings

And I bet elizabeth Warren would take serious exception to you claiming the agency she helped build didn't have teeth.

When you actually want to discuss politics, and not this petty find fault with everything crap. Then we can have a great discussion I'm sure.

[Fearless]

29. I will never be ready to lower my standards enough to be on level with you.

When I have a loved one who I can't file jointly with, who I am married to in MA, I will remember the president who did only enough to make the donors happy and didn't do the job right.

When I have to see a doctor and can't because I can't afford the mandatory health care we are required to have now, I'll remember what a sickening failure the push for single payer and the public option was.

And the agency has been gutted. Of her too, because she was too anti-corporate for this corporate government.

I find fault because fault exists. I don't have any reason to discuss anything with you. I am stating my opinions and defending them.

[Owlet]

18. What's the point of maintaining

the dignity of the office if you don't use that office to at least try to achieve what your supporters want? Boehner et cie know that Obama is going to cave in the end. This is why they have no respect for the man. Nobility in defeat serves no purpose.

[DFab420]

20. Yea I mean WHAT THE FUCK HAS OBAMA DONE SO FAR?

http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/

Oh shit.... .Turns out... ALOT..

You don't need your enemies to respect you, but you do need to leaders of the rest of the world to.... Something about diplomacy and power of the Office of the President or somehting ridiculous like that I know. But yea, wouldn't it simply be better for him to be a dick like Bush was?

Eh.. not so much

[Confusious]

31. People respect the prime minister of the UK

he has to get down into the mud.

[DFab420]

33. Considering the PM and his office may face charges of hacking into

The british people's phones, I would maybe choose a different example??

[Confusious]

34. Every prime minister has to go before parliament

and answer questions. Usually it it is a rude and raucous affair.

EVERY prime minister, not just this one.

[jaxx]

21. Those are very good reasons he remains calm.

I'll add that Boehner's bad manners are not PBO's responsibility. It's like overlooking a barking dog...they're gonna bark.

[Confusious]

32. Most of the time they bite too

but let's ignore that.

[MouseFitzgerald]

26. Thats not the point

I'm not saying he should talk shit or be rude or use ad-hominem attacks. I'm not saying he should sink to their level. All I'm saying is that he should acknowledge the petty nonsense coming from the other side rather than ignoring it. He should call them out when they lie in their press conferences, he should flat-out say that they don't have a deal because they dont want him to succeed. He should acknowledge the fact that this is no longer about politics, its 100% about showmanship and pandering to extremists.

[polmaven]

28. +++++++!

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Confusious]

30. He rose so far he forgot about the rest of us on the ground.

and really, rise above the petty? I guess, if you consider SS and Medicare to petty to fight for.

I'd get down in the mud to defend those. Why won't he? Oh right, he has to be above it all.

[stevedeshazer]

7. They are desperately trying to provoke him into the exact same behavior you suggest.

I agree with your description of how he is being treated. But, that is exactly what the Republicans want.

If Obama blows his cool, they got him. It must be incredibly hard for him.

As much as I dislike so many Obama administration policies, I am still extremely angry at the radical right in this country for their complete lack of respect for the man. But if the Pres moves one iota in that direction, then he's "uppity". And I'm sure you know exactly what I mean.

[WinkyDink]

11. Well, i for one would welcome a little LBJ-type reaction.

[DFab420]

13. What was the reaction??

[trueblue2007]

23. But..... they are treating President Obama like a DOG!!

They are acting like school bullies

[PurityOfEssence]

22. He's gotten away with a simple tactic for so very long that he just doesn't believe he can lose

This is the tactic: avoid making any stand on any issue, and if forced to account, be on both sides until forced to pick one. Use grand glad-handing emotive vagueness to rally all to the moment, and if meeting resistance, redouble the showbiz schtick.

They're playing him for a sucker, and he has only a couple of plays in his playbook. He is out of his element. Until becoming President, nobody ever REALLY played hardball with him, and he is still able to gain traction here and there with the "coolest guy in the room" antics.

It's all fluff. It's all hype and the delusion of the devout. To question him is blasphemy. To differ is calumny. Even after he leads us to ruin, we will be harangued from even pointing out the dynamics.

It's all in the hands of the acolytes now, and anything that goes wrong will be the fault of those of us who didn't fall in to the baffling discord of the true believers.

[Proles]

27. No one is denying that

President Obama is up against incredible odds, and he at least needs to maintain the illusion of bi-partisanship to come across as mature and presidential.

But I agree with the OP that Obama should not take so much crap from the repub's. At the very least, Obama should call out the repubs (calmly if he wishes), every time they spew a lie.

If you just let them lie unchecked, Americans will believe it! And in the end it doesn't matter how mature Obama comes across -- he needs to call out the lies and school them every time it happens.