I was thinking about that Chris Mathews one. While he was definately emotional, I cut him a little slack. He felt he was part of something historical.
I would have felt chills and goosebumps if I was in Mission Control during the Apollo 11 moon landings. But not because I wanted to genuflect to Gene Kranz.
OK, so for examples of Obama-worship, we have:
1: A picture on the front of a magazine showing him in a flattering pose and lighting, with the most divine word on the whole cover being “hope”.
2: A reporter pointing out that the office of the Presidency wields god-like power
3: A magazine which is making the implication that Obama can’t handle all the challenges of the Presidency, because he’d need to be Shiva to do so.
4: A reporter who found him inspiring to an embarrassing degree, but who still didn’t attach any religious imagery to him.
5: Kids who think that Obama will be capable of leadership.
Is that the best you can do?
Did somebody furt in here?
Oh, well, at least I’ve gotten some of the frothers to out themselves. As **Chronos **points out, was this really the droids you were searching for? I admit, I laughed at Mathews at the time, but he’s an embarrssingly poor wordsmith, clumsily phrasing the excitement he felt at the Democrats nominating an inspirational leader. Even that, though, wasn’t what I’d call any Democrat I respect losing his mind over Obama’s rich chocolately goodness. Christ, the man steps on his dick verbally about three times per week, and I’ve got the parodies of his verbal diarrhea to prove it.
Most of the links above are pretty mild compared to the propaganda you folks swooned over when it was King Ronnie’s coronation time–it’s pretty funny to hear you denouncing it now as completely without precedent in American politics.
Back in 2008 the adulation over Obama was embarrassing. It died out around the economic downturn. But for about a year and a half this guy had a rock star vibe. People were getting misty eyed and choking up when he was elected. It was just a sad spectacle.
Bush had a similar aura after 9/11 that was later denied by certain sectors, except it was less about him than an excuse for foaming at the mouth jingoism. Obama seemed to get more of the screaming and “take me now!” support from women; Bush was more about the manly pax-Americana types. And he fueled the fire with some face palm worthy cowboy lines.
I bet you remember that one though, right?
Well, that’s certainly irrefutable–you were embarrassed to feel a rock star vibe, and see “people” getting emotional. Certainly shuts my mouth up tight.
I did see some outpouring of emotion from Obama’s base, which was educated African-Americans, who probably voted for him over 98%, but in their case, I can understand venting emotion, as he personally embodied hopes and dreams they’ve had to keep pent up for hundreds of years–but most white liberals I know just expressed the sort of positive emotions they’ve expressed for other Democrats they felt good about, nothing special. White Southern Democrats felt that way about Carter and Clinton, anti-war Democrats felt that way about McGovern, and don’t even get me started on wrighties fawning and making a hoopla about Reagan and Nixon, who as people have noted actually used “Nixon’s the One” as his fucking campaign slogan. But I still don’t get why this is so offensive to you in Obama’s case–it’s a total non-issue, and you’ll go to your graves muttering “The One? Like Obama’s the freakin’ Messiah? Yeah, right…” as the last bit of froth and drool exits your mouths. Don’t you hjave any policy positions of his that you disagree about? Or does it just bother you that Democrats see things differently from you?
You have a timeline problem here - the economic downturn started before he took office, and it started affecting his approval ratings and popularity in much less than a year and a half. It took a couple of months.
I hardly expect everyone to share the enthusiasm of a Jesse Jackson (despite what he said about Obama not long before the election). But it’s kind of sad if you can’t understand why someone would get emotional at the election of the first African-American president of the U.S. The reasons should be obvious to anyone who has even heard of the civil rights movement.
personal comments like these belong in the Pit, not a debate forum.
I see a repeated trend toward historical revisionism in these threads where Republicans honestly believe the economy tanked AFTER Obama took office, and is therefor his fault. The ability of Republicans to ignore facts and delude themselves is phenomenal. This was RECENTLY. We all remember what happened.
You folks? I 'm not a republican; I was ten years old when Reagan was elected, and it made me sad because my mom voted for Carter and I liked her more than my dad. Eight years later I voted for Jesse Jackson and Michael Dukakis.
But for what it’s worth, I do find Reagan hagiography embarrassing. And I found the Bush-lionizing that happened in 2001-2002 pathetic as well (see Andrew Sullivan for some great examples). In the highly unlikely event that a politician sharing my views were elected, I’d be appalled were he or she venerated in such a way. Hopefully so would the politician.
I find it sad anytime ostensibly free people genuflect towards politicians like the subjects of a monarchy. I find it pathetic when intelligent people ignore or excuse such obsequiousness because they agree with the politician.
I find it interesting when people complain that the molehills are mountains.
“You’re a public servant. Go get me a glass of water.”
-George Carlin
Man…I’d seriously not link to that thread as some sort of proof that your contentions were right. Yes, you did and continue to declare victory, and I’m sure you really believe that you were able to defeat all comers and emerge victorious…but, you know, many decaffeinated beverages today are just as tasty as the real thing…
-XT
So, what level of proof that there were some Democrats who were totally overboard about Obama (despite the claims of the OP that s/he knew of no actual examples) are you willing to acknowledge? The post seemed pretty comprehensible to me, covering a wide range of venues and people, and explaining why the Republicans have latched onto this as something they can attack Obama supporters on. While I don’t believe this was an aspect of the majority of Obama supporters (I certainly never felt he was god(s) like), you would have to be willfully ignorant to have not seen a lot of folks (some on this board) who DID go completely batshit over the man during his campaign.
-XT
But my point, XT, was that Obama-worship seemed WELL within the bounds of normal political discourse, and my later refinement of that point was that, of course, I understand (as should anyone) why African-Americans went a little overboard about seeing a black man win the Presidency, and why Chris Matthews who lacks a brain cell in his head expressed himself poorly in explaining his enthusiasm. But it just seems like normal enthusiasm to me, and you Pubbies will not let it go, even as you slather over Palin, Bachmann, Perry, Any Nutjob, just as you formerly went berserk over the magnificent brilliance that was Reagan. I’d think you would have come back to “Ok, you guys seem pleased that your guy won the election, now back to business…” but instead I’m still hearing sneers about “The One.” It just seems odd to me.
It wasn’t just African-Americans, but the point is that any sort of foible like this has the potential for the other side to latch onto and use it against their opponents. Some of the enthusiasm was definitely not just ‘normal’…it was completely overboard. And the Republicans have latched onto that as a weapon they can use against Obama and some of his base. It’s been successful because it resonates, since most people know very well that some of Obama’s supporters became overly enthusiastic during his campaign, and some in the media did the same.
BTW, for the record, I never went ‘berserk’ over ‘the magnificent brillance that was Reagan’, but it’s interesting that you would bring this up, since it’s exactly what’s going on here, but in reverse. Obviously some people DID go overboard about Reagan, both during and after his presidency, and the left has latched onto that as a potential attack point, one that they can use to grind away at his image by showing that people went silly over him. Of course, I don’t recall any of the media portraying Reagan in god(s) like settings or with divine imagery, but basically it’s the same exact tactic.
ETA: And you keep saying ‘you guys’…FTR, I voted for Obama and plan on voting for him again in the re-election.
-XT
So you’re totally comfortable with uniformed youths saluting a presidential candidate while repeating his slogan? We’ll keep that in mind.
:rolleyes: You know that Xtisme isn’t a Republican either, right?
If it resonated, I would be feeling mildly guilty about the over-enthusiasm I saw all around me in 2008, instead of wasting people’s time reading this thread. It doesn’t resonate, hence this thread. Mention “the one” in mainstream Democratic circles and you get a lot of furrowed brows and “The what?” “The who?” --if it really resonated except among partisans and professional Obama-haters, these Dems would be exchanging guilty looks and acknowledging “yeah we were a little exuberant there,” and they’re not.
If it didn’t resonate then you (and others) wouldn’t bother with starting threads on the subject, since you and they would just dismiss it out of hand, with perhaps a pit thread on stupid Republican tricks or something of the sort. It’s pretty evident that it DOES resonate, and that on some level you and others see that it does.
Why bother then? If someone said that Obama was a cross dressing hunched back with Anabaptist leanings and red hair you wouldn’t bother starting a thread to debate the subject…you would just dismiss it. And even if YOU thought it was worth a debate, most others wouldn’t. Yet, this theme has been discussed and debated and even Pitted several times, and is not confined to just this message board. You can deny that this resonates all you like, but the fact it is being discussed is a strong indication to me that there is some level of denial going on here.
Understand…just because it resonates doesn’t mean it’s true that all Obama supporters are in lock step about it. The best attacks have a kernel of truth behind them…that’s why they are so successful and spread beyond just the base, as this one has.
I’m sorry, but mention the messiah-esque qualities some over the top enthusiasts ascribe to Obama and most people are going to nod their heads as they recall specific instances…unless they are either in active denial or have been living under a rock with those guys from the Geiko commercial. They might not know this specific instance, but I’m guessing if you said ‘The One’ in the context of Obama they would understand the underlying subtext of what was being discussed, whether they agreed about it or not.
-XT
Yes, I would, but this thread is prompted by the recurrence of it by a lot of 'someone’s three years after the election, sneering and frothing exactly as if it were an acknowledged truth. I can’t figure out why it doesn’t seem a boring, so-what topic that’s been dead for three years now. I mean, I’m not asking why did so many tighty-righties pull out that silly “The One” stuff in the 2008–I’m curious why your right-wingers are still doing it right now. Even if it was accurate then, which I doubt, it certainly isn’t accurate today, so why do they keep returning to it, like a dog to its vomit?
Proverbs 26:11, btw.