Non-Crazy Opposing Party, Please
Tweet
President Obama plans to give a speech to America’s kids about staying in school and doing well. This seems perfectly innocous and normal activity for an American president. Don’t tell the mainstream conservatives. According to them it’s a brainwashing session to turn kids into communists. This isn’t some tinfoil hatter on the fringes of society pushing this message. This is mainstream conservatism.
But the media will never point this out for the lunacy it is. At best they’ll solemnly intone that “some are concerned” about the Obama speech and present lunacy and normalcy side by side in a “fair and balanced” approach that has us increasingly distrusting the media for not doing their jobs.
47 Responses to “Non-Crazy Opposing Party, Please”
GOP Rep. Spencer Bachus Facing House Ethics Probe For Insider Trading
Jennifer Aniston Reportedly Pregnant With Twins
PHOTOS: Tamara Ecclestone At The Langham Hotel
Red Front? “Center For American Freedom” Logo Echoes Communist Style
Romney Calls For Defunding Planned Parenthood, Wife Was A Donor
GOP Fundraising Email Asks Supporters To “Knock Out” Obama
Romney Comes Up Limp In Nevada
Obama Opens Lead On Romney In New Poll
Latest Entries
Why Do Liberals Support Drone Strikes?
Weekly Standard Rolls Out The Iraq Argument For Iran
Equal Polarization, My Ass
Some Crazy Stuff That Happened In World War II
Maryland Republican Campaign Funds Used To Defend Voter Suppression
The Obama Jobs Record In One Graph
Martin O’Malley All In For Marriage Equality
Newt Gingrich, Filled With More Excrement Than Your Average Politician
New Year, Powerline Still Stupid
Thanks Again
Meta
Blogroll
Disclaimer
The views on this site are mine and mine alone, and do not reflect the views of my employer, Media Matters for America
© 2000-2011 Oliver Willis
In the interest of being fair and balanced, the GOP should record a speech that gives exactly the opposite advice as in the Obama speech – in other words, “don’t study, drop out of school, and you too can be a failure.”
They can post it to YouTube, so the right-wing parents can play it for the kids they home from school on the day of the Obama speech.
Are conservatives allergic to education? How this is not blind hatred of Obama, only media can spin in such a manner.
Edit: “…the kids they KEEP home from school…”
Cons are afraid the kids will get black germs from Obama
So, it’s what…”Keep your government out of my education?”
Some parents are going to be embarrassed when their kids find out the President does NOT have horns and a tail.
I don’t subscribe to making Bush/Obama comparisons, but if this was Bush, thousands of public school/union teachers across the country would be proudly proclaiming how they were refusing the call to indoctrinate their students to the ravings of awful George Bush.
Sigh… it’s very simple.
Suppose Obama deviates from just general “be good kids” and lapses into something even remotely partisan. Something like “we need more funding for putlic schools” or “wouldn’t it be great if everyone had health insurance?” or “the teacher’s unions are working hard to improve education.” Anything that a parent might not agree with.
Then read the Department of Education’s suggested study guide, and try to find a single option that would cover “what if I don’t agree with the president?”
As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following: What is the President trying to tell me? What is the President asking me to do? What new ideas and actions is the President challenging me to think about?
Students can record important parts of the speech where the President is asking them to do something. Students might think about: What specific job is he asking me to do? Is he asking anything of anyone else? Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
…
Students could discuss their responses to the following questions: What do you think the President wants us to do? Does the speech make you want to do anything? Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us? What would you like to tell the President?
…
Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.
I know a lot of parents who would rather not just blindly trust Obama to espouse a completely non-partisan, not-agenda-driven, non-self-serving message. They would rather not have their children’s teachers aiding in getting the students 100% behind Obama’s message before they hear it for themselves.
Oh, Obama might put forth an utterly harmless message, one that any reasonable person could support.
But he hasn’t earned that level of trust from a lot of us.
J.
Suppose Obama deviates from just general “be good kids” and lapses into something even remotely partisan.
Excellent point! Suppose further that George Washington could become invisible and had a robot friend, or that Eleanor Roosevelt could fly!
What times we live in!
The President of the USA can’t speak to American school children without it becoming fodder for those who find malign conspirators lurking at every turn.
Mr. Obama “hasn’t earned” your trust, Mr. Tea? Just for laughs, tell us what non-partisan, non-agenda-driven words or actions would be required for the President to “earn” enough trust for this endeavor?
Suppose Obama deviates
Or suppose if he reveals that he truly is the Xurgon emperor and liquefies the kid’s brains? That’s probably what’s really going to happen! its just as likely as the other bull you guys push.
if this was Bush, thousands of public school/union teachers across the country would be proudly proclaiming how they were refusing the call
joaquin, translated: I got nothin’, but what if liberals did something even worse?
They can post it to YouTube, so the right-wing parents can play it for the kids [when] they [get] home from school on the day of the Obama speech.
Are you kidding? They’ll be at home anyway, getting that old-time home schoolin’.
Something like “we need more funding for putlic schools” or “wouldn’t it be great if everyone had health insurance?”
A) Don’t we?
and
B) Wouldn’t it?
I think I find the proposed alternatives to “Obama remaining absolutely non-partisan on this occasion” slightly more plausible.
Especially the one about Xurgon.
Well, Quaker, I don’t think I’d EVER give that much trust in Obama.
Or any other politician, for that matter.
Why the hell would YOU?
J.
Then read the Department of Education’s suggested study guide, and try to find a single option that would cover “what if I don’t agree with the president?”
Quick question, Jay. Is that linkable somewhere or is that just a big steaming pile you just made up?
Well, Quaker, I don’t think I’d EVER give that much trust in Obama.
Thank you.
So that bit about “hasn’t earned our trust” has nothing at all to do with Mr. Obama and everything to do with your own biases.
Your witness.
Another quick question, Jay.
Did you ever trust Bush?
How about Reagan?
So one the one hand, you say Obama hasn’t earned your trust. Then on the other hand, you say no politician ever has?
Man, tough crowd.
You can find ‘em here, D. Document the atrocities.
I predict the following:
1. Obama will deliver an inspirational, non-controversial speech encouraging children to excel in school – one not unlike that which the elder President Bush delivered to the nation’s school children in 1991.
2. Hundreds of people on the right will propel themselves into Bachmann-caliber madness while attempting to decode socialist messages they think are embedded deeply within the text or delivery of the speech.
but if this was Bush, thousands of public school/union teachers across the country would be proudly proclaiming how they were refusing the call to indoctrinate their students to the ravings of awful George Bush.
Right:
Thanks for the False Equivalence, jackass.
Oh, no, no, no, mrak. You’re completely off base here!
It’ll be way more than just hundreds.
Duros, I’d never trust ANY politician as much as you’re willing to trust Obama.
“I’d like to give an address to your children, after which their teachers will all encourage them to think about how they can help me achieve what I just talked about. It’ll be a nice, positive, perfectly innocent speech, I promise.”
Drink all the kool-aid you want, Duros — I’d pass.
And I know quite a few parents who would like at least the option of reviewing the actual message before going along with it blindly.
Your mileage may vary, of course.
J.
You can find ‘em here, D. Document the atrocities.
(double checking tags)
OMG, the horror! We must slit our wrists immediately!
And I know quite a few parents who would like at least the option of reviewing the actual message before going along with it blindly.
You shall know them by their tinfoil hats.
Duros, I’d never trust ANY politician as much as you’re willing to trust Obama.
Now how do you know whether I trust him or not or by how much? That’s a pretty good parlor trick you got there, sport.
And I know quite a few parents who would like at least the option of reviewing the actual message before going along with it blindly.
Luckily, most of those kids are home schooled and get to watch the science documentary One Million Years, BC instead.
Duros, I’d never trust ANY politician as much as you’re willing to trust Obama.
Not even a sitting president?
As I said: What times we live in!
What was it Britney said about Bush?
Britney:
(Dennis here once wrote something eerily similar and he was tagged “Britney”. Heh-heh.)
More here:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/09/02/bush/index.html
And who can forget this awesome episode:
Loyalty oaths, dude.
Or this:
or
In middle school I had to suffer through Ronald and Nancy telling me to “just say no”. It’s time for today’s runts to pay the price .
Thanks, Indeed. That’s what I thought she said.
the Bush campaign demanded they sign an endorsement form saying they support the president.
And WE’RE supposed to be the fascists.
JT,
What if, instead of talking about substantive issues such as health care reform, current events and the challenges our nation will be handing to these kids, he just read a children’s book about a pet goat.
Would that be a more appropriate way for the president to inspire the kids?
Man, do the idiot wingnuts have any clean pants left, seeing how they shit themselves weekly since OBama got into office. What must it be like to be ruled by irrational, unfounded fear perpetuated by talk radio show hosts?
Jay Tea: But he hasn’t earned that level of trust from a lot of us.
Nor anything near that level of knee-jerk distrust.
Duros62: OMG, the horror! We must slit our wrists immediately!
No, no — that’s for health reform, not education. Please don’t confuse the two — we’ve only got so many wrists.
Man, do the idiot wingnuts have any clean pants left, seeing how they shit themselves weekly since OBama got into office.
Indeed. Just what is it about Obama that makes them so crazee?? Hmm…
Suppose Obama deviates from just general “be good kids” and lapses into something even remotely partisan.
In that case, you would have something to bitch and moan about. Currently? You’re tilting at windmills. Again. What did windmills ever do to you? Maybe this explains the whole “Drill, Baby, Drill!” phenomenon.
Shorter Jay Tea: Children are stupid and need their parents to dictate what they see and hear at all times.
“Are conservatives allergic to education?”
Yes.
Zython: Shorter Jay Tea: Children are stupid and need their parents to dictate what they see and hear at all times.
Actually, more like: Obama is evil and there is nothing he can do that isn’t designed to warp minds to his cause. He gives candy to children at Hallowe’en to temp them to his cause.
Let’s be honest. Cons are just scared that if a terrorist attack happens at the same time, Obama won’t look like a deer in headlights for seven minutes.
mrak – “In the interest of being fair and balanced, the GOP should record a speech that gives exactly the opposite advice as in the Obama speech – in other words, “don’t study, drop out of school, and you too can be a failure.”
To continue their alternate message – when you do fail, it’s your own fault.
JT – “And I know quite a few parents who would like at least the option of reviewing the actual message before going along with it blindly.”
Of course you do.
I’m a libertarian (aka rightwing nutjob) and a parent of a public school child and I don’t see anything wrong with the president speaking to our children and inspiring them to embrace education and work hard to reach their goals. I have problems with Obama but he isn’t Chairman Mao. Jeez.
A reminder:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fxJhAju65fo/Sp-i4QdM68I/AAAAAAAAAF8/8FYLkQQys_4/s1600-h/bushboard.jpg
Actual billboard put up by Clear Channel. Good times.
Ya know, I feel better about being an Independent every day. I listen to Republicans gripe about how badly poor ‘ol George Bush got trashed and how unfair, unkind and downright wrong it was. All the while they’re bashing Obama about everything. And I used to listen to the Democrats do the same damn thing with Clinton/GWB. Every screw-up and lie Clinton was called on was excused away while Bush couldn’t do anything right.
Look, I didn’t vote for Obama but the majority did and like it or not he’s got the job. Let’s get on with our lives. The same people griping about indoctrinating “our” children and using them to further his agenda are the same ones that want that Intelligent Design propaganda taught as scientific fact instead of the religious dogma that it actually is.
We don’t need terrorists to rip America apart, we have the Democrat and Republican parties doing it already. The Democrats in Congress voted “yes” for every military action and spending bill but now say they were “duped.” I saw Dick Cheney on TV recently and this guy is soooo wanting a terrorist attack on this country on Obama’s watch so that he and Bush won’t have to go down in history as the ones asleep at the wheel on 9/11. He doesn’t care if innocent Americans die – so long as he can point a finger. Both parties voted to create the Department of Homeland Security which has got to be the biggest waste of time and money and the greatest destroyer of freedom and American values that has ever existed. That’s what partisan politics have done to this country. God help us all.