Obama General Discussion... (Part 2)

[trojanchick99]

What kills me is there is already a Republican taking "credit" for Obama changing his speech. So the Republicans will not admit they were wrong, but rather they made Obama change his speech from the obvious indoctrination it was going to be.

[BVS]

The tea party crowd has gone completely batshit insane...

but damn are they entertaining.

[martha]

What the fuck is going on? And why is it being tolerated?

[anitram]

Originally Posted by martha

What the fuck is going on? And why is it being tolerated?

I seriously don't get it.

It's like the Twilight Zone of some sort.

[martha]

It's like their brains really did explode when a black guy somehow got elected president.

[VintagePunk]

Originally Posted by anitram

I seriously don't get it.

It's like the Twilight Zone of some sort.

I've pondered this from time to time. I think I first recognized it in the days following 9/11 when patriotism equated to not asking questions, and you were either "for us or against us."

Was it going on before that, and I somehow missed it? What is the cause, is it the advent of 24/7 cable news? When did people become incapable of taking information from various sources, weighing it, integrating it, and coming to their own conclusions? In essence, when did people lose the ability to think logically?

It really is troubling.

[No spoken words]

Originally Posted by VintagePunk

I've pondered this from time to time. I think I first recognized it in the days following 9/11 when patriotism equated to not asking questions, and you were either "for us or against us."

Was it going on before that, and I somehow missed it? What is the cause, is it the advent of 24/7 cable news? When did people become incapable of taking information from various sources, weighing it, integrating it, and coming to their own conclusions? In essence, when did people lose the ability to think logically?

It really is troubling.

Fucking Canadians.

You can't fool the majority of the American public! I read that somewhere on the internet, so it must be true.

[martha]

Originally Posted by VintagePunk

Was it going on before that, and I somehow missed it? What is the cause, is it the advent of 24/7 cable news? When did people become incapable of taking information from various sources, weighing it, integrating it, and coming to their own conclusions? In essence, when did people lose the ability to think logically?

Is it this, or is it the omnipresence of talking heads that spew bigotry 24/7, giving like-minded people some kind of validation?

Or are we saying the same thing?

[VintagePunk]

Originally Posted by No spoken words

Fucking Canadians.

You can't fool the majority of the American public! I read that somewhere on the internet, so it must be true.

In an e-mail forward?

Originally Posted by martha

Is it this, or is it the omnipresence of talking heads that spew bigotry 24/7, giving like-minded people some kind of validation?

Or are we saying the same thing?

I think we're pretty much saying the same thing.

[INDY500]

Students in grades pre-K-6 are encouraged to "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."

Teachers are also given guidance to tell students to "build background knowledge about the president of the United States by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama."

During the speech, "teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful."

For grades 7-12, the Department of Education suggests teachers prepare by excerpting quotes from Obama's speeches on education for their students to contemplate -- and ask as questions such as "Why does President Obama want to speak with us today? How will he inspire us? How will he challenge us?"

Activities suggested for after the speech include asking students "what resonated with you from President Obama's speech? What lines/phrase do you remember?"

Those of you that voted for Barack Obama will have to humor the rest of us when we think that such a "lesson-plan" might not be cheerfully accepted by all were George W Bush the president addressing our lil' tykes.

Also, please excuse some people for noticing that the president's milk & cookies talk is scheduled to take place the day prior to his 'make or break" healthcare address to a joint session of Congress.

And finally, excuse some us for worrying whether just a wee bit o' this type of thing might not have originally been in the text:

"Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."

[BVS]

Wait, where is this quoted from?

Originally Posted by INDY500

Also, please excuse some people for noticing that the president's milk & cookies talk is scheduled to take place the day prior to his 'make or break" healthcare address to a joint session of Congress.

So the students may take the subliminal message home to their senator parents and convince them to change their minds?

Originally Posted by INDY500

And finally, excuse some us for worrying whether just a wee bit o' this type of thing might have originally been in the text.

Please read this over again and tell me exactly what you're talking about...

Originally Posted by INDY500

Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed."

One can only dream

[INDY500]

Originally Posted by martha

So Republicans were shitting themselves over something they hadn't even read yet?



That's even more embarrassing.

Almost as embarrassing as you, a teacher, blindly accepting that it was completely apolitical.

[INDY500]

Originally Posted by BVS

One can only dream

I would think in a free country one reserves the right to be as uninvolved or uninformed about any matter they wish, should that be their choice.

Your dream is not my dream I'm afraid.

[BVS]

Originally Posted by INDY500

Almost as embarrassing as you, a teacher, blindly accepting that it was completely apolitical.

I'm sure you were just as embarassed when Reagan and George H Bush did the same thing? Otherwise your hypocricy has been in full force the last several days. First with the insurance companies and now this...

Originally Posted by INDY500

I would think in a free country one reserves the right to be as uninvolved or uninformed about any matter they wish, should that be their choice.

Your dream is not my dream I'm afraid.

Yes, I do have a dream where ignorance is not celebrated, forgive me. But I do support the freedom to be so...

[VintagePunk]

Even Laura Bush thinks the whole school uproar is bs:

Laura Bush praises Obama, bemoans excessive partisanship - CNN.com

...

The typically reserved former first lady defended Obama's decision to deliver a back-to-school speech to students, putting her at odds with many conservatives afraid that the president will use the opportunity to advance his political agenda.

"I think he is [doing a good job]," Bush said when asked to assess Obama's job performance. "I think he has got a lot on his plate, and he has tackled a lot to start with, and that has probably made it more difficult."

...

Referencing the uproar over Obama's address to schoolchildren, which will be aired nationwide Tuesday, Laura Bush said it's "really important for everyone to respect the president of the United States."

Bush didn't completely dismiss the concerns of some conservatives but noted that controversial Education Department plans recommending that students draft letters discussing what they can do to help Obama had been changed.

"I think there is a place for the president ... to talk to schoolchildren and encourage" them, she said. Parents should follow his example and "encourage their own children to stay in school and to study hard and to try to achieve the dream that they have."

...

Even though she was very diplomatic, tactful and even kind in the interview, I do disagree with her than any president or political figure is automatically owed respect, even Obama.

[anitram]

More from Laura Bush:

She said it is not fair to label Obama a socialist, as many of his conservative critics do.

She's been socially indoctrinated. I couldn't help but notice that her remarks were made in Paris. No wonder.

[BVS]

This must have been an accident, I thought the party as a whole decided not to allow any reasonable or informed members speak.

Oh well, I'm sure she'll be labelled a RINO by the end of the day.

[martha]

Originally Posted by INDY500

Almost as embarrassing as you, a teacher, blindly accepting that it was completely apolitical.

I don't even know what this means.

[martha]

Originally Posted by BVS

This must have been an accident, I thought the party as a whole decided not to allow any reasonable or informed members speak.

It's pretty sad that the only reasonable voice in the Republican Party is a former First Lady. No senators? No representatives? Mayors? Governors?

[Irvine511]

Originally Posted by INDY500

Almost as embarrassing as you, a teacher, blindly accepting that it was completely apolitical.

it was about as political as Reagan and Bush 1.

for the record, as i've said, i think this thing is kind of lame, and i think the "lesson plan" was a bit of an overreach, and likely an organizational hiccup/brain fart.

but you people still look like idiots, no matter how you try to spin it.