Why Obama really won the Nobel Peace Prize: because unicorns *heart* him.
September 1st, 2009
Why My Kid Will Be In School Sept. 8
If you’ve been online at all today you’ve no doubt read about Obama’s upcoming nationwide speech to schoolchildren on September 8. Maybe you’ve even read that Malkin and others are getting their panties in a wad over it, with some even calling to keep your kids home rather than subjecting them to the speech. My kid will be there, and I’m not bothered by that fact at all.
I don’t have a problem with a U.S. President telling my kid to study hard in school. Do I trust him, as SusanHW asked me on Twitter today when I’d said I didn’t care about the speech? Oh hell to the no.
But, see, I already know how little children work: they’ve been indoctrinated for years to idolize the office of the President and until they’re well into their teens it’s difficult for many to separate the office from the man. I also know that kids — and this time I include teens — are insanely curious about anything that Mommy or Daddy is against. Keep a kid home so they don’t listen to Obama then send him to school the next day when all of his little friends are hero-worshiping the guy, and what do you get? A future Democrat.
Oh, I’m fully aware that even if Obama keeps his speech specifically on-point about the importance of a good education, as Malkin points out “Obama zealot teachers like this one across the country will do all the extra-curricular bullying and haranguing for him.”
Living here in a rather conservative county in Kansas, I have the luxury of knowing there aren’t a ton of rabidly liberal, crap-spewing teachers like that one. I also know that, if one of my son’s teachers were to start proselytizing like that, I wouldn’t be the only parent shouting in the school office the next day. (But I might be the meanest.)
Frankly, I like to pick my battles carefully. Those of us in the GOP need to realize that bitching about every little thing the Dems do doesn’t make us sound informed or even draw attention to our primary issues; it just makes us sound bitchy.
Besides which, I know from experience that my boy is going to tune out any speech lasting longer than 30 seconds in favor of poking the little kid sitting next to him.
UPDATE: The White House has backed off of the wording in the teaching materials which was calling for students to “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president”. Instead, the call is for students to write to themselves about their short- and long-term educational goals, with teachers collecting and holding the letters then giving them back to the children at a later date so they can see whether they’re keeping in track with the goals they set for themselves. (Source: Fox News).
March 23rd, 2009
Halfway Through 100 Days And We’ve Got Diddly Squat
As some of you may recall, I spent the day after the presidential election listening to Peggy Lee and wondering “is that all there is?” As I said at the time:
“I truly do feel like I just don’t care all that much. We get what we ask for, and apparently the majority of the country asked for a change that had never been clearly defined.
That’s fine. I’ll go along for the ride. I am, if nothing else, good at seeing the forest (while occasionally slamming into the trees), and love nothing more than to see people get EXACTLY what they asked for.”
In response, long-time Venomite Will Wallace made a prediction that halfway through Obama’s first 100 days his supporters would emit a collective gasp as they realized their Wunderkid was, indeed, just another politician full of hot air. But let’s hear it from Will in his own words:
I’m predicting that if you step outside about 10:16 am Eastern Time on March 18, 2009 and listen very closely you’ll be able to hear a multitude of Obama voters saying, in unison, “What the F***!?!?”
This election reminds me of the ‘none of the above’ polls that are so common early in primary races.
Candidate 1 gets 27% of the vote
Candidate 2 gets 19% of the vote
and “None of the Above” gets 54% of the voteAnd while it appears on the surface to be a rejection of both candidates- if you forced the 54% to identify who they would vote for- it’s probably a mix of 70-100 people none of which would garner more than 8-10% support.
Obama- with the help of a criminally negligent press- was able to run as ‘none of the above’; or more accurately he was able to run as all things to all people.
And so while he won the election- whatever policies he enacts are sure to offend a portion of the people who supported him. By the time March rolls around and his supporters realize that:
- the fairness doctrine is much more likely to silence left wing radio than right wing radio (right wing is financially viable enough to go satellite or even off-shore while left wing struggles in most markets)
- that tax cut they’re hoping to see will disappear faster than a 747 on a David Copperfield special
- national security will be tested until we respond- and if there are three words that go together to form a triangle of inadequacy they are: liberal- military- quagmire
- being black is no more a qualification than it is a disqualification.
- the reason congress’ approval ratings are so low is because they’ve been trying to do many of the things that Obama champions.
Remember March 19- 10:16 am- take a moment- walk outside and listen as an entire block of young idealistic voters gets their grades back from their first political pop-quiz.
It’s a relatively soft lesson- traditionally zealots are the first to be lined up against a wall and shot- they’re just too hard to keep in line.
So, how’d Will do?
January 8th, 2009
That “Tax Cut” Won’t Make A Dent
For everyone disappointed by the news that there will not be a second stimulus check coming this month, it’s probably tempting to take heart in Obama’s promised tax cut ($500 for individuals, $1000 for couples).
Except that a tax cut won’t make much of an impact on the nation’s economy, much less an individual’s wallet.
Over the year, this translates to an addition $44 each month, per person, or about $22 in the average paycheck.
Twenty-two dollars per month. Do you feel economically recovered now?
January 5th, 2009
President-Elect Obama and His 10 Inaugural Balls
I’ll say this for President-elect Obama: he has balls. Ten official balls, at last count, where he’ll personally be on display. Who knows how many unofficial ones there will be?
But here’s the thing about Obama’s balls: they’re big. And while his staff claims he’s got the first-ever Neighborhood Ball, the neighborhood around the White House pretty much threw their own ball when they stormed the president’s house after Andrew Jackson was elected. (His balls were apparently too small for their liking.)
Of course, taxpayers need not fret: we’re not footing the bill for Obama’s big balls. That’s the job of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which has been busily raising funds to fete Obama’s balls. Sure, actors and other artsy types are happy to fork over $10,000 per head for one of Obama’s balls — and Oprah hasn’t named her going rate yet — but even those steep prices don’t cover the entire expense associated with his balls.
Taxpayers will pay in part for Obama’s balls by footing the bill for House and Senate members to plan the inauguration and balls, by paying for the preparation of alternate locations in the event of inclement weather, by paying for the archiving of documents relating — however tangentially — to the inauguration itself. Oh, and we’ll also pay for the massive security force (Secret Service, Capitol Police, U.S. Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard) needed to not only secure D.C. and the various environs of Obama’s balls, but to also screen each and every individual who personally attends Obama’s balls.
Perhaps this is what Michelle Obama meant when she said Obama would make us work? Even though she may have warned us, it’s rather infuriating to realize we, too, are now tasked with the responsibility of supporting Obama’s balls although few of us can afford our own. And, meanwhile, we’re all getting the shaft.
December 5th, 2008
The Lower-Case F-word
My latest column, Michelle Obama and the New Face of Feminism is up at Pajamas Media.
November 18th, 2008
Obama Can’t Use Email, Either
When Obama’s campaign made such a big deal over John McCain’s inexperience with email, Republicans swiftly responded that such things aren’t relevant when it comes to being presidential material. Of course, the libs refused to believe it, but it turns out the Right was right.
In addition to concerns about e-mail security, he faces the Presidential Records Act, which puts his correspondence in the official record and ultimately up for public review, and the threat of subpoenas. A decision has not been made on whether he could become the first e-mailing president, but aides said that seemed doubtful. (Source: NY Times)
I suspect that in the days to come we’re going to find out the Right was right about a lot more, too.
November 8th, 2008
The GOP’s Answer To Obama
My latest column, Sarah Palin: The GOP’s Best Hope in 2012, is up at Pajamas Media.
Update: And, evidently, it has earned me yet another title: “It’s Katherine Berry! PJM’s! most! controversial! voice!” Yep, it’s true: some days it’s just downright fun to be me.