| 9/8/2009 11:37:56 AM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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eatmo
Memphis, TN
44, joined Aug. 2009
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Never in the history of the U.S. has there been opposition over the president addressing the nations youth. There appears to be fear from conservatives that will do more hurt than good. Let?s call it what it is ..... RACISM !!! WHITE AMERICA embraced Bush and all his F'd up policies. Now Obama takes the stage and has been met with every negative possible. There are so many that have downed him publicly and these are the same people who will be at the front of the line to reap the benefits from His administration. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!
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| 9/8/2009 7:40:53 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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coolchick
Woodway, TX
64, joined Nov. 2006
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 eatmo. Now, calm down and get a grip my friend. Let's stick to the facts. It's a fact that Democrats raised a big stink when George H.W. Bush addressed school children during his Presidency. Dems accused him of "politicizing", which he was in fact guilty of. Because, in his address he went beyond telling the school kids to study hard. He suggested things the kids could do to help get his administration's agenda moving along. Now, President Obama did not tread into political territory like George H.W. Bush did. But, the Republicans were assuming he would - cause didn't good ol' George do it when he was Prez? Yep. Obama's P.R. people did goof up with the pre-speech announcement, which indicated he would suggest ways that the little kiddos could help him out. Obama didn't include that kind of talk, so all's right with the world.
Yes, I agree with you that there was a crazy hysteria from the far-right and the wing-nut "evangelicals". "Obama wants to brainwash our babies". I'm sure much of it was racist. But, the good news is that the wing-nuts have egg on their faces now.
Stay tuned for the next episode of: "Obama Is A Space Alien", or "How I Learned To Love Glenn Beck".    
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| 9/8/2009 8:14:50 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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coolchick
Woodway, TX
64, joined Nov. 2006
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eatmo. Now, calm down and get a grip my friend. Let's stick to the facts. It's a fact that Democrats raised a big stink when George H.W. Bush addressed school children during his Presidency. Dems accused him of "politicizing", which he was in fact guilty of. Because, in his address he went beyond telling the school kids to study hard. He suggested things the kids could do to help get his administration's agenda moving along. Now, President Obama did not tread into political territory like George H.W. Bush did. But, the Republicans were assuming he would - cause didn't good ol' George do it when he was Prez? Yep. Obama's P.R. people did goof up with the pre-speech announcement, which indicated he would suggest ways that the little kiddos could help him out. Obama didn't include that kind of talk, so all's right with the world.
Yes, I agree with you that there was a crazy hysteria from the far-right and the wing-nut "evangelicals". "Obama wants to brainwash our babies". I'm sure much of it was racist. But, the good news is that the wing-nuts have egg on their faces now.
Stay tuned for the next episode of: "Obama Is A Space Alien", or "How I Learned To Love Glenn Beck".
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| 9/9/2009 12:59:25 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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blonde01
Omaha, NE
55, joined Jul. 2008
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I'd like to be a fly on the wall when one of those kids who didn't get to watch it grows up and perhaps ask their parents why they didn't get to see it.
You can't fix stupid.
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| 9/9/2009 6:04:39 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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zorro932
Middle River, MD
57, joined Jun. 2009
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Agreed with the above. You don't have to like the President--God knows I didn't like Bush--but you should be respectful of the office. I heard most of the speech and it didn't sound too political to me (yes, I am an Obama fan).
Everything now is driven by Talk Radio and Cable TV. If anyone here remembers the movie "Network" (about a washed up News Anchor who goes nuts and ends up with a huge show) it seems to me that the film has come true.
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| 9/9/2009 11:17:14 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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coolchick
Woodway, TX
64, joined Nov. 2006
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1bit2spurs, my friend. Point of clarification: President Obama did not force any school children to listen to his speech. It was left up to the individual school districts to decide whether or not they would show his speech live or delayed, or they could decide to not show it at all. The kids were given the choice to watch, or not to watch. Check this out. The Arlington, Texas school district elected not to show President Obama's speech in their schools. However, they have a bus trip planned to ensure their district's school children attend a speech being given by former President George Bush. Keep in mind that Bush resides in Dallas. This is so wrong, for a public school district, which receives federal funds (taxpayer money) to make such a blatantly political move to obviously curry favor with the Republican party. Maybe the good parents in Arlington should be worried that Bush will brainwash their dear sweet kiddos.
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| 9/11/2009 8:00:39 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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danguitarman
Redding, CA
63, joined Aug. 2007
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I live in a very republican area. The newspaper said that only three of the local schools showed the speech. Even at those three schools, the students couldn't watch it unless they had written permission from their parents! Reading that newspaper story made me sick!
Hi Coolchick! Was it the same in Waco?
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| 9/12/2009 12:53:06 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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coolchick
Woodway, TX
64, joined Nov. 2006
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Dan! Yes, it was much the same in Waco. The only school that allowed their kids to watch the President's speech live was the Rappaport Academy. That's a "magnet" school that's not part of our regular school district. Bernard Rappaport made a fortune in the insurance business, he's a philanthropist, and his employees are unionized - which is very unusual in this part of the country. Several children from the academy were interviewed after watching the speech, and they gave very intelligent and polite responses. The kids in the Waco school district couldn't give any opinion one way or the other, because they were denied the opportunity to view the speech. Very sad.
Hey, 1bit2spurs my friend: I'm sorry you believe that our President addressing our school children should not be considered as part of their education. I believe it's very educational. Our young people sorely need to be educated about civics. Remember, they are our future leaders.
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| 9/17/2009 5:49:02 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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blonde01
Omaha, NE
55, joined Jul. 2008
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Omaha Public Schools didn't show it. They were afraid no one would go to school. I would have kept my child home since they didn't show it. Unpatriotic.
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| 9/17/2009 6:48:12 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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danguitarman
Redding, CA
63, joined Aug. 2007
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Maybe Jimmy Carter is right and it is racism. Carter and Clinton were both just as liberal as Obama and were never so vehemently disrespected as this President is. I don't know how else to explain it unless its the fragmentation of the media into all of these cable stations that have created a sort of continuous hysteria.
If only white people had been allowed to vote last November, Obama would have lost by a big margain. Now he's the most feared and disrespected first year President in history. I think these facts must be related.
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| 9/18/2009 1:57:08 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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blonde01
Omaha, NE
55, joined Jul. 2008
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I know it's racism here in Omaha. I know people who are certain Obama will be assassinated any time now. I won't say I have friends who think that because I no longer consider them to be my friends.
[Edited 9/18/2009 1:57:28 PM ]
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| 9/19/2009 2:39:01 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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coolchick
Woodway, TX
64, joined Nov. 2006
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Maybe Jimmy Carter is right and it is racism. Carter and Clinton were both just as liberal as Obama and were never so vehemently disrespected as this President is. I don't know how else to explain it unless its the fragmentation of the media into all of these cable stations that have created a sort of continuous hysteria.
If only white people had been allowed to vote last November, Obama would have lost by a big margain. Now he's the most feared and disrespected first year President in history. I think these facts must be related.
Dan, what are you saying? What white people were kept from voting? That's not true to say that Obama is "the most feared and disrepected first year President"? His approval ratings are still good, and he's very respected here at home and abroad. It's true the right-wing fanactics are a different story, of course. What is up with you, Dan?
Blonde, I don't think it's good to be discussing the President being assasinated. I think that gives credence to the fanatics whose agenda is to keep that discussion going. Sure, it could happen. It could happen to any President, no matter what color they are. Up to now, all the American Presidents who've been assasinated have been WHITE. So, I think it's so wrong to give voice to what the fanactics want discussed about our first black President.
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| 9/19/2009 4:12:41 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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zorro932
Middle River, MD
57, joined Jun. 2009
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There is still some racism in this country. Hopefully within a couple more generations it will have died out. I give Obama credit for trying to downplay it and get the debate back to policy.
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| 9/19/2009 5:48:43 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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danguitarman
Redding, CA
63, joined Aug. 2007
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Forgive me, Coolchick, for I must have expressed myself poorly. I learned from MSNBC that in the election last November, Obama got just 47% of thw white vote, and McCain got 53%. That difference of 6% is too large to be called "close" by political observers. I did not mean that anyone was prevented from voting. I meant only to say that Obama got less than half of the white vote.
I was probably wrong about Obama being the most feared and hated first year President. I shoud have said "since Lincoln". Licoln was reviled as less than human. His enemies claimed he was actually an ape. But since Lincoln, I don't think any President has been so disrespected BY HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS as Obama is. Not by a majority of the people, but by the ranters and ravers who are dominating the airwaves.
So forgive me if I expressed it poorly, but my point was and is that I agree with Jimmy Carter that this must be attributable to racism. There are a lot of people who are really scared to have a black President. They are also scared of gay marriage and changes in society that are beyond their control.
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| 9/19/2009 6:03:50 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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zorro932
Middle River, MD
57, joined Jun. 2009
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Lincoln was indeed reviled; his own General MacCellan often referred to him as "The Gorilla". Southerners were almost unanimous in hating him. But he became one of our greatest Presidents (Washington and both Roosevelts are the only ones in that class). One parallel with Obama is the fact that neither man had much experience prior to getting elected (Lincoln was a one term congressman, Obama had just two years in the Senate) but sometimes providence has a gift for placing the right man in the right circumstance. Hopefully Obama will rise to the challenge.
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| 9/20/2009 11:50:08 AM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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coolchick
Woodway, TX
64, joined Nov. 2006
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Thanks, Dan, for the clarification. I was afraid you'd lost your mind 
Good points from you and Zorro about the comparison of Obama's first year to Lincoln's. You're both right. 
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| 9/20/2009 4:12:27 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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zorro932
Middle River, MD
57, joined Jun. 2009
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Thanks coolchick...he did pretty well on the Talk Shows from what I could see today.
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| 9/20/2009 4:38:27 PM |
Why all of the skepticism over President Obama's speech to school kids? |
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danguitarman
Redding, CA
63, joined Aug. 2007
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I guess its a good thing that Lincoln couldn't address the nation's schoolchildren on live video. There would have been riots in the streets!
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