I was watching Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN, just to see what was up with the new stimulus package that recently passed in house. I do have certain reservations about the plan. It also bothers me that ZERO Republicans voted for the bill. I mean, wasn’t President Obama’s pitch to get into the presidency to end the “business as usual, bi-partisan government?” I mean, he made it pretty clear that he was about working with Republicans, reaching across party lines. Yet, here we are, first major legislation, and ZERO Republicans in the house accepted the stimulus bill. Republican Mike Pence calls it a mass spending of wish list liberal spending. I haven’t read the stimulus bill, so I can’t agree or disagree. That question is for another day.
Anyway, the premise of this writing is to kick around independents. Specifically, Lou Dobbs. I understand that being independent of either party can be most appealing b/c not one person can whole-heartedly agree with everything on either the Democrat or Republican platforms. I get that. And I think that it shows progressive thinking. But what’s really killing me is Lou Dobbs’ constant attack on government. Constant complaining, while NEVER bringing anyone on the show who gives ANY solutions to the problems he focuses on. His topics always end with “well, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
It seems as though Dobbs’ premise is to rip American politics to shreds (which isn’t a completely bad idea now that I think about it). I get the “I’m gonna tell it how it is concept.” I completely feel the concept of not settling for anything less that satisfactory. I get free speech. I do. I love hearing honest insight on anything and everything.
My issue is that Dobbs is gearing people, or his faithful, towards focusing a negative light on EVERYTHING. Take today’s daily poll question for instance:
“A president that mimics President Bush with fearmongering to pass legislation, a Congress that doesn't read legislation and a deep partisan divide. Do you believe this is change? Yes or no?”
Let’s address what’s wrong with this statement.
“A president that mimics President Bush with fearmongering.” This would infer that Obama used the psychology of fear in garnering support for this stimulus package. I’m pretty sure that the “economic crisis” we have is real. I’m pretty sure that the increasing number of jobs lost is real. I’m pretty sure that the Jumbo Jack is no longer 99 cents either.
For Dobbs to say that Obama is striking fear into the American citizen by stating reasons why we need some sort of package is just NUTS. I think that using multiple economists outlooks as to where our economy stands is pretty credible evidence to support this supposed “fearmongering.”
When the stock market plummets, when unemployment rises and when the Jumbo Jack isn’t 99 cents are enough in itself to support the claim that we need some sort of plan to get America out of the hole.
That’s just me. The question Dobbs follows up with is: “Do you believe this is change?”
Way to pit a person against themselves. If you say “no,” you’re saying Obama, after 8 days in office, is the same as G.W. Therefore, you’re either kind of an idiot or you’re Nostradamus and can tell the future (It’s possible that Obama could be the left wing version of Bush, but let’s wait another year before we start that conversation). If you answer “yes,” then you’re an absolute idiot.
If you elected NOT to answer, then you answered correctly. Granted it’s an opinion question, but Lord have mercy, can you in any other blatant way make one answer sound completely more absurd than the other?
Key words: “Mimic,” “Bush,” and “Fear mongering.”
To definitively place that image on Obama’s White House would HAVE to lead to the only logical answer, NO. 100% to 0%.
So yes Mr. Dobbs, if you’re asking me if I think that a president that mimics G.W. is change, I’ll say no. I’ll say whatever you want me to say. Just ask it in a manner that make the answer choices make me look like an idiot who’s not thinking about the question or makes me look like you: A pessimistic jerk who knows how to complain, but leaves little to the imagination for possible solutions.
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