Respect for the presidency

[miked]

So after reading about the Kansas speaker that asked for his fellow republicans "pray" for Obama to lose (using a Psalm that is sort of about vengeance) it made me wonder about the office of the presidency. Clearly this may have happened under W, Clinton, Bush, but it seems that there are tons of these stories coming out. I'm not talking about the Michael Moores or Ann Coulter, but rather people in politics. This was the Kansas's dude 2nd forray into the news after he called Michelle Obama Mrs. YoMamma in some emails. We've had people in high offices pasting his face on monkeys to pass around, people commenting on the first ladies "booty", a guy call him a liar during a State of the Union, comments in South Carolina by a major activist saying the escaped gorilla was related to Michelle Obama.

All this got me wondering about the commonly used phrase "respect for the office" I used to hear about. Now it's good that we don't hear it really coming from Senators and House members, but did this sort of thing happen all the time to Bush, or Clinton? Were crazy politicians calling Bush and his wife nasty things? It also seems there are quite a few racial undertones as well. I can't remember anyone saying Hillary had a "big booty" or anything of the sort. Is there just more media attention these days?

[JPhillips]

A guy on a blog called Bush Hitler, so it all equals out.

[PilotMan]

You would think that we have come farther as a society, but we haven't. You should read some of the stuff that people said about Lincoln. Talk about ahead of the curve.

[molson]

Lack of respect for the office really only helps the guy you're attacking.

The extreme left went way overboard on Bush, and I think that helped him win a second term. Even though it was mostly just the extreme left, it makes the group as a whole seem more out there and irrational (and conservatives played that up). People who are on the fence and/or leaning Bush were turned off by the rhetoric. Similar attacks from the extreme right against Obama can only help him with normal people, because the it makes the Republicans seems weird and scary. The significance of the extremes will always be overstated, I think both because they're more interesting, and because each party tries to paint anyone who disagrees with them as an extremist.

[RendeR]

Have you seen the Republicans lately?

They ARE weird and scary.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Have you seen the politicians lately?

They ARE weird and scary.

Fixed.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

What I have really noticed during this election much more than any other is that the #1 theme is "We have to get Barack Obama out of office." It does not seem to be about winning the presidency to put forth the agenda you think is best for the country. It is about getting Obama out of there.

They also talk like it is a given that the presidency is about to change hands...

I believe both strategies are the wrong move. But what do I know...

[molson]

Have you seen the Republicans lately?

They ARE weird and scary.

There's a lot of people that aren't Democrats, some are crazy Republicans, some are moderate Republicans, some are independent. Some Democrats love to portray anyone who isn't one of them as some kind of crazy weirdo, and that's not helpful to them in elections. They do that to make it appear that their specific way is the only correct way to look at the world, and everything else is extreme nonsense, but looking down on people isn't a great way to get them to vote for you. And when you portray all Republicans as lunatics, I think that does turn off moderates. Just like the Republicans who try to portray Obama as a socialist. It's a dumb portrayal, it makes them look dumb, and it makes it look like there's no legitimate criticisms of Obama if they have to resort to that.

Edit: If I was a powerful, highly visible person that really wanted Obama to be re-elected I'd make a ton of public comments about how he's a socialist antichrist communist kiddy toucher. There are zero moderates who will hear that and say, "you know what, he's right, Obama is a socialist antichrist communisty kiddy toucher, I'm voting Romney!" It's much more likely to have the opposite effect.

[RainMaker]

I think it's always been around. We just see it more these days thanks to the internet. Partisians and extremists are the bain of our political process. They bring out the lowest common denominators and treat it as a sport.

I agree with Molson. These things usually aren't good. The Tea Party got extreme and their approval went down the tubes. Occupy did the same thing and their approval numbers went down the shitter. The more extreme and outlandish you become, the less people you draw to your side. Obama has to be happy to see a guy like this grab headlines or someone bringing up the birth certificate. Just as I'm sure Bush loved seeing his face superimposed on Hitler signs and Code Pink calling for him to be tried as a war criminal. If I was a politician, I'd half consider planting these people.

There is a bit of irony in it too. The people who do it always get on the campaign trail and talk about freedom and democracy. Then say something like this which is about as un-democratic as you can get. The people voted in someone they don't like so he should die. Talk about a hypocrite. And lets be honest, there aren't a lot of differences in the national parties these days. It's not like one or the other is going to change the course of the country.

[flounder]

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[panerd]

I think it's always been around. We just see it more these days thanks to the internet. Partisians and extremists are the bain of our political process. They bring out the lowest common denominators and treat it as a sport.

I agree with Molson. These things usually aren't good. The Tea Party got extreme and their approval went down the tubes. Occupy did the same thing and their approval numbers went down the shitter. The more extreme and outlandish you become, the less people you draw to your side. Obama has to be happy to see a guy like this grab headlines or someone bringing up the birth certificate. Just as I'm sure Bush loved seeing his face superimposed on Hitler signs and Code Pink calling for him to be tried as a war criminal. If I was a politician, I'd half consider planting these people.

There is a bit of irony in it too. The people who do it always get on the campaign trail and talk about freedom and democracy. Then say something like this which is about as un-democratic as you can get. The people voted in someone they don't like so he should die. Talk about a hypocrite. And lets be honest, there aren't a lot of differences in the national parties these days. It's not like one or the other is going to change the course of the country.

+1. The only thing I will add is that we all (outside of a few :) ) seem to be around a similar age and I think this is just one of those...

* What's with kids these days?
* This new music isn't music!
* Athletes are spoiled!
* This is a terrible time to raise a child (abductions, society)
* Politics is nasty

But I agree the main thing (good and bad) is the internet. How would we have heard about this Kansas guy 15 years ago? A blurb on the nightly news? A blurb in the paper? Now he makes the rounds at the 24-hour news networks and on all the blogs.

[RendeR]

There's a lot of people that aren't Democrats, some are crazy Republicans, some are moderate Republicans, some are independent. Some Democrats love to portray anyone who isn't one of them as some kind of crazy weirdo, and that's not helpful to them in elections. They do that to make it appear that their specific way is the only correct way to look at the world, and everything else is extreme nonsense, but looking down on people isn't a great way to get them to vote for you. And when you portray all Republicans as lunatics, I think that does turn off moderates. Just like the Republicans who try to portray Obama as a socialist. It's a dumb portrayal, it makes them look dumb, and it makes it look like there's no legitimate criticisms of Obama if they have to resort to that.

Edit: If I was a powerful, highly visible person that really wanted Obama to be re-elected I'd make a ton of public comments about how he's a socialist antichrist communist kiddy toucher. There are zero moderates who will hear that and say, "you know what, he's right, Obama is a socialist antichrist communisty kiddy toucher, I'm voting Romney!" It's much more likely to have the opposite effect.



Ok let me amend my post:


Have you SEEN the Republican LEADERSHIP lately? They ARE Weird and Scary!




;) and to be honest Mizzou has it right when he changes it to politicians in general. My personal take is I'd rather live under a Horrible Democrat than a good Republican under today's party line ideals.