Fail Obama?

A lot has been made over Rush Limbaugh's statement that he hopes Obama will fail. Democrats have decried Rush and other conservatives who share this wish as "racist." Racism seems to be the first retort against any criticism of Barack Obama.

This is disingenuous, and purposeful I believe. It's disingenuous because the criticism isn't personal to Obama. This is projection on the part of our friends the Democrats. Democrats always seem to attack the messenger, rather than the message. This is because in most cases, the facts aren't on their side and they just can't win in the "Arena of Ideas" by attacking the message.

Projection is basically accusing others of what you yourself are doing. So, one can understand how Democrats turn substantive disagreements on policy into something personal. The Democrats constantly attack Rush about his weight, or his former addiction to painkillers, but never address the substance of what he says.

We've had about seven years of attacks on George W. Bush, calling him stupid, a "sock puppet" (controlled by either Karl Rove or Vice President Cheney), a cowboy, and more. Recently, Ann Coulter was attacked by an official of a college where she was going to speak in Canada, before she had uttered a word! (Oh Canada! - March 24th, 2010)

In over 30 years of corresponding on political forums, the moment I announce myself as a Conservative
I'm besieged with personal attacks. Even good friends who I've known for years, think I'm kidding when I "come out" as a Conservative. They say that I'm too intelligent and compassionate to be Conservative. It's not an oxymoron to any Conservative, but seems to be to a Democrat.

The Democrats are unconscious to themselves and so project their own faults onto others. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid  talk about a "Culture of Corruption" on the right, while the left is wracked with scandal after scandal from bad actors like William Jefferson, Charlie Rangel, and others.

Nancy Pelosi and Bill Clinton promised to run the "Most Ethical Congress", and  "Most Ethical Administration" respectively. And to all accounts, lied. The scandals in Congress and the Clinton years make those promises false. The unconsciousness is so profound, there is never any apology or accountability for the lies, no less the scandals.

Racism is not just uttering an epithet, or denying a black person a job, or equal rights. Conservatives believe it's also assuming they need help, like lower standards in tests, racial preferences, reparations (to people two three generations removed from those harmed), and pandering. Assuming someone needs help just because of their skin color is a more insidious form of racism than a simple epithet.

The use of the racism card is purposeful by Democrats because it diverts attention away from the substantive criticism of policies, and puts the critics on the defensive. Calling someone a racist, or a homophobe is the political version of "When did you stop beating your wife?" Once so charged, it's very difficult to respond and be believed.

My own preference is not to get involved in proving that I'm not racist or homophobic. What am I going to say?

"Some of my best friends are black!"

or

"I have Gay friends and family members!"

It's not worth it. You can't win against folks who aren't interested in substance. Rather, they use every dirty trick to deflect criticism. It's better to keep the argument in the space of substantive criticism on bad policies. It takes discipline, but it results in keeping the debate out of the mud, and on the high road.

It's these bad policies that Rush, I, and fellow Conservatives wish to fail. If the man went to the right, and governed more as a centrist rather than a leftist ideologue. I'd be willing to wish for his success. Because if good policies succeed, our nation succeeds. Our nations success transcends political ideology.

In wishing for his failure, we hope he will learn that his cherished belief system is false. That it doesn't produce good results in the real world. That only in the theoretical realms inhabited by leftist academics does his ideology have the illusion of working. I think this is a forlorn hope. History shows that our Democrat friends aren't result driven. They don't ever evaluate their actions based on the results. They evaluate themselves based on their intentions. They never take responsibility for the results of their actions.

Children and other immature folks avoid responsibility for their mistakes by citing their good intentions. But good intentions so far have not put millions back to work, reduced poverty, or caused peace in the world. As we grow older and wiser, I hope we all look to results rather than intentions. That is one of the signs of wisdom.

In these times, we need a wise leader. We need wisdom rather than ideology. We need results rather than rhetoric. We need fiscal sanity rather than spending sprees.

Until Obama can be a responsible adult, and set aside his ideology, he can count on many people of all party affiliations wishing for his failure. Not just Rush Limbaugh and me.