Regnad Kcin
Penultimate Amazing
Now, it seems to me such a statement is pretty hyperbolic and based on who knows what size sample. However, I think we can agree there are at least some, maybe many, who have an acute degree of dislike for the president. As anyone who holds the office can tell you, it comes with the territory. Yet let's consider, for the sake of analysis, that maybe Brainster's observation above doesn't strain credulity too thin. Maybe the level of negative feeling for this president is very high. The question is: why?
I'll start out by offering the possibility of racial prejudice may be too easy a guess and arguably questionable itself. When African-Americans are prominent everywhere -- business, science, sports, entertainment, and politics -- to such an extent that it's common in this day and age, a dark-skinned person becoming Chief Executive may be a novelty, but is hardly a radical concept. Add to this the observation that Mr. Obama is certainly no extremist black man. But if this is a significant factor, did these same "passionately unreasonable" conservatives feel the same alleged bigotry for Herman Cain? Colin Powell?
Barack Obama is an educated, articulate, once-married gentleman and dutiful father to two apparently well-adjusted children. He seems to be considerate, loyal, and is most certainly hard-working. Except for a smoking habit, and occasional behind-the-scenes (though hardly remarkable) use of profanity, he's pretty much what once was termed "clean cut."
So is it his politics that has conservatives uniting in "passionate unreasonableness?" Well...maybe. What I see is a politician who is a fairly straight-shooter, whose goal is to direct the instrument of government towards addressing some of today's pressing problems. Unless there are sordid, behind-the-scenes sausage-making details I've not heard about, he has bargained with his opponents in good faith from the start of his administration, and remains open to compromise. It's the philosophy he ran on, and though he and his administration have modified various of their policies, there hasn't been much, if any, bait-and-switch.
His leadership navigating the minefield of international affairs has been, if not always incident-free, largely positive.
On economic matters things become a bit more muddled. The American economy, intertwined as it is with the world's, has been and remains struggling. Policymakers are working every day on this issue. As to how much any administration can affect such a behemoth, many agree it's not much. But there are those who do believe a president can and should make things better, not only for the nation's long-term well-being, but for individuals as well. Since it can be argued this isn't the case, are the people who are left disappointed and anxious by this president's apparent failures reacting in a "passionate, unreasonable" way?
Or maybe it's just Obamacare.
In any event, Mr. Obama can objectively be given excellent marks on personal matters, and an incomplete (but trending positively) on professional ones. In all, he seems to be a good man trying to do a good job.
You can't please all of the people all of the time. And there's going to be a presidential "derangement syndrome," no matter who takes the oath of office. But if it's true that there are these days a whole 'nother class of haters, and they are numerous, one has to wonder why.
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