An Unrequited Love
Hell hath no fury like a nuisance scorned. People used to faint at his rallies. The infatuation came fast and strong as people filled in the vacuous phrase, "hope and change," with whatever their heart desired at the moment. "I won't have to worry about putting gas in my car," said one young convert, her relief palpable. "I won't have to worry about paying my mortgage. You know, if I help him, he's gonna help me." But these days, as his approval numbers lower and cross paths with the rising unemployment numbers, the adolescent puppy love that sent tingles down Chris Matthew's leg has given way to plain old, home-made nagging.
We are admonished to drive about in glorified golf carts by someone who arrived in town in a customized bus and a motorcade of 40 SUVs. Reduce your carbon footprint you are advised, by people who take His and Her's jets to and from Martha's Vineyard. Respect the will of the people, he said fresh after his 2008 electoral victory, before forcing a health care law against the will of the people, and circumventing the representative branch of government entirely to impose immigration and organized labor initiatives that lacked sufficient support in Congress. "At some point, I think you've made enough money," scolds the person who luxuriates in the life of a potentate even as his people lose their jobs, their savings, their retirement, and their liberty thanks to his deficient understanding of basic economics.
But for a moment just last week, that old flame rekindled when an audience member cried, "We love you Barack!" "I love you back," he said, before adding the qualifier, "but if you love me….." and, you know the drill, right? A young man in the heat of adolescence tells the object of his attention that if she loves him she must sacrifice her virtue. A young president, in the heat of collectivism, tells us that if we love him, we must, "pass this bill now." What bill? You know, the bill that acts as another stimulus and is therefore sure to replicate the success of its predecessor. The bill that costs over $400 billion, which will be paid by,….wait for it,….tax increases! Bet you didn't see that one coming, eh? According to the President's logic, since the tax rate on Warren Buffet's capital gains income isn't as high a regular income tax rate, it means that small businesses must suffer. And if that doesn't make sense to you, it's because you don't love President Obama.
I wonder though, what kind of love it is when a young woman enthusiastically throws her support to a politician in the belief that he will relieve her of her financial obligations? What kind of love moves a President to vilify the productive sector, transferring more and more resources and power from private hands to government corridors? It's not love at all, of course. More correctly, it is the kind of transaction that goes on in truck stop parking lots, where virtue is sold and taken to satiate not love, but unseemly and tawdry desire. If the President provides more goodies from the public trough, his devotees will love him. And if they surrender more of their liberty and resources to him, he will love them back. It was the theme of a marvelous book by P. J. O'Rourke, and has become the raison d'être for this administration.
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Mar '11
Re: An Unrequited Love
Love is not having to say you are sorry - for the lost taxpayer dollars at GM, Chrysler, Solyndra. Oh, and the lost trillions that were replaced at the printing presses, or, rather, computers, thereby devaluing the hated capitalistic $. For the lost Middle East peace. For the lost Ocean levels. For the lost American dream.
Yes, we can!
Jun '10
Re: An Unrequited Love
There is a big difference between the liberal and conservative minds. I believe it stems back to the liberal belief that we can create the perfect society and the conservative belief that man is fallen, prone to wander, and utopia is just a silly dream.
Obama became "some kind of God" during the run-up to the 2008 election. But look at how conservatives view the Republican field: I don't know anyone who believes any of the candidates are anything close to god-like; yet, on balance, we have some very good candidates (all of whom have flaws). The closest thing conservatives have had to Obama is Reagan, but remember he lost his effort in 1976 to get the nomination.
Liberals tend to project their "heaven on earth" worldview on men like Obama. But then Icarus flies too close to the sun (sorry about the mixed metaphors) and they learn he's not just a man, but a deeply flawed man at that.
He was to be transformative in a positive way--he's been transformative, but in many ugly ways. We need to elect a conservative, flaws and all, to undo what Obama has done to us.
Edited on Sep 19, 2011 at 8:48pmJul '10
Re: An Unrequited Love
"I love you back," he said, before adding the qualifier, "but if you love me….."
Would America be a harlot if We All retorted,"If you love America, you'd resign[?]"
Re: An Unrequited Love
tabula rasa:...
Obama became "some kind of God" during the run-up to the 2008 election. But look at how conservatives view the Republican field: I don't know anyone who believes any of the candidates are anything close to god-like; yet, on balance, we have some very good candidates (all of whom have flaws). The closest thing conservatives have had to Obama is Reagan, but remember he lost his effort in 1976 to get the nomination.
...
Very true, of course. The more I think about conservative affection for President Reagan, the more it seems that it wasn't due to any goodies he could procure for us. Rather, he saw the best in us and knew that we could excel if only the government would get out of the way. He wasn't a national scold, or a nag. He believed in us because he believed in liberty, which is very different from the hectoring nanny state that now orders us about and picks our pockets in the bargain.
Re: An Unrequited Love
Jimmy Carter: "I love you back," he said, before adding the qualifier, "but if you love me….."
Would America be a harlot if We All retorted,"If you love America, you'd resign[?]" · Sep 19 at 8:56pm
No, but we would start down the path to recovering our virtue.
Aug '10
Re: An Unrequited Love
I was driving in to work this morning, playing an old Blasters song a little to loud on the stereo, when it dawned on me that the song perfectly captured this epidemic of Obama Fatigue Syndrome.
The song is Bus Station, it is romping rockabilly song with the perfect lyric coda "He lies to her, she kisses him, Gettin Tired of Love".
Only 2 minutes 33 and, like your post, it covers our topic so much better than I ever could.
Jul '10
Re: An Unrequited Love
Dave Carter
No, but we would start down the path to recovering our virtue. · Sep 19 at 9:00pm
Because he'd quit sticking it to Us?
Re: An Unrequited Love
Re: "If you love me..." Wasn't it the Bellamy Brothers who anticipated Obama with these lyrics?
May '10
Re: An Unrequited Love
That truckstop trick is a pretty devastating metaphor there, Dave. Sadly, it is apt, and it doesn't speak well of the electorate (or the fourth estate) that they were so taken in by such a supercilious popinjay as Mr Obama.
And, I'm really afraid they will elect him again.
Nov '10
Re: An Unrequited Love
Good post, Dave.
Slightly off topic, but have you seen this? Welfare card. A very sad piece of work. Warning, profanity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o64Fz-KW1Dk
Edited on Sep 20, 2011 at 2:40amOct '10
Re: An Unrequited Love
Dave, thanks very much for an excellent post that so eloquently made so many insightful points. I think Tabula Rosa’s point of “Utopia is possible” versus “man is fallen” correctly identifies a fundamental dividing assumption between progressives and conservatives.
I have a more optimistic view than some. I think President Obama’s failed policies have allowed Americans to realize that the implementation of the progressive agenda does not result in the attainment of the promises they make for it. Victor Davis Hansen has an excellent post at Pajamas Media on this point.
Yes, our candidates are flawed. However, if we actively participate in our primaries, I think we will nominate a candidate who can defeat Obama and will govern according to conservative principles if they are elected. If we can also keep the House and take the Senate, it will make the new president’s job easier. If we work hard in the 2012 election, we have the possibility of ushering in a generation of conservative government. The polls reflect the fact that the average American is rejecting the progressive agenda. It’s too early to despair.
Mar '11
Re: An Unrequited Love
Dave Carter
Jimmy Carter: "I love you back," he said, before adding the qualifier, "but if you love me….."
Would America be a harlot if We All retorted,"If you love America, you'd resign[?]" · Sep 19 at 8:56pm
No, but we would start down the path to recovering our virtue. · Sep 19 at 9:00pm
"It is also certain that they are much mistaken that think of poverty of a nation is a mean of the public safety...If a king should fall under such contempt or envy that he could not keep his subjects in their duty but by ...rendering them poor and miserable, it were certainly better for him to quit his kingdom than to retain it by such methods as make him, while he keeps the name of authority, lose the majesty due to it. Nor is it so becoming the dignity of a king to reign over beggars as over rich and happy subjects" - Utopia, St. Sir Thomas More
It's obvious that mankind's been having this argument for quite some time, so I take comfort in the old adage that "this, too, shall pass away."
Dec '10
Re: An Unrequited Love
I knew you could get the lot lizards into a conversation somehow. Well done. Ironically, at least they're gainfully, if not legally, employed.