I am going to do what I always do when the President says/does something that I agree with, and it is something that many conservatives will refuse to do: give the man some props.
In a recent interview President Obama was asked whether or not he thought that race was a contributing factor in the health care debate. His response: NO.
‘”Are there people out there who don’t like me because of race? I’m sure there are,” Obama told CNN. “That’s not the overriding issue here.”
Time and again, Obama was asked about whether the tenor of the health care turned nasty because of undercurrents in racism. Former President Jimmy Carter raised the point prominently this week when he said the vitriol was racially motivated.
Not so, Obama said.
“There’s been a long-standing debate in this country that is usually that much more fierce during times of transition, or when presidents are trying to bring about big changes,” Obama told CNN.
To NBC News, Obama put it this way: “It’s an argument that’s gone on for the history of this republic, and that is, What’s the right role of government? How do we balance freedom with our need to look out for one another? … This is not a new argument, and it always evokes passions.”‘ (above excerts found in AP article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama)
Now, I know what some conservatives reading this that won’t look past ideology will say: OH HE DOESN’T MEAN THAT!! Hes lying through his teeth!!!
That very well may be the case, however as any person who will think for themselves and will only respond to hard facts would say: prove it. He could have very easily pulled a Jimmy Carter and agreed and called us all racists and biggots (like some Republicans did when amnesty was the issue) but he didn’t. He knows that the argument isn’t about whether a black man will enact policy. Its about whether ANY man should be enacting policies as big as this.
So, kudos to the President today for doing the right. He probably pissed off a lot of liberals with the comment, but he obviously recognizes that he isn’t the President of the liberals of America, he is the UNITED States President, and that includes ALL ideologues, moderates, and nut jobs.
This post cross posted at www.ktracy.com and linked at www.mattersofopinion.net
