In case you didn't see it this weekend, America ended...according to the right.
Yes, when Hugo Chavez walked across the room and extended a hand of conciliation to President Barack Obama and presented him with a book, the country suddenly ceased to exist. At least, that's what the right is saying.
So, what was Obama supposed to do? Drop him with a well placed shoe or karate chop to the temple? Come on. In the video, Obama didn't look too pleased to be approached by the Venezualan dictator. The look and body language seemed to say to me..."Oh boy, here he comes. What do I do? Okay, grab the book and smile. Oh crap. I guess I'd better shake his hand."
No, it was clear that Chavez was trying to say something with his gesture, and it certainly didn't look like he was ready to call him the devil (like he did President Bush) or was ready to follow up on his "ignoramous" catcall either. Nope. It looked like, as Rachel Maddow pointed out earlier tonight on her show, that Chavez was trying to rub off some popularity from Mr. Popular. That's right. Maddow cited a recent poll showing that one Barack Obama is more popular than Chavez...IN VENEZUALA!
It's amazing the tempests in teapots that the Republicans and, by extension, the right are trying to whip up these days. Why wouldn't it be a GOOD THING that perhaps relations are starting to thaw between America and Venezuala? I guess it makes it easier to whip up fear when we hate those that don't agree with us.
At the crux of things, that's really what all this is about. Hugo Chavez is a dictator. There is no question about that. He's not really a great guy, and I don't think that Obama will be inviting him to Camp David or Waikiki anytime soon. There are worse regimes in the world though. And, we have no qualms about trading or dealing bi-laterally with those folks.
So, Obama traded a couple of handshakes and yuck yucks with Chavez. Big flippin' deal. It's just another example of how much more radical the right is becoming day by day. And these folks owned this country for about six years under President Bush. Now, this is the best stuff they can whip up. Wow. How the mighty have fallen!
1 comment:
The uber right wing of the Republican Party has a bowl of pasta and they're just throwing one strand at a time at the wall, to see what sticks.
Their 'be afraid - be very afraid' motto isn't resonating like it used to, thankfully. But, they pump up their chests with pretend patriotism and continue to try to sell the idea that they are the one and only true keepers of real America.
All that said, I don't think it a good idea to underestimate the power of the 'people who don't agree with us are intent on doing you harm' message in a time of economic instability.
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