So-Called 'Conservatives' Should Find Something Else to Bellyache About

Obama's speech to kids is hardly an important issue worth getting worked up over

Slap me silly and call me Norton, but I just don't get the "outrage" over Obama speaking to a bunch of school children. This was front-page news in my local paper this morning -- top of the fold!

But first, let me say, mine is not an "Obama-loving" household. I've brainwashed my five year old daughter into making comments like "No-bama," when she gets a glimpse of him on TV and she'll ask, "Why is Obama mortgaging our future daddy?" She's a bright kid alright, though I must admit she doesn't know a thirty-year fixed from an adjustable APR. The other day she was going to bed and said, "I don't want to grow up." I asked her why and she said, "Because I don't want to have to pay all the taxes to Obama." She's picking this up from my comments around the house about all the debt we're mounting and how future generations will pay for all of our selfish largesse. She was actually upset about this though I later realized it was a stall tactic to not have to go to sleep.

Okay, so the background is set. We're not Obama people.

But let's not forget he is the president. And all of my Republican friends who are feigning anger about his address to school kids next week are way out of touch. Here in Florida the whacko chairman of the state GOP criticized the speech -- though he hadn't read it. Note to White House: if you send Jim Greer a copy of the speech, use crayons and lots of simple pictures.

The Obama administration says the topic of the address will not be forcing government controlled health care down our kids' throats but will be about "citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty." Personally, as a father of three girls, I think that's great and I don't care who is talking about it from the left or right. And if the GOP had anyone with any credibility to talk about those issues, I'd welcome it. Unfortunately following Tom Delay, Dick Cheney, Duke Cunningham, Mark Sanford, Bob Ney, Mark Foley, and Larry Craig, our bench is a little thin on the morals and ethics front.

As for the concern over Obama's speech, it would be one thing if these angry parents (does Rush even have kids?) were making the comments that no politician should speak to schools. Although that would be short-sighted. It's another thing to say, "No-Bama" just because he's a bleeding hearted, spend-thrift, inexperienced, big government liberal. Would these same so-called conservatives have a problem with a conservative Republican speaking to kids? I doubt it. So let's drop it. We look like hypocrites.

Of even greater concern is the fact that all these people get themselves all worked up over a speech (which they haven't even heard or read) while children starve in Africa, our schools don't produce First Class graduates, and our national debt is a staggering $11 Trillion!

Getting all worked up over Obama's school house speech is a distraction and a diversion from the real problems facing our country. So to my conservative friends I say this: If you're concerned about the direction of our country, get off your rear end and contact your legislators and tell them you've had enough of reckless spending, politicians who don't plan for the future, and second rate schools. Then tell them to fix it and quit bickering about irrelevant issues.

Have a nice weekend!

Chris Ingram is the president and founder of 411 Communications a corporate and political communications firm, and publisher of www.IrreverentView.com. Ingram is a frequent pundit on Fox News and CNN, and has written opinion columns for the Washington Times, UPI, Front Page Florida, and National Review online. E-mail him at: [e-mail].

Comments

[SeaBlood]

Obama wants kids to be self reliant and take personal responsibility. To me that message sounds very Conservative. So, what's the problem?

[JBGabriel]

What has happened to the President's right to free speech? I have no problem with President Obama speaking at schools. However, I will register my objection to this if he happens to get students to start marching down the street in brown colored clothing or if he gets them to start doing things that are antithetical to the maintenence of pubic order or democratic ideals and processes. Think about this:

The essence of the concept of sustainable immigration levels as promoted by the organization NumbersUSA is an environmental one which in my mind is explained by the influential article "Tragedy of the Commons" written by Garrett Hardin and first published in the journal Science in 1968. "The article describes a dilemma in which multiple individuals acting independently and solely and rationally consulting their own self-interest will ultimately destroy a shared limited resource even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long term interest for this to happen."

Our Democratic party has been neglecting the middle class which has been its core constituency for a long time. The party has flooded the U.S. labor market with cheap foreign labor. What has happend to The New Deal, The Fair deal and the Great Society? I want our party to begin implementing policies and laws that really support middle class Americans and legal immigrants. The Chamber of Commerce cheap labor lobby was never a constituency of the Democratic Party during the days of Roosevelt, Truman and Johnson.

[sting7]

These people are not conservatives. They want to destroy the government. They are unamerican treasonous secessionists

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Sting7,

Not sure who you are referring to, but it doesn't matter. The bottom line is your type of charge is not productive to any type of debate or issue.

Chris

[Gingersp]

I disagree with you and agree with sting7. It's one thing to be a conservative. While I disagree with many of their policies, I respect them and they respect me. It's another matter to call those who have different political views fascists, jeer women in wheelchairs and town hall meetings, boo people at town hall meetings, come up with ridiculous charges about birth certificates, and accuse Obama of trying to indoctrinate schoolchildren with his facist, socialist principles when ALL HE WANTS TO DO IS TELL THEM TO DO WELL IN SCHOOL AND BE RESPONSIBLE. I agree with sting 7. These are not conservatives. Conservatives have productive arguments that I may disagree with. These people will do anything they can to bring down Obama and his administration because THEY LOST and they can't stand it. And, with all the hoopla about his speech to school children, they are teaching their children that they don't have to have anything to do with someone that the disagree with. I try to laugh it off. It would be funny if I weren't afraid that they are DANGEROUS. We are talking about people who bring semi-automatic weapons to Obama events and carry threatening signs.
I respect you as a conservative who disagrees with Obama, but these people who are acting crazy are dangerous and yes, they are treasonous if they consider and act on any type of overthrow of the government and it HAS been mentioned.
You need to wake up.

[LBaby]

And my problem with you is while you make a good point, you surround it with smarmy, cheap political pot shots. If you frame the president in that way, how are you contributing to the elevation of discourse? It's a kettle-pot moment...

[sting7]

Chris, I dont want it to come off as if i`m slamming u because I believe we shld be civil to one another. To understand my drift u wld hav to check out my earlier post.That being said the truth is that you are only one step removed from those parents who dont want a talk to their kids from the president,u say your daughter already doesnt like Obama and is worried at night because of taxes.. really, wonder where she got that from? Havent u already started indoctrinating her, or she just, whoops picked up the Nobama chant from the ice cream she takes. In regards to what I was saying, I meant that the people who claim to be conservatives are not. I ws referring to people who call themselves cons but are seen in Texas calling for secession and stockpiling weapons. Now calling for seccession last I checked was unamerican and treasonous. Now not every body who took their child out is crazy. I just think they are scared and when people are scared it is hard to think clearly. Now I`m not anti conservative, just anti stupidity and I call out liberals when they go all loony too,bcos no party has a monopoly on the crazies. I would like to remind u that we are a community of people and should love one another. We may disagree but what brings us together is stronger than what divides us. Tk care and greetings to your family.

[dzuh]

"contact your legislators and tell them you've had enough of reckless spending, politicians who don't plan for the future, and second rate schools"

While I appreciate your exhortation to focus on our country's real problems, the fact that this partisan command comes from a Florida Republican who most likely voted for Bush, Jr. twice makes YOU sound like a hypocrite, Mr. Ingram.

I mean, whose mess do you think Obama is trying to clean up? George W. Bush's, obviously! And yet all you "conservatives" (even you self-styled moderates) seem to do nowadays is accuse others of doing exactly what you all did when you were in power...except when BUSH ran up the national debt, recklessly started unnecessary wars without exit strategies, and failed our education system with "No Child Left Behind," your side said it was all as American as baseball and apple pie. Yet when a Democrat spends taxpayer money, "he's a bleeding hearted, spend-thrift, inexperienced, big government liberal."

Understand that, like your more extreme GOP counterparts, centrist neo-cons like yourself have exhausted all your credibility with thinking people, and have done nothing to regain the public's trust. The GOP spent 8 long years messing this country up something bad, and we're done listening to your self-righteous dissembling.

p.s. I feel really sorry for your young daughter that she's being indoctrinated every day with your discredited and dangerous ideology. How sad and frightening for America's future...

Have a nice weekend!

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Dzuh,

Is that a rat in your photo? It's hard to take you seriously with that, but here it goes:

You don't know anything about me. If you did, you would know I was a BIG critic of Ws. Though I confess, I voted for him twice as the Democrat candidate was far worse.

Regardless of my past voting history, the fact that the GOP was a bunch of reckless spenders (they looked like Democrats quite frankly), does not excuse the Dems for their current behavior nor should it prevent me from being critical. If you're going to try to use logic to make an argument, use logic that is logical, okay.

Basically you come across as a very petty person. Your comments about my daughter (who is fair game since I brought her up in the column -- to make a lighthearted point mind you), being indoctrinated into a "dangerous ideology" is rather a shallow claim as well. You know nothing about my wife, or the discussions we have around the house, or what other things we expose her to. She also calls Bill Clinton a "bad man" and George W. Bush a bum!

So sir, or madam, or whatever type of critter you are in your photo, chill out. Make useful comments not this angry liberal rant you found yourself on.

Chris Ingram

[satorist]

Just as a tsunami is a very large mass of water droplets., the purpose is to ceaselessly attack at every opportunity so the enemy is warn down by having to continuously defend all the time, on a hundred fronts and the public is increasingly suspicious.

It doesn't matter how preposterous the attack is as long as it achieves an intended effect. The WH has already twice revised the plan to broadcast to classrooms and some school districts have opted out while many others have accommodated parents who (like sex ed.) don't want their children to listen to the President--thereby de-legitimizing, however slightly, his mandate as head of state, while reasserting his "Otherness" to the faithful.

A simple little feel-good civics lesson has been pretty effectively twisted into an ordeal that ultimately diminishes the president and the WH will now start second-guessing or simply forgo future innovative publicity events.

Not bad for a "silly" crackpot idea that went viral with almost no time or effort. They'll do this all day, every day. Now do you get it?

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Satorist,

One thing you are forgetting is a lot of the legs to this story are being provided by not just conservative talk and Fox news, but also the liberal media of CNN, MSNBC, and a host of newspapers.

[Gingersp]

CNN is liberal?!?!?!?!?! How about Lou Dobbs and his birther comments?!?!?!?!?!

[Stringer32]

Great post, it is a shame that some on the right have decided to use everything Obama says or does as a means to stir up irrational fear and anger, and demonize him. Kudos to you Chris for speaking out, these type of tactics should be a source of embarrassment for the GOP not a rallying cry.

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Stringer,

Thanks!

Chris

[FiredUpRTG]

They're scared. Fear of what the "other side" will do now that it has won. Not wanting to hear what they say for fear it will sound sensible and smart -- heaven-forfend to have been on the wrong side all along. Don't let anyone else hear it either so that there is company in ignorance. Throw any undesirable label enough times until people forget what the real definition of the term is and they believe they see it sticking.

http://brooklynparentsandteens.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-also-means.html

Let the President speak; he's not creating some child robot army; he just wishes the kids success in school.

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

We all benefit from a healthy debate.

Chris

[LaurenMarie984]

What's driving me up the wall is that the majority of this fringe element has absolutely no clue what they're talking about. Literally they are repeating talking points that have been created and perfected by people just like you: GOP strategists. And I know part of it is identifying a base and which strategies have the longest lasting impression and how beneficial they will be to your product. Right now a very ignorant group has been identified and are susceptible to the talking points because they're so willfully ignorant.

So at some point, somewhere, somehow you-personally-know that there is a segment of the conservative Republican party who is educated and has empathy for the human condition. You address this post directly to them so they are out there. You have given me hope. Thank you for that.

I also wanted to commend you on the candid, thoughtful, and hysterical way you put it all. My favorites: "Unfortunately following Tom Delay, Dick Cheney, Duke Cunningham, Mark Sanford, Bob Ney, Mark Foley, and Larry Craig, our bench is a little thin on the morals and ethics front." and "Note to White House: if you send Jim Greer a copy of the speech, use crayons and lots of simple pictures." Fantastic!

(for the record - I have liberal political views, worked on and voted for Democratic candidates. I also live in FL so I meant it when I said I really appreciate the Greer observation)

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Sure there is a segment of the GOP this garbage about Obama speaking to kids appeals to. Just like there are whackos in the Democrat party that want to ban eating chickens, think abortion should be a drive-through service, and think all non-renewable power should be banned.

Anyhow, I'm not trying to be antagonistic -- just point out we all have our freaks.

Thanks for the comments, and I'm glad you got a chuckle about Greer. You might find my www.IrreverentView.com postings about our pathetic Florida governor to be equally amusing.

Chris

[LaurenMarie984]

I don't think you sounded patronizing; I absolutely agree that the lunatic fringe exists on both ends of the spectrum and both are damaging to their respective parties.

Thanks for the link. It's going to be interesting to watch this play out.

[magnolialiberal]

Although pretty liberal myself, I know of no one who thinks abortion should be a drive-through service, and I am deeply offended that you toss that off as an example of the more out there Democrats. It is a serious medical procedure with potentially long-lasting emotional effects, and no one I know makes light of it...except conservatives who want to use this as a rallying cry against choice.

[ckelly181]

School teacher here. Our district is "delaying" the broadcast. I'm being semi-sarcastic with the scare-quotes because I think it will eventually be shown in a number of high school social studies classes after the appropriate students have been allowed to sit it out, and we're sure no one will explode from all the supposed socialism.

But, beyond that, I'd like to thank you also for your post. I don't agree with much you say, but I appreciate the fact that you state your opinions without hysterics, and call out the hypocrisy. I avoid talking politics with my republican friends (yea, there are few) because it becomes an instant Rushified scream-fest. I rather enjoy meaningful debate, but talking points are an instant stopping point.

Watch that little kid of yours, though. School's are liberal training grounds, you know...

:P

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

CKelly,

I'm laughing out loud! Thanks for the comments.

Chris

[tompoe]

Nary a word about tax cuts for the wealthy, taking America to an invasion/occupation based on lies, the raping and pillaging of America with Paulson's demand for entitlement for Bush's $1 trillion dollar going away present for his cronies. September 19, 2008, was also the day the Grand Old Party deprecated their GOP label (Ingram needs to update his signature) and announced they will henceforth be known as the Party of Corporate Welfare. It's important that someone inform the author that America does not tolerate corporate welfare. And, mention it to his daughter, as she needs to be better informed. Her parents are doing a schlocky job of it.

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Tompoe,

Your comments are of the type that my friends on the right would point to to demonstrate how out of out of touch those on the left are. The next time you feel the need to spout off, please try to come up with something productive to say.

Chris

[Policon]

GOP became the party of Corporate welfare? Democrats controlled Congress and were responsible for the TARP legislation. Did you forget Democrats have controlled Congress since Jan 2007?

[Beegood]

Ahh, a republican with common sense! I knew you were out there, thanks for speaking up. The more steady and reasonable people voice their opinions, the sooner we can get back to having an adult conversation about the actual problems in this country.

By the way my 2 year old knows who Barack Obama is too. When she sees an American Flag, she says "I see Obama's Flag". I guess this is left over from the election and the images she saw on TV or whatever - it makes me giggle to think what some republicans might think of that! I certainly didn't teach her that (could it be democratic mind control, oh no!)

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Beegood,

That's pretty funn about your daughter. Thanks for the comments!

Chris

[Gingersp]

Yes, be careful. The "Obama's flag" could be construed by theses idiots as advocating a government takeover or some other silly thing that they come up with. Just when I think they've gone as far as they can, they continue to surprise me! What's next. Can't wait to open tomorrow's paper!

[aussiegal77]

I don't agree with your opinions about Obama but I am so RELIEVED to hear a conservative say something that is sensible, finally!

We agree on one thing: this country has too many problems already WITHOUT people who are supposedly in charge freaking out about irrelevant issues and spinning it all out to be a dastardly socialist indoctrination plot.

So thank you Sir - have a lovely weekend with your family!

P.S. My favorite stall tactic for going to bed was to insist I wasn't sleepy yet and oh look who's on TV! =D

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Aussiegal77,

Thanks for the reply. This type of constructive agreement (all the problems in our country), is what we need as opposed to all the attacks from the left and right.

Until we all (from both parties) start electing people who care more about the future of our country than their own re-election, the US Congress will remain the greatest enemy of the United States -- not some terrorist living in a tent in Afghanistan.

Chris

[Vermifax]

I'm a progressive Liberal and a registered Democrat who voted for the Obama/Biden ticket.

Christopher Ingram has earned my respect for maturity and rationality in this post.

Of course we disagree on numerous things but, it's kind of refreshing hearing from a Republican who's not batshit crazy.

I hope Obama knows what he is doing. I was convinced McCain & Palin were clueless and out-of-touch so, I believe I made the better choice last November.

I'm rooting for the Obama Administraion and the United States of America to succeed. After the last eight years, we could use a win.

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Vermifax,

Thanks for the comments! I agree we all need to root for America. We'll disagree about McCain/Palin -- at least the McCain part. She was out of her league and if she hadn't been what has been characterized as bing a "MILF" she would not have ever been on the ticket. McCain made a mistake in the 2008 race by not being McCain and by taking advice from a bunch of Bush leaguers who didn't have his best interest at heart. But alas, that is history.

We all need to focus on the "rooting for America" part. I don't know about all of Obama's social (and other spending programs) being good for America, but I do know that passing along more debt to our kids and grandkids is not the solution. At some point, we've got to stop acting like Santa Clause is real and start paying our bills. Incidentally the GOP is as much to blame for the national debt mess as Obama, Pelosi, Reid, et al are.

Unfortunately nothing will ever change until we the electorate start electing people who give us what we NEED as opposed to what we WANT, and stop punishing those who do (give us what we NEED) at the ballot box.

Chris

[darker]

Obama never described himself as "the conjurer" or a magician. So WHAT are Republicans' sputterings REALLY ABOUT?

We're fed up with put-down GARBAGE POSING AS "valid opinions". They are not.
So shut your pie-hole! It's nothing but corporation paid-for LOBBYING BY GOP for
their PROFITEER CORPORATE PALS who've been robbing us for years.

Obviously the HEALTH INSUR. PROFITEERS who take 1/3 of your health care premiums
for profits don't want gov't health insurance plans whose overhead's only 3%! ! Like medicare,
vet's health insurance, congressional health coverage--all gov't plans with only 3% overhead.

You want to KEEP PAYING those 33% grabbing profiteers?
Oh yeah, sure!

[Christopher Ingram - Huffpost Blogger]

Darker,

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make, but thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Chris