Thank You, Mr. President

Count me as one conservative who is disappointed that President Obama's hometown will not be hosting the 2016 Olympic Games.

Chicago is a beautiful city that would have made a perfect backdrop for the Olympics. The President was right to fly to Copenhagen to try to land the games, not for the sake of his city, but for the good of his country. The fact President Obama failed makes me respect him more for taking the chance, and the fact many right-wing figures opposed the President's mission shows just how narrow-minded partisanship makes us all.

For the better part of 20 years, a bitterness has infected our politics that has weakened our country.

We Republicans spent eight years trying to delegitimize Bill Clinton.

Democrats spent the next eight years doing the same to George W. Bush.

Now that a Democrat is in the Oval Office again, it is the GOP who is trying to delegitimize a sitting president.

When I try to talk to Republicans about the need to break this cycle of viciousness, some cite the chapter and verse of every hateful left wing attack against George W. Bush.

Whenever I attempt to have a conversation with some Democrats about the need for us respect our president-- whether he be an Obama or a Bush-- I am told that Bush deserved whatever he got because he was a lying war criminal who hated the Constitution and loved torturing
people.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of Americans who believe we cannot continue going on this way.

You and I may disagree on how the CIA handled terror suspects. But that does not mean that you are soft on terrorism anymore than it means that I hate the Constitution.

You and I may have a different approach to Afghanistan. But just because you want to stay there another five years doesn't mean you are an imperialist. And if I believe a decade in that forsaken land is more than enough, that doesn't mean I'm soft on al Qaeda or the Taliban.

It just means that we view the world differently.

That creative tension--that intense give and take--has been what has kept America strong since Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton fought like hell in George Washington's White House.

Hamilton wanted a strong centralized government while Jefferson believed that the government that governed least governed best.

Both men were frustrated by the checks and balances that stood in the way of their agendas, but that debate shaped America for years to come.

But something has gone terribly wrong.

Today on Morning Joe, NBC News Legend Tom Brokaw remarked to Pat Buchanan about how the level of partisanship is even more intense today than during the depths of the Watergate crisis. Brokaw was commenting on Congressman Grayson's comments, but he could have easily
been talking about Joe Wilson or death panels or the bizarre claim that the President "hates all white people."

Some of the rhetoric is dangerous. But what we saw from some conservative corners regarding the President's failed Olympics bid was just plain stupid.

I'm happy for Rio and think it is past time that South America got a chance to host the Olympic Games. But put me down as one conservative who is glad my president flew across the ocean to try to bring the 2016 Games to America.

Nice try, President Obama. And thanks for taking time away from your young girls for the sake of your hometown and your country, Michelle. I know that's never an easy thing to do.

 

Comments

[balancedsolution]

Joe's a changed man since the sinus surgery. His voice has changed, his opinions have changed, guess he's getting more moderate in his old age.

This morning I watched morning Joe 10/14 and was appalled to see Jim Cramer on trying to push a book.... it's a great way to cross market crap from cnbc to msnbc, but come on. Jim Cramer set the table for a lot of people to lose money. He was always a buy buy buy buy guy. But now he's a "Americans need to learn how to sell sell sell. He's repulsive.

[joseph7384]

This article hits home for me, since I'm from chicago, I feel the pain that some of my fellow neighbors are going through with the economy being in such bad shape. Hosting 2016 Olympic Games would have created a lot of jobs for chicago, not to mention it would have been an honor to host.

[GeorgeP922]

New collection of reaction videos.

Joe lumped right in there with his friends from Fox News.

http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002230/
http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002230/
http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002230/

[learntofly]

Gotta walk the walk if you want to build a reputation.

[Matt7]

I am not a fan of Joe; and I'm not convinced of his sincerity in writing this article. If "truth" were the goal, I believe those with access to a media bully pulpit had an obligation to call out the lies and misinformation from their Republican brethren long ago at the time they occurred."

Right now extreme positions from some in the Republican party have reached their limit. It seems that whenever Republicans must account for something so egregious or indefensible, someone wants to become "fair and balanced" and declare that "BOTH sides are EQUALLY guilty of X Y and Z."

I enjoyed reading this article -- it reflects things that I've felt all along -- and can applaud some his comments. But I question the timing, and can't help but feel that this sudden "disappointment over Chicago's not hosting the Olympic games" is not much more than a ploy; a strategy now emanating from several leading Republicans, using a more conciliatory tone as a political campaign strategy. Joe is also an author, with books to sell.

I'm admittedly reluctant to trust the words, motive or timing of Republicans. What they've shown me over the past 18 months or so, is not so much concern for ALL of AMERICA, as much as the advancement of THEIR Party, goals and agenda.

These comments just seem a bit too conveniently timed. Forgive me but it's going to take me a minute to get over my skepticism, and trust their sincerity.

[IndieOne]

Some of the criticism of Bush was motivated by partisanship, but it mostly had to do with the fact that he was an exceptionally bad president. Indeed, during W's tenure, many liberals were pining for the days of Bush Senior and even Nixon. So, I think counting the opposition to Bush as part of this trend of extreme partisanship is a misconception.

[jg401]

Well you're half right anyway. the Republicans did make going after Bill Clinton their only purpose in life. But Bush, that !D!OT did it to himself.

[Trogenhorse]

No, the real point is that the republicans opened the door for the attitudes we see now. Until they took to the senate well, this type of language was never used in the congress. The republicans made it okay to disrespect the president.
I remember the names they called President Clinton. All the while, they were using the congress to do it. They attacked a sitting president.

[CenterOfMass]

Yes, the key is the presence of _disrespect_.

It's got to be acceptable to question the public actions of anyone in public office. Therein lies the whole concept of checks and balances. Even a sitting president cannot be immune.

However, the "attacker" better make a d@mn good case, and better do it respectfully. This means showing respect not just for the target of the "attack", but also for his or her office, and for the intelligence of the public who have to see the basis of the complaint.

[tomased]

Since I have never been a fan of Joe Scarborough It isn't easy for me to say I heartily agree with his statements. If this can be one small step toward more civility between the parties, then I am all for it, if only we could speak to each other reasonably maybe the good of the people will again become a priority.

[wiseupnow]

Paul Krugman addressed this in an excellent Op Ed two days ago - The Politics of Spite
(nytimes)

[MIChick]

{{applause}}

Thank you, Joe. Thank you for "getting it".

I watch your show every day. I don't usually ever agree with you, but I still enjoy your program.

[Sabreen60]

IMO talking heads can and do cause problems with their h@te speech. What I find more appalling are the elected officials who parrot this same h@te speech, even on the floor of C0ngress.

Why are elected official going to foreign countries in an attempt to denounce and undercut the Un!ted States gov't? Is this behavior accceptable ? In 40 years of observing and participating in politics I have never witnessed an elected gov't representative going abroad to countries - Ch!na and H0nduras - and telling their leaders that the official gov't policies are unacceptable.

[Trogenhorse]

Agreed and their actions are dangerous. There should be a means of stripping an elected official's passport who speaks ill of this country on foreign soil.

[moncolonel]

Joe, a great OpEd. I am sure it expressed the feelings of the REAL Republican base. I am oversees and see much fo the foreign news, especially from Spain. Correctly, the people and the news reporting from both Spain and Brazil reflect the attitude that loss (Spain) or win (Brazil) was a national event, for and about their countries, not about their Heads of State that attended the event. Any reporting that attacks the head of state for promoting his/her country is just ignorant. Thanks again.

Dan Gowen
Florida

[BassMent]

And thank you, Mr. Scarborough. I don't often agree with your positions, but I certainly agree with you on this.

And I think that arguing about whether the right is more or less hateful than the left or whether Bush is more or less deserving of being hated than Clinton or Obama misses the point. And the point is that the quality of our political debate in this country has simply decayed to the point of putrefaction, and very few people involved in that debate seem at all concerned about trying to fix the problem. The ultimate goal in the "fight" seems to be to strike the most offensive blow, and if scoring that point for "your side" requires setting aside reason, intellect, fact and common decency, so be it.

I'm old enough to remember when there was such a thing as dialogue among political rivals, and it didn't always start at a shriek and escalate to slugfest. Something happened while we weren't looking... and now all of a sudden it's okay to yell at the president while he's addressing congress or to accuse anyone who disagrees with the president of being a racist. And the real tragedy is that our "representatives" are so busy pitching pre-adolescent fits that we can't seem to get anything good done for our citizenry.

We certainly have fallen far as a nation.

[nukewreck]

I have to agree with Joe. As a conservative, christian American, I think that Obama did the country a great service in going to Copenhagen to advance Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. In that one short trip (only 5 hours on the ground), Obama managed to more than double the cost incurred to the taxpayers for sending Michelle over there with Oprah. Just imagine how much it cost for the plane, the fuel, the staff, and the security, not to mention the hotel, ground support and incidentals. Yes, it was a great move - ala the waste, fraud and abuse he plans to use to finance healthcare reform. Now tell me, if Obama can't restrain himself from this boondoggle, how in the world can we expect him to cut out the waste and fraud from medicare? Give me a break!

[1hotgolfer]

Nukewreck, maybe the our President should have saved dollars by mailing it in, instead of putting forth a great effort to secure the possibility of 300,00 jobs and a $25 billion boost for Illinois, Michigan, and other parts of the the Mid-West. I guess "the fundamentals of our economy" are still so strong, that it is reckless to endeavor to bring that level of prosperity to any segment of our fellow Americans. Joe Scarbourough is a conservative...you sir, you're painting yourself as just another member of the Republican faction of "just say NO!!" No matter what our President accomplishes, it will still be wrong. You're walking the very "party politics" line to which Joe refers.

[Trogenhorse]

Is conservative a code word for mediocre now? Since when does the US not put it's best foot forward when competing? When has it been the standard not to give a challenge our best? Since when is it a cost we shouldn't bear? The Olympics could have brought millions in jobs, and spending in the US. Are you really that confused over this?

[nukewreck]

Here is my cut on your reply to my comment:

1. I'm not a republican. I voted for more democrats than republicans in the last election.
2. I hate seeing government waste our hard earned tax dollars - yes, I am a conservative.

So who is in charge in the Whitehouse - Barack or Michelle - if Barack decides to go to Copenhagen to make this pitch, why can't they travel together? Get my drift?

[SChantling]

Thank You Joe Scarborough - I couldn't agree with you more. But, in my humble opinion, there are ONLY 2 ways this country can get back on track...

1) The news media needs to grow up. Either give the people the facts or give them nothing. I couldn't care less what Sam or Robert or Tony said on their Twitter. And I certainly couldn't care less what the news anchor "thinks" or whomever they're interviewing "thinks". I want to hear from the person who was in the room - not from someone who "thinks" they know what may be happening in the room.

Until the hate-fest stops from the news media, the American public will not stop hating. Americans are what they hear and see on TV - if you feed them stupidity, then Americans will be stupid. Feed them facts and they may actually make an informed decision.

2) OR - if we get attacked by aliens from another planet! That event would bring this country together! Orson Welles, where are you?

[PghLori]

I don't EVER recall any Dem/Lib saying that they wanted President George W. Bush to fail. Though I disagreed vehemently with many of his policies, I understood that if Bush failed, the country failed. As long as you have prominent members of the repub party saying over and over that they want President Obama to fail (Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, DeMint), we are not going to come together.

Having said that, I appreciate this post, Joe. This country could use more reasonable conservatives like yourself.

[socksfan]

Although I completely agree about your statement of togetherness, the fact that Democrats not saying they wanted Bush to fail is simply not true.

You perhaps haven't seen that poll in 2006 in which 900 registered voters that asked them "Regardless of how you voted in the presidential election, would you say you want President Bush to succeed or not?" Because if you did, then you probably wouldn't have said what you said, seeing as how 51% of the democrats (and 34% independents) did NOT want Bush to succeed. Apparently this poll was one of those things that didn't come up in the news during the whole Limbaugh ordeal unfortunately.

Anyways.

Divisive partisanship flows in BOTH directions, not just from right to left. Claims of death panels are dialogue-stoppers just as playing the race card is a dialogue-stopper. Crying "OH MY GOD SOCIALISM" has the same effect as likening the health care crisis to the holocaust. You go to EITHER extreme and then there's just no way you can have sane discussions. This country could use more reasonable PEOPLE.

[PghLori]

Was that a Rasmussen poll? You know, the one that skews to the right always? The only poll that repubs ever quote?

Can you name one Dem U.S. Senator talking about "Bush's "waterloo"? Can you name one Dem pundit that repeated over and over and over that he/she wanted Bush to fail?

Can you provide an effort by Bush of something that would've been positive for the country that failed and was cheered by Dems? Do you have a link to that video?

I didn't think so.

[Jake Williams]

Its very refreshing to see REAL conservatives unlike most of what we have seen over the past year displayed on TV who try and feed us 90-99% fear and hate. I am a conservative who over the past year has been thrown out by my party. The republicans have shown their true colors. It didnt use to be this way. I am of the Bill Buckley mold---and Mr. Buckley would be calling out these fringe members who only tear down the party and everything that makes it decent. Besides Mr. Scarborough. where are the true republicans who HAVE THE BALLS to call out hate mongers like Rush Limbaugh, Hannity and Glenn Beck. Senator Shelby at least hinted at some of this the other day--so kudos to him. McCain occasionally will say something as well, but why oh why is the party SOOOOO SILENT on the morons who continue to talk on death panels, birth certificates, Obama indoctrinating our youth, Obama being the antichrist, etc.
I was an active blogger on several 912 sites because I believe in the 912 values and principles. I am actually a very conservative guy---and yet I got BANNED from TWO sites despite my posts never being anywhere close to hatred or rudeness. All I ever did was to bring up facts and ask honest questions with a civil tone...and I still got banned just because I would not believe in all of the paranoia ...and DARED to QUESTION it.

[colorperdaughter]

I was surprised by the number of life long republicans I met before the last election who were, for the first time, either not voting or had decided to vote for Obama.