Reality Sets In

So has the bloom come off the Obama rose? There is no question there was a love affair between a rather large segment of the US population with the new President when he took office six months ago. Sure there were many on the other side of the fence but supporters of President Obama were hopeful to win them over in due time. However just a half-year into his first term I would say the gap is widening between those who support and don’t support the policies and ideals of our President and recent events have contributed to that gap.

I spent the weekend in Boston which is sort of “ground zero” in the case involving the arrest of a black Harvard professor by a white police officer over a reported breaking and entering. If you have not followed the story then I’ll be brief when I say that it probably came down to a failure to communicate and the charges were eventually dropped but not before President Obama stuck his foot in his mouth. Without having all the information he said “police acted stupidly” in arresting Henry Gates Jr. who he admitted was a friend of his. As more details became available the President realized he was not only premature in his comments but had created even more of a controversy by piping in where he did not belong. While he did not retract his statement he did try and mend fences especially with those in law enforcement who were not pleased by the way they were portrayed by the nation’s leader. At the end of the day you can be sure Mr. Obama wishes he would has simply said “no comment” from the start.

However this is nothing compared to the firestorm he is dealing with concerning the health care crisis in this country. The President wants s swift solution to a long-term problem and battle lines are being drawn. We all admit there is a problem but many feel President Obama’s suggestions will force a burden on individuals and businesses which is simply too great to ask
and could have devastating and long-lasting implications.

Remember when the topic of conversation coming out of the White House dealt with things like fashion and the selection of a dog? Sure seems like a long time ago doesn’t it.