Whenever the Rodney King phrase comes up, people kind of titter and grin a bit. How naive can a person be, we seem to say. And indeed, peace and agreement always seems far from the norm in America. We like to fight, figuratively if not physically.
It does get on my nerves, and it’s been especially so since the election. What should be a time of unbridled joy and expectation, happiness and hope, is quickly deteriorating into the usual backbiting, snarling one-up-man-ship that we have lived with for all too many years. I am tired of it.
I am not alone in this. If I Ran the Zoo ran a piece yesterday to the same effect. Why are we busily sniping away at each other and the new President-Elect? I mean really. Are we just in love with the idea of arguing or is it something else? I have no clue, but it is making blogging tiresome. I mentioned to somebody on some comment yesterday, that strangely i have had little interest in blogging on the usual political topics.
Now I don’t like to think of myself as naive. I think I’m a fairly smart cookie. No pie in the sky for me. I don’t have my head in the clouds particularly. But enough already. Do you have nothing to talk about day and night but whether Obama is fulfilling your expectations as a progressive, liberal, center-left, center-liberal, center, center-right, center-conservative? HUH? Were they your expectations or the nations? Point to the manifesto that announced that things would be as you want them to be.
Have you no patience? The dude hasn’t even been sworn in yet. He has no actual power yet. What gives you, citizen X the intellectual prowess to discern that this or that choice in this or that cabinet position is some holy violation of some solemn oath made directly to you?
Now I know, a political pundit is supposed to pundit around daily no doubt. I mean, you aren’t supposed to go on a cruise or off to Tahiti or anything for the next six months. I understand you are being paid, or not, to write something. But does it always have to be about how Gates or Hillary or Emanuel or somebody is the betrayal of all betrayals of your trust and earlier support?
Who named you head brainiac? Did you not elect this man at least in part because you were simply awed by his prodigious mind? If you didn’t then, man you were ummm, having some other agenda which has little to do with fixing the wrongs of American and planet I’ll warrant. Assuming that you did indeed recognize that there was some real substance between those ears, then can you let the guy catch a break? Can you perhaps assume he might, just might know what he is doing?
Everywhere I go, whether to print, Internet or TV, it’s the same story. Will Biden have a voice? Will he order Hillary around? Will Hillary be loyal or do her own thing? Obama has sold out, he hasn’t. He’s too conservative, too liberal, naive, too wrapped up in Lincolnesque ideas of rivalry. He gets how to organize a cabinet, can’t organize a cabinet. On and on, and for every + there is a – following closely on the heels.
What it all points up is the obvious fact that nobody dammit knows! It’s all the most silly speculation. And it’s to be expected from the not-so-loyal opposition. But it is not acceptable from our side. WE WON. Can you get that through you thick Neanderthal mind? We are the ones in charge. Can you let the chief be chief just for a little while? Can you just shut the #*&**(# UP?
What is driving me willy nutty here is that we talked of how smart, and competent this man was but a few weeks ago. We told anyone and everyone who would listen, that the world, and America were safe in his hands. He was bright, he was calm, he was studied, he was steady. Now we act like he is not capable of tying his shoes without constant supervision. And we, those of us not remotely qualified to be President, are the ones who think we are the supervisors.
I mean, really. We aren’t stupid, that I will grant you. Some of us, perhaps most are above average in intelligence. But we have no proof that he has done a darn thing wrong, we are just pissed that our favorite choice for this or that has not been chosen. Some of us are rabid in our distrust of every Republican. Some are distrustful of every Washington regular. But that is our problem not his. He has the right, given he is going to be doing the job, of picking those persons he feels will give him the best advice.
There is plenty of time for criticism. But criticism based on speculation is rather stupid wouldn’t you say? Sure, we can argue that historically this or that hasn’t worked and we shouldn’t try it again. But unrelenting argument over every appointment because it somehow violates the list you personally want is just dumb. Nobody elected you anything.
So it’s all become something of an aggravation for me. I’m tired of bloggers and pundits and their two cents worth on everything. We did a great thing. We expect and want great results. What we are entitled to is the best efforts of this man. And it seems we are getting that. So shut up, talk about the weather and give him a chance. As I said, there is time enough to begin criticizing if things don’t work.
Just shut up. Your damned arrogance is showing. And besides there is still so much mud to sling at the Republicans! It’s way more fun!
Existential Ennui 