Obama a Divider, Not a Uniter?

Photo from Reuters

I stumbled across this article, and couldn't leave it lay. It stuck in my craw for a couple of reasons. First, it alleges to be "advice" to Barack Obama, when it is in fact a screed against him. And secondly, the "suggestions" given are kind of strange. In fact, they're all easy to refute and/or find a double-standard in.

I was going to do this much more in depth, but the blogging blahs have set in. . .tired. So here are the Cliff's Notes, and you can read the article in context below.

In brief:

1) Forget talk radio. The author chides Obama for name-checking Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, while George W. Bush was "above the fray." Probably a valid point, but difficult to tell. There is no left-wing equivelant to Limbaugh or Hannity, multi-million dollar talk hosts with a huge impact on politics. Only Michael Moore comes close, and no politician has ever deemed it necessary to apologize to Moore.
2) Forget about George Bush. How can he? He's got to spend the bulk of his time fixing what Bush did to the country. Plus I seem to remember much hay being made about The Clintons. Bush's Administration even cooked up stories like the supposed destruction of the White House by the Clinton team. This administration is six weeks old. Bush's actions are still relevant and effecting us today.
3) Drop the messianic style. Messianic? The only ones I hear using terms like that for Obama are Republicans. And I guess they should know given the slavish devotion to their guy for the last eight years.
4) Enough of the evil "rich." Unfortunately this tactic is necessary. With rich folks like Limbaugh snowing their listeners into believing that the rich are beleagered, a reality check is in order.
5) Stop the dissimulation. The middle class in this country is shrinking, and the small number of super-rich have gotten ultra-mega-rich. There has to be some sort of evening out, or the middle class will die, and America will become aristocrats and serfs. OK, maybe not that bad, but I told you, I'm tired.

And since I'm tired, I'll let you read for yourself.

[Excerpt]

Obama: The Great Divider?

. . .In short, while the rhetoric was often inspirational, I found no real reason then--or now--to believe that Barack Obama wishes to be a uniter. And nothing in his first five weeks of governance has disabused me of that first tough impression. Nevertheless, here are five modest recommendations that he might adopt if he were really interested in bringing the country together. . .

Read more at: RealClearPolitics