What Happens in Vegas: President Obama Visits

I'm getting a late start on blogging, having had an unexpected work night on Wednesday, so that's why my blogging is going to be light.

Following the deaths of a US Ambassador and three other officials in Libya, the news and commentary on the subject has been odd. First, though this seems to have been a coordinated terrorist attack on September 11, the weight of the news doesn't feel very impactful. It's a topic of discussion, everybody is sad about it, but it's just. . .oddly detached or something.

Secondly, we had Mitt Romney weighing in as though he were President, but if this was a preview, it's not a very strong selling point. He jumped the gun, got the facts wrong, jumped on the actual President in the middle of national crisis, and then doubled down on his error when he could have possibly dialed it back. Right-wing World doesn't know what to do with this, wanting instinctively to kick Obama at any opportunity, but also wanting to appear patriotic. Some of them have chastised Romney, others have bizarrely doubled down with him, still using flawed story lines and reasoning (I'm looking at you, Kevin Wall of KXNT).

President Obama had been scheduled to stop in Las Vegas on Wednesday since at least last weekend. There was a scramble for tickets when they were made available. There was talk of whether or not he'd keep the engagement, and he did. Right-wing world is squawking about that--campaigning during a national crisis!--though I'm sure we could find a dozen times Bush campaigned during one crisis or other (Katrina comes to mind). They'd complain if he cancelled too, disappointing all of those people and dissing Las Vegas yet again!!!1!!11!!!  There is literally nothing the man could do that the right wouldn't complain about. If he cured cancer, they'd complain he cut jobs at cancer clinics.

[Excerpt]

Obama's Las Vegas stop waxes somber in wake of consulate attack in Libya


Appearing somber, President Barack Obama on Wednesday opened a campaign visit to Las Vegas by remembering four Americans who died in an attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya, saying they gave their lives to uphold American values of freedom in a dangerous land. . .

Read more at: LVRJ