I Hate the Hate for Our President

I have tried to keep this blog (on those occasions when I have found time to write anything), politically neutral, and focused on topics that are in good fun and not of the greatest importance. But, something keeps happening, that the more I think about it, the more I hate it.

I sit here today, watching and reading the stories about President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Now, is there room for debate about did he deserve it, and should an award be given based maybe more on what he wants to do, than what he has done, sure. But I am really stricken by the level of anger I am seeing and hearing from Americans just because their President won the Nobel Peace Price. This is particularly so because this is coming just one week after I watched and read so many Americans take a large amount of satisfaction from the United States not being rewarded the Olympics because the President wanted it.

What is really beginning to strike me about all of this - the level of anger towards this President receiving an award that should make all people regardless of politics proud, and the level of joy from a disappointment that had nothing to do with politics whatsoever - is not really what I am reading and seeing from those on the Right. These are the people that for 8 years fell right in line with George Bush and Dick Cheney and Karl Rove. I did not really expect them to suddenly change their ways. No, what is starting to strike me the most is how much hate for Obama and how much satisfaction from any of his perceived or real failures, I see and hear from people that I have known for many, many years whom I never even knew cared at all about politics, never heard them say one word on any issue either way. But now, suddenly, they do not miss one opportunity to complain about or bash the President.

Now, maybe this is a product of the economy, and when the economy tanked, it made people who never cared about politics care because they want to keep their jobs, or find a job, or afford their bills and pay their mortgages. I guess that may make some sense.

But I cannot help but think I am ignoring the elephant in the room because the truth is if you are middle class, which applies to almost everyone I know, the economy hasn't been good in years, and yet I can't recall one word or one conversation where they had something politically to say, let alone something negative to say about our President.

Then, do I just have to admit to myself that these people simply are not comfortable with a black President? It might not be an outward act of racism, they may never say something outwardly racist. They may know better, or maybe they haven't even admitted it to themselves. They will never say outright that I want Obama to fail because he is black. But I can't help but thinking their motives are centered around because he is black, they want him to fail. And because of that, they don't let one thing go without jumping all over it.

Am I reading too much into all of this? Maybe, but I do not think so. Even in today's era of instant media, presidents are normally judged by bigger pictures, and when issues have not been about politics, we have all rooted for the President. They want to judge Obama like he was a batter in basbeall, on every at-bat, even every swing. If he takes a swing, they will complain, "He is trying to do too much!" If he swings and misses, "He hasn't done anything yet!"

Most of the leftiest liberals I know were still able to take some level of satisfaction when President Bush threw a strike in Yankee Stadium in 2001 - Yes that may have been a different time, but the point is there always seemed to be circumstances where if politics were not involved - like with receiving the Nobel Prize or trying to get the Olympics to this country - people, especially politically neutral people, would find a way to stand behind our President. Yet now, there are large groups of people angry when their President won a prize acknowledging peace? Or they hate the President so much they were glad the U.S. wasn't awarded the Olympics?

I am not someone who thinks that all criticism of the President is racist; but I am convinced that some of the over the top criticism I am seeing from people that prior to last November never really cared about politics, absolutely has its roots in racism. If someone thinks the economy isn't recovering fast enough, or we should have closed Guantanamo, or we need more troops in Afghanistan, or we need less troops there, or that the health care plan goes too far or not far enough - that is fine with me. Those are real issues. And we need real debate on all of them.

But when I can't go one day without seeing people react in anger towards anything that involves the President whatsoever, I can't help but realize that no matter how large a step this country took last November 4, we still have a long way to go. And President Obama, just in case trying to rescue this country from one of its worst economic crisis ever, bring health care to all Americans, end two wars, deal with Iran and North Korea and the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the swine flu wasn't enough, you have to also contend with trying to get people to somehow believe that wanting your President to succeed is a good thing.