This page was last updated on February 5, 2010.
Bipartisanship got Obama very little; Lonzie Cox, Jr.; Beaver County Times; February 5, 2010. I am not related to Mr. Cox.
Most of Mr. Cox’s at least 49 letters since 2004 are tinged with race. This letter is one of the exceptions.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“When Barack Obama was elected president, many supporters felt he should have been as obnoxious to the Republicans as they had been.”
[RWC] I’m sure this isn’t what Mr. Cox meant, but he just told us Mr. Obama “should have been as obnoxious to the Republicans as [Obama supporters] had been.” Mr. Obama has been.
“Even as the rabid right-wingers vowed to sabotage his administration, Obama pursued bipartisanship and cooperation. Led by Limbaugh, Beck and the teabaggers, Republicans have stifled health-care passage, even though they have no answers.”
[RWC] “Obama pursued bipartisanship and cooperation?” You’ll note Mr. Cox provides no examples of consequence.
When folks like Mr. Cox don’t like your proposals, they simply claim you “have no answers.” That’s what Mr. Cox is doing. Please read my paper “Healthcare.” Also note Mr. Cox’s name-calling.
“Obama seemed unaware that appeasing the enemy makes the enemy bolder and more hateful.”
[RWC] What exactly did Mr. Obama do that could be remotely considered “appeasing the enemy [the right]?” If you’re familiar with Mr. Cox’s body of work, you know “hateful” is anyone with whom Mr. Cox disagrees.
“I disagreed with Obama installing Republicans in his cabinet. Our great electoral victory was being handed right back to the opposition.”
[RWC] Here’s what Mr. Cox is complaining about. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is the sole cabinet-level holdover from the Bush administration. Mr. Obama appointed former Republican congressman Ray LaHood as Transportation Secretary. This is what Mr. Cox refers to as his “great electoral victory … being handed right back to the opposition?” I could be wrong, but I doubt Mr. Cox complained when President Bush held over cabinet members and other high-level officials (CIA, FBI, counter terrorism, transportation, and others) from the Clinton administration.
“The last straw for me was when Obama overlooked Democrats and appointed George W. Bush as Bill Clinton’s co-fundraiser for Haiti. It meant I had to look at Bush’s face again.”
[RWC] Geez, yet another case of Bush Derangement Syndrome not yet in remission more than a year after he left office. This is the same guy who above wrote of others being “hateful.”
“Overlooked Democrats?” Isn’t Mr. Clinton a Democrat?
“But then Obama regained my support by having the courage to criticize the Bush Supreme Court on its recent stupid decision. Just like that, I saw a radical change in Obama - a long awaited, overdue tendency for him to fight for all the American people, and not just to get along with his sworn Republican enemies.”
[RWC] “Obama regained [Mr. Cox’s] support?” Did you read any letters from Mr. Cox that didn’t express support for Mr. Obama? Nope, neither did I.
“Courage?” Come on, Mr. Cox, Mr. Obama is President of the United States and he launched his factually-incorrect attack in an environment (state of the union address) in which the justices could not respond.
“Bush Supreme Court?” Mr. Bush got to nominate two justices who replaced justices appointed by President Reagan. Regarding the “recent stupid decision” Mr. Cox doesn’t like, I covered the central point of this issue in critiques here, here, here, and here.
Again, what does Mr. Cox believe Mr. Obama has done of significance “to get along with his sworn Republican enemies?”
“I’m betting that Obama will be the kind of president we elected him to be. Now if Congress can emerge from its coma, maybe we can get things done.”
[RWC] Mr. Obama is already “the kind of president” I expected him to be, a leftist.
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