Maggie's Farm

It astounds me that, on another thread, I raised a few simple questions. Not questions that bothered me, but questions that actually opened up a window to the idiocy of how all this was handled after the raid.

For some reason, people began questioning my language and motives, even as I clearly pointed out that (as one Yale Law Professor said) the military and administration executed a terrific raid, but forgot to do the post raid PR planning.

It's hard to sit here, as a non-supporter of Obama, and not be pleased with the results and give him the credit he deserves. But to do so means watching how his supporters have blithely overlooked the hypocrisy and errors of his years in leadership prior to this. They gloat at how THEIR president did something "OUR" president couldn't (well, Bush was not someone I was fond of...which leads to a whole host of other questions about how they view the world and the Right specifically). They indulge themselves in his "toughness" of mind and will.

All the while, they forget that to accomplish what he did, he utilized forces, laws, guidelines, and procedures that he had resisted or opposed as both candidate AND president.

But nevermind that - this was a great win worthy of fireworks, celebrations and laudatory commentary. Yet when some of us (like myself) were less than effusive, his supporters stare at wonderment thinking "you have to be racist to not celebrate. You must TRULY HATE him."

Honestly, things that have been said to me.

No, I reply. I am happy, and I credit him. I am not so happy that I will dance in the street. I am not so happy that I will flow with tears and love for our strong president. I won't because, frankly, OBL wasn't THAT important and Obama hasn't come out and mentioned that he basically repudiated (refudiated? LOL) his previous policies and beliefs.
Even if he did state that this was the case, it's still not all that amazing because all he really did was say "OK, do it".
It was a professional SEAL team that actually pulled it off, and he gets credit for them doing their job.

But if it turned into a hash, you can be sure his supporters would've rushed to his side and comforted him for still being strong. In other words - he's "lucky" these men are such professionals and so well trained.

So many other situations like this have gone poorly and reflected badly upon the president in question. Obama has every right to glow at this success. But the amount of credit he's earned is limited for a variety of factors because it simply wasn't "all his". But they've tried to push that lie on us.