Obama's Heckling Thread

[The Minsky Moment]

In the words of Cincinnatus: if you act no better than the Plebs you are no better than the Plebs.

I'm sick of the 'high road' approach.  All it does is make you irrelevant in politics these days.

The GOP has proved you can irrelevant no matter what road you take.

They are taking the low road now mostly because little remains of what used to be their leadership and the rump of a party that remains is a mostly a sad collection of paranoids and mental Palins.

[Sheilbh]

I've seen the clips.  I think what Wilson did was wrong and over the top.  He realised that and apologised and I'm glad that every Republican asked about it told him he should apologise.

Having said that I didn't find there much objectionable in the loud groans of discontent at various points.  But then I'm British, we're used to that sort of thing.  I remember Americans having talked during the Bush years about the dignity of the office.  I didn't really get it then and I don't get it now.  So I think it's a cultural difference.  Though I can't know because we don't have a President, maybe we'd always behave deferentially to them too?

[derspiess]

Generals that run against Presidents they have served under(I think the only one is McClellan) have a historical record for losing.  He'd wait until 2016, if he runs at all.

But McClellan was a failure & a defeatist.  And a Demoncrat.

[Eddie Teach]

It'd be nice to finally be able to vote for a General, however

You could have voted for Clark. 

[crazy canuck]

Though I can't know because we don't have a President, maybe we'd always behave deferentially to them too?

Deference to the President is one of the things about American politics that has always struck me as a bit odd.  In our tradition you have at the executive (the Prime Minister).

[MadImmortalMan]

I've seen the clips.  I think what Wilson did was wrong and over the top.  He realised that and apologised and I'm glad that every Republican asked about it told him he should apologise.

Having said that I didn't find there much objectionable in the loud groans of discontent at various points.  But then I'm British, we're used to that sort of thing.  I remember Americans having talked during the Bush years about the dignity of the office.  I didn't really get it then and I don't get it now.  So I think it's a cultural difference.  Though I can't know because we don't have a President, maybe we'd always behave deferentially to them too?

Maybe you'd understand it better in terms of the President being not just the Head of Government but also the Head of State. Imagine someone heckling the Queen like that.

[crazy canuck]

Maybe you'd understand it better in terms of the President being not just the Head of Government but also the Head of State. Imagine someone heckling the Queen like that.

We have long recognized that the Head of Government should not also hold the position of Head of State. 

[Berkut]

There isn't anything wrong with not respecting the President in general.

However, when the guy is up there giving a speech, you can ahve the common decency to shut your trap and let him do his bit, THEN go and bitch about it.

IMO, this is pretty basic civility. I wouldn't heckle anyone giving a speech, much less the POTUS.

[Jaron]

There isn't anything wrong with not respecting the President in general.

However, when the guy is up there giving a speech, you can ahve the common decency to shut your trap and let him do his bit, THEN go and bitch about it.

IMO, this is pretty basic civility. I wouldn't heckle anyone giving a speech, much less the POTUS.

Thank you, Berkut. I'm glad you at least have some class.

[Strix]

Maybe you'd understand it better in terms of the President being not just the Head of Government but also the Head of State. Imagine someone heckling the Queen like that.

I thought Oprah Winfrey was our Queen now? 

[Valmy]

I didn't really get it then and I don't get it now.  So I think it's a cultural difference.  Though I can't know because we don't have a President, maybe we'd always behave deferentially to them too?

What is there to get?  The President is the leader of the nation, the head of state and government and selected freely by his fellow citizens and the only office we elect on a nationwide basis.  Thus he is the personification of the soveriegnty of the people and so forth.

To give the President shit when he is acting as the President is to sort of shit on the nation as a whole.  But strangely the man himself is fair game most of the time (like insulting the President during a time of crisis is really frowned upon).

The President has two bodies

[Valmy]

There isn't anything wrong with not respecting the President in general.

However, when the guy is up there giving a speech, you can ahve the common decency to shut your trap and let him do his bit, THEN go and bitch about it.

IMO, this is pretty basic civility. I wouldn't heckle anyone giving a speech, much less the POTUS.

Man it pissed me off when the people at Obama's inauguration booed Bush.  At least they were just the common plebian rabble though.

[Valmy]

We have long recognized that the Head of Government should not also hold the position of Head of State. 

Any particular reason for that?  I guess the value of a powerless figurehead is sort of lost on me.

[crazy canuck]

We have long recognized that the Head of Government should not also hold the position of Head of State. 

Any particular reason for that?  I guess the value of a powerless figurehead is sort of lost on me.

Someone gave a very good reason just a few posts ago.

To give the President shit when he is acting as the President is to sort of shit on the nation as a whole.

Its a bit odd to say that your head of government is off limits.

[Valmy]

Its a bit odd to say that your head of government is off limits.

Um...maybe you missed the part where we call them all worse than Hitler?  When he is in public acting as the President you show him a bit of respect.  Then when you are done you pronounce him worse than Hitler.

It isn't rocket science here.

Someone gave a very good reason just a few posts ago.

I must have missed it.  Why have a position that doesn't do anything?  Seems like a waste of public money to me...not that we are bad at that or something.