If you are on Facebook you have probably seen variations of this as well. There are posters lauding the Obamas for being scandal-free, for being wholesome, for having nice kids - and what a relief and contrast that is to drunken Bush girls and whatever.
It's a nice thing to compliment, I suppose. But I always think people are taking a big risk whenever they such things. Not only are there claimed scandals that have simply been held apart from scrutiny - those may or may not turn into something - but the last few weeks should make everyone a little cautious about making no-scandal, wholesome-family claims. I can't imagine doing it myself. It would mean that I might have to eat my words later. Why don't people think of these things? Why expose yourself to humiliation unnecessarily?
It's another example of people not thinking the same way that I do, and I think it is related to the tendency to self-examination that is less universal than I expected. People don't worry about those possibilities, because they aren't going to do anything about it later, if their words are thrown back at them. They will just revert to their usual refusal to deal with such things. Change the subject to how someone else is worse, for example.
what a relief and contrast that is to drunken Bush girls
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't strike me as nice at all, to be honest. It's one thing to compliment the Obama daughters, but such an addition makes it clear that complimenting the Obama daughters is not the purpose of the exercise.
I don't see the Obamas as scandal-free,or wholesome. I see arrogance.
ReplyDelete@ jaed: precisely. And the last line of the meme, which I did not quote, makes that even clearer. Praising the Obamas was not the point, it was the excuse.
ReplyDeleteBecause they're nice. Don't ever forget that.