Mark Lastinger: More hype than hope

Mark Lastinger

President Obama is governing as if his goal is to reserve a place for himself on the Mount Rushmore of terrible U.S. Presidents. If such a monument existed, his likeness would likely be etched between those of Jimmy Carter and Andrew Johnson.

Obama has lost the aura of hope that surrounded him during the 2008 campaign. According to the latest Gallup Poll, his job approval rating has dipped below 50 percent. Support for him has declined among all major demographic and attitudinal subgroups, with one exception — blacks. Fewer than four in 10 whites approve of his performance.

There are numerous reasons why Obama’s popularity is sinking faster than the value of the U.S. dollar — he had a 66 percent approval rating during his first week in office — and not one of them is because of the color of his skin.

Foreign policy is one of the President’s primary shortcomings. Instead of displaying steely resolve in the face of tyrants and terrorists, he has proven to be as malleable as Silly Putty. No level is too low for him to stoop to appease them.

It is outrageous that this man has apologized for America’s “arrogance” and some of its past actions overseas, some of which saved countless lives and restored freedom to the oppressed. His catering to militant Muslims is a gross insult to the men and women who died in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Apparently, Obama wants universal love for himself more than universal respect for his country.

Despite his shortcomings in world affairs, the primary reason for the decline in Obama’s popularity is his handling of domestic issues. Millions of average Americans are recoiling in disgust now that they realize he was serious about what he told Joe the Plumber on the campaign trail last year — his primary aim is to redistribute wealth.

Many Americans who bought into Obama’s vague promise of change aren’t buying it anymore. They realize that the Obama-promoted stimulus bill, his bailouts and push for health care reform are ruses to expand government control of the economy and grow his base of support among liberals.

Obama erroneously believes his election was a green light to lead the country in a leftward direction. All it was, however, was a well-earned expression of dissatisfaction with George W. Bush. Republican candidate Sen. John McCain lost the presidency because of Bush’s eight-year lack of concern for government spending, so Obama isn’t making any friends with his budgetary excesses that are creating record debt and deficits that will undoubtedly be followed by tax increases.

Most Americans want the government to become almost Scrooge-like in its financial ways, not serve as an entitlement Santa Claus for individuals and giant corporations. Obama’s unprecedented spending spree is not the kind of change they want, and the President and the Democrats in Congress — including Sanford Bishop, the Second District representative from California, oops, I mean Georgia — remain blind to that fundamental truth.

A revolt — one that hopefully will be confined to the ballot box — is looming, and why shouldn’t it? When the stimulus bill includes things like $1.7 million for pig odor research, it’s time to grab the handle of the toilet that is Washington, D.C., and flush.

The Pickpocket-in-chief and his merry band of tax thieves still have time to redeem themselves, but it is doubtful they will retreat from their extreme liberalism and promotion of unconstitutional mandates. That means many of Obama’s most ardent supporters will eventually walk away from him, too.

It is understandable that many blacks are proud that the U.S. has its first black President, but even they aren’t going to be content to roast marshmallows while he lets the nation burn.



Mark Lastinger is managing editor, Thomasville Times–Enterprise. He can be reached at mark.lastinger@gaflnews.com

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