No Respect

It’s hard to engage in political commentary today without discussing the Supreme Court ruling on the Constitutionality of the Affordable Health Care Act, commonly referred to as “Obamacare.”* The possible consequences of this decision, which was a surprise to most of us, have been discussed in the media six ways to Sunday. My crystal ball is in the repair shop so what I have to say, apart from the fact that for like thinkers this was the best possible ruling, comes from the heart rather than the head.   What made the strongest impression to me was two women I heard shrieking on NPR the day after the decision. To describe them as Wicked Witches of the West on steroids is to make light of a situation that is anything but comical. “Sad” comes closer to describing my feelings on hearing such venom, particularly from members of the “gentle sex.” There’s no question in my mind that Jim Crow was perched on their shoulders.   Granted, all recent Democratic presidents have received less than civil treatment from the opposition. But in Clinton’s case many of his problems were of his making. Ken Starr may have been hired by a Republican Congress at taxpayer expense to dig for dirt in his private life. But Clinton himself provided the dirt. Putting his wife in charge of health care wasn’t a good way to start his first term.   By comparison much of the disrespect and hostility directed at Obama from the beginning has been distinctly personal. His televised speech to young students on the first day of school was not shown in schools in Tea Party influenced districts. No fireside chats for this president. A presidential request for a meeting with Republican Congressmen was rejected because of scheduling conflicts. A governor staged a picture of herself wagging a finger at the president. A Congressman shouted “you lie” during a State of the Union speech. In the same setting the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, yes that Justice, a man whose duty is specifically to adjudicate and not to legislate, was filmed shaking his head in response to a proposed presidential initiative.   I’m afraid that some independent voters, and independent does not mean intelligent or informed, might feel that having a president of color is a mistake because he is so hated by so many people. While on balance I adamantly reject this reasoning, it isn’t without a grain of logic.   In 1964 a presidential candidate was defeated largely because he defended extremism and condemned moderation. Today another candidate is likely to be elected for this reason. How Sad!     *Shortly after the bill was passed Amy Holmes, a right wing spokesperson or hack in my opinion, used this term ad nauseum on a Bill Maher show. Having already made her point once, she could have saved three syllables each time by simply saying “it.” But these people have their marching orders.