So convinced that he was bringing renewed hope to America, Barack Obama even titled a biography "The Audacity of Hope". He campaigned on a platform of hope - new jobs, economic growth, harmoneous race relations, protecting the environment, restoring America's reputation around the world. There was no limit as to what could be achieved in America with Obama and his hope agenda running America.
How times change. Obama is finding governing considerably more difficult than campaigning. After entering office, Obama had approval ratings of 63%, they have now fallen to a miserly 45% - the lowest since Eisenhower at this point in his presidency. The Democrats are staring at big defeats in the November mid-terms and Keith Bartley, Floyd County's Democratic chairman in Kentucky, recently said, "Charles Manson could beat Barack Obama [in an election] here right now." Faced with an electorate that has lost faith in Obama's legislative agenda (a majority favor the repeal of Obama's Healthcare law for example) the message of hope has become one of fear. Instead of highlighting his achievements in office, Obama has taken it upon himself to warn America of his detractors.
It began with Fox News. Fox News pushes "a point of view that I disagree with. It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world," Obama said. The motivation for his attacks are clearly stated at the start of what he said. He disagrees with them. Therefore, to Obama, they must be dangerous. They're destructive to America's prosperity, he warns us, just because they have a differing opinion.
Recently, at a campaign speech in Philadelphia, Obama attacked Republicans, saying "they're counting on… black folks staying home." For a man that was supposed to unify America, what was Obama attempting to say to black America? Obama saying Republicans want black folks to stay home on election day is a divisive use of the "race card", unworthy of the president of the United States, Lloyd Marcus of the left-wing British newspaper The Guardian states. Black America must fear those evil, racist Republicans because they disagree with Democrats is the Obama message. Fear mongering is the name of Obama's game right now.
Just this week Obama made baseless accusations against the Chamber of Commerce for accepting foreign donations which Obama asserted, after picking up the story for a far-left blog, was paying for political ads. The Chamber of Commerce denied this, even the New York Times sided with the Chamber of Commerce. However, the Chamber of Commerce is a fierce critic of Obama's economic agenda and because the Chamber has a different opinion, they became a target of the Obama administration. The Chamber of Commerce, Obama insisted, threatens America's democracy! It's not enough to say Fox News threatens America's future prosperity, it's not enough to warn Americans that the Republicans are an evil racist party, now the Chamber of Commerce threatens America's democracy. Obama's message is desperate, the Democrats are hurting badly in the polls and his own approval rating is hitting rock bottom. To counter the appalling popularity trends, Obama has responded not with the hope he campaigned on, but with the fear that he detested Republicans for doing. Obama is fast becoming America's biggest fear-mongering hypocrite.
Rahm Emanuel said never let a good crisis go to waste. Obama is having a crisis of his own but it is his presidency that is going to go to waste. Elected with such promise, the hope has turned to fear.
