Stooping Low

What do these two images have in common?  Friends posted them on Facebook.

 

 

The first image (left) comes from MoveOn.Org, a liberal group.

 

 

 

 

 

The second (right) is one from birtherreport.com, a right wing site.

 

 

When I first read MoveOn’s percentages, I was astounded and reposted the image but with a caveat that I had not checked the accuracy of the numbers.  My next comment about the image rings true:  If you vote Republican, you should realize that you are wading a plethora of social issues including abortion, stem cell research, prayer in schools, the death penalty, euthanasia, symbols of Christianity in government buildings, gay marriage, etc.  The election of our former president centered around pushing these issues into the forefront of discussion.  It was a calculated and purposeful venture.  And it worked, sort of.

But the GOP has changed its focus as of late.  It is trying to wrap its mantra around job creation by obsessing over the deficit as the cause of all economic woes that seem to be, in their eyes, Obama’s fault alone.  (It’s too bad that there was mental lapse of this important focus during the Bush administration.  But, I digress.)  But the 522 bills introduced on taxation?  Well, it is highly unfair to imply that these bills don’t cover jobs creation.  Come on, even if none of the bills worked to secure more employment, it is highly inflammatory to imply that the Republicans do not attempt to pass bills to create jobs.  Attack the bills individually as good or bad, but never try to fool an electorate with misleading information. When you do, you stoop to the level described below.

The impeach Obama image barely deserves acknowledgement.  It is meant to inflame and to incite.  There are no indications of reasons or laws broken.  The implication is that there is sound evidence of egregious breaches of legal statutes.  (This coming from the side that went after a sitting president for having sex in his office and not wanting to talk about it.  Millions of dollars were spent with this little tirade.)  Really?  Do people really believe that a Constitutional Law professor would be stupid enough to break any rule thereby threatening his presidency?  He probably knows the Constitution better than most in our government and knows impeachable offenses.   This ad campaign is nothing more than a veiled attempt at finding anything to discredit the president.  I have to hand it to its creators because the GOP has figured out that all it has to do is to float an idea, no matter how crazy, and there will be people who buy into it no matter if it is disproved.  Anybody recall the birth certificate fiasco?

In a perfect world, discussing politics would be about discussing ideas.  It would be about comparing each side’s points and choosing which you wish to accept.  Leave rhetoric, wild accusations, and un-provable theories at the door.

“Just what world would that be?”  you are probably asking yourself.  “It doesn’t exist.”

If nowhere else, then you will find it here in my world.  I highly recommend http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/ for a real side-by-side comparison of the two sides’ beliefs and objectives.