Don’t Waste Obama’s Last Two Years, America - We May Not See Another Like Him For Generations

BENEATH THE SPIN * ERIC L. WATTREE

Don’t Waste Obama’s Last Two Years, America - We May Not See Another Like Him For Generations

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In the interest of full disclosure, as a journalist, I feel ethically bound to make the following statement that should be taken into account whenever I write anything associated with President Obama:
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While I’ve written articles critical of President Obama in the past (and continue to stand by every one of those criticisms), overall, I’ve been such a huge supporter of his administration that I’ve been accused by some of his critics of being an Obama cheerleader. I’ve denied that allegation in the past, but after objectively looking over some of the articles that I’ve written over the course of his presidency, I now have to admit that I have indeed become an Obama cheerleader - but not because he’s Black, not because he’s liberal, and not because he’s a Democrat. I’ve become an Obama cheerleader because I love excellence, competence, integrity, and intelligence, and he’s demonstrated - at least to my satisfaction - that he represents all of those things. So I’m going to use this disclosure to try to help the public see what I see - one of the greatest presidents in the history of this country.
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I've studied Obama closely over the years, and I’ve found that he uses history and the strategies of past to make his decisions. As a result, he’s been brutally criticized by some on the left for not approaching issues in the way that they would approach them. But his critics tend to forget that he’s president, and we’re not, for a very good reason - he’s smarter than we are.
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When most of us are passionate about an issue, we’re predisposed to fight to the bitter end for it. That’s an emotional response, not a thoughtful one. Take the issue of single-payer healthcare, for example. Many of us would have gone down fighting over that issue, but that’s exactly what would have happened, we would have gone down, and literally millions of Americans would have been deprived of affordable healthcare.
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It’s easy to go down fighting for a cause when our home is not that battlefield. But take a moment to consider if it was. Let’s say, for example, that you had a beautiful and precious daughter who was twenty-five years old, but she had a dreadful disease that cost $250,000 a year to manage. So far you’ve been able to get by because she’s a part of your healthcare plan. But the problem is, her twenty-sixth birthday is looming, and she’ll be kicked off of your health plan on her birthday, and you can’t find another affordable healthcare plan for her due to her pre-diagnosed condition. That would mean that your precious daughter would be facing a death sentence on her twenty-sixth birthday. Would you be critical of President Obama’s willingness to "cave-in" then? 
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I don’t think so. On the contrary, I think you would get down on your knees and thank God that you have a thoughtfully practical president in office who's not so blinded by self-interest, ideology, and political concerns that he failed to taken your situation into account. That was the situation for millions of Americans across this country, all of them not quite so severe, but the quality of their lives were being devastated nevertheless.(http://money.cnn.com/gallery/news/economy/2014/03/28/obamacare-enrollees/)
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So while some are jumping up and down and accusing Obama of caving in on healthcare and other issues, the president is willing to take the heat, because he’s practical, thoughtful, and selfless enough to see the big picture, and consider the needs of those who may not have the political clout to help themselves. In short, he’s willing to take the heat for those Americans who don’t have the time, and/or capacity, to make themselves heard. I find that very commendable, and rare, in today’s political environment.
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And at the same time, he hasn’t given up on single-payer healthcare. It’s just that he’s forward- thinking enough to recognize that once the people embrace "Obamacare," and begin to recognize the benefit that it can bring to their personal lives, they’re going to DEMAND a single-payer system. So what was most important to him was getting the people used to the fact that they have a RIGHT to government-protected and guaranteed health insurance - or, "a right to life," as it were.
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SHE DIED OF REPUBLICAN POLITICS

President Obama is an unabashed intellectual and student of history, so he uses his knowledge of history in making his decisions and forging his administrative strategies - and the foot-in-the-door strategy is as old as the hills. So that’s generally the strategy that he uses to get the job done, in spite of unprecedented obstructionism by the GOP.
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He knows the Republicans don't believe in reading and consider John Wayne-like ignorance as manly, so he uses it against them. That accounts for why he doesn’t get into spitball fights with them. Many on the left have also bought into the John Wayne syndrome, so they also see Obama’s quiet competence as a sign of weakness. But it’s far from that - it’s a sign of a powerful and unique intelligence.
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The reason I’ve studied Obama so closely is because all my life I’ve loved going up against people who thought they were heavy. I used to stay in trouble as a kid for challenging the beliefs of adults that I thought were silly. My mother was constantly telling me to stay in my place. So I’ve always enjoyed debating and examining ideas, much like many men - including Obama - enjoy going out on the court and gettin’ into a pickup game, which I’ve never had any interest in at all. But I would hate to have to go up against Barack Obama brain-cell-for-brain-cell, because that brother is a quiet, unassuming, genius - it would be like my trying to challenge Michael Jordan to a one-on-one. 
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What the impatient left needs to understand about Obama is, contrary to the claims of some of his critics, he’s a very strong and confident man. He only seems quiet and docile, because when you have strength and confidence, you feel the need to prove it by trying to be overly macho. Obama is an intellectual heavy weight, so he doesn’t believe in trying to out-scream his opponents; he believes in out-thinking ‘em.
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Neither does he believe in attacking the walls of a fort head on and going down in a blaze of glory; he believes in climbing in through the windows, because he’s not interested in trying to look heroic - that’s an ignorant and immature motivation. He simply wants to achieve his objectives. That’s how he got Osama Bin Laden. After Bush failed to get Bin laden, in spite of spending seven years, over a trillion dollars, and killing over a million people - including, killing or maiming thousands of American troops. Obama walked through the door and got Bin Laden with three helicopters and a handful of America's finest, without bustin’ a sweat bubble - and, while dragging Donald Trump through the mud at a dinner party in the process - and never once, breaking that quietly disarming smile. And thereafter, did he assemble the troops and news cameras to watch him land on an aircraft carrier and strut around in a flight suit  bragging about what he'd accomplished? No. He simply walked away like it was all in a day's work.  This is an extraordinary man.
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So there’s a big difference between the GOP and Obama. The GOP believes in the power of money, strength, and the military. Obama believes in the power of the mind - and he’s killing the entire Republican Party with his intellect alone. Think about it. The scene in Washington, D.C. for the past six years has been much like one adult trying to manage a house filled with ranting and raving children. The Republicans have become so frustrated over their inability to handle his intellect that they’ve lost all sense of tradition and decorum - and they've forgotten all about the interest of the American in their blind, fanatical, obsession with bringing down President Obama.
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And that hasn't been lost on the American people.  As a result, I’m sure that there were many patriotic conservatives in America who disagree with Obama's political philosophy, but voted for him in the last election in spite of that disagreement, because their primary concern was what was in the best interest of the country.  So the GOP’s biggest problems is not how they package their message, but making the mistake of equating being poor or middle class, with being stupid.

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Fox News Chief White House Correspondent Ed Henry Tried to Embarrass

the President in Front of Another Foreign Leader. Watch How Adroitly Obama Handles Him.

Again, Without Bustin' a Sweat Bubble. These People Are Out of Their League.

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So yes, I’ve become an Obama cheerleader, and I never intend to apologize for that again, because Black people - and America as a whole - have a lot to be proud of in this president. He’s one of the last of a dying breed of true, old-school statesmen, who wear their flag pin on their hearts, rather than on their lapel. And as such, no one has ever represented us better. So as an American - and particularly, and African-American - I take great pride in that.
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Show ‘em how it’s done, Mr. President. Show 'em what it means to be president of all of the people . . . President of the United States of America.
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Here’s What President Obama Has Done For America

http://pleasecutthecrap.com/obama-accomplishments/

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Eric L. Wattree
Http://wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com

Citizens Against Reckless Middle-Class Abuse (CARMA)

Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.

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A Message to Conservatives: What it Means to Be an American

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

A Message to Conservatives: What it Means to Be an American
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To "Tallgrass Palms," and all others on the Breitbart site who share his bigoted views:
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Being a patriotic American is about more than simply walking around with a flag pin attached to your lapel and declaring to everyone in earshot how much you love America. Being a true American is about being willing to come together to promote and support the best interest of the nation and the ideals that it represents. Conservatives like Ike Eisenhower used to recognize that fact, but I don’t see that in many of today’s conservatives.
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What I see is a bitter and irresponsible group of reactionaries who are more than willing to sabotage America, and it’s ideals, in order to appease the delusional views of a radical few - and the irony is, the vast majority of you - like Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney - ran like the wind when this nation called upon you to serve.
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Republicans have developed a reputation of being so mean-spirited, fraudulent, and un-American, that the American people can no longer even take them seriously. The GOP has racked up a one hundred year record of swindling the American people. History will never forget the damage and purposeful misery that you’ve put America through - and neither will loyal Americans (http://wattree.blogspot.com/2010/10/gop-one-hundred-year-record-of.html). If Al Qaeda represents a rattle snake in America's garden, the modern GOP is, at the very least, a python in the bedroom. After all, Al Qaeda can only blowup buildings, but the modern GOP is trying its very best to destroy the very foundation upon which this nation rests.
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As I pointed out in a previous piece, what Obama critics are failing to recognize is if the president is engaged in diplomatic talks and using the threat of military intervention as leverage to further the United States’ interest, when we have Republican politicians using the issue to jockey for political advantage, and loudmouths like Cornel West running around talking about, "If you do it, we’re gonna impeach you!" for personal advantage, that hurts America’s ability to negotiate. So titles, claims of patriotism, and PhD.s notwithstanding, these people are either so selfish that they don’t care about American interests, something much less than effective thinkers, or both.
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But they're not fooling the American people for a minute. While we've understandably developed an increasing distrust for politicians - ALL politicians, including Obama - our instincts tells us that there's something about this guy that we can't quite put our finger on that sets him apart. That's why we elected him to a second term. Well, I think I have put my finger on it.
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When the vast majority of Americans look at President Obama, they don't see "a black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs;" they see a decent man, who loves both America, and his wife and family. They see the guy next door who's been chosen to be a modern-day David who, to everyone's complete shock and surprise, has dredged up the strength and courage to wage a desperate battle against the Goliath of wealth, power, and presumption.
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When America looks at Obama, as they watch him turning grey before their eyes, they see themselves fighting the good fight for American ideals. They see him as the personification of everything America once was - a feisty little underdog, all alone, in a desperate battle against those out to destroy America, and they see the GOP as a bunch of spoiled fat cats who think their right to control America is an entitlement.  So the American people are under no illusions.
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Americans, by nature, tend to gravitate toward the underdog, and while President Obama is undoubtedly the most powerful man in the world, he's also our first Black president, and as such, Americans can clearly see that he's under siege in Washington, D.C., so they've rallied behind him to protect his flank.
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So, while the racists, bigots, and Joe Wilsons get a lot of press, they don't reflect the actual character of America. The vast majority of Americans are corny, like myself. They truly believe in the ideals that this nation was created to represent - if they didn't, Obama never would have become president in the first place, and now, reelected. For that reason, while race baiters of both races may get a lot of press, for the most part, they're spittin' in the wind. Due specifically to their activity, America may not quite be a post-racial society, but the vast majority of Americans are way out in front of them.
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I suspect that most Americans see Obama like I do - not as some kind of Messiah, but like a neighbor doing battle against a group of thugs who are trying to takeover the neighborhood. That's why I defend this man, because I admire both his character and his courage. So I'm not going to just sit back and peep through my blinds and watch a man of his character be bludgeoned to death while he's defending MY home. That's not how Americans do things.
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I also support him in gratitude of his service, and I want to give him his roses while he can smell 'em. History is certainly going to honor him greatly, but like Martin, he won't be around to see that. As a result, I never got the chance to thank Martin, but I'm not gonna make that mistake this time.
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So, Bravo, Mr. President!
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So Tallgrass, "Blackie" here, former marine. I got a pretty good fix on your attitude toward Black people, and I don't have a problem with that. You have every right to your opinion. But here's what our military had to say about my son. He’s currently a federal agent, and even as we speak, he’s out in the world fighting to make America safer, and defending your right to be a bigot, because that's what Americans do:
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MEMORANDUM FOR OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL SELECTION COMMITTEE
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FROM: 92 SFS/SFO
2 E. ARNOLD STREET
FAIRCHILD AFB, WA 99011

SUBJECT: Recommendation for Staff Sergeant Eric L. Wattree
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I wholeheartedly concur with Staff Sergeant Wattree’s request to attend Officer Training School. He represents the enlisted ranks with the highest standard and will bring that dedication and professionalism to the officer corps.
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2. Eric continues to lead a stellar military career; his enlisted performance reports speak for themselves. His leadership and experience, especially in contingency environments, remains a vital asset to our unit and wing. As one of my primary Phoenix Raven team leaders, he’s propelled to the forefront of all major deployments throughout the world. He’s repeatedly secured aircraft and crews, supporting a wide variety of missions, in the most austere and terrorist-ridden environments where security is severely inadequate. The diversity of these missions never limited SSgt Wattree’s capacity to adapt to each situation. For this reason, Eric was selected as our 2000 Outstanding Phoenix Raven Member of the Year and the 2001 Air Force Reserve Component Airman of the Year for the 92d Security Forces Squadron.
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3. Whether operating under peacetime or contingency operations, Eric easily assumes control and tackles every situation with meticulous tenacity, a quality highly desired in our Air Force officers. Requested by name, Sergeant Wattree, provided security for presidential Banner missions throughout Greece, Peru and Viet Nam. While deployed to Afghanistan, he flew numerous combat missions in our nation’s pursuit to eradicate terrorism through Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Additionally, he provided round-the-clock force protection for aircraft in other high-threat environments including Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Oman.
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4. Sergeant Wattree motivated his personnel during the worst conditions and raised the level of esprit de corps to integrate personnel from other Air Force specialties into a cohesive team. His leadership, integrity and devotion to our Air Force play an integral part in our future leadership. Eric has what it takes to become a commissioned officer and earns my full support to attend Officer Training School.

FRANK HELLSTERN, JR., Captain, USAF
Operations Officer
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So tell me, Tallgrass, what have you done for America lately, other than trying your best to make it a little less American? I’ll be anxiously awaiting your response.
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IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO MERLY SALUTE OUR HEROES

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Eric L. Wattree
Http://wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com
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Religious bigotry: It's not that I hate everyone who doesn't look, think, and act like me - it's just that God does.

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