Branding Obama

Just some thoughts as a departure from my usual say-it-with-song. I have been increasingly aware of the Branding of Obama. Never in my lifetime have I seen the image and name of an American President so obvious in our everyday culture.

It's hard to ignore his face on every magazine, his 117 and counting press appearances since he took office, and the name Obama associated with everything! His 'presence' is the stem for the spin on every issue. This was brought home to me today when I was watching a video on the internet site Popmodal.com. Popmodal is the 'conservative alternative to Youtube' and the following were listed as 'Ads by Google': Education Stimulus Use Obama's Education Stimulus Package & Earn Your Degree Online! and next to it: Obama's Affordable Program Learn the Home Affordable Program. Free Analysis and Prequalification. (Emphasis Mine)

I don't know about you, but this disturbs me a lot. When did we switch from a Government by the People to the sheep looking to Obama (or any president or politician) for every aspect of our life? Did he personally achieve the Education Stimulus Package and the Affordable Program? What part did Congress play? The American People? Was this an executive order from the President? Why is his name attached to it? Is this the United States of Obama?

There is this idol-worship going on over this president, and it is undeserved. He has broken every 'campaign' promise he made, and is implementing his agenda (which those of us who were not star-struck by his charismatic presence heard him articulate during the campaign) which is radical and out-of-step with the majority of Americans.

He couched all of his radical agenda in feel-good, buzz-words. Things like Responsibility, and Sacrifice and Hard Work, all the while planning to cut the legs out from under our freedoms, our liberty, and our free-market economy. Obviously, he didn't do this all by himself, but the acceleration by which he is doing what he promised when he said "We are five days away from fundamentally changing America." is indeed frightening.

It is frightening because I believe a large number of people who voted for this man wanted to believe that the fundamental changes he was referring to were the noble goals of ending the divisiveness and partisanship in Washington and doing the right thing for our nation. Nevermind that his fundamental beliefs in 'social justice' and 'wealth redistribution' are at odds with the majority of Americans! People really REALLY wanted to BELIEVE, and gave him the benefit of the doubt. They gave him the benefit of their most precious of possessions. They gave him their vote; trusting an un-trustworthy man.

And now we find ourselves in a surreal America, where I don't recognize what it has become. We have an Administration that is consolidating power with non-vetted, non-congressionally-approved Czars. This totally bastardizes the notion of checks and balances within our Federal government. (AND among the czars are some truly alarming individuals with alarming ideologies). We have an Administration that is marketing the President like the modern-day equivalent of a Snake-oil Salesman. And we have an Administration that is taking over Corporations, throwing businesses into bankruptcy and firing CEOs and dictating salaries and bonuses. We have an Administration that is not only dispensing political pay-back with legislation, but with huge piles of money that we do not have, all in the name of 'stimulus.' He has quadrupled our national debt in 6 months, and shows no sign of halting that run-away spending ever. And we have an Administration that displays its arrogance by refusing to answer questions, and dismissing Tea Party Demonstrators as 'folks waving tea bags.'

I see that Americans are waking up. I pray that it is not too late. What is your freedom worth? How do you feel about Liberty? The right to own property? The benefits of free enterprise?

All of you who like the President, what would you say about all this if Bush were still in office?

There was (rightfully) a huge outpouring of anger and protest over the spending under the Bush Administration. Well, now your guy has QUADRUPLED it! What say you?

We all need to wake the hell up. I'm going to Washington next week. I CANNOT sit idly by and watch this Administration, and this Congress totally ignore the voice of WE THE PEOPLE.

Hey Washington! YOU WORK FOR US!

In the meantime, I pledge to continue to SEEK AND SPEAK the truth. I love my country and I revere our Constitution that puts limits on WASHINGTON not on We the People. I will continue to fight against the 'branding' of Obama as some kind of all-powerful, all-knowing, 'One.' The trappings of our society make idols out of ordinary men so we must remain vigilant to the insidiousness of Obama-speak.

Mr. Obama is not my idol. He is my enemy because he is an enemy of our Constitutional liberties. He is my enemy because he is not defending our Constitution; he's shredding it. He is the Domestic Enemy that is mentioned in the Oath of Office (and he is not alone, you can throw a majority of the members of Congress into that category when they refuse to abide by the LIMITS on their authority as spelled out in the Constitution). He has declared war upon WE the PEOPLE by undermining our economy and using the power of his position, money, unions, fear, and a complicit press to effectively ignore the will of the people.

And I will say this while I still have the freedom to do so.