The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 2 of 4)

Mr. Kirchhoefer wrote, "...those who jump their proverbial shark forever place their best days behind them. They unwittingly outwit themselves and forget who and where they are -- more importantly, they forget who put them there."

That nails the essence of "jumping the shark," mostly.

However, I would argue it is precisely that they cannot and do not forget who, or what, "put them there" that compels a johnny-one-note like Obama to shark-jumping oblivio and that such as a fate is predestined as in a Greek tragedy. Obama simply must be giving speeches and in our face 24/7 because all he ever was and is still is an attractive figure in a suit mouthing pretty pieties that won him praise and support in the past. It's all he knows and his very essence.

Anything else is seemingly almost beyond his ken and so he must try what worked once ever harder. I'd bet no one is more perplexed at his falling popularity than Obama. As for the Fonz, I remember the series well and that sad night. Mr. Kirchhoefer left out a crucial detail in support of my argument. What made the spectacle so ridiculous and reduced Fonzie to a mere shell of his former cool was that he was at his essence and shrouded in the very symbol of Fonz-dom, as always, as he jumped the shark- his leather jacket. And just as millions of young males finally put away their leather jackets and Fonzie attitudes for good that long, long ago night millions now switch channels when Dear Leader commands the screen.
-- Mark Shepler
Jupiter, Florida

Dear Leader, as this article reports, was elected for his style. I beg to also inject that Obama was elected by the entire mainstream media. Like taking a winning war and turning public opinion and making it a losing one, the election of this leader, in this moment of history, in a time when the safety of our nation has been abandoned fully and totally, rests solely upon NYT, ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN. And when the next attack comes and we lose a huge quantity of Americans, we will remember this.

So too, when we collapse from the weight of debt, both that which was purchased, and that which was not sold to Red China, we will remember. We will remember when New York turned the lights on the Empire State Building red and yellow, to celebrate Red China's 60th birthday. But by now Red China probably owns the Empire State Building.

We will also remember as the media help our enemies to kill American servicemen abroad by publishing all our state secrets. As our finest, our soldiers, airmen, sailors, are once again called losers, reported on once again as inept, unsound, and psycho (we remember this post-Vietnam), and marginalize these brave, we will remember. We see the horizon approaching. A President ready to go campaign for an Olympics, instead of studying Commander's reports and fighting to win. We will remember. We will remember that media's last hurray, in an attempt to rediscover their hay day from the 1960's and 70's Watergate, was to help implement the dismantling of America. We will remember.
-- Beverly Gunn
East Texas Rancher

PELOSI'S PUBLIC
Re: Brian O'Connell's So Much for the Good War:

Funny how Pelosi invokes "public disapproval" as an excuse for not sending more troops to Afghanistan, but doesn't use the same logic for her health care plan. Despite very little interest by "the voters," she continues to demand the plan.
-- Bob M
Ft. Myers, Florida

A TRAGIC MESS
Re: Ralph Reiland's Obama's Shovel-Ready Cure:

One can only shake one's head in sadness at the tragic mess it has all become. If the government weren't involved at all vis-a-vis Medicare and Medicaid, then folks like Dr. Emmanuel and Evan Thomas would have nothing to say about granny; it would, in fact, be none of their business. It would be between granny and her doctor, and perhaps her deity, and no one else. If we can't go back to those simpler, better times, then we should concentrate at least on not making matters worse.
-- David Reich, MD
Auburn, New York

The problem with health insurance is, and has always been, that it is the ONLY form of insurance that people want to use to its utmost. "Do all the tests doc, I paid for it and now I want CAT scans, lab tests and x-rays!" I mean, no one will burn down the house or become disabled, just to see if the insurance pays. Not the case with health insurance. And, if you want to see how insuring everyone free works, just go to a military clinic on a rainy day and watch the lineup of non-diseases show up, because it is free and it is raining. Poor guy with chest pain at the end of that line!
-- Bob M, MD
Florida

DEMENTED STORIES
Re: James Bowman's Rotten Apples:

Via what sad concatenation of events did demented stories told by demented storytellers become the daily fictive dreams of the American people?
-- David Govett
Davis, California

THE BANJO
Re: Manon McKinnon's Women to the Rescue: