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Buy the Book
Witness for the Prosecution
David Limbaugh attacks with a strength and gusto lacking in much current conservative writing.
(Page 2 of 2)
In a chapter called “The Narcissist,” for instance, Limbaugh lays out the particulars for an indictment of Obama’s enthusiastic aiders and abettors in the national media, who simply swallowed the idea of an idealized Obama whole, and burnished it. The resulting media-enhanced image may have had little to do with reality. But in this case reality wasn’t important. In fact, perhaps better to ignore it.
As the world knows, members of the national media are overwhelmingly liberal/left, and in Obama they saw—finally, after decades of waiting, and in an anticipation fueled by intense Bush hatred—the fulfillment and personification of those old liberal/left sociological dreams and ideals that today carry little contemporary currency west of the Ivy League and a few other selected college campuses where old tenured professors doze in the libraries and dream fading dreams of dialectical materialism, Ho Chi Minh, Che, and Bernardine Dohrn.
And in fact, Obama could well have been created in a test tube in an Ivy League social sciences lab. He proved that affirmative action (aka racial preferences), long an apparently unfilled liberal/left ideal, actually worked—at least once. He was a man of color, but not too much. To be sure, he affected a passion for basketball, but he walked, talked, and dressed like any Caucasian writer of thought pieces or any of the regular Newsweek guests on the Charlie Rose show. To quote Vice President Biden, who summed it up succinctly, he was “clean.”
(Unfortunately, excessive Obama worship combined with a lack of serious journalistic effort torpedoed Newsweek as a news magazine, and as it sinks beneath the waves its editors, who have deserted the ship en masse, could well find their reservations at the Charlie Rose table canceled. Rumor has it that to maintain his TV presence, Jon Meacham, the unctuous former Newsweek editor and chief cheerleader of the Obama media fan club, may have to negotiate for a spot on Dancing with the Stars.)
But best of all, from the national media’s point of view, Obama was a writer—one of us, they believed; and those claims that he may have had a great deal of help in writing his best-selling memoir were thus invariably met with a fierce and emotional response. He had to have written it himself. If not, he isn’t one of us. The press has drunk the Kool-Aid that they themselves helped to mix, and they’re determined to keep it down.
INTERESTINGLY, THE RESPONSE is equally fierce and emotional whenever the discussion turns to matters involving the source and nature of the beliefs and ideologies that have shaped Obama’s thinking, and particularly, as happened most recently, when questions are raised about his father’s influence. Without judging the father, anyone who has actually read Obama’s memoir, Dreams from my Father, in which, among other things, Obama searches for his Kenyan identity, would be hard-pressed to deny the influence of his father’s attitudes.
But that aside, it requires no great analytic ability or expertise to understand that in 2008 a large number of Americans, who rely on the media to keep them informed, bought into his act. And the media certainly provided the stage, and continue to provide it to date.
According to the Washington Post’s media critic Howard Kurtz, writes Limbaugh, “during Obama’s first few months as president, the networks gave him more coverage than George W. Bush and Bill Clinton combined in their first months—and more positive assessments as well.” As Limbaugh notes, “His name or face appeared in half of Time magazine’s covers in 2008. As of the August 2009 edition, he had appeared on seven Time covers since his election….One of those covers celebrated him as ‘Person of the Year,’ and another as the reincarnation of FDR. Newsweek featured Obama on twelve of its 2008 issues.”
In addition to the stage, the media has also provided the applause, and at times even the adoration. Limbaugh quotes the erstwhile Newsweek editor, pontificator, and Charlie Rose regular Evan Thomas, appearing with fellow worshipper Chris Matthews on MSNBC: “Reagan was all about America….Obama is—we’re above that now. We’re not just parochial, we’re not just chauvinistic, we’re not just provincial. We stand for something. I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above the world, he’s sort of God.”
At any rate, questions of divinity and possible exorcism aside, Limbaugh’s primary purpose in this book is to chronicle “the words and policies of President Barack Obama and his Democratic Party and their devastating effect on America and its founding principles. Unless stopped—and reversed—the casualties of Obama’s systematic assault on this nation will be our prosperity, our security, and ultimately, our liberty.”
To this end, Crimes Against Liberty should serve as a thorough and hard-hitting indictment of Barack Obama and his administration. And for readers in general, it will not only provide a good read, but will also help explain why The One may really be The Other.
About the Author
John R. Coyne, Jr. a former White House speech-writer, is co-author with Linda Bridges of Strictly Right: William F. Buckley Jr. and the American Conservative Movement (Wiley).
Letter to the Editor View all comments (20) | Leave a comment
More Articles by John R. Coyne, Jr.
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Booger | 11.10.10 @ 6:13AM
From the desk of former President Herbert Hoover:
To: Current U.S. President B. Hussein Obama
Dear President Obama,
I have observed your trials and tribulations over your first two years in office, and I must say it pains me to see you in such dire straits. I, too, suffered horribly while sacrificing on behalf of my country by serving as President. Perhaps my insights may be of use to you in your service as President. After all, if anybody knows about dealing with an economic downturn and unemployment, it would be me.
First of all, remember your first principles. I am pleased to see that you, like me, are an adherent of the efficiency movement. You realize, just as I did, that ordinary people are not capable of ordering the affairs of their day to day lives, and must be directed in how to do so by well-educated experts of superior intelligence. I am glad to see that you have applied this principle to the matter of health care. I believe that if you stay the course and refuse to allow Congress to repeal or de-fund your plan, you can do for health care what I was able to do for so many other aspects of American life. It is important to remember that patients and doctors need guidance from a firm and wise hand in Washington in order to assure that valuable resources are not squandered in inefficient practices. Please keep up the good work in this area.
I am likewise pleased to see your strong emphasis on volunteerism. I, too, was a strong proponent of having people serve as volunteers. After all, if they're not employed, they may as well have something worthwhile to do with their time. I believe that you should follow the advice of Congressman Charlie Rangle and institute mandatory national service. This should get a lot of those complaining young people off the streets and give them something to do besides complain about a lack of jobs. I believe it could boost your prospects exponentially.
Speaking of jobs, I understand that you are having a hard time getting enough manufacturing jobs in place. Well, I know just the thing. In 1930 I signed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act into law, with amazing results. I think you should try the same thing today. After all, if people can buy goods made overseas too cheaply, it will destroy your infrastructure. Thus, I recommend as many punitive tariffs as you can put into place as quickly as possible. As an added bonus, this will greatly increase your popularity with the unions.
Another policy of yours I find appealing is your plan to roll back the Bush tax cuts on high-end wage earners. Why, I used that same tactic myself in 1932, when I also raised the estate tax (what the rubes call a "death tax") and corporate income taxes as well. I must say, that went smashingly! The results were simply astounding. Of course, I know you'll get criticism for this. Why, I was so adamant in my position that even FDR accused me of taxing and spending too much! But, as you know, I believe history has shown I was right.
Additionally, I helped balance the budget by making massive cuts in defense spending, especially the navy. I assure you, you have many times more ships than you really need already. Take it from me, you can always cut defense spending without having to worry about any untoward consequences. People will vote you out if you cut their handouts, no one will vote you out if you mothball the fleet. And as you and I both know, there's no worse fate than being voted out of office.
I also implemented an earlier version of your stimulus bill, the Emergency Relief and Construction Act, which pumped massive amounts of federal spending into building programs. Then, just as now, the program was a complete success. Really, I get annoyed with the way people criticize the two of us. I suppose you can only expect so much out of lesser minds.
Really, now that I think about it, you are already following my program right down the line. I can't think of a single area where we have any significant disagreement. So I suppose I must simply give you a hearty congratulations on your superior intellect and urge you to stay the course. I know you will have your detractors, but let's face it, history will be the final judge. I know that's worked out fine for me, and I'm sure it will for you as well.
Your Admiring Friend,
Former President Herbert Hoover
http://beautifulletters-bls.blogspot.com/
Deborah D | 11.10.10 @ 8:55AM
A great comparison to Hoover. Next up -- perhaps a comparison to that "great" man who took an old fashioned Depression and made it Great...FDR.
Anita| 11.10.10 @ 12:52PM
Booger dear-
One can never really appreciate an article because of your automatic and continual response.
Yes, humorous, yes, informative, yes, intrusive.
In other words, give us a break now and then.
Thanks.
Alan Brooks| 11.11.10 @ 1:16AM
Bush's big piece of wadded paper has been published: best fiction all year.
Why, he is even more dishonest than his Dad!
He will go far in this world.
The Underwearinator| 11.11.10 @ 9:29PM
Your a rasist!
Alan Brooks| 11.18.10 @ 1:37PM
"Your a rasist!"
Yes, I like mulattos such as Obama more than whites & blacks. Does that make me a "fasist"?
Alan Brooks| 11.18.10 @ 1:35PM
Conservatism is technically dead, however it is a necessary fiction, such as religion (it is one thing to be pious, another to be a chump).
Good for Limbaugh-- all Limbaughs, they carry on the mythology.
JPG| 11.10.10 @ 7:30AM
You know, Booger, the first few times were cute. Not anymore. Anyone else tired of Booger's shtick?
jimH| 11.10.10 @ 8:43AM
One should keep in mind the show biz maxim: 'Leave your audience while they still want more.'
LarryK| 11.10.10 @ 8:55AM
"Stop the Insanity" Susan Powter
Deborah D | 11.10.10 @ 8:57AM
Keep 'em coming, Booger. Those who don't like them belong to the "I love Obama" club. You must be doing something right!
Dai Alanye | 11.10.10 @ 9:25AM
Booger's comparisons are right on but there's no denying that his humor is a bit heavy-handed.
Steve| 11.10.10 @ 3:59PM
When I don't feel like reading Booger's stuff, I find it relatively easy to scroll right past it. No biggy. I honestly don't know where he finds the time to write as much as he does.
Olympian| 11.10.10 @ 10:20AM
There is nothing worse than a sore winner. Now is the time for governing and we'd better heed Kenny Rogers' song The Gamblelr. You have to know when to hold when to fold etc.
Eric Damon| 11.10.10 @ 10:31AM
For all of you who don't like what Booger does, do what I do when I don't want to deal with it...skip over it! There are plenty of us who write other things in other, more conventional ways. So what's stopping you from simply seeking that out when you're not in the mood for what Booger's doing?
Personally, I like his stuff because it is generally on point in a humorous type of way. Plus, it can't be easy to read these articles, digest them, then come up with a letter that addresses the topic at hand.
To Booger, I say keep doing what you're doing; to the others I say if you don't like it, keep moving. No one is forcing you to read a word that he writes.
MacDaddy| 11.10.10 @ 12:18PM
I've never read any of Booger's stuff.....just too long, not enough time in the day. Booger...your stuff should be like my old pastor would say about his sermons....keep'em long enough to cover everthing, but short enough to keep 'em interesting....
Ken (Old Texican)| 11.10.10 @ 11:10AM
Folks,
Booger has found a delightful way of breaking through "commentary" and making an end-run to truth.
I have tried to do the same with "fiction". So far, so good.
Booger...if you will contact me at sales@texassaidno.com I will send you a review copy of my future-history.
Thank you for your contributions here.
Al Adab| 11.10.10 @ 12:45PM
Absolutely infuriating book. Reading it is an exercise in frustration. What can we as citizens do to rid ourselves of this administration?
Mojo Risin| 11.10.10 @ 12:58PM
Hussein Obonehead has learned the craft of antisemitism from his instructors: F. D. Davis, Rev. C. Louie Farrakhan, Rev. Sharpton, and the marble-mouthed one, Rev. Jackson. None of these associated schmucks raised a red flag to enough of the voters to sent Obonehead back to the south-side to pace the front porch of his favorite crack house of choice, to yell incoherently at passing cars and by what we've had to endure so-far, that's all he'd be good for!!!
Oldefarte| 11.10.10 @ 5:10PM
As one who just finished reading Libaugh's excellent book, I would highly recommend it to any/all bloggers here. It's a thorough description of who/what Obama was/is, and the political correctness that surrounds him from the MSM,etc. It's still astounds me that he was actually elected to the highest political office in this country, and sadly demonstrates the depth of the insanity and stupidity of this country's voters. Thankfully, they have been slapped upside their collective heads as to the reality of his personae, and the recent elections are the result of same!!!!!