Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 05:00 pm
At some time during their life, every American has been the subject of aggressive behavior or maltreatment in the form of verbal harassment, fallacious personal assaults, or distortions of the truth meant to impugn their character. It is a sign of high moral fiber to maintain one’s dignity amid unrelenting attacks with no basis in fact, and even more so when the victim carries on without wilting under pressure and either giving up, or lashing out at their detractors. For over three-and-a-half years, President Obama has taken every cheap shot, personal affront, and outright lie from Republicans about his administration’s achievements, and for the entire time he remained above it all and trusted the American people to see through the GOP’s misinformation and baseless allegations. Throughout the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, Democrats have set the record straight, and unlike the Republican convention, they used facts and truth to support their assertions as they laid out a clear path to how they will bring America back from decades of Republican malfeasance.
For those who follow politics closely and listen to the daily lies issuing forth from Republicans, Democrats offered no new revelations as they took turns debunking Republican lies. However, for Americans who only watch the evening news or read the local newspaper, it may have been the first time they learned the truth about the President’s accomplishments, and where Republicans will take the country if they win in November. One of the criticisms some on the left level against the President is that he is remiss to explain the benefits of his legislative agenda, and that he fails to defend himself against ad hominem attacks on his character, but as is usually the case with this President, he waited until the opportune time to unleash a barrage of truth and honesty that leaves Republicans few options that are beneficial for their party.
What Americans learned about President Obama during the DNC is that he is dedicated to serving all the people, including those who demean him based on racial prejudice and conservative vitriol. It is true the President saved the automobile industry, passed landmark healthcare reform, a financial reform law, and a stimulus program that saved America’s economy, but throughout it all, he fought ferociously for the American people. There are millions of Americans who are unaware the President championed legislation to bring jobs back to America, give veterans the care and support they deserve, or save Medicare for the people who have paid into the system their entire working lives, or that Republicans blocked legislation that would help Americans so they could reward corporations that Willard Romney contends “are people, my friends,” and proves it by proposing massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans on the backs of the poor and middle class.
Although each speaker gave impassioned speeches about the President, it was former President Bill Clinton who took the time to spell out exactly how the President’s agenda has helped Americans, and how returning to Bush policies under a Romney administration would be a giant step backward that will decimate the nation’s economy as well as the middle class, seniors, and working-poor. Many Americans were still clueless about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act except what they heard from Republicans claiming it is a government takeover of healthcare and a socialist plot, but Clinton succinctly described how the law has immediately help millions of American families. Former President Clinton certainly gave an inspired speech, but more than anything he defined the 2012 DNC by telling the truth, and it is as foreign to Republicans as working for all the American people. His candor using facts is what excited those who have wondered when Democrats would stand up and rebut a mountain of perpetual lies that epitomize the Republican Party, Willard Romney, and Paul Ryan, and all Paul Ryan could say was “President Clinton was rewriting history.”
This convention was all about the truth, and President Obama reiterated that point when he told the American people that “you didn’t elect me to tell you what you wanted to hear, you elected me to tell you the truth,” and it is the one thing Republicans have avoided throughout the President’s term. The overriding theme of the President’s acceptance speech was not the economy, jobs, or the deficit, it was about people, and how his policies worked for all the people whether it was education, Medicare, immigration, Veterans, or businesses, and it is what so many Republicans avoid like plague because their focus is god, guns, and greed as evidenced by their Draconian platform.
Although the steady stream of speakers touted the President’s accomplishments and hope for the future, they all highlighted a recurring theme in every policy this President supports; “how does it help the people,” in contrast to Republicans who spent their entire convention proffering ways to help big business with promises of less government, lower taxes for corporations, and gutting regulations. Maybe after the convention is over and Americans reflect on what they heard during three days in Charlotte, they will stop and think about how every one of the President’s accomplishments helps every American, and if that is all they take away, then the convention was a success. Despite what Republicans claim about the President being a Socialist, Marxist, or not one of us, he has been a fierce warrior for the American people, and he deftly got that point across without self-aggrandizing or demeaning the opposition.
There was really nothing new at the Democratic National Convention that President Obama and Democrats have not worked tirelessly for throughout his term, but for the first time, a national audience heard for themselves what this President stands for and how he intends on helping the entire country and not just a few hundred wealthy families and their corporations.
Actually, there was something new Americans have not heard for a long time, and besides a healthy serving of truth and facts, it was that the President “believes in citizenship.” Too often, Americans forget that they are citizens of this country and not just a demographic or voter, and it is an all-encompassing term that was evident in the delegates that represented America at the Democratic National Convention, and after seeing the Republican convention of angry, white, religious extremists, the truth is that there is hope for America after all.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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