Or at least the part of the world which was delighted when he skipped Margaret Thatcher's funeral entirely, but lowered American flags to half-staff for Nelson Mandela and hurried to South Africa with half his cabinet to share his inconsolable grief and maybe get in a few rounds of golf.
Some cynics were annoyed that Obama went out of his way at the funeral to shake hands with Cuban dictator Raul Castro, but we think the president deserves brownie points for fighting his normal impulse to bow deeply and give the dictator permission to start enriching uranium.
The assembled crowd greeted a video appearance from President George W. Bush with booing - despite the fact that during and after his Presidency, Bush's efforts in the war against AIDS in Africa have saved literally millions of lives...while Barack Obama has actually cut funding for AIDS reduction in South Africa.
Meanwhile, in his carefully-scripted eulogy, Barack Hussein Obama referred to Nelson Mandela as "the last great liberator of the 20th century," and this may well be true.
Because whoever finally takes our presidency back from the Democrats is going to be the first great liberator of the 21st century.
"Okay, everybody smile and say Apartheid!"
25 comments:
"And a special thank you to my wife Michelle, for reminding us all of a Heffalump."
"duck face" - you nailed that one good! Now that my daughter has an Instagram account, I've become aware of terms like "selfie" & "duck face".
And to the surprise of no one at all, during his tribute to Mandela, Obama mentioned Mandela 8 times and he mentioned himself 14 times.
Seriously, if they like him so much in Africa, maybe he could abdicate his throne here and become the king of Africa: The Lyin’ King
"The assembled crowd greeted a video appearance from President George W. Bush with booing - despite the fact that during and after his Presidency, Bush's efforts in the war against AIDS in Africa have saved literally millions of lives...while Barack Obama has actually cut funding for AIDS reduction in South Africa. "
The same low-information voter disease that has crippled our country apparently has spread to South Africa.
GMTA, @Stilton. Sat down last evening and Mr. Econ has CNN on, where they seemed to be spending a half-hour on the "outrage" that CNN thought the GOP was having over Obama shaking hands with Raul Castro. Talk about a non-issue! He bows to third-rate dilettantes and the media doesn't care what conservatives think. Now CNN spends a half-hour on a handshake? I think this was just another cynical media attempt to make the GOP look petty over a non-controversy they themselves created. Anything to get ObamaCare off the front page I suppose.
As for Obama in Africa: Mandela was a transformative leader, not just in how he helped lead Africa out of apartheid, but how he himself transformed between the time he went to prison, and the time he came out. When imprisoned in 1962, he was a violent Marxist. When he emerged from prison 27 years later, it was as more of a pragmatic capitalist, who realized that communism would only condemn black South Africans to the same miserable existence that they had been living under apartheid, just as blacks were already living in all of the other "workers paradises" across the continent.
Do you think that a persona such as Obama is capable of grasping this life lesson without the benefit of 27 years in prison? I doubt it. As was mentioned above, he somehow managed to mention himself almost twice as many times as Mandela. He's just too self-absorbed to learn anything.
Speaking of getting ObamaCare off the front page: ObamaCare continues to omni-fail. The site continues to crash, and the Obama Administration has been forced to admit that out of the mere 126,000 enrollments that supposedly occurred, many are not "officially signed up". Again, this is going to be interesting news to people come January when they attempt to use their new benefits, and find out the hard way that they don't exist. The data that the insurance companies continue to get from the site are riddled with errors, or are otherwise corrupted.
Doctors in California are boycotting the California exchange. No problem, says the managers of the "Covered California" exchange. They've been including doctors who have not formally signed up for the exchange on the exchange anyway. Another rude awakening for for citizens come January, when they call the doctor they thought they were keeping only to find out that they're no participating.
If a private company had done this, you'd be able to sue, and win substantial damages for such willful misrepresentation. But when it's the government doing this, you're out of luck. Again, another lesson of what happens when the government gets into business.
Meanwhile, ObamaCare advocate Ezekiel Emanuel comes out to defend Obama's "You can keep it" lie by actually saying "But look, if you want to pay more for an insurance company that covers your doctor, you can do that."
Gee, thanks Ezekiel! It must be nice to be rich and have such options available to you. But what about Obama's other promise, that by the end of his first term, my insurance would be $2,500 less, instead of $5,000 more? Will someone please ask him that question?
If I was Obama, I'd stay in Africa. I don't see ObamaCare getting any better within the next 3 weeks.
@Coon Tasty- Now that you mention it, she does look like a heffalump!
@alan markus- When I was a boy, a "selfie" was something which - if practiced to excess - would make you go blind. Then again, the same may be true for current selfies.
The "duck face" is just stupid, although it's fun to say because it rhymes with the pet name we use for the president here in the Jarlsberg household.
@Chuck- Clearly, a man's measure of greatness in this world is how much he influenced Barack Hussein Obama.
And yes, if Africa likes our current president, they can keep him. Period. Case closed.
@CenTexTim- Exactly. The people know only what they've heard: Bush is bad, Obama is good. Media trumps reality almost every time.
@John the Econ- Personally, I don't care if Barry shook hands with Raul Castro because he probably didn't even know who he was. In any event, it's a stupid thing for anyone to care about.
Regarding Mandela, I should make it clear that today's cartoon and commentary are not intended to disparage his legacy in the least. Rather, I'm remarking on what an insignificant pipsqueak Barry is when compared to a man who suffered for his beliefs, changed his beliefs, and then changed his country. By comparison, the only reason Obama should be at the funeral is (to paraphrase Bill Clinton) to be serving coffee to the genuinely important people there.
With regards to Obamacare, it continues to be a ravenously growing cancer on our medical system, and the problems are going to grow exponentially in the coming weeks. An interesting article in the WSJ today points out that under many (most?) Obamacare plans, many HIV patients will no longer be able to afford their medications.
So they'll probably appreciate Dr. Obama's recommended substitute for pacemakers, surgeries, and medications: cheap painkillers. Because impending death looks so much more appealling when viewed through an opiated fog.
It seemed more like a campaign rally that a memorial service. I think Desmond Tutu yelled even more that His O'liness did.
Never seen nothing like it.
I can't expand on the comments already made. I absolutely knew that Stilton would include the "selfie" photo. This clown has no class whatsoever and anyone who can't see that is truly beyond hope. Vapid, self-absorbed and narcissistic don't even come close to communicating the lack of character and lack of seriousness in this alleged "leader".
The comments above all strike me as a good buncha folks totally bumfuzzled and TIRED of the 'obamadoesntcare' law! I know I am!
Watching FOXNEWS in the last few days, many of the news analysis show hosts are beginning to go toe-to-toe with Obama's pep squad; the so-called affordable thing becoming glaringly realistic that it is anything but affordable. Yet, those like Alan Colmes and others on his side keep grinding away for the left, obviously grasping at straws for the success of 'obamadoesntcare'!
Last night, I thought Juan Williams was going to sieze up any second, going into his usual unrealistic tirade. I am enjoying the anchors as they pummel their lefty guests with solid facts, but am mindful that this does not ensure most of the folks in this nation will do the same, and it is a LONG WAY to the 2014 elections!
A lot can happen and probably will. A lot of pain...not to mention a lot of deaths in the coming months from folks who have lost their medical help vital to their lives. There is Obama's legacy: indirectly shortening the lives of innocent people by allowing his ego to do WHATEVER it takes to take over this nation.
And Moochelle was the adult in the photo. Who'd ever expect THAT to happen?
@John the Econ - Your "transformative leader" comment about Mandela was the most succinct statement I've seen about him. It captured the essence of the man's complex life in a way that the rabid commentators (on both sides) would do well to study.
@CenTexTim, sometimes the "complex" really isn't as complex as it seems. The Nelson Mandela that emerged from prison in 1990 could have easily instigated a bloody civil war, and the 1962 Mandela would have been more than happy to make that happen. And yet the 1990 Mandela did not. He did the opposite. Clearly within those decades in prison, Mandela gained wisdom, for which the civilized world is grateful. It's a shame that more of our non-imprisoned cannot do the same.
On ObamaCare: Just heard some fun snippets from Sebelius in front of another Congressional hearing. When succinctly asked that if she knew on October 1st what she knows today about the flaws in the HealthCare.gov web site and registration process if she would have delayed the launch, she answered that she couldn't answer that question.
Really? Even with perfect 20-20 hindsight, you still can't make such an obvious decision?
Folks, once again I present the "leaders" who wish to micromanage your life. When in doubt, choose politics over what's best for the citizens. Good luck with that.
Maybe I'm imagining it, but I'd swear mooch looks like she's sitting there wanting to castrate HRH Barry, but looks frustrated because she realizes he has no nuts. Once again, the President of the United States, leader of the free world, the icon and envy of serfs everywhere, self proclaimed king of America, has shown to the entire world that he is a f**king, self centered, ass kissing jerkwad. Pardon my language.
@Chuck,
Have you seen the photoshop going around the internet that's a fake ad for a new MGM movie? It has BO's face on the cowardly lion, and it's captioned "The Lyin' King."
@Stilt,
I agree about the Castro handshake. BFD. I actually think I'd be more upset if he walked by Castro with his usual 'snoot in the air' look. Yes, Castro is a dispicable man, but Barry actually did the right thing. He shook hands briefly, then moved on. Now if Barry would have hugged ol' Raul and given him a quick noogie and a fist bump....
Looking at the whole series of pics, you can see that lady is hot for the big 0. There's some saying about "once you go black, you don't go back." Bet this ain't the first time Michelle has seen a white woman all over him.
Supposedly on the flight back, Michelle told Barack to go sit with George W & Laura Bush. When Barack asked why, Michelle said, "because that is the only bush you are going to see for a long time."
I'd be willing to bet almost anything that king hussein was thinking, "Damn, I sure am glad Mandela died, took the pressure off commie-zero-care for awhile."
@JohntheEcon, Mandela was pragmatic-he saw that his financial/political support from Russia was about to be lost- and I attribute his change of heart more to losing that. The Inkatha slaughtered from 90-95/6ish can attest to his (and Winnie's and the ANC's) savagery. He too had a press looking beyond the story for the "bigger story' like our Dear Reader.
I have long said that had Mandela had the backing of an aggressive Soviet Union, the world would have known a far far different man.
@Stilton, as ever your cartoons are beacons of light, shining laser like on the large and small of this horrible time.
A Merry Christmas to all!!
QG
I only saw an excerpt of His O'liness's speech on the national news(couldn't have stood to hear any more) and was amazed at how many times the words "Me", "myself" and "I" were said in just those few seconds.
Is there nothing in this world he can't turn into a soliloquy on himself? Sheeeesh!!!
As someone pointed out elsewhere, Barry only needed an interpreter who knew the signs for three words: "I", "me" and "mine".
Now, the sign interpreter says he was hallucinating and hearing voices in his head. Funny, every time I see dear leader running his yap, I feel like I'm hallucinating and "hearing voices" in my head. I always wonder, can the President of the United States really be spouting this BS?!
@Colby - no, I had not seen "The Lyin’ King" Photoshop or even heard the phrase before, but I'm not surprised others have thought of it too; it fits.
@John: I see Sebelius's revelation as being honest - of course she couldn't answer that question: she doesn't know Valerie Jarrett's mind...
Stilt: Hope the Icicles have finally dropped off yer nose. Sorry 'bout the temporary frozen-ness.
I think the real tragedy about the Mandela Memorial selfie, is the fact that Mooch obviously has a lower lip full of SKOAL. At a State Funeral....Really?!
Am I the only one who thinks that the sign language interpreter was probably the only about the fifth or sixth biggest fraud to appear on that stage?
@Reiuxcat- It was all about being seen, and trying to grab a bit of glory from association (even fictitious) with Mandela. And of course, Obama was right up there with the biggest of the attention whores.
@TrickyRicky- I think so few people know the meaning of "gravitas" anymore that Barry doesn't even try to fake it.
@PRY- The ugly truths about Obamacare are piling up. And while I'm not knocked out about the recent budget agreement, I absolutely think it's a great idea to NOT steal news cycles with another government shutdown, and instead let the airwaves be filled with the stories of people losing their insurance, patients losing their doctors, and Kathleen Sibelius flirting with criminal charges for trying to keep people from finding out the scope of this disaster.
@rickn8or- Michelle was the "adult?" I think she looked more like the woman scorned. And damned angry about it.
@CenTexTim- John the Econ has a way with words, doesn't he?
@John the Econ- This is the same Sibelius who claimed to know nothing about the Obamacare waivers despite the fact that they were all over the news.
@Colby- No question in my mind that Michelle looked pissed, which makes me happy because she can actually get close enough to Barry to make him miserable.
And by the way, your language needed no pardoning.
@alan markus- I salute you for "the last bush" punchline. Well done!
@WMD- I'm sure you're right. Barry wants to go anywhere or do anything which will allow him to distance himself from Obamacare.
@Queso Grande- Interesting perspective on Mandela - and I'm glad that he didn't have that soviet backing.
@It's No Gouda- Everything is about Barry, always.
@Coon Tasty- Agreed!
@Colby- I feel the same way when I hear Barry speechifying. It's just insanity - and the fact that others take it seriously drives me insane!
@Emmentaler- Too true; I don't think Sibelius actually makes any decisions of her own. Except, of course, the decision to deny that little girl a lung transplant some months ago (a decision which was happily overruled by a judge).
@David in SoCal- We're thawing nicely here in north Texas, I'm glad to say. Should be in the 50's tomorrow.
And you're right - it DOES look like Michelle is sucking on a wad of chaw in that picture.
@Coon Tasty- At least the sign language guy knows and admits that he's crazy.
But seriously, I said something very similar to Mrs Jarlsberg; that the fraudulent sign language interpreter is probably no more of a useless fake than many politicians and government contractors, he just got caught in a spotlight where his ineptitude could be noticed.
You know, like the people who designed healthcare.gov...
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