In the show, The West Wing, President Josiah Bartlet insisted that he be called “President Bartlet,” even by his friends, when he was in official capacity. It wasn’t from ego. It was from reverence toward the office.
The West Wing only left the air only five years ago, but among many, respect for the Office of the President is long gone. Even more surprisingly, so is the show of dignity typically reserved for the First Lady of the United States.
Most First Ladies play a neutral, relatively apolitical role during their husband’s Presidency and First Lady Michelle Obama is no exception. Her pet causes are childhood obesity and the support of returning veterans. Somehow, even these innocuous, but important causes have turned into political hotbeds, especially in the right-wing radio talk show landscape, where the First Family is often portrayed as apes and even evil.
Our current political environment is toxic and that fact was demonstrated loudly and clearly at yesterday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden were both there to Grand Marshall the event and support Joining Forces, a cause dedicated to supporting the troops and helping them find work after returning from the military.
The pair received a standing ovation from the NASCAR drivers before race, but the crowd wasn’t so genial. While being introduced over the race kick-off, loud booing could be heard from above the applause.
Video below:
Thank you Ruch Limbaugh and Fox News for the Hatred you have sown in our country. I was not a Fan of Laura Bush, but I would never have been so rude to her and to have booed. With Noooot leading the polls maybe the Nascar fans will get to cheer for one of his wives in the near future ( but keep an eye out and make sure its the current one as he has been known to leave them at moments notice)
In a nation of over 3 million, there is a large contingent of rude people. Obviously a goodly number of them were attending the Nascar event.
It does make one wonder just how isolated the DC elites are; don’t they know how much they are hated by the Fox Fake News/Rush Limbaugh crowd? They lie every day about the ‘socialist’ Obama. The truth is he may have done the country a favor; w/out his complicity w/the powers that be, there may not have been an OWS Movement.