Aesop’s timeless fable about the boy who cried “wolf” taught us to speak with sincerity. Perhaps we need a refresher course.
Parallels can be drawn between the story and the current administration. Far too many people are fabricating a dilemma in which they label all criticism of President Barack Obama as racism, a term that may become cliché if used loosely.
It is most visible in the brawl over health care, which to some is not only a debate pinning blue against red but also white against black. So do people oppose Obama’s health care proposal because they detest the color of his skin? Or is this just a desperate attempt to change the subject?
The Left knows it is losing the health care debate. According to Rasmussen Reports, Americans oppose what the president is offering 53 to 44. A Gallup poll says that 60 percent of citizens believe the new proposal will expand the size of government and will decrease the quality of care.
With opposition mounting, proponents of the new plan are attempting to change the argument. It is nothing more than an exhibition of basic human nature. When a person is backed into a corner in an argument and has run out of factual ammunition, the next line of defense is to diminish the credibility of their opponent. That is when the name-calling begins.
Besides the obvious hypocrisy, the Left is doing itself no favors by pandering in racial politics. The more they refer to race in response to criticism, the less potent their argument becomes. What if a bill is not passed this year? Will they continue to lean on the racism chant to fight their battles? If they do, they will continue to notice a steady decline in popularity. And Obama’s Rasmussen rating has already dropped 35 points since Jan. 22.
To his credit, President Obama himself has not endorsed the notion that his critics oppose him because he is black. He knows that falling back on this argument would be viewed as a sign of weakness and would only further cripple his push for reform. Furthermore, he knows he doesn’t have to. Everywhere he turns someone is chomping at the bit to stand by his side.
Even former president Jimmy Carter has voiced his belief that racism is the primary ingredient of opposition, which might be the most legitimate reason not to believe the tumult.
If racism is indeed the root of all dissent, then the majority of Americans are racists; the same majority that elected Obama last November.
