Obama dismayed by vulgarity, violence of campaign

[webfact]

Obama dismayed by vulgarity, violence of campaign
By KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Tuesday he was dismayed by "vulgar and divisive rhetoric" directed at women and minorities as well as the violence that has occurred in the 2016 presidential campaign, a swipe at Republican front-runner Donald Trump that also served as a challenge to other political leaders to speak out and set a better example.

"The longer that we allow the political rhetoric of late to continue and the longer that we tacitly accept it, we create a permission structure that allows the animosity in one corner of our politics to infect our broader society," Obama said. "And animosity breeds animosity."

Without mentioning the GOP candidate by name, Obama used a unity luncheon at the Capitol to express his concern with the nation's political discourse and the protests that have escalated to attacks at the Trump rallies. The candidate has spoken of barring Muslims from entering the country and deporting immigrants living here illegally.

Obama pleaded for civility and said political leaders can either condone "this race to the bottom" or reject it.

"We have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities, and Americans that don't look like us or pray like us or vote like we do," Obama said at the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon.

Obama also emphasized that efforts to shut down free speech were "misguided." Protesters forced Trump to cancel a rally in Chicago on Friday. He said he rejects "any effort to spread fear or encourage violence or shut people down while they are trying to speak."

"We live in a country where free speech is one of the most important rights that we hold. In response to those events we've seen actual violence, and we've heard silence from too many of our leaders," Obama said.

Trump's political rivals and others blame him for sowing division, rather than unity, across the country. Trump says he's done no such thing and calls himself a "uniter."

Obama said that while some may bear more of the blame for the ugly political climate, everyone bears responsibility for reversing it.

"It is a cycle that is not an accurate reflection of America. It has to stop," Obama said. "And I say that not as a matter of political correctness, it's about the way that corrosive behavior can undermine our democracy and our society and even our economy."

The president reminded the audience of Republicans and Democrats, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., that the world is watching the U.S. candidates and what they say.

"In America there aren't laws that say we have to be nice to each other. ... But there are norms, there are customs, there are values that our parents taught us and that we try to teach to our children," the president said.

He said people should not be afraid to take their children to a debate or a rally.

Obama received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his remarks.

Ryan also spoke at the event, as did Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. Ryan said earlier Tuesday that all candidates have an obligation to do what they can to provide an atmosphere of harmony at campaign events and not incite violence.

Obama said he appreciated Ryan's comments. And he said that even though the two men disagree on politics, he would not insult the House speaker "as a man."

"The point is we can have political debates without turning on one another," Obama said. "We can disagree without assuming it is motivated by malice."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he spoke to Trump on Tuesday and asked him to condemn violence no matter who is responsible. It was the first time the two men have spoken since December.

"I appreciate his call, and I took the opportunity to recommend to him that no matter who may be triggering these violent expressions or conflicts that we have been seeing at some of these rallies, it might be a good idea to condemn that and discourage it no matter what the source of it is," McConnell said.
____

Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-16

[Ulysses G.]

What a hypocrite this guy is. Obama is the one who said: “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” about the Republicans.

[ukrules]

Trump is pounding the other candidates in Florida so far.

Watch it live here : http://apps.bostonglobe.com/election-results/2016/primary/republican/florida/?p1=BG_election_SwitchToGOP

[wwest5829]

What a hypocrite this guy is. Obama is the one who said: If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun, about the Republicans.

Right! It's Obama's fault. If he had not been elected (twice), the wealth gap...shrinking working middle class, would not be under so much financial pressure tearing at the social fabric.

[F430murci]

Two faced piece of . . . Loves it when his boys are rioting, looting and razing (uhm, I mean protesting), but gets offended at Trump when his boys show up at a Trump Rally and start a scene??? Dude is a joke. Sad part is all of the nitwits out there that fall for his rhetoric.

[kamahele]

Two faced piece of . . . Loves it when his boys are rioting, looting and razing (uhm, I mean protesting), but gets offended at Trump when his boys show up at a Trump Rally and start a scene??? Dude is a joke. Sad part is all of the nitwits out there that fall for his rhetoric.

Wow, his boys? Can you say racist much?

[kamahele]

What a hypocrite this guy is. Obama is the one who said: “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” about the Republicans.

Yes, he said it but wasn't actually referring to actual weapons. It was a metaphor and said jokingly in reference to the local crowd. Chozick, June 13, 2008: He [Obama] warned that the general election campaign could get ugly. “They’re going to try to scare people. They’re going to try to say that ‘that Obama is a scary guy,’ ” he said. A donor yelled out a deep accented “Don’t give in!”

“I won’t but that sounded pretty scary. You’re a tough guy,” Obama said.

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said. “Because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”

[kiwikeith]

What a hypocrite this guy is. Obama is the one who said: “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” about the Republicans.

He also said live on Tele, that occasionally we have to twist the arms of other countries that dont agree with us.

Anyhow it.s just like big time wrestling , all a show, Trump is great friends with the Clintons.

[F430murci]

Two faced piece of . . . Loves it when his boys are rioting, looting and razing (uhm, I mean protesting), but gets offended at Trump when his boys show up at a Trump Rally and start a scene??? Dude is a joke. Sad part is all of the nitwits out there that fall for his rhetoric.

Wow, his boys? Can you say racist much?

Oh give me a break. Pathetic people try to play race cards whenever they can because they are . . . Pathetic and got nothing else.

[chuckd]

What a hypocrite this guy is. Obama is the one who said: “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” about the Republicans.

Yes, he said it but wasn't actually referring to actual weapons. It was a metaphor and said jokingly in reference to the local crowd. Chozick, June 13, 2008: He [Obama] warned that the general election campaign could get ugly. “They’re going to try to scare people. They’re going to try to say that ‘that Obama is a scary guy,’ ” he said. A donor yelled out a deep accented “Don’t give in!”

“I won’t but that sounded pretty scary. You’re a tough guy,” Obama said.

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said. “Because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,”

That's the Chicago way. You can't spin that one away.

[Ulysses G.]

What a hypocrite this guy is. Obama is the one who said: If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun, about the Republicans.

Yes, he said it but wasn't actually referring to actual weapons. It was a metaphor and said jokingly in reference to the local crowd.

Maybe so, but Trump is usually joking too, but that does not stop the criticism.

[Ulysses G.]

His joke had nothing to do with sex - unless one has a filthy mind. He was making a self-deprecating joke, making fun of himself for dating younger women.

[connda]

Obama's rhetoric is political relativism: "If I do it, it's ok; if the other guy does it, it's not ok."

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said in Philadelphia last night. “Because from what I understand, folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”

-- Barack Obama, 2008 campaign speech, Philadelphia, PA

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/18/ex_cia_analyst_ray_mcgovern_beaten

-- Silent protestor, Ex-CIA Ray Mcgovern, beaten for turning back on Hillery Clinton during speech

Considering how decrepit and base the entire political process is, in both major parties, statements like that from the POTUS are simply the pot calling the kettle black¹. As kiwikeith mentioned above (and spot on imho): this entire presidential dog-and-pony show is simply like 'Big Time Wrestling' -- it's Theater of the Absurd to placate the dumbed-down electorate. If Trump is elected, he may change an ingrained political establishment in the US that disparately needs changing, but I'm not going to hold my breath or get excited about the prospect.

¹The phrase "The pot calling the kettle black" is an idiom used to claim that a person is guilty of the very thing of which they accuse another. Pots and kettles in days gone by, where hung above a fire in a hearth. After years of wear, they accumulated baked on soot rendering them black in color.

Edited March 16, 2016 by connda

[seedy]

Troll / Flaming posts Removed

[Chicog]

Obama's rhetoric is political relativism: "If I do it, it's ok; if the other guy does it, it's not ok."

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said in Philadelphia last night. “Because from what I understand, folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”

-- Barack Obama, 2008 campaign speech, Philadelphia, PA

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/18/ex_cia_analyst_ray_mcgovern_beaten

-- Silent protestor, Ex-CIA Ray Mcgovern, beaten for turning back on Hillery Clinton during speech

Considering how decrepit and base the entire political process is, in both major parties, statements like that from the POTUS are simply the pot calling the kettle black¹. As kiwikeith mentioned above (and spot on imho): this entire presidential dog-and-pony show is simply like 'Big Time Wrestling' -- it's Theater of the Absurd to placate the dumbed-down electorate. If Trump is elected, he may change an ingrained political establishment in the US that disparately needs changing, but I'm not going to hold my breath or get excited about the prospect.

¹The phrase "The pot calling the kettle black" is an idiom used to claim that a person is guilty of the very thing of which they accuse another. Pots and kettles in days gone by, where hung above a fire in a hearth. After years of wear, they accumulated baked on soot rendering them black in color.

Ah, the old "both sides" argument.

I don't think you can compare Trump's carnival barking at hyperactive knuckle draggers with any previous campaign by anyone.

Does even George Wallace come close?

[boomerangutang]

One man is an articulate gentleman who was elected by majority several times to public office.

The other is a crude hothead who has never been elected to anything.

No contest. Thankfully, Trump won't get enough votes in November.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

What a hypocrite this guy is. Obama is the one who said: If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun, about the Republicans.

Yes, he said it but wasn't actually referring to actual weapons. It was a metaphor and said jokingly in reference to the local crowd.

Maybe so, but Trump is usually joking too, but that does not stop the criticism.

Joking my ass!!! You are so full of it. Go back and look at Trumps statements. He is telling people to beat others and he will cover their legal bills!! Take them out on stretchers!!

Cut the BS!!

What Trump is doing and saying is disgusting and wrong. He is fuelling hate and fear then standing back and blaming it on the economy instead of his hate speeches.

Trump is quick to say he is acting very presidential (very nice of him to compliment himself) but the fact is he is not acting presidential and is walking down a very dangerous path, and taking the hate mongers in America with him.

I am sure you will try and spin this but in the very near future whatever you say will be proved wrong as it is about to hit the fan in a big way. The violence WILL escalate and things are about to turn very ugly, and YES, it is ALL Trumps fault for encouraging and condoning the violence.

You aren't seeing this at a Sanders convention are you???

[dunroaming]

I think that Obama's "race to the bottom" comment sums it up very well.

Trump is leading a movement and Clinton is the grubby face of the establishment. In theory you should all get behind the rebel out there trying to change the system but a moron like Trump isn't the man to do it. So you either get Clinton and more of the same or Trump who will destroy what credibility the US has left.

Either way the future doesn't look rosy

[Chicog]

I think that Obama's "race to the bottom" comment sums it up very well.

Trump is leading a movement

"Movement" is a very appropriate word for it.

[Ulysses G.]

You aren't seeing this at a Sanders convention are you???

What you see is thugs taking over the stage and taking his microphone away from him. Now THAT is disgusting!

[chuckd]

You aren't seeing this at a Sanders convention are you???

What you see is thugs taking over the stage and taking his microphone away from him. Now THAT is disgusting!

You mean like this?

If this is the best the Sanders campaign can do up against 3-4 Black Lives Matter protesters, just imagine how quickly Putin could get a surrender.

[arjunadawn]

Pot >>> Kettle "Black"

[connda]

Obama's rhetoric is political relativism: "If I do it, it's ok; if the other guy does it, it's not ok."

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said in Philadelphia last night. “Because from what I understand, folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”

-- Barack Obama, 2008 campaign speech, Philadelphia, PA

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/18/ex_cia_analyst_ray_mcgovern_beaten

-- Silent protestor, Ex-CIA Ray Mcgovern, beaten for turning back on Hillery Clinton during speech

Considering how decrepit and base the entire political process is, in both major parties, statements like that from the POTUS are simply the pot calling the kettle black¹. As kiwikeith mentioned above (and spot on imho): this entire presidential dog-and-pony show is simply like 'Big Time Wrestling' -- it's Theater of the Absurd to placate the dumbed-down electorate. If Trump is elected, he may change an ingrained political establishment in the US that disparately needs changing, but I'm not going to hold my breath or get excited about the prospect.

¹The phrase "The pot calling the kettle black" is an idiom used to claim that a person is guilty of the very thing of which they accuse another. Pots and kettles in days gone by, where hung above a fire in a hearth. After years of wear, they accumulated baked on soot rendering them black in color.

Ah, the old "both sides" argument.

I don't think you can compare Trump's carnival barking at hyperactive knuckle draggers with any previous campaign by anyone.

Does even George Wallace come close?

With the Congress/Senate having a whopping sub-double digit approval rating, and the presidential office historically open to the highest bidder (or whomever sells their soul to Goldman-Sachs, the MIC, et.al), at this point in time, you're watching the average 'Joe on the street' basically say, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Trump is not a career politician. Personally, I'd like to see all 'career politicians' removed from office and replaced with individuals who are not 'brought and paid for' by special interests, corporations, Super-PACs, and foreign government contributing to 'foundations' (such an innocuous word, like the Clinton Foundation).

What most individuals who cleave to the status quo don't 'understand' is that there is a huge swath of Americans who feel completely disenfranchised by the 'business as usual', corrupt politics that have insinuated themselves into the fabric of American life.

One hyphenated word: 'Blow-back'.

That's what you're witnessing in America right now. That's what you just witnessed in Germany last Sunday (for those who can pull their Expat heads out of their beers, there is a common theme running under public sentiment on both sides of 'The Pond').

Whine (winge), cry, moan...it's irrelevant. The ingrained political system, the 'status quo' set the conditions; Trump is simply the 'less then perfect' solution that people are searching for. The more $$$ and propaganda that are tossed at him, the more he appeals to the disenfranchise...people who feel beat down my their own government watch the Inner Beltway Boyz and Gals attempting to beat down Trump anyway they can, and they see......a kindred spirit. The people who vote for Trump may not endorse his tactics, but they are fed up with the political establishment's lies and BS even more.

The lesser of two evils: The relativistic choice of a tired middle-America. He may win; he may not. But the field of play has now changed, for the better imho.

[boomerangutang]

How long has Trump been shouting "excuse me" when he wants to shut someone up? Since 2nd grade? Did he learn that from his daddy?

It gets old so quickly. I'd like to see Trump discussing something with someone with a louder voice than him (like my voice, for example). Trump would try interrupting me by repeating, "excuse me, excuse me, excuse me" ....and I would out-shout him right in his face and say "Exxcuuuzze Meeee!" and he would wilt like a naughty puppy.

[boomerangutang]

With the Congress/Senate having a whopping sub-double digit approval rating, and the presidential office historically open to the highest bidder (or whomever sells their soul to Goldman-Sachs, the MIC, et.al), at this point in time, you're watching the average 'Joe on the street' basically say, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

Trump is not a career politician. Personally, I'd like to see all 'career politicians' removed from office and replaced with individuals who are not 'brought and paid for' by special interests, corporations, Super-PACs, and foreign government contributing to 'foundations' (such an innocuous word, like the Clinton Foundation).

What most individuals who cleave to the status quo don't 'understand' is that there is a huge swath of Americans who feel completely disenfranchised by the 'business as usual', corrupt politics that have insinuated themselves into the fabric of American life.

One hyphenated word: 'Blow-back'.

That's what you're witnessing in America right now. That's what you just witnessed in Germany last Sunday (for those who can pull their Expat heads out of their beers, there is a common theme running under public sentiment on both sides of 'The Pond').

Whine (winge), cry, moan...it's irrelevant. The ingrained political system, the 'status quo' set the conditions; Trump is simply the 'less then perfect' solution that people are searching for. The more $$$ and propaganda that are tossed at him, the more he appeals to the disenfranchise...people who feel beat down my their own government watch the Inner Beltway Boyz and Gals attempting to beat down Trump anyway they can, and they see......a kindred spirit. The people who vote for Trump may not endorse his tactics, but they are fed up with the political establishment's lies and BS even more.

The lesser of two evils: The relativistic choice of a tired middle-America. He may win; he may not. But the field of play has now changed, for the better imho.

"Trump is not a career politician."

Trump could very well be worse than a career politician. At least a politician knows something about how to get legislation passed. Trump is a career real estate opportunist who has never worked with others for the common good. Everything he's done is for his own amassing of as much money as possible.

"That's what you just witnessed in Germany last Sunday"

The current German situation is a lot different than what's going on. However, the German situation of the late 1930's is spookily close to what's shaping up in America right now, in the sense of personality cults. How different are Hitler and Trump and their manipulation of the masses' fears and prejudices? Perhaps Mussolini is a more realistic comparison to Trump. Hitler at least didn't speak ill of women, and didn't cuss like a 6 year old school yard bully.

[lannarebirth]

I think that Obama's "race to the bottom" comment sums it up very well.

Trump is leading a movement and Clinton is the grubby face of the establishment. In theory you should all get behind the rebel out there trying to change the system but a moron like Trump isn't the man to do it. So you either get Clinton and more of the same or Trump who will destroy what credibility the US has left.

Either way the future doesn't look rosy

A nations history and credibility isn't made or lost in one election. What's clear is that the nations trajectory needs to change. What establishment this country needs to move forward it doesn't have. Before a new establishment can be installed the old establishment needs to be taken out. This isn't the process of one election or one decade. It's going to take a long time.

What's clear is that the current establishment doesn't serve the needs of the people. The current establishment does best when the greatest number of people have declining standards of living, the nation that serves it can be used as a force to project power that serve its interests, and that the nations treasury can be plundered easily. If the instruments of government can be used to insulate the establishment from the ramifications of its actions, so much the better. Anyhow, that's where we are now. It's not a sustainable place. The question is, how much longer can it go on?

I saw the election this way. Vote for Sanders and you begin to apply the brakes against all that negative momentum. Vote Trump, whom could inadvertently begin to slow the decline, or precipitate a sharpish decline big enough that people would begin to see how much peril their country is truly in. Or vote for Clinton the face of the establishment. A war monger, serving the interests of others while draining the nations treasury to do it and simultaneously inoculating her masters from fault or damages. It is astonishing to be that most people don't see the real danger in that. They'll see a Clinton good/Bush bad, Buffet good/Koch bad or vice versa, when in fact its all the exact same thing used for the same purpose.

[boomerangutang]

Two guys get bullied at a Trump rally in Massachusetts. All they did was sit quietly in the back of the audience. Each had a hastily scribbled sign on medium size paper. One sign said, "America is already great". That sign was torn up by aTrump security guard. Within a minute, the crowd in their vicinity focused their ire on the two guys, and the two were strongarmed from the hall.

[chuckd]

Two guys get bullied at a Trump rally in Massachusetts. All they did was sit quietly in the back of the audience. Each had a hastily scribbled sign on medium size paper. One sign said, "America is already great". That sign was torn up by aTrump security guard. Within a minute, the crowd in their vicinity focused their ire on the two guys, and the two were strongarmed from the hall.

Strongarmed (sic) from the hall? It looked more like they were escorted out by security and not harmed in the least.

Did you bother to ask yourself why a camera was so available, who took the video and how it ended up on TYT so quickly?

This entire incident was planned, probably by TYT and carried out for maximum effect. Two minutes of demonstration followed by over 7 minutes of commentary.

They have had their two minutes of fame.

[up-country_sinclair]

Some posters are going to need to visit a chiropractor after all the contortions they're twisting themselves into in order to justify the toxic words of Trump and the brown-shirt behavior of his know-nothing fanboys.

[boomerangutang]

Two guys get bullied at a Trump rally in Massachusetts. All they did was sit quietly in the back of the audience. Each had a hastily scribbled sign on medium size paper. One sign said, "America is already great". That sign was torn up by aTrump security guard. Within a minute, the crowd in their vicinity focused their ire on the two guys, and the two were strongarmed from the hall.

Strongarmed (sic) from the hall? It looked more like they were escorted out by security and not harmed in the least.

Did you bother to ask yourself why a camera was so available, who took the video and how it ended up on TYT so quickly?

This entire incident was planned, probably by TYT and carried out for maximum effect. Two minutes of demonstration followed by over 7 minutes of commentary.

They have had their two minutes of fame.

Chuck, I could write your posts, when you try to dis something which shows the real Trump or his fans. You disregard all the true statements in the commentary, and latch on to one item which may be slightly dramatized: and then proceed to rail on that one item as if it cancels the veracity of the original commentary. Here's a comparison:

Initial statement: the green car won the race and the fans shouted congratulations to the winning driver.

Chuck's likely response: The car wasn't actually green in the true sense. It was more pea colored or mint leaf colored. (.....as if insinuating the entire initial statement was faulty).