Brewer Versus The Prez

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer had a testy exchange on the airport tarmac with President Obama when he recently visited the state. Brewer had the temerity to point her finger st the President. Now the news media are offering every sort of explanation of what they think went on. One said that Obama didn't like the way Brewer has portrayed him in a forthcoming book. Who can say with absolute certainty - both sides have aired their views on the subject. The truth is blowing in the wind. Obama, like any President, wants his image to be portrayed as good. I cannot blame him for feeling that way. However, he is known to be prickly and despite the fact that a good many Americans worship at his shrine and/or fawn over him he has faults like any human being. His base rarely critizes him and he gets a pass from some of them because of his color. 

Comments

[Ingineer66]

Obama has publicly said some pretty harsh things about Brewer and the people of Arizona over the past 3 years. If he can't take a little heat then he should stay out of the kitchen.

[Rain]

Poking your finger in someone's face (as the photo clearly showed her doing) is rude in any polite interaction. You do that to me, male or female, and I'll be avoiding you from then on. If that's acceptable anywhere, I'd like to know where. I don't know why she did it but she offered her own excuse. It hurt Obama as there is a whole segment of voters in Arizona and elsewhere who were glad she did it and would vote for her just based on that one act. Actually they did for the rhetoric she spews out. Arizona is a very red state and it likely will stay that way in the next election.

[Paul]

Perhaps Governor Brewer had a good reason. That being said a poke is the least of his worries. Obama isn't highly regarded by a lot of people down here in South Carolina because of the Boeing thing. He favors unions and doesn't like right to work laws. Some think that he used the NLRB to do his dirty work. Just so you know Rain. So is he really concerned about her pointing her finger at him ?

[Rain]

I don't know how much Obama cared about it. I was stating how I feel and I'd feel the same way if she had done it to Gingrich or Romney. She's a rude woman and it's come up time and again. Tucsonians don't like her. Phoenix people (the larger population) are more red leaning and evidently think she's just fine. She's done a lot of other things but what I said about her wasn't about the poking in terms of racism. I thought that was rude and showing no respect for the office of president which she claims she does respect even if she doesn't respect the occupant. But she didn't show it. What I said was racist was for her to try and excuse herself by saying she was frightened. IF she was scared, she was yielding to an inner fear of the 'other' which in many communities is taught. It's not like it hasn't cropped up before in that area (and elsewhere) like when the black Congresswoman from Phoenix area was pulled over by a cop because she was in a nice neighborhood and driving a nice car. That's reality and it's not in the past.

I can't vote for her or against her as even though I own property in Tucson, I don't live there enough to get to vote. I know though how many nice people down there do feel about the things she has tried to pull. I also know it worked to get her elected in that state because for a lot of people, her poking her finger in Obama's face will be a plus. they love it.

I wouldn't dream of treating anybody that way-- but I was taught manners by my family and maybe she never was and likewise those who would defend her. This is not about defending Obama. It's about something I find abominable in an elected official-- any of them. The racism came in because of her saying it was justified because she was frightened. You know she might've been taught that fear and it's so deeply imbedded she doesn't even know it's there but it's racist. There is no way he threatened her even though he obviously didn't like her and likely felt as disgusted by her as many others on the left do for what she's been doing. He didn't like being handed a letter that way either. She's obviously a pushy woman and if she was my neighbor, I'd avoid her like the plague.

[Paul]

She may be rude. I don't know. Obama doesn't like Nikki Haley either. She's never pointed at or poked him.

[Ingineer66]

I heard a report today that some think the whole thing was set up by Obama to curry favor with Hispanic voters and she gave him just the reaction he was trying to get. I don't think it helps either of them personally.

[Rain]

I have never seen Nikki Haley act like anything but a lady.

And I agree that it hurt Obama. I don't know why he would have wanted it. They said up until then he thought he had a chance for Arizona and that went up in smoke

[Margaret]

I like unions(they try to protect my meager benefits and salary) and am not a fan of right to work, which is a code word for paying your employees as little as possible while raking in all kinds of profit for the Higher Ups. What's to like about that? And I am part of Obama's base and many, many things he's done have infuriated me and made me criticize him. Have you seen the vitriol that's been printed about him? Evidently his color isn't protecting him much!

[Paul]

The people in a state should decide whether to have unions or not. That is not up to the federal government. Yet that is what Obama and many of his followers want. South Carolina is not the state of Washington. I have lived in both states and I know. The Boeing plants in Washington are unionized. However the people here don't want a union. That is their right.

[Rain]

The federal government has a way of taking state's rights whatever the group in power happens to be. Democrats maybe one direction but Republicans the other. Right now the feds are trying to undo some laws California put in and it's most likely righties fighting them given the causes. And when the Republicans had power they were trying to undo Oregon's death with dignity law. It's not just one party doing this stuff and there do have to be federal rights that trump state's rights or else we'd still have back of the bus laws. BUT the catch is being sure they really are federal, Constitutional rights and not just the partisan goals that change with the wind and election.

[Paul]

Both sides have done it, but the Democrats have the power now. The federal government has a vested interest in limiting states' rights regardless of who is calling the shots.

[Rain]

The democrats do not and have not. During Obama's time in office, the threat of a filibuster has required a 60 vote majority to stop. There were always, even when the dems had that number, many who were blue dogs. They were not voting with the Democrats. Some like Ben Nelson will be replaced this year by a Republican probably more in step with what he actually voted.

And now the Republicans control the House which still enables them blocking pretty much anything which they have done time and again. It didn't help any that Obama was trying to work with Republicans as that wasn't happening. McConnell said it at the start of Obama's term that his goal was to make him a one-term president. Not solve jobs, not work on taxes or wars but one partisan goal. McConnell is not a lowly Republican but its senate leader. You cannot work with people who think that way. IF Romney wins next November, and the Democrats play the same game, it means permanent stalemate until Americans decide which direction they want to go and elect enough people to do it.

[Paul]

And Obama is the President. Both sides have engaged in such antics when they have the power.

[Rain]

On Brewer, it is said now that she created that scene to get her book publicity which it has done-- sending it right up the charts. She denies it ;)

[Paul]

I seriously doubt it Rain. It can't be proven.

[Rain]

Of course, it cannot be proven. BUT it did increase her sales big time. Now why would that be? *s* You defend your rightie and I'll defend my leftie but who knows the truth. All we do know is the impact and it was positive for Brewer's sales which weren't that hot before. It sure didn't help Obama with anybody which kind of means if it was his plot (as ingineer said some righties are suggesting) he lost out from it.

[Paul]

I hope that Jan Brewer makes whatever the market will bear on her book. Obama has on his book, but as we all know Obama doesn't have an agenda and Brewer does. NOT !!

[Rain]

Sometimes what you say amazes me. Who said Obama didn't have an agenda? Not him. Not me. But if someone stages a scene to get attention, that's not the same as an agenda. It's quite possible she didn't do it but she could have. I have no idea and neither do you

[Paul]

You amaze me too Rain...Have a wonderful night....