It's time for a reality check ...

People are afraid to say what they think about Obama

Been puzzling over this for some time. 

How can someone who has done such a poor job as President still have such a high “likeability” rating? It’s still high in all the polls, while his job-approval rating continues to slide into the 30s.  Usually the two go hand in hand.  But not with Obama. 

It defies logic.

The economy stinks.  Unemployment is still very high.  Stockholder equity in GM was wiped out and given away to the unions, which hurt a lot of small investors and pension funds.  Health care premiums have skyrocketed.  He wants to raise taxes, and will through ObamaCare.  His own party controls the Senate, which hasn’t passed a budget in three years, and every budget he’s submitted has been defeated.  Food costs keep climbing.  Gas prices are high.  And the deficit is ballooning. 

Fully 63% or more of the public think the country’s going in the wrong direction.  That’s 63% of everybody --  including Republicans, Democrats, independents, Libertarians, whatever.   

Under any other circumstances, he’d be a pariah.  People would be calling for his head.  But he’s apparently still really “likeable.”  At least according to the public opinion polls. 

So why?

It’s because he’s black.  And people are afraid to criticize him for fear of being labeled a racist. 

There, I’ve said what we all have felt.  People cut Obama a break simply because of his race. 

In reality, if he were white, Hispanic or Asian and as arrogant, condescending and superficial as he actually is, and had the track record he’s built so far, he wouldn’t get that kind of break.  His popularity would be in the toilet. 

However, many people – particularly whites – don’t want to call him out and lower the boom because they don’t want to be racist, or appear to be.  So when they are asked in a poll about his likeability as a person, they put their thumb on the scale.   

When it’s about his job approval – how well he’s done in his job as President – and not about him personally, the thumb comes off the scale and the numbers plummet.    

So I suspect his likeability is actually much lower than reported. 

Certainly African Americans will continue to support him.  Even though they’ve borne the brunt of his economic failures, and his support of gay marriage is anathema to many, they’ll support him for the same reason they voted for him the first time – he’s black. 

But they don’t have the numbers alone to keep his likeability up in the 50% and higher range.  They’re only about 13% of the total population.  Registered Democrats are only about 27% of the overall registered voters, and a lot of Democrats are already in the African American count. 

So the numbers don’t make sense.   You can’t get to 50+% likeability on his base alone.  There have to be a lot of others who respond that they really like him but he really sucks at his job. 

A little side note here:  It’s fascinating that those so desperately trying to avoid being considered racist by cutting slack for someone because they’re black are actually racists, by definition.  They’ve made a decision about someone solely based on race. 

This isn’t what Dr. King envisioned.  Remember “a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” …

You can’t change human nature, especially when we live in fear of being labeled racists – which is about the worst epithet most white people can imagine.  And usually the most unjustified. 

Ignoring someone’s shortcomings because they are black, or Asian, or Hispanic is the worst, and most insidious form of racism.  It implies that you feel compelled to compensate for their race alone, rather than judge them on their merits; that somehow they need an extra edge not necessary if all else were equal. 

So it’s time for everyone to take their thumb off the scale for Obama.  The media.  Politicians.  The general public alike. 

The fact that he’s black is irrelevant.  Nor does it give him extra points.  He’s a grown up.  He’s gone to the best schools.  He’s been elected President of the United States. 

Let’s just judge him for who he is and what he’s accomplished.  Not his skin color.