Some might have called it a necessarily complex answer to a seemingly simple question. Others might call it a rant, or the blatherings of a drowning man (politically speaking).
But what happened in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday was not only amazing, but had to be uncomfortable and embarrassing to those who heard it — even those who support President Barack Obama and his recently passed healthcare legislation.
A woman at the question-and-answer session with workers at an advanced battery technology manufacturer in Charlotte questioned the wisdom of adding taxes onto the American people to fund the new healthcare mandates. The woman, who said her name is Doris, stated that she was already being taxed too much.
The response that Doris got was (to quote The Washington Post, normally a staunch supporter of the president), “a doozy.”
President Obama went on and on and on, looping and circling while touching on a myriad of subjects, both germane and not-so-germane. His 17-minute “answer” went on so long that some in the audience began yawning — or heading for the exits.
Those who count these sorts of things reported that the Obama discursion toted up to 2,500 words. That’s like 25 typewritten pages, by the rule of thumb I learned in journalism school.
To quote The Washington Post: “His wandering approach might not matter if Obama weren’t being billed as the chief salesman of the health-care overhaul. Public opinion on the bill remains divided, and Democratic officials are planning to send Obama into the country to persuade wary citizens that it will work for them in the long run.”
The Post further observed: “It was not evident that he changed any minds at Friday’s event. The audience sat politely, but people in the back of the room began to wander off.”
Taxes are an important subject. And yes, I will put my opinion out there: We are being taxed way too much already, and I’ve seen nothing to convince me that a further huge barrage of taxes are not on theirr way, in part because of this so-called health care reform, but also for the profligate spending of Mr. Obama and his predessors.
President Obama’s 17-minute diatribe, rant or explanation, however you want to characterize it, came off as nothing less than the sound of a president caught in the headlights, defensive and even panicked seeming.
American’s deserve straight answers on taxes and a frank discussion of whether or not we have crossed the line toward total bankruptcy, not only of the nation but of individuals and families and their dreams. The president’s 17 minutes of verbal dancing did not cut it.
