Obama to skip Arlington on Memorial Day, VP to stand in.

[Recovering LSO]

.

 

[mmx1]

So is his Memorial Day address about paying respects to those that have died in service, or pandering for support among service-members that dislike him? That's the other part that set me off about this "controversy" - using a memorial service as a political talking point, or blithely assuming that the President would use it as such. If this holiday is truly about honoring the fallen, then why should "image" drive his choice of venue?

 

[Clux4]

This is another lame attempt to kick up dust!

Steve,
Trust me, there are host of people out there making sure that President Obama does everything patriotic in his power. That is one easy battle for him to win. So, if you really think he is going to go home and watch TV on Memorial day, think again. I am sure you already know this as you have alluded to an obvious pattern of unpatriotic practices by the CinC.

 

[AJTranny]

Doesn't every leader have a group of advisers that make sure they do and say the right thing for every appearance/ceremony? I think PC is the buzzword everyone here likes to throw around. So, people don't like him because he's too PC, now we're upset because he's not PC enough. Jeez. I guess what I'm getting at is if people don't like him and don't think he respects the military, then why would you be upset if he's not there?

 

[Kycntryboy]

Yeah and $5.25 is perfectly reasonable for the coffee we get in this area! Nectar of the gods ... want whip too, you got it... Hell some of the places up here will serve you in a bikini. So yeah, with the 10+ coffee shops I have within 4 miles of my house, we take our coffee damn serious up here. :tongue2_1

 

[nittany03]

That and $5.25 will get me a cup of coffee.

Want to know how I know you've spent a bunch of time in Washington?

 

[Recovering LSO]

...or pandering for support ...

This part makes me grin.

 

[Brett327]

I think the bottom line here is that petty and unsophisticated people will grasp at nearly anything to tear down politicians they don't like - and this works because most Americans are petty and unsophisicated. This is precisely why politics has devolved into such a game of mud-slinging in past decades. So, in my view, politicians aren't the problem, as they're just playing to their audence. The American public is to blame for believeing that any of this matters,and accepting it as a subtitute for substantive debate on real issus, thus perpetuating it as a viable political tactic.

Brett

 

[Steve Wilkins]

I think the bottom line here is that petty and unsophisticated people will grasp at nearly anything to tear down politicians they don't like - and this works because most Americans are petty and unsophisicated. This is precisely why politics has devolved into such a game of mud-slinging in past decades. So, in my view, politicians aren't the problem, as they're just playing to their audence. The American public is to blame for believeing that any of this matters,and accepting it as a subtitute for substantive debate on real issus, thus perpetuating it as a viable political tactic.

Brett

You really need to read up on American history, specifically early American history. A game of mud slinging in the past decades?. My friend, it goes back much farther than just a few decades. I have a hard time believing you're an advocate of substantive debate. You've said yourself here on this forum many times that it's all just mental masturbation so why even bother discussing it (whatever it is that particular day or week). Rarely have I seen you take a position on a particular issue and defend it. You'd rather be a pragmatist about everything instead of holding to principles you believe in and pretend that everything is a non issue. That's not sophistication. Hell, even my dog knows how to lay down and keep quiet.

 

[Flash]

Might I suggest throttling back a bit and taking the story for what it is. He's skipping out on it - his prerogative... That being said, I disagree with it. That and $5.25 will get me a cup of coffee.

Well, he wasn't the one who took the time to start a thread on it.

He is going to a national cemetery to pay his respects on Memorial Day, how is going to one in the Chicago area less respectful than going to Arlington? Why is going to Arlington in particular so important? Somewhere that is actually more convenient for him to visit. While it is the only active national cemetery that has more restrictive guidelines for being buried there it only holds a fraction of those buried in national cemeteries worldwide. Are those he is honoring in Illinois less deserving of a Presidential visit? Seriously, I don't get it. Brett has a point, this is really grasping at straws.

 

[Brunes]

Well, he wasn't the one who took the time to start a thread on it.

He is going to a national cemetery to pay his respects on Memorial Day, how is going to one in the Chicago area less respectful than going to Arlington? Why is going to Arlington in particular so important? Somewhere that is actually more convenient for him to visit. While it is the only active national cemetery that has more restrictive guidelines for being buried there it only holds a fraction of those buried in national cemeteries worldwide. Are those he is honoring in Illinois less deserving of a Presidential visit? Seriously, I don't get it. Brett has a point, this is really grasping at straws.

He's one person- He's going to spend more time commemorating the sacrifice's made for this nation than most of the rest of the population- who take it for an extra day off at work, if that. Why cling to what "has always happened" just for the sake of it "always happening"??

 

[Recovering LSO]

Well, he wasn't the one who took the time to start a thread on it.

Nice, we're down to "he started it".

 

[Immy]

He's actually coming to the cemetery in my tiny town on Memorial Day (Abraham Lincoln National). Should be quite the mess, though there's supposed to be flyovers so that'll be cool.

 

[Brett327]

You really need to read up on American history, specifically early American history. A game of mud slinging in the past decades?. My friend, it goes back much farther than just a few decades. I have a hard time believing you're an advocate of substantive debate. You've said yourself here on this forum many times that it's all just mental masturbation so why even bother discussing it (whatever it is that particular day or week). Rarely have I seen you take a position on a particular issue and defend it. You'd rather be a pragmatist about everything instead of holding to principles you believe in and pretend that everything is a non issue. That's not sophistication. Hell, even my dog knows how to lay down and keep quiet.

Yes, I'm well aware that mud-slinging is not a new phenomenon, but it's vertainly blossomed recently in the bright light of the 24/7 news coverage we now endure. You're confusing what I deem to be hopeless grandstanding on certain political issues (the aforementioned masturbation) with a debate focused on resolving philosophical differences on substance, while avoiding fluf such as this issue. I take a stand on almost every issue, but the fact that my view don't always allign with yours doesn't make me any less principled. That's a pretty shallow, unidimensional view of the world and I think you're more...sophisticated than that.

Brett

 

[eas7888]

He's actually coming to the cemetery in my tiny town on Memorial Day (Abraham Lincoln National). Should be quite the mess, though there's supposed to be flyovers so that'll be cool.

I hope you get the opportunity to see him. Support the man's policies or not, it's always an honor to hear the President speak.