Tuesday, January 27, 2009

QUESTION O-THORITY

By L.N. Smithee



I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, the "bluest" metropolitan region in the United States of America. Do those of you living elsewhere think you're surrounded by Obamamania? Within the city limits, you cannot walk or drive more than half a block before you see the ubiquitous (yet brilliantly conceived) Obama campaign logo or some sort of poster, sign, or t-shirt lauding his existence or victory. People here are still in the moment that began last November, hanging on their own personal sweet love hangover.

For all of us who don't buy into the hype, it's difficult to express ourselves without sounding belligerent. This is not because we are itching for an argument about President Obama's abilities, but because that is the way every doubt about him sounds to his True Believers. Their admiration of him, devotion to him, and in some cases obsession with him usually is reserved solely for followers of religious leaders. I got sick of waiting for someone else to come up with a way to forcefully -- yet politely -- express resistance to something I have never experienced in my life: Americans treating a national leader as if he were a god.

Noting that people -- led by mainstream media figures and politicians on both sides -- are being encouraged not to question Obama's judgment (or at least, temporarily mute their concerns) on his appointees, his policies, his stated goals, and his methods of attaining them, it seemed to me the tables had turned since the '60s and '70s, when default wisdom was to distrust the government rather than rally around the President. Back then, it wasn't uncommon to see the bumper sticker reading "QUESTION AUTHORITY."

It has been a while since I've seen that sticker. The ones condemning the President have been a good deal more personally insulting the past eight years. It occurred to me that it was time for that sentiment -- which is a good idea regardless of the quality of the leader targeted -- to make a comeback.

And so, I give you..."QUESTION O-THORITY."

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm with you, it's definitely time to Question O-thority!

hawkdriver said...

Great site here and great comments at HotAir. I have questioned Othority since the beginning.

irvingprime said...

Nice! I'd take a dozen or so but I live in New York state. If I put that wonderful bumper sticker on my car, I would be the victim of a homicidal road rage incident the first time I drove to work.

ArtMom said...

Yeah, its definitely hard to rebuttal the obama praise and worship going on, I"m at a Christian college and they , even here, are getting up during chapel services and praising him as the greatest Christian american man, capable of lifting all oppression caused by the Bush Ad.

Anonymous said...

This is going on my pickup today.

adagioforstrings said...

Argh...it's aggravating walking through the parking lot to work surrounded by the plethora of Obama stickers. I keep my McCain sticker on just for spite.