One of the favorite methods of misinforming the public employed by Fox Nation is to pinch a snippet of text from an Obama statement and misconstrue it to suggest a meaning it never actually had. One famous of example of this was the phony “You didn’t build that” controversy. Today Fox Nation adds to this legacy with this contrivance: “Obama Complains He’s Constrained By the Copnstitution.”
As you might already suspect, that is not at all what happened. While discussing the concerns of gun worshiping radicals that new legislation was going to result in widespread confiscation of all weapons, Obama noted that their nightmares could not possibly come true because they are constitutionally prohibited. This is what he said:
“You hear some of these quotes: ‘I need a gun to protect myself from the government.’ ‘We can’t do background checks because the government is going to come take my guns away. Well, the government is us. These officials are elected by you. They are elected by you. I am elected by you. I am constrained, as they are constrained, by a system that our Founders put in place. It’s a government of and by and for the people.”
Obama was plainly attempting to ease the irrational fears of a few conspiracy nuts. His remarks were not the least bit controversial and were not anything that hasn’t been expressed before. For instance, this guy:
There is nothing in Obama’s statement that could be plausibly interpreted as a “complaint.” Nevertheless, the Fox Nationalists (with help from Glenn Beck’s site which they used as their source) presented it that way while neglecting to publish the entire quote so their readers would have the full context. The only part they posted was their bastardized headline. But since that fit their mission to misconstrue everything the President says in a derogatory manner, they leaped at the opportunity.
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No wonder Fox is losing viewers in droves. Who can listen to or read this shit? The dishonesty of these people are damaging, to say the least, to the political discord in this country. Washington has stopped functioning with these political fundamentalists doing everything they can to make things worse. They are hell bent on destroying government by the people. Obama got a mandate in the last election, yet they will not allow him to do one thing he was reelected for! If the republican wrecking crew gain in 2014 we are all screwed.
Can you tell me something specific on which Barak Obama campaigned that would fall under this so called mandate? Anything?? And what he didn’t get?
Funny how the American people re-elected both Barak Obama AND a republican house – any thoughts on that? Maybe it’s not the mandate you think it is.
He campaigned on raising taxes on the rich, investing in infrastructure, and on job stimulating creation. The GOP has since blocked every bill to address these things that polls show voters favor.
And people not only voted overwhelmingly for Obama, they also added nine Democrats to the House and two to the senate. And they did that in a year that everyone expected them to lose seats in congress. I’d call that a mandate.
I’m sure you do think he got a mandate – but he doesn’t hold all the cards nor was he given all the power as he was given in 2008. I know it’s very hard for you statist types to accept he isn’t a dictator and just can’t get everything he wants, but in the end, he needs the house of representatives too, so maybe he should try a bit harder to work with them. He got his tax increase at the beginning of the year – so he got something he wanted and on which he campaigned. Compromise doesn’t mean republicans give in to what he wants just because he is Barak Obama and he is president – the executive branch is just one part of the power structure – thank God.
Mark, try reading your article title and your responses to me – Do you truly believe the president should be constrained by the constitution or does the supposed mandate you and Randy claim absolve him of that constraint? You do know each representative is elected by a small slice of the electorate and they are responsible to uphold the constitution and to their constituents, not to blindly follow the president. Will you be so loose with this if/when someday there is a republican president and a democrat house?? I’m sure not being that you are 100% hypocrite.
What are you talking about? The president is, and should be, constrained by the Constitution, as are all public servants. The point of this article is that right-wing media tried to misinterpret Obama’s remarks to imply that he was complaining about that restraint. He wasn’t complaining, he was merely pointing out the fact in order to pacify the nut cases who think he’s trying to confiscate all their weapons.
If you think anything I wrote here advocates eliminating the constraints of the Constitution you’re comprehension skills are seriously impaired.
Yeah, I’ve heard that before – you never advocate anything in writing, you just like to suggest it in everything you write. No I don’t think you actually want a reduction in constitutional constraint, what you want is any opposing conservative politicians to VOLUNTARILY give it up because of who he is (ie Barak Obama). There is no mandate here as you suggest and so long as there is an opposition, as poorly as it’s represented by the republican party, the dear leader doesn’t get everything he wants just because he wants it – which is what you suggest in your response to the mandate question. Yes, Fox Nation is a joke and horribly misrepresents things, so we agree on something. You’re just not much better when it comes to progressive causes.
Mark, there just isn’t any way you can argue with a stupid person. It doesn’t work. Let alone a stupid troll. I gave up when I discovered that he’s just a dumbass. I mean….the first line of his last response says it all dude. It’s not worth the energy.
I love it when you respond – I thoght you were going to ignore me. And you are wasting your time, I consider your ideology – progressive, pro-state/government beliefs, to be the single greatest threat to every individual in this country (note I stated your ideology as opposed to you personally). So in the end, you are wasting your energy – I just can’t be taught the benefits of progressivism – maybe I belong in a re-education camp for those who just won’t conform, we may end up there some day if you have it your way.