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by Deacon Blues The mainstream media is noticing the "Obama Derangement Syndrome" in full display amongst the right wing punditocracy and what's left of the GOP. Maybe it is the approach of Obama's 100-day milestone, the crowded agenda of domestic and international issues or the fact that the president is no longer a White House newbie. But the recent high level of hysteria from conservative pundits - which has been dubbed the "Obama Derangement Syndrome" by the leftist blogosphere - underscores a crucial marker that might say as much about Obama's critics as it does about Obama himself. Jack Glaser, associate professor of the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, says the use of such hyper-heated language from the right so early into the Obama administration "seems pretty clearly to be an act of desperation." "They can't get any thing to stick to him," he said, citing a New York Times poll this week that showed that two-thirds of Americans approve of Obama's job performance in office, while a record low of 31 percent said they have a favorable view of the Republican Party. Tangentially, I believe this White House feels they have a wide degree of latitude even among their assumed supporters amongst us in the center-left because of these high poll numbers, even when they do odious things like support Bush's domestic spying illegalities.



Critics are "grabbing on to whatever they can," Glaser observed, a tactic that is sometimes head-spinning. During the 2008 election, Obama was accused by many of these same voices of being socialist and "he wasn't patriotic enough," Glaser notes. "And now, he's fascist." As Jon Stewart said so well earlier this week on "The Daily Show", what's really going on here is that the GOP can't stand being on the outside looking in for the first time in a generation, and they are coming unhinged. But what's really sad about all of this is that this country needs a real debate about solutions, and needs to hear something from the conservatives other than "no, because he's a fascist." Now is the time for good ideas from all corners, and the GOP has taken itself off the playing field. Deacon Blues :: 6:35 AM :: :: 6:35 AM :: Comments (14) :: Digg It!



