Some of President Obama's policies are not faring well in public opinion, but will anyone be told? On February 2, a Gallup poll found that Obama's executive order "allowing U.S. funding for overseas family planning organizations that provide abortion" was decidedly unpopular: only 35 percent approved, while 58 percent disapproved. You didn't know this? You're not alone: A Nexis survey finds none of the television networks, cable or broadcast, noticed these results, either. The Gallup survey found overwhelming approval for other Obama policies - on higher fuel efficiency standards, on restricting lobbyists from joining his administration, on interrogating suspects according... continue reading
Beware celebrities getting involved in politics. In a 2007 CBS News poll, 49 percent of the public agreed with the notion that "Hollywood celebrities are inexperienced about politics and should stay out of politics." When asked if celebrity endorsements would make voters more or less to support a candidate, 78 percent said it "won't matter to people on way or the other." I can only conclude that 51 percent of Americans have never heard Hollywood celebrities speak out. Let's take Cher, the singer who can't honor her promises to retire. Upon Barack Obama's inauguration, Cher told CNSNews.com that she loved... continue reading
Must we always fight Washington policy wars using preferred Democrat terms? Today's example is the "stimulus package," or as ABC touts on screen during its newscasts, the Obama "Rescue Plan," as if the new president was donning Ronald Reagan's lifeguard uniform and pulling the economy out of the surf. Despite the dominant media terms, liberals like those at the Huffington Post are complaining the Democrats aren't effectively resisting "as Republicans seek to tar it as a 'spending bill.'" Only in the world of politics does one "tar" an issue by calling a spending bill a spending bill. But Republicans and... continue reading
McKay Hatch is a 15-year-old boy from South Pasadena, California who people clearly hate. He's received over 60,000 negative E-mails, most of them vicious, some including death threats that have spawned police and FBI investigations. What has this boy done that's caused such anger? Was he caught dealing drugs? Did he rage? Did he kill? No. He started a No Cussing Club. And for that he is vilified. Hatch says some people are going out of their way to curse him at school, on the Internet and on the phone. They send him pornographic magazine subscriptions. Not long ago, someone... continue reading
Authors often try to release their books at an absolutely perfect moment for stoking sales. Exhibit A is PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, who scheduled her liberal "era of Obama" thrill-fest about hot-shot black Democrats for Barack Obama's Inauguration Day. Tony Blankley did almost exactly the opposite. To paraphrase the famous Bill Buckley slogan for National Review, Blankley's new book stands athwart the historic Obama swearing-in, yelling stop. It's titled "American Grit," and it calls for a "new nationalism," a notion at odds with Obama's open disdain for American exceptionalism. The left and their media allies have spent nearly every day... continue reading
Barack Obama's inauguration was an enormous magnet for the stars of stage, screen, TV, and the radio, the celebrity-stuffed culmination of the goals of the Sixties civil rights movement. Some of the most prominent stars were black musicians. This is an opportunity to raise the question: Whither goest black popular culture, especially hip-hop music, under the new president? 1. Will the Obama presidency drain the swamp of hip-hop hate? Can he remake the dividers into uniters? On Tuesday night, the rapper Jay-Z performed on the ABC Inaugural ball special in a tux and nerdy glasses, toning down the thug-rap with... continue reading
Walking the freezing streets of Washington D.C. at 5:00 on the morning of the Inauguration, you could already feel the excitement. In a sense, it's understandable that so many in the press went overboard in their coverage Tuesday: history was made before our eyes. I didn't mind it, really. But what is offensive was the constant refrain that "America comes together" during Inaugurations. This is a line applied to Democrats. Republicans are not awarded that courtesy by the press. The most obvious contrast comes from the Associated Press. On January 12, 2001, the AP headline was "Texans' inaugural ball will... continue reading
For the fourth time in modern history, a presidential inauguration ceremony will include an official poet. Barack Obama has tapped Yale African-American Studies professor Elizabeth Alexander to compose an original poem for the historic occasion of welcoming America's first black president. Inaugurations are high-minded occasions, ceremonies full of hope and idealism and a focus on the historic sweep of our country. A commemorative poem, especially a classic ode to America, sounds like a fine idea. But Team Obama wants something really contemporary. The cultural elite is taking credit for Obama's election, arguing the arts opened narrow American minds to the... continue reading
President Bush came before the White House press corps for the last time on January 12 to thank them for doing their jobs. This exercise was akin to thanking the sharks who ate you. The president said he didn't always like the stories that were generated, "but always, the relationship, I have felt, has been professional." Walking in the footsteps of his father, he'd politely unfurled an obvious fib in a display of social graces. Always professional? President Bush didn't draw any attention to Helen Thomas in the front row as he praised the media for their never-failing professionalism. Helen's... continue reading
The new Congress has arrived in Washington with grand plans to spend a trillion dollars in an endless Christmas, a bailout for anyone in need, or in want, and in line. Now that America has seen how easy it was for the financial powerhouses to walk away with hundreds of billions, one segment of the population after another is getting into the queue. The auto industry drove itself into the ground and wants billions. The mayors mismanaged their cities and they want billions. It was only a matter of time before the governors would wave their "me too!" voices, with... continue reading