Jimmy Carter Says US More Polarized Than During Civil War
In day where Jimmy Carter stole headlines for referring to his own tenure post-presidency as "superior" to that of other presidents, I thought it was somewhat disappointing that his real mind-bender was seemingly overlooked – even though it came in the very same interview as his other absolutely ridiculous comments. Remarking on the "state" of the United States, after being asked by Brian Williams if he views it as "glass half-full or half-empty", Carter said he thought President Obama suffers from a Washington that has become more polarized than it was during the time of Abraham Lincoln and the "initiation of the 'war between the states.'"
"This country has become so polarized that its almost astonishing…. Not only with the red and blue states… President Obama suffers from the most polarized situation in Washington that we have ever seen – even maybe than the time of Abraham Lincoln and the initiation of the war between the states."
Skip to 2:25….
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I was just going to let this go after referencing these remarks in another post, but after my brain really came to terms with the enormity of what he was saying there, I couldn't help but give it a home of its own. "Washington is more polarized than during the time of Abraham Lincoln". Lets just explore the ridiculousness of that notion.
Even if we give Carter the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant "Washington" to only include those doing business in our nations capital rather than the political tone of the nation generally, this is still among the most ridiculous things I have ever heard - rivaling only claims as ridiculous as …. "Eminem is the most influential musician in American history", " Tiger Woods is a faithful husband"; "Paula Deen makes light and healthy treats"; or "The casts of Jersey Shore, Celebrity Rehab, or Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami have cultural relevance."
I mean are you kidding me? So, the representatives of the soon-to-be Confederate states that seceded from the Union were more cooperative with their respective Pro-Union counterparts than Republicans and Democrats of 2010? Newsflash to Jimmy Carter on the fifth planet from the Crazy Star… they seceded. They waged a war against the people they disagreed with!! You can call it a "war between the states" – rather than a civil war – or THE CIVIL WAR – if you'd like – you goofy and misguided revisionist historian, but seriously; what the hell was that "WAR between the states" all about?
Were they simply finding a more appropriate method for hammering out their differences? Were they just "thinking outside the box" and formulating new dispute resolution techniques for amicably reaching common ground? Were they merely expressing their differences by taking up arms?
Look…. I don't live in the alternate universe that you call home and I am not privy to the distorted reality of pretty colors and fanciful imaginings that you clearly have on lock-down, so I fail to see how the polarization of 2010 even remotely resembles that of the 1860's. John Boehner may rather gnaw off his arm than sit down for lunch with Nancy Pelosi, but he's not petitioning Ohio to take up arms against California. Bipartisan may even be a word lost to antiquity, but in no way, shape, form, or fashion does partisan disagreement and stalemate give rise to a polarized climate anywhere near that which gave rise to the American Civil War.
Jimmy Carter. You may believe you are the most "superior" former president in American history. I'm fine with that. Believe as you choose to believe. I once believed in the Easter Bunny and the XFL too. That said, there are but two constants that will ultimately be aligned with your legacy – that you were one of the worst presidents in American history and the fact that you are, were, and always will be nothing more than a afterthought save for ridiculous remarks such as this to be etched on the epitaph of your history.
VIA MEMEORANDUM
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Tags: Jimmy Carter, Obama, polarization, superior, war between the states
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 at 2:30 am and is filed under THE LIBERAL-DEMS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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