Obama's Three Biggest Mistakes

I once told a friend in all sincerity that Obama is the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln.

I still believe this, and I'm a registered Republican, but I think he has made three very big mistakes:

1. Obama expressed a critical opinion on the Henry Louis Gates arrest.

Henry Louis Gates is the Harvard professor who was arrested outside his home after refusing to provide formal identification to a responding police officer (Wikipedia article on Henry Louis Gates).

The events resulted in a "Beer Summit" in the White House Rose garden that from the outside looked like a happy ending to a series of unfortunate events. IMHO, the responding officer, Sgt James Crowley, did what we pay police officers to do: when Gates refused to prove he lived there and became belligerent, Sgt Crowley said Okay, we'll solve it downtown.

Both men were right in their own way. The President was wrong.

The whole thing could have been avoided if Gates had laughed and said "Oh man, you're gonna love this one, Officer; I just got back from China and I'm locked out of my own house. Here, let me show you my driver's license."

2. Obama expressed a personal opinion on the Trayvon Martin shooting, saying if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon.

This reinforced a racial facet of an already racially-charged case. The only connection between Obama and Treyvon (outside of those the rest of us share) is color. Imagine if the situation were reversed and a white president said the same thing about a white shooting victim.

3. Obama is supporting aspects of the Health Care reform bill that requires Catholic institutions to offer medical services contrary to the Church's moral teaching (sterilizations and contraceptives, including those that cause abortions ).

I support national health care. I oppose any mandated support of practices contrary to one's conscience.

It is an unwitting (at least I hope so) attack on religious liberty for the sake of political expediency. It doesn't matter what the issue is and what side anyone is on. It forces a faith community to support practices it opposes.

Period.

End of story.

Some additional information, in anticipation of any criticism:

1. Henry Louis Gates had good reason to be indignant, I may have been too. But when a police officer asks you for identification, you shut up and do it. Incidentally, Gates makes an enjoyable host of PBS's Finding Your Roots . I wish him well.   .

2. There is no reason for a young man to face lethal force because he is walking down a public street. George Zimmerman, the man who shot him, should not have been carrying a gun. The justice system should decide what happens to Zimmerman, not public opinion. Had there been no fear, and no gun, Treyvon would still be alive.

I have a son not much older than Trayvon. Please don’t think I don’t understand this pain.

3. I applaud the use of birth control. I vehemently oppose forcing people to fund it against their principles.

I fully expect the Catholic legal challenge to succeed.

I still do plan at this time to vote for Obama, despite this philosophical difference.

Why?

Romney sees (almost) everything through a financial filter. You and I are economic principles to him, not people, jobs, families, homes, a hamper full of dirty laundry or a pot of spaghetti boiling on the stove. The flannel and denim he wears came off the rack yesterday so you could see him in flannel and denim today.

(Many of those who support Romney the loudest use the same filter. Watch Fox News and see how much of the political coverage is financial; that should tell you a lot about who's watching Fox News.)

On a level that is difficult to explain, I believe Obama's heart is genuine and he cares deeply about the everyman[1] who schleps to work every day to put food on the table and pay the bills and buy the unnecessary somethings we all buy.

[1]
Or woman.

Started: 2012-05-22