Garrison Keillor on President Obama

[babylonsister]

:D

We have a good guy in the White House, a smart man of judicious temperament and profound ideals, a man with a sweet private life, a man of dignity and good humor, whose enemies, waving their hairy arms and legs, woofing, yelling absurdities, only make him look taller. Washington, being a company town, feasts on gossip, but I think the Democratic Party, skittish as it is, full of happy blather, somehow has brought forth a champion. This should please anyone who loves this country, and as for the others, let them chew on carpets and get what nourishment they can. End of sermonette.

http://www.salon.com/life/baseball/index.html?story=/opinion/keillor/2010/03/02/new_stadium

[FSogol]

1. K & R. n/t

[tabatha]

2. Thank you, Garisson Keillor.

[xchrom]

3. Lol hairy arms and chewing carpets all in one.

Well done.

[Clio the Leo]

9. +1 NT

[David Zephyr]

56. I saw that too, LOL.

What's up with that?

[SharonRB]

4. Well spoken, Garrison.

Bravo!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. Lol!

[jaxx]

5. Oh I loved reading that.

And best of all it's true.

[TuxedoKat]

6. "Only make him look taller"

Yes indeed. The more they rail against him the worse they make themselves look in comparison.

[Clio the Leo]

10. "walking tall against the rain..."

corny as it is, que Rhianna.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Yup. Thanks as always, Mr. Keillor.

[GeorgeGist]

11. What no caps ...

profound ideals, my ass.

[liberal N proud]

12. I always enjoy hearing what Keillor has to say

Coming from a very similar midwest background, his comments always resonate with my own.


Thanks for posting.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

13. Homegrown Democrat

If you haven't read Keillor's 2004 book "Homegrown Democrat," which as close to a manifesto that you'll ever hear from the man, you must go out a buy it this very minute. It's a warm and witty series of essays that explains why we are the people we are, and why they are the people they are.

"To the cheater, there is no such thing as honesty, and to Republicans the idea of serving the public good is counterfeit on the face of it — they never felt such an urge, and therefore it must not exist."

[BlueMTexpat]

29. Here's another rec from me for that book!

:hi:
It's an excellent book and every one of us should read or even re-read it. Not only does it explain, it reminds us of why we are who we are. Sometimes we need to remember that.
If anyone can't afford to buy it, I'm sure that it can be found in the local public library.

[Nedsdag]

14. K&R

[CBHagman]

15. I'd rather have the guy with..

...the coolest head than the one with the biggest mouth, or with the deepest pockets. The mainstream media, with its borderline orgasmic response to the tea parties and the talk radio loudmouths and the GOP electoral victories, prefers options 2 and 3.

[DevonRex]

19. The coolest head indeed. Me, too. nt

[Cha]

16. I especially like this part..

"..whose enemies, waving their hairy arms and legs, woofing, yelling absurdities, only make him look taller."

[impik]

17. A-F*******G-MEN.

[NJmaverick]

18. K & R

[mikekohr]

20. The Old Scout is my favorite columnist, and I thought I'd never have another favorite

after Molly Ivins passed on.

mike kohr

[Bobbie Jo]

21. Recommended.

:kick:

[yurbud]

22. I hope Obama lives up to this praise

[Number23]

23. Very happy to rec. And I completely agree that this man is a champion

[BeyondGeography]

24. No one knows an argument for civilization better when he sees it than Garrison

The man is a total treasure.

[cilla4progress]

25. Hear freakin' hear!

No matter whether I don't agree with every one of his positions, and that I wish he would move more agressively (and, dare I say, recklessly!) towards change, this country doesn't deserve the likes of BO, I'm afraid. He's a once in a generation - or more, leader. I completely trust his motives and ideals. I still shiver to think who our President is, esp. in light of the recent past.

[RBitt]

26. He is a smoother version of all of the rest

GK is right, Obama is all of those things and still he gets it wrong. He came to Washington and picked up where Bush left off, I don't even notice a difference. If your a lobbyist with a big enough checkbook, your in, if your the people who busted your ass to get him elected, well, we don't need you right now, we'll call in a few years to let you send in a few bucks and let you feel as if you are part of the team. And that is the problem. So Obama sniping from the Tea baggers is of base, they are racist morons. But we we who worked, and hoped and sent in our small donations, we get to see banks taken care of, insurance companies profits assured, foreclosure continue apace and whole school districts fired and this good man does what? Remind me once more, please, about hope, about change we can believe in. And that is the sad part, when seemingly good people act like this. Bush said what he would do and did it. Obama said what he would do and did a 180. The deal with the drug lobby in the spring was just the tip off, it's been downhill from there.

[babylonsister]

27. Aww, a Bush sympathizer. Did you take a wrong tern on the internetz? nt

[BlueMTexpat]

30. LOL ... when a person keeps misusing "your" for "you're,"

it's an indication of sloppy thinking. And that's just one of the howlers.

But s/he evidently has one fan at least.

[ShortnFiery]

35. Yep, strict grammarian vigilance is a true sign of elitism if not condescension toward others who

one may view as "lesser than."

Bravo, the forgoing suits the stereotype of "liberal elitism" perfectly. :patriot: ;)

[BlueMTexpat]

51. You really do have the RW talking points down pat.

I'm speaking as a former English teacher, among other professional incarnations.

Perhaps you consider teachers "elitist."

[ShortnFiery]

54. No, check my past posts? I'm as liberal as they come.

I have little to no respect for people who seem "above it all."

Nope albeit I'm an unabashed liberal, I loathe those who think that they're better because they were blessed with a few extra years education.

p.s. I'm blessed/cursed with a masters degree and have instructed overseas for Florida State University ... but I don't tout it as part of my identity. ;)

[BlueMTexpat]

57. Please ... be my guest. Loathe away.

If you have to "tout" your own "liberalism," you are probably not quite as "liberal" as you think you are.

[cilla4progress]

49. C'mon now...legitimate issues..

In the furtherance of free and open discussion...

I agree in being disheartened by what looks like the lack of zealous pursuit on behalf of "ordinary Americans," but, he is President of ALL the people (including, yes, the business community) now, and I believe that's how he sees his role. On the other hand, he is sticking his neck out, whether on HCR or, now, the Volcker rule. It doesn't happen as fast as we want, but, he isn't King or Kaiser, only 1/3 of a balanced political system with separation of powers. And a society that at present is as divisive and non-compromising and DYSFUNCTIONAL as can be imagined. I still believe in him - I believe in him as much or more than ever.

[ShortnFiery]

28. Very well put.

The road to Hell is paved with "sweet souls" and "good intentions."

We need a scrapper in the WH. Sadly, we won't score that in the near future.

BTW making it bold doesn't increase a narrative's veracity. :(

[apimomfan2]

31. Bunch of hokum.

And that's putting it charitably.

[ShortnFiery]

34. Yes, hailing from the Midwest I greatly enjoyed Keillor's "Stories from Lake Wobegon" ...

but now I must sadly consider that Garrison's years of wealth and fame have TAINTED his perspective of real life wealth and privilege?

I'm not naive, nor blind ... not even the esteemed Garrison Keillor is going to sell me THIS grand charade:

[dionysus]

38. CRUISE MISSLES!1!! PRIVATE SCHOOL IN MY FACE!!!

:eyes:

[dionysus]

37. freeper says what?

[polichick]

32. LOL - delicious! nt

[catgirl]

33. This is going on my fridge n/t

[Captain Hilts]

36. Being tall means being good? Said by a very tall man. nt

[dionysus]

39. maybe it was just a metaphor?

[Captain Hilts]

42. Not a good one. nt

[babylonsister]

44. I know your reading skills are up to par-why are you being

willfully silly? His demeanor in the face of his crazy critics makes him appear taller. But you knew that.

[Captain Hilts]

45. I agree with the meaning, but not the phrase. Physically bigger is better?

Heightism is second only to size-ism as a prejudice we all carry.

How 'bout all those folks that mocked GWBush for not being taller than Michelle Obama? As if either chose or earned their height.

Keillor is Big.

[babylonsister]

46. 'Physically bigger' wasn't even mentioned. You're projecting. nt

[Starbucks Anarchist]

52. Tall as in "standing tall," not literally tall.

[azmouse]

40. I love it!

:)

[SpiralHawk]

41. k and r

republcion carpet munchers -

[BlueJac]

43. File it in the round!

[greiner3]

47. I may get throwwn off this post;

However, I can't refuse such an opening as this one. Isn't "munching on carpets" a code for Rachael, etc...?

I love you Rachael!

[amb123]

48. Actually, "munching on carpets" refers to Adolf Hitler

In some circles he was known as the "Teppichfresser" or "Carpet-Chewer" because of his supposed tendency to fly into an uncontrollable rage and have a good bite of the nearest carpet. So Michael Moore is comparing Obama's Enemies to Hitler.

:D

[nsd]

53. Chewing carpet

http://open.salon.com/blog/marlin_mcafee/2008/10/01/mccain_seen_chewing_carpet_on_straight_talk_express

"When Henry Kissinger commented to Richard Nixon that offering his dog a biscuit every time he caught him chewing the Oval Office rug was only teaching the dog to continue to chew the rug, he chouldn't have imagined that one day it would be Nixon himself on the floor with the rug in his mouth. And he must have wondered if he had ever offered Nixon any biscuits himself.

When Adolf Hitler famously and frequently went down on the rug, usually in Germany's higher-end hotels with the bill for damage put on the Reich's tab, and almost always in front of some foreign delegation he was meaning to impress, he usually got his way because diplomatic protocol at the time hadn't the vocabulary or the means to deal with such imperious insanity. And besides, we're just talking about the Sudetenland here anyway, right? Technically, it doesn't even exist. OK, well, Czechoslovakia, too. No problem. Oh, alright, Austria, sure. And so on...."

[veganlush]

50. indeed..n/t

[beac]

55. "whose enemies, waving their hairy arms and legs..."

Why am I now picturing Sarah Palin making a panicky call to her electrolysist? ;)


(and why do I STILL get such a kick out of the fact that DU Spell Check refuses to recognize "Palin"? :rofl:)

[saltpoint]

58. Keillor picks good folks to defend. He backed Eugene McCarthy

in a Democratic Primary some decades ago and now rises to speak praise of Barack Obama.

Also he puts together an excellent one-of-a-kind radio program.