"President Obama has handled the Prof. Gates arrest saga in a poor manner.... BUT...

[politicallore]

"However, the reason I believe he handled it poorly is that I believe Obama should have taken the high road and never entered the fray in this distraction of a news story.

When he was asked to comment on the story, all he needed to say was, “Look, I don’t have all the details and I am not going to comment on a local police matter.”

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the poll was the revelation that 75% of the respondents said they were following the story at least somewhat closely. I would be curious to see what the response would be to a similar question about the war in Afghanistan."

Read the rest...

http://www.politicallore.com/writers/shaun-booth/only-30-of-americans-approve-of-obama’s-handling-of-gates-episode/1125


Reddit Link:
http://www.reddit.com/tb/96man

Rec & Discuss

[geckosfeet]

1. I disagree. He made a mistake, admitted it, recovered admirably, and moved on.

I read the rest and disagree with the idea that it is not the presidents job to deal with racial prejudice. To some limited extent it certainly is. However on the list of national priorities right now, it seems to be towards the bottom.

I do think Crowley acted stupidly and stubbornly. I do think Gates flew off the handle. I do think that Obama did (with the beer event etc.) more to improve race relations than any president has since Lincoln, perhaps Kennedy/Johnson.

Are people concerned about Afghanistan? Yes, but strangely the MSM is not broadcasting the events there 24x7 as they did with the Gates event.

Go figure.

[Catshrink]

27. Covering this story 24/7 doesn't require journalism

and God forbid the MSM would actually engage in that. Their job is to entertain. Lockdown anyone?

[Zavulon]

37. Seriously?

You honestly think "that Obama did (with the beer event etc.) more to improve race relations than any president has since Lincoln, perhaps Kennedy/Johnson?"

Sorry, but that beer event was nothing more than a transparent photo op for Obama to try to extricate himself out of a mess he himself created by commenting when even he admitted he didn't have all the facts. The media, which never would have asked such a question of any other president from years past, especially the pResident we just got rid of, set a trap for Obama and he walked right into it.

Unless you have a transcript from that silly beer photo op, what makes you think it did anything at all for race relations? When people discuss it, they're still going to talk about the actual Crowley-Gates incident, not the touchy-feely moment which included Biden only so there would be two whites and two blacks.

I'm not trying to be confrontational here, tone is impossible to convey, so I want to say I'm not trying to get into your face - I'd just like to know how the beer photo op did anything for race relations.

[berni_mccoy]

2. b.s. spam.

[spanone]

3. bullshit

[politicallore]

5. I doubt you read the post...

[bemildred]

4. Well, if you assume the goal is to avoid controversy, than I suppose this guy is right.

However, I don't think that that is or was President Obama's primary goal in this. I think his "handling" of the "crisis" has been sterling throughout, from day one.

[Hoyt]

8. I Do Too.

I think Obama handled it brilliantly. I'll also give some of the credit to Officer Crowley particularly, and Professor Gates. Crowley could have become a Joe-the-Plumber and said some crud after the meeting. Instead he proved he's a class guy and Obama ought to consider him for a place in the administration.

I feel good about the whole thing and I think a lot of folks got a smile out of it.

Truthfully, the question never should have been asked at the press conference. But it was and Obama responded. Could Obama have substituted "improperly" for "stupidly" -- Sure. But this thing has worked out pretty well I think.

[merh]

19. Crowley handled it admirably?

Well, I suppose that is because his police report was full of lies and he violated Gates' civil rights when he arrested him when no crime had been committed. The only one that had something to gain by that meeting was Crowley - he had to put on a good face to cover his lying ass.

There is no place in government for an official that files false reports.

[bemildred]

20. Officer Crowley took the wiser course when the chance was offered.

And has behaved himself since. I give him credit for that, and I don't like him at all.

[merh]

21. He took the high road because his job depended on it.

The proper course would have been to offer an apology and to admit his mistakes.

Actually, the department should investigate and suspend (if not fire) him for filing a false report and making a false arrest.

The "public" (eg the police unions and police community and supporters) still believe his arrest was proper. As the poster I responded to posted, they think he is a fine officer and a gentleman. *ick*

As long as the likes of Crowley are allowed to violate our rights and to lie in the course of their duties, other officers will continue to make up crimes and violate rights.

[bemildred]

22. That's why I said "wiser".

I think Officer Crowley was probably very freaked out when he realized what he'd done, fight or flight, eh?

As for your other views, I understand your frame, and sometimes share it, but that does not stop me from admiring what President Obama choose to do with it instead.

[merh]

23. Where did I criticize Obama?

I responded to the other poster that said Crowley should get a place in the administration.

[bemildred]

24. I don't believe you did either.

You thought he should have done something else about the incident.

[merh]

33. I don't think what he did should make a difference as to whether

Crowley is disciplined or sued for his filing a false report and his false arrest of Gates which violated Gates' civil rights.

[bemildred]

34. I admit I don't have a resolved opinion about that.

In general I would agree with you. In the particular case, I feel willing to let Crowley walk if it helps enforce Obama's message. You cannot be both the grim sword of justice and Jesus bringing peace and understanding at the same time. It just muddles up the message. If Crowley was to fuck up again, I'm sure we would both agree on what to do.

Edit: in any case, it's not up to either one of us.

[EFerrari]

39. Out of the 3, Crowley is the only one who hasn't taken a bit of resonsibility.

That says a lot.

[bemildred]

42. Well, I don't like him, but is this just about Crowley?

Clearly, Obama decided to make it not just about Crowley. You destroy Crowley, OK what do you have, dead Crowley. Not much really.

[EFerrari]

45. No, it's not just about him. But, even though Obama decided

to do what he needed to do to appease the unions -- that's what he could do for now, imho -- we shouldn't mistake his political decision for the facts of the case or its implications for us in RL.

[bemildred]

47. Well, OK. we disagree about his motives.

I don't know how you resolve that short of reading his memoirs some day, and anyway he would put a good face on it then. All I know is I have never seen anything like the "beer-summit" before, so I have to treat it as something different.

[EFerrari]

49. Oh, understand, I'm not criticizing Obama.

I think he was brilliant. He can't take back his original strong statement and he knew that going in.

And the beer thing was also a good idea, in my book. That was the cost of his original statement, fine, and also good modeling for conflict resolution.

At the same time, I notice that the actual offending party has made no concession whatsoever. And to let go of that means letting go of a practical view of how this worked out on the ground. Everyone didn't make conciliatory gestures. That didn't happen.

[bemildred]

54. Well, I think he showed up and he shut up.

There are obvious legal reasons not to admit to anything. Professor Gates has all the legal chits, if he wants to use them.

[EFerrari]

55. Yep. And it looks like Gates has made Obama a promise

to let it sink.

[bemildred]

57. Gates seemed to "get it" immediately.

I wonder if they had a talk. Or maybe they both are on the same wavelength.

[EFerrari]

58. I heard Gates say almost immediately that this would draw attention away

from health care -- maybe in the CNN interview. He did get it, as far as I could tell.

[merh]

41. I'd agree with you but for the fact that Crowley was trained in how to

avoid or resolve the situation he was in and he trains others as well.

He will fuck up again, but the fuck ups won't be given the attention they deserve, the rights he violate will be of the no-names.

I've seen it all too many times with folks like Crowley.

Crowley Was Star Student at Simon Wiesenthal Center
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/07/29/gates-and-crowley-update-911-caller-speaks-crowley-attended-simon-wiesenthal-center/

[bemildred]

43. Well, when he fucks up again, then we can toast him.

Anything to do with Simon Wiesenthal Center is no recommendation to me.

I don't mean or want to disrespect your views.

[EFerrari]

46. Do you watch Laura Flanders? She had a Harvard divinity instructor on

last week who is black and lives there. She said Crowley's nickname in the black community really is Jim Crow. So, he either has or will screw up again shortly. I give him a month, seriously.

[bemildred]

48. I never watch TV.

I'm not defending Crowley.

[EFerrari]

51. I know you're not. DUer Occulus was the first one to use that nick here

and damn, it turns out to be true.

[merh]

50. You do totally miss the point - guess you'd have to think beyond the

little box (try reading the link provided).

He attended "sensitivity training" - he is the "model cop". He played the role when he had to, he didn't apply it on the streets because he didn't have to.

She says of Crowley: “He stands out to me. He was one of those people who really engaged in sessions, who really showed a high level of understanding of the issue.”

This has nothing to do with the Center, so your opinion regarding same doesn't matter.

Crowley was awarded for his bad performance and his lies. Its not about toast him when he screws up again, it is about holding the person with the higher duty to the citizens, the cop to that higher standard. Its about not allowing bad people to do bad things just because of their titles or uniforms.

[bemildred]

56. No, I disagree about the point. nt

[Hoyt]

25. Obviously, Obama taught you nothing.

Sure, Crowley should not have arrested Gates and he should not have embellish/falsified his report.

But, I think he has learned a lot from this, much because of Obama's response at the press conference and during the meeting. I'd give Crowley another chance.

He could have come out of that meeting playing up to the right wingers racial fears -- but he didn't. I respect him for that, especially if he truly works to improve relations among all people in the future.

[merh]

31. It would appear that Obama's administration is proving that those in power

can break the law if holding them accountable is uncomfortable or causes a political stink.

Torturers, war crimes, civil rights violations. Just use a little diplomacy and move on.

[EFerrari]

52. We're so used to this corrupt culture, we don't even see it any more.

:(

[Buzz Clik]

6. Nothing new here.

Has anyone said anything different about this in the past 72 hours?

[Curtland1015]

7. The idea that a poll could correctly reflect an opinion accurately on a topic like this is crazy.

I think, for example, that the President's FIRST mention of the situtation was handled rather poorly, but everything he has said and done SINCE then has been spot on. So do I think he handled it poorly or not?

How do I answer that with a yes or no?

[politicallore]

12. It is only a huge story... because he made it one

How can you say that he handled it well, at all?

What the beer thing? Which makes it into a bigger story...

[Curtland1015]

13. I suppose it comes down to your idea of "handling". If getting everyone to shut up about it...

...is all you care about (not you personally, I just mean people in general) then I guess you could say he handled it poorly.

But if you look at it from the perspective that he sat these men down, met with these men face to face, got them (or kept them) talking, and tried to get people talking openly about a serious problem in this country... I think he succeeded in that.

[politicallore]

15. got you

[bemildred]

18. Well, OK, for the sake of discussion ...

I think President Obama's goal in this is to model peaceful resolution of these racial "infelicities" through dialog. I'm not sure if he resolved on that before or after he called the arrest "stupid", you can go either way on that. But either way, he did that, instead of lawsuits and people running around yelling at the top of their lungs, we see people sitting around talking about the problem in a civil way and having a beer. It is the 180 degree opposite of racial fearmongering, which we are so used to that anything else seems weird. I don't see how that's bad, and I don't see how that is not clearly what he set out to do when he "corrected himself".

[Hoyt]

32. Exactly.

We don't have to be as callous and unforgiving as the right wingers.

[EFerrari]

59. We didn't get the Civil Rights Bill by being kind and forgiving.

And Douglass did not say "power concedes nothing without a cordial handshake".

[daleo]

40. I think you are on to something

It seems to be consistent with his speech during the campaign on race. He acknowledged a serious issue, but in a way that didn't polarize society. It seems very healthy to me. Indeed, I think he displays a sort of practical genius on the issue of race.

[bemildred]

44. Thank you.

All that I saw in the campaign was way more subtle than the usual US politics. This seems of a piece with that. Obama is not a short-term avoid-controversy politician. We are not used to that. It may take some adjustment.

I am mostly watching this now and sort of comparing it with Jimmy Carter and all that 30+ plus years ago. That seems like the appropriate comparison, but we still have to see how it comes out.

[theoldman]

9. Dumb and Dumber.

The public's fascination with the Gates story shows just how ignorant we have become. If we keep posting it on DU everyone will know how dumb we have become. Let's drop the subject.

[politicallore]

11. That is... What the story is saying

[fascisthunter]

10. I Reject the Premise that Obama handled this "poorly"

[Skittles]

26. come on

his comment on the police was stupid beyond belief - in Biden territory. However, he has handled it nicely indeed since then

[fascisthunter]

28. I don't think so

it was stupid of the cop

[Skittles]

29. oh, be a pretzel

I have no time for this

[fascisthunter]

30. wow... don't take it personal

you replied to me... I disagree

[EFerrari]

38. I love you, Skittles, but disagree.

This was the first president with the balls to address racial profiling on the air.

And before you beat the cr@p outta me, there were exactly six minutes between the time Crowley hit the door and Dr. Gates was in cuffs. Saying that was handled stupidly is holding back.

[CakeGrrl]

14. The President disagrees with the author

He has already directly addressed those who don't think he should have commented and stood by the fact that he did.

And to hell with the poll numbers and the notion that America "isn't ready". People who are being incarcerated because of profiling shouldn't have to wait because middle white America doesn't give a damn about them sitting in jail or because they don't like to talk or think about those touchy issues.

I DO agree that the MSM, in its current corporatist, anything-for-a-buck existence, should not mediate ANY serious discussion of any serious topic.

[EFerrari]

16. This piece has a lot of problems but the biggest one

is the way you uncivilly slam Obama. You've now pissed off at least half of your readers and for no reason that can be justified. It would be a better question: if 78% say they follow this story and only 10% agree with his handling, what happened? Not that I believe that poll.

It also doesn't make sense to say America is not ready for this conversation when you've shown that 3/4s of us are following the story with so much interest that the media has kept it on the air for two weeks. America would seem to disagree with you.

If you want to argue this is the wrong case to use for a discussion on racial profiling, fine but you haven't really shown that.

[islandmkl]

17. "poorly"??...let's just say, for example, you were at a nice outdoor cocktail party...

when you stepped in some fresh dogshit and loudly exclaim "I just stepped in some fresh dogshit!"...what to do?

act like you didn't say anything, ignore it, act like it's not there on your shoe, and doesn't stink to high heaven, and 'move on'?

or...

attempt to remove the dogshit, attempt to deflect the embarrassment of the host/hostess, maybe tell a story about stepping in Bo's stuff when you aren't paying attention walking around the White House lawn, and laugh it off?

or...

worry that some lame assholes will think you just go around stepping in dogshit so you can track up their carpet?

[Zavulon]

35. “Look, I don’t have all the details and I am not going to comment on a local police matter.”

Perfect. I can't believe someone with his brains didn't think of that. Instead, by saying the cops acted stupidly HE did. He didn't have all the details, and walked right into a transparent media trap that distracted us from health care.

I never could have imagined such a brilliant man acting so stupidly.

[EFerrari]

36. That's the cop union talking point. It wasn't a "local matter".

Skip Gates is a national figure. He's recieved the highest honors this country gives to men of letters.

[Fire1]

53. Sorry but that's bullshit, imo. I'm more inclined to agree

with this columnist. This guy is on point.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090731/OPINION03/907310331/1068/PRINT/How-fear-factors-into-the-Gates-case

[EFerrari]

60. That is right on point. Thank you for posting it.

Skip Gates got six minutes between this racist asshole entering his home and being cuffed. Six minutes.

[Fire1]

61. In addition, why wouldn't a black man comment on something

to which he might have or could have been subjected?? That would have been disingenuous on his part. He said what needed to be said. Period.

[EFerrari]

62. You bet he did. n/t