Barack Obama has heralded himself as a president of the people, a bi-partisan leader willing to steer the country out of a recession. Recently, a marginally off-color joke regarding the Special Olympics has caused a stir, offending the people who have never found anything regarding the disabled amusing. The shock at Obama’s statements is artificial, as most would not think a friend was intolerant if they said their lack of athletic prowess “was like Special Olympics or something.”
Instead of forcing elected officials to be rigid and politically correct, unlike the average person, Americans need to redirect their focus to the current problems facing the U.S.
Even in its infancy, Obama’s presidency deserves criticism. In light of the millions of dollars in bonuses paid out to AIG executives and bailout money pushed through by Obama, there are legitimate complaints that government is taking taxes from the commoners to ensure millionaire executives receive more money for running their insurance companies into the ground. Obama’s appearance on “The Tonight Show” should have assured Americans that the abuse of government funds by AIG will not be tolerated.
Instead of pundits evaluating the validity of the president’s statements on policy, particularly the excuses given for Obama’s massive oversight in the bailout and the solution, the media conglomerate gouged itself on the president’s imagined bigotry toward the disabled. Damage assessments were done by the right and left, with surveys and pundits revealing that many Americans are simply too delicate to participate in adult conversations.
Obama’s comments on “The Tonight Show” should be taken as intended, as a joke that fell flat. The disabled have shown enough tenacity to overcome one well-intended bomb.
Although the office of president may come with certain expectations, lambasting lighthearted jokes places the position on too high of a pedestal. Critics of the administration have enough ammunition than to worry about the president’s political correctness. Obama has apologized for and Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver accepted his apology. There are too many other important challenges facing America for Obama’s joke to even enter the minds of average citizens. We should not give a second thought to a comment that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if interjected into everyday conversation.