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I try to keep up with current events. I always want to stay familiar with our major political players and their philosophies. After I forgot to tune in for President Barack Obama’s speech on health care on Sept. 9, I was looking forward to reading about what he had to say.
I hadn’t heard of Republican S.C. Rep. Joe Wilson until my roommate said to me, “Some guy started yelling at Obama.”
“What?” I exclaimed, naively thinking an address regarding health care to a joint session of Congress would be civil. “Who was yelling?”
“Some representative from South Carolina or something,” he specified.
I went online to check it out. I was relieved to read that most politicians were silent, polite or enthusiastic. The ones who weren’t civil stood out.
I saw pictures of a perturbed Wilson gesticulating from his seat. I found video of him screaming, “You lie!” after Obama said that a national health care plan would not cover illegal immigrants. I saw the picture of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., texting during the speech like an apathetic teenager. Many conservatives shouted “What plan?” when Obama used the word “plan,” referring to his upcoming White House-authored proposal. Surprisingly, Republicans weren’t the only offenders. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, sitting on the Republican side of the aisle, shook his fist in the air at Obama. Rep. Bill Pascrell D-N.J., also sitting with the GOP, made a victory sign with his hands and waved it at the president.
If Wilson and his cohorts wanted to effectively oppose the president, they could have done it differently. Perhaps they could give a reply to Obama’s speech, laying out the reasons why they oppose him. Maybe they could have released rebutting statements to the media. There are more diplomatic ways to argue and better ways to be heard. If Wilson gave a well thought-out statement, people would see him as a reasonable objector. That would have been much better than becoming a household name overnight for the wrong reason. His seat is now in jeopardy. According to the Democratic National Committee, Robert Miller — Wilson’s 2010 Democratic opponent in South Carolina’s 2nd District — received campaign donations of more than $400,000 in the 22 hours following the speech.
I lean Republican and am hesitant about many of Obama’s plans. I’m very skeptical about a public option and don’t understand how he “will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits.” To do that, he would have to raise taxes – and not just on the wealthy. He stated at a June 2008 campaign speech in Kaukauna, Wis., that he would not raise taxes in any form on any family making less than $250,000 a year. It seems to me that Obama will have to violate at least one of his many promises to do what he wants.
Until our national leaders agree on some semblance of a plan though, none of that matters. The House chamber is no place to recreate the maniacally radical town hall meetings of weeks and months past. President Obama deserves respect, as every president does. Former President G.W. Bush was booed by some Democrats when he gave his 2005 State of the Union address. That wasn’t right either. As citizens and voters, we should support the more moderate leaders of each party. They will be the ones who listen to both sides and decry the tangents of radical conservatives and radical liberals. We should not support people like Wilson who cheapen our political dialogue.
Rep. Wilson did nothing to encourage a civil national debate on health care. The only debate he encouraged was about himself.
Michael Shepherd is a new columnist for The Maine Campus opinion section. His column will appear every Monday. Tyler Francke will have a column printed every Thursday.
