Obama at Fort Hood
[Guest post by DRJ]
I watched today’s Fort Hood memorial. It was a moving ceremony and a fitting tribute to the victims and their families. There were many prayers and references to God.
I admit I waited with trepidation for President Obama’s speech. I was gratified he talked about sacrifice and commitment, honored the dead, offered words of solace, and did not sully the memorial by naming the shooter:
“One by one, President Barack Obama spoke the names and told the stories Tuesday of the 13 people slain in the Fort Hood shooting rampage, honoring their memories as he denounced the “twisted logic” that led to their deaths.
“No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts; no just and loving God looks upon them with favor,” Obama told the crowd on a steamy Texas afternoon. “And for what he has done, we know that the killer will be met with justice — in this world and the next.”
He did not name Maj. Nidal Hasan, the military psychiatrist accused of the killings.”
Well done, I thought, until I saw this Jake Tapper interview of the President aired on Good Morning America that touched on Fort Hood:
Tapper: You’re about to go to Fort Hood. Philosophically, what separates an act of violence from an act of terrorism?
Obama: In a country of 300 million people, there are going to be acts of violence that are inexplicable. Even within the extraordinary military that we have, there are going to be instances, uh, in which an individual, uh, cracks. I think the questions that we’re asking now, and we don’t have yet complete answers to it, is that ‘Is this an individual who is acting in this way or is it some larger set of actors?’ You know, what are the motivations?”
Clearly, Obama learned his lesson from the Cambridge incident and he won’t speculate or give a firm opinion until the facts are clear. However, he nevertheless appears to be tailoring his statements to each audience — the crazy loner theory to his Good Morning America audience, and the ‘no God condones this’ to his Fort Hood audience. It’s fine to tailor the message to the audience but not to tailor the facts, and IMO Obama came close to doing that here.
Further, are the only options that the shooter “cracked” or that there were a conspiracy of actors similar to 9/11? America also faces threats from domestic terrorists who are inspired by jihad but act alone. Is that on this Administration’s radar?
— DRJ
I liked how he kept his anger in check the whole way through the speech.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 11/10/2009 @ 4:15 pmIt’s true that Obama should trademark the word ‘aloof.’
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 4:18 pmIs it just me or is the little president man’s answer to Mr. Tapper’s question sort of incomprehensible? Larger set of actors. I kind of think he’s maybe suggesting that the difference between an “act of terrorism” and an “act of violence” is having pals in on the whole deal with you.
That’s very nuancey.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 11/10/2009 @ 4:26 pmHe’s not very articulate.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 11/10/2009 @ 4:27 pmSighs!……
The Emperor (82e13a) — 11/10/2009 @ 4:29 pmoh. sorry. I wrote #3 without reading your last paragraph.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 11/10/2009 @ 4:34 pmPresident Messiah deserves enormous credit for managing to make a speech that wasn’t about himself or President Bush. And somehow he managed to avoid using the words most holy Koran on a solemn occasion.
Terry Gain (1664b9) — 11/10/2009 @ 4:41 pmIf he thinks this was incomprehensible or inexplicable, then he is more inept than I had given him credit for.
JD (4c9527) — 11/10/2009 @ 4:45 pmEverything, every single thing, is reduced to a political calculation by this, yes, aloof individual. What moves him? What does he care about? Is there anything he would die for?
Patricia (b05e7f) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:04 pmHe’s not very articulate.
Comment by happyfeet — 11/10/2009 @ 4:27 pm
You mean No Joke Joe got that one wrong, too?
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,”
Matador (e01f85) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:06 pmThey seem pretty invested in this whole “he cracked” meme, because otherwise they would have to accept the fact that this is the second time, this year, that Muslim jihadis with ties to terrorists have murdered men and women of the US military, on our soil.
JD (4c9527) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:09 pmAloof? Calculating? Or just voting present?
Dana (e9ba20) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:20 pmIt’s ironic that the Muhammad execution is this week since he and Malvo could also be described as Muslims intent on terrorizing Americans.
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:21 pmDRJ: I find it a fascinating modern phenomenon that people will spin something we can read for ourselves.
Obama says the murders could be one of two things: “Is this an individual who is acting in this way or is it some larger set of actors”
You tell us in the next paragraph that what he actually said is that the murders can only be one thing: “the crazy loner theory.”
If you’re implying that he should jump to a conclusion that it’s a terrorist plot while the investigating is still going on — I’d say that wouldn’t be wise on his part. That’s why we have investigations.
I like your stuff overall DRJ, even when I disagree, but this kind of sniping reminds me of the criticism over his bid for the Olympics. It’s getting into ODS territory.
SNL did a funny skit about it, with Karl Rove noting that we lost the King of Pop during Obama’s term, too.
Not everything Bush II did was craven or evil. The same applies to Obama.
And I hope your defense isn’t, “the liberals did it.”
Myron (6a93dd) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:22 pmI didn’t plan to snipe. My intent was to stop with “Well done” but then I saw Obama gave an interview in which he said something completely different less than 24 hours before the Fort Hood memorial. You tell me why Obama can’t tell the same story twice, Myron.
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:25 pmMyron
Very insensitive of you to use the word sniper on the day of the execution of that Muslim sniper Muhammud who did terrorize a lot of people in 2002.
Terry Gain (1664b9) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:33 pmThey just cracked, DRJ. Stick to Teh Narrative.
JD (4c9527) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:33 pmWell, as I look away from the hockey game, Myron, I see it was DRJ who used the word snipe. Alas, you made her do it.
Terry Gain (1664b9) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:36 pmSadly this indicates that he didn’t snap, rather he just followed through on what his beliefs dictated:http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/MAJHasanSlides.pdf
bishop (996c34) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:36 pmWell, as I look away from the hockey game, Myron, I see DRJ using the word snipe, as well as you. Alas, you made her do it, too.
Terry Gain (1664b9) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:40 pmYou tell me why Obama can’t tell the same story twice, Myron.
DRJ: Do I need to tell you that some things might not be appropriate for a memorial ceremony?
Every time anyone speaks anywhere, he or she should consider their audience. That actually is no great crime; it’s smart.
Families there did not want to hear details on what may have motivated the shooter, what group may have been behind him or any of that. The people who are investigating the shooter and the Army’s past dealings with him are working on that in the proper context.
Who cares about the shooter at the memorial? That’s why Obama didn’t mention his name, which you yourself pointed out.
That was a time to honor the fallen. I think it was great he went into their personal lives. I live in a military town and I never liked how most national reporting just kind of looks at numbers and fails to recognize these are people, too, not numbers.
Myron (6a93dd) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:44 pmTerry Gain: I didn’t use the word “sniper.”
Myron (6a93dd) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:46 pmWhy should anyone try to minimize this to another case of PTSD? It’s not. He didn’t merely “crack”. This is a premeditated act of jihad. Instead of trying to pander to the feelings of a minority group, this president ought to step up and call it what it is. Anything less is an insult on the memory of the dead. An unforgivable one.
The Emperor (82e13a) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:47 pmTHe problem is Hasan, is exactly the same type of enemy, that we’re going halfway around the world to fight. If we are not willing to acknowledge this, we might as well pack it in, right now.
bishop (996c34) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:48 pmMyron,
If you reread the post, I’m the one who introduced the notion of tailoring your message to your audience … but you don’t get to reinvent it every 24 hours.
As for what the Texans in the Fort Hood audience wanted to hear, they want sympathy and they want justice. That’s why the report on Obama’s speech in the Houston Chronicle is running a headline that Obama said “Hasan to be ‘met with Justice'” and the Austin American Statesman also said Obama “vows justice.”
Here in Texas, we expect our President to tell us the truth — especially at moments like this. I realize that’s an anachronism that will cause sophisticates on the East and West coasts to guffaw, but it’s a fact. So when Obama tells one group of people one thing and tells us another, we notice.
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:54 pmWhat happened, Myron, was neither inexplicable or incomprehensible.
JD (c40e14) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:54 pm#9: If he thinks this was incomprehensible or inexplicable, then he is more inept than I had given him credit for.
Dude, only a temporary beer shortage at my desk kept you from owing me a new keyboard and monitor…
that’s an “11”.
redc1c4 (fb8750) — 11/10/2009 @ 5:58 pmTwenty years ago who would have thought we’d see an American President of African descent addressing mourners after yet another incident of Islamic terrorism on American soil?
daleyrocks (718861) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:00 pmTrue enough. But you did use the word sniping
Which puts you, Myron, in Bill Clinton territory.
Terry Gain (1664b9) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:01 pm“Here in Texas, we expect our President to tell us the truth — especially at moments like this. I realize that’s an anachronism that will cause sophisticates on the East and West coasts to guffaw, but it’s a fact. So when Obama tells one group of people one thing and tells us another, we notice.”
DRJ – Don’t be such a bitter, clinger! After all, Myron claims to live in a military town. That doesn’t mean he knows anything about the military, but he claims to live in a military town. Just sayin’.
daleyrocks (718861) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:03 pmHe isn’t crazy.
bizjetmech (022d42) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:05 pmHe didn’t “crack”
He isn’t a terrorist.
He isn’t a “lone wolf”
He is the enemy.
He is a Soldier of Allah and attacked his enemy in their home.
He is a traitor.
He should be tried for treason.
“I like your stuff overall DRJ”
DRJ – I think Myron just completed you! Unless he had you at hello.
daleyrocks (718861) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:06 pmNo just or loving God … There is going to be a portion of the Muslim world that thinks their just and loving God commands them to do this.
JD (c40e14) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:07 pmHeh. I’m just a pushover, daley.
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:09 pmWhat the little president man’s speech strives to do is to place these people’s deaths into a context of warfare…
> This is a time of war.
> These are trying times for our country. In Afghanistan and Pakistan…
> a time of certain danger
> the core values that we are fighting for
> In today’s wars…
> men and women who were not able to escape the horror of war, even in the comfort of home
> Long after they are laid to rest — when the fighting has finished
… but that’s not at all what happened here. Not at all. These people didn’t die in battle. They were slaughtered as they were going about their day.
The little president man’s brief eulogies anchor each of their identities in their military service.
And what’s the purpose of the following you think?
> those who signed up knowing that they would serve in harm’s way.
Imagine if you will that the little president man’s audience was an international one. A Muslim one. What does this speech say to them?
happyfeet (b919e7) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:12 pmA COMMENTER A HOT AIR SPEAKS TRUTH TO CRAVEN STUPIDITY
Terry Gain (1664b9) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:15 pmThe little president man’s brief eulogies anchor each of their identities in their military service… highlighting combat I mean.
happyfeet (b919e7) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:16 pmhere’s the text of the little president man’s speech if you didn’t have the pleasure
happyfeet (b919e7) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:21 pmDid you know Blackwater is evil evil evil ? More murdering killbots. They are everywhere.
JD (c40e14) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:36 pmDRJ: Don’t play the “regional card.”
There are liars and truth-tellers in all 50 states.
Myron (6a93dd) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:40 pm“…and the Austin American Statesman also said Obama “vows justice.”
Yeah?
Doubt it.
Dave Surls (68aa16) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:42 pmThat was pretty damn weak, Myron. And by that, I mean rather pathetic. Maybe you can explain to us hicks, rubes, and unenlightened bitter clingers why this was inexplicable and incomprehensible.
JD (c40e14) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:46 pm“vows justice”
Equality supersedes justice in the little president man’s world.
happyfeet (b919e7) — 11/10/2009 @ 6:53 pm“They paid the price and bore the burden…”
…because we live in a country where engaging in treason, sedition and hating America is all the rage for lefties.
Has been for decades.
I mean if it’s o.k. for Jane Fonda to do propaganda work for the NVA, if it’s o.k. for our own president to belong to a church that calls on God to damn America, if it’s o.k. for skanks like Mickey Moore to call our enemies freedom fighters…then why would anyone be surprised when somebody goes all the way and starts shooting our soldiers?
That’s the world liberals created.
Have fun living in it.
Dave Surls (68aa16) — 11/10/2009 @ 7:08 pmthat’s from the little president man’s speechifying today btw
happyfeet (b919e7) — 11/10/2009 @ 7:08 pmDid this guy crack?
Larry Reilly (45c8f2) — 11/10/2009 @ 7:14 pmDuh.
Was he promoted and passed and pushed along by a military bureaucracy?
Duh.
Apparently he was pretty straght-up about his beliefs and related problems for a long time. He was Muslim. He had a hard time going after any and all Muslims in a military mission.
(We do, you know, blast away lots of innocents, including kids and wedding parties, with bomb-laden drones and whatever else.) And he said so. And he said so. Said So. Professionally. To his superiors, to his equals and to his subordinates.
Anyone here ever work in a bureaucracy? How about in the military?
You gotta go along to get along. And when an asshole like this comes along, he gets good enough reviews to move him along elsewhere to become someone else’s problem. (Bet most of you have seen this where you work.)
This is not unique to religious persuasion. It’s just assholes and the (military) bureaucracy. It’s not political correctness. It’s the easiest route for water to drain from a vessel with holes in it.
He was a weird asshole. And he got moved along and upward. Repeatedly. Out of the way. Until he finally got in the way big time.
But rememer this: It was all Obama’s fault.
They were best buds. Bill Ayers introduced them. Pass it along.
Obama is a stain upon the presidency. He shames the office every day he occupies it. He is in WAY over his head, lacking any moral compass, any spine, any clue. Heaven help us all.
Kevin Stafford (5d18a5) — 11/10/2009 @ 7:14 pmMyron,
Everything is bigger in Texas including our liars. They even make a special line of Texas liars greeting cards. But bless you if you think Texas is a region. Next time, instead of just passing through, you should stop in for a spell.
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 7:19 pmMawy is as inept as the people Þhat think this was incomprehensible and inexplicable.
JD (e8f8ac) — 11/10/2009 @ 7:19 pmLarry Reilly,
I didn’t think Hasan was Obama’s fault but if you say so, it must be true.
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 7:21 pmAmerica also faces threats from domestic terrorists who are inspired by jihad but act alone. Is that on this Administration’s radar?
Were Eric Rudolph, Timothy McVeigh or John Allen Muhammad on any Administration’s radar? Bitter nut-jobs involved with other bitter nut-jobs who did a terrible thing in the name of NOTHING.
Isolated, angry misfits with grievances.
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan uttered ALLAH AKBAR as he shot-up and murdered his co-Americans. Fearless, obedient disciples of the Army of God lack such a signature rallying whoop, but are rarely mistaken for deep-cover terrorists. The holy struggle is the key liberator which enables a fundamentalist to abandon all norms of society. Hard-wired for murderous irrationality and social anarchy by ‘heavenly mandates.’
Thirteen genuine patriots are dead. It may be too unsatisfying to bear if the motive turns out to be that Hasan is a special kind of crazy, and not a cunning, highly trained jihadist mole.
steve (778269) — 11/10/2009 @ 8:50 pmI’m just wondering, does any one know if Olberman made Nidal “the worst person in the world?” Yeah, probably not.
Mike H. (f0c264) — 11/10/2009 @ 8:58 pmWhy is it that small-s steve’s always seem to slaughter an army of strawmen?
JD (d0d3cb) — 11/10/2009 @ 8:59 pmMike H – Still Rush and Palin.
JD (848a9f) — 11/10/2009 @ 9:00 pmThe Hill had an interesting post with varying views on this subject:
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/homeland-security/67207-the-big-question-what-lessons-can-we-learn-from-fort-hood-attack
Ag80 (3d1543) — 11/10/2009 @ 9:04 pmsteve,
Whether he’s a clever mole or a dumb jihadist wannabe, there were signals here that we should be paying attention to. Even President Obama says we should care about what motivates these acts.
In an apparently similar case, the shooter at the Arkansas recruiting station was the subject of an FBI terrorist investigation. Given the red flags about Hasan, he should have been more thoroughly investigated, too.
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 9:23 pmsteve:
I agree with you. I said this right after the Fort Hood massacre: Crazy people do crazy things.
But, even when they’re crazy, they can’t justify the craziness without some foundation.
Andrew Kehoe was pissed about property taxes. McVeigh was pissed about Waco and Ruby Ridge. Eric Rudolph was pissed about abortion. They were Christians, maybe, but did Christ’s teachings drive them to their crimes?
But, then you run into the truly insane: John Allen Muhammad, who knows? I won’t blame Islam for his actions.
Jeffrey Dahmer? David Berkowitz? Charles Whitman? I can go on and on.
Maybe Hasan was just insane. But were the 9-11 perpetrators just insane, too?
Common sense can be foolish, but it is not always foolish.
Ag80 (3d1543) — 11/10/2009 @ 9:29 pmDRJ, I noticed you said this wasn’t Obama’s fault. Strictly speaking, it’s Hasan’s fault, but that doesn’t mean Obama isn’t responsible.
Whether Bush did things differently or not, or whether the world has somehow changed between then and now, Obama is responsible for the behavior of the counter terrorism effort and the safety of our military installations.
Of course, Obama is a profoundly unsuitable person for that staggering responsibility. It’s a job no one should really relish, either. But that’s what Obama promised to do, with change, and this is his responsibility. I’m glad you aren’t giving Obama a pass, because while this isn’t his fault… he should be blamed.
I think (hope) Hasan was a dumb jihadist wannabee (if he was a sleeper, he was pretty freaking bad at hiding it), and I know Bush’s FBI had some notice (according to leaks?), but I am very concerned that the administration’s focus is not on fighting Islamists, but protecting American Muslims from a society that has done them very little harm since 9/11.
Dustin (bb61e3) — 11/10/2009 @ 9:32 pmDustin,
I suppose the buck stops at the President’s desk but I don’t blame any one President for institutional failures, and I think that’s what this is. But if we’re handling out blame, I fault the administrations/politicians that disabled our intelligence services, i.e., the era from the Church Commission to the Gorelick wall.
DRJ (dff2ca) — 11/10/2009 @ 9:48 pm#
Everything, every single thing, is reduced to a political calculation by this, yes, aloof individual. What moves him? What does he care about? Is there anything he would die for?
Comment by Patricia — 11/10/2009 @ 5:04 pm
Virginia Slims SuperSlims Menthol?
alppuccino (9919ef) — 11/11/2009 @ 12:39 amReaction to Fort Hood: Stupidity Beyond Belief !! :
http://www.33energy.com/reaction-to-fort-hood-stupidity-beyond-belief.html
Alex (17a689) — 11/11/2009 @ 4:59 amWell, that remains to be seen. The problem for Obama here is that what happened at Ft. Hood does not easily fit in with any lefty template. Which is most likely the reason why he didn’t immediately start pontificating about it like he did during the incident with that Columbia race-baiting nutjob prof. Let’s see what happens the next time something happens that fits a lefty narrative, where the injured party is someone with accredited lefty victim status. When that happens, I predict Obama will be running his fat mouth 24/7 for at least a week.
OregonMuse (b0736c) — 11/11/2009 @ 10:14 amWhoops. Columbia s.b. Cambridge. PIMF.
OregonMuse (b0736c) — 11/11/2009 @ 10:15 amHe was a weird asshole
And Mawy knows a weird asshole when he see one – every day in the mirror.
Dmac (a964d5) — 11/11/2009 @ 1:57 pm