 Authored for FreedomWorks.A video produced by the comedy group Second City Network suggests that “Because
Obama” may be losing its credibility as an excuse for government
action. The cause, organized by what the video portrayed as the
“Americans for Whatever Barack Obama Wants Did You Know He was Friends
with Jay Z?” group, aims to fundraise $1.6 trillion to support the
President’s effort to begin World War III – in addition, as one of the
video’s actors puts it, to “World War IV, and any moon war the President
may want to start.” “We can make World War III reality,” they say. “Why? Because Obama!” The
video is illustrative of a broader trend revealed by FreedomWorks in a
23-page report released last week that reflects waning support for the
President’s agenda among the Millennials who voted for the President
when he first ran in 2008. According to the report, just 24
percent of 25-32 year olds support a larger government that would
provide more services at a higher cost. Though this does not translate
into equally significant disapproval of the President among the age
group, a majority does disapprove of his performance at a margin of 47
to 45 percent. In 2008, Obama made history by obtaining 66
percent of the under-30 vote – the largest percentage of any
presidential candidate since exit polling began in 1972. “Remember,
when we voted for him in 2008 and 2012, we promised to support him no
matter what!” the World War III campaign’s youthful activists remind
their viewers. “There is no way that he or the cabal of corporate
interests, spy agencies, and shadow bankers that tell him what to do
would ever mislead us!” That’s a pretty accurate depiction of
diehard Obama fans, but FreedomWorks’ numbers show that a majority of
Americans are not convinced that the cabal of special interests behind
the President’s agenda really have good intentions. Gallup found
as recently as May 2013 that just 54 percent of Americans thought the
federal government had too much power to 36 percent who thought it had
the right amount and 8 percent who thought it had too little. After the
targeting of individual groups by the IRS and the disclosures over the
summer that NSA officials had lied to Congress about spying on
Americans, those numbers had changed pretty substantially, according to
FreedomWorks’ report. Today, 61 percent of Americans now believe the
federal government has too much power to 30 percent who believe it has
the right amount and 5 percent who believe it doesn’t have enough. Even
for the 95 percent of Americans who believe the government doesn’t need
more power, proponents of World War III in the video point out another
benefit that a global conflict would have to offer: “How good will
Michelle’s arms look in sleeveless army fatigues?” Yet in all
seriousness, “Because Obama!” is becoming the best description of why
voters are losing their confidence in the good intentions of an
overpowered government. As Second City’s video implies, the arguments in
favor of a more intrusive government are going to become less
convincing as more Americans continue to realize how Obama’s policies
have adversely affected them. |
