Vanessa: Unplugged!

Saturday Morning Rant On Disrespecting The President [VIDEO]

Jake Tapper

President Obama is really a class act. He has been faced with incredible challenges as the leader of the United States. It was necessary for the President to carefully consider his actions and reactions during his first term in office. To some extent that holds true now but since the President is in his last term, I think he needs to go 'Chris Christie' on some folks when putting them in check. 

Case in point, Jake Tapper of ABC News (he has since moved to CNN). In referring to gun control during a recent press conference, Tapper had the audacity to ask President Obama 'where've you been?' Don't get me wrong, the President checked Tapper and he was still very respectful in his retort. As a matter of fact he was more respectful of Tapper than Tapper was of him. 

 

 

I'd like to have seen President Obama respond something like this, "Dude, where have I been? The real question is why did you ask such a lame-brained question? You know what's transpired in this nation and globally, or at least you should --- you're the media. The next time you have the opportunity to ask a question at a press conference, don't waste my time, nor that of the other folks present. Most important, show some respect, I am your President whether you like it our not."

Now, I know President Obama would not say that, at least not publicly, he's too cool. He's also as shrewd as he is cool so he's really not someone to be messed with. It is the responsibility of Tapper and other correspondents to ask tough questions when necessary but professionals are not expected to be disrespectful when doing so.

A couple of days after the press conference, it was announced that Jake Tapper is moving to CNN and he'll have his own show. It's also my understanding that the deal was cut before Jeff Zucker took over the reins at CNN. 

While President Obama is admired by many, he is also the most disrespected President of the United States by his own countrymen. Many people complained to ABC News about Tapper. More of that needs to be done in the future when our President is disrespected. 

Related articles

Video: Jake Tapper Asks The White House Press Secretary Dickish Questions About Anna Wintour's Rumored Ambassadorship

Jake Tapper Joins CNN As Anchor And Chief Washington Correspondent

President Obama on the Newtown Massacre [VIDEO and FULL TRANSCRIPT]

President Obama Doesn't Understand the Economy?

President Obama Doesn't Understand the Economy?

President Barack Obama during his days at Harvard Law School.

President Obama is a Harvard educated lawyer and former senator but he doesn’t understand the economy? You’ve got to be kidding me. That's what some Republican business leaders want us to believe. The only people that espouse that are: (1) the American corporate elite who continue to make millions of dollars while millions of American jobs are sent oversees and (2) Americans who just don't want to see the truth.

Observe the presidential campaign ads and follow the campaign donations. Business moguls who started or currently own some of America’s largest businesses are lock step with the infamous Koch brothers in their intent to make Obama a one term President. They need to get President Obama out of that seat because he has not allowed big business leaders to dictate the direction of this nation during his administration and they are mad. Boiling mad. Plain and simple. Although they didn't initially support Mitt Romney, they will because he's one of them.

This presidential campaign is all about the benjamins. As a matter of fact, many of them have been about the benjamins but his time it’s different. In the words of Nino Brown in the movie New Jack City, “The rich get richer and the poor don’t get a @#$% thing.”

 

 

 

 

Presidential Debate 2012 Part 2: The President Barack Obama South Side Smack Down

 

President Barack Obama was the clear winner of last night's debate.

The highly anticipated second Presidential Debate of this election cycle was the comeback of President Barack Obama in style and substance. Almost immediately he came out swinging with a demeanor that was cool, calm and in control. Gov. Mitt Romney’s demeanor was much the same as in the first debate but he wasn’t as cocky this time since the President would not be bullied. 

 

Unlike the first debate, President Obama put Gov. Romney in check a few times. Gov. Romney was vague, no, let me use a more appropriate word --- sketchy. Anyone that really follows politics and is objective could see through the desperate acts of Mitt Romney. I’m sure Romney expected a different Pres. Obama than from the first debate but he couldn’t control the President or Candy Crowley although it seemed he gave it his best shot.  

During the first debate, the big takeaway was not policy positions on any issues, it was Big Bird and Gov. Romney’s promise to defund PBS if he’s elected. This time, Gov. Romney’s gaffe was ‘binders full of women.’ That was an immediate Twitter trending topic; a domain name was purchased and several Facebook pages were established. Gov. Romney used the phrase while answering a question from an audience member in an attempt to endear himself to women voters. Can you say EPIC FAIL? 

At first the verbal jousting between the two men was exciting then kind of boring. President Obama was on such fire that the debate was basically over and there still about 30 minutes remaining.  

The Republican spin machine has already tried to make Romney the winner. Many mainstream media personalities and journalists have said that the President’s performance was not strong enough to overcome the Mitt Romney momentum. What? Are you kidding me?  

Then I thought about the fact that mainstream media is big business and the GOP is definitely pro-big business. Take whatever you read, see or hear in the mainstream media with a grain of salt. Heck, you should do that with media period. Whatever you do, think. 

I’m looking forward to the final debate on Monday, October 22 at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL. 

Here’s my take on the debate record thus far. What say you? 

2012 Debate Record

Style:  Obama/Biden - 2   Romney/Ryan - 1

Substance:  Obama/Biden - 3  Romney/Ryan - 0

  

 

Graphic Design: Georges Etienne

 

Samuel L. Jackson says WAKE UP!!! [VIDEO]

I heard about the Samuel L. Jackson video in support of President Obama's re-election but I had not seen the full video until today when I surfed over to Wayne Hicks' blog, The Electronic Village. 

This video is hilarious and on point. I will send it to a few friends and some folks I don't know that well. Now, anyone who knows of Samuel L. Jackson, knows there will likely be some profanity involved in his work. In this video there is an attempt to censor the profanity but it is obvious what is being said. 

 

Folks shouldn't have to be cajoled, entertained, fed or cussed at to vote but if that's what's effective, so be it. Wake up, get up and vote or shut up!

I Believe Harry Reid

All this back and forth conversation in the media about Sen. Harry Reid saying he has a source that says presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney didn't pay taxes is maddening. Romney supporters and GOP strategists making the news talk circuit are just so incredibly unbelievable. Invoking the number of income tax returns John McCain provided and even Ronald Reagan is just such a stretch and obvious show of desperation.

Gov. Romney can put a stop to the discussion by just providing the requested tax returns and moving on with his campaign. If he doesn't, the public will continue think he has something to hide. It's really just that simple and no attempt at deflecting the issue will prove successful.

Until Romney provides his income tax returns to the American voters, I believe Harry Reid.

 

We Can't Turn Back Now [VIDEO]

Five years ago presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama ignited a fire in Americans yearning for change in our government. Americans yearning for a better life…better opportunities…jobs…education. Hope. Change.

Unlike any presidential candidate before or since, Obama’s obvious racial difference was not the factor that endeared him to so many.  No, Barack Obama’s American story was the glue that weaved him through the hearts and minds of so many Americans who could identify with the challenges he overcame to attain a comfortable lifestyle in these United States of America.

Now five years later, after a historic victory, this man we know as Barack Hussein Obama, 44th President of the United States of America, remains the same intelligent, dignified, level-headed leader this nation needs. President Obama’s tenure has been met with such vitrol, disrespect and unsuccessful attempts to destroy this nation, it is almost unbelievable. These attempts have not come from outside but from within the leadership of this very nation who claim to be patriots. 

Now is the time to continue to move America forward with four more years of an Obama presidency. We are on the right track by addressing economic disparity and helping the poor and middle-class among other issues. We can’t turn back now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Press on Newt Gingrich: He's Not a Great Debater [VIDEO]

Here is a video of Bill Press guest hosting the Countdown with Keith Olbermann Show. So, a CNN producer warmed up the crowd at the presidential debate in Charleston, SC. encouraging the audience to make as much noise as possible as if the debate was The Jerry Springer Show? Shame on CNN. 

You know it really doesn’t matter who the Republican presidential nominee is, President Obama will clean their clock. 

 

 

Romney, Wealth and the Presidential Campaign

If you believe many of the pundits of American politics, Willard Mitt Romney will be the 2012 GOP Presidential nominee --- until now.

Romney continues to show who he really is and for whom he will really advocate --- the wealthy. Romney has shown, in several instances, how he is totally out of touch with most Americans of all political affiliations.

He has insulted the American public by basically accusing them of being jealous of him because he's wealthy. He has laughed about firing workers and cavalierly made a $10,000 bet as if it was only $1.

To make matters worse, when pressed about the income taxes he pays, he says he pays around 15 %. He also says he donated his speaking fees, which were "not that much". His reported speaking fees are over $374,000. Wow, this is the favored Republican presidential candidate?

The Democrats should be grateful the Republicans seem to favor Romney. He is no match for President Obama. No doubt Romney will put his foot in his mouth again. When the campaign trail heats up, he will succumb to the pressure and say something so outrageous, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the GOP to overcome.

Romney is who he is. No amount of campaign spin can change that. He can pretend to be like the average American but he's not and that's apparent in his actions; he seems so uncomfortable sometimes.

Anyhoo, the real question is, do American voters dislike President Obama so much that they will hold their collective noses and vote for a candidate like Mitt Romney who will continue the decimation of the middle-class? That would be masochistic but stranger things have happened in American politics.

Great Discovery: The Ministry of Marcos Witt

Two days ago I didn’t know who Marcos Witt was. Never heard the name or anything about him. First of all, I don’t know how the television came to be on that particular channel at that time, but there was this guy speaking in Spanish and I recognized the Lakewood Church rotating globe in the background.

The guy was good. I didn’t understand EVERY word he said but he was speaking slowly enough that I knew it wasn’t the Cuban Spanish I’m accustomed to hearing. I called one of my co-workers over because surely she knew who this guy was, he was too good for him to not be super famous, right? But she didn’t know him either. She translated the parts I didn’t understand and then his name popped up on the bottom of the television screen --- Marcos Witt.

Of course I Googled him and found out more about him. He is the pastor of the Spanish speaking congregation of Lakewood and that already numbers about 40,000. Witt is American but was raised in Mexico with his Christian missionary parents and siblings. He is also a Latin Grammy Award-winning entertainer and that is apparent in the delivery of his sermon. He knows how to connect with people even in a foreign language. He has the gift.  

With the Spanish speaking population in the United States continuing to grow, Joel Osteen was smart in selecting Marcos Witt to lead Lakewood's Spanish-speaking congregation. I look forward to watching more of Witt in action. You may want to check him out also; even if you don’t speak Spanish, you’ll understand.

 

Related Links:
Marcos Witt
Lakewood Church

 

Halloween 2009: Trick or?

Saturday night was Halloween. In my neighborhood, Halloween has become much like any other night because kids don’t Trick or Treat door-to-door anymore. Schools have Halloween activities, there’s trick or treating at the malls and some churches have non-traditional celebrations.

I typically prepare for at least one child to stop by; I have bought treats every year --- except this year. For the last four or five years, not one kid has come by --- not one. It’s not as if children passed my home; they were nowhere to be seen. Not passing by...not even a kid in a costume in a car that drove by. Nothing. Nada.

So, tell me why a young boy, no more than nine years old, rang our doorbell at 10:38 at night. No one comes by that time of night unless they’re expected or it’s someone with bad news. So the first reaction was alarm.

After opening the door, I saw a young man with a Halloween bag. He was a nice looking young boy but I was not about to open the requisite metal security door that separated us. I told him that I was sorry but we didn’t have any candy this year because no one has stopped by in recent years. I then asked him if he was alone and why he was out so late.

He said he was alone but never answered the second question. I checked the surroundings as much as I could because I was not about to get bum-rushed in my own home. He said, “Don’t you remember me, I used to visit next door?” I didn’t remember him but he could have been telling the truth. I asked him if he was afraid to be out alone at this time of night and he said no that he walks this way to school.

I apologized again for not having any treats for him and told him to go straight home because it was too late for him to be in the streets, especially alone. He said yes ma’am and went on his way. I watched him walk down the street until he turned the corner out of my line of vision.

Then I wondered for the rest of the night who would allow their precious child to be out like that. I was so concerned about him that I looked for him after I got home from work today. I didn’t see him anywhere. Then my folks returned from a homeowners meeting and told me about a gang in the neighborhood.

Kids from another part of town, who live in a nearby group home, have started a gang that terrorizes neighbors, especially other young kids. They break into cars. They also send a young kid to scope out homes so they can go back later and burglarize the place. 

Now you know, I am cautious but I refuse to live in fear. I also believe in having 9-1-1 on speed dial and defending my family and myself by any means necessary. I wonder if little man was a member of the gang and tried to get into our home to scope it out. I wonder if he was a kid whose parents were at work and didn’t know he was trolling the streets so late at night. I wonder.

Well, I’m still going to be on the lookout for little man as I ride through the neighborhood. If I see him, I’ll let him know that I am concerned about him and wanted to make sure he was safe. Then I’ll go on my merry way but don’t get it twisted; if little man turns out to be in the gang and tries anything, I got the right to go Bernie Mac on him and his friends. Believe that.