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I have been the fairly frequent recipient of recent e-mails asking me to join groups to help re-elect President Obama.  These are not mass e-mails, but come from locals I know.  But they apparently don't know me.  How can anyone who knows me think I would want to re-elect the President?  This is not an endorsement of Mitt  Romney, who is also a less-than-desirable candidate.  It's just acknowledgement that Obama is rotten and has had rotten effects on the US.

Almost invariably, these e-mail requests toss in some slams at the Tea Party.  In almost all instances, such disparagements of the Tea Party reflect an arrogant elitism (or is it elitist arrogance?).  The TPs are summarily described and dismissed as "racist," "bigoted," "ignorant," and the like.  There may be reasons to criticize the Tea Partiers, but these are not included among them.  I find this almost humorous, except that the critics really think they are engaging in thoughtful analysis by simply tossing out "racist," "bigoted," and "ignorant."  It is mindful of the administrators in education who won't or can't defend what they do by merely calling critics names.  Isn't that a great way to engage in serious dialogue--ignore or dismiss critics and then merely call them names?  This is merely reflective of their own intellectual deficiencies--they don't know much and are unable to think.  Much of this also reeks of hypocrisy.  Why, then, aren't the "99%ers" equally criticized?  Oh, that's right--they are, but by other type of folks.  What is so enlightened about "Hey, I bought a home I couldn't afford and now I shouldn't have to pay for it?" or "I want to go to college, but with other people's money?"  People don't have to agree--with me or with each other.  But we should at least be able to expect some intellectual honesty from everyone, well, politicians excluded (ha ha).

Here's another example.  Supposedly, asking for picture identification to vote is some sort of act of intimidation. Yet, Black Panther thugs lurking around polling places, issuing threats, is dismissed.  What, really, is a greater threat to the voting process?  That is, if we are intellectualy honest.  That might be asking a lot from arrogant elitists, smugly self-righteous as they are.