Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Told You So

Following up my most recent post about how nothing meaningful will come out of the Benghazi hearings, I offer the following to buttress my position.
Today’s Benghazi hearing had many dramatic moments and added significantly to our knowledge of that disaster. For example, we now know that there were multiple instances when special ops would-be rescuers were told to stand down...

...the Obama administration treated the security of our diplomats and others in Libya in a grossly cavalier manner, which led directly to the deaths of our ambassador and three more Americans. Further, it is obvious that Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice and others lied about the Benghazi travesty, weirdly blaming it on a YouTube video maker–who, by the way, is in prison at this moment as a convenient scapegoat–rather than acknowledging that al Qaeda had scored a major success.

No informed person doubts any of this. Democrats don’t want to talk about it, but they don’t try to deny it, either. So as usual, the political consequences of Benghazi depend on the vast sea of low-information voters...

The question is whether Benghazi will break out into the broader culture. Will low-information Americans, who likely don’t know that Libya is in North Africa, have their attention drawn to Benghazi? Will the scandal be featured on Yahoo!, in People magazine, at TMZ, and so on? These sorts of outlets are the channels through which most Americans get their news. Will the liberals who run most, if not all, of these popular outlets choose to spread the word about the Obama administration’s Benghazi disaster?

It will be a few days before we know the answer for sure, but so far indications are not promising. Today’s two big news stories were 1) the rescue of three women from a house in Cleveland where they had been held prisoner for a decade, and 2) the first-degree murder conviction of Jodi Arias. For the average American, Benghazi was not even a footnote compared to these major stories. Not to mention the NBA and NHL playoffs and major league baseball. If you were one of the many millions of people who accessed Yahoo’s main page today, did you see anything about Benghazi? No. Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy, yes; about Benghazi, nothing.
General agreement on the facts. General disinterest on the part of the masses.

Take another look at the heading of this blog:
"We have met the enemy, and he is us."
Sigh...

3 comments:

Toejam said...

I watched some of the hearing yesterday and I agree. The Democrats on the committee are using every tactic to stone-wall, defame the witnesses and turn the tragedy into some sort of "OOP's, dang that sure was not nice" event.

Even Chairman Issa was the target of an unwarranted verbal attack.

Democrats = Liberals = bullies.

They use push-back tactics to disarm, intimidate and cow their opponents just like the anti-Israel and anti-American college organizations use when Ann Coulter or Pamela Geller try to speak on campus.

The Republicans are trying to pee on a forest fire when they confront the democrat bullies with "Socially acceptable" rhetoric.

We're doomed!

CenTexTim said...

"The Republicans are trying to pee on a forest fire when they confront the democrat bullies with "Socially acceptable" rhetoric."

That's an interesting point, Toejam. Do we lower ourselves to their level, risk becoming the same thing we're fighting against, but have a greater chance of succeeding, or do we take the high road and set ourselves up for failure?

Pragmatism vs. principles...

Toejam said...

Yes CTT,

It's truly looks like a bad situation for the good guys.

However I refer you to an old adage, which reverberates common sense:

Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

Unless, of course the Ka-Bar's a back up to a Colt 1911 with an extended magazine loaded with Black Talon .45 ACP rounds.