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Picking Battles



The ad popped-up on my Facebook sidebar, and I both smiled and rolled my eyes. It was an ad for some Obama apparel, specifically a jacket and t-shirt, both deep blue in color, with the words: "I know, I won both of them" spelled-out in very big letters. It's a reference, of course, to President Obama's zinger during the most recent State of the Union address, when he mentioned that he has no more campaigns left to run. When Republican members of Congress applauded his 22nd Amendment limitation, the president shot back a reminder to them that's because he had, of course, bested their candidates in 2008 and 2012.

I smiled at the wording on the apparel because I liked the zinger at the time. Damn right Obama beat McCain and Romney. 'nuff said. It would be a lie to say that I didn't holler at his comeback line to the applauding GOP. I rolled my eyes, however, that folks would take it beyond that -- a one-line, one-time zinger. It may seem odd, but I feel like stuff printed on apparel and bumper stickers, etc. should be positive, and not some sort of "F--- You" to those with whom we disagree.

Granted, we all have our political preferences, and during election season, the rules (as I see them, anyway) are more lax. You want to slap a Republican, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, etc. bumper sticker on your car? Go right ahead. You want to wear an anti-candidate t-shirt? That's harsh, dude, but hey, go for it. But now? Just a few months after a brutal mid-term election? You're going to walk around wearing something that basically pokes a stick at almost 50% of the population? Why? Just to be a dick?

The fact of the matter of is, I love me some Barack Obama, and I'm happy he's been our president the past six years. But I don't want to go around antagonizing folks who don't support him, much the same as I can't abide the anti-Obama stuff, along with the "Miss Me Yet?" George W. Bush billboards (and, for the record, no I do not miss you). What does any of it accomplish, except to drive more wedges between us? Aren't we fractured enough as it?



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