Obama's Public Support of Michael Vick
 

I just read this article this morning.

Here is the link which was posted Mon Dec 27 09:26am EST:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shu...urn=nfl-300632

I don't know how it will look copied and pasted below until I submit so keep in mind this is my attempt to convenience you. :)

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Obama calls Eagles owner to congratulate him for signing Vick
By Chris Chase


Michael Vick(notes) has been getting support from all sides during his road to redemption. He's now getting it from the leader of the free world.

NBC's Peter King reports that Barack Obama called Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie earlier this week to congratulate him for giving Vick a second chance after his release from prison. According to King, the president said that released prisoners rarely receive a level playing field and that Vick's story could begin to change that.

Forget your political allegiances or feelings about Michael Vick and take a step back to think about this. The sitting president of the United States went out of his way to publicly praise a man who, 3 1/2 years ago, many thought would never play again in the NFL. Even the most ardent believers in Vick couldn't have fathomed a turn-around like this.

In retrospect it seems obvious that Vick would get a second chance in the NFL, but it wasn't so clear-cut back when he was lying to the commissioner, getting sternly admonished in federal court and serving out a sentence at Leavenworth. We tend to take for granted unbelievable events when they slowly unfold before our eyes. The step-by-step nature of these sorts of tales tend to minimize the shock when taken in over a long process. So though it now seems like it was all pre-destined to work out like this, it wasn't: Vick's rise and fall and rise is a truly stunning tale. He went from star to pariah to inmate to backup to MVP candidate to political prop for the leader of the free world all in a span of a couple years.

[Related: Obama and Kobe Bryant talk trash]

For Obama to praise Vick now shows a number of things, namely that uttering the quarterback's name is thought to be a safe political move. He's playing the best football of his life for a playoff team and was the second-leading vote getter for the Pro Bowl. At the moment, he's the model of redemption, someone worthy of praise.

Because, if you think about it, Vick got that "second chance" from Lurie 16 months ago. There was no phone call from the president then. Praising Vick at that time would have been a political third rail. But now that Vick is playing great and most people seem to have either forgiven him or stopped caring about his transgressions, it's a shrewd political move. After what could be termed a rough two years in office, the president is looking for a second chance from the people who have turned against him over the past two years. Supporting a huge star like Vick could help with the president's recent image problems. It may not register much nationally, but it couldn't hurt in Pennsylvania. After all, it's a swing state and 2012 is just around the corner.

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I want to know what others here at the BF Planet think about this.

Here's my input:
After reading this, Obama sealed his fate regarding my future vote. He will not get another vote from me this next time around. If he feels compelled to forgive Vick, he could have done so quietly in his heart. Obama's public support of Vick under his title as the United States of America's President not only sickens me but really infuriates me.

I would like to see Vick permanently out of the public eye but his jock stardom will continue lifting him up.

I am not hear to judge whether another a person is willing to forgive Vick or not.

I am simply fucking sick to death of how this country generally excuses the horrendous behaviors of our athletes and embraces them in high status. Look at the history. I won't name other jocks. You know who they are.

morningstar55, thanks for taking time to post your opinion.

Will be late for work if I don't get a shower and scoot ...

Wishing everyone a pleasant day! :)

are you fucking kidding me?

I think that ANY act of animal abuse on ANY level should have huge penalties ESPECIALLY if you're a public figure. I can't even believe so much media attention and money has been spent on a selfish idiot when all that money could have been put to use helping animals. The ignorance of people just blows my mind.

The Real Heros
 

Second Chance for the Michael Vick Dogs: Meet the Rescued Pit Bulls www.badrap.org/rescue/vick/

Sarah Palin will appreciate your support in 2012. ;)

Curious - For those who will not support President Obama, who has done more for Gay rights than any sitting President in the history of our nation, in the next election because he congratulated the Eagles coach on Vick: Do you feel that congratulating a football coach on gaining anothe player (no matter their history) negates President Obama's (in my opinion) stellar Gay Rights record?

Further to that, do you people not realise that by not voting Democrat in the next presidential election you will be actively voting FOR someone who not only will not do anything good but who will ACTIVELY work to HARM you?

Even if you don't vote and the Republicans win you are complicit in their winning.

Somewhere in DC, a consultant for whomever will be the Republican nominee in 2012 is smiling at the thought. I get being angry or disappointed (although, quite honestly, I'm not) but to seriously base your vote on THIS issue? Really? I can understand not voting for Obama because he hasn't shut down the Guantanamo detention center. I can understand not voting for Obama because he hasn't stopped the indefinite detentions. I can even understand not voting for Obama because he's shown poor political judgement but to not vote for him because of THIS? I just don't understand the political calculus or rationality you are using. Perhaps you can explain it?

Let's say, for instance, that Sarah Palin is the nominee (please, please, let her be the nominee) are you going to tell me that between a woman who believes that shooting wolves from a plane is sport and a man who believes that an ex-convict deserves to get his life back (even an ex-con who abused animals) you would choose the former? If you say you wouldn't vote then *by default* you've voted for whoever wins the election. So you wake up the day after Election Day 2012 and find out that Palin is the next POTUS. Would you feel okay with that outcome given that it was based on this issue?

Cheers
Aj

I'd like to mention another thought I had regarding this:

I think that Michael Vick did wrong. Dog fighting is not not not ok on any level. I did wonder when this story first broke how the environment would have been different had it been a white person, another type of animal cruelty, etc.

Because Im not a fan of dog racing or horse racing either. Horses and dogs are routinely kept in inhumane conditions, shot up with drugs that make them twitch and foam at the mouth and trained under stressful, painful circumstances so people can stand around and bet on who runs the fastest.
Not trying to equate dog fighting with horse racing - they arent on the same level, but I do see some class stuff going on with how the mistreatment of animals is viewed when a black man does it and how it is viewed when white folks have been doing it for 100 years.

Roflcopters... I guess the rest of the west just didn't get the memo? :p

Anyways, pretty much agree with what betenoire posted. To refrain from voting for Obama, if you have any interest in obtaining equal rights for the gay community in the US in the next few decades, is counterproductive. Voting in most of the western world is pretty much a lesser of two evils deal, in my view. I don't consider myself a supporter of any of my own country's main political parties, but when it comes down to maintaining and progressing human rights it's important to know which parties will get it done in our current society. In the US, the democrats are the only realistic hope the American lgbt community has if it desires equal rights. Personally, I wouldn't squander away a chance at equal rights over his support in giving a second chance to an athlete charged with dogfighting. Dogfighting, while not humane, is just one of the biproducts of even greater and more enduring problems present in western societies. Solve those and you'll be much closer to solving problems like dogfighting.

As for the topic at hand, personally I don't think it's part of a politician's job to make public comments/show support on issues that have nothing to do with their role. It's been a few times now that I've heard of Obama lending support to issues that have little to nothing to do with his role as American president, and, imo, it makes him look more like a celebrity than a politician. Not a smart move on his part.

Lots of interesting views. Thanks for your posts.

I will not be voting for Obama or Palin - that is for sure. I see myself as having a minimum of three choices. ;)

Lunch hour is almost up - back to the office. Thanks again, everyone.

I don't have to worry about who to vote for, being Canadian. But I agree with some here that NOT voting for Obama is the equivalent to voting Republican. THEY certainly are not working toward many causes I believe in.


As for animals, it's been expressed much better than I ever could:

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

"To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being."

Mahatma Ghandi

An animal is not a human child, therefore it's life is worth less? Human arrogance. Look around and see what THAT'S done to our planet.

Vick - I have no use for him. He tortured, killed and ruined the lives of a great many of our fellow creatures. Fucker!