Obama Derangement Syndrome

Back in the dark days of George W. Bush's first administration right wing pundit, Charles Krauthammer coined the term "Bush Derangement Syndrome". He defined it as, "...the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal people in reaction to the policies, the presidency — nay — the very existence of George W. Bush". This in reaction to justified and well founded criticism of Bush leading this nation into an unjustifiable war of choice against a nation which posed no credible threat to anyone outside its own borders.

When critics of the Bush administration would mutter darkly about the failures of the Bush administration in finding the WMD's that were the justification for the invasion of Iraq, failing to capture the perpetrators of 9/11, 9/11, New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the moribund US economy...in fact, any rational, fact based criticism of the Bush administration was dismissed as the "Bush Derangement Syndrome" of said critics.

Starting from day one of his administration, we have seen the onset of acute paranoia in America's right wing political establishment, right wing punditocracy and its slavish, benighted follower in reaction "to the policies, the presidency — nay — the very existence of" Barack H. Obama. This reflexive and irrational hatred of President Obama was highlighted earlier this week when Chicago failed to get the nod for the Olympics. The airwaves, blogosphere and print media were filled with the howls of glee at the news that Obama's presence failed to secure a Chicago venue for the Olympics. It was only a short time before that that Congressman Joe Wilson astounded America by shouting "You lie!" at the President during an address to Congress, to the unbridled delight of the GOP's right wing-nut base.

And now we see the nearly fulminant outrage and ire on the right at Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. When any rational person would set aside their prejudices a feel a swell of pride for their country and their President, the right wing noise machine explodes in fury. With the likes of Rush Limbaugh stating that "we all agree with the Taliban and Iran about and that is he doesn't deserve the award...". Why do you hate America Rush?

We see America's right wing fully and deeply in the grip of an irrational and "acute paranoia in reaction to the policies, the presidency — nay — the very existence of" Barack H. Obama. They are caught fully and inextricably in the hall of mirrors that is Obama Derangement Syndrome.