A note to the President.

President Obama,

On your recent visit to Rhode Island, the one where the Democratic candidate in the gubernatorial race Frank Caprio said that you could "take [your] endorsement and shove it,” I heard you say the following:

“we can’t have special interests sitting shotgun. We gotta have middle class families up front. We don’t mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back.”

Now, while I am sure that in your analogy you see the government firmly planted behind the wheel of the car that represents the economic and political path of this country, perhaps you might [in the future] take a moment to consider how such imagery paints you and affects those people you were elected to govern. Perhaps you might want to consider that your audience, at least those who are familiar with the Constitution, might believe that it is not the government who should be driving anything; but, rather it is the people who should be driving. The government, in any proper analogy, would be the pit crew that keeps air in the tires and grease in the bearings so that the wheels of industry are ready to go at a moment’s notice; keeps the wiper blades updated so that we can see the road ahead and plan for those things that we can tell are approaching; basically that does those things they are contractually allowed to do. [As a hint, driving is not one of these things.]

Now as a second point here you might want to watch your message a bit more closely for a couple of reasons. First, please try to remember that, as the President of the United States, you are the President of everyone here: Republicans included. When you suggest that the roll of the minority party in a Constitutional Republic is to simply come along for the ride and sit in back, your meaning [that Republicans should simply shut up and let Democrats do whatever they desire to do at the moment because they are of no importance at all] is pretty clear. Surely you must understand that it is the job of all representatives to represent their constituents and that in telling them to stay out of the way and be relegated to “the back seat” you are tacitly telling large numbers of the American people to do this as well.

Secondly, while I am sure that you were simply trying to come across as placatory, when you said “We don’t mind the Republicans joining us,” this message [especially when taken in context] was clearly insincere. It is a bit like a high school jock dismissing someone with whom he does not wish to associate by smarmily intoning “I guess you could come for the ride if you want to but you’ll have to carry my sweaty gym bag.” Yes the welcome is stated, but the rejection is clear. The problem with your statement is twofold. First, when you relegate Republicans to the back and the middle class to ride shotgun you seem to be forgetting the large number of the middle class who are Republicans. Thus, by your own words it would seem that, while you claim the middle class needs to be “up front,” it is clear that, under your administration, the Republican middle class is welcome in the back seat alone. Secondly, by stating that Republicans are welcome to simply come along for the ride, you are implying that once the ride is over, they are not invited to take participate in the destination. With such open hostility being put forth by no less than the President of the United States, how could those on its receiving end not get the feeling that the administration is less interested in the welfare of all than in the welfare of those he has chosen to be “up front?”

Ultimately, when you demonize Wall Street, you [the President] are demonizing Americans. When you talk about the greedy upper class, you [the President] are demonizing Americans. When you tell Republicans that they should sit down, shut up, and simply agree to come along for the ride, you [the President] are saying this to Americans. Remember, you were elected to be a leader and these are certainly not the actions of one.