How Stupid Do You Think We Are?

That's right! The horrible economy that we've been hearing about for months isn't as bad as feared, or so says President Obama! Of course the fact that Obama's been spinning tales of economic gloom and doom isn't lost on me.

But what is lost on me is how the Left seems to think we're as dumb as they think we are. Take Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's comments recently about the need for a second stimulus package. And this is only a couple of weeks removed from the passage of the first stimulus package! Fortunately for us, she just said yesterday that a second stimulus package may not be in the cards right now, so I think our pocketbooks may be safe until Pelosi wants more money.

It's not just government where our leaders show contempt for the intelligence of the average American, though. Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show" recently had Jim Cramer of CNBC's "Mad Money" on his show and took Cramer to task for putting entertainment before journalism. Okay, I'm going to overlook the fact that Cramer isn't really a journalist, but I can't overlook the fact that neither is Stewart. He's the host of "The Daily Show" for the love of Pete! Yet, all of the sudden, he's a serious journalist and can criticize others for not following his rigorous journalistic standards of mugging for the camera and delivering jokes?

Even closer to home, the Left is affected by this shortsightedness. When George W. Bush was President, the Left loved to skewer him for leaving the White House and going back to his ranch at Crawford, Texas, when Congress wasn't in session. (Of course, this overlooks the fact that the President never really has a vacation, what with being the leader of the free world and all, but that's beside the point.) Now that Obama has been skipping town for various reasons, where are the people on the Left complaining about Obama going "on vacation"? And let's not forget the fact that Obama's pulling his disappearing act while Congress is still in session. Let me be perfectly clear here: this point isn't about Obama leaving the White House. This point is about how the Left has reacted to it as compared to the way they reacted when Bush did the same thing.

At the heart of all of these situations, and several more that I didn't mention due to space limitations, is the Left's utter contempt for the average American. Granted, there are some people on the Right who are just as contemptuous, and I find it equally disturbing. The difference, however, is that the Right tends to champion the intelligence of Americans, while the Left tends to prey upon it for political reasons. Unfortunately, at least for now, the Left's contempt for the intelligence of the average American is the norm, which gives them the confidence to try some of the idiotic tactics they've pulled so far, such as the incidents I've mentioned here.

But they are making a major miscalculation. We're not as dumb as they think we are.