I am getting really annoyed by people who keep calling me an Obama fan because I won't agree with their judgement of Obama. I'm annoyed, not really so much because it's not true that I am an Obama fan, but mostly because it's such a ridiculous thing to be called.
Obama is the President. He's not an artist or an athlete. He doesn't perform on a stage or compete in an arena. He not someone to be a fan of. He works in government. He signs bills and gives speeches about legislation. He might as well be a doctor or a mechanic or a lawyer or a construction worker. He does a job. That's all. There's nothing to be a fan of him about. I'm not a fan of my doctor or the guys fixing the street I drive on and I'm not a fan of the President. The whole idea of being a fan of the President is ridiculous.
Yeah, I know that there are some people who actually are fans of Obama. Those are either people with a romantic crush on him or they are teenagers. I am not in love with Obama and I am not 17 years old, so, don't insult me by calling me his fan.
You know, If you can't convince me of your judgment of Obama, that's your problem. Don't get pissed at me about it and start insulting me. And if you are going to lose your temper and insult me at least have the bravery to come right out and directly insult me. Don't use half insults like calling me an Obama fan to try to skirt around the rules here. Either call me an idiot or greedy or an asshole, but show me at least enough respect not to call me something ridiculous like an Obama fan.
I visit movie websites. That is where it isn't ridiculous to tell someone that they are blinded by fandom. "The only reason that you won't admit that Cowboys and Aliens sucks is because you are a fan of Harrison Ford." See, that's where calling someone a fan is appropriate. Not on a website about politics.
8:17 PM PT: Here's who I am a fan of. I am a fan of Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer because they are in my favorite movie of all time: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I am a fan of Johney Depp for his work in movies like The 9th Gate. I am a fan of Nicolas Cage for his work in movies like Port of Call New Orleans. George Clooney for Good Night and Good Luck. Matt Damn and Ben Affleck for Good Will Hunting. Jet Li for just being such a bad ass. Quintin Tarantino. Robert Rodriquez. Daniel Craig in Layer Cake. I love movies and I openly admit to being a fan of filmmakers. Same with music and other arts. I'm not really all that into sports, but I love watching martial arts movies like Jackie Chan's Legend of Drunken Master 2.
Call me a movie and music and martial arts fan all you want. I am a big fan of a lot of artists. But the closet thing I feel to fandom for people working in government is probably the Fire Fighters on 9/11 and the Social Services people who took me away from my parents as a baby. Those people are heroes and if seeing them as heroes makes me a fan then I guess I am a fan of some people who work in government. But certainly not elected politicians.
8:23 PM PT: Oh, and I should also add that I am a huge fan of Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking. I would probably have started shaking if I had ever got to meet Carl Sagan or if I ever got to meet Stephen Hawking.
9:08 PM PT: Someone asked what is so bad about being a fan of a political figure. My answer is that worshiping people with power is dangerous. I think it's a threat to democracy itself. How can you exercise your responsibilities as a voter when your mind and your heart are blinded by infatuation with someone in power? The reason the GOP fall in line is because they worship people in power. I refuse to do that. It's handing over your power to someone else. That is unthinkable to me. And I would assume it would also be unthinkable for everyone else who isn't a blind GOP lemming.