Obama the feisty
This odd piece by John Dickerson in Slate seems to be saying that:
(1) Obama has returned to campaign mode.
(3) Obama has become feisty again.
(2) Obama has fastened on the argument “those mean old do-nothing Republicans are to blame for any problems I’ve had.”
(4) The above three will energize the base.
The problem is that:
(1) Obama has never really left campaign mode.
(2) Ditto with the feistiness, at least in his rhetoric.
(3) Obama’s constant song has been to blame the Republicans (plus Bush and Cheney) for all his faults.
(4) Even a great many Democrats are heartily sick of the first three above. Plus, none of these approaches is likely to convert a single Independent or Republican to the other side in 2010.
The problem with Obama and the Democrats this year is not what they haven’t done, it’s what they have. And nothing Obama can say—and certainly not these tired devices—is likely to make a particle of difference.
[ADDENDUM: And this approach doesn’t show a whole lot of promise either. Highlighting the Obama’s family’s personal economic troubles? Pul-eeze.]
Obama is hell bent on turning the nation into Cleveland in this term.Detroitification starts if he’s re-elected.
Louis XVI.V and Michelle Antoinette are so po’.. tell you what, return some of the $1,000 + blouses, stop the Kobe beef dinners and try to live up to your predeccesor’s honor.. ah, I know I’m simply spitting into a hurricane with this last one.
Obama is a one trick pony. Talk to the center, govern to the left.
After everyone has figured out the trick, what can he do? Keep doing the trick. If it is all he knows how to do, then he keeps doing it.
If he learned something new, what would it be? Govern in the center? He would have to repudiate everything he just did. Plus, it would take him years to learn how to govern from the center.
I predict you will be repeating variations of this post forever (2 years – it will feel like forever). He will keep performing the same trick. Over and over and over and ……
“The problem with Obama and the Democrats this year is not what they haven’t done, it’s what they have.”
Agreed! That’s why the so-called recovery summer was never fated to happen. The Dems push social engineering. Even when they pass fiscal bills, they usually target socially engineered spending. You can’t solve fiscal problems with govt control of spending
(see for example http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748703369704575461873411742404-lMyQjAxMTAwMDAwNzEwNDcyWj.html)
Imagine if you had a car with transmission trouble and you took it to your mechanic and said reupholster the interior so that it looks like it runs well. Then, much to your dismay, when you take your car back, you still have the same transmission trouble you had before. Quelle surprise!
What’s even more pathetic is that the liberals can’t figure out why this isn’t working!
Maybe I have a different definition of “feisty”… but I wouldn’t use that word to describe President Obama, because I don’t think “feisty” is compatible with “whiny”.
Pugnacious, yes. Uncompromising, yes. Petulant, yes. Feisty, no. That’s my opinion; your mileage may differ.
…although actually, I think highlighting his family’s troubled economic past has promise.
We might actually learn something about him in the process — something he’s done his best to prevent us from doing.
After all, we learn the most about Mr. Obama when he goes off-script — and he showed just the other day that he hasn’t lost his taste for doing just that.
It’s gonna be an interesting campaign season. I expect to watch the President of the United States shoot himself in the foot, not once but repeatedly.
I agree, Obama is a one-trick pony and he will keep shooting himself in the foot.
Obama however, doesn’t care about the mid-terms, as far as he’s concerned that’s collateral damage.
His hope for advancing his agenda further, to “fundamentally transform America” has to be that one of two scenarios manifest before 2012:
Economic collapse and/or terrorist attacks in 2011 with Obama responding to public pleas for order and declaring martial law. Then using the ‘opportunity of crises’ to get out of the Republicans ’emergency powers’ and the passage of more radical legislation.
Or an economy that limps along with Obama blaming the Republicans for everything, in hopes that by 2012, the MSM’s constant refrain of support in blaming the evil Republicans will sway enough voters to return him to power, perhaps even with a slight majority.
If neither of those scenarios manifest, he’ll become a ‘citizen of the world’ and a “senior statesman” ala Al Gore/Jimmy Carter, publish his memoirs, give speeches ala Bill Clinton, rake in a ton of money and completely ignore his utter failure as President while engaging in historical revisionism at every opportunity.
Despite the promise of the Tea Parties, unfortunately this is still the same GOP that lost Congress in 2006 and the White House in 2008: lost them to the left wing of the Democrats in this center-right nation.
For the sake of some checks and balances, I hope a divided government emerges from the midterms.
I presume the Democrats will try to steal some elections. One of the Republicans’ main jobs is to make sure a minimal number of contests are close enough to steal.
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Neo, I hope things go well with your mother and you.
That won’t be good gs.
Then the Democrats will be successful in pinning the lack of a turn around on the GOP.
Baklava,
You are correct. That’s why, as Obama discovered, winning elections can be the “easy” part of public office. The hard part is actually governing.
We can only hope most Repubs have learned their lesson from 2004-2006. I am cautiously optimistic with the likes of Paul Ryan, Eric Cantor and Chris Christie on the scene.
“Highlighting the Obama’s family’s personal economic troubles?”
So, President Obama is going to solve America’s economic troubles by talking about himself for the next two months.” What a brilliant use of Presidential power.
Racist! Denounce yourself! Do you not respect the struggles of his family? Many was the night they didn’t have wagyu beef. They even had to drink domestic wine. Show some empathy!
1. Baklava, if the post-midterm Republicans don’t convince the public that they are ready to govern, you are correct.
Remember 1995? Congress passed a budget, Clinton vetoed it, and blamed the GOP for shutting down the government–and got away with it! (With the connivance of the liberal media. Yeah yeah.)
But the Republicans have learned their lesson from that episode, riiiight?
2. From Neo’s Slate link:
Reagan would have taken him apart for that garbage.
a. Are we getting such great value for our money that US teachers deserve preferential economic treatment?
b. It’s not primarily firefighters and
Praetorian Guardspolice whose jobs were protected, it’s legions of do-nothing overpaid bureaucrats. Obama all but declared that the public exists to support the government, not the other way around. Government of the SEIU, by the SEIU, for the SEIU.c. Unless the economy gets back up and humming, the money to
fund community organizers and leftist NGOshelp the less fortunate will not be available. Obama has his priorities completely backwards and a skillful politician should be able to point that out..The next two elections will be about how gullible the electorate is. Obama’s trick seems to be campaigning against everything he did and stood for since he took office, as well as accusing the Republicans for things he did, while claiming ownership of principles he is dedicated to stifling (e.g. individual initiative).
Perhaps the most telling moment of O’s rhetorical history was during the SOTU address when he condemned the Supreme Court for something they never did, in front of the world, for obvious political gain.
Quite a leader, but has enough of the public caught on?
now that the horses are out of the barn, lets close the doors in case they come back..
Good point, Bob. That was an especially egregious – and telling – incident.
And to your litany
when he condemned the Supreme Court for something they never did, in front of the world,
I would add, “and to which they could not respond, ”
Apart from all that, it was a very statemanlike action.
“”Obama has his priorities completely backwards and a skillful politician should be able to point that out.””
gs
Plenty have pointed it out. What we had to wait on was people willing to hear it.
Gloria,
That was priceless. I think we should invest in companies that make remote controls because a lot of people are going to wear theirs out zapping away from the constant whining. He’s like a kid in need of a good whack on the rear.
Shhhh! He thinks it’s working!
I still wish everyone had kept quiet and we could have simply surprised him. Well, considering his vast intellect and the smarts and experience of the people around him, combined with the media as it is and the enclosure within which he and his stay… It might still be a huge surprise.
Obama is a liar — right leaning moderates and independents won’t give him a second chance.
These all have some little short term bounces in popularity – they *do* speak to his base who continually hope that he will deliver. But in the end it will be a short period of rhetoric followed by massive disappointment.
Plus a great majority of the American public want someone to *lead* and he appears to do that for a few days. During those few days he gets a few decide that maybe, just maybe, he has seen the light (after all he wouldn’t be the first President to do so) but quickly they fall back into reality too.
I mostly smile and nod my head when hearing the Democrats I know talk about it – for the most part even the believe he is just spouting nonsense though he can get them good and worked up over the Evil(TM) Republicans. That is the best he is doing, not really adding any approval to what he is doing, just approval from his base in his attacks.
It’s just enough for the true believers to keep some level of optimism but they will do so even when his approval drops into the 30’s or below. I just have to note that “approval” suddenly means “I do not disapprove” and what he is saying is mostly what people expect. Under Bush “Approval” truly required approval, I say let them live in their fantasy world until the end – we are stuck with it and frankly we are better off if they do not get a clue on how to manipulate approval.
As for Obama’s personal economic problem’s, I recall a post from The Anchoress, when Obama was running to get elected in the first place and complaining to staffers about suffering hotels and hotel food, her reaction was “Don’t give me a president who whines!“.
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Nyom wrote, “Obama is a liar – right leaning moderates and independents won’t give him a second chance.
Unless the opponent mentions “God”
O
M
G
Obama meant to say, “They talk about me like a GOD”
But he had dyslexia. 🙂
What a ridiculous POS that Politico piece was – poor Obama, his mother went on food stamps! WAAAAAH!!! What is more, she was apparently “forced” to go on food stamps – I wonder who held a gun to her head and forced her to fill out the paperwork?
And Michelle’s father on a “modest” salary as a water works employee. HA, public works salaries are usually very generous.
And about how Obama was “out-spun” on the stumulus PR, um no it is called “facts”, not “spin”.
Who actually believes this load of crock?
Although I love this from the comments section:
“Face it – Unless Obama goes on vacation again his poll numbers are going to keep going down.”
I for one would love it if Obama stayed on vacation for the next 2 years, it has got to be cheaper for taxpayers than him being prez.
Baklava wins the best comment of thread, for adding in the old dyslexia god/dog joke.