Condescension, thy name is Obama
I didn’t listen to Obama’s speech last night. Then again, I’m an equal-opportunity speech-shunner, because I didn’t listen to Boehner’s either.
It takes a lot to get me to listen to a speech, as I’ve explained before. But I’ve listened to and read enough of President Obama’s orations to know that a person wouldn’t go broke betting that a speech of his will contain not just a note of condescension towards the American public, but a leitmotif.
That seems to have been the case for last night’s speech of Obama’s, as well. It’s also a quality I don’t remember hearing much from previous presidents, even the unctuous Jimmy Carter. They all seemed to have had a certain basic respect for the American people that’s absent in Obama, and as well as a respect for the other side of the political fence.
Obama lacks that respect, although every now and then he decides it’s good politics to voice it anyway. I’m not sure what he thinks he gains politically by the condescension, though; maybe the support of the far left? If so, he seems to be losing that particular battle.
Perhaps it’s just the habit of a lifetime of condescension toward others and the elevation of himself in his own eyes. And perhaps he really does think the other side should cave in a spirit of compromise that he has rarely demonstrated himself, despite his lip service to it. But in politics, people don’t usually compromise just to be nice. They compromise because they can’t get what they really want, and they see that half a loaf is better than none, and they expect to get something in return in the future. In DC, it’s all about power.
But my guess is that Obama already knows that.
[NOTE: See this for my comparison of Obama to Spiro Agnew in his dissing of the opposition.]
Wish someone would go back to the early days and remember what different people felt, noticed, etc… and what the arguments were made to deny things that now in retrospect would have saved us a whole lot of bad… and how many stuck to their guns or folded when being called a tin hatter (hater?)… unreasonable… conspiracy theorist… racist… anti government… and on and on…
Remember how people said there was no way we would have even a slight chance at hyperinflation… that they would never monotize the debt… nationalize auto… nationalize medical… fundamentally change law… and on and on… including now debt ceiling games (which is not the same as default)
Right now we are at the point were we are the German people awakening to what they created with their wishful feelings based reasoning….
as i said long ago… the whole german austrian nazi thing with stalin… was less than 11 years.. and the first 4 were the set up for the rest, for after the first four, the stage was set… Gleichschaltung….
so now, since it was in poor taste to oppose
what does the people do?
where did all those people pretending to be the reasonable voice in the storm go? you know… the guy that says “hey! its the titanic, there should be plenty of boats for us, why run?”….
Perhaps it’s just the habit of a lifetime of condescension toward others and the elevation of himself in his own eyes.
The Dunning-Kruger effect writ large.
Obama seems to divide people into victims, scapegoats, scapegoats who have bought indulgences (AKA campaign contributions), and enemies. He lords over all.
He is the first and only “God Damn America” President.
He does not like the country he is President of. He does not like the people he is leader of.
That’s his inside.
He never really hid it well. Even when he mouths platitudes about the greatest country on earth, you can hear in his voice it is a lie for him.
He may very well destroy us out of spite. I would not discount that possibility for a minute. We let our guards fall on this man at incalculable risk. The mere survival of him may be a feat we are no longer either worthy of or capable of.
How terrible for us all that we are about to find out what we are made of and we will find out in roughly 15 short months.
I wonder if people who are the products of affirmative action do tend to think more highly of themselves than they should, as if to compensate for the reality that they could not have done it on their own abilities.
The elite worship ‘intelligence’ and measure it as correlating to how far Left one has traveled — the further Left, the greater the intelligence. Obama, sharing this understanding of intelligence, shares the elite’s condescension.
Holmes,
The truth of affirmative action is not automatic that they couldn’t have done it, its worse than that, its the ambiguity of never knowing… and, as with you, the assumption that you don’t if they find out… its perniciously negative…
I’m with you on last night’s speeches, Neo.
We were watching “Pawn Star” and my wife asked “Aren’t we gonna listen to the President?”.
I replied “Nahhhh…the economics in this program makes a LOT more sense than what Obama is gonna say.”
@texexec – you make a good point.
Who has a better grasp of economics – Obama or Chumley?
“In DC, it’s all about power. But my guess is that Obama already knows that.”
So, why is he so inept at exercising it?
d(^_^)b
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
“Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive”
Expat I must make a small exception to your suggested subdivisions of humanity by Obama. I see his categories as victims who must be saved by Obama so that they can worship him and sinners, i.e, non-believers.
I am still fascinated that his popularity is so much higher than his behavior should warrant (of course by my estimation there should be pitch fork bearing mobs in front of the White House). I keep on hearing that he is losing support here and there, but considering his behavior these losses are not only miniscule but acceptable. A few good lies about the Republicans wanting to destroy social Security and he is back on top. Worse he can afford to lose VA, NC, FL, IN and OH and still win in 2012. The inevitable conclusion the American electorate, after generations of peace, indoctrination and prosperity, for some reason are ripe for a master, a boot to lick in exchange for crumbs.
The condescension is neither a political tool nor a habit. It is a deeply ingrained part of Obama’s psyche that he is better than everyone else, that his opponents are acting out of stupidity and/or bad faith, that he is right, therefore compromise would be immoral…
He’s spent his whole life being told he is amazing, without ever having to back it up with actions. He’s even more cosseted than the average leftist Democrat. At this stage, it’s pathological. He couldn’t change even if he wanted to.
How many commentors have called their Congress Critters today with a message about resolving the debt ceiling? I called all three and Obama. It was hard to get to the White House – lots of people calling. My Reps – not so hard. They were listening and asking questions – a new wrinkle for them (All dems). Both Murray and Larsen’s phone handlers asked me where I would cut spending. I think they thought it would stump me. Instead I gave ’em an earful about all the Depts. that need to be downsized or abolished. These people in D.C. are asking WTF? Obama and the dems fear-mongering and class warfare are not working.
Get on the phone! The squeeky wheel gets the grease. Tell them to make a deal with REAL CUTS and NO increase in taxes. We need it NOW!!
“”Obama or Chumley?””
Chumley.
“So, why is he so inept at exercising it?”
He is exercising his power. He is instigating partisan conflict and fomenting class warfare. He is destroying things. He is creating chaos in the markets. He is busy putting as many people as possible on the welfare rolls (prolonged unemployment checks and food stamps) while enacting policies that stagnate the economy and sap the independence that flows from prosperity. He is conducting military operations in Libya and Yemen ignoring the war powers act, and there is no outrage over his actions. He looks pretty successful to me.
Its important to remember his stated goal is “fundamental change”. All that stands in his way are the House republicans and the voters.
“He is the first and only “God Damn America” President.”
Everything points to that conclusion.
It seems incongruous for the administration to pursue a cooperative missile-defense agreement if, at pretty high levels, the GRU and their government is authorizing the bombing of our embassy
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jul/26/us-report-russia-tied-to-embassy-blast/?page=2
Wonder how he will handle this and other stuff?
Neo, Barry is just a community agitator.He’s following his own playbook on how to behave and get ahead in politics, and he never varies from that basic script.He’s constantly causing strife and confrontations as it’s all he knows, and then when he gets bored playing his role, moves onto a new target and starts up the game all over again.*sigh*
Obama knows he is an intelectually and morally superior person. If you disagree with him, you are obviously stupid or evil. If his ideas aren’t working out in practice, it’s Bushes or the Republicans fault. Obama is always playing the blame game. As we used to joke, he has the worst case of inocent bystander I ever saw.
Barry is in the position of the dog that chases the car and actually catches it…
which is the same condition kennan said of the soviets, so focused on achieving power, they ahve no idea how to use it or how to govern once they win…
and ayers gruop was said to have the same qualities accordign to larry grathwold…
“The thing the most bone chilling thing Bill Ayers said to me was that after the revolution succeeded and the government was overthrown, they believed they would have to eliminate 25 million Americans who would not conform to the new order.”
In response to Grathwohl’s claims, Ayers stated that:
“Never said it. Never thought it. And again, Larry Grathwohl, I don’t know him today, but certainly the FBI was an organization built on lies.”[59]
In an interview with ABC7 reporter Alan Wang, Ayers stated that “Now that’s being blown into dishonest narratives about hurting people, killing people, planning to kill people.
That’s just not true. We destroyed government property,” said Ayers. However, when asked if he ever made bombs, Ayers replied: “I’m just not going to talk about it.”
The Brink’s robbery of 1981 was an armed robbery committed on October 20, 1981, which was carried out by Black Liberation Army members; including Jeral Wayne Williams (aka Mutulu Shakur), Donald Weems (aka Kuwasi Balagoon), Samuel Smith, Nathaniel Burns (aka Sekou Odinga), Cecilio “Chui” Ferguson, Samuel Brown (aka Solomon Bouines); several former members of the Weather Underground, now belonging to the May 19th Communist Organization, including David Gilbert, Samuel Brown, Judith Alice Clark, Kathy Boudin, and Marilyn Buck; and an unknown number of accomplices.[1] They stole $1.6 million from a Brink’s armored car at the Nanuet Mall, in Nanuet, New York, killing two police officers, Edward O’Grady and Waverly Brown, and a Brink’s guard, Peter Paige.
they were not former…
Ayers had previously been a roommate of Terry Robbins, a fellow militant who was killed in 1970 along with Ayers’ girlfriend Oughton and one other member in the Greenwich Village townhouse explosion, while constructing anti-personnel bombs intended for a non-commissioned officer dance at Fort Dix, New Jersey.[11] Ayers was living in Michigan at that time.
sounds like they didnt really want to hurt people..
after all, bombing social debs is not much differnt than breviek is it?
Greenwich Village townhouse explosion
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich_Village_townhouse_explosion
Shortly before noon on Friday, March 6, 1970, people in the townhouse were assembling nail bombs packed with dynamite and roofing nails. Former members of Weatherman later advanced differing claims as to the planned uses of the bombs. According to Mark Rudd, the plan was to set them off that evening at a dance for noncommissioned officers and their dates at the Fort Dix, New Jersey Army base, to “bring the [Vietnam] war home”.[2] Other reports say that some were destined for the Fort Dix dance and some were to destroy the main library at Columbia University.[3][4]
in case people dont know…
you dont pack nails unless your making the equivalent of what they call ANTI PERSONELL Devices…
ie… people
According to Cathy Wilkerson who was a leader of the New York collective, the Weatherman collective, disappointed with the minimal effects of their earlier attempts with Molotov cocktails at the home of Judge Murtagh and other locations, at the suggestion of Terry Robbins, another of the leaders, decided to use dynamite for their planned actions. A considerable quantity of dynamite and a number of electric fuses were purchased. Targets were investigated and three designated, including a dance at Fort Dix, an army base in nearby New Jersey. It was reported that “arguments went on day and night” in the townhouse, with Kathy Boudin favoring the use of antipersonnel bombs, and Diana Oughton having misgivings.
Killed by the blast were Theodore Gold, Diana Oughton, and Terry Robbins. Surviving in a stunned and bleeding state were Weatherman members Kathy Boudin and Cathlyn Wilkerson, who were upstairs at the moment of the blast.
i guess oughton didnt have enough reservations
Kathy Boudin was born on May 19, 1943, into a Jewish family with a long left-wing history, and she was raised in Greenwich Village, New York. Her great-uncle was Louis B. Boudin, a Marxist theorist. Her father, attorney Leonard Boudin, had represented such controversial clients as Judith Coplon, Fidel Castro, and Paul Robeson.[1] A National Lawyers Guild attorney, Leonard Boudin was the law partner of Victor Rabinowitz, himself counsel to numerous left-wing organizations. Kathy’s older brother, Michael Boudin, is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
The law firm of Boudin and Rabinowitz provided legal representation for the Cuban government in the United States
Liz:
He’s spent his whole life being told he is amazing, without ever having to back it up with actions. He’s even more cosseted than the average leftist Democrat. At this stage, it’s pathological. He couldn’t change even if he wanted to.
I agree with you completely — and I hope we’re both right.
Because if we are, he doesn’t stand a chance in 2012. Americans admire achievement and hate phonies.
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline