Obama’s Chance to Shine
The biggest lost opportunity of the Obama Administration came in his first hours, nay, its first minutes. The then-new President could have departed from the text of his inaugural address to chide those who had booed his predecessor. He could say that while they may not agree with Bush’s policies, they should honor the office and the Republican’s service as he would hope Bush’s supporters would honor the office now that one of their partisan adversaries had taken the helm.
He could echo comments he had made a few days previously when the Democrat called the Republican “a good man who loves his family and loves his country,” a man who “made the best decisions that he could at times under some very difficult circumstances.” A simple statement like that would have done much to heal the political wounds from recent partisan battles.
And while the president wasn’t then magnanimous in his first minutes in office, he would show considerable class nine months later when he took liberal Louisianans to task for booing their Republican Governor. He now has another chance to shine by denouncing violent attempt to intimidate dissent.
And here, it’s also a kind of a gimme. He need criticize leftists like the one below who assault tea party protestors:
(Via Ed Driscoll who has more.)
And while Obama’s at it, he could denounce the union thugs who beat Kenneth Gladney in St. Louis during this summer’s round of protests.
In the campaign, the president claimed he was a post-partisan leader who could bring people together. As President, he can do just that, by daring to criticize some of his political allies, angry partisans who have intimidated their political adversaries while those adversaries exercise their first amendment rights.
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Obama could do all that but it’s clearly out of character for him.
1 year in office almost complete and we’ve had the WH turned into a political operation where campaign practices are the norm —you and I and probably other commenters here, Dan, have been around past WH Administrations and know that, until Obama, the real lever operators inside any Administration have been the policy wonks and professional managers –not the political hacks left over from the campaign. It’s the latter in Obama’s Camp, 24 x 7. How can you expect bipartisanship when the leadership team lives and breathes partisanship?
Partisanship is rife inside the Oval Office, skip the WH. In the first year we’ve had an attempt to start up a Nixonian Era Enemies List by some of the very people who might have been on the original list and know far, far better than to do something like this… a WH Office of Fishey Comments asking citizens to rat out opponents on the net… and all of these have the fingerprint of our most famous community organizer and Chicago Thug all over ‘em.
Obama could do all the things you ask him to do, Dan. On top of that, he could call for a real DOJ probe of vote corruption by ACORN… but he’s going to badly need them in the summer of ’10 and ’12, so no hope for change there.
Obama could call for the Congress to adopt tough anti-corruption measures to stop the wheeling and dealing of illegal campaign contributions and bribes that have become the hallmark of a truly successful Democrat legislator these days… but then, Obama will need some of those illegal conduits of cash for his ’12 campaign, so no hope for change there.
And Obama could do a lot more to make good on his campaign pledge to end partisan bickering… but then, he’d need to lead by example and that’s about as likely as NancyPelosi or JoeBiden skipping a BoToc treatment. It’s not in his character. There should be no hope for change on that score. Sorry.
Comment by Michigan-Matt — November 18, 2009 @ 7:15 am - November 18, 2009
Obama is the first president of the New Order. We are in the power consolidation period in which the sheeple require many more dogs to herd them than will be the case when the power of the New Order is in place.
Obama is the post-partisan leader he promised to be. He is bringing the people together under the New Order. Everything else is the “tired, failed practices of the past.” Arlen Specter joined the New Order and he seems to be getting along just fine.
It is well past time to stop looking at Obama as just one in a succession of presidents. He does not see himself that way and he does not care a whit about the presidency as an institution.
Comment by heliotrope — November 18, 2009 @ 9:05 am - November 18, 2009
“until Obama, the real lever operators inside any Administration have been the policy wonks and professional managers –not the political hacks left over from the campaign.”
The delusion here is just absolutely stunning. Perhaps you have already forgotten that the chief advisor for domestic policy in the previous administration was Karl Rove?
Comment by Tano — November 18, 2009 @ 9:26 am - November 18, 2009
:Obama is the first president of the New Order.”
And the paranoia….
Hey Dan, have you hired a bunch of out-of-work horror-flick scriptwriters to pretend to be your commenters? Do you intend this site to be a complete joke?
Comment by Tano — November 18, 2009 @ 9:32 am - November 18, 2009
Note how Tano laughs along,
Now if only he would realized he’s the joke.
Come on Tano, are you saying the President shouldn’t condem the actions of his supporters? Or are you saying beating folks and racial slurs are fine?
Comment by The_Livewire — November 18, 2009 @ 9:36 am - November 18, 2009
I am beginning to like the phrase “tea baggers” as a derogatory term from the leftists, for Tea Party protestors. Let me explain.
Leftists have used the term often enough now that whatever sting it had (if it ever had any) is gone. What is left is the constant reminder – from the leftists themselves – that the Tea Party protestors stand in a great American tradition: the tradition of, well, the Boston Tea Party. In other words, leftists, like the total dopes they are, are falling into the trap, disgracing themselves and reinforcing the “wrong” “narrative” (sorry for all the scare quotes) about leftism’s mortal enemies, the Tea Party protestors. Ha. Hahahaha. Keep it up, lefties!
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — November 18, 2009 @ 10:12 am - November 18, 2009
#5: “Come on Tano, are you saying the President shouldn’t condem the actions of his supporters? Or are you saying beating folks and racial slurs are fine?”
Talking Points Tano’s position, if he responded, is easy to predict: “What?! So now Obama is responsible for the actions of every person in America just because they might agree with him on some issue?” Of course, with this standard, as with all liberal standards, the “double” is silent because Republican politicians are required to not only “take responsibility for” the “hateful rhetoric” of every other Republican in the nation, but also the violence that the angry rhetoric MIGHT provoke (but for some reason, never does).
Comment by Sean A — November 18, 2009 @ 10:38 am - November 18, 2009
“Note how Tano laughs along”
Livewire –
Are you saying you did NOT laugh at comment number 2 ?????
I hope thats not because you were nodding along to his paranoid ramblings…
You *seem more rational than that.
*only slightly
Comment by gillie — November 18, 2009 @ 10:45 am - November 18, 2009
“the Tea Party protestors stand in a great American tradition: the tradition of, well, the Boston Tea Party”
ILC. Nice speech, but of course as usual your post needs a rewrite.
Please correct it with the following:
“the Tea Party protestors stand in a great American tradition: the tradition of, well, Conservative Intellectual Dishonesty.”
Comment by gillie — November 18, 2009 @ 11:09 am - November 18, 2009
Dan, I think the Obama you speak of is a figment or your imagination. He used all those lies to get elected, he never meant a single thing about America.
The only redemption he wants is glory for himself.
Comment by Leah — November 18, 2009 @ 11:10 am - November 18, 2009
Try not to choke on this potent elixir of equal parts irony and hypocrisy:
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/11/18/how-do-you-say-“you-lie”-in-mandarin/
Michelle Malkin reports on Obama lecturing Chinese students on the virtue of political dissent and how he welcomes fierce political opposition since it makes him “a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don’t want to hear.” She then runs through a partial catalogue of Obama’s shameless and well-known thuggish crusades to silence and marginalize his critics.
Comment by Sean A — November 18, 2009 @ 11:15 am - November 18, 2009
Hey gillie! How’s your Dear Leader’s “stimulus” working out for ya? From you, just yesterday:
From the Dear Reader, this morning:
What’s the view like from under His bus, gillie?
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — November 18, 2009 @ 11:32 am - November 18, 2009
Sorry, here’s the link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091118/ap_on_re_as/as_obama_economy
It’s interesting because Obama is finally, at long last, trying to warn that too much Porkulus / spending / deficits will injure the economy. He’s 10 months late to that party. Here’s how it worked.
Obama has been systematically debauching, i.e. destroying, the U.S. dollar with his $1.5 trillion deficits and 0% interest rates. (Before you blame the latter on Bernanke, remember, Obama chose to re-appoint Bernanke.) The Chinese are royally PO’ed, and right to be. In the last few days in China, they’ve threatened Obama with financial ruin if he doesn’t get his fiscal act together. Obama has no intention whatever of getting his act together. But he needs to stall and deceive the Chinese, so he’ll occasionally proclaim his good intentions.
Sorry for the digression. The subject is at least Obama.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — November 18, 2009 @ 11:37 am - November 18, 2009
The comments open and Tano and gillie perform as a duet. Funny how that always happens. I guess william is still in the trunk as the sockpuppet-in-waiting.
So, Tano and gillie, your diagnosis of my paranoia is second place to the issues at hand. Obama moves the census into the political hands of the White House. Obama has multiple meetings with SEIU which is pushing to get the voting rolls as populated as possible with government union employees who live entirely off the tax system. There have been ZERO hearings on the Nationalized Health Care, ZERO Obama touted “transparency” and ZERO attention to getting bills posted for anything approaching the examination time promised by Obama.
Glenn Beck has produced an impressive number of serious charges against Obama and Company, yet there has been no response. No denial, no defamation suits, no hearings, no nothing. I suppose Tano/gillie that you see Beck as a squirrelly little nebbish who is prattling to the choir. You surely have some simple explanation of how Beck is able to come up with the video evidence of these people walking and talking the Marxist walk and talk.
Also, Tano/gillie, you leave a trail longer than a banana slug in heat of not backing up your claims in comment section after comment section. Which leads me to countercharge you on the paranoia charge: you, Tano/gillie are pathetically lacking in substance. That is to say, like methane, we can’t see you, but we know when you have passed by.
There really should be a Kos Kids site where people like you can cut and paste little Bazooka Bubble Gum bits of political hyena snot in a comment section and then run away laughing like drunks peeing on themselves.
Comment by heliotrope — November 18, 2009 @ 11:49 am - November 18, 2009
…not just a run-of-the-mill paranoid, a Beckian zombie!
Watch out Helio, we’re comin’ to get you. We’re actually part of the great Kenyan moooslim commiefascist stormtroopin’ vanguard who are nosin’ around conservative sites to find out whos been naughty or nice. We got a nice waterboard ready for ya in your local Fema camp,,,
Comment by Tano — November 18, 2009 @ 12:57 pm - November 18, 2009
“Obama has been systematically debauching, i.e. destroying, the U.S. dollar with his $1.5 trillion deficits and 0% interest rates”
I don’t blame the later on Bernanke. This was in response to the worst recession since the great depression. If they did nothing it would be horribly worse. Even economists like Roubini’s admit that had to happen – hell some wanted MORE.
You provide the classic example of intellectual dishonesty on the right.
The stimulus was a necessary solution to a major crisis. Doing nothing was not be an option. – The same way spending and military deficits were necessary after 9-11. The difference between the right and left is eventually you have pay for such measures. After the initial crisis, republicans did nothing. Obama says now that the economy is getting back on track deficit spending is going to have to wind down.
Whereas conservatives say even if the economy is humming, deficit spending is OK (unless the Dems are in charge)
Comment by gillie — November 18, 2009 @ 1:00 pm - November 18, 2009
#15
Stop revealing our plans.
The FEMA camps have not been finialized. We still haven’t decided on the paint colors and Jimmy Carter has not yet agreeed to be the commandant.
Comment by gillie — November 18, 2009 @ 1:03 pm - November 18, 2009
Hey Helio,
I see the buzz on Memeorandum today is all about Sarah making little noises about who she thinks just might be like super-awesome as a VP!
Yeah, it your man! Glenn Beck!
Comment by Tano — November 18, 2009 @ 1:22 pm - November 18, 2009
Um, Tano, so? What if she gives a shout-out to Glenn Beck?
What does that have to do with the post to which you attach your comment? I don’t even mention Sarah Palin and you feel you have to denigrate her.
Talk about obsession.
This post is about Obama. Defend your man.
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — November 18, 2009 @ 1:58 pm - November 18, 2009
Tano the knowing seer of things unseen has found that Palin would take Beck as a VP choice on her ticket. Newsmax asked her directly if she would consider Beck as a running mate and here is her response:
“I can envision a couple of different combinations, if ever I were to be in a position to really even seriously consider running for anything in the future, and I’m not there yet,” Palin tells Newsmax. “But Glenn Beck I have great respect for. He’s a hoot. He gets his message across in such a clever way. And he’s so bold – I have to respect that. He calls it like he sees it, and he’s very, very, very effective.”
Tano has all sorts of inside understanding from these words. So, since Tano clearly understands the hidden code in what his designated Palin-the-Moron said, I wonder if Tano could share his secret for decoding moron-speak. Perhaps Tano understands things differently from what normal people read and hear. Maybe plain speak just seems like moron speak to Tano. They should look into this at the ACORN Institute for the Practical Use of Drunks, Deadbeats, the Mentally Challenged and Deceased.
Comment by heliotrope — November 18, 2009 @ 2:03 pm - November 18, 2009
Tano sits in his mommy’s basement and waits for his Dear Leader Obamao check. You damn capitalists, get back to work, so it and it’s fellow parasites can continue to gorge at the public teat.
Comment by Annie — November 18, 2009 @ 2:35 pm - November 18, 2009
I think Tano has a form of keyboard Toretts. He spouts off random non-sequtors but can’t do anything but repeat talking points.
Note how he cannot list Sarah Palin’s accomplishments, when challenged.
Or how he can’t back up, when challegned, his statements about Gov Palin.
Or how he dodges questions about how Holder can get around Miranda and criminal procedures?
Or how he won’t explain how sucking up has improved America he just wants us to trust that it does.
Comment by The_Livewire — November 18, 2009 @ 2:40 pm - November 18, 2009
Gee Dan, whats there to defend?
Your post is yet another in your series of whines in which Obama is supposed to come to rescue of poor lil’ conservatives who are,,,well they are such victims, y’know?
I mean your point is so silly. I give you props for pointing out that Obama said nice things about Bush, but no, thats not enough. He has to say them on your schedule, in situations that you specify – which of course will be those situations where he chose to speak of other things. If he said nice things about Bush in the inaugural, it would have been the wrong kind of nice things, or then you’ll say he should of said them in the address to Congress. Or as a last resort, you could always just claim that he didn’t mean whatever he said.
So good for you – find another instance of Obama being gracious to a Republican – Jindal. But again, thats not enough. He has to make this kind of thing a regular feature of his presidency. Maybe he should just hire you as an advisor.
He needs to denounce idiots who get into street brawls? Where were the Republicans denouncing the old fart tea person who punched the leftie in the mouth? What next, a post about how the President should denounce me because I called Helio a paranoid?
Comment by Tano — November 18, 2009 @ 2:58 pm - November 18, 2009
Um, Tano, you’re the one who tacked a comment to the post totally unrelated to the topic.
Gosh, you do like to call my posts “whines.” I do see that word a lot on left-wing blogs (when writing about conservative criticism of liberals). Guess that’s where you get your marching orders (or your talking points).
Remember, Obama is the one who called himself a post-partisan politician. But, he has yet to provide any evidence of post-partisanship.
And please spare me what you think I would have done had Obama said nice things in the inaugural. I have praised him on more than one occasion when he got things right.
So, figure out why it is you’re so obsessed with Sarah Palin such that you’d tack a comment about her onto a post that had nothing to do with that good and accomplished woman. And then ask yourself why you spend so much time reading the posts of a man whose posts you consider “silly.”
Comment by B. Daniel Blatt — November 18, 2009 @ 3:23 pm - November 18, 2009
He needs to denounce idiots who get into street brawls?
Given that he told them to punch people who questioned him, yup.
You see, Tano, in conservative circles, we don’t make excuses for people based on their skin color. We understand that liberals like yourself think black people are primitive idiots who lack the emotional and intellectual control to be held to any sort of behavior standard, but don’t expect us to follow your racist beliefs.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — November 18, 2009 @ 4:43 pm - November 18, 2009
Thanks to the liberals who are pushing for even more of what got us there in the first place and calling it “stimulus”.
Except it’s been shown time and again that we’d be better off if we had done nothing.
“Intellectual dishonesty” = Reality.
When your objective is to f*ck things up worse than they were.
Yes it be.
And they were well on their way to being eliminated until the liberals took the purse strings. Now we’re being saddled with the worst deficits in history.
And the left gives America the finger and leaves it for future generations to pay for it.
Except he has no intention of doing so.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — November 18, 2009 @ 4:55 pm - November 18, 2009
Read’s Sean’s prediction of Tano at #7
Read’s Tano at #23.
Congratulations Tano, you don’t need to post anymore, we can just predicit your posts.
Well Sean can, when it comes to reading minds, I don’t do picture books.
Comment by The_Livewire — November 18, 2009 @ 5:58 pm - November 18, 2009
TGC, great job.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — November 18, 2009 @ 6:05 pm - November 18, 2009
Tano, Tano, he’s our he’s our guru, if he doesn’t say it, its not tru-u. Go, Tano!!!
(You may read “Go, Tano” anyway you wish. I know not how others may interpret it, but as for me, I like to see him wet himself.)
Comment by heliotrope — November 18, 2009 @ 6:21 pm - November 18, 2009