RSS Feed for This PostCurrent Article

“The Impending Obama Meltdown”

Earlier in the week, one of my aunts sent me a piece by Victor Davis Hanson, The Impending Obama Meltdown (SusanUnPC also included this article in her excellent piece, “Is Barack Obama On The Precipice Of Becoming Jimmy Carter?“). I don’t want to be premature, but maybe, just maybe, there are some journalists coming up for air:

Some of us have been warning that it was not healthy for the U.S. media to have deified rather than questioned Obama, especially given that they tore apart Bush, ridiculed Palin, and caricatured Hillary. And now we can see the results of their two years of advocacy rather than scrutiny.

We are quite literally after two weeks teetering on an Obama implosion—and with no Dick Morris to bail him out—brought on by messianic delusions of grandeur, hubris, and a strange naivete that soaring rhetoric and a multiracial profile can add requisite cover to good old-fashioned Chicago politicking.

Well, I sure cannot disagree with him there. It is really astonishing to me the lengths to which people have gone to convince themselves that Obama was not a part of Chicago-style politics, all evidence to the contrary. I know, I know – that was one of just many things about which they turned a blind eye and deaf ear, but it is a big jumping off point.

Hanson continues with his review of Obama in the White House:

First, there were the sermons on ethics, belied by the appointments of tax dodgers, crass lobbyists, and wheeler-dealers like Richardson—with the relish of the Blago tapes still to come. (And why does Richardson/Daschle go, but not Geithner?).

Second, was the “stimulus” (the euphemism for “borrow/print money”) that was simply a way to go into debt for a generation to shower Democratic constituencies with cash.

Then third, there were the inflated lectures on historic foreign policy to be made by the clumsy political novice who trashed his own country and his predecessor in the most ungracious manner overseas to a censored Saudi-run press organ (e.g., Bush is dictatorial, the Saudi king is courageous; Obama can mend bridges that America broke to aggrieved Muslims—apparently Tehran hostages, Rushdie, serial attacks in the 1990s, 9/11, Madrid, London never apparently occurred; and neither did feeding Somalis, saving Kuwait, protesting Chechnya, Bosnia/Kosovo, billions to Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinians, help in two Afghan wars, and on and on).

Fourth, there was the campaign rhetoric of Bush shredding the Constitution—FISA, Guantánamo, the Patriot Act, Iraq, renditions, etc.—followed by “all that for now stays the same” inasmuch as we haven’t ben (sic) hit in over seven years and can’t risk another attack.


Remember when Obama reneged on his campaign promise to filibuster the FISA bill? Assuring his minions there was NO way he would ever vote for something so clearly un-Constitutional?? Oh, I do. He broke that promise with nary a “by your leave,” just a “yep, I did it! You’ll still vote for me, though, won’t you?!” Or something along those lines. One of my siblings, a big Obot, shrugged his shoulders and said he was “disappointed” by Obama voting for FISA. Uh, yeah, I get “disappointed” too when my country’s Constitution is being ripped to shreds by someone who got people to buy that he is a Constitutional “scholar.” Sure, Obama.

I digress:

Fifth, Gibbs as press secretary is a Scott McClellan nightmare that won’t go away, given his long McClellan-like relationship with Obama (McClellan should have been fired on day hour one on the job). Blaming Fox News for Obama’s calamities is McClellan to the core and doesn’t work. He already reminds me of Reverend Wright’s undoing at the National Press Club—and he will get worse.

Six, Biden is being Biden. Already, he’s ridiculed the chief justice, trashed the former VP, bragged on himself ad nauseam in Bidenesque weird ways, and it’s only been two weeks.

And the result of all this?

At home, Obama is becoming laughable and laying the groundwork for the greatest conservative populist reaction since the Reagan Revolution.

His claims of “CATASTROPHE!!!” if the Senate doesn’t give him all of our money for generations to come is pretty good evidence of that.
His lack of preparedness, experience, and knowledge of policy come into play, too:

Abroad, some really creepy people are lining up to test Obama’s world view of “Bush did it/but I am the world”: The North Koreans are readying their missiles; the Iranians are calling us passive, bragging on nukes and satellites; Russia is declaring missile defense is over and the Euros in real need of iffy Russian gas; Pakistanis say no more drone attacks (and then our friends the Indians say “shut up” about Kashmir and the Euros order no more “buy American”).

This is quite serious. I can’t recall a similarly disastrous start in a half-century (far worse than Bill Clinton’s initial slips). Obama immediately must lower the hope-and-change rhetoric, ignore Reid/Pelosi, drop the therapy, and accept the tragic view that the world abroad is not misunderstood but quite dangerous. And he must listen on foreign policy to his National Security Advisor, Billary, and the Secretary of Defense. If he doesn’t quit the messianic style and perpetual campaign mode, and begin humbly governing, then he will devolve into Carterism—angry that the once-fawning press betrayed him while we the people, due to our American malaise, are to blame.

Nice of Hanson to get a little slam of Hillary in there, too. Sheesh.

Anyway, yes, this whole messianic thing is just a bit of a problem. But what kind of Messiah is in constant need of ego-strokes and propping up? I speak, of course, of the “Great job, Barry!” campaign sponsored by Senators Durbin and Boxer to tell Obama that he is just doing a bang-up, job, he’s the best president ever, and this is the best two weeks any president has ever had – YAY!!! I am not kidding you. Ani, has all of the info on this “campaign in her outstanding piece, “Maureen Dowd Berates Obama While Senators Durbin and Boxer Want Us to Kiss-y the Prez and Make-y Better.

Just think about that. People voted for a man whose ego is so incredibly delicate that he has to CONSTANTLY be on the receiving end of praise and accolades, even when he doesn’t deserve it. Otherwise, I guess he will just go sulk in the corner, or throw a hissy fit. Like I have said all along, Obama’s petulance and requirement for non-stop adulation makes George Bush look like, well, an adult.

Can you just imagine, just IMAGINE, if this had been done by two Republican Senators back in 2001 the ridicule from all of us who opposed Bush? Jon Stewart would get mileage out of that for at least a week. Maybe a month. All of the late night hosts would be making fun of the Stewart Smalley-esque needs of the president (h/t to American Girl for reminding me of the, “I’m smart enough, I’m good enough, and dog-gone it, people LIKE me!”). But Obama? I have heard not ONE word about this campaign by two long-term US Senators. I guess not enough of these jokers have gotten their heads out of their…Obama-love.

I can say this will the fullest confidence – Hillary Clinton would never, in a gazillion years, require that kind of over-the-top praise and adoration that Obama seems to need. He needs to grow the hell up already and start worrying about his job. The one for which he CLEARLY was not ready on Day One to have. She was, which she has demonstrated with her hard work already at the State Department. Obama? Well, he’s been busy trying out all the new “toys” (read: Air Force 1, etc.) of his office (really? AF 1 to fly to VA???), going before House Democrats and acting all tough with his teleprompter on those horrible Republicans who were standing in the way of his repaying ACORN with our money. Oh, yeah.

This is the guy the DNC hand-selected. The one for whom it sold its soul. Now, go get your crayons and paper, and send the poor little president a note telling him what a bang-up job he has done in the past two-plus weeks, with the massive stimulus package he wants, the tax evader he put in charge of the IRS, as well as the other tax evaders with whom he wanted to surround himself, putting off getting the troops out of Iraq, but not wasting any time expanding Bush’s Faith Based Initiatives (more on that soon), already getting it up and running, and so much more. Let him know that you know he is the quintessential Chicago-style politician despite his “words, just words.” Remember, your job is to prop him up, not hurt his little feelings, so you should make sure you draw some little rainbows, unicorns, and smiley faces on it. That should do it.

Sure did it for me. Excuse me while I go get ill.

  • http://americanpumainitaly.blogspot.com/ sarainitaly

    “Remember, your job is to prop him up, not hurt his little feelings, so you should make sure you draw some little rainbows, unicorns, and smiley faces on it.”

    Perhaps we should send him a *yes you can* can?

    Hey! you know, I wonder if that whole *yes we can* thing started, not as a campaign slogan, but a motivational tool Obama chanted in the mirror every morning….

  • Ferd Berfle

    That One packaged himself as any company would package a product. And like all the junk that people buy, they bought him. Our False messiah took advantage of the fact that truth in advertising is no longer enforced in any meaningful way, either by the regulators facilitators or the public at large, who suspend disbelief while buying into the something-for-nothing con game. And these gullible morons come here criticizing us for the temerity to question their intelligence.

  • http://theheraclitanfire.blogspot.com/ Craig Della Penna

    No, Susan, you’ve got it all wrong – this is all just a surprise dreamt up by the newest Presidential Advisor for ‘Punking’, Ashton Kutcher. He’s just setting us all up for a national “You’re punked!”… and then we’ll all sit around the campfire singing “Kumbaya” with the new 26-yr-old head of the revitalized Office of Religious Initiatives (or whatever it’s called) and then all go to the re-education camps, er Camp Obama’s in the morning to continue our studies of overthrowing democracies, er “community organizing”.

    What a brilliant tactic from the new President-for-Life. I think it’s now time to send another letter thanking Obama for his past few days of service to the country, in order to close the “gap of thanks” that has been left since the last letter thanking him for his two whole weeks of service.

  • chris from Chicago

    We are in some seriously deep do do…
    we have the country in the deepest economic trouble
    and we have an impetuous spoiled brat at the helm…
    one who needs to be constantly buoyed by the pandering idiots that are his party!
    I am a strong one, I do not lack courage, and I am a positive person, however I am rooted in realism..and to be frank with you…I am frightened for us all!
    No good will come of this…

  • http://firefox AnnieCollier

    It is a symptom of someone in overwhelm who can’t handle his circumstances…from the initial stress jumping to immediate catastrophe.

    I think he’ll crack as soon as his numbers begin to mimic Nancy’s. Coming very soon. His followers have already begun to notice that their taxes are going up, up, up. Last I heard the tax break is now for those under $65k.

    The first Palestinian suicide bomber who is found to have come over on BHO’s invitation will be the end of his popularity and he can’t exist without that.

  • Solara 7

    Wow–great rant. Things are getting scary but you helped me cathart.

  • athena

    http://www.newmediajournal.us/staff/p_williams/2009/02072009.htm

    So what do we think about this hear? My head has spun 360 degress a dozen times and I am projectile spewing “green” sh** everywhere. I don’t think I can take anymore from this phoney bolagna.

  • athena

    Sorry for the OT above. It goes without saying this man has serious issues but all of us here have known that from the start. Have you ever noticed the way Pelosi googles at him when he is near?…..it is nauseating.

  • http://firefox AnnieCollier

    Well, he’s been busy trying out all the new “toys” (read: Air Force 1, etc.) of his office (really? AF 1 to fly to VA???), going before House Democrats and acting all tough with his teleprompter on those horrible Republicans who were standing in the way of his repaying ACORN with our money.

    Yes, he was hanging out at a posh “retreat” doing his scolding, only to return and fly off to try out Camp David this weekend.

    What do you want to bet that ACORN is going to be hired to do the census? Since the congressional districts apparently are drawn according to population numbers, I say when you get the knock on the door, we all become Democrat families of at least 12 per household for a day.

  • bayareavoter

    He’s never had a real job before. what did people expect? Our newspaper says he’s restless and is going out on the campaign trail and back to Chicago for Valentine’s Day. What a joke this guy is. He’s never governed anything!

    I HATED Reagan and what he did here in CA to our schools and many other things but at least by the time he reached the white house he knew how to work with Tip O’Neil and actually do his job.

    This guy only knows how to campaign.

    It made me crazy the other day when he said he inherited that deficit with a big bow wrapped around it….how much of that spending did he vote for? I think he forgot he was a senator (frankly, so did I). The Dems want to push all th blame on the Rs but they voted for Bush’s spending too.

    I’m just fed up.

  • http://firefox AnnieCollier

    She not only casts adoring looks but can’t keep her hands off him. During one appearance she kept touching his lapel, shoulder and when they left the podium, had her arm around his waist! In the private sector, I’d have reported her for sexual harassment…for ingratiating herself with too much touchy, touchy. Definitely one who should get the blue vibrator. Poor thing.

  • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

    LOL abt the motivational slogan – no doubt, sarainitaly! :-D

  • http://firefox AnnieCollier

    Three weeks in the WH, barely enough time to unpack and find your way around and he has to give constant in front of the camera updates, take trips, have dates, smooze and socialize thinking he can persuade with cheese and crackers and some booze…

    He really doesn’t know how to do anything but pretend. Axelrod and Emmanuel marketed him, Hillary and Nancy (God help us) are doing the work…in Nancy’s case the dirty work and he continues as the fraudulent front.

    One sick puppy.

  • Jackarooty

    B*U*Y*E*R*S R*E*M*O*R*S*E

    I could’ve had a Hillary Rodham Clinton!

  • FLDemFem

    Don’t forget the “Friday Night Date Night” in Chicago next weekend. For Valentine’s Day…how precious!! And it’s only going to cost the taxpayers $140,000 in fuel costs for Air Force One’s round trip. That is one expensive date night!! But at least he gets to fly into Chicago in Air Force One and show it off to all his old friends. I wonder if Rev. Wright will get a tour?

  • http://sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com Sonic Ninja Kitty

    Lol–What’s the return policy?

    The question is, how are Obots doing? It’s one thing for us to discuss reality here, but are the Obots paying attention–anybody braved cheetoh-land lately?

  • Ferd Berfle

    I wonder if Rev. Wright will get a tour?

    He’s bringing the chickens.

  • http://firefox AnnieCollier

    The sky is the limit. Nothing is too good for the Obamas. At the very least they could buzz tip the wings over Trinity Church.

    In the meantime, could you all just stop freaking out about the stimulus and think on peanut butter instead?

  • Jackarooty

    I still can’t go anywhere near CNN, MSNBC, HuffPo, Kos, ad nauseam…

    I watched Dennis Miller on Bill-O the other night and he had some very kind and supportive things to say about Hillary…even Slimeball Morris acquiesced albeit begrudgingly.

    THEY will come around eventually…

  • http://firefox AnnieCollier

    Well, I checked out a site referenced earlier (Judith Warner’s blog) about women having dreams about Obama (living in the same universe as Oxymom)and I swear I felt physically ill over some of the comments.

    There are still plenty of drunken, drugged liberal women so out of touch (fantasizing about the wonderful marriage and how much they must love being together). It reminded me a little of the sicko mothers who live vicariously through their little beauty pageant girls. These women escape their bummed out marriages through the fantasy of Barry and MEchille.

  • jangles

    Peggy Noonan, who has certainly had her Obama kool aid moments, in the WSJ this weekend knocking the one for his political and policy mismanagement. Sounds like a bubble pop to me.

  • Jackarooty

    Well I bet they did the nasty in the WH by now.

  • http://! stodgie

    thanks larry! you pretty much predicted what i was thinking. 2010 will see the repubs take at least one house of congress. if not that they’ll be such serious inroads that any serious vote without repub help will not be possisble. the repubs are already seriously looking for a new serious candidate. i hope that sarah is in the race.

  • FLDemFem

    Freaking out about the stimulus is more fun than eating peanut butter and wondering if you are going to drop dead as a result. Did you read where the plant that had the bad peanut butter products KNEW that it was contaminated and did nothing? The Feds are looking into it with great interest. I hope they send the perps to jail for a long, long time.

  • http://sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com Sonic Ninja Kitty

    Hi Annie–I checked that column out and it was totally BIZARRE!! I vacillated between laughing and having the severe creeps. Seems the kool-aid is still strong in many.

  • http://! stodgie

    hello karma is warming up the engines. the chickens are loaded in the truck heading for washington. i say let’s impeach pelosi. get her sorry arse out the door first and then work on impeaching obama.

  • http://sonicninjakitty.wordpress.com Sonic Ninja Kitty

    Hi Stodgie–Did you catch Michael Steele (new GOP leader) interviewed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN tonight? He is extremely sharp, gracious, and has a great energy about him. It will be interesting to watch the developments….

  • AlexisM

    I wrote Michael Steele an email tonight. He might be one of the last hopes we have of saving America’s butt IMO.

  • AlexisM

    http://online.wsj.com/public/article/declarations.html

    Jangles, that is a great article, thanks. Here’s the link. She has Pelosi and Obama pretty much nailed.

  • http://! stodgie

    naw, i don’t watch cnn. i noted the man’s charisma and big sunny smile in the media pictures. and i thought to myself that the repubs even now are smarter than the dims.

  • The Real HC

    “If you own a Starbucks in downtown Washington the odds are you will sell the bulk of your hot joe to folks who work for the U.S. Government. You may feel like a proud entrepreneur but face it–you too are sucking off the tit of Uncle Sam.”

    I will agree that the bulk of the coffee shop customers got their money from Uncle Sam. But those customers exercised their free choice in selecting from a wide variety of coffee shops in DC and as we all know coffee shops are numerous and compete freely. Its not the same as being on welfare or picking up a paycheck from the USDA. It is hard to make consumers freely part with their hard earned money, even in DC, and its something the government has never had to do. Government takes what it wants by edict.

    As far as the rest I was never on the kool aid so the shenanigans are no great surprise. As you suggest I will draw some little rainbows, unicorns, and smiley faces and maybe even some little hearts. Then I will flush them down the toilet in honor of The One.

  • cynic

    Exactly what would any of the other candidates be doing, if now in office instead of Barack Obama?

    It’s all too easy to assert that *fill in the blank* would have had the situation well in hand.

    I rather doubt it, because it’s one helluva situation.

  • cynic

    George probably took a vow of celibacy for 8 years out of respect for the sanctity of the Presidential Residence. No doubt he wore a suit coat and tie over his PJs for the same reason.

  • http://firefox AnnieCollier

    Yeah, bizarre is the word alright. So out of my realm…can’t relate to them at all.

  • AlexisM

    John McCain would have read the stimulus bill, unlike Obama. He also would have taken a red pen to it and slashed out the Pelosi Pork. Good news is that Obama and Pelosi are fighting already and Pelosi’s going under the bus.

    Instead of fearmongering, which I find disgusting and a total lack of leadership by Obama, McCain would have been America’s biggest cheerleader. He would remind us of who we are and what a great nation we live in. Not Obama. He has used his con man demeanor to try to get what his way with condescension and what appears to be downright hatred for Americans. Like the 2 year old spoiled brat that he is.

    No one says that this isn’t a mess. But Obama has neither the morals, integrity, intelligence, plain old desire, etc. that will serve Americans. It’s our country, not his. He works for us. But boy he sure doesn’t act like it. Ever.

    PS If Rome is burning, why isn’t Obama doing something about it other than continual partying and photo ops? He wanted the damned job so he should do it.

  • no kidding

    cynic — I would bet that Hillary would not be flying 150 miles in Air Force One’s 747. She would not have spent nearly 200 million on her Inauguration and she would have served Western Corn Fed Beef instead of 100 Dollar a lb. Beef from Japan.

    If Hillary or McCain had gotten in they would have been concerned with effects of the economic disaster on the American people. The only disaster Obama cares about is a zit appearing on his face.

  • getfitnow

    It dawned on me when the repub had the majority, pre-’06 elections, they had the lowest ratings of any congress. I remember a book about it– The Broken Branch. BUT, shortly after the dems came into power, their rating went lower. With all the hype over Obama, we forget, the dems were not doing a good job, as far as the public was concerned, pre-BO. what’s a public to do?

  • dan in michigan

    I didn’t see that as a slam on Hillary. Hillary will be her own woman as Secstate, but surely Bill’s advice will be listened to. It should be.

  • Helen

    I think the only way to understand Obama is to realize he’s just a prop that the Dems are using to maintain the status quo. They found themselves a slick black man to draw away Hillary”s black voters- Hillary would have been the change. He was ambitious enough to go for it and is now having to deal with his own limitations – hence the crabiness. He’s not making decisions – Emmanuel and Axelrod are, but he has has to take the heat for their Chicago style politics. And I suspect they are distracted by what Blagojevich is going to spill. (Hope he lives long enough to talk). Stop expecting anything intelligent from Obama – he and Michelle are the worst case of Affirmative Action. I know I taught many, and some profs didn’t have the integrity to see that that they got the proper education.

    On another matter. I keep reading Biden is an nonrecovering alocholic. What’s the evidence for that? also, how true is it that Obama’s grandmother died days before he said she did. any links for that?

  • Magic Puzzle Box

    Your comment about going to great lengths to deny Obama came up in the middle of all this Chicago corruption reminds me that I read a really infuriating piece on Sarah Palin last week in the Huffington Post where it was stated that she has had a circle of corruption around her from the beginning of her political career! Huh? Talk about projection. It’s almost like they took Obama’s actual political story and put her name in instead of his. Who was is again that had corrupt people around him from the start (that we weren’t allowed to ask about because Ayers is the new John Brown or whatever other crap they’re pushing)? It kind of makes you wonder, given the consistency of that projection as you listen to his people, how this will work on an international scene with threatening situations.

  • Park Slope Pubby

    Every so often, I give myself a treat and read comments on No Quarter and maintain my sanity. I started before the election. I live in Brooklyn, and I felt like I was the only one who saw him as a fraud, and it was such a thrill to discver this site. Thank you.

    I can’t believe now that all he does is go around saying that the sky is falling. This is not leadership. I guess the purpose is to scare everybody into passing the Stimulus Porkfest. The man is already a dreadful president, and it’s only a couple of weeks. And everybody here saw it coming.

blog comments powered by Disqus