Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Just For The Record

14 Comments

I don’t want Barack Obama to succeed, and it’s not my job to make him succeed, or pledge to be his servant.

I want America to succeed. I only want him to succeed to the degree that he shares that goal. Based on his actions so far, in supporting this travesty being shoved through Congress, it doesn’t appear that he does.

14 thoughts on “Just For The Record”

  2. Is it inconceivable that Obama has a good faith difference of opinion with you on what America needs to succeed?

    As for “shove” — who exactly is being shoved? The House wrote a bill and voted — it’s representative democracy 101.

  3. Anyone who taught what Saul Alinsky wrote, wants America, as we know it, to fail. So yes, it is inconceivable.

  4. As for “shove” — who exactly is being shoved? The House wrote a bill and voted — it’s representative democracy 101.

    Did they read it? They certainly didn’t debate it. So there is no representation going on. Democracy? Only in the sense that members of the House were polled. However, citizens of the US when polled gave these answers:

    Fifty-nine percent (59%) of U.S. voters worry that Congress and President Obama will increase government spending too much in the next year or two

    Forty-five percent (45%) of voters support Obama’s economic plan, but 64% say tax cuts for 95% of Americans as Obama promised last fall should be a priority.

    Get that. Less than half of Americans thought the “Stimulus Plan” was a priority. More than half thought tax cuts, as Obama campaigned on and promised, should be the priority. Of course, it only took Obama 10 days to break his promises. Can’t have much of a successful democracy when politicians lie about what they are representing.

  5. According to Diageo/Hotline, 66% of voters polled support the stimulus bill. Democrats in Congress have a 49% approval rating; the Congressional GOP has a 26% approval rating.

    The voters put the Democrats in charge, and approve of what they’re doing. That’s representative democracy.

    http://www.diageohotlinepoll.com/

  6. > Is it inconceivable that Obama has a good faith difference of opinion with you on what America needs to succeed?

    It’s not inconceivable, but the Obama supporters and Obama himself are talking about Obama succeeding, not America. To the extent there’s a difference, both sides have stated their preference.

  8. Jim, it’s perfectly reasonable for Rand to say “shoved” in this context. Passing a near $1 trillion bill through Congress in roughly one week qualifies as “shoving” by any reasonable standard. It’s roughly 6% of the GDP. It’s enormous. It’s the equivalent of you, say, agreeing to buy a house after talking it over with the seller for five minutes. Any reasonable person would say you’re being a bit hasty.

    What is missing from this situation is the same thing, time for the people in general — or even just their elected representatives — to think things over, read the bill carefully, ponder its far-reaching implications, and come to a measured, thoughtful opinion about it.

    The fact that the bill is passed with majority approval doesn’t change that fact. “Shoved” in this context doesn’t mean that the process by which it’s passed is undemocratic, a minority forcing something on everyone. It means that the process is too hasty.

    There’s a good reason for the haste, of course, as well as for the fact that everything is rolled up in one huge omnibus bill. It’s not because the economy is in some truly urgent state, either. If that were the problem, they could easily pass several bills, with the really important must do right now stuff passed now, and the stuff that won’t even come on line for 3 years being passed in, oh, March or so.

    No, the Democratic leadership knows very well that their hot opportunity is now, in the Obama honeymoon phase, and that the longer people have to look into this bill, the more it’s going to smell, the more people are going to start wondering what happened to the $700 billion in TARP money that seems to have been spent hastily with no measureable beneficial effect whatsoever.

    It also doesn’t speak very well of those who know Barack Obama best, his fellow Democrats. They act like they know his rock-star fame is going to be exceedingly fleeting, that by April his ability to walk on water and get bills passed by his sheer animal magnetism is going to be dead.

    I’m thinking myself maybe that will happen. Watching what he’s done with this bill, which was written by Congressional Democrats and has essentially zero stamp on it from Obama, I have to admit to a certain significant level of disappointment in The One. He is starting to seem like a bit of a lightweight even within his own party. Like a college professor called upon to lead men into battle. Great on the listening to everyone and validating multiple points of view, but, well, not really made of the stern stuff required to fight and win. Almost the inverse of Lincoln, his hero, who was, at least initially, terrible at the talking stuff, but made of pure iron when it came to leadership. Pity.

  9. Obama has been rubber stamping all the left’s items on their wish lists since he came into office.

    It’s blindingly obvious that the Dems are trying like hell to get all they can through, before (and IF) his charm wears off.

    At least the Repubs are sticking together so far.

Comments are closed.