Keep shoveling horseshit Dave, I’m sure there’s a pony under there somewhere

Posted on August 8, 2011 by myiq2xu (D)

Thereisnospoonupmyass:

Without delving too deeply into pop pscyhology or Barack Obama’s mental state, there is nonetheless an important lesson to draw from this. Barack Obama is, by all accounts personal and political, the epitome of calm. He almost never loses his temper. He doesn’t have ups or downs. He takes the often contradictory advice he is given, and attempts to fashion compromise from its workings, taking what he feels to be the most practical approaches from the right and center-left alike, and then navigates toward the path of what he feels to be the realm of the politically possible. Much to the delight of his still copious supporters, his nickname is No Drama Obama.

[...]

His neoliberal politics notwithstanding, I have said in the past that Barack Obama might make a good, even great president during times of stasis and normalcy. His approach to problems is precisely the sort that is needed to steer calmly through times of peace, prosperity, and bipartisan sentiments.

But the great complaint with Barack Obama isn’t so much about what he has done, as about the opportunity he has largely squandered. America stands at a precipice, at a time of great crisis. A time when bold, aggressive and determined leadership is called for. It is a time when America needs drama.

[...]

After the crash of 2008, America desperately needed something irrational to believe in. America wanted to believe. America wanted to hope, and not for small things or minor advances, but to hope for a great change as yet unproven. It was Obama’s great gift in 2008 to tap into that collective national desire, even when the nature of the change on offer was unclear.

Like Pinocchio, Obama is a puppet, only he’s not ever gonna turn into a real POTUS.

The (David) Atkins Diet:

“Eat shit and vote for Obama!”

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14 Responses

  1. myiq2xu, on August 8, 2011 at 4:34 pm said:

    Michael Tomasky:

    Why isn’t Barack Obama tougher? During the week that he signed a debt deal in which the Republicans took him to the cleaners, markets tanked, and U.S. debt got hit with a historic and disastrous downgrade, several answers were bruited. It’s political: he’s in thrall to polls telling him that accommodation is what independent voters want. It’s ideological: he’s in fact (say some liberals) an aggressive moderate who’s perfectly fine with massive spending cuts. It’s psychological or biological: he just doesn’t have the tough-guy gene.

    All these factors are present to varying degrees. But let me offer a different explanation—one that’s a little deeper. The problem rests in the realm of political philosophy. Obama has beliefs about democratic governance, and about himself as president, that dictate his behavior in battles like the debt-ceiling brawl. These beliefs were a big part of what made him so inspirational to so many people before he won the 2008 election, but they have served him—and his voters, and the country—poorly since he took office, and especially since the Republicans won control of the House of Representatives.

    Obama believes in civic virtue, and in the idea that in a democracy it’s the duty of responsible leaders to reason together on behalf of something they all agree to call the common good. The fancy name for this theory of government in political-philosophy circles is civic republicanism: the “civic” part refers to action taken in the public sphere, while “republican” (a small-r republican and a big-R Republican are very different animals) signals a concern with tyrannical majorities and a faith that reasoned debate will produce a balanced result.

    You might be laughing already . . .

    Good guess

  2. Dario, on August 8, 2011 at 5:36 pm said:

    Obama is the best example of an opportunist. He took advantage of young gullible voters who just a few years before were reading fairy tales and were vulnerable to believe in the biggest one yet, that an unaccomplished inexperienced talker could be a great president. But Obama got help from other criminals. That’s why I cannot forgive Ted Kennedy, Pelosi and other Democrats.

  3. yttik, on August 8, 2011 at 6:00 pm said:

    “….his nickname is No Drama Obama.”

    That always amazes me. I mean, I think the exact opposite, the guy is a flippin drama queen. The epitome of calm??! He’s like a two yr child that needs a juice box and a nap before he has a hissy fit. The only time I’ve seen anything resembling “calm” is during his speeches. I don’t call it “calm,” I call it a flat affect, like the guy is reading words off a teleprompter and he doesn’t read so good. There’s no emotion, no heart and soul behind what he’s saying.

    • angienc, on August 8, 2011 at 8:54 pm said:

      “Can’t I just eat my waffles?”

      No drama queen there, no siree bob.

    • Pips, on August 9, 2011 at 5:15 am said:

      Exactly.

      And when we don’t see him “lose his temper” more often it’s because he’s practically never being challenged by the (adoring) media and not because he’s exceptionally cool, calm and collected.

  4. DeniseVB, on August 8, 2011 at 6:19 pm said:

    Transcripts from Obama’s fundraisers tonight:

    http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2011/08/obama_dc_fund-raiser_hosted_by.html

    Summary, Bush’s fault and we would have been MUCH WORSE off if it wasn’t for my AWESOMENESS ! Now gimme your money……

  5. angienc, on August 8, 2011 at 8:56 pm said:

    through times of peace, prosperity, and bipartisan sentiments.

    No offense, Dave, but who couldn’t be a good POTUS during times of “peace, prosperity and bipartisan sentiments?” Hell, my CAT could be a good POTUS during times of “peace, prosperity and bipartisan sentiments, asshole.

  6. Three Wickets, on August 8, 2011 at 9:19 pm said:

    Democrats Challenging Administration on Medicaid Team Pelosi/Reid taking Team Obama to Scotus over Medicaid this fall. That should be interesting.

  7. glennmcgahee, on August 9, 2011 at 3:03 am said:

    I get it (after reading those transcripts). Obama has grey hair. Thats all he’s got. Nothing up there but grey hair.

  8. Pips, on August 9, 2011 at 5:40 am said:

    Actually when you think about it it’s astonishing that the ad-men – mad or not – succeeded in selling this new, unknown, untested product on “Hope”.

    America wanted to hope …

    I really don’t see America being about “Hope”, as in passively wishing for something to happen, as much as about “Dreams”; something you can actively pursue the fulfillment of.

    Imagine if MLK’s great speech had been about “I have a hope …” I doubt that message would have had the same strong – and lasting – effect as the original had.

  9. djmm, on August 9, 2011 at 9:36 am said:

    Dana Millbank is going through Kool-aide withdrawal and it appears to be a bit painful:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-most-powerful-man-on-earth/2011/08/08/gIQA49w72I_story.html

    I would feel sorry for him, but he shows no awareness of what a bad mistake he made in 2008 and I remember how he trashed the better candidate.

    djmm

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