Sunday, January 24, 2010

William Jennings Obama



President Obama has decided to go the populist route.
The populist drumbeat emanating from the White House is a predictable reaction to the shellacking Democrats took in Massachusetts last week and the drop that began some months ago in President Obama’s's poll numbers. It is at best a partial answer to what ails the president and Democrats in Congress.

The president's rhetoric over the past week suggests he has decided to try to fight anger with anger. If Americans are fed up with bank bailouts and bonuses going to their top executives, Obama wants people to believe that he resents them just as much.
This strikes me as one of the worst cases of not-getting-it-itis in presidential history, not to mention one of the most transparent cons jobs to date in an administration that is steeped in deception. If Obama thinks that Coakley blew up in Massachusetts because the people were primarily angry about bonuses for bank executives, then he is far less astute – and far less hip – than his putative coolness had led many of his supporters to believe. The main driver of public concern over the direction being taken by Obama and the Democratic Party is the stunning, jaw-dropping overreach, best exemplified by the Democratic health care proposals, but also manifested by cap-and-trade and the almost–criminal irresponsibility that underlies the Great Spending Spree of ’09. Trying to blame the banks isn’t “progressive”, it’s completely reactionary.

It’s also laughably hypocritical. As Karl points out at Hot Air, Obama was a prime beneficiary of the largesse handed out by the typical Wall Street suspects during his campaign. Now we are to believe that he is ready to grab a pitchfork and take his rightful place at the head of the “mob”?

“You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.” William Jennings Bryan could get away with rhetoric like that because, as he also said, “Eloquent speech is not from lip to ear, but rather from heart to heart.” In Obama’s case, public speech is nothing more than sterile Democratic talking points transmitted to the people via teleprompter and the President’s melodiously-tuned larynx. Obama as a populist is truly awful casting - on the order of casting, say, Hugh Grant as Huey Long.

2012 is looking more and more like a banner year for sanity.

13 comments:

JeffS said...

I find it telling that The Once™ brought back David Plouffe for the 2010 electoral campaigns. Obama realizes the Dhimmicrats face a serious battle this year.

When viewed against Obama's sudden and insincere shift towards populism, their fear and panic are quite obvious.

And what does this do? Confirm their bona fides as card carrying socialists, masquerading as "intellectual" elites. They don't care what the American voters think; they want to win the elections.

Paco said...

"The Once"

Brilliant, Jeff!

JeffS said...

Somewhat O/T, but if you want an example of just how out of contact Obama is with reality, check this out. Sheesh!!!

(I forget which blog I found this at....so I must offer a generic hat tip to all the bloggers I read.)

And enjoy this
as a humorous chaser.

JeffS said...

I can't take credit for The Once™, Paco. I shamelessly stole it, and filed the serial number off it.

TW: wings. Yep, I flew away from THAT caper!

Paco said...

Jeff: Unfortunately, only too believable. Maybe he was telling the kids the story of Goldilocks and the Three Teabaggers.

richard mcenroe said...

I was going to say that was an insult to Hugh Grant.

Then I realized you were insulting Huey Long...

Yojimbo said...

From radical statist industrial planner to populist-a bridge too far by half again.

richard mcenroe said...

I was going to say that was an insult to Hugh Grant.

Then I realized you were insulting Huey Long...

RebeccaH said...

It's looking more and more like a one-term presidency, and a seriously lame duck one at that. I stopped listening to Obama months ago... can't stand the sound of his voice, and the repetitive catch phrases, and the self-righteousness. Everything he says can be taken to mean its opposite, so I doubt anybody is going to trust him now.

Even more importantly, who's going to believe the Congressthieves, even if they start bleating how much they love the people? Would you believe Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid if they said the sky's blue?

wv: restless, as in, yes we natives are.

JeffS said...

Maybe he was telling the kids the story of Goldilocks and the Three Teabaggers.

Seeing whom Obama appointed as "Safe School Czar", I can only agree.

mojo said...

"Democracy is the theory that the public knows what it wants and deserves to get it - good and hard."
-- Some Reporter, pre-"Journalism"

SB: promis
no, really!

Michael Lonie said...

When Huey Long was elected to the Senate one of his political enemies in Louisiana said that at least Caligula sent both halves of his horse to the Senate.

Wall Streeters were far more generous to Obama than to McCain in contributions, and over a mere four years versus ten. As Glenn Reynolds likes to ask, who were the real rubes?

Minicapt said...

So the picture of WJB did not trigger any memories?
... how BHO might imitate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60og9gwKh1o

Cheers