The Astonishing Lameness of Barack Obama

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The Astonishing Lameness of Barack Obama

Man, that's a harsh headline. But I have to tell you that is exactly how I feel about the dude who was supposed to be the transformational leader to move this country forward and bring historic change.

The fact is, Barack Obama came to the White House with HUGE expectations.

He brought those expectations on himself during the 2008 campaign with his lofty promises of Hope and Change and Transformational Leadership inspiring millions of new voters and a new generation of believers.

He entered the White House with unprecedented support from the American people, with a 69% approval rating and only a 13% disapproval according to Gallup, about ten points better than Bush and light years ahead of Clinton at their inaugurations.

Indeed, Barack Obama had better ratings than any new president going back to at least Kennedy and the Obama administration began with more widespread support than at any time since before Vietnam and Watergate.

But, in the first year and a half of his presidency, Obama has squandered much of this good will. He has failed to engage the American people, keep them inspired, or bring them along. And he has failed to keep his political opponents on the defensive.

Instead, there is a softness, a sense of loftiness and isolation, almost of resentment that has built up in his persona. And it's undermining everything he is trying to do.

Plus, he has wasted opportunity after opportunity to take on the radical right who, with only a rare few exceptions, have shown next to no interest in cooperating or forging bipartisan consensus on any major issue.

Let's go back to examine the record.

Test 1: Stimulus Bill

The first tough vote was the $787 billion economic stimulus package, passed in the first month of the Obama administration. It may be hard to remember, but there were virtually no economists on the left or the right who disagreed with the need for a stimulus bill.

Indeed, it is impossible to think of a scenario under which a President McCain would not have asked Congress to pass a stimulus bill, too. And, with a Democratic Congress, a McCain stimulus bill would have been nearly identical to the one President Obama signed a year and a half ago.

The problem with the stimulus bill was never the substance of it. It was the politics – the way it was passed and the way Republicans signaled their clear intent to stand almost entirely united against Obama and his agenda.

At a time when the American economy was teetering on the brink of total meltdown while shedding 750,000 jobs per month – and with the private sector showing absolutely no sign of righting itself — the Republicans abdicated their responsibility to help govern.

And somehow this is talking point #1 for Republicans, not Democrats.

How is it possible that a bill many economists credit with preventing another Great Depression is somehow used by those who voted unanimously against it and is mentioned only in passing by those who voted for it?

This should have been a gigantic political win for President Obama and Congressional Democrats. Instead they're on the defensive. This is a political communications failure of epic proportions.

Test 2: Health Care

The other huge loss after the stimulus bill was the political lesson that should have been learned but wasn’t.

After not one House Republican and only 3 Senate Republicans grudgingly voted for a pared down bill, every Democrat in Congress and every White House staffer all the way up to and including President Obama should have written this 1000 times on a chalkboard somewhere:

"Republicans will not work with you. No matter what you do. Stop trying to reach out to them."

Instead of learning this lesson, President Obama and Democrats in the Senate wasted months on a fool’s errand looking for a single Republican cosponsor on health care.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) again and again blew off Obama's deadlines in the vain effort to win over one measly Republican Senate Finance Committee member.

As July slipped into August and September into October, as Halloween masks were replaced by Thanksgiving turkeys, in turn replaced by Christmas advent calendars, America sat, waiting for the Senate to act on health care.

Then, with Santa getting his sleigh ready, the Senate finally passed its bill on the morning of Thursday, December 24th, with not one Republican vote.

All these months wasted. And now we know the cost.

Test 3: Climate and Energy

Because Senate Democrats and Team Obama dithered and delayed on health care, there appears to be no time or energy left to complete work on a strong climate bill. This failure is a turning point for Obama and for the country.

In their must-read op-ed in Politico, here is what Republican investor Martin Lagod, managing director/co-founder of Firelake Capital Management, and Democratic investor Jason Scott, managing partner/co-founder of EKO Asset Management Partners, have to say about squandering this opportunity to cap America’s global warming pollution:

"We are not experts in vote counting or horse trading. But we do know how investors and markets will respond if Congress ultimately fails to put a market-based price on carbon. The response from capital will be brutal: Money will flow to places like China, Europe and India — and U.S. jobs will go with it."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Setting a strong legal limit on America's global warming pollution is definitely about saving the planet.

But, capping carbon is also about saving the American economy. The 21st century will be a clean energy century, and if we fail to act we will fall behind the clean energy arms race.

The fact that Team Obama and the Senate Democrats couldn't make this argument that so many leading investors, businessmen, and even some leaders of major utility companies have made will go down in history as the most costly political blunder in American history.

But I'll go even further. The fact that Team Obama never seriously even tried to make the argument is, in my humble opinion, borderline impeachable.

It is just another example of Team Obama being given a winning hand only to fold it prematurely without even playing it out.

And, make no mistake, every political opponent of Team Obama sees this weakness and will only grow stronger in their efforts to exploit it. Political supporters see the weakness, too, and are concerned.

Other Tests

Team Obama's failure to learn the lessons of the stimulus fight followed by their failure to move health care in a timely fashion or to leave space in the Senate schedule to work on climate before the crucial midterm elections are all crippling self-inflicted wounds.

But there have been other major failures of the first two years of the Obama administration.

The fact that Don't Ask, Don't Tell is still the policy of the U.S. military and that the issue continues to drag on with no clear resolution in sight is another failed test.

The fact that Guantanamo is still open and there is no concrete plan to shut it down is another failed test.

The fact that America's immigration policies continue to target hard-working immigrant families who, other than coming here illegally, have been decent, law-abiding people who have contributed to our society and economy is another failed test.

The fact that we are bogged down and more invested militarily in Afghanistan with no clear path to victory is another failed test.

The fact that it took weeks for Team Obama to understand the magnitude of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf and that even to this day has not seized this as an opportunity to argue for strong policies to get America off oil is another failed test.

The fact that no high ranking Bush administration official has been held to account for authorizing the use of torture or for issuing warrantless wiretaps on American citizens in another failed test.

I could go on, but the point is made.

There is a deep and profound lameness to Team Obama, and they will continue to suffer political loss after political loss until they either figure it out or they're all sent packing in 2012.

If they keep this up, I'll help pack their bags.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/7/27/888032/-The-Astonishing-Lameness-of-Barack-Obama

[IndigoSkies 168]

What do you expect from a crypto-Muslims? He's not concerned 'bout any of this. He's just waiting for 2012 to unleast his secret Muslim. Just wait 'n' see.

[Jenn! 918]

I agree, lame lame lame.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Obama is the poster child of someone educated by idiots.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

The Daily Kos is lame.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Sofiyya

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Obama is the poster child of someone educated by idiots.

And you're the poster child for birth control.

[Ban Hammer 12,829]

And you're the poster child for birth control.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

And you're the poster child for birth control.

No argument!

[justashooter 430]

republicans objected to the porkulus bill because it was full of pork no-bid contracts for democratic campaign contributors.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Why the bonk?

[^_^ 5,021]

Why the bonk?

That's his way of hitting on you.

[Ban Hammer 12,829]

Why the bonk?

personal attacks.

That's his way of hitting on you.

am i gonna have to dig up that condom thread again for you?

[The_Dude 1,142]

republicans objected to the porkulus bill because it was full of pork no-bid contracts for democratic campaign contributors.

Care to link? Or as I suspect, more hackneyed, unsubstantiated partisan #######.

[^_^ 5,021]

am i gonna have to dig up that condom thread again for you?

Go for it. If you think the same thread has the same impact the millionth time... go for it.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

personal attacks.

It was Marc, so it's ok. Certain members are cool about it.