Obama the “centrist”
Don Quixote on Jul 13 2011 at 7:11 am | Filed under: Uncategorized
Headline in my morning paper yesterday:
“Seeking budget middle ground. Obama stakes out pragmatic centrist stance in push to get conservatives, liberals to agree.”
One of the many reasons I think Obama will be very hard to beat in 2012 is that he has proven to be more flexible than many thought he could be after the 2010 election. And, to the extent he’s not flexible and centrist, the media will make sure he’s portrayed that way anyway.
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5 Responses to “Obama the “centrist””
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DQ, I assume you saw that headline in the San Francisco Chronicle, which has seen its circulation decline by 340,000 daily readers since 1991 (566,000 then, 225,000 now).
Hard to say if that rag or any like it—NYT, LAT, Post—really have that much sway these days over any but the credulous and the true believers. Still, you’re right that the mainstream print media are preparing themselves for the biggest whoreathon in their history. But the real action is going to take place over on CNN, MSNBC, Jon Leibowitz’s show, NPR, PBS and the usual outlets for people who like illustrated news.
Anyway, I agree that beating Obama in 2012 will not be a cakewalk. But the idea that the beer-goggles guy who talked you into bed one time is going to be able to charm you into doing it a second time just isn’t going to happen. People are in real economic misery and his Keynesian and socialist nostrums have created uncertainty and a feeling of dread among millions. Can he get his mojo back? Not really—once you’ve heard his teleprompter cadences for the zillionth time, you begin to think of more important things, like tightening that loose toilet seat or picking up a sack of kibble for the dog.
NYT, LAT, Post—really have that much sway these days over any but the credulous and the true believers.
People still read them and use them as their primary source of news. There’s plenty of them in California still.
than many thought he could be after the 2010 election.
Many in California yes.
I pay no attention to what comes ou8t of Obama’s mouth – it’s generally a lie (when talking about his own life) or a politically-motivated sound-bite that carries zero weight, such as the present situation where he’s running his mouth to the center, but that’s the only thing that is. I have no interest in what comes out of his mouth, and tend to watch what he does.
If the Republicans can avoid nominating another McCain or Dole – or any other RINO or moderate to shoot themselves in the foot – they should prevail, and prevail big. Quite possibly by a landslide, as it’s difficult to see Obama getting more than the 30% of committed liberals about whom there is nothing to be done. The American people are looking at things a little differently:
A recent Sachs/Mason-Dixon poll reported by the Daily Caller finds that 65% of the American people support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. A big number. 27% oppose.
The Washington Post recently published a Pew Research poll which showed the American people far more worried about borrowing more money and raising the debt ceiling than they are about defaulting on the debt. The margin there’s 48% to 35%.
Gallup recently revealed that 61% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal under no or at best very few select circumstances.
NPR – much as I’m sure they hated having to report it – recently asked in a poll: “Do you personally believe having an abortion is wrong?” and got back 59.3% of Americans polled saying “yes.”
Over 60% of the American people oppose amnesty, Obama’s preferred solution for illegal immigration.
Nearly 70% now oppose Obama-care.
Obama and his gang are on the wrong side of issue after issue after issue that matter to the American people. There is nothing where he has clear majority support. The “historic nature” of his Presidency is long gone, his fund-raising is not working out to expectations, and he is no longer an unknown: he has a record he’s going to have to defend, and it isn’t going to be easy. He, as his own people have stated, now “owns” this economy. Every employment report is an anti-Obama ad. Every foreclosure is an anti-Obama ad. Every time the price of gas is posted at the gas station, that’s an anti-Obama ad. Every time the price of food goes up is an anti-Obama ad. After all his hot air about ending things overseas, every kid who comes home in a coffin is an anti-Obama ad. Every time somebody buys a shirt and spots that it costs 25% more than it did five years ago, that’s an anti-Obama ad. Every time some doofus judge does something that even children can see is clearly un-Constitutional it’s an anti-democrat and an anti-Obama ad. Every time he pulls some crap like he pulled yesterday, trying to frighten the elderly on social security, that’s an anti-Obama ad.
You talk about not knowing how to beat him – I don’t see how he wins. There’s only one way, and that’s if the Republicans nominate somebody he wants to run against, like a McCain or a Dole. A RINO, or a moderate. If they nominate a candidate the American people want, an articulate conservative Republican, then he gets creamed. But the Republicans have to control their gift for nominating people the media approves, and refers to as “serious,” or being willing to “reach across the aisle.” The American people are in a place, I suspect, where “reaching across the aisle” and being “Mr. Moderate” isn’t going to get it done. If the Republicans nominate that guy, their base will stay home.
The Republicans need to recognize – fast – that we may indeed be on the verge of having three parties – and the third party is going to turn out to be them. You have to stand for something, and the days of standing for “can’t we all get along” are headed toward being gone. “Getting along” – which in practical terms means abandoning your principles and letting Democrats have their way – has landed us where we are. Large piles of people are saying enough. We don’t get along with these idiots – Barney Fwank, Nancy Pelosi, Sheila Jackson Lee, Maxine Dingbat, et al – we damned well beat them.
The media, of course, will shred any conservative candidate, who actually reflects the values the American people. The Republicans have to not care what Muffin thinks, or what any of the rest of them think – the American people for the most part don’t. Why is it a big deal to us what the jerks at the NY Times think at any time about anything? The Republicans can win this pretty simply. The hardest part for them – as always – will be trying to avoid shooting themselves in the foot. Or both feet.
Obama certainly duped the moderates and centrists, I agree with that. That makes Obama a centrist? …. I don’t think so.