Over at Politico, Mike Allen and Jim Vandehei have up an article entitled, “Obama’s Big Bang could go bust.” The article details the administration’s attempt to ram through a variety of enormous government reforms, quotes Axelrod as saying that the fierce urgencey of now precluded any other approach, and blames some of Obama’s troubles on a feckless flyover populace inclined to believe lies about his health care program and other proposed legislation.
Largely missing from the analysis, which is punctuated with a lot of 20/20 hindsight observation, is any appreciation of how Obama and his administration’s lack of candor might have affected perceptions of his trustworthiness. Consider, for example, the promises regarding transparency. Obama stated that all major pending legislation would be posted in order to give the public a chance to view it for a minimum of five days before he signed it. This promise–like the promise to conduct health care negotiations live on C-SPAN–has simply not materialized.  Instead, the administration has been conducting its own closed-door negotiations with PhRMA, including a quid pro quo in the form of $150 million in television ad buys to promote the health care agenda, but without tort reform.
Nor do voters trust that he will maintain his campaign pledge not to raise taxes on 95% of Americans. People see the tremendous and ever-increasing estimates of government debt and understand that the money to pay off the indebtedness is going to come from somewhere. They see that the stimulus money that was filled with pork and pushed through Congress has largely gone to continue to fund state budgets that were already in trouble, and that there is no money available for another enormous government bail-out. What they don’t see is the production of jobs from all of this largesse, and no quantity of mealy-mouthed claims regarding jobs created or saved changes that. In fact, Obama seems finally to have given up the formula “created or saved” as a bad job.
People see that the estimated 10-year shortfall is adjusted up from $7 trillion to $9 trillion on a Friday afternoon, and consider that that’s not exactly a meaningless increase. People understand that the CBO doesn’t believe that Obama’s numbers are correct. People see how Cash for Clunkers has had pernicious economic side effects, and has benefitted most those other citizens who have least need for aid in purchasing a vehicle. What they don’t see is the credit market rebounding, or foreclosures decreasing.
People see the supercilious, smug arrogance of Robert Gibbs, who seems continually offended that the press should try to do their jobs by getting information from him regarding the amateur hour contradictions that emerge from the mouths and pens of administration spokespeople. People see an administration happy to convert their money into, not bailouts for the auto industry per se, but a bailout principally for underfunded union pensions. They see Congresspeople and a President who won’t promise to use only the publicly funded health option that they feel is good enough for the citizens of the United States, and whose craven sycophancy toward teachers unions make them wish to take school choice through vouchers away from people to whom it gives options. And with 30-odd Czars and Czarinas, and 26 staff people devoted to the First Lady for obscure reasons, they see evidence in the most personal terms of the way that Obama intends to grow government for the benefit, first and foremost, of government.
They hear that Obama’s Pay Czar will arrogate power to “claw back” executive pay, but that there are no noises being made about any of the beneficiaries of Enron-style accounting at Fannie and Freddie, such as Rahm Emanuel, and that multimillionaire mistress of disaster Jamie Gorelick is comfortably ensconced in a behind-the-scenes negotiating role for the Administration. They hear the doctors just want to take their tonsils and feet because of the balance sheet, because goodness knows, they’re not as intelligent or high-minded as career politicians and bureaucrats. They hear that Bill Maher thinks he’s a genius, though most of them know more about football, baseball, music or electric trains or guns than Bill does about politics, and it’s not even their job so to do.
Then they get stonewalled at town halls packed deliberately with union supporters, or find that their Representative has literally decided to phone the meeting in, and they are accused of being astroturfed, even as they watch people from out of state bused in to support the health care fiasco. They see Lyndon LaRouche wackos carrying Obama Nazi signs characterized as right-wingers. They hear that their concerns are those of a small and demented minority. They see videos cropped to make it seem as though they’re racists. They are told that their opposition to Obama’s policies springs from racism on talk shows and in editorials. They receive unsolicited emails from Axelrod after being told that their information’s not being kept by the White House, and then it’s blamed on advocacy groups across a broad political spectrum. They recall that there were 8 years of BusHitler rhetoric that went unchallenged in the MSM, which suddenly is up in arms about the extraordinary incivility of such comparisons. They see the Washington Post selling access. They see newspapers that accuse them of all kinds of mendacity asking for government bailouts. They see the unconstitutional tinkering with the census and the desire to give billions to ACORN and hear the lies about the numbers of uninsured Americans and the WHO propaganda. They see the Justice Department drop a prosecution against outrageous voter intimidation by the New Black Panthers, then refuse access to the career lawyers involved. They’re required to show photo IDs to get into town halls by the same Representatives who feel that producing them at the polls is an undue burden.
Oh, yeah, they’re angry. But it’s not because they’re stupid. It’s because “Trust us; we despise you” isn’t really very civil, is it?
Dan – true excellence. These f*cking DC Whores – who are so convinced that they are so extraordinarily high-minded and intelligent – are truly “skunks of the rarest sort.”
I have a deep resentment of all of the DC Whores, but the demoncraps really do take the cake.
The tripe that is their branding – that they are all for the little guy and clean government – is laughable. Their contempt for conservative and moderate america is nothing short of disgusting. Their intolerance and race-baiting – their utter hypocrisy and unwillingness/inability to own their own shit is remarkable. They are the scum of the scum – and DC is a grim, grim pond – full of worthless bureaucrats, liars of the highest order, self-serving, self-important pricks – and to think that this group of largely very average minds – Pelosi, Reid, Kennedy (who are certifiably dumb as rocks) – is only magnified by the fact that they and their sycophants (also largely unable to process anything critically) have convinced themselves that if they just continue to star-fuck one-another in a grotesque circle-jerk of relativism and self-love – somehow what is false will become true and they will be vindicated.
But liberalism in its current weak-minded form has really enabled the scum of the pond to “rise to the top.” Even with my lowly intellect, I am sure I could whoop-up on any number of them in a one-on-one debate. And this because their foundation is planted in sand. And because they are emotional creatures – incapable of critical thought – not unlike 11 year-old girls in the throws of their first taste of puppy-love.
They are idiots… and insufferable. They are, in short, complete c**ts.
I would rather spend thanksgiving with the relative geniuses of The View – each dumber than the next – than suffer 3 minutes with any of the soulless whores of Babylon.
Oh, and if you think this is a partisan rant – it is not. The republic*nts are nearly as bad.
The only thing worthwhile separating the two is that one has no problem killing babies while crying over abused dogs, cats, and lambs.
Other than that, they are all worthless. And that is the realization that should scare them.
Once the population realizes that they are paying tribute to a king that couldn’t give a shit about anything but his court… well, then it’s game over.
And I don’t mind saying that I, for one, would welcome a hard-reboot. And what should scare them all to death is that I am not alone.
I would rather shoot my dog than spend 2 minutes with any of them.
I suspect that the Obamatrons always believed we had a feckless flyover populace, and were totally nonplussed at the recent displays of feck.
Which demonstrates, I suppose, that just because they’re evil, it doesn’t make them geniuses.
The arrogance is astounding to me. And I was almost convinced post-election that I might have been too worried about this guy becoming President. For a short time, anyway.
He’s worse than I’d imagined. Which may end up being a good thing. Judging by the reaction of the American people.
I think you’ve summed it all up pretty well, Dan.
The only quibble, is that you’ve neglected to mention that Obama ran on a “hope and change” that he was going to be a different politician. He was going to transcend, right? Well, the reach-across has turned into a reach-around, while he and his buddy’s get theirs.
Not that I believed it, but I think a strong motivator for his vote was based on this BS promise. They fell for it.
Thanks, Carin. I probably should have worked that in there.
None of your rage is real. It’s justthe hot flowing diarrhea swirling in your heads finding its way out of your mouths.
What actually pisses you off is that the conservative politics charade you’ve tirelessly pimped has been exposed for what it is, namely nothing more than a thief’s wet dream.
How deep the pain, to be tossed around on the playground by your pigtails like 11-year-old girly grifters.
Reality bites. You got bit, hard.
And da pensions! Tut, tut, tut, rethuglidum twinkers didn’t know how to spell pension back when overfunded pensions were all being raided to pay for LBO’s. Stealing the pension money, back then, was as cool as a double-eagle flag-pin.
This is the new civil war alright, but this time white God-fearing conservatives want the entire of working-class America to work for free as if we’re no better than slave hands.
Ain’t happening, girly squirts, your pleated skirt’s been lifted and the pee stains in your panties are there for all to see.
Stand when the Obama walks by. Try the man-thing for a change.
Many times what’s required is making one of those hickish looped statements before the message sinks into the heads of the backwater swampers.
You respect America when you respect America.
I suggest you educate yourselves.
Edgell McKoolAidDrinker –
I am really beginning to believe you are 15 or 16 years of age. Keep thinking with your heart and you can remain that way forever!
All you have to do is believe! http://pixyland.org/peterpan/photo_closeups_pdw1.htm
How old does one have to be to play-pretend they’re wearing a coon skin skull cap and a carrying a flint-lock musket, like our founding fathers! 5, maybe 6?
How gullible do you have to be as an adult to fall prey to that level of absurdity.
Like I said, none of your rage is reality-based. It’s desperation level political rhetoric.
Remember when Julie Bergman rejected you when you asked her to the junior high prom so then you went around telling everyone Julie kissed like a Saint Bernard? That’s what this is, you’ve been thoroughly rejected so your response is to feign rejection in return.
I seen it all before.
So, the O!bama gang reveal what they really are: a syndicate of lying, venal, corrupt fascists.
Oh, and whore?
Seek professional help.
Really.
9 TRILLION thorbot.
Eat it. Own it.
tohr – once again – deny, attack… deny, attack!
quick run to the Kos!
[...] Dan Collins knocks the real story (sorry to my leftist troll in the comments, but the real meat’s here) out of the [...]
[...] has a post about the opposition to the President that shouldn’t be excerpted, but must be. A taste: …they get stonewalled at town halls packed deliberately with union supporters, or find that [...]
[...] has a post about the opposition to the President that shouldn’t be excerpted, but must be. A taste: …they get stonewalled at town halls packed deliberately with union supporters, or find that [...]
[...] a snippet, but PLEASE go here and read the entire article. I wouldn’t steer you wrong, would I? It’s not like you can [...]
Truly outstanding throwdown. One of the best blogs I have read in a while. I will definitely be retweeting this.
Made of awesome! Best blog I’ve read in a while. Will definitely retweet, just like Moe.
What a truly disgusting troll, that ‘Edgell’ creature is. Democrats of good will (and such people do exist) should be very concerned that these sorts are the face of their party.
That ain’t no face your looking at.
The unfortunate thing is that this indignant conduct of the elites only further propels us toward a “French Revolution” style outcome, which while it eradicated the elites, led to further tyranny and misery.
The alternative party is unfortunately complicit in this disaster, having retained much the same leadership that violated its reform promises of the late 1990s.
Excellent.
[...] Not really on topic, but I also want to thank Snark & Boobs and Moe Lane for noticing yesterday’s rant. [...]
[...] has a post about the opposition to the President that shouldn’t be excerpted, but must be. A taste: …they get stonewalled at town halls packed deliberately with union supporters, or find that [...]
[...] Â Do you want to know what the right is angry about, Mr. Rich? Â I suggest you read this. Â And then I want you to show me some examples of “gun waving” that predate the health [...]
[...] First Tweet 2 days ago vermontaigne Dan Collins Highly Influential Bust-O! http://powip.com/2009/08/bust-o/ view retweet [...]
How amazing that everything the right wing blogosphere said about Obama has come true.
At this rate, he will whip out his COLB just to prove he was honest about something.
Type your comment here
The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
Or which end they were seeing, for that matter . . .
[...] Over at Salon, Thomas Schaller clearly doesn’t get it. Still no understanding of how the President squandered his credibility. [...]
[...] This post was Twitted by constantconserv [...]
[...] Bust-O! « POWIP [...]
[...] Energy” kinda whistling Dixie? You don’t think that it has anything to do with the disdain he’s shown for other people? And to think, judging by the URL, that the original title was “The Mainstreaming of [...]
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