Charles Krauthammer on the free pass that the mainsteam media is giving to the constant flip-flopping of the Ever-Malleable Mr. Obama:
I merely note with amazement that his media swooners seem to accept his every policy reversal with an equanimity unseen since the Daily Worker would change the party line overnight -- switching sides in World War II, for example -- whenever the wind from Moscow changed direction.Krauthammer is giving the Obamist media too much credit. They have all the intellectual and professional seriousness of a bunch of 8th grade girls at a Bow Wow Concert.
In light of all the credulous reporting and boosterist editorials about the Obamessiah, how much of this tidbit of a political reporter's inner thought process is lame parody and how much is a fair paraphrasing of what we've been reading all year?:
Obama has sex appeal! and he's not a Republican! and it would be such a nice testament to our country's progress if we elected a descendant of slaves to be President! Oh wait, he's not descended from slaves, but he looks like the descendents of slaves and he goes to their church, so that's close enough. And he's not a Republican and he's young and cool and the young people like him and they're cool and they're our future! And if I write nice things about Obama, they'll let me cover his campaign rallies, where I can hang out with all these young people and maybe get to interview Scarlet Johanssen! Who cares if his plans for the economy would make us more like Europe with a constipated labor market and high youth unemployment and even more severely unsustainable social welfare programs that will be paid for by today's young people? They don't know that. The only college kids who pay attention in econ class are in B-school and they're all Republicans. Obamas' youth are the hip ones, and they're our future! And they're my future! I'm counting on them to pay for my nursing home and health care when I'm 88 so I can retire early and not have to save as much. So just keep reporting how much the young people like Obama, because they like to do what's popular. And we need them to buy our newspapers. And think how much it would improve our image in the world to have a black President named Barack Hussein Obama! The French will cooperate with us again. Just like when Lyndon Johnson was President! And the Muslim world will like us again! Just like when Jimmy Carter was President! And the Canadians and the South Koreans will like us again and they'll give Obama what he wants when he renegotiates their trade agreements. Just scratch that reference to Hussein. I don't want to give any fodder to the Republican Attack Machine...Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at June 27, 2008 12:08 PM | Email This
To augment, I just have to go with my ultra-left e-mail buddies. They don't seem to mind the flip-flopping and emptiness of the DalaiBama. They send me, in response, articles of how the Great One can hold two consciousnesses in one hand, like that great philosopher, Garrison Keillor, and like the Body Jesse on a recent talk show. It is that they can communicate to the working folk. They don't seem to mind him abandoning their Iraq issue or whatever the issue dujour is, because McCain is the evil one's third term and things will be worse if McCain won the election. They yell at me (i.e. capital letters) that at least he is intelligent enough that he can change his mind.
There is absolutely nothing to change the mindset, except one of the two thinks he and I are joined at the hip with respect to politics. I go, huh?
Posted by: swatter on June 27, 2008 12:34 PMOf course, none of this is any indication of how people are completely dissatisfied with the false promises of the GOP, and are ready for a dramatic change, right?
Posted by: demo kid on June 27, 2008 01:56 PMWell you just may look at the ratings for the dems who control congress.
Try the lowest numbers of all time.
So you really want to work on that "mental" thing!
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on June 27, 2008 02:09 PMAt a straight split along presidential lines with Gallup and Times polls (typical D leaning), I don't see how anyone can predict the outcome in June, Medic. Do you?
Notice, also, the topic change because of nothing to add on the topic? Must indicate an agreement on topic.
Posted by: swatter on June 27, 2008 02:18 PMGreat line.
Anyone see the hil/bama air kiss? Can anyone actually be surprised? SHE, who can forgive Bill of any trespass and stay with him?
Fence mending and preparing for the next politically motivated move...
Historians will well note this generations' "divine right of the Clintons."
It can only be speculation as to what the endgame of hil/bama is, but clearly we are witnessing the gathering of some sort of critical mass beyond which it is uncertain whether or not the greater public good will retain any leverage against blatant factional pandering. After watching this pair on stage and seeing Gregoire's performance in WA, it's difficult to see this trend as anything other than naked corruption thinly veiled under the guise of hardball electioneering. Once character traits such as honesty and integrity are effectively removed from a major faction's mission statement, the very basis of public good is at risk.
And thank you, Stefan for both the post and the reference to Econ, which is one of my frequent criticisms of the left.
Let's see... enough Republicans for filibusters and not enough Democrats for a veto-proof majority. Gridlock doesn't exist because the Democrats are in control... it exists because there aren't enough Democrats in control.
A problem soon rectified, however.
Posted by: demo kid on June 27, 2008 03:17 PMAnd you may also want to note that it has higher approval ratings from Republicans than Democrats to get a better understanding of why.
Posted by: thehim on June 27, 2008 03:59 PMReally? You think Americans will fall for that crap again? And to top it off two of the sponsors on this tasty piece of legislation are Larry Craig and David Vitter. Literally laughing out loud.
Posted by: Splinter on June 27, 2008 04:00 PMSo laugh now and we shall see who laughs later.
Remeber one thing, you GUYS think gov can fix it all. Yeah well so did Stalin. I can laugh now.
(again that is)
Many words are missing from what I wrote?
The system took a LONG time before I got thru???
"Twenty years from now, when you're all grown up, you'll be saying, "I voted for those losers?""
Since I voted for GWB, that moment's come a lot sooner for me.
Posted by: Zeeb on June 28, 2008 10:31 AM...well, "uncle Joe" is the blueprint for what
B-uh-rack Obam-uh envisions for this country. He's just too cowardly to admit it.
Again... proving my point! You betray your ignorance of both history and politics. That's like saying that Mussolini is the style that McCain wants to enact for this country.
Posted by: demo kid on June 28, 2008 02:45 PM