Last year, the Seattle Times dropped Charles Krauthammer from their list of columnists. It isn't hard to understand why; the editorial board did not like reading Krauthammer columns like this one.
The El Paso speech is notable not for breaking any new ground on immigration but for perfectly illustrating Obama's political style: the professorial, almost therapeutic, invitation to civil discourse, wrapped around the basest of rhetorical devices — charges of malice compounded with accusations of bad faith. "They'll never be satisfied," said Obama about border control. "And I understand that. That's politics."
How understanding. The other side plays "politics," Obama acts in the public interest. Their eyes are on poll numbers, political power, the next election; Obama's rest fixedly on the little children.
The board did not like reading those columns because, I suspect, they knew that what Krauthammer writes is — usually — true. They would rather not read Krauthammer's critiques of President Obama, because those critiques force supporters to reconsider their support. (Or, perhaps, force them to support, or at least excuse, his demagoguery.)
Krauthammer could have made his case even stronger by citing Mark Salter's experience. Salter blames Obama for helping block immigration reform. Obama, Salter says, could never be satisfied; he wanted the issue, not reforms.
It is time for Obama to grow up a little, to give up these childish insults, these nasty attacks on the motives of those who disagree with him. Whether he likes it or not, he will have to work with Republicans during this year and next. And, even if he is re-elected in 2012, it is likely that the Republicans will control one or both houses of Congress during the next four years.
His supporters — including the Seattle Times editorial board — should be the first to insist that Obama grow up a little. If they want him to succeed as president, they should tell him to put the country's best interests ahead of immediate political gains, and they should stop tolerating the distortions, exaggerations, and sometimes outright falsehoods that he uses in so many of his speeches.
If, that is, his supporters think that the country's interests are more important than short-term gains for the left wing of the Democratic party.
Cross posted at Jim Miller on Politics.
(Note to commenters: The discussion will be more productive if you stick to the subject of the post, Obama's demagoguery. If there is another subject you really, really want to discuss, use the public forum, or email me, asking me to put up an post on that subject. I won't promise to fill all or even most requests — there are many subjects that are unsuitable for this site — but I will do a few, though not on days this nice.)
Posted by Jim Miller at May 13, 2011 07:48 AM | Email ThisAnd remember when Obama was first in office for the first six months or so, it didn't appear he was leading but that he still was in campaign mode and the press nudged (never hammer) him on that.
Now, he started campaign mode all over and is promising everybody everything. I personally don't think it will work outside Washington State and California.
Posted by: swatter on May 13, 2011 08:22 AMI simply do not believe we can change the course of 'journalism'. And it is the 'journalists' who are driving the narrative. I simply don't see a way or a time when they will magically start being objective honest fact givers and not agenda pushers. As long as they are unobjective, as long as politics is a death match sport rather than a narrative of what's best for America, we will remain in a downward death spiral.
Until 'journalists', until Americans, start to view the issues and the problems of this country through the filter of AMERICA rather than their own agenda driven ideology we are stuck and sunk.
Both sides have found supplemental energy in their drive for power when facts are obscured. Both sides put their own power above their country and countrymen. Both sides have used the tactic of forcing the choice of sides. One side is over-represented in academia who educates these 'journalists'.
I've said here before that I believe this death match politics was born with the Clinton 'scorched earth' politics. Hateful ugliness demanded hateful ugliness in response.
And 20 years later of that birth the talk is always about the 'other side of the aisle' rather than about America.
And how do we change it? Can it be changed? Do enough Americans care? If the GOP puts forth a gentle candidate who refuses to engage will that change the tactics of the snotty condescension of the Chicago thug desperate for re-election? Would journalists report his ideas as fact or sneer?
Too bad the abortion crowd didn't abort scorched earth politics.
Posted by: RagnarDanneskold on May 13, 2011 10:43 AMAllen Keyes has said, Obama is the emissary of the Devil. I believe that that is TRUE!
In addition to the more than $500,000 that Obama spends on speechwriters, he also pays up to $100,000 to an outside public relations firm that he apparently uses for teleprompter lessons, "speech preparation training," "speech writing services," and "speech coaching services." Obama likely feels as if each of the meaningless metaphors that his speechwriters develop is worth the price we pay, but I am getting sick and tired of his kitschy, fighting rhetoric designed to pit citizen against citizen. And it sickens me that the American taxpayer is paying for the garbage that comes out of this President's mouth -- the man who urges civility is the most hypocritical, uncivil President in the history of the country. And it stems from his flawed character and single-minded desire to remain in power.
*Emphasis mine
Posted by: RagnarDanneskold on May 13, 2011 11:00 AMGrown ups understand that the only system of societal organization that will work is one that embraces human nature. It is only when we have a system that allows people to act in their own best interests without infringing on the interest of others that we have a system that will ever work. in short, we all have to pull our own weight.
Obama and the left stand for a system where some pull all of the weight for others. And in such a system it's only a matter of time before those people give up and stop pulling.
Individualism. It's not just a good idea, it's human nature.
Posted by: Jeff B. on May 13, 2011 12:51 PMLet's all set aside our partisan differences and work together you stupid, ignorant wingnuts.
Posted by: jimg on May 13, 2011 04:28 PMI'm glad I'm not the only one seeing this. This man is so thinskinned and two-faced that he can speak out of both sides of his mouth and his adorers don't even recognize his duplicity. I used to think that it was just political gamesmanship, but now I genuinely feel that they've been conditioned to only process those actions and spoken words that place Obama in a positive light. I'll never understand why this happens to supposedly intelligent people, but it does. I said before the election that he reminded me of the unctuous Eddie Haskell on the "leave it to beaver" TV series..and I haven't been proven wrong yet.
Posted by: Rick D. on May 13, 2011 06:41 PMThere is no working together in Obama's lexicon. He demands others do things HIS way, or else.
Remember at the start of his regime, when Congressional Republicans went to him to indicate they were willing to work together with him, he petulantly whined "I won". Sure didn't show any flexibility when he got slapped down with the midterms election either.
Posted by: FurryGuyJeans on May 13, 2011 08:28 PMAfter all, if drug smugglers and human traffickers can successfully breech our borders each year with hundreds of thousands of people, what else do you think they are successfully bringing into our country?
For our borders, I would recommend facing the Mexican and Canadian territories with a vehicle barrier behind which is erected a large mass of razor wire, behind which is a 10 foot tall fence, behind which is another large mass of razor wire, behind which is a patrolled 10 foot tall fence.
I would then bill the countries of origin for the incarceration, social welfare and education costs incurred to U.S. tax payers by their nationals breaking our laws.
Unfortunately, our incompetent waste-of-space in the white house is busy partying with friends of cop killers. He likely won't do anything to make our citizens in southern california, arizona, new mexico or texas safe from drug smugglers and human traffickers (yet more honorable Democrat constituency groups).
Posted by: Attila on May 13, 2011 09:40 PMHis demagoguery did not fool a plurality of Hispanics who see his rhetoric as a political football. The pompous ass arrogance that he displays turns more people off than it impresses - but a narcissist like him will never see that. He come across appearing to be smart , but he is near the top when it comes to cynicism. He is also paranoid and thin skinned as exhibited by his actions. Does character count any more ?
Posted by: KDS on May 13, 2011 11:03 PMYou need to take demagoguery lessons from TOTUS since you can't stick to the topic at hand and can only can spit invective and ad hominem attacks on people who can discuss Obama's demagoguery.
But thanks for conceding defeat by not discussing the post.
Posted by: FurryGuyJeans on May 14, 2011 01:21 AMCan I suggest the next topic? Gingrich is a huge douchebag. I'll write a column about just how big a douchebag he is. Then the merry crew here can chime in about how anyone who doesn't agree must have his or her head up his or her ass. Or they hate America! Or both!! And did anyone mention they're stupid?
After that, maybe we can have a discussion about the finer points of Mormon theology. I'm sure that would be a lively discussion.
Or was that still too subtle for you?
Posted by: Wayne on May 14, 2011 01:56 AMNo he isn't!
Newt is an angel sent by God to fight the Cloward-Pivening of America and defend us against satanic Obama and the secret clone army he is building.
That's not demagoguery -- that's a fact!
Posted by: scottd on May 14, 2011 06:53 AMNewt Gingrich has no chance to be the GOP nominee, IMO.
Posted by: KDS on May 14, 2011 07:18 AMDon't forget satanic!
Posted by: scottd on May 14, 2011 07:18 AMSoros all but owns the Democrat Party and controls or greatly influences the corrupt leftist media, including the publisher of the Seattle Times, according to a recent Fox News article featured by Matt Drudge. Does this make you leftists proud or ashamed?
Posted by: Saltherring on May 14, 2011 08:05 AM+1
Posted by: jimg on May 14, 2011 11:13 AMA: Because he doesn't.
ba da da boom!
"If you voted for Obama in 2008 to prove you're not a racist.....
....you'll have to vote for someone else in 2012 to prove you're not an idiot!"
ba da da boom!
Saltherring, you forgot smug, two-faced, self-impressed and unsubtle in his viciousness.
When he juts that chin in the air, when he adopts his sarcastic tone, when he talks down with his phony black patois, when he insults people sitting in front of him, when he looks the American people in the eye and flat out lies knowing full well he's lying, I want to slap him so hard his equally sarcastic, lying, power hungry wife feels it.
This metroboy is the worst child of scorched earth thug politics. That he fooled so many gives question to the intelligence of the fooled.
... makes me want to kick him after I slap him.
I've always known he was a leftist thug but usually his kind of rank opportunism cloaks it somewhat -- more and more his smiley mask falls off.
Posted by: RagnarDanneskold on May 14, 2011 12:15 PMIf you can't beat 'em, censor them. It's the Seattle way.
Posted by: Rick D. on May 14, 2011 01:29 PMAt the very least, he should be tried by the House Ethics committee and Rep. Issa. If he is an American and proven to be treasonous, then he deserves the ultimate punishment - to be shot by a firing squad, which is clearly legitimate in that event.
Posted by: KDS on May 15, 2011 09:32 AMSubjecting Mr. Soros to interrogation is a start to bring down the lynchpin of growing corruption of the MSM. It would seem that someone ought to be tracking the actions of Soros, who I don't hesitate to call Dr. Evil. The main goal is to expose the activities of Soros to the dumbed down masses then let the chips fall where they may.
Andrew Breitbart, et.al. and his alternative media is vigilantly covering this ongoing story and Glenn Beck (the blackboard) provided background info last year - for which Soros and his minions tried to shut him down, but it is now time for Congress to demonstrate their due diligence and interrogate Soros about a number of his subversive activities.
Posted by: KDS on May 15, 2011 10:23 AMSoros most likely caused the death - or at least participated in the death - if hundreds, when he collaborated with the Nazis to hunt down Hungarian Jews and steal their possessions.
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on May 15, 2011 10:40 AMAnd this list is from March 2009!
OBAMA SAID:
(NEWEST ADDITIONS)
I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.....Broken
I will have transparency-generals must sign secrecy Oath........Broken
I will cut the deficit in half by doubling spending-say what.......Broken
I will change the Washington culture of corruption.......................Broken
I will reach across the isle (I'm ready to fight Republicans)....Broken
I will have no earmarks in stimulus, there are 9000..................Broken
I will have transparency in White House emails except mine....Broken
I will demand human rights for China and Tibet..............................Broken
I will put legislation on Internet for all to read before votes....Broken
I will have honest advisers, except those who take free rent......Broken
I will have my administration pay their fair share of taxes........Broken
I will eliminate rendition of terrorist combatants..........................Broken
I will have a transparent admin. with the media.............................Breaking
I will bring charges against Bush admin. war crimes.....................Broken
I will have new blood in admin. but names Panetta to CIA..........Broken
I will have a transparent government..................................................Broken
I quite smoking (admits to bumming cigarettes)...........................Broken
I will apply windfall taxes on big oil companies.................................Broken
I will change US Foreign Policy, appoints Hillary Sec. State......Broken
I will change the defense department, YET keeps Gates............Broken
I will close Guantanamo............................................................................Breaking
I will sit down with dictators with no pre-conditions....................Broken
I will stop waterboarding and CIA interrogation techniques......Breaking
I will use federal campaign funds..........................................................Broken
I will get US troops out of Iraq in 16 month....................................Broken
I will change Washington with new faces............................................Broken
I will not hire lobbyists, hires lobbyist Daschle (he's out but here are the others)....Broken
* Melody Barnes, lobbyist for American Civil Liberties Union, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the American Constitution Society and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
* William Corr, lobbyist for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids,
* Patrick Gaspard, lobbyist for Service Employees International Union.
* David Hayes, lobby San Diego Gas & Electric.
* Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, lobbyist for bankrupt Global Crossing telecommications.
* Ron Klain, lobbyist for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.
* William Lynn, lobbyist for Raytheon.
* Cecilia Munoz, lobbyist for National Council of La Raza
* Mark Patterson, lobbyist for Goldman Sachs.
* Mona Sutphen, lobbyist for Angliss International.
* Michael Strautmanis, lobbied for the American Association of Justice.
* Tom Vilsack, lobbyist for NEA.
And these are not all of them. Thanks for pointing out that he has nominated a huge number of lobbyists that he promised not to appoint.
I will be non-partisan. Hires highly partisan Emanuel..................Broken
I will eliminate Bush tax cuts.................................................................Broken
I will dump Patriot Act wire tapping....................................................Breaking
I will eliminate tax breaks for wealthy..................................................Broken
The U-turn president: Barack Obama's top ten flip-flops
April 11th, 2011
Barack Obama was against the "drill now" position before he was for it, then against it again and now that he is back to perpetual campaign mode, he is once again for it, since the polls tell him it is popular.
Posted by: RagnarDanneskold on May 15, 2011 11:11 AMWhat surprises me daily is that people are only now "getting" this. He did this in his inaugural speech and he hasn't stopped since. He is the most divisive, partisan, uncivil President we've had in my lifetime, and yet some people walk away thinking he's the most bi/non-partisan, civil, President we've ever had. It's bizarre.
He's like the trolls who invade this and other forums, saying, things like, "The Tea Party is the result of unresolved racism and anger over the gains we've made in civil rights over the past decades." And when you respond, "Well, I go the Tea Parties, and I'm not a racist," they coyly respond, "well, I wasn't talking about you." "You said the Tea Party. I'm in the Tea Party. Who were you talking about, then? What about all my friends in the Tea Party? Are THEY racist?" "I didn't say they were racist, I said the group was the result of racism." "What does that even mean?"
And around and around it goes. They clearly say what they want to say without saying it entirely explicitly, and when confronted they deny they said it, even though it's clear they did. What really gets me -- and this is as bad in Washington State as anywhere in the country -- is the number of people who think it's somehow worse to say "you're a liar" than it is to say "you have a problem with telling the truth" or some other more-vague condemnation that says the exact same damned thing.
So yes, this sort of dishonest rhetorical demagoguery from Obama goes over well in the Pacific Northwest, where it's built-in to the culture that it's bad to say what you mean if what you have to say is mean; that if you say something mean, but don't say it directly, then it's somehow more acceptable.
Personally, I can't abide by indirect accusations. Say what you mean, dammit.
Hm, maybe this is why I dislike listening to another Pacific Northwesterner, Glenn Beck? He makes all these veilied statements about Obama but never gets to the damned point about why anyone should care, about what is actually wrong with Obama. And we all know Obama's mother spend significant time here, too ...
Obama was trained to speak in style and cadance by Farakans's people. Check it out.
Jimbo
Obama was trained to speak in style and cadance by Farakans's people. Check it out.
Jimbo
You mean he was taught to READ from the teleprompter "in style and grace by Farakan's people".
Listen to him in an unscripted conversation...more 'duhs", 'ums' and 'uhhs' than an eighth-grade speech class. Such hesitance is caused not only by his lack of substantive knowledge, but because he may be trying to recall (while speaking) the lie he responded with the last time he was asked that question.
Posted by: Saltherring on May 16, 2011 09:27 AMTHREE perfect examples of this are his colossal failure know as Obamacare, his huge flip flop on drilling ('I won't give you persmission but GO DRILL NOW! because I can't be re-elected with high gas prices!') and of course his demand that employers start hiring.
Obama's Specious Decree to Business: Hire Workers Already
Gleefully, the Obummer is infuriating his lefty base with his Gitmo lies, his Afghanistan lies, his Obamacare wavers (which are 1200+ glorious examples of his lies), his extension of Bush tax rate lies, his sudden drilling demand, while earning him ZERO respect or points from the suffering 'independents' and and 'I told you so' from thinking, prescient conservatives.
Now that he's in all campaign all the time mode we can easily predict there will be much more of this. We can also easily predict that as he is cornered by his falling poll numbers his rhetoric will get uglier and more sarcastic. Hells bell, any minute now it's going to be Bush's fault again.
Posted by: RagnarDanneskold on May 16, 2011 10:33 AMBut, of course, the comments are only filled with demagoguery about George Soros, teleprompters, and the normal paranoid rants of those of the far right.
I guess it was a nice try Jim, but, then again, if you really did want people to discuss facts, it would have been smart to base your post on facts, not on your own rants. I guess until you grow up a little, it would be ridiculous to expect the commenter here to grow up. Must be all that Koch Brother money that you are getting.
Posted by: JDB on May 16, 2011 02:13 PMAnd I'll help you out by giving you a few more from which to choose:
"[The President] is the dignified, but accountable magistrate of a free and great people. The tenure of his office, it is true, is not hereditary; nor is it for life: but still it is a tenure of the noblest kind: by being the man of the people, he is invested; by continuing to be the man of the people, his investiture will be voluntarily, and cheerfully, and honourably renewed." --James Wilson, Lectures on Law, 1791
C.S. Lewis said it best: "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
How does Obama plan to defend his destructive economic policies?
Obama's Stimulus Package Costs Over 500,000 Net Jobs
... economists Bill Dupor and Timothy Conley who have analyzed the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act aka Obama's stimulus package and concluded that while 450,000 state and local government jobs were created/saved, one million private sector jobs were destroyed/forestalled as a direct result of the stimulus package.
...You can see the charts, graphs and details for yourself in the 36 PDF report...
The next time Obama makes a speech using the word "investment" instead of the actual word "spending", keep in mind what his last reinvestment cost America and what it did to job creation.
*Emphasis mine.
The Obama administration says it's "pro-jobs," and wants American businesses to see them as friendly and willing to help them grow and expand. And they don't seem to understand why they aren't believed.
That's because most businesses learn -- often the hard way -- to put less stock in what someone says, and what they do. And what the Obama administration does puts the lie to that sentiment.
Obama's Oil Drilling Subterfuge
We've been here before.
Those of you who were befuddled at the news that Obama will 'expand drilling' in Alaska are not missing anything. Obama has pulled this political chicanery a number of times. Whenever a specific proposal that he so adamantly opposes becomes too popular to ignore, he announces his support for it by promising to implement inconsequential reforms.
Democrats Disguising Real Reasons for High Gas Prices
There are signs that Obama may be figuring out that the Democrats' proposals won't work, leaving gas prices high which would hurt his reelection chances. After generally opposing offshore drilling, he is now saying he will speed up oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters in Alaska, along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico.
DON'T WORRY THE BORDER IS SECURE
Yesterday was Sunday: Where was your Commander-in-Chief?
It may help to narrow your multiple choice answers in the future by knowing that at any given moment Obama is either organizing, Alinsky'izing, or golfing.
Certainly President Obama, the Harvard trained University of Chicago law instructor, community organizer of still crime infested communities, best selling author of books written by...., state and federal legislator bravely voting present and now president who has elevated the national debt to unprecedented highs can overcome these minor legal impediments.
What's A Few Hundred More Obamacare Waivers Among Friends?
The Obama administration approved 204 new waivers to Democrats' healthcare reform law over the past month, bringing the total to 1,372.
Refute away, big mouth.
But, of course, the comments are only filled with demagoguery about George Soros, teleprompters, and the normal paranoid rants of those of the far right."
@53 - Do you have anything to support your demagogic response to refute what is known about George Soros ? I say he warrants investigation because of his actions and the fact that was instrumental of bringing down the banks in 4 other countries.
A follow up question; Do you think that the Koch Bros. should be investigated and if so, why ?
Posted by: KDS on May 16, 2011 04:58 PMWhere oh where did big mouth koolaidJDB go? Hello? Bueller? Bueller?
Man those chirping crickets have gone full serenade!
/LMAO at predictable cowardice
Posted by: RagnarDanneskold on May 17, 2011 10:48 AM
