BACKWARD PRES. OBAMA continued to look; it won’t help him crawl out of his June gloom. The length of his economic speech on Thursday seems to point to the notion that team Obama thought this would be received and billed as important, but instead it just felt like it was never going to end.
Then there’s this:
So, Governor Romney disagrees with my vision. His allies in Congress disagree with my vision. Neither of them will endorse any policy that asks the wealthiest Americans to pay even a nickel more in taxes. It’s the reason we haven’t reached a grand bargain to bring down our deficit — not with my plan, not with the Bowles-Simpson plan, not with the so-called Gang of Six plan. – Pres. Obama [speech transcript]
Beyond that priceless nugget, which has been ignored, the President looked in the wrong direction to get the voters attention. What he should be doing is hanging austerity around Mitt Romney’s neck, including the Paul Ryan budget he embraced, which was the same plan that threw Britain into a double-dip recession.
It was definitely not a reboot, reset or re-whatever moment. Campaign fog is one way to describe where Obama finds himself right now, but malaise would work to.
To give you how bad it was, not even Jonathan Alter could provide presidential cover.
““I thought this, honestly, was one of the least successful speeches I’ve seen Barack Obama give in several years,” said Newsweek editor Jonathan Alter. “It was long winded. He had a good argument to make, and at the beginning of the speech he seemed to be making it in a fairly compelling way but then he lost the thread.” – Jonathan Alter [Mediaite]
Mitt Romney is a lousy politician but he’s got the money and machine, with Pres. Obama making “the choice” of Romney more viable with every planned economic event that’s choreographed and written to impress but doesn’t.
The most dangerous thing for an incumbent, which goes double in bad economic times, is if voters start tuning you out. Pres. Obama is treading on that precipice.
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Well done.
But fear not, it will come up again as he has his legacy to think about. And if he is re-elected, the Repugs may accept his 10 to 1 deal maybe they’ll take 15 to 1.
Obama hates the smell or taste of blood. He will miss a jugular if it is a mile wide and right in front of him.
Interesting observation Ramsgate considering he personally picks who we assassinate long distance.
The main impression I get is that he has lost interest.
LakeLady, your impressions do seem to fit the observable facts.
Do you mean you think he’s lost interest in being President?
I don’t. All he has been doing is campaigning since he got in to office.
Oh and by the way, Where was Occupy while Sarah Jessica Parker of the 1% was hosting a $40k a plate fundraiser for him?
Lake Lady, you know it’s always easier to be “over there” instead of “over here”. You can drape the Stars and Stripes over your shoulders and play the “game” when you’re “over there”. “Over here” are family matters. Internal strife. Power plays. Sibling against sibling. Mate vs. mate. A whole bucket of nastiness.
US presidents been doing that for awhile.
Domestic issues are soooooo un-sexy.
I know T-Steel and I knew it when he was making his pretty speeches.As with anything in life until you have personally experienced a situation you can make all the judgements you want but the reality is a whole different thing.
One of the many reasons I was for Hillary, who else had a better understanding of the pressure cooker? Whose else had a better understaning of how low the Rethugs will go? Who else knew how hard you have to fight to get them at a standstill?
Can the presidential election season just hurry up and END ALREADY?!?!?! I can’t take…
*SLAP*
Ok… I’m good. Sometimes I have a “moment” and my inner anarchist pops up and wants these drawn out Hollywood productions to end. Back to topic:
The Prez’s in a fog because his grand bargain stream has completely dried up and he’s just out of ideas. Romney’s not being an aggressor. He’s just counter-punching effectively. Weak jab by the Prez. Strong counter-punch by ol’ Mittens. Is he waiting on the debates? Well that would be stupid because the time in between would be, uh… foggy with floating daggers.
Since I have no skin in the game, my advice to The Prez is to turn into “ideas guy”. Grand plan dude. Heck, hire me and some of my regular slob crew and we’ll have him punching Romney with right crosses. As long as the money is right!
“Is he waiting for the debates?” I keep hearing people say oh wait till the debates, Obama will wipe the floor with Romney. I do not see that at all. In ’08, Obama was not a great debater (Hillary was). In the Republican primaries, Romney pulled out several very good debate performances. He is quick on his feet, with crisp delivery. Obama is slow and turgid in his delivery when he doesn’t have a teleprompter.
The problem is that people with good ideas have been so marginalized by the rot at the top they are almost invisible. Think how fast Van Johnson was pushed aside.
Lake Lady-Nice to know there is someone else still alive who remembers Van Johnson!
Taylor-Another terrific post. Keep them coming. Thanks!
You know, I think Obama has lost interest in doing the job of President. Make no mistake, he wants a second term. But he reminds me of GWB who during debates with Kerry made the statement, “Being President is hard work!” Well, DUH! Ya think????
Hillary is a superior debater. And yes, she knew it was going to be hard work, but then again, Hillary always has worked very hard.
Both Obama and Bush liked the idea of being President, but once they got there, realized it was a job unlike any they had ever imagined in their wildest dreams.
I am sure Obama now wishes the President fairies will appear and anoint him with a second term and then magically fast forward to 2016 where he can polish off his legacy and have his likeness added to Mt. Rushmore without, in the meantime, having to deal with all that pesky hard work and those tough decisions that come with being the President if you are doing it right.
Ha!
“Since I have no skin in the game!” Really? No skin at all? Wow!
No skin because I’m one of those types that strongly feel that Obama or Romney can’t address the ills of this nation. They both are utterly inept and are Wall Street stooges. So I could care less about the election of either one.
But I sure love commenting about their ways and wiles. Keeps the blood up and is good sport.
I’ll get ultra serious when we, the general public, gets sick and tired of being sick and tired about our Presidents and the process.
This is off the topic but Obama’s lament foretold Holder’s cave to Issa. We knew that was coming too. And it predicts things to look forward to as we approach the so-called fiscal cliff and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts in the lame duck session of congress. Grand Bargain Phase II.
Republicans are so fortunate it is surprising that they have not done much better than they have. They are (should be) secure in the knowledge that in any confrontation or negotiation with Democrats/Liberals/Progressives (DLP’s) all they have to do is to fiercely threaten, stand united and wait. In time, the DLP’s are bound to capitulate, as they are a species without backbone. It is amazing, but it’s almost as if one had to prove one’s spinelessness or complete lack of resolve, before being accepted as an influential or accredited member of the DLP’s. As such it is not at all surprising that Holder caved on Fast & Furious.
Moreover, the DLP’s will never, never never, ever understand the Republicans. Never. The Republicans were never REALLY interested in holding him in contempt. They are bullies. This also explains why they have not achieved as much as they should have. They are entirely focused on hurting people, blocking progress, rather than achieving great goals. They are toying with Holder. They are more interested in humiliating & crushing him and through him Obama. Weakening him for their own political ends.
But, like the typical pusillanimous DLP bureaucrat Holder didn’t know how to fight back — how to push back against bullies. He took them seriously instead of calling them out. He should have framed the whole thing as a partisan extremist charade, by a fanatical & extremist hack congress that has moved to far to the extreme right they are falling off the cliff. A Tea Party Congress.
“Want to hold me in contempt, Mr Issa? Go ahead. It would be a badge of honor. I would frame your citation and put it in a most prominent place on my mantle. The American people see and know what this is about and they see it for the joke that it is.”
They rally their base; he rallies his base. But DLP’s have no guts. They have no faith.
Instead, he caved, and what will the Republicans do? They’ll spit in his face, and simply ask for more, or they may decide to climb down a little, but it won’t be over.
Republicans want to get at Obama through a special prosecutor, that’s what this is about and which should be stonewalled at all costs, mainly because neither Holder nor Obama deserve one.
Welcome to todays installment of 24/7 round of Obama bashing by Taylor Marsh, the Marsh swamp people and Fox News.You would think the 24/7 bashing would have driven Obama’s poll ratings down to Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon and George W. Bush territory. Obama’s approval if anything has ticked slightly upwards and is still at 48%.
Voters aren’t interested in the ‘Obama is a failure’ mantra parroted by Mitt Romney,, Fox News and Taylor Marsh.The majority of voters aren’t interested in the views of the partisans. 75% of indivduals in a Peter Hart Focus group aren’t even aware of Romney’s record at Baln Capital or his record as Governor of Massachusetts and won’t be until the conventions are over. They will be in the fall when voters actually start paying attention to the election.
Dude don’t waste your keystrokes! All your gonna get from these people is me no like Obama, Obama bad, Obama bad!
Once again, it’s too bad Pres. Obama and his reelection team isn’t doing the job they need to, but that’s hardly my fault.
Take heart! It’s early, Romney’s not a good campaigner, and when Barack Obama gets up against it he’s a pretty good one. The issue right now is his campaign is falling all over themselves trying to get their game on.
More importantly for Obama & his fans than national polling, which doesn’t mean anything electorally, all that matters, the economy in battleground states is better overall than the rest of the country, with reports showing the Bain attacks are working in these same states. I put the links in a comment recently, but here are 2 again since RAJensen is having such a hard time making the case he should for Pres. Obama:
Slate
Salon
Team Obama is hoping they can run a campaign similar to what Kennedy did against Romney citing Bain.
It’s a long way until November, RAJensen & the Obama fan team, so hang in there. The odds remain in Obama’s favor, if right now it’s only 51% – 49%.
Romney’s money & machine, coupled with a vast network of Super PAC money, remains the toughest opponent Obama’s faced in his political life. His team has to get it together.
Trying to make me the villain doesn’t change the fact that Obama’s speech yesterday was a dog.
Taylor and her band of merry men didn’t like President Obama speech? Completely predictable, they probably wouldn’t like his aftershave. They are simply never gonna cut this guy any slack period. They are the Teabaggers of the left. Deranged and not persuadable. Today the Obama Administration announced that they are going to stop deporting juveniles who were brought here illegally a children. An executive branch version of the dream act the Republicans in the Senate filibustered in 2010. A big step forward that Hispanics have been pushing for but I bet Taylor and her Marshians won’t see it that way. The reactions here to that bit of good news will most likely range from the standard, well Obama did it so it’s no big deal to he’s only doing it for political reasons!
I have no doubt that he did it for political reasons only.
Good grief, solo, why bother commenting if that’s the best you’ve got?
You can diagnose this all you’d like, but, what it boils down to is that Obama’s policies aren’t working. People are worse off than they were 4 years ago. The middle class has been hurt the most. Incomes are down 40%!!!!!!!!! People are living this nightmare and we aren’t going to buy the “Blame Bush” scenario. We figure that 3 and 1/2 years is long enough for someone to prove their way works and it’s not. If he keep saying that it was Bush’s fault, then all it means is that he (Obama) can’t fix it. So why keep him in office if he can’t.
Because the rethugs don’t have any new ideas either and their toxic solutions could be the tipping point that makes us the biggest banana republic in history.
The poor american people don’t have a good choice.
Except for President Obama supporting marriage equality and Romney saying he thinks with should add an amendment to the the constitution barring it. Except for Romney thinking corporations are people and Obama not thinking corporations are people. Except for Obama desperately trying to avoid another trillion dollar war in the middle east with Iran and Romney surrounding himself who want to bomb that country. Except for those thing and many other your exactly right people have no good choice this November!
I disagree with you LL.
What do you consider toxic? Cutting spending is a great idea, so is budgeting, something that I would hope we all do individually in these tough economic times, rather than spending money we don’t have.
Yes, these are not new ideas, but, they do work.
Yes, cojoblak~ Cutting spending and keeping to a tight budget is good for individuals to do but that is micro economics. Governments are not individuals and they deal in the macro. When the private sector is not spending and individuals are not spending,that leaves the government to fill the gap. It creates a virtuous cycle that we need to kick start a broader recovery.
Then we should worry about the debt. We can fix a chunk of it with tax reform and the people who have been doing all the wealth extraction can start pulling their own weight.
The last thing that should be cut is the social safety net. Otherwise like I said we are a giant banana republic.
Well maybe if the repugnantklan/teabaggers hadn’t filibustered virtually EVERYTHING a dem has proposed we might know if it would have helped or noy. Even WITH their treasonous war of domestic terrorism against the American people and the economy it is a little better and the fact remains…and President Obama should be hammering this…with Obama GM is alive and BinLaden is dead, under mittens that would be reversed.
cjoblak@hotmail.com 15 June 2012 at 10:39 am
Just to be clear on the facts of the net worth plummet, the Federal Reserve Bulletin (at link) cited the years 2007-2010 and was mostly housing related, which they say explicitly.
Thanks for pointing that out, Taylor. It gives me even more reason to believe we need a change. 2007 is when the Democrats took control of the House and Senate.
In the 1930′s, labor leader John L. Lewis was involved in a bitter dispute with a rival. A mutual friend of the two men suggested arranging a meeting in order to bring about a meeting of the minds. Lewis responded, “Explore his mind? Sir, I already have; there’s nothing there.”
There’s no 11 dimensional chess; there’s simply nothing there. To be fair, I could be describing Romney also. But Romney is not the POTUS. I’m not even going to mention his stones. Okay, I am. He doesn’t have any. I think the modern Republican Party has morphed into some kind of cult. But one must respect their ability and willingness to fight.
There is no fight here. People generally are drawn away from those who haven’t the spine to stand up for what they believe in. At this point Pres. Obama impresses me as somewhat of a nihilist; he doesn’t believe in anything except himself, his destiny, and his “legacy.”
The end of this article encapsulates very well the growing danger facing the president. He’s being tuned out.
Because there’s nothing there,after all.
Well said, mrpister!
well said, mrpister
To be fair, I could be describing Romney also. But Romney is not the POTUS.
Pres. Obama is very lucky Republicans didn’t put up a charismatic Republican. As it is, the money & machine are something Obama’s never faced before.
Remember a long time ago I wrote a Democratic Washington insider said to me Obama’s never been up against a “competent Republican”? They can beat Romney, but not with their current game plan.
A man and a moment. 2008. This trajectory isn’t really that surprising. You have to give credit to the Obama folks for what they did in 2008, (politically speaking). They took advantage of a moment and went with it.
If you take 2008 and compare it to some musical group/band/singer/performer. They/he/she has that breakout moment, that break out album. It could be after years of playing the bars or clubs, or an overnight sensation. It captures the moment. Nirvana’s, Nevermind; Alanis Morissette’s, Jagged Little Pill, Michael Jackson’s Thriller; Bruce Sprinsteen’s, Born in the U.S.A, etc. (showing my age) They all caught that ‘moment’ now their follow up albums might be critically acclaimed, they might have a hard core fan base; but STILL, it is just not the same.
The Obama folks should have realized this.
Thank you, Lake Lady. This needs to be repeated as often as possible and Paul Krugman can’t do it all.