No More of Obama’s Talk, Tone, or Temperament
President Barack Obama has used a variety of hypnotic tricks to subliminally control his audiences. Partial proof of his talent lies in the absurd Obamanosis reflected in liberal media sycophants, among others. Far beyond the absurdity of a Chris Matthews tingle up his leg, Obama has been able to wrap his audiences around his finger. Many attribute this to his being a “great speaker” but he is utilizing much more than speaking skills.
One of his many maneuvers involves a form of nominalization. Nominalization, in effect, takes a verb and turns it into a noun. As a consequence, an activity is — as Obama’s guru 60′s radical Saul Alinsky would say — frozen. When accomplished, Obama has been able to take important processes or means, freeze them, and then hold them out as ends in and of themselves, for which he can then be congratulated as performing better than others.
An example lies in diplomacy. Talking with one’s enemies can be a valuable means to resolve conflicts, stop them from escalating to levels undesirable to both parties, convey intentions and plans so that confusion is kept to a minimum, and facilitate articulation of interests such that creative reconciliations can be derived. Depending upon a variety of factors, diplomacy is an active process which can be successful, or not.
When nominalized, however, into the simple notion of “talks,” diplomacy becomes an end in itself. Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, in his book Surrender is Not an Option, has brilliantly described this problem as deeply rooted in our State Department’s DNA. Its diplomats are more interested in talk and closing a deal than in the actual costs and benefits of the deal itself. Talk and deals for their own sake, as has been demonstrated time and again, are a recipe for major foreign policy collapse. As Obama’s entire coterie of foreign policy “elites” are quickly discovering, our enemies are not as spellbound as the Obamaites. The mere fact of talks not only does not impress Iran, Russia, North Korea, or others, it has become an advantage for them to use against us.
Another “means into end” abuse of Obama’s lies with the word “bipartisan.” Obama has used the word to suggest he is uniquely blessed with the skills to bring people who otherwise would find it difficult to “come together” to satisfying compromises. Without the approval of both sides, obviously, a result would not be bipartisan. So “bipartisan” as used by Obama is suggestive of a skill and process in which he is skilled.
Yet “bipartisan” has developed into an end in itself. And far from meaning compromise, what Obama actually demonstrates by the term is the giving to some of the opposition the ability to air their grievances and suggestions, nothing more. He is more than happy to show the cameras he has Republicans in the room but, after all, he won the election. A bill is bipartisan not if a large number of Republicans vote in favor, but rather if Republicans are physically given access to appear at some portion of the process. In a situation where Republican votes are generally meaningless, bipartisanship has devolved to refer to an invitation to a party or session. Consequently, the process of actively engaging Republicans and incorporating their positions has turned into an end signified by simple physical participation in photo opportunities.
With much of the nation under the spell of Obamanosis, Obama also catapulted the word “temperament” to center stage. Obama made his “cool” and “calm” demeanor appear to be a necessary asset for anyone who would lead the country. The implication is that our more “sophisticated” European allies, who have learned to deal maturely with their problems, require America to choose a responsible leader who is also able master those “cowboy” impulses that led the world in the wrong direction for so many years. The ability to temper speech and behavior, as with all behavioral flexibility, can be a valuable asset in many situations. Being tempered for its own sake, however, represents a limitation and, in Obama’s case, a tool for encouraging his listeners and followers to follow suit, mirror Obama, and temper themselves.
Great article. I hope the media will do its part and include the teleprompter in the camera shots of Obama. The audience has a right to see what is really going on and that no one has thus far included the “crutch” on a regular basis suggests the media is a willing participant in the deception.
What has been clear to me since the primaries began is that Obama cannot compete without help of this kind. He was observed to be wearing “something in his ear” during the debates. His stuttering and stammering when talking without prepared remarks is in sharp contrast to what we are told he is, a great orator.
How sad that people are just starting to wake up and see this manipulation. While he may package the presentation more cleverly, his ideas are anything but.
BHO’s use of Neuro-Linguistic Programming in his speeches has been cheesy and chillingly dangerous. Look for more stagecraft opportunities like his last non State of the Union State on the Union. If the Kool-aid starts to wear off – just pull out the teleprompter and give an “address”.
“Obamanosis”?
Halitosis, Ptosis, Keratosis…and now Obamanosis? Seems apt- I think you’re on to something.
I like it.
A VERY accurate description of Obama’s methods. He talks, talks, talks & says nothing. Then, the MSN gets warm feelings down their legs. Just look at the diplomatic incompetence by Hilary, et al, with the recent Russian visit. They are like a bunch of sophomore high school students who are getting A’s in speech but fluking out in every other subject. As long as the ignorant masses keep falling for Obama’s empty words, our goose is cooked. However, a year or 2 from now, when things are much worse, people may actually make the conntection between empty words and foolish action of the Obama administration.
“Limbaugh made it safe to angrily confront Obama responsibly and on point,…”
I really like this idea. Look how effective “Joe – the plumber” was in confronting Obama during the campaign (which, however, is never-ending). It riled the men behind the teleprompter – to the point of violating his privacy.
If words be his only weapon, opponents with word-weapons of confrontation ‘on point’ can defeat him without his teleprompter. Witness his telephone call to reporters – after the fact – to ‘clarify’ a non-answer about his socialism.
Getting those ‘on point’ words out to the Acorn masses will be a challenge.
This public analysis of how the Obama WH manipulates opinion is very helpful. Please keep it up. A key may be that the country is being led at the top by public relations (Axelrod) not political expertise (Rove) or issue goals (winning against terror, fixing credit). There is a repeat in PR man Axelrod (closest to BHO) of PR man HR Haldeman (closest to Nixon as that President become remote from real people). Does Axelrod write what is on the teleprompters?
I really have to wonder about anybody who buys into President Teleprompter’s utterances.
They all translate into “George Orwell was right!” to me.
We’ve got to get off this idea that we can wait until the 2010 elections, folks. Guess what? The 2010 elections are 20 months away. Candidates will file in 1 year. We’ve got to start grooming them in key districts NOW.
This means no more waiting. This means getting involved with your local committees. Yeah, maybe they don’t represent all your personal values and ideals, but if they are more conservative than what we’ve got now, our country is better off.
Further, you can influence the course of conservatism better from the inside than from outside their office yelling at them.
George W. Bush, the ultimate terrorist, screwed this country up so bad that even the BEST US President – Barack Obama cannot fix the economy overnight.
People need to have a longer term view of this whole thing… start by turning off the TV and news broadcasts, and picking up the classified section of the news papers and going to interviews in person and get a damn job.
Obama is not a statesman. He is a speech-deliverer (sic). His words are very carefully chosen and served up shrink-wrapped via the telepromter which is basically now welded to his face. Whether he actually does the word-choosing or someone else, neither option is attractive. Given the opportunity to speak on his feet, the Zero quickly turns to a stuttering, stumbling modge-podge of rhetoric that reveals a man who has stumbled into the deep end of the pool and cannot swim. Interesting that Obama’s hit squad has been so childishly picking on Rush Limbaugh in the midst of what would seem to be a deepening crisis. For Limbaugh, despite his lack of a college degree, would absolutely wipe the floor with Obama in a real debate. Rush is a far more talented speaker than Obama because the words flow instantly from his brain to our ears with complete conviction and honesty. Obama is so calculating that you must distrust him, at best.
“George W. Bush, the ultimate terrorist, screwed this country up so bad that even the BEST US President – Barack Obama cannot fix the economy overnight.”
Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude. Pass the bong..you’re hoggin’ it.
It is possible for the US economy to go bankrupt before the end of the year with crime, high unemployment, and stagflation following.
If the teleprompter is of any concern, then what is that blackberry doing, and to whom is it rigged? The secret service tried to take it away and Barry overrode them. Who is on that speed dial list?
Why is the radio talk show host the polarizer?
In all actuality, Obama and what he is doing makes him a truly the polarizing figure.
EVERY MENTION OF OBAMA SHOULD state how terribly polarizing he is.
Just write it and say these great introductory remarks over and over and over….. the truth will start sticking to them.
We will see how cool and calm Obama will be when he faces real criticism. It is easy when the
wizard is preaching BS from behind a teleprompter
(his alter) to a MSM choir.
To #9-you have already ordained Obama as the
best President ever-wow. Also the people
who do not like Obama have jobs(not swivel
servants) and pay taxes. The guys who want
something for nothing love him.
Obama = Saruman
Look at all the brain-washed, Limbaugh acolytes jumping on anything negative about the President as they are trained to do. These conspiracy-laden articles are ridiculous and counter-productive, but I guess everyone has the right to speak their minds don’t they? By no means am I ordaining the President, but I am willing to give him his fair chance at the job, which means all four years of his term.
“Neuro-Linguistic Programming”? Oh, brother.
There’s nothing the least bit novel or nefarious about Obama’s use of language. What’s giving Siegel acid reflux is the fact that people respond to it, its achieving its desired end and Obama’s agenda is largely steaming ahead.
Citing Alinsky doesn’t lend any credence to the argument — since he stole his whole shtick from Cicero, Dale Carnegie and The Marx Brothers. The arcane, Svengali-like manipulations he describes are commonly known as rhetorical argument, and are taught in every high school Speech class.
All politicians endeavor to control the language, which is why Conservatives say “entitlements” when they’re talking about “the social safety net” and “military surge” when they really mean “bribing the Sunni tribal chiefs.”
All speakers use rhythm and repetition, alliteration, parallelism and metaphor. Framing and word choice are the soul of advertising. And a well-designed public persona can transform a TV soap salesman into Ronaldus Maximus.
William Jennings Bryan, Mark Twain, FDR, Reagan, Hitler and John Galt (for 75 pages) all worked from the same Playbook for Public speaking…and no subiminal radio transmissions or vampiric mesmerism were required.
As for the Pajama crowd’s assertion that Obama’s reliance on a TelePrompTer is somehow pathological or a tacit acknowledgment of mental feebleness, I suggest you try giving as many speeches as he does, on as many different subjects, with as many hostile observers sifting his words for coded signals and echoes of Trotsky…and then let me know how that whole memorization thing works out for you. Personally, I’d rather have him use his time to take care of business, rather than rehearsing his public performances. When you’re ready to toss your laptops and calculators because REAL MEN use quill pens and an abacus, THEN you can dump on the President for adopting handy, time-saving technologies that make him more effective.
#17 Rotwang…..Your words….” I’d rather have him use his time to take care of business, rather than rehearsing his public performances.” Geez, buddy, so WOULD WE!! Please, whenever you DO seem him start trying to take care of business instead of inacting MORE spending let us know! Until then you might question why he hasn’t stopped campaigning with his teleprompter? Those of us with eyes wide open tend to question. Join us.
Oh, please. Is this the GOP version of Reefer Madness?
I am not Obama supporter but I know what happened: need reminding?
The GOP got drunk, spent the mortage money, maxed out the credit cards, hit on the neighbor’s wife and was voted out as head of the PTA. The Tax and Spend Party had a smooth talking, genial man that seemed interested in what normal people were doing: the GOP offered a worn out Beltway insider who had never staked his career on anything except controlling free speech.
Obama has been in office for less than 60 days. Americans have been terrified by one economic collapse after the other and are fairly waiting or him to succeed or fail after a fair chance. They see him doing what Bush did–only more of it and redirected to places other than AIG and Citi. And that’s true–yes?
Decades of reading achromatic history books and de-empahsizing the need for a free economic system have turned the former preference for free enterprise in the US into mush. But that’s not Obama’s fault.
The fault here-if I may be blunt–is not with Obama who you dismiss as some snake charmer: its with the GOP. Like the Catholic church in the middle ages, it embraced what it should have opposed. It rewarded what it should have penalized. People looked for true principles and the GOP offered them…..tired old McCain: can anyone really think that McCain (an honorable man in a POW camp but rudderless in politics) would be doing anything differently?
The fault was with our side. Our side needs to renew and commit again to what it was that attarcted people in the first place.
#19 Blackwell…..With all due respect, I think you ought to lay blame where it’s due. The economy was tanking when Obama took office, true. BUT since being in office he has done nothing but enact one spending program after another. I’m really trying hard to not accuse you of being one to blame the victim here but I do think you need to focus on the problems at hand. If you blame all of this on the GOP, do tell what blame would you lay at the feet of the Democratic congress that has been in power for the last 2 years along with our entire Democratic Congress + President that have almost tripled our national debt in just over a month? You stated that McCain was “rudderless in politics”, but how do you explain our current President Teleprompter? Clueless in politics, that’s what. Obama wasn’t elected by people with a strong desire to better themselves or this country. He was elected by ill-informed, uneducated people who were led to believe in his omnipotence by the media. Unfortunately, those same ill-informed, uneducated people are about to figure out what they have wrought on this country. I just hope the mayhem that follows can be contained.
#20 AThinkingPerson: …I don’t disagree with a word in your post, but have a different take on who is responsible and how to stop it.
The article sounds a lot like the Catholic Church in the 1400′s, desperately insisting that only silver tongued orators are responsible for the collapse of church authority–not the forfeiture of moral authority through sale of indulgences, monks living with nuns and the vast estates owned by the church.
The “ill-informed, uneducated” populace? Yes they spend more time reading about vapid celebrities than economics. but they elected the GOP to 8 presidential years and to run congress since 1994. Who can balme them? The wall St Journal isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. They voted in 1994, 2000 and 2004 FOR thrift, frugality and low taxes: They got instead, a new record for graft and incompetence, plus George Bush funnelling money to AIG and the banks and running his own deficits.
Obama is doing the “same thing”–but bigger and directed to other sources. Now the difference is just how much and who gets it. The economy was tanking badly in late 2008 and everyone knows it. Bush ran deficits and everyone knows that too.
Is it a surprise the voters covered their ears in 2008 to the GOP and voted for the other guy? Who were they supposed to vote for? McCain? Another term for porkmeister Dennis Hastert? Please. No more than taking back a five time cheating spouse. I admire what McCain did in the POW camp but he’s been a ‘follow along” as a politician for the most part. He stood for nothing, offered nothing. In the debates he was proming bailouts too! And while I like Palin, McCain should have found someone else for the VP slot.
Yes the media performance in 2008 was sickening–really sickening: far worse than in 1960 when reporters agog with JFK (don’t remember personally, just what I’ve read). But no surprise: reporters are people too and mostly liberal. What did the GOP expect with tired John, the economy collapsing and graft in congress? To be re-elected? To do what?
If only there had been someone who could have stood up in the GOP ranks like Churchill saying “I fouoght this since the start,” but no: there was no such person. And the masses? Being tossed out of work, they can be excused just as Weimer’s voters panicked in the 20′s. It was foreseeable. The GOP is to blame. They brought us the reign of Obama and Pelosi. (2 years of democratic controlled congress versus 12 of the GOP–not even close. Like Clinton’s 8 years to stop 9-11 versus Bush’s 8 months.)
What to do? Not complain about Obama’s superior speaking ability. The GOP must find the message it forgot. People will listen if its there. They always have. But it hasn’t been for 12 years or more. And it wasn’t in 2008. That’s why Obama was elected. And he’ll be re-elected if the GOP doesn’t find its core soon, and stop muttering darkly about Obama’s speaking ability. That’s what the Dems said about Reagan–they missed his message.
You’re right about the mayhem–just think–depression, inflation, wage price controls, shortages….and yes I blame it on the GOP–that virtually assured the election of Obama and a Democratic congress. As I said, they got drunk, spent the mortgage money and then asked to be trusted. They still haven’t figured it out.
Just one thing Bill, Obama is not a good speaker he is an effing awful speaker. his delivery wooden, his voice the clipped monotone of a corporate meritocrat robot, his speech texts mere assemblages of cliches and banalities seasoned with the psychobabble of a motivational speaker; his tricks and tools that enable him to mesmerise those eager to be mesmerised are advertising hype and an almost unlimited budget.
See, he has ever tricked you into believing a little of the sales pitch. Never overestimate your opponent.
Blackwell: thank you, your analysis is spot on…..it’s just so frustrating that there does not seem to be anywhere to turn……
Blackwell…I do agree with your post to a point. The only thing I cannot agree with is the voting electorate. In Obama’s case, there was an overwhelming outpouring of Hispanic and black voters that didn’t show up in previous elections. I don’t think therefore that we can claim that “they” voted for Bush and became disenchanted and lined up behind Obama. The mortgage mess can also somewhat be traced back to Frank and his cohorts in Congress demanding the rules be relaxed for unqualified buyers. You’re right, there is blame to go around as there always is. I just want to be clear that I think that Obama’s success (or lack thereof) clock started ticking the moment he took office. I’m tiring quickly of “I inherited….”. He inherited and then multiplied the problem and for that he does not get a pass from me. The GOP does need a strong coherent voice though. I will definitely agree with you there! Hoping one steps to the forefront SOON!
Quick! Let’s take his teleprompter and expose him!
So the people who worship a movie star as being one of their great leaders are now crying foul over a politican and his projection of a certain image? You have to be kidding me.
I wonder how many years it will take before anybody realizes that the economic meltdown was caused by a miscalculated Federal funds target interest rate hike in 2003-2005. Does anybody actually realize how omnipotent that device is? I guess not. It’s not that difficult to predict the economy: Take the housing market and add 2 years. Or take the target rate and add 4 years. (Rate up = housing down 2 years later = economy down 4 years later). The rate hike was justified, it was too late, it was too big, WAY to big. Conclusion: The housing market will recover in 2010, the economy will recover in 2012. Happy trails with all your BS and see you on the other side. By the way, we have only seen the beginning of government intervention. In 3-9 months (My guess) a third of all companies will start filing for bankrupcy (or at least feel the pain) because of lack of liquidity and unless somebody gets cash out where it’s needed (borrowers), we will have a 180 trillion problem with derivatives. And believe me somebody will get some cash out there. Obamas stimulus package is like pissing on a forrest fire (and in the wrong direction).
The fact is Obama was elected in large part because there was no one for conservatives to vote for.
However I will tip my hat to the left as they orchestrated that rather well.
But really folks, you can not expect to win in tiddly winks if you can’t field someone that gives your side a reason to get out and vote for.
The old tired GOP’ers have had their last hurrah and they fell flat on their face.
I must say I am not impressed with the Michael Steele selection either.
He blew it big on national tv when he did not stand up for conservative values last week. He blows it then spends all week back pedaling. Those kind of things is why they lost and will so again if they do not move the old guard out and let younger blood take the lead.
Things look bad now, but in the run up to next election that will just make it easier for obama to push the right buttons to make things look like hey they are beginning to come around and throw in a few more freebies to his worshipers and in good crowd mentality they will be praising him again.
America is now no different than any other 3rd world country politically now.
When the Majority believes they can vote their way to a share of some imaginary pie, And the Minority realizes that what they work hard for will be taken from them, well at that time the end is near.
In short, he who sets the rules has already won the game.
We are screwed. When another crisis hits during this recession, I fear the cool one will unravel.
Never miss an opportunity to ridicule President Jesus: his Messianic pretensions, his Mussolini chin-thrust, his orotund cadences, his stuttering when deprived of his security blank, i.e. the teleprompter, the Klingon he’s married to, the terrorists and fanatics and thieves he’s beholden to, the corruption that spawned him, the emptiness of his intellectual background, the slack-jawed stupidity of his devotees, the “gift” to Gordo of 25 DVDs that Brown can’t even play on a British DVD player, his thin-skinned responses to any criticism. I could go on, but I don’t have all night, and anyway, in 10 minutes Jack Bauer is going to be kicking the ass of some feckless traitor whose ass is sorely in need of kicking.
The adulation Obama receives is out of proportion to what he has done. The author is trying to redress the imbalance.
Is it more self worship characteristic of our age, adoring ourselves at our non-racist credentials supporting a black man as president?
Is it hyperbole to label him The Infanticidal President? When his attack on pre-born and recently born life is a matter of public record. We the Self worshippers conveniently ignore this.
At this time we have to ask ourselves the question. How does the US expects to build stable international and economic institutions when at home we kill our sons and daughters in the womb by the million and the culture of death is legislatively expanded? How to build stable institutions if the most important institution of society, marriage, is undermined rather than protected. What judgment other than the self serving kind ought we expect from leaders of finance when it rules that most intimate of domains of identity – our sexual lives. We will kill our children before we admit of the rulership of transcendent moral laws on our sexual selves. So goes our children so goes our material prosperity.
How seared must The Infanticidal President’s conscience be to vote for the things he has? How can this not pervade all his judgments? How can he be relied on to exercise authority when he does not know what is right?
There is plenty enough evidence now to justify an auditory ban on The Infanticidal President and read transcripts of arguments instead.
By their fruits you will know them. We must ask ourselves what has become of the national character when we ignore all the evidence of moral perversion and instead heed a beguiling voice (examples of which history and literature are replete).
32 Martin….”We must ask ourselves what has become of the national character when we ignore all the evidence of moral perversion and instead heed a beguiling voice…”
What’s with the “we”, Kemo-sabe? So you did vote for obama?
I did not ignore the evidence. I did not heed the beguiling voice.
Let us, please, discontinue the self-loathing “we”, as in “look what we did to ourselves”. (Unless “you” actually did–then at least have the courage to say, “I”).
We don’t know who Obama is. With a teleprompter he is brilliant, without a teleprompter he is a blithering idiot. We need to know who is in the teleprompter, the Wizard of ooze, maybe.
Well said Meryl. Of course I didn’t vote for him.
But Americans are in this together, what did I do to contribute to the culture of death? Do I keep custody of my eyes and imagination? Do I volunteer to help single mothers in need? Do I watch prime time TV that depicts sexual relations outside of marriage to those within marriage 4:1
How do I allow my culture to indoctrinate me?
Am I a paragon of moral perfection?
I use “we” only to avoid the charge of hypocrisy and projection.
What I vigorously reject is that I am doing that very dangerous thing CS Lewis warned about in his “The Dangers of National Repentance”.
Blackwell – I think you are close to the truth. I certainly blame my own ‘party’ (GOP) for abandoning its core, which I had thought includes me. However, I’ve begun to think that at its core, the GOP is just another snapshot of mindless America, too involved in its DVD’s and video ‘games’ to pay attention to anything real.
But the fault is not only the GOP’s, of course. Much of America is zoned out, too busy to be bothered. When Obama-prompter tells them he will solve all the problems, they say “Gee – give him a chance!”, even though his actions flagrantly contradict his words. As with Clinton, many people are not interested in whether he actually does anything of value, simply that he ‘feels your pain’.
So much of the fault is in the moral and mental weakness of Americans themselves – not just those in the GOP. One can point to worthless public schools, abysmal ‘teaching’ in highschool and college, lack of strong role models, whatever. All those factors are true and relevant. But ultimately, the fault is with Americans themselves, and Americans have chosen this clown with full knowledge – or rather with obvious lack thereof.
Will they come around in 2010 or 2012? Will it be possible, given the propaganda campaign against real American beliefs? Will it even matter if the GOP wins? (hint: it sure didn’t help when they retook Congress in ’94.)
Understanding Obama’s rhetoric is not a matter of technique, nor of intelligence. It doesn’t matter what kind of Alinsky-esque cues he is using. What really does matter is the ability to discern truth from deception.
Way back in March, 2007, I read a slight blimp in a newspaper article – a minor quote by a certain Barrack Obama. I read it once, then again. And just to make sure I understood what he said, I read it a third time. My conclusion: the man was being deceptive, condescending, paternalistic, and narcissistic. When I added up all of the words he used, their grand total sum was zero. And I gleaned this from a few short sentences of a quote in an article – not from hearing him speak or transform verbs magically into nouns. I wasn’t privy to his special cadence, pregnant pauses, and carefully articulated verbiage.
For me, it’s just that simple. Not that other politicians are the most truthful people on earth. They aren’t. But for whatever reason, the hair on the nape of my neck responded when I read his words. As I understand it, our gut instinct is supposed to be pretty spot on. After what has transpired the past couple of years, I’d say mine is working quite well.
I wish people would just get off Obama’s case! He’s being tested–as per Joe Biden–and he may be failing:
Macbeth: “Is this a dagger which I see before me…” Macbeth (II, i, 33)
I doubt President Obama sees any daggers, real or imagined, but he may see tests before him, tests which could serve as daggers at America’s throat.
VP Biden, before he was VP Biden, had warned that tests would happen. See “Is Biden’s ‘Test’ on the Near Horizon . . . http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=876 and “Testing Obama,” http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=626.
Back in October, the prescient Joe said, “We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember, I said it standing here, if you don’t remember anything else I said: Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”
Pal Joey apparently was forthwith muzzled, squelched, told to shut up shortly thereafter and never again spoke of testing “the mettle [the character] of this guy,” “this guy” meaning the President Presumptive at the time, Senator Barack Hussein Obama.
Well, that test or tests, international and domestic, in political-speak have been “generated,” in real-speak have “hit the fan,” and we shall shortly see the depth of Obama’s “brilliance” and character.
The domestic testing has been ongoing and is a carryover from the administration of Bush II and mainly, but not exclusively, has consisted of the banking, mortgage, economic mess. Only time will tell whether history assigns Obama, and therefore America, a passing grade.
At this point, Wall Street has evidently decided on a resounding “F” for the new president and for his wonder boy, tax-cheating Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner. Their mindless profligacy in tossing around a trillion here, a trillion there of taxpayer dollars have been met with a clear vote of no confidence and a drop of thousands of points on the Dow.
After being clued in by Bill Clinton, Obama’s suspended his very peculiar gloom and doom, crisis here, crisis there, approach to inspiring Americans in favor of the pep-talky, “Hey, we can do it, folks!” But the damage had already been done.
Main Streeters and Wall Streeters seem to be thinking, Will the real president please stand up and do something constructive? Both should be cautioned not to expect much in that regard since Obama has admitted that he regards the DJIA as nothing more than a “tracking poll” and neither he nor Michelle Obama own any stocks according to their tax returns. So, who cares?
Obama’s other testing fields are overseas, in foreign nations and in international waters and so far he seems to have adopted a very diplomatic, hands-off, do nothing, wait and see approach.
North Korea’s Kim Jong-il, maniacal loose-cannon extraordinaire, thrives on war and rumors of war and gets his jollies by launching missiles and threats, the latest being to shoot down civilian airliners near its airspace and warning of all-out war if we dare to shoot down its satellite: http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=44687.
The latest news out of Pyongyang is that the paranoid Kim Jong-il has cut its military hotline with South Korea and is in process of mobilizing his million man army. The reason? Fear of invasion by the United States and South Korea: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d5d6fd4a-0c60-11de-b87d-0000779fd2ac.html.
It’s as realistic to expect a U.S. invasion of North Korea as it is to expect us to invade Tibet, but realism never enters the equation when it comes to Kim’s thinking.
Iran’s equally unstable nutcase, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
hurls similar threats, threatens missile and nuclear strikes–when Iran’s nuke facilities are up and running– and now demands the United States apologize for 60 years of wrongs against Iran: http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/a/mahmoud_ahmadinejad/index.html
Mahmoud’s very selective memory must have “dis-remembered” when his Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the illegal storming and capture of our Tehran embassy in 1979. I have to assume that he does not consider imprisoning 52 Americans for 444 days as something worthy of an Iranian apology.
There is, however, another explanation, namely that Mahmoud does recall President Jimmy Carter’s, America’s, feckless response to that grave offense and he seriously does expect an apology from President Obama.
He may get it if Obama fails this test.
Iran and North Korea are comparative pipsqueaks on the world stage and their incessant testing could be ended within weeks, or days, if Obama has the nerve to advise both nations that, starting with their leaders, they will be reduced to molten puddles should they dare any funny business.
Fat chance, but hope springs eternal.
More ominous tests, one clearly and intentionally “generated” by a wannabe superpower, the other the result of an inept government allowing drug criminals to go berserk on their own soil, are on Obama’s horizon.
The inept government is that of Mexico’s Felipe Calderon and his ineptitude is a test for Obama only because of Mexico’s 2000 mile border with the United States and the four states immediately adjacent to Mexico and the fact that its criminal element now is overflowing into those states, and further north.
Houston is already feeling the effects…
(Read the rest at http://genelalor.com/.)
I never bought into the temperant nonsense. It’s just another mask. It’s something that was hyped by the media, but I was never ensorcelled by them either. Obama’s speeches fall completely flat to me, because they have no substance. None. They are as empty as the talk of a typical teenager, devoid of any depth.
I can’t help myself. When I hear his pretty phrases, I don’t really hear them. I always ask myself, “WTF does that mean, anyway?” By the time I end up crossing out all the meaningless pretty phrases, and the self-contradictions, I’m always left with nothing, or worse, complete bilge. I always felt that Romney used too many words to say nothing, but Obama shows him to be a complete tyro in that regard.
To the guy who complained about our adulation of an actor, I say that Reagan may have been an actor, but he was a deep thinker. His utterances weren’t empty.
He called the USSR “an evil empire”. This was something people never did, naming evil for what it is. It was devastating to the USSR.
He stated, “When government grows, freedom shrinks. When government shrinks, freedom grows.” This is a deep philosophical principle. Agree or not with the sentitment, it is something worthy of discussion; the relationship of freedom and government.
Read “The Speech” he gave in the 60′s. It is filled with the priciples of conservatism, and was an overnight success. He addressed very specific truths. Solid material. Deep philosophical thinking. He was called “The Great Communicator”, not because he gave pretty speeches, but because they were meat-and-potato speeches. They stuck to one’s ribs… in one’s heart. They fed your mind, body, and soul. They reaffirmed one’s spirit. They stayed with one through time. One could not hear the simple, deep truths being elucidated without being moved and remaining forever moved.
That tingle down Matthews leg (or up) was his pee getting cold.
I think this article really touches on something that requires a much deeper investigation of current propaganda techniques. But this sentence especially struck a chord with me:
“The Republicans who are infuriated at the gross abuses taken by Obama, Pelosi, and Reid have taken the bait and attempted to temper their own responses as if this will give them the opportunity to participate in all the rewards the liberal media is handing out.”
I have often wondered where is the passion in the pathetically tepid Republican response to the destruction of our economy and Republic. They say the right words, but without the requisite fire to make those words heard. I say that any Republican or Independent who can reach down and find his manhood, and hence his voice and passion, will also find himself catapulted into the national scene and candidacy in 2012.
OUR LAWYER IN CHIEF KEEPS SPINNING
Why can’t lawyers and politicians be truthful and just tell it like it is?
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/lawyer-in-chief-keeps-spinning.html
“Obama = Saruman”
Dang! You took the words out of my keyboard!
All too often our politicians make the public impression its best to go along to get along. Yet during all of the Bush presidency, there was no attempt to go along & especially none to get along.
Obama is a master of words. Yet as has also been pointed out, his words mean nothing. Bi-Partisanship means one listens to, respects & tries to accommodate the needs of others. Obama has not compromised on one detail because Pelosi & Reid have established there will be no compromising.
Its easy to say Republicans had input. Its more difficult when you accommodate some of what they ask for. Obama, Reid, & Pelosi have given nothing & have the media to support them as though they are reasonable.
Yes, the economy will recover & it will mean jobs. That will have nothing at all to do with this stimulus.
The real issue is, how do they explain the enormous costs when taxes for all go up (thats direct & indirect taxes, not just those on the rich because those will be passed onto average Americans in prices & costs), & horrible inflation. The dollar will be worth little as the costs for the borrowing come due. Then, our dollar will buy significantly less & then, Republicans need to make sure all know who was responsible for that.
As for Bush & previous Republicans (or more accurately Rino’s) & the damage they did. You bet they did.. Their lack of real conservative principles is part of this. Still, mush of this was coming from failed credit polices designed by Democrats & despite all stories to the contrary, made worse because Republican calls for regulation of Fannie & Freddie were met with the age old straw man attack of, you are a racist & against working men, as Barney Frank told all those agencies were financially solvent & nothing needed to be done.
Obama will only be able to use the cover of words for so long & sooner or later he will break & start attack talk that will reveal his real stripes! Even the media will sooner or later ave to stop their partisan pandering as the public comes aware of the freedom reducing policies of this socialist!