Friday, September 25, 2009
Politics Mythology Today
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 8:05 AM
The next image from the White House's official photostream:
North America sits at the table. This is a working dinner for a summit in Guadalajara, Mexico. Behind North America, the pillars of ancient power. Framed by the pillars—and unifying President Barack Obama, Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon—the tree of life. That is the meaning of that tree: life. So, what is this image saying to us? North America lives.
On a related note, Obama's political career is far from dead:
At 56 percent, Mr. Obama’s job approval rating is similar to what President Ronald Reagan’s was at this point in his first term (53 percent); President Bill Clinton’s was at 43 percent. Still, Mr. Obama’s approval is down from 68 percent in the spring.Considering the circumstances, he is doing surprisingly well.
And this is even worse news for Republicans:
Americans think the economy is on the mend, and there has been a 15-point increase, to 36 percent, in the percentage of Americans who said Mr. Obama’s stimulus package has improved the economy.
One more piece of bad news for Republicans:
A New York Times/CBS poll found that 65% of respondents want a public health care option, while only 26% opposed such a plan.
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2
it's hard to see brilliant FDR like leadership and good news in our side having 65% level of support for something, when in fact it's clear we are not going to have any kind of strong public option.
Perhaps that 12 point drop wouldn't have happened if Obama had been out there fighting hard the last six months for strong and clearly defined public option -- as 65% of Americans want. You do realize that celebrating a 65% level of support is totally meaningless when our side, lead by Obama, doesn't have the 60 senate votes needed, doesn't have the balls to wage a filibuster fight all night long or for 72 hours with full bore media glare, and doesn't have the courage to end the 60 vote rule (that's the change we need), and hasn't had any kind of plan or effort to actually go into the blue doggy red necky purply states on the ground and get the level of support in those places up above the 35% or 40% level that it's at there.
I guarantee you there ain't no 65% level of support for public option if your name is Landrieu or if you are senator from arkansas montana maine nebraska or south dakota....
So please, we ain't winning, we're losing. We will get a good market reform bill that will make insurers fairer and line their pockets with even more customers and their profits and be a huge advance, this is indeed the deal with insurers that OBama has made, but why the FUCK do we settle for 40% of a loaf when polls show we have a 65% level of support for the whole loaf?
We are always to the right of even the french conservatives. Can we at least stop calling this a huge success or "bad news for republicans"?
Perhaps that 12 point drop wouldn't have happened if Obama had been out there fighting hard the last six months for strong and clearly defined public option -- as 65% of Americans want. You do realize that celebrating a 65% level of support is totally meaningless when our side, lead by Obama, doesn't have the 60 senate votes needed, doesn't have the balls to wage a filibuster fight all night long or for 72 hours with full bore media glare, and doesn't have the courage to end the 60 vote rule (that's the change we need), and hasn't had any kind of plan or effort to actually go into the blue doggy red necky purply states on the ground and get the level of support in those places up above the 35% or 40% level that it's at there.
I guarantee you there ain't no 65% level of support for public option if your name is Landrieu or if you are senator from arkansas montana maine nebraska or south dakota....
So please, we ain't winning, we're losing. We will get a good market reform bill that will make insurers fairer and line their pockets with even more customers and their profits and be a huge advance, this is indeed the deal with insurers that OBama has made, but why the FUCK do we settle for 40% of a loaf when polls show we have a 65% level of support for the whole loaf?
We are always to the right of even the french conservatives. Can we at least stop calling this a huge success or "bad news for republicans"?
3
When I look at that photo I see Calderon and Obama having an important discussion about policy issues while an oblivious Harper tries to get their attention by pointing out that his wine glass is empty again.
5
Pretty funny there, @3, but the simple truth is that, of the three of them, Calderon is clearly the most oblivious one.
7
He does it on purpose, to deflect a cult of personality. You knew that, right?
If he sits in the middle, and the left pushes against him, he then can say, look, I wasn't pushing for this, but it's what the people WANT. It's probably the only appropriate place for a president to be -- a follower not a leader; a public servant not an autocrat.
If he sits in the middle, and the left pushes against him, he then can say, look, I wasn't pushing for this, but it's what the people WANT. It's probably the only appropriate place for a president to be -- a follower not a leader; a public servant not an autocrat.
8
I'm surprised there wasn't some sort of commentary by Charles on the racial make-up of that table. A spectrum from left to right: white, brown, black.
9
Good Morning Charles,
@7 is indeed correct. Every official photo of the president is staged. Your interpertation is just that, your interpretation. Every White House photo trys to exhibit the POTUS as nothing other than a cool, restrained, dashing head of state. I've said this before but Pres. Obama is the most handsome man to be in the WH since Kennedy. Obama is extraordinarily photogenic. But, that is just chance. The WH is not the stage of a beauty contest.
Also, your comment that Obama is "unifying" is a bit of a stretch. It was a North American Free Trade Summit (?). There are only three countries in N. America (Canada, Mexico and the USA). He is hardly "unifying" as the heads of state of each are compelled to attend for obvious political and practical reasons (Canada's head of state is the Queen of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but Canada's de facto leader is their elected PM, Steven Harper).
Finally, in all the reading I've done on Obama's Presidency so far, I have yet to come across that he is politically "dead". His polls are down that's all. Meanwhile, the GOP is indeed getting stronger. Many articles have suggested that. Only, the Congressional elections of 2010 will determine how strong they actually are.
@7 is indeed correct. Every official photo of the president is staged. Your interpertation is just that, your interpretation. Every White House photo trys to exhibit the POTUS as nothing other than a cool, restrained, dashing head of state. I've said this before but Pres. Obama is the most handsome man to be in the WH since Kennedy. Obama is extraordinarily photogenic. But, that is just chance. The WH is not the stage of a beauty contest.
Also, your comment that Obama is "unifying" is a bit of a stretch. It was a North American Free Trade Summit (?). There are only three countries in N. America (Canada, Mexico and the USA). He is hardly "unifying" as the heads of state of each are compelled to attend for obvious political and practical reasons (Canada's head of state is the Queen of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but Canada's de facto leader is their elected PM, Steven Harper).
Finally, in all the reading I've done on Obama's Presidency so far, I have yet to come across that he is politically "dead". His polls are down that's all. Meanwhile, the GOP is indeed getting stronger. Many articles have suggested that. Only, the Congressional elections of 2010 will determine how strong they actually are.
12
How is health care bad news for the GOP?
If Obama can't pass it with 65% public support it is the Democrats' butt that will get kicked at midterms...
If Obama can't pass it with 65% public support it is the Democrats' butt that will get kicked at midterms...
13
It is perhaps Charles's African perspective that leads his eye to the acacia-like "tree of life" when most of the rest of us would not notice it.
In the middle distance, there is what looks like a field of blue agave--the source of one form of aqua vitae.
In the middle distance, there is what looks like a field of blue agave--the source of one form of aqua vitae.
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