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News & ArtsThursday, December 23, 2010
Politics The Obama Moment
Posted by Charles Mudede on Thu, Dec 23, 2010 at 8:29 AM
CNN) — Voters who flocked to the Republican banner seven weeks ago are probably scratching their heads, wondering, "Who really won in November?" After handing the president and Congressional Democrats the worst drubbing in more than half a century, they can only watch in disbelief as President Barack Obama has reeled off a series of unexpected victories.
A new stimulus bill, repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," and now START — who would have believed that this shirt-tail session of Congress would have been so triumphant? They call it "lame duck" but it was anything but lame.
A surprisingly 'do something' Congress:
The outgoing 111th Congress is among the most productive in history, in spite of its reputation for gridlock and 13 percent approval rating. Democrats controlled the House and the Senate, and used their large majorities to push through landmark legislation with barely any GOP support.The post-election lame-duck session — typically a mopping-up operation to get out of town — also made history, passing key pieces of legislation, often with greater input from Republicans than had earlier been the case. People can argue the merits of what Congress did, but it’s hard to quibble with the scope of the undertaking. Here are six of this Congress’s major accomplishments, in the order in which they were approved.
The president would defeat all of the potential challengers:
Already, the potential candidates are warily eyeing polls that suggest that it will be no easy task to knock off the president, despite the many political challenges he has struggled to overcome during the past two years.Dan often speaks about the mouse (Obama) in a cage with a snake (the GOP). He says he has to close his eyes because the inevitable is about to happen, the mouse is only a moment away from destruction. But this time around the inevitable didn't happen. Even I'm a bit shocked at all of this, and so is the snake.A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that the president would defeat all of the potential challengers they listed, if the election were held today. And that was before the president’s recent string of accomplishments in the lame-duck session of congress — in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released on Wednesday, 56 percent of Americans said they support how Obama has handled the lame-duck.
3
In our system domestic policy is largely made by Congress. This burst of activity is purely a result of the elections being done with, and relatively moderate Republicans voting for no-brainers now that an Obama "victory" doesn't matter and before the crazy tea partiers come in.
Those of you who blamed Obama and didn't vote because of it, you're the suckers here. The President has very little to do with it, except that he'll sign these bills.
Those of you who blamed Obama and didn't vote because of it, you're the suckers here. The President has very little to do with it, except that he'll sign these bills.
5
It is way too early to predict the next presidential election. There was a time when people assumed Hillary was a lock for the Democratic nomination. There was a time when SNL was doing sketches about how no Democrat wanted to be the guy who loses to Bush, Sr. A lot can and will happen between now and November 2012.
6
Broken record time:
Yes, congratulations Obama on passing three pieces of legislation and helping your re-election chances. All it cost us was $700 billion in tax cuts for people who don't need them and control of the House of Representatives.
Yes, congratulations Obama on passing three pieces of legislation and helping your re-election chances. All it cost us was $700 billion in tax cuts for people who don't need them and control of the House of Representatives.
7
As long as he keeps the rich happy, they'll let us get some scraps apparently. & CNN framing the tax-deal as a stimulus is laughable. Yes, unemployment benefits are a stimulus, but nowhere is the courage for the massive government jobs programs the inner krugman in all of us who've learned about the great depression know we need. This is all a delightfully distracting sideshow.
8
Series of victories? For whom? Is the destruction of Social Security a victory for working people? The extension of massive tax bonuses for billionaires and their heirs - is that a victory for working people? Obama's sneering, condescending, arrogant dismissal of everyone to the left of Nixon - victory for whom? Get a clue, chuckles.
10
@9 - Cynical seemed apropos for posting at The Stranger. That's all. I think about changing it sometimes. It may be too cynical, even for this intertubez 'hood.
11
So if they did this in September, they probably would have won in November. The American middle is easily swayed by success, they vote for winners.
12
@2 Charles, I appreciate your willingness to be wrong!
This is the problem with our 24-hour news cycle: much of the actual work of politics is invisible to us, particularly when one is playing "the long game." People complain about Obama's inaction, oblivious to his hard work.
As a serious marxist I know you agree that grand narratives are nearly always invisible. The long game in politics is Obama's grand narrative.
This is the problem with our 24-hour news cycle: much of the actual work of politics is invisible to us, particularly when one is playing "the long game." People complain about Obama's inaction, oblivious to his hard work.
As a serious marxist I know you agree that grand narratives are nearly always invisible. The long game in politics is Obama's grand narrative.
14
Gail Collins has a great column in today's NY Times that kinda sums up the strange success that has been this lame duck session. Favorite part is the close:
To expand on the thought expressed by OuterCow @7, I kinda see the DADT repeal and the arms treaty (which never should have been controversial in the first place) as a "delightfully distracting sideshow."
The main attraction is the short-term condition and long-term sustainability our economy, and that comes back to unemployment and taxes and the federal deficit that Congress and the president were all too happy to add an extra $850 billion to in just about the least stimulative way possible. The powerful interests like Wall Street never take their eyes off the ball, and when the rest of us do, we end up paying.
It’s depressing to think that there was no way to win that would not have involved giving away billions of dollars to people who don’t need it. But it’s kind of cheery to think we have a president who actually does know what he’s doing.
To expand on the thought expressed by OuterCow @7, I kinda see the DADT repeal and the arms treaty (which never should have been controversial in the first place) as a "delightfully distracting sideshow."
The main attraction is the short-term condition and long-term sustainability our economy, and that comes back to unemployment and taxes and the federal deficit that Congress and the president were all too happy to add an extra $850 billion to in just about the least stimulative way possible. The powerful interests like Wall Street never take their eyes off the ball, and when the rest of us do, we end up paying.
15
I'm waiting until the State of the Union to see what he says about Social Security. If he attacks the foundational social insurance program in this country by raising the retirement age or cutting benefits then he becomes the enemy.
16
Perhaps you can explain to the family members of these people...
http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/rawagall…
...how their destroyed lives are part of a "grand narrative." Explain that they just can't see all the "hard work" Obama is putting into his job. Like authorizing the actions that caused their loved ones to be burned alive and blown to pieces. I'm sure they'll understand. In the "grand narrative" they don't matter anyway, since they're not American civilians and no relation to you.
We know Obama's working very hard to keep prosecuting whistle blowers and detaining terror suspects indefinitely without a trial and preventing homosexuals from getting married and putting marijuana users in jail.
Destroying so many lives can only be part of a "grand narrative."
http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/rawagall…
...how their destroyed lives are part of a "grand narrative." Explain that they just can't see all the "hard work" Obama is putting into his job. Like authorizing the actions that caused their loved ones to be burned alive and blown to pieces. I'm sure they'll understand. In the "grand narrative" they don't matter anyway, since they're not American civilians and no relation to you.
We know Obama's working very hard to keep prosecuting whistle blowers and detaining terror suspects indefinitely without a trial and preventing homosexuals from getting married and putting marijuana users in jail.
Destroying so many lives can only be part of a "grand narrative."
17
All Obama proved is that the Bush Tax Cuts are unassailable.
He could not break them or shake them.
In essence, Obama simply fills the office and does what's expected.
Those things that have to be...are...like the Bush Tax Cuts...now the Conservative's version of Social Security.
He could not break them or shake them.
In essence, Obama simply fills the office and does what's expected.
Those things that have to be...are...like the Bush Tax Cuts...now the Conservative's version of Social Security.
18
Boy, what a bunch of pissy commenters. And Charles, your turnaround here is pathetic...maybe instead of being so shocked by this, you should feel a little ashamed about being so rash and alarmist. It's only a matter of time of course before you flip around again, given your propensity for kneejerk reactions. But that's OK...Obama will make shit happen with or without any of you.
19
Mudede, are you have an early-Alzheimer's moment?
Geez, dood, Obama (or O.J. for the Obama Jackhole) has appointed more neocons (and Bush supporters) to office than any other president in history, along with appointing all those Monsanto lobbyists and Wall Street lobbyists.
Are you totally nutso? He has extended, and expanded, all of Bush's anti-due process and anti-habeas corpus, and anti-rights bullshit!
Oh, wow, doods, DADT is now, or soon to be over. Now when a USAF pilot accidentally red mists a wedding crowd of over 90 Afghanistani innocents, the pilot can proudly proclaim:
"Oopsy!"
Now, when a female flight controller, remotely piloting a UAV drone which obliterates a mountaintop village in Pakistan, she can do so in a proudly lesbian manner!
Whoopie doo dah, dood! Obama gave away the store with his bill giving further monies to the super-rich in the final dismantling of the American economcy and final transfer of wealth to the mega-rich.
Obama has overseen the passage of the end of any possibility of Internet neutrality, and those phoney by-design health insurance legislation and financial consolidation and control bills.
Get a life, Mudede, but most of all, START READING THE FRIGGING LEGISLATION, dood!
Geez, dood, Obama (or O.J. for the Obama Jackhole) has appointed more neocons (and Bush supporters) to office than any other president in history, along with appointing all those Monsanto lobbyists and Wall Street lobbyists.
Are you totally nutso? He has extended, and expanded, all of Bush's anti-due process and anti-habeas corpus, and anti-rights bullshit!
Oh, wow, doods, DADT is now, or soon to be over. Now when a USAF pilot accidentally red mists a wedding crowd of over 90 Afghanistani innocents, the pilot can proudly proclaim:
"Oopsy!"
Now, when a female flight controller, remotely piloting a UAV drone which obliterates a mountaintop village in Pakistan, she can do so in a proudly lesbian manner!
Whoopie doo dah, dood! Obama gave away the store with his bill giving further monies to the super-rich in the final dismantling of the American economcy and final transfer of wealth to the mega-rich.
Obama has overseen the passage of the end of any possibility of Internet neutrality, and those phoney by-design health insurance legislation and financial consolidation and control bills.
Get a life, Mudede, but most of all, START READING THE FRIGGING LEGISLATION, dood!
20
Yeah i saw this coming a mile away. The ONLY thing about this latest GOP trick is that it had the (Probably?) unintended effect of hyperbole. If you inject more and more hyperbole in a situation you immediately become an asshole, then whomever you were hating on has an easy chance to get ANYTHING done. Once they get anything done the onus turns back to the hyperbolic asshole who immediately realizes that he is being a jerk, then flip flops.
With how reactionary and hyperbolic EVERYONE is being right now, NOTHING MATTERS.
With how reactionary and hyperbolic EVERYONE is being right now, NOTHING MATTERS.
21
The stalling was all about the elections. Many of these lame ducks aren't coming back, they can vote anyway they want and it won't hurt them because they won't be running for office soon, or ever. It's amazing how less political people get when there's nothing personal at stake. For those GOP who are voting the center, they know their constituancies are fairly centrist so they have nothing to lose either.
22
So the extension of Bush’s tax cuts is now referred to as the stimulus bill? Or is it just the extension of unemployment insurance that is the stimulus, or both? Such spin, however, would have been inconceivable only a few months ago.
23
@21- I'll say it again: If they had been more active, forceful and committed during the last two years, they would have won in November. Being doormats did not impress the independents or motivate the base.
24
Charles it's a long time until 2012 and if unemployment isn't down below 8 or 7 percent by fall/winter 2011 Obama is going down in defeat.
Americans vote with their pocketbooks. 2012 will be no different
Americans vote with their pocketbooks. 2012 will be no different
25
@22 They're also including the 2% lowering of Social Security payroll tax as part of this new "stimulus." Ya know, that neat idea that helps pave an even quicker path to insolvency.
@23 Agreed.
@23 Agreed.
27
This all was the deal behind extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. Both sides wanted something, and that's what we gave up in exchange for all this stuff.
Essentially, we bought it for the low, low price of $700 billion. Yay us.
Essentially, we bought it for the low, low price of $700 billion. Yay us.
28
Please stop using shitty polls that refuse to count cell phones. The young people who used to be Obama have run away in droves. Get ready for social security cuts!
29
Please stop using shitty polls that refuse to count cell phones. The young people who used to be Obama have run away in droves and they will never be counted. Get ready for social security cuts! Not for you, of course, it's my generation that will have to pay for these bankers mistakes and these unpaid tax cuts. The baby boomers? They'll probably be fine.
30
what did you people expect to happen? let me tell you where it all changed since you missed it. remember when obama refused to see the reps from isreal? then later he saw them on his own terms? they wouldnt' pony up his kick back money until he agreed to follow the established zionist plan for the american economy. once he fell into line , he got his money and the jews got their way . then suddenly obama changed everything that you hoped he would do. now you are all confused and butt hurt! well welcome to the real world. the goverment you thought you had was only an illusion. pay no attention to they guy behind the curtain. i am oz! lol welcome to the real world!
32
@14 and every other person thinking the wealthy were 'given' anything-
The tax compromise gave only one group something for nothing. That would be those people so unwilling to do work of any kind that they've been unemployed for more than 2 bloody years. 2 years, for God's sake! Call it welfare. Call it aid to the unemployable or the helpless baby so lacking in basic self respect as to be without the means to support his family for 2 years. But have the grace not to insult those willing to work by calling it unemployment.
You folks seem confused also about the purpose of taxation. It exists solely to fund the government. It is not a social experiment. It is not a way of addressing inequity. It is not pretty liberal theory about just societies. It only funds the government.
Taxation is not about what you or I or Bill Gates or the homeless man on the streets 'needs.' That isn't my right or yours to decide. And it for damn sure isn't the right of the federal government to determine what I 'need' to live on.
We do agree that extending tax cuts for either the middle class or the wealthy in the face of disastrous deficits brought to us courtesy of Bush wars and security theater and Obamas general stupidity and economic illiteracy was stupid. I mean, under Obama our dollar has plummeted and our bond rating dropped for the first time ever. However, once the middle class cuts were extended it would have been a violation of the civil rights of the wealthy not to extend theirs as well. Or do you folks not believe in equal treatment under the law?
The tax compromise gave only one group something for nothing. That would be those people so unwilling to do work of any kind that they've been unemployed for more than 2 bloody years. 2 years, for God's sake! Call it welfare. Call it aid to the unemployable or the helpless baby so lacking in basic self respect as to be without the means to support his family for 2 years. But have the grace not to insult those willing to work by calling it unemployment.
You folks seem confused also about the purpose of taxation. It exists solely to fund the government. It is not a social experiment. It is not a way of addressing inequity. It is not pretty liberal theory about just societies. It only funds the government.
Taxation is not about what you or I or Bill Gates or the homeless man on the streets 'needs.' That isn't my right or yours to decide. And it for damn sure isn't the right of the federal government to determine what I 'need' to live on.
We do agree that extending tax cuts for either the middle class or the wealthy in the face of disastrous deficits brought to us courtesy of Bush wars and security theater and Obamas general stupidity and economic illiteracy was stupid. I mean, under Obama our dollar has plummeted and our bond rating dropped for the first time ever. However, once the middle class cuts were extended it would have been a violation of the civil rights of the wealthy not to extend theirs as well. Or do you folks not believe in equal treatment under the law?
33
@23
You're half right. Yes, the clear inability to lead that Obama, Reid and Pelosi showed was a deterrent to voters. Holding majorities in the House and Senate and holding the White House, democrats still could accomplish very little of their Marxist agenda. Those on the far left, like the residents of Seattle and LA and New York were underwhelmed by the lack of ability to govern Obama showed. Young people immature enough not to see the foolishness of leftist thought are also unimpressed with the slow pace of 'hope and change.'
The other half is more problematic for someone of your ideological bent. The United States is a center right nation. On the very rare occasions Obama is honest about what he believes this creates problems for him, and anyone who shares his beliefs, with the electorate. Double that effect with a socialist harridan like Pelosi, and you get the voter rejection seen in the last election.
The left can win the odd election, when people are too scared and distracted to see the disconnect they have with the American public. In 2008 when people feared for their jobs or their homes a leftist like Obama could win. When they realize exactly what they voted for though, progressives will lose every time in the backlash.
Having said that, the normal return to some form of prosperity that will occur despite the childish fiscal and social policies of the left will likely result in Obama claiming those policies actually worked, and in his re-election.
You're half right. Yes, the clear inability to lead that Obama, Reid and Pelosi showed was a deterrent to voters. Holding majorities in the House and Senate and holding the White House, democrats still could accomplish very little of their Marxist agenda. Those on the far left, like the residents of Seattle and LA and New York were underwhelmed by the lack of ability to govern Obama showed. Young people immature enough not to see the foolishness of leftist thought are also unimpressed with the slow pace of 'hope and change.'
The other half is more problematic for someone of your ideological bent. The United States is a center right nation. On the very rare occasions Obama is honest about what he believes this creates problems for him, and anyone who shares his beliefs, with the electorate. Double that effect with a socialist harridan like Pelosi, and you get the voter rejection seen in the last election.
The left can win the odd election, when people are too scared and distracted to see the disconnect they have with the American public. In 2008 when people feared for their jobs or their homes a leftist like Obama could win. When they realize exactly what they voted for though, progressives will lose every time in the backlash.
Having said that, the normal return to some form of prosperity that will occur despite the childish fiscal and social policies of the left will likely result in Obama claiming those policies actually worked, and in his re-election.
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