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News & ArtsFriday, April 15, 2011
2012 Obama, Off the Record
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Yesterday at a fundraiser for his 2012 campaign, President Obama talked very candidly about his feelings on Republican legislative tricks. He didn't realize he was speaking into an open mic. I hope that if he gets a second term and doesn't have to worry about reelection that he speaks this candidly all the time:
He also complained about how White House technology is "30 years behind," saying ""I'm the president of the United States. Where's the fancy buttons and stuff and the big screen comes up? It doesn't happen."
4
Open mic or not, he speaks more "candidly" in settings where he doesn't have to dumb down arguments for American Idol voters.
5
Funny how Pelosi hit those very same talking points (about the Ryan "plan") on the house floor just this morning...
6
open mockery of the republican agenda is necessary, appropriate & (imo) a political winner. i hope we see more of it going forward from obama and it saddens me that we haven't been hearing this sort of thing from him for years already.
8
@1 & 3 already said it, but... yeah, the odds that he didn't realize the mic was on? Zero point zero zero, zero.
9
@6 is right. Open Mockery.
Just as he said fairly, you want to have that debate? Lets have it. The Rs dont do debate and reason, and until they do they should be mocked. Otherwise it's just trolling!
Just as he said fairly, you want to have that debate? Lets have it. The Rs dont do debate and reason, and until they do they should be mocked. Otherwise it's just trolling!
10
When a bunch of newbie tea's from the 'business world' were appointed to positions in the Ohio government you should have heard the complaints about the lack of newer technology. And the best complaint was how they shouldn't use their state issued crackberries for personal use, "You mean I have to carry two?" Yes idiot, you don't want a FOIA to find out about your mistress or other personal stuff, think Palin.
11
The Government bubble is bursting as tradiational "representatives" are spinning out of control.
Winner? Tea Party.
Enter Self-Governance
"This book is dead-on in both its theory and timing," exclaims Joe Trippi, Political Strategist and former campaign manager for Howard Dean, adding, "It poses a worthy and moral challenge to politicians and practitioners of politics to stand up for the people and their right to self-govern."
http://www.amazon.com/Search-Self-Govern…
13
This isn't a rhetorical question. This is an actual question:
Why can't/doesn't he and other politicians talk like that all the time? It was well reasoned, easy to understand, landed some jabs, all while sounding adult and pragmatic. What is obvious to every member of congress, president, and governor, that isn't obvious to me?
Why can't/doesn't he and other politicians talk like that all the time? It was well reasoned, easy to understand, landed some jabs, all while sounding adult and pragmatic. What is obvious to every member of congress, president, and governor, that isn't obvious to me?
14
I love this. I think the reason for having it be "accidentally" picked up by an open mic is that it leaves a great impression that this is how he talks when the mics are off. Remember, this is a president who is criticized in a lot of circles for being a master of the teleprompter and what not.
15
I guess I'm just naive, but I'd assume that there would be a person in charge of IT at the white house's whose job would be, "figure out how to meet all the records requirements of the position and otherwise give the POTUS whatever he needs to be most efficient."
Crazy to think that isn't the case.
Crazy to think that isn't the case.
16
@13
The idea is that the "mouth" speaks in language that is bland and as inoffensive as possible while the minions do all the dirty work. That way you can sell the person rather than the ideology which is a lot easier to do. Independent voters like it I guess. Or at least that's what the focus groups say.
It's really, really dumb.
The idea is that the "mouth" speaks in language that is bland and as inoffensive as possible while the minions do all the dirty work. That way you can sell the person rather than the ideology which is a lot easier to do. Independent voters like it I guess. Or at least that's what the focus groups say.
It's really, really dumb.
17
Wasn't this a whole "West Wing" episode? The "open mic" comments that cause an uproar that is actually a strategic chess move? I'm with @1, @3 and others. There was no chance this was an "accidental" open mic. This was the opening salvo.
18
Free campaign ad from CBS to rile the left up for 2012 (fired up? yeah!). Nice. Still don't believe it just like I thought his wonderful speech was really regressive and made Nixon look like a socialist.
21
18: You're just another cynical asshole. Yeah, he's a politician, what a surprise. I hope you're not a person who votes.
22
@21 "You're just another cynical asshole. Yeah, he's a politician, what a surprise."
Lol, this sounds like just the opposite of cynical!
Hate to smash your hope like Obama but I vote, just not for him.
Lol, this sounds like just the opposite of cynical!
Hate to smash your hope like Obama but I vote, just not for him.
23
@21 And just to correct you, I am not cynical. I think after this system dies we MAY (big MAY) just be able to rebuild a better one. I'd call that real hope, not some saccharin bullshit bromide.
24
It's basically impossible to be circumspect in language at all times; even for a saavy politician. One open mike error or so per year doesn't seem so unbelievably large.
25
@18 - by today's standards Nixon WAS a socialist. I mean - the Environmental Protection Agency, Title IX, S.A.L.T., the expansion of Medicade? Not to say that he wasn't a crazy bastard and a war criminal (although most of that blood is on Kissenger's hands), but in terms of governmental philosophy Nixon was nowhere near lassiez faire.
26
I know. My point is that supposedly liberal politicians are not. Obama is a regressive extremist (with some marginally good things--not all bad) but some people are not past the stage of denial.
27
I know, I was just nitpicking :) Although I do I think Nixon gets an unfair "bad president" reputation - compared to Andrew Jackson or Reagan the man was a saint. And at least he wore his crazy on his sleeve.
On a side-note, I despise the term liberal as a synonym for "left". It is totally ass-backwards. Historically, academically, and in every other country on Earth, "liberal" signifies lassiez faire economic philosophy: Adam Smith is liberal, I am left. So-called liberal politicians, as much as any other stripe of politician, are at heart neo-liberal corporatists.
On a side-note, I despise the term liberal as a synonym for "left". It is totally ass-backwards. Historically, academically, and in every other country on Earth, "liberal" signifies lassiez faire economic philosophy: Adam Smith is liberal, I am left. So-called liberal politicians, as much as any other stripe of politician, are at heart neo-liberal corporatists.
28
I agree 100% with Obama on his basic point: the R's are trying to use budget cuts to acomplish their non-budget agenda. I wish the D's would also use budget cuts to acomplish their non-budget agenda! I will support nearly any budget cut, regardless of what non-budget agenda it serves. I don't really care about planned parenthood or abstinence education, but if the government spends money on it, it should be cut.
29
@27 You're right on all accounts. I should be more careful with liberal--but I've adopted the American vernacular. Classical liberalism is basically the same as American libertarian (another term that's been fucked) economics.
30
@28 The money government spends on Planned Parenthood (i.e. free/low-cost contraception for poor people) and abstinence ed saves money in the long term by minimizing the number of children on welfare, among other positive economic effects. Consider it an investment.
33
21, 22 is not a cynical asshole, 22, is a Hippie for sure. those dudes aint cynical.
11, you are a complete Buttwad, as usual.
I can't see the point mattering if he knew the mic was on or not.
11, you are a complete Buttwad, as usual.
I can't see the point mattering if he knew the mic was on or not.
35
Measure me by what I say, not what I do. Too bad he becomes paralyzed when it's time to actually DO something about the creeping Corporatism that is destroying our minds and bodies.
Do I actually need to list all his extreme conservative actions - from escalating the war on whistleblowers to his slick move of ensuring the rich keep the Bush Tax Cuts to his move from SinglePayer, to PublicOption, to Co-ops, to defunding his own Co-op plan. At least the insurance industry gets to keep their gift.
This president is a Republican.
Do I actually need to list all his extreme conservative actions - from escalating the war on whistleblowers to his slick move of ensuring the rich keep the Bush Tax Cuts to his move from SinglePayer, to PublicOption, to Co-ops, to defunding his own Co-op plan. At least the insurance industry gets to keep their gift.
This president is a Republican.
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