Deep Thought

6 Comments

1. 

   idredit on February 14, 2009 at 10:35 am

   this is worth reposting:

   Rupert Cornwell: Don’t believe the critics – Obama is off to a good start

   For once a US politician is treating his electorate as grown-ups

   He hasn’t waved a magic wand and solved the economic crisis. Since his inauguration barely three weeks ago – an interval that already feels in some ways like three years – Wall Street has tumbled further. The right accuses him of being a socialist, the left complains he’s too centrist. Elements of both say he’s ill-prepared and naïve. “Amateur Hour”, blared a headline in The Washington Post, summing up a widespread first impression of the 44th president at work.

   The truth is rather different. Mercifully, the giddy euphoria of victory is no more. Inevitably, in febrile hyperventilating Washington, DC, the pendulum has now swung towards disappointment. In truth however Barack Obama has got off to a good start. Events may yet derail him, but the promise of his presidency is no less now than it was on that 4 November night in Chicago’s Grant Park, when all things seemed possible.

   Inside his first fortnight, he signed two important pieces of legislation, one establishing equality of pay for men and women, the other expanding health care to 4 million uninsured children. And now the amateur president has secured Congressional approval for an $800bn economic stimulus bill, the largest such measure in American history.

   The process wasn’t pretty. But such things rarely are – least of all when the Republican opposition is out to test him. But Obama got more or less what he wanted, as even the most diehard Republicans realised that the party could only ignore 4 November’s message at its peril.

   Thus far, Obama in government has almost exactly resembled the Obama on display during the general election campaign. His decisions have been those of a pragmatist who rejects the extremes, convinced of the power of reason and common sense to prevail. Thus, to the anger of the left, he has rejected any witchhunt into the transgressions of the Bush administration, believing it is more important to confront the future than to rake over the past.

   [.]

   But the potential of Obama is undiminished. As none of his recent predecessors, he projects a sense of purpose, a focus on the long term….[.]

2. 

   on February 14, 2009 at 10:51 am

   If you call for bi-partisanship in the space program and the other side is still claiming the earth is flat, do you pretend the earth is flat in order for them to get on board?

   The Republican death spiral can only be stopped if they can sink Obama’s presidency. They’ll have plenty of help with the Republican stay-behinds throughout the government agencies, and there will always be the fascist, racist, religionist core that won’t budge, but if the Dems can chip away a few more points it’s over.

   So the Repubs’ desperation, and their media allies screeching, are both understandable.

   • 

     Micheline on February 14, 2009 at 11:28 am

     I think there has been a little sabotage going on not only among Bushies but also among bitter Clintonistas.

   • 

     BooMan on February 14, 2009 at 12:02 pm

     Is that a rhetorical question?

3. 

   Dongi 2 on February 14, 2009 at 11:34 am

   Indeed, the Republican ship is taking on a lot of water and guys like Broder better get ready to man the lifeboats. The resemblance between the present GOP and that of Herbert Hoover becomes more and more noticeable

   Good bye and good riddance to these selfish and unethical fat cats; now let’s levy a progressive income tax on their bloated and unfairly acquired wealth.  Time for revenue reform at long last.

4. 

   arcadesproject on February 14, 2009 at 11:57 am

   zomg.  hard to believe even Broder could say that. btw, over at Atrios, it was observed that the Republicans are just acting like an opposition party.  which is what they are.  and that is not a bad thing.  just a normal thing.  (and why anyone listens to that creaky old nitwit Broder is absolutely beyond me.)