Posted on 11/17/2013 6:11:45 PM PST by markomalley
Second-term presidents in the past 30 years have had some pretty embarrassing news conferences, full of frank admissions of failure, submissive spasms of shame and groveling, grieving apologies.
Bill Clinton had to admit that he actually did have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky; George W. Bush finally thought of something he might have done wrong; his dad had to explain all those new taxes after his unequivocal pledge; and even Ronald Reagan ate crow over the Iran-Contra affair.
But there has never, ever, been a more pitiful presser than the one conducted last week by President Obama. In a nutshell, he said sure, everything’s a mess, but he just didn’t know. Introspective for the first time, he acknowledged he “fumbled the rollout” of Obamacare, said his “you can keep it” pledge “ended up not being accurate” and admitted that his “credibility” is in the dumper. And he tossed out this gem: “What we’re also discovering is that insurance is complicated to buy.” Ya think?
This second-term unraveling has beset nearly all modern presidents. Like Mr. Clinton before him (whose second-term agenda was derailed by a stained little blue dress), George W. Bush’s ambitious plans, including an overhaul of entitlement programs, died suddenly after the Hurricane Katrina debacle. His own party abandoned him on immigration reform, and he was left counting the days until he could go home to his Texas ranch. Even the Republican nominee for president didn’t want him around.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
If we think it’s bad now, just wait until Israel has to bunker bomb Iran’s nuke sites because Odungo won’t take phone calls from BB because he’s too busy easing sanctions on Iran’s nuclear sites.
George H. Bush had a second term from 1993-1997? Wow, I don't seem to remember that one. Can I get a copy of Clinton's concession speech?
Okay, I was in Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, so naturally I didn’t see any of the coverage on TV, newspapers and magazines. How in the world did it get twisted into President Bush being at fault?
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
>>died suddenly after the Hurricane Katrina debacle<<
I was thinking about Katrina. It was NEVER a “debacle.” What it WAS was allowing the MSM to write and dictate the narrative.
The response to Katrina was the best and most efficient movement of men and materiel in documented history.
But Bush had the unspoken “higher ground” policy (that was the REAL “Bush Doctrine”).
When he gave the “you’re doin’ a heck of job Brownie” press conference he should have been strong, specific and made it crystal clear that the Administration had been ahead of Katrina the whole time and that the MSM was creating disatsre out of whole cloth (even then they knew there were no rape ganfs in the Superdome nor potshots taken at helicopters).
Instead, he tried to brush it all off and make it light, with few specifics and, more importantly, NO EMPHASIS NOR STORY LINE!
That speech, more than any other, brought us the manmade disaster of obozo and its nation-killing spawn obozocare.
Bush should have been more forceful and defended his policies and actions. He gave the MSM rope and they hanged us all with it.
“the Hurricane Katrina debacle.”
_____________________________________________
I always thought that hurricanes were an act of God.
I never understood why Katrina was all Bush’s fault, or what he could have done to make all the pain just blow away.
“What we’re also discovering is that insurance is complicated to buy”
friggin idiot
“I was thinking about Katrina. It was NEVER a “debacle.”
_____________________________________________
Oh, you beat me to it...Thank you.
“Okay, I was in Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, so naturally I didn’t see any of the coverage on TV, newspapers and magazines. How in the world did it get twisted into President Bush being at fault?”
What twisted? President Bush is always at fault;)
“I always thought that hurricanes were an act of God”
they are, but God didn’t like bush.
Appreciate your post. Right on the mark IMO.
The Bushitler-Cheney Hurricane Machine
http://maggiesfarm.anotherdotcom.com/archives/6507-The-Bushitler-Cheney-Hurricane-Machine.html
“Funny, it was Mrs. Clinton’s husband who played a big role in the meltdown. Slick Willie, with an eye on his wife’s coming run, tossed out the idea that the president should — shocker — honor his commitment”
it only now occurred to me they maybe bill had this figured and gave a little payback to Obama and maybe helped Hillary to boot.
As a mooselimb, Obama is allowed to lie to the infidels, and he did.
Kunta Kanye told me so.
I think Israel with the help of the Saudi’s will attack Iran before this year is over.
" — the president’s credibility is shot, gone. His plan to revamp immigration? Dead. As is the rest of his legislative wish list. And we’ll have to see whether Hillary Rodham Clinton wants him anywhere near the campaign trail in 2016.
Funny, it was Mrs. Clinton’s husband who played a big role in the meltdown. Slick Willie, with an eye on his wife’s coming run, tossed out the idea that the president should — shocker — honor his commitment that “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.” That gave fellow Democrats the cover to bail on the embattled president — and they did, in droves.
Twenty hours after Mr. Obama’s depressing presser, 39 Democrats joined Republicans to support the “Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013.” And just like that, No. 44 became a lame duck, eviscerated and emasculated. The shutdown? Ancient history. The fractured Republican Party? Gone with the wind."
This is why we need single six-year terms for President. 2nd terms are always disastrous. In fact, after the Civil War, this was discussed, since in the Confederacy one can only serve six years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.