Posted on 07/03/2011 3:57:02 PM PDT by markomalley
So even Bill Maher finally gets it? It is somewhat gratifying for me to watch liberals who so swooned over a Chicago politician as the “chosen one” to come down to earth and join the rest of us who never slipped the surly bonds of reality and common sense back in 2008. The liberal infatuation with Barack Obama about which we on this side of the divide have commented many times seems to be finally fading as the truth of who this man is and always was sinks in. He is a politician. Not an executive. Gee, there’s a shock. And with such a postage stamp sized resume you’d think he’d have been better prepared to handle the many pressures and responsibilities of the most powerful and complex managerial position in the Solar System. I guess one needs more than a teleprompter spewing empty platitudes to run a ship of state after all.
Still, it’s interesting to peer into the mind of liberals and dissect their disappointments. On a recent “Real Time” episode Maher laments what a shame it will be to mark “four years of Democratic rule without having really tried any Democratic policies.” Yes, he really said that. So the dive off the Keynesian cliff into the failed and deficit ballooning multi-trillion dollar top-down stimulus in an attempt to recapture the false glory of the New Deal was a conservative approach? Does Bill believe the passage of a 2,000-page healthcare law that aims to impose federal control over 1/5 of the entire US economy while Messers Frank and Dodd drafted another 2,000 pages of regulatory hell designed to revamp a multi-trillion dollar derivatives market about which neither of them know anything about to be Milton Friedman Laissez-faire machination?
Maher’s big complaint is that, in his mind at least, Obama merely pursued the Republican agenda which he distills down to extending the Bush tax cuts and the continuation of the Mideast wars. Maher also made the bizarre claim that “healthcare is basically a pro-business very Republican healthcare plan.” Really Bill? In what world do you hawk your wares because I can tell you that this is hardly “pro-business” nor would any of the 176 Republicans—indeed every last one of the Republicans in the House—who voted in unison against the bill classify this as a “Republican healthcare plan.” But of course denial of even the most rudimentary of facts has been a hallmark of the comedic pseudo-pundit for many years now.
Maher’s panelists’ take on the deflation of the Obama myth were varied based on their politics. Republican strategist Susan Del Percio blamed it on him not being a leader, citing the delegating of his signature issue, Obamacare, to the Congress.
Radio host Michael Smerkonish offered that Obama is actually much more moderate than the hardcore left thought. Obviously he and I differ on what qualifies one as a “moderate.” Still, what he offered is that Obama may be losing his far Left base because he is not Che Guevera reincarnated despite the tri-colored posters. So after everything that’s transpired in the past two years, the wingnuts like Maher still believe that Obama is a “centrist.” Sure he is. And I’m Brad Pitt, not Brad Schaeffer.
Still, when push comes to shove, the far lefties will vote for the Chicago pol because they would rather be crucified than see a Republican win back the White House and so they will rally behind him come what may. Obama’s true political danger comes not from his left or his right, but his front. He has lost the center, the independents. He has lost them because, Maher’s and Smerkonish’s skewed views notwithstanding, he is much farther to the left than he was packaged during the election, when the force field of a worshipping mainstream media protected him from any penetrating eyes save on the blogosphere, talk radio and Fox. But now the center knows that he is far from a centrist; the post-racialists know he is far from a post-racial healer; and those who craved unity know that he is far from a uniter but rather has shown an ugly propensity to demonize his opponents. Those who saw him as a bridge to the rest of world now see him as a weak representative of US interests. Those who were willing to trust Washington more now see him as an over-bearing top-down government apparatchik. In short, the scales have fallen from the electorate’s eyes … even if Maher thinks the problem is that Obama isn’t far left enough! Only in Hollywood.
Back to “Real Time”: my favorite commentary was from New York Times columnist David Carr whose apparent smugness I found myself instantly loathing. But he did perform a valuable service nonetheless. Besides laying out for all to see the unbearable arrogance of the left-wing intelligentsia and their dismissal of traditional values by making light of fathering children out of wed-lock (oh you kid!) Carr freely admitted that he had fallen for the Obama hype. In fact he captured the essence of the “Obama Zombie” movement (if I may borrow a phrase from Jason Mattera)—a movement that was forged in irrationality in a fog of emotional vapors and as such was destined for disillusionment. Said Carr: “You [Bill] and I bought into history. It was like a moment. We’re gonna have a moment … turns out he’s a politician. He’s good at politics, not that great at governance.” News flash: the 60 million of us who voted against him in 2008 already figured this out. I guess we neanderthals on the right have some sense after all.
What I find fascinating about the liberal epiphany is that they seem surprised to have been taken. Yet, as I just recently discussed on “The Dana Show,” even the most enthusiastic/brainwashed of his supporters back in 2008 could point to little if any concrete data by way of private sector achievement (community organizer?) or public sector initiatives (voting ‘present’) to justify their infatuation. Thus did we see the dangerous allure of the personality cult that has laid waste to many an advanced democratic society in the past. Now the Left is finally coming around to a reality we uninfected by the Obama flu knew all along. For a first world people to advance they must look for answers not to un-vetted politicians who emerge out of the mist of corrupt party machines, but rather towards the bedrock of all great nations … the individual. Themselves! Otherwise you run risk of the same disappointment about which my musical muse warned four decades ago: “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
Correct that Obama has not lost his base. The day we know he has lost his base is when the left start to protest him about his wars as they did Bush. The antiwar left has not only been muted, it’s been castrated and spayed. They have been bought off and, once again, shown to be the hypocrites that we all them to be.
No matter how mad he makes them, his base will vote for him.
That depends upon if his base are losing their minds still or if they have joined the ranks of the normal finally.
Obama’s base is on welfare.
Well that part of the base that is mad at Obama will certainly not vote for Palin or Perry but they may stay home. And a vote not casted is better than a vote casted for Obama.
Hypocrites, or delusional morons — or some combination. The same could be said about left-wing ‘feminists’. The depth and breadth of their hypocrisy was revealed, when they provided cover for B.J. Clinton's sexual predation.
No, did Mugabe lose his?? those 12%ers will never leave a Bro.
I know a few of them and they are totally out of touch with reality.
I can understand an Obama supporter still planning to vote for him while knowing he has done a terrible job as POTUS, these people of whom I speak still think he is the political messiah
Baraq only polled 53% with his inspired base against a weak McLame and dispirited Republican party. This was the “ghost” Baraq who was advertised as the answer to all problems.
I see him as a sure loser in any 2-way race in Nov 012.
There is a risk of him winning with a Clintonian plurality if the opposition splits.
I remember January 2009, and I remember the joy that the Obama base had. I’m not talking about the liberal pundits or labor bosses or professional politicians, but just the poor people who thought their ship had come in.
After 2 1/2 years, they have to be crestfallen as nothing has changed for the better for them.
Obama will never lose his base of political activists, union bosses or Democrat Party professionals.
But he’ll have to come up with something other than “hope” and “change” to motivate the rank and file poverty stricken individuals to come to the polls that he let down when reality didn’t mesh with his lofty rhetoric in the 08 campaign.
they will vote for him. but the base is aborting them selves into the minority, permanently. That’s what’s behind opening our borders, to all, & Unionizing everything that walks. Citizens who are plugged into the American dream, celebrate the 4th of July and do not vote democrat.
Maybe another Greek Concert in Denver! Oh wait.......
No question, there are millions of braindead out there who will vote for him, along with the 90% of Blacks who cling to their racism.
But in 2008 he won by about 69 million to 60 million. Without the hate-Bush vote, and without the "first black blah blah," The rat turnout will likely be several million less. With a robust candidate instead of a feeble, submissive McCain, the GOP turnout should be several million stronger. With a few million disaffected indies following up on 2010, the election is within reach.
Again, this is predicated on the GOP not snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
All his base are belong to us.
Why do so many people, including those on the right, pay attention to anything Bill Maher says...?
They call him a politician, I have some more colorful names for the PODS.
Liberals will make excuses to the bitter end. Leftists are just nuts period.
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