Posted on 10/22/2010 10:04:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It has been a long time since such a gigantic ego occupied the White House. Think about it: President Barack Obama really seems to believe that if he could just explain himself to more people, they would agree with his ultra-liberal policies.
Changing the policies themselves hasn't occurred to him at all.
Obama should consider that here in West Virginia, where Democrats have a two-to-one registration edge over Republicans, three very popular Democrats are in trouble.
Joe Manchin, one of the most popular governors in our history, is behind in some polls against Republican challenger John Raese.
Mike Oliverio, a very popular state senator, is running neck-and-neck with Republican David McKinley for the 1st District seat in the House of Representatives.
Elliott "Spike" Maynard is running well against Democrat incumbent U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, in the heavily Democratic southern coalfields.
Meanwhile, incumbent U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito - a Republican - is cruising toward re-election to Congress from the state's 2nd District.
So what should Obama do about that? Well, he could try backing off - temporarily would be all we could hope for - in his campaign against the coal industry. That is the big issue in races for the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives in our state. But no. Obama's Environmental Protection Agency is moving ahead in revoking permits to surface mines that already had been granted them. And the EPA also has not changed its schedule for establishing "cap and trade" laws on its own authority - in defiance of Congress.
Look at what's happening in Ohio. Democrat Lee Fisher is so far behind Republican Rob Portman in the polls that I wonder why Fisher hasn't already made a concession call. Portman will be going to the U.S. Senate from the Buckeye State.
The issues there are similar in some regions to those in West Virginia. The assault on coal doesn't play well in Ohio, either - yet Obama continues full-speed-ahead with it.
In fact, Obama hasn't admitted flaws in any of his liberal initiatives. None. To the contrary, he's telling people he intends to plow ahead - but will explain himself better in the future.
Look in the dictionary under "Doesn't Get It" and you'll see a picture of Barack Obama.
That's the difference between Obama and, say, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In addition to the "D" after her name, you'll find "Calif." Ultra-liberalism plays well on the Left Coast, so Pelosi can be excused for not deciding she's made a mistake.
The Obamas - both Barack and Michelle - seem to think that if they could just get it through our thick heads that they're right and we Bible- and gun-toting heartlanders are wrong, everything would work out. Remember Michelle Obama's comment about being proud of her country for the first time in her adult life? That came after it became apparent her husband had a shot at the White House.
Barack Obama is politician enough not to say that. But was he thinking it?
Consider the implications of Michelle Obama's comment and Barack Obama's woe-is-me speculations that Americans would support him if he'd just explain himself better. Clearly, the two have low expectations of their fellow Americans. We're just not bright enough to see the light, in their opinions.
Obama has already decided that if he can't persuade us, he'll use the power of the White House to do what's best for us - in his opinion. That is precisely what he's doing with the EPA and cap and trade.
What's next? If we can't be trusted to make up our own minds about coal, we probably ought not to be in charge on other important issues, either.
Remember having arguments with ultra-liberals in the past? After they failed to change your mind, you got that "oh, there's no reasoning with an inferior" look, didn't you? And you thought, "Thank heaven he's not the president."
Well, guess what?
He is.
There are two reasons I don't believe he will engage in Clinton-style triangulation after this election: 1. Clinton was all about himself--he was not liberal in some ways, and he wanted to see polls showing he was popular. (I recall reading about his bitching about polls a lot to Dick Morris.) Obama is a true believer--if he's not this socialist "changer," he's nothing. His core beliefs in Alinsky and the rest of them are ALL he's got. 2. I don't think he loves the job enough to care if he doesn't win re-election. Then he can retire as a Carter-like legend in his own mind, and do what HE really wants to do--travel around collecting huge fees to read speeches to audiences of people who think exactly as he thinks, and drink in their applause and unconditional love.
That's what happens when you live in almost complete isolation with other Marxists since birth. He has almost zero experience dealing with people who don't share his values and aims. He can't speak the public's language well enough to manipulate them effectively like Clinton did. He can't even relate to most of the 'rats in congress.
Also he genuinely hates conservatives, Republicans, the military etc and thinks they are morons. If you have no empathy with your enemies, if you can't see the struggle through their eyes, its hard to develop an effective battle plan.
All the more reason to beware Executive Orders and edicts from agencies like the EPA.
It would take a successful takeover of the congress by our conservative candidates to convince me that Soros is not the Anti-christ and obama is the beast of Revelation. They do things that nobody else could begin to get away with and no one can seem to stop them.
Idiots. He campaigned against coal then followed up on his words. Unions voted lockstep to shoot themselves in the foot.
I guess a lesson learned late is better than a lesson never learned at all.
bump
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.