Posted on 10/12/2008 7:45:41 AM PDT by Kaslin
Most Americans wake every morning to news that Barack Obama will win next month’s presidential election. Strategists even say the word “landslide” aloud.
Every poll shows it, every pundit echoes it, and every analyst predicts it – therefore it must be true, right?
Let’s take this political axiom to some of those who do the predicting, to project what America will look like under an Obama administration, governing with a Democratic congressional majority led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
“First of all, let’s dismiss any talk of socialism,” says Democrat strategist Bob Beckel, who worked in Jimmy Carter’s White House with a Democrat-controlled Congress. “The idea that Barack Obama is going to bring socialism to this country is just crazy.”
Beckel says that, in government and politics, the policy pendulum always swings back and forth and, particularly in this economic crisis, “people will want – and Obama will deliver – more government involvement.”
“They feel more comfortable with that than they do with a bunch of people on Wall Street,” he says.
Beckel sees an Obama appointment of Hillary Clinton to the Supreme Court bench as soon as an opening occurs, and he dismisses the massive move towards industry regulations that some people predict.
One insider, who refuses to predict on the record, says privately that Obama will quickly announce his appointments to the cabinet positions of state, defense, treasury and attorney general. He believes Obama’s cabinet is shaping up to look like this: retiring U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as defense secretary; Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as attorney general; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent, at treasury; Susan Rice as national security advisor; Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as secretary of state.
Mark Siegel, a former Democratic National Committee executive director, says Obama will want to make it immediately clear to America and to the world that “there's a new sheriff in town." He expects Obama to make that point dramatically by issuing several executive orders.
Siegel says you will see Obama immediately suspend all pending judicial nominations, close Guantanamo, then reassure the world that he will never permit torture.
Also look for a doubling of the Peace Corps, a brand-new Volunteer Youth Network, an expansion of U.S. assistance for “Teach for America," and a reduction of interest rates on student loans, Siegel predicts.
What a difference four short years makes says Brian Darling, a congressional analyst for the Heritage Foundation.
Darling predicts Obama’s tax policy will have an immediate effect on small businesses and result in many individuals seeing their marginal tax rate double. Any Supreme Court retirements would dramatically change the direction of American jurisprudence. And he warns that the push for new regulations is the wrong reaction to problems on Wall Street.
“We need more capitalism, not less. Telecommunications has thrived without regulations, and our economy should make sure that politicians in Washington do not try to regulate and tax our way out of the current economic downturn.”
University of Arkansas political scientist Bob Maranto says the Illinois senator is a pragmatist tactically: “Obama knows that if you try to impose things like racial quotas and gay marriage, that would not be a vote-winner. But if you appoint federal judges who impose those policies, you can evade responsibility.”
Maranto suspects those are the judges Obama would appoint.
He warns that Obama is no fool. “Socialism is dead, and Barack Obama knows it,” he explains. “He would, however, favor a very strong government hand in regulating the economy, both because he believes that government knows best and because that means more subsidies and jobs to hand out to supporters, and more votes and PAC contributions to get in return.”
All four men agree that if Obama becomes president with Congress sharing his beliefs, then “change” is definite – but not infinite.
The degree of success or enforcement, they say, depends on how far the press and the next mid-term election will allow the new president and Congress to go.
All you have to remember that Beckel was Walter Mondale’s campaign manager
An Obama presidency means we get more Federal judges who legislate from the bench. Courts in Canada and the UK consider the Shari'a traditions of their residents who claim to adhere to them. Will we follow those nations on that road to hell?
These question have been bothering me.
I love this crap. Just keep showing him everyday and talking about him as if he already were President. It will only make people focus on him and when that “light” is cast on him maybe the people will see the truth.
The Secretary...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QunlmHD-ao&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sQhtDc8k74&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0uxfQJ1qF4&feature=related
Beckel is such a waste of space. He was involved with two of the most pathetic campaigns of ALL time and he wants to give advice?!?!
Go to Cuba and live out the rest of your days you fat Larry King!
“That way, when the “civilian” authorities come looking for your (legally registered, but presumed stolen) weapons, you can say, that you cannot produce them.”
Any “civilian” authority who comes for my weapon is going to get it....in spades. I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of that.
Lefties and RINOS for Sunday! YAY!
Translation:
Socialism is dead, but Obama will continue implementing socialist strategies....
Way, way, off base.
No one is enthused by McCain, but people will vote for him out of fear of Obama.
Let’s be realistic, however: McCain cannot win this election because he has nothing left to offer other than not being Obama.
Moreover, he doesn’t understand the existential threat that Obama represents to the United States as a free, constitutional republic.
Perhaps he can’t understand it, because he believes, as most do, that the United States can’t be brought down.
But in the mean time he and the other rats in congress and the senate could do enormous damage to this great nation of which it would take the country generations to recover, if it ever can
It’s a step up from pure communism.
Socialism is dead? We just took over banks and financial institutions and pushed a $700 billion dollar bailout, and this under a Republican President. Public Schools controled by the Feds. Social Security. Medicare. Did Socialism suddenly get killed last night, because its alive and well.
As for a wholesale march into socialism it will be incremental under Obama. Higher taxes and new regulations will hobble capitalism. The tax hit on small business will boost unemployment and the inevitable massive new spending will soon cause near double digit inflation...the old stagflation and malaise of Jimmy Carter. With rising unemployment and inflation Obama's advisers will again turn to Keynesian ideas and try to spend their way out of the mess and as with Carter only make it worse. I look for double digit inflation and unemployment by the end of a first Obama term.
With John Kerry as Secretary of State look for pandering to the UN and Europeans on every foreign policy crisis...again echoing Jimmy Carter's mess.
The biggest change under Obama will be a reinstatement of the fairness doctrine extending even to Internet bloggers. I expect many bloggers and talk radio to go to offshore Internet hosting and the radio airwaves will be swept of all but token talk radio. Look for high taxes on Internet service as Obama will pursue plans to extend broadband service to places in rural area where hardly anyone lives or has computers.
According to the very left wing media and the liberals it’s going to be a “Landslide” for Obama. My suggestion is to let them celebrate prematurely, but remember who laughs last, laughs best
First of all I don’t think bambi is smart enough to do anything on his own, he will however, most definitely be doing what the marxists behind the scenes who get him into office tell him to do.
Obama has a ground game of thugs as we have never seen with perhaps millions of illegal votes. The only thing that will stop him is an Israel attack on Iran within the next 20 days. Tick tock tick tock.
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.