Posted on 12/27/2008 5:01:28 AM PST by Kaslin
Barack Obama and his family are vacationing in his native Hawaii, far from the wintry snows of Chicago -- and far from almost every other American politician. There's a metaphor here for how I think Obama is going to conduct himself as president: He's going to try to keep his distance from other politicians, including his fellow Democrats. I see him trying to remain aloof from his party, much as Dwight Eisenhower did five decades ago. Like Eisenhower, I think he's drawn the conclusion that his party needs him more than he needs his party.
What's my evidence for this? Well, for one thing Obama didn't do a whole lot of campaigning for his fellow Democrats this year after he clinched the party's nomination in early June. His monster rallies in the fall resembled his monster rallies in the spring: enthusiastic and adulatory crowds inspired by this unique candidate's oratory, without much attention paid to local Democratic officeholders and office-seekers.
Similarly, after the election Obama chose not to campaign for Democrat Jim Martin in Georgia's Dec. 2 Senate runoff -- the election that, depending on how the Minnesota contest turns out, could make the difference between 59 Democratic votes in the Senate and a filibuster-proof 60. Nor did he devote any significant attention to the two Louisiana House runoff elections Dec. 6, both of which Democrats lost.
There were good practical reasons for Obama's non-participation: One of the Louisiana Democrats is under indictment, and polls suggested that the Georgia race was out of reach. But Democratic politicians know that Bill Clinton campaigned for the Democrat in a similar Georgia runoff just after he was elected in 1992. And they may have gotten the sense that Obama doesn't much care to campaign for anybody but himself.
And remember how Obama first came to our attention. Yes, it was a speech at a Democratic National Convention, but it was a speech that dwelled on what we as Americans have in common, not on how Democrats are better than Republicans. It was a speech that did a lot for Barack Obama and very little for the Democratic nominee that year, John Kerry. And when Kerry let it be known in November that he would very much like to be appointed secretary of state by the man to whose political career he had given a decisive boost by picking Obama as keynoter, there was no telephone call from Chicago. Kerry, for reasons that make a lot of sense to me, didn't suit Obama's needs and so will have to make do with being the junior senator from Massachusetts.
Then there was the decision to have Rick Warren deliver the invocation at the inauguration. A masterstroke, I think, for President Obama. It was a signal to evangelical Christians that he intends to be their president, too, and that he sees them as a large and legitimate part of his constituency. But it was also felt, predictably, as a slap in the face by those advocates of gay rights and same-sex marriage who want to ostracize those who, like Warren, have publicly disagreed with them.
The Edison/Mitofsky exit poll tells us that Obama's constituency and the Democratic Party constituency are not precisely coincident. Obama carried voters under 30 by a huge 66 percent to 32 percent margin; he ran ahead of House Democrats among that age group, while running behind House Democrats among voters older than 30. When you look at the state-by-state results, you find evidence that Obama profited from a large turnout by young blacks, many of whom had never voted before and some of whom may not vote again, at least when, as in 2009 and 2010, Obama is not on the ballot. Certainly they didn't turn out in anything like those numbers in the Georgia and Louisiana runoffs.
During the transition period, Obama's poll ratings have soared sky-high, even despite the late unpleasantness of Rod Blagojevich (who was pretty speedily thrown under the same bus as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright). One possible scenario for his presidency is that his poll ratings continue to soar for some time, as Dwight Eisenhower's did for almost all of his eight years.
Back then, many Republicans grumbled that Ike did little to help his party and said, privately, that he was selfish. Eisenhower, I suspect, regarded himself as a unique national figure and believed that maximizing his popularity far beyond his party's was in the national interest. Out there in Hawaii, Obama may feel the same way.
Pelosi and Reid ain’t gonna like “Aloofness”
The Obamas to Hawaii looks more like Bill Clinton, getting everything he can for himself, vacationing in every trendy, elite and exclusive playground, than Eisenhower, would he already have been vacationing on the Gettysburg farm?
I would call him aloof and naive based on the people he has associated himself with
If Hussein does turn out to be a true centrist and a reach-across-the-aisle type, then he will have proved to be a liar to his radical base, and he won't see a second term if there's a Nader on the leftist side to vote for.
He is escaping reality.
The man has never had to make a real decision that impacted anyone outside his immediate family. His presidency will be no different. He will create dozens of committees to make major decisions. If the decisions don't work out he will blame them, toss them over the side and start with a new committee. The press will never hold him accountable for his lack of leadership, but will complement him on his willingness to "shift course". Remember, The Spitter said his job now is to ensure that BO's presidency is a success.
It is going to be a long 4 years.
Too bad I can’t be aloof about paying taxes.
“His “topless” pic that ran last week also revealed that his physique is 100% grown on machines in health clubs”.
...that topless pic showed a girlie/boy body.
BINGO! He is aloof because he does not want to answer any questions. “Welcome back Carter”
As she waddled down the halls of HER White House, aides were not permitted to make eye contact with her.
As SOS tales will leak out about how she will carry this 'title' to soaring imperial heights.
This entire group of scaries that Obomba has picked should scare Americans to death.
If the Democrats are not voted out of office next year, and if Obomba floats through four years this nation will never recover. There's no entity to bail our nation out of bankruptcy or mediocrity.
Envision a SC where the evil left have the majority and the 'president' has an army.
I think you're right, together with the 53% that voted for him
Obama is taking a page out of Clinton’s playbook.....triangulation.
Obama will blame everone....including Hillary for his failures in an effort to destroy anyone who could oppose him down the road.
I think Obama may be the first "welfare" president.
Let's look at his history. He had someone pay his college. He got a job as an attorney based on, I am sure, his skin color and affirmative action. He then progressed to a community activist where he never worked and still got paid by someone. Then he "worked" as a state senator. Not really a job but once again dependent on the govt. for his "earnings". On to Senator and still a govt. handout job with no real accomplishments. He got paid for doing nothing.
Now he's hit the lotto and like all good welfare recipients who hit the lotto he's out spending all his money on bling.
Now he's going to be thrust into the spotlight and he knows it. So, he's surrounding himself with people he's seen accomplish things. (albeit, to us, they are not accomplishments but disastrous instead) But, to his welfare mentality he sees those people as having furthered the welfare state and so therefore he will benefit as well.
Obama May Be A Fool Of A President.
“Aloof” is another word his handlers are flogging to describe the Black Ken Doll they will unpack from his box in the White House every time they need it to speak.
Remember, "0" had servants when he was a kid.
I absolutely agree with you. He will not take responsibility for any decisions that are not 100% acceptable. Every other decision will be blamed on an underling, and any criticism will be followed by convening yet another ‘task force’ to work on the problem.
Watching him skate will by my only pleasure in politics for the next four years.
He has no intention of Doing presidential duties. He is only going to Be the image of a president. He has gotten as far as this by ACTING as an ‘acceptable’ choice, not by what he has actually DONE.
Is being “a loof” better or worse than being “ a lert”? :-)
Michael Barone is running interference to prepare the coming complete lack of any transparencey by the new Obama administration (despite promising to operate 180 degrees otherwise).
I suspect we will only know we even have a President when we get the new “improved” crushing tax bills and the new big-brother laws.
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