First Fineman, Now Broder: Obama’s A Toothless Tiger

FinkelBlog ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

I thought the most newsworthy comment of the week by an inside-the-Beltway kibbitzer was this by Howard Fineman:

“Everybody’s trying to take their measure of Barack Obama, all the power players in Washington. And frankly, they think they can roll him.”

Now David Broder, “dean of the Washington Press Corps” [legally-required description] has said something very similar . . .

Writing in his “End of the Honeymoon” column of today, Broder observes [emphasis added]:

[razorback-bert]

At one point, she related some sort of San Francisco connection, but I didn’t understand what the point was and don’t recall much about that. I was just left with the notion that she considered the city to be some sort of a center for their activity here.

Anyone know of a Barry connection to San Francisco?

[Tolkien]

I, at one time, thought Hitlery was the most evil person on the face of the Earth.

Obamanation has proved me wrong.

I always wondered how the anti-Christ could come to power. Now I know.

[Victoria Delsoul]

LOL, poor Obama, should I feel sorry for him?

[rbg81]

I wouldn’t read too much into this. All new Presidents take a while to find their footing. Bill Clinton got off to an especially shakey start. I remember than everyone thought Clinton was a one-termer. Four years is a long time to recover.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Good insights, but I do think there might be a difference: Clinton didn’t really believe in anything other than his own interests, whereas Obama might be more of an ideologue, less able to adapt.

[WashingtonSource]

He’s not a Tiger. He’s a Tigger. As in Tigger and Pooh.

[rbg81]

Obama might be more of an ideologue, less able to adapt.

---

Obama may be an ideologue, but he’s also kind of an empty suit. I have seen his type before—he will be dominated by those around him with strong wills (Nancy, Rahm, etc; they will pretend to act on his behalf. As long as the image is one of harmony, sweetness, and light—Obama won’t make waves.

[Aria]

I remember reading something by someone who was at the Harvard Review with him and she said he listened to everyone and then did what he wanted.

Of course it would be a harder to do that as president but I personally think his mind is made up...the only uncertain part is how much he can get away with.

[Miss Marple]

That certainly is how he has operated so far, Aria. He famously did that with the stimulus bill, calling all of the Republicans in, listening to all of their ideas, and then rejecting the Republican ideas because “I won.”

It will be interesting to see how long the press will accept this as “bipartisanship.”

[Irene Adler]

It’s his potential federal judiciary appointments that alarm me, and not just the Supreme Court, either. I have watched democrats appoint drunks and criminals plus agendized minorities, feminists, and gays to the bench for many years. They make crazy and pernicious rulings based on what they want the law to be, not on what it is (which is often bad enough). Now Obama’s got at least a four-year, and perhaps an eight-year, crack at the judicial pinata. Society will be much the worse for his appointments to the federal bench. I doubt that anyone really has a true feel for just how badly our laws and constitution are going to be perverted in service of marxist ideology. Get ready to pay.

[Aria]

Good point - the longest lasting effect any President has...the SCOTUS.

I wonder if they’ll find it within themselves to hear one of these birth certificate cases.