Posted on 03/30/2009 5:42:17 AM PDT by SJackson
I have been watching an interesting phenomenon on the Right, which is beginning to cause me concern. I am referring to the over-the-top hysteria in response to the first months in office of our new president, which distinctly reminds me of the “Bush Is Hitler” crowd on the Left.
Speaking of this crowd, have you seen any “I am so sorry” postings from that quarter as Obama continues and even escalates the former president's war policy in Afghanistan and attempts to consolidate his military occupation of Iraq?
Conservatives, please. Let's not duplicate the manias of the Left as we figure out how to deal with Mr. Obama. He is not exactly the anti-Christ, although a disturbing number of people on the Right are convinced he is.
I have recently received commentaries that claim that "Obama's speeches are unlike any political speech we have heard in American history" and "never has a politician in this land had such a quasi-religious impact on so many people" and "Obama is a narcissist," which leads the author to then compare Obama to David Koresh, Charles Manson, Stalin and Saddam Hussein. Excuse me while I blow my nose.
This fellow has failed to notice that all politicians are narcissists – and that a recent American president was a world-class exponent of the imperial me. So what? Political egos are one of the reasons the Founders put checks and balances on executive power. As for serial lying, is there a politician that cannot be accused of that? And once, the same recent president set a pretty a high bar in this category, and we survived it. As for Obama's speeches, they are hardly in the Huey Long, Louie Farrakhan, Fidel Castro vein. They are in fact eloquently and cleverly centrist and sober.
So what's the panic? It is true that Obama has shown surprising ineptitude in his first months in office, but he's not a zero with no accomplishments as many conservatives seem to think – unless you regard beating the Clinton machine and winning the presidency as nothing. But in doing this you fall into the “Bush-is-an-idiot” bag of liberal miasmas.
It is also true Obama has ceded his domestic economic agenda to the House Democrats and spent a lot of money in the process. But what’s the surprise in this? After all, Bush and McCain both proposed (and in Bush's case pushed through) massive government giveaways (which amount to government takeovers as well). This is bad, but it doesn't make Obama a closet Mussolini, however deplorable the conservatives among us may regard it. Moreover, he's already run into political resistance even within his own party. Charlie Rangel has made it clear that the itemized deduction tax hike is not going through his committee – and that should tell you that the American system, the one the Founders created, is still in place.
Even as astute a conservative thinker as Mark Steyn has been swept up in the tide that thinks Obama is a “transformative” radical. But look again at his approach to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In both cases, as noted, he is carrying out the Bush policies – the same that he once joined his fellow Democrats in condemning. And that should be reassuring to anyone concerned about where he is heading as commander-in-chief.
In other words, while it's reasonable to be unhappy with a Democratic administration and even concerned because the Democrats are now a socialist party in the European sense, we are not witnessing the coming of the anti-Christ. A good strategy for political conflicts is to understand your opponent first – not to underestimate him, but not to overestimate him either.
Once conservatives do that, they will find some silver linings in the first moves of the Obama administration. Through a combination of ineptitude and zeal, Obama has in two short months locked down the conservative and Republican base. On fetal stem-cell research, on borders (e-verification), on spending, on unions, on shutting down talk radio, Obama has flexed the leftist muscle so nakedly and unmistakably that there isn’t a conservative left who will vote Democratic in the next election (and there were many who did so in the last).
As we move forward, Obama faces increasingly tough choices in the wars against Islamic fascism in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Gaza and Iran. Hopefully, he will make the right choices, and should he do so conservatives will need to be there to support him. If he makes the wrong choices, conservatives will need to be there to oppose him. But neither our support nor our opposition should be based on hysterical responses to policies that we just don't like. Let’s leave that kind of behavior to the liberals who invented it.
If some conservatives are headed for the deep end, doesn’t that leave other conservatives in the shallow end? The kiddie pool, so to speak.
And when push comes to shove I've learned not to pay too much attention to what a politician says. It's what he does that counts for me. So Obama'a nationalized GM and lots of other things in his two months so far. He fired the head of GM today or yesterday and announced that GM had to make more efficient cars that people want. I wouldn't be surprised if he suggests it be called the "People's Car."
ML/NJ
No - all things have changed - nothing is the same. We aren't just "in a cycle." Obama isn't an idiot - he's bent on destroying the nation and spreading chaos throughout the world.
David Horowitz is a fricking idiot. I heard these same talking points about Obama yesterday continuing Bush’s war policies. As id thet’s the only thing that matters. He is destroying America and this idiot is trying to say, “See He’s just as bad as Bush”. What a dirt bag.
Nah, I'm content with calling him a bold faced liar and hypocrite.
An astute observation.
Should read “Hundreds of millions died fighting communism”
“Horowitz”. Hmm. That’s of what ethic backround? Who do “they” and did “they” predominantly vote for?
It’s obvious. He’s a mole who is running a counter-intelligence OP. //SARC//
Although I’m not willing to give so much credit to Obama’s strengths (e.g.,beating the “Clinton machine”), I thank David Horowitz for this voice of reason. Barack Obama is not some supernatural specter from the depths of hell sent to presage the End Times. He is a glib, talentless superficial political puppet from the depths of Chicago sent to lay the groundwork for a socialist “evolution.”
It’s up to us to stop him. That’s all. Let’s forego the hysterics and get down to business
Predictable.
feel free to call the cops sjackson...I just stole your pic, thanks. I have so many places to use this.
Some valid points, but he misses some huge problems with this presidency. First, the huge leftwards steps are real, and unstoppable and will cause permanent damage on our nation.
First where Horowitz is correct. Obama is not being radically left on his handling of Afghanistan and Iraq. He is largely staying the course while putting his own stamp on each. With Iraq he made the decision to put a ‘timetable’ on withdrawal, which I consider to be a terrible mistake. At the same time, he is leaving the military in charge to continue their work as planned, even leaving 50,000 troops indefinitely. This is a compromise on his part, and much much better than a complete withdrawal.
The second place David is correct is that we are seeing the divided government still effective. Despite an overwhelming majority in both houses, much of his agenda is getting stopped. It looks like card check, fairness doctrine, some of the bad tax policy, and much more will not make it to his desk. This is how it is supposed to work. I wish more could get blocked but they do control everything. A lot of bad stuff will get through.
Where David is wrong here is that Obama has amassed incredible powers through these bailouts and the stimulus, and the fear is real. The damage will be severe. Should we be doing the ‘Bush is Hitler thing’. No, but that’s not what I am seeing. Most every criticism is spot on. This guy is an extremist in his views. He is a central planner. This is radical, as America is not supposed to work this way.
Couldn’t get all those words on my bumper sticker. :-)
Same here CC.
This was also posted in the “Chat” if anyone wants to view the responses there.
David, as far as I’m concerned there is only one word in my vocabulary that deals with the left and that is ATTACK.
Stay off the blow while blogging David.
It's not his "speeches" I'm worried about: "cleverly" centrist is an understatement.
When was the last time a US President fired the head of a corporation?
Mr. Horowitz is failing to recognize the biggest power grab and transference of wealth in history. Obama makes FDR look centrist.
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