Barack Obama's biggest critic: Charles Krauthammer

Politico.com ^ | 5/20/2009 | BEN SMITH

[SonOfDarkSkies]

The dinner guest that night at George Will’s house in Chevy Chase was intellectually nimble, personally formidable and completely baffling, recalled columnist Charles Krauthammer – who was getting his first up-close look at President-elect Barack Obama.

"We sat around and said, 'Does anybody really know who he is and what he wants to do, now that we've had this?'" Krauthammer recalled of Obama’s January sit-down with conservative columnists. "And the answer was no. We don't know."

"I didn't understand what he was up to until he just unveiled it openly, boldly, unapologetically and very clearly within two weeks of his inauguration," Krauthammer told POLITICO in an interview in his corner office off Dupont Circle. "That's what was so stunning."

Since then, Krauthammer has emerged in the Age of Obama as a central conservative voice, the kind of leader of the opposition that that economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman represented for the left during the Bush years: A coherent, sophisticated, and implacable critic of the new president.

Obama, he has written in his syndicated Washington Post column, is committed to "radical health-care, energy and education reforms," central to a "social democratic agenda" that promises deep - and ominous - transformations to American life. The columnist has offered, in five installments, a "unified theory of Obamaism."

[pennboricua]

Had he been reading posts made on FreeRepublic he would have been aware of obamas intent much earlier.

[DuncanWaring]

“0bama’s Biggest Critic”?

That’s a pretty-high bar.

[bcsco]

the kind of leader of the opposition that that economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman represented for the left...

Right there I decided this had to be satire...

[Ole Okie]

I thought Joe the Plumber got the truth from Zero. He wanted to share or spread the wealth.

Why did it take the suave Krauthammer so long to come to the same conclusion?

[SonOfDarkSkies]

Krauthammer has rather audaciously branded Obama a “narcissist” and, considering that Charles is a psychiatrist, that label has real significance.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

bump

[TomGuy]

"We sat around and said, 'Does anybody really know who he is and what he wants to do, now that we've had this?'" Krauthammer recalled

Sort of the same question that Tom Brokaw and Charlie Rose tossed around the weekend before the election.

What is show is that most of the media, FoxNews/News Corp included, did much vetting of Obama. Not in the primaries. Not in the general election.

If they could be, the media should be charged with dereliction of duty. After all, they cry that they are the vetting process.

[Republic]

I am glad that Charles Krauthammer did NOT fall under the bus that Obama calls his personal 'gift' ( his ability to hypnotize or mesmerize others ).

I mean, I'm really glad he was not smoozed and mesmerized by the blinding nothing rhetoric of uhbama.

I hope the other conservative columnists at the dinner party were also immune to the charisma (which I cannot find-I creep out when I even see uhbama).

What does REALLY CREEP ME OUT BIG TIME is the fact that uhbama requested that Mr. Will give him a dinner party with influencial conservative journalists.

PERIOD!!!!

What did uhbama want to get out of this dinner party????? A group of buddies who would no longer be watch dogs over his filthy plans to corrupt our nation into a socialist pig pen of tyrannical governmental control?

[Tainan]

‘nuther bump

[SERKIT]

Will Barry's minions attack “the man in the wheelchair” like they rail against Rush, or have we found an “unattackable” spokesman as the left so loves to exploit? Here we have a columnist and TV talking head and NOT a talk radio personality speaking dissent - so both Rush and talk radio will be downgraded below Charles? We'll see. I love Charles and his wit - keep it up.

[SonOfDarkSkies]

Krauthammer has been down on Obama since Obama emerged last year.

[donaldo]

I agree. Krauthammer has a very keen bullshit detector. He saw through this tinhorn messiah from day one. He knows Obambi is nothing more than a creation of “white liberal guilt” and a sycophantic, fawning, and servile mainstream media. Well, they’ve sewn the wind and now we’re reaping the whirlwind.

[Flintlock]

-THIS is called ‘criticism’?
Wow—hit ‘em again with that wet noodle.

Poor Barry—he must really be hurting.

[Captain Kirk]

If Charles “I love TARP and perpetual war” Krauthammer is Obama’s biggest critic, God help us.

[GBA]

Better late than never? While I usually respect his insights and opinions, it's hard to believe someone supposedly as bright and in touch as Charles Krauthammer would not see obama for what he is from the start. Good to see he is finally up to speed.

[libstripper]

When Obama "won" the election, I briefly hoped he'd move somewhat to the center and disprove my statements that the was a secret Mudslime and an America and American hating communist. Instead, he's shown by all of his actions that he's all of the above. He's proved in spades all of the antagonistic things the most pessimistic of us have said about him.

[dawn53]

Exactly what I was thinking. Since Krauthammer’s a psychiatrist, he is more qualified than most to understand the cult of personality that Obama lives in and promotes.

[ilgipper]

Charles knew how bad Obama was last summer, and has some absolutely ruthless commentary on the danger of Obama. Then, he attacked Palin in the fall for not being an Ivy League left coast elitist. He also praised The One relentlessly at debates and the convention. Now he returns to a great critic. Thanks, but no thanks. His silence is part of the media washout of the Real Obama last fall that got this radical in office.

Glad to see he is speaking now. Hopefully we can halt or slow as many of Obama’s damaging policies. I just wish smart people like Charles spoke this strongly the whole election season.

[SonOfDarkSkies]

Yep.

And remember when Obama sat through the Daniel Ortega rant and responded with "don't blame me, I was only 3 year old at the time" (paraphrase), Krauthammer said of Obama...

"Does the narcissism of this man know no bounds?"

That's a powerful indictment coming from a shrink!