Posted on 12/03/2009 7:01:04 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
For Barack Obama, the magic is gone. He's here, but the glamour has vanished. He still talks, but few people appear to be listening.
Sometime in spring, it began to be noticed (by Fred Barnes, among others) that he was losing the power to move people, or shape their opinions. When his agenda began meeting resistance, he gave a series of speeches and resistance grew stronger. The more he explained, the more people disliked what he said he was doing.
The base remained loyal, but three other subgroups had become disenchanted. "The thrill is gone," said E.J. Dionne, who seemed at a loss as to where it had gone to. In the interests of clarity, and of diagnosis, let us attempt to explain.
There was one group that fell for Obama the Moderate, the man who kept his head (or appeared to) in the financial meltdown last autumn, the temperamental conservative who seemed incremental, the one David Brooks would call "Burkean." Unfortunately, the temperamental conservative turned out to be an ideological radical, intent on ramming through on a narrow majority (and against the wishes of most of the country) a massive redo of the health care delivery system, an immense stack of paper that no one has read.
There was a second that fell for Obama the Story, the half-African waif, whose rise to the leadership of a powerful, once-slave-holding nation was the matter of legend, and tears. He was Reaganesque, he was JFK Redux, a figure of glamour and eloquence.
But Reagan and Kennedy saw themselves as temporary custodians of a tradition older and bigger than they were, and thought they were lucky to serve it. Obama seems to think he is doing the country a favor by gracing it.
Reagan and Kennedy wanted to project and increase American power and influence; Obama wants to walk it back from what he thinks its delusions of consequence. Reagan and Kennedy talked about freedom, which gave their speeches their eloquence. Obama is bored with the subject of freedom (ask Iran and Honduras), and talks of himself.
It is a topic that gets stale fairly quickly. In fact, it already has.
Then there's the third group, perhaps the most painful, which is the young voters, who fell for Obama the Fad. "In 2008 the torch really was passed to a new generation of voters," Dionne had said hopefully. A year later, however, the torch has gone missing, or simply slipped out of their hands.
Democratic pollster Celinda Lake found "a dramatically lower level of turnout from Obama surge voters," whose lack of interest seemed terminal. "I don't like what any of them are doing in Washington," an ex-voter complained. It was all so confusing, or perhaps so exhausting. "I'm tired of politics," as another one told her. "I need a rest."
"Barack Obama ... is now being treated as a new fashion icon," one fashion blog had reported. Anna Wintour held fundraisers for him. Diane von Furstenberg designed a tote in his honor. Donatella Versace dedicated her collection to him, during Fashion Week in Milan.
Obama was sold less as a pol than a fashion accessory, which is how the young bought him. It didn't hurt that he looked like the models in catalogs. He was so young and so hip, and so trendy and slender.
They bought less his ideas than his aura and ambiance. And what was the problem with that?
Well, quite a lot. As any fashionista will tell you, the problem with being this year's "in" fashion is that sooner or later, you're out.
Obama now is "so 2008," which might be 1908 to Celinda Lake's voters. They've been there and done that, and want the new model.
All presidents fail in some things, and some fail in most things, but Obama is the first to become a true fashion victim. Everyone knows what happens to fashions that go out of style: They get shoved on a rack to the back of the closet, and slide in a heap to the floor.
Don’t forget how the media tried to tie lil Barry Dunham to...excuse me while I pick myself up from the floor after a good laugh...Abraham Lincoln!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/17/politics/main4731552.shtml
Obama is the ultimate all style little substance politician. The only substance being one of a decidedly leftist bent. Most libs and a few ahem “conservatives” i.e. David Brooks are suckers for the emotional, feeling kind of politics. Cold, hard analysis is not their style. Much better to have a president with a good crease in his pants.
Gee after all the wonderful black mayors who ran their cities so well (Young and Kilpatrick in Detroit, Carl Stokes in Cleveland, Marion Barry in DC, Dinkins in NYC, etc) everyone knew that just by being black—BO would be great. As a bonus, he’s a lying, secretive, intellectually lackluster, lazy (never worked at a real job over a few months—read about his legal “career” and how he did nothing on his book after a hefty advance—that’s when Ayers took over) anti-white, anti-American lowlife.
Wow, who would’ve thought he wouldn’t work out?
/s
These people now remind me of someone who out of ignorance or willfulness stepped on a landmine, and now, their legs blown off, say landmines are bad.
DUHHHHHH! The trick is not to step on them in the first place. I doubt they’ve learned anyway. BO is the ultimate cautionary tale. Conservatives are just as bad—licking the back ends of mediocrities like Con-DUH-Leeza, Brainless Steele, and Spastic Colin Powell—who stabbed Dubya in the back last fall.
“Hi, it’s me—I’ve gotta tell you!—Oh there’s this AWESOME black person I just saw on TV—I can understand what he says when he talks, and he doesn’t want to kill all white people—I’m in love-he should be President, or King! I submit, oh Proud Black Leader!Forgive me my whiteness!blah blah blah...What’s his name? Uhh, let me get back to you”
Don’t hold your breath that America will wise up anytime soon.
Check out the second verse of my little parody:
Sung to the tune of “If I Only Had a Brain”)
People swoon when I have spoken.
I’m much more than a token,
I’m clean and articulate, too.
I’ll look tall and trim and dapper
as I lead you down the crapper
If you only had a clue.
Oh, the media had folks thinkin’
I’d be another Lincoln-
What awesome things I’d do!
But these days the press is squirmin’
‘cause I’m more like Pee Wee Herman.
If you only had a clue.
Capitalism’s what I’m hatin’
and I’m sick and tired of waitin’
for it’s heyday to be through.
So I’ll take my team of wankers
and I’ll sic ‘em on the bankers
If you only had a clue.
Reverend Wright’s the guy I follow,
my denials all were hollow-
Not a single one was true.
I act serious and wonk-y
as I stick it to the honkies
If you only had a clue.
I think Islam’s fine and dandy-
My election came in handy
for Iran—and Syria, too.
Now their muscles they’ll be flexin’
‘cause you voted by complexion
If you only had a clue.
Oh, Michelle’s a chic trendsetter-
She clearly is your better.
A Princeton graduate, too.
But you crackers best not test her-
‘cause she morphs into Aunt Esther!
If you only had a clue
I put a garden in my backyard,
And made fun of some retards,
and picked my Final Four, too.
Dee-doo-de-doo-de-doo-doo
I‘m on 60 Minutes laughin’
as the economy is crashin’
If you only had a clue.
Now I’m fixin’ and I’m changin’,
And busy re-arrangin’.
I have no need for you.
If you whine that I’m appalling
I’ll have ACORN come a ‘calling
If you only had a clue.
I’ve no intent of stoppin’
I’m gonna keep you hoppin’-
My reign you’re going to rue
You’ll be wishin’ I was Carter!
You’ll be wishin’ you’d been smarter!
If you only had a clue.
Krauthammer nailed it when he opined that OBOWZO got the Nobel “for his general splendidness.”
Looks like the splendidness is gone.
With any luck, OBOWZO will soon be as well...
And sometimes they get hauled off with the rubbish when someone cleans the closet.
Jeez luwezzz, I agree on the faults of Tice, Steele & Powell but have anything to back up this defamation of Conservatives? “Conservatives are just as bad—licking the back ends of mediocrities like Con-DUH-Leeza, Brainless Steele, and Spastic Colin Powell”.
Why all the rage here on FR?
How about this?
“An awful lot of conservatives are just as bad” as for proof, go back and read conservative websites, posts, etc dating back to the 90s—there are a great many proving my point—there is no substitute for critical thinking and research—but that’s in short supply these days, like it or not—and we have to deal with the consequences.
“Rage”? I try to not go overboard with it—but if you don’t have at least some rage these days with all that’s going on, I think you’re not very aware.
Nice!
What about this?
Captain Ba’Rack will get you high tonight
And take you to your special island
Captain Ba’Rack will get you by tonight
Just a little push, and you’ll be smilin’
Paraphrased from Billy Joel of course...
I’m with you on rage, I’d just think there is plenty to rage about with the current events and participants. I agree that the Bush Administration made their share of screw ups and facilitated the BO mess however plenty of Conservatives were dead set aginst many of GWB’s policies and made it known at the time.
He is like Disco.
Very Hot and then a Joke.
You mean he's yet another reason to hate the Bee Gees...? ;)
The last election was more like “Survivor”
Is it too late to vote him off the island?
He is taking all the rice and giving it to the film crew
Most of us have never seen any glamour in the Oaf.
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I see a lot more “glamour” in those who are capable of completing a sentence without lying, quibbling or stuttering. People like Jim Demint or Ron Paul.
Poor dog, That’s just wrong!
On Top Is Old Tokey
On Top Is Old Tokey
A known user of snow
And we’ve lost our republic
Cause the voters are slow
A votin’s a pleasure
Oft endin’ in grief
Cause a false hearted potus
Is worse than a thief
For a thief will just rob you
And take what you’ve saved
But a false hearted potus
Will make you a slave
Slavery will destroy you
And you will go bust
There ain’t a Muslim in twenty
A poor voter can trust
He’ll use and abuse you
And tell you more lies
Than crossties on the railroads
Or stars in the skies
Let’s throw out old Tokey
Old Tokey so high
So the birds in the heavens
Won’t hear our sad cries
On top is old Tokey
Well acquainted with blow
And we’ve lost our republic
Cause the voters are slow
Cause the voters are slow
Apologies to the memory of Red Foley
I agree that the young voters are falling out of love with zero. Wait until they can’t BUY a job and still have to pay off their student loans and we’ll see how much they all love him then. Unfortunately we all have to suffer for the silly misguided fools that voted for this loser. I do have a problem with this article comparing him to Reagan and Kennedy. Zero is no JFK and he’s not fit to shine Reagan’s shoes. Oops, guess that last statement makes me a racist. Actually, as I’ve said before, if I posted what I really think of 0bama, I would be banned forever because it does involve extreme profanity.
LOL!
Krauthammer is ONFI”RE this year!!!!!!!!1
Obambi, the boy-king is bringing out the best of him
“general splendidness”
hee hee hee
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