Posted on 01/21/2010 12:13:37 PM PST by Schnucki
The Democrats’ disastrous defeat in Massachusetts will allow the President’s opponents to claim credit for the recovery
Why can the Left never win? Around the world, the election of Barack Obama inspired the hope of a new era of progressive politics, coming as it did after the spectacular failures of extreme conservatism under George W. Bush. But on Tuesday night, only one year after his inauguration, these hopes were suddenly destroyed.
The crushing defeat of the Democratic candidate to succeed the late Edward Kennedy as senator for Massachusetts, does not only wreck Mr Obama’s hopes of signing a health reform Bill this month, the main objective of his first year as President; far worse, as Massachusetts is the most solidly Democratic state in the union, it portends defeat for Democrats all across America in November’s congressional elections.
Massachusetts was the only state to vote Democrat in the most lopsided election in US history, the 1972 re-election of Richard Nixon. So the import of this defeat is undeniable even to the most Panglossian of left-wingers: if the Democrats could not hold Teddy Kennedy’s seat, no Democratic legislator anywhere in the US is secure.
The implication is that America and the world must now prepare for the longest lame-duck presidency in history, lasting at least until the 2012 election and, perhaps, until 2016 in the quite possible event that Mr Obama is re-elected alongside a Republican Congress determined to obstruct every idea that he represents. At a time when the need for effective government within America and the challenges for US global leadership are greater than for a generation, this is a potential disaster.
There is one hope. Left-of-centre parties the world over might learn from this electoral disaster. They might start to understand why conservatism has an inbuilt advantage in all
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Extreme Conservatism?
Wow, the Brits near Islamic conversion has muddied their brains.
What's this "extreme conservatism" you speak of Kimosabe?
wow. Talk about a head up an anus
Oh, I don't know. Could it be because they're an EVIL, CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE?
Bush isn't a conservative rather less an extreme one. When one attempts to discredit a view it does help to have a grasp of what that view is first.
Ya gotta love a dipstick lefty who quotes E. J. Dionne as a reference.
Well, duh, you stupid limeys. It's what makes the US the greatest nation in the history of the world.
“spectacular failures of extreme conservatism under George W. Bush”
Extreme?
Bush was far from extreme; I wish.
Lord, this article is sickening. I hope it’s only “opinion/editorial”.
It was like reading the old Pravda. He used real words, and I recognized some of the place names, but other than that it was gibberish.
The author wasn’t paying attention, because obama DID blame Bush by saying that voters were angry over the last 8 years.
When you think about it, though, that really doesn’t make sense for obama to tout that, because that would mean that they were only mad at Bush for 7 years, and obama for one year. That means that America has been angry at obama for 100% of his presidency, and only made at Bush for 87.5%; making Bush a more liked president by 12.5%.
Ramble over
“Privilege”, my @!$@#@.
The Brits ought to know all about privilege.
It’s part of what offended Americans and made them want to unleash themselves from the privileged.
London Times?
Something tells me this ole boy has never been to a pig pickin or a tractor pull.... or a combination Pig Pickin\Tractor Pull.
Hey Brit, isn’t about tea time? Go spread cheese on a cracker, or something.
What recovery, retard?
MUTINY ON THE OBAMBI
Democrats are bailing out, jumping ship. The entire Democratic Leadership is ripping the helm from President Obambi and running away from the White House as fast as they can.
What is it they see going on in that house?
They must be seeing..........what many have suspected........ the Captain CRACKIN up.
Bush was far from extreme; I wish.
Compared to Obama he is.
re: after the spectacular failures of extreme conservatism under George W. Bush
Beauty, and success, is in the eye of the beholder.
“ The implication is that America and the world must now prepare for the longest lame-duck presidency in history, lasting at least until the 2012 election and, perhaps, until 2016 in the quite possible event that Mr Obama is re-elected alongside a Republican Congress determined to obstruct every idea that he represents. At a time when the need for effective government within America and the challenges for US global leadership are greater than for a generation, this is a potential disaster.”
“ Instead, Mr Obama effectively exonerated the Bush Administration by accepting personal responsibility for the crisis from the moment of his inauguration. This was brave but foolhardy. As a result, voters now blame the Democrats, not the Republicans, for unemployment. Polls show that the Democrats’ $800 billion jobs and stimulus programme, which is partly responsible for pulling the economy out of recession, is widely confused with the hated $780 billion bank bailout package introduced by the Republicans under President Bush.
Having won Massachusetts, the Republicans will have no compunction in claiming that what saved the US economy was the conservative backlash. If the Democrats fail to challenge them, this is the version of reality that American voters will start to believe.
Instead of blaming Bush or the Banks Why not blame the people that actually caused the global financial meltdown!! I am talking about the community activists that forced the banks to adopt a financial "Affirmative Action" program that eventually resulted in this whole fiasco!
What ever happened to "Giving credit to whom credit is due" and I am not talking about financial credit.....I am talking about taking responsibility for their actions.
Not sure why everyone thinks he's a Brit. He may live there but he's surely been bred to believe in socialism.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.