Posted on 07/17/2010 8:39:00 PM PDT by no dems
Lately, the media has been eating up the doom and gloom projections for Democrats in the November 2010 election, so much so that you kind of have to wonder to what degree it might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ironically, however, conservative Charles Krauthammer predicts a not-so-gloomy future for Obama and the Democratic Party, regardless (and maybe even because of) what will likely happen in November.
The most interesting part of Krauthammer’s column in the Washington Post is the extent to which he portrays Pres. Barack Obama as a force to be reckoned with. Krauthammer clearly doesn’t agree with what Obama has spent his first year and a half in office doing, but he acknowledges the historic nature of Obama’s presidency and warns Republicans, in no uncertain terms, “Don’t underestimate Barack Obama.”
Krauthammer compares Obama’s presidency to Reagan’s, noting that “both presidencies were highly ideological, grandly ambitious and often underappreciated by their own side.” And while Obama has come under fire from critics on both sides of political spectrum, Krauthammer argues that these critics are actually missing the big picture.
Obama’s transformational agenda is a play in two acts.
Act One is over. The stimulus, Obamacare, financial reform have exhausted his first-term mandate. It will bear no more heavy lifting. And the Democrats will pay the price for ideological overreaching by losing one or both houses, whether de facto or de jure. The rest of the first term will be spent consolidating these gains (writing the regulations, for example) and preparing for Act Two.
For Obama to fulfill the remainder of his agenda, he’ll need to win a second term. And here’s the kicker. As Krauthammer sees it, letting the Republicans win control of either or both houses this November might actually benefit Obama (and Democrats) in the following 2012 election.
If Democrats lose control of one or both houses, Obama will probably have an easier time in 2012, just as Bill Clinton used Newt Gingrich and the Republicans as the foil for his 1996 reelection campaign.
Over the past few months, news and political analysis has been remarkably focused on the short term, concerned mostly with how this or that event will play out in the November elections. There has been comparatively less attention given to what could happen if the supposed inevitable Republican resurgence comes to pass, let alone what that could mean for future elections. Krauthammer’s foresight, then, is what makes this column particularly interesting.
It also, incidentally, makes Sarah Palin’s Twitter endorsement of Krauthammer’s column ever so slightly amusing. The shared Tea Party and Republican rallying cry that November is a “referendum on Obama” is, after all, a rather short sighted game plan.
So tell us Charles, what is your battle plan to defeat him? Are you saying that we should try to regain the House & Senate (If Democrats lose control of one or both houses, Obama will probably have an easier time in 2012, just as Bill Clinton used Newt Gingrich and the Republicans as the foil for his 1996 reelection campaign)?
Or is it "damned if we do - damned if we don't?
I also think Hillary will run against him in 2012. The Clintons feel like the Democrat party is “theirs” anyhow, and they won’t stand idly by while Obama ruins everything they and their liberal pals have worked for. I look for her to make her move if the Rs win at least one house of Congress.
I also think if there’s any chance of a female candidate on the Republican side, Hillary will make damn sure there’s one on the Democrat side too.
I think that is part of it, but the bigger piece IMO is that the GOP needs to have an actual vision, plan and measureable goals going into the 2012 election. Not just complaining about the chosen one, with no mention of what/how they would do differently.
Someone here had a quote to the effect of ‘All we get from Dems are lame ideas, and all we get from the GOP is lame criticisms of those ideas’. I think it is pretty spot on.
He only missed the mark a little. Obama is a “Post Turtle.” He didn’t get to be President on his own. Don’t underestimate Obama puppeteers.
I remember Bill Clinton’s first public “apology” in which he finally admitted an “inappropriate relationship.” He then proceeded to turn it around on the Republicans.
I looked at my Dad and said, “Man, he’s good (at that).” Obama does not possess the charm or false humility that Bubba has.
Every thing Obama is implementing will doom the economy.
Higher taxes
More regulations
More government takeovers
Less domestic oil drilling
More spending like mad men
More welfare for the bums of society
More illegal aliens
More people getting endless unemployment checks
How, just HOW is that going to turn things around?
His whole agenda is DOOMED to utter and complete failure.
Seriously, if giving poor people free everything actually made things better for everyone, even I would be a democrat. But it doesn't, it never has and never will. When you take from the rich to give to the poor.. you just end up with everyone poor, EVERYTIME.
Believe it or not, there are people on this very forum who are so dense as to believe that Krauthammer voted for Obama and supports his agenda.
He has said stupid things in the past....not often but he has........
Clinton didnt have a very large and growing Tea Party Caucus to deal with...
I met a lot of hussein lovers in Las Vegas last week.
There is absolutly no talking sense into those people.
Met A lot of haters as well, A few blacks included.
Krauthammer and his RINO ilk are stealth commies; they can’t capitulate fast enough, all the while saying resistance is futile.
““Don’t underestimate Barack Obama.”
Last time somebody gave me wise advice like that, it involved baby Copperheads.
Oh, wait.
I’m being redundant.
I still worry that the GOP will find a way to deliver another terrible presidential candidate.
But it's not gonna get done so long as we have the same spineless leadership in both houses of Congress.
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