Posted on 10/30/2010 6:13:05 AM PDT by Second Amendment First
President Obama's post-partisan America has disappeared, replaced by the politics of polarization, resentment and division.
In a Univision interview on Monday, the president, who campaigned in 2008 by referring not to a "Red America" or a "Blue America" but a United States of America, urged Hispanic listeners to vote in this spirit: "We're gonna punish our enemies and we're gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us."
Recently, Obama suggested that if Republicans gain control of the House and/or Senate as forecast, he expects not reconciliation and unity but "hand-to-hand combat" on Capitol Hill.
What a change two years can bring.
We can think of only one other recent president who would display such indifference to the majesty of his office: Richard Nixon.
We write in sadness as traditional liberal Democrats who believe in inclusion. Like many Americans, we had hoped that Obama would maintain the spirit in which he campaigned. Instead, since taking office, he has pitted group against group for short-term political gain that is exacerbating the divisions in our country and weakening our national identity.The culture of attack politics and demonization risks compromising our ability to address our most important issues - and the stature of our nation's highest office.
Indeed, Obama is conducting himself in a way alarmingly reminiscent of Nixon's role in the disastrous 1970 midterm campaign. No president has been so persistently personal in his attacks as Obama throughout the fall. He has regularly attacked his predecessor, the House minority leader and - directly from the stump - candidates running for offices below his own. He has criticized the American people suggesting that they are "reacting just to fear" and faulted his own base for "sitting on their hands complaining."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Pat Caddell is my favorite Democrat. He is respectful of those who don’t see things as he does, and he truly wants what’s good for the country. He isn’t afraid to be critical of the dems, and in fact, I’ve rarely seen him being critical of Republicans.
The guy is smart and says it like it is.
His economic policies are reminiscent of Hoover, His foreign policy is reminiscent of Carter, and he unifies like James Buchanan.
About time.
The 1970 election was not so bad for the president’s party though. They actually gained some Senate seats, and House losses were fairly small. I think their biggest disaster though was in state houses where Dems gained many governorships. By contrast this year is likely to be very bad for the ruling party.
“traditional liberal Democrats who believe in inclusion” is a false statement. Liberals only care about those that agree with them. We see examples of how “pro-choice” feminists attack conservative women for choosing life and daring to have values that differ from theirs.
“The Republican Party has offered no narrative or broad solution, and it has campaigned exclusively to take advantage of the negative environment.”
obama is driving the country off a cliff and they are complaining about “no broad solution”? Stopping obama IS THE BROAD SOLUTION!
...surprised that there’s no mention of Obama’s attack on Arizona...that state had to ask for donations to legally defend itself.
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Liberalism is a mental illness, plus for many on the left it's fused together with socialism.
Vote to put the federal beast back into its cage.
The Rats are shovel-ready for the dust bin of history.
“Pat Caddell is my favorite Democrat.”
Mine too...
The comments on the WaPo site against Caddell and Schoen are pretty nasty. Must be all the people in town warming up for their march for tolerance or whatever it is.
Thanks for posting that!
Well written article, well said. I enjoy often hearing from these two on FNC, particularly Pat Caddell. If only the rest of the Dems were as rational and honest about BHO as they are.
Yep. The author missed more than a few examples of Obama’s thin skin and childish tantrums.
Obama, like most Leftists, does not ‘debate’ anything. Instead he ‘attacks’ anything he perceives as being an affront to his outright magnificence even when he is wrong.
For example the attack on the Supreme Court at the State of the Union address.
Have some sympathy, most of them haven’t been out of their mom’s cellars since the last Lord of the Rings movie came out.
Well they did come out for the free concerts for mr. hopey changey. Now they have no jobs and 100k in student loans.
“pieces critical of Obama are suddenly appearing in a publication that did almost nothing but court him like a drunken slut for three years.”
And the WAPO, of all papers.. Who woulda thunk it?
The bloom is not only off the rose, but the whole plant has gone to rot.
Could not have happened better for a POS Marxist Chicago thug.
Unfortunately, when Caddell & Schoen are interviewed on FOX, Hannity or O'Reilly blabber for 75% of the time. It's the same when Hume, Krauthammer, and Morris are on.
In a perfect world O'Reilly and Hannity would give out written questions and just shut up.
Pat Caddell was also fair and balanced during the 2000 hanging chad nightmare. He was relentless in his criticism of Gore for being a sore loser and putting the country through the recount nightmare.
He is the kind of democrat that deserves respect because he has earned it.
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