Posted on 12/12/2010 9:05:48 AM PST by Chi-townChief
President Barack Obama last week snappishly accused liberal critics of being "sanctimonious," which doesn't mean what I think he thinks it means.
The adjective connotes hypocrisy along with self-righteousness. And, if I may presume here to speak for the aggrieved left, the frustration with the president is quite sincere.
What Obama actually seemed to want to say when he sneered at the "purist position" on tax legislation was that the liberal base is excessively idealistic, even naive, in its expectations of him.
Could be. But — hmmm — where did progressives get the idea that Obama was a transformative political figure whose intellect, rhetorical gifts and commitment to principle would usher in a new era? Can we remember? Yes, we can.
It was this very idealism that in 2008 persuaded millions of primary voters to take a chance on a first-term U.S. senator with no executive-branch experience rather than settle pragmatically on Sen. Hillary Clinton, a known quantity. And it was a similar set of high expectations that gave Obama a 7 percentage-point victory over Republican Sen. John McCain that fall and put him in a position to negotiate away one of his signature campaign promises two years later.
It's not like the liberal base is angry that Obama didn't spend his political capital promoting a single-payer health care system, gay marriage or some other far-left notion that doesn't poll well. We're realistic. We came to terms with the compromises necessary to squeak insurance reform through Congress, reasoning that big changes seldom happen all at once.
But where I, for one, grew disillusioned was when the White House didn't respond vigorously at the right's demonization of ObamaCare after it passed, even though nearly all of the new law's provisions separately polled well.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.chicagotribune.com ...
“which doesn’t mean what I think he thinks it means.”
Wha? You mean Dumb0 maybe isn’t quite as bright as he thinks he is? And maybe you aren’t as bright as you think you are for having believed he was bright in the first place?
Well color me shocked! Shocked!
Piggy libs just get "cross".
Commie libs think different than normal people.
LOL! You just know he told Moochelle that night “That BJC is just a big meanie!”
Just when I thought Obama was 100% an empty suit he accurately describes the left in a word...sanctimonious.
Well color me shocked! Shocked!
You used the word “color” so you must be racist. (sarc)
Zorn’s the right guy to write the article—his name means “anger” in German.
Zorn, his wife Johanna (an executive producer at WBEZ-FM, Chicago’s public radio station).
It’s possible that Zorn is right and Obama doesn’t know the real meaning of “sanctimonious,” but being sanctimonious comes with the territory if you are a liberal...it’s in their DNA. Of course some are more noticeably sanctimonious than others, such as Jimmy Carter.
“Sen. Hillary Clinton, a known quantity”
With no administrative experience in either the private or public sector. Just another self important Lawyer who wants to control others to satissfy their over sized egos.
Oops! Dang. This crimestop stuff is harder than it looks!
That is where this is wrong. It was white guilt and the MSM which promised racial absolution for voters if they voted for Obama. And they lied about him being a moderate: we were told to ignore his leftist past and associations, as well as his record of no accomplishment.
Another Home Run, Frank!!!
Hey, he admitted he was a liberal right in the article. Of course he's that stupid.
the liberal base is excessively idealistic, even naive, in its expectations of him.
In the immortal words of John Belushi -
"You f***ed up. You trusted him."
Obama is just another “unintended consequence” of the radical left. No different then any leftwing cause that has gone awry.
Now they are looking for excuses to justify their screw up.
Careful, son. That Mrs. Pythons will limo over to your house tonight and whup yore ass!
;)
She might. Probably get sidetracked by a cheeseburger on the way over though...
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