Will this do?
Posted on 05/18/2011 3:58:53 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Obama sent a message to Trump By Sam Youngman - 05/18/11 06:06 AM ET
Donald Trump was probably never really going to run for president.
And President Obama’s epic smackdown of The Donald probably didn’t scare Trump away from the race as much as the idea of releasing his financial records did.
But through Trump, Obama sent two powerful messages: This is a game for grown-ups, and Obama’s patience for the silliness of some Republicans only goes so far.
White House officials draw little distinction between Trump and other fringe candidates such as former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) or Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), but it seems clear Trump touched a nerve with Obama.
Obama, like many of his predecessors, has a thin skin when it comes to amateurs questioning his administration. At the White House correspondents dinner, while Obama was whipping the crowd into laughter at Trump’s expense, there was a steely edge to the president’s voice.
Watch it again. Obama is chuckling, but his stare could cut glass.
It is easy to forget sometimes, with high unemployment and the constant criticism from Republicans, that Obama is a master political pugilist.
He’s the same man who outdueled and outlasted Hillary Clinton and the establishment Democratic Party. He is battle-tested, hardened and, most damaging to his opponents, presidential.
The race for the presidency, despite all its quirks and entertainment, is a game for adults. That’s what Obama wants to remind voters every day.
Budget fights, terrorist threats and seemingly endless energy crises and natural disasters — the constant life-and-death drumbeat is what makes presidents hard to beat. It’s also what makes them testy when also-rans come calling with silly issues and attention-grabbing claims.
And it takes one act of presidential decisiveness, in this case taking out Osama bin Laden, to remind everyone that the stakes are high and the presidency is not a reality show.
“In this instance I think the timing of [Osama bin Laden’s killing] played a large role in that it reminded the media that their obsession with Trump was ridiculous,” said Democratic strategist Karen Finney, who is also a columnist for The Hill.
White House officials concede privately that they have no idea what the 2012 race will look like and are under no illusions about how tough the general election will be. They know the country is nearly evenly divided, and that no matter which Republican crawls out of what is sure to be an entertaining primary season, the candidate will start out at close to 50 percent.
Trump was an easy target, and in some ways the White House might end up missing The Donald, whose entry into the race helped Obama by making his other erstwhile challengers seem small.
And some of those left in the field are off to stumbling starts.
Less than a week into his candidacy, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) came under attack on Monday for his criticism of the House GOP budget, specifically its proposed reforms to Medicare. Gingrich said it was a radical change and described the reforms as “right-wing social engineering.”
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) fired back that with “allies like that, who needs the left?” A day later, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said he would reserve judgment on whether Gingrich was finished.
The Republican infighting on Medicare is reassuring to an administration that feels it is back on its feet.
Don’t look for the president to focus his guns on other primary candidates the way he did Trump. That would make it too easy for his opponents, and Obama and his team are happy to watch the field eat itself.
Sue Dvorsky, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, said the rest of the GOP field was “given a free ride” while Trump sucked up media oxygen. Now they will find the spotlight even brighter.
Whoever does emerge to take on Obama will receive the same lessons Trump did: Obama is a fierce campaigner, and the nation’s grown-up-in-chief has little patience for sideshows.
The man running for another four years in the White House is no joke. If Republicans want to win, there had better not be any confusion about whether their candidate is. Otherwise, as he has done before, Obama will have the last laugh.
BO is the poster child of the red-diaper-doper baby generation. Need a great picture showing that.
IOW, any opponents need to be ready for a visit to Ft. Marcy Park. Feet first.
It’s the demonrat way. No difference at all between the Little Rock mafia and the Chicago mafia.
Now that I like!!!!
Awwww, I like weong, I thought it was cute ;)
Is this what it’s going to be like for the next two years? Article after article about what a tough guy Obama is? One dead terrorist and now the guy’s Dirty bleeping Barry. We should just make the Aw, Jeez guy the first response in every thread.
That little SOB Obama really needs to be smacked down. He has screwed up everything he has done and whines that NOTHING is his fault. Seems to me BO and his supporting idiots have no idea what being a grownup is all about. Someone needs to make a commercial with all the screws ups and have BO saying “I won” & “it’s not may fault” through out. In the end him saying the buck stops with me (I think BO said something like this). Not up for the job? Fire him in 2012!
Obama is a petulant, self-absorbed, lazy adolescent.
Unfortunately, the left’s “baby” is 48 yrs...ah...50 yrs old...er. He's a black...ah..wait...he's a real smart....no records...Well, the perefect victim chameleon: he is what victim status color he needs to be for scenario - always protected, always explained, always given a break, always a uniter, always, always, always.
Don't question the Prince!!
Well, played, Soros. Well played.
Obama is a CHILD...a BULLY CHILD!!! There is NOTHING adult about that creep.
I am inclined to agree with you. Such Political theatre. Such a staged event - including the “slap down” and withdrawal of Trump’s “run for office”.
Obama and company must be patting themselves on the back. In their warped minds the got Trump to back off on his Prsidential run. This game is for grown ups eh? Since when have liberals ever behaved like grown ups?
“...He is battle-tested, hardened and, most damaging to his opponents, presidential...”
What a crock of BS!
Uhmmmm.........what happened to the barf alert?
The reason Oweirdo did not get any significant “bump” from the OJ trial. (oops sorry, I mean the Osama get)
Is because it’s obvious to everyone with a brain he did it for one, and only one reason:
HE IS CAMPAIGNING. No more than that. Everything is a campaign to him. Everything. America has never, in 235 years, had a more self-absorbed president.
“...He is battle-tested, hardened and, most damaging to his opponents, presidential...”
His PR team seems to be presenting him as Sergeant Major Jonas Blane from ‘The Unit’. His voice has changed since the election to resemble the Sgt.s style. The MSM seem to present him in a similar role since the Bin Laden event. All he did was take a political chance with other peoples lives, and got lucky.
BS for sure - it is working well so far.
Will this do?
The Donald is a lesson in using Joseph Farah as a political adviser.
“Watch it again. Obama is chuckling, but his stare could cut glass. “
Obama is a lunatic, a mad man, a paranoid mess.
God help us if he is reelected.
Much better!
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.