Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Our Petulant and Inept President
Commentary Magazine ^ | July 25, 2011 | Peter Wehner

Posted on 07/25/2011 1:28:32 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The negotiations about raising the debt ceiling remain extremely fluid, and it’s still too early to draw any definitive conclusions at this stage. But just a week away from the August 2 deadline, a few things do seem clear.

The first is the president’s angry and narcissistic press conference on Friday badly damaged the president, even with those, like David Brooks, who have been sympathetic to Obama’s substantive position.

It’s been clear to some of us for a while that Barack Obama is a man of uncommon self-admiration, quite thin-skinned, and increasingly consumed by his grievances. Obama has masked these traits pretty well so far, but on Friday his mask slipped more than it ever has. And that is bound to hurt him.

Second, Democrats on Capitol Hill are rapidly losing confidence in the president’s competence as a negotiator. Obama’s conduct during the debt ceiling negotiations – from his flip-flops to his irrelevant deadlines to his backtracking on his agreements with various parties – has been so erratic and uneven that his own party has decided the best hope of reaching an agreement is to sideline him.

And third, conservatives in the House, by holding firm rather than folding, have succeeded in shifting the debate away from tax increases, “grand bargains,” and Gang of Six compromises to spending cuts in exchange for an increase in the debt ceiling. How serious those spending cuts are remains to be determined, and there will be enormous pressure for Republicans to agree to Potemkin Village budget cuts, including from GOP appropriators. That pressure needs to be resisted. The cuts Republicans must agree to have to be real.

But there’s little question that so far at least, this whole messy debt ceiling episode has not helped President Obama politically (his approval ratings continue to slide). That may be one reason why he is instructing Majority Leader Reid to push for a deal that moves the next debt ceiling debate to after the 2012 election.

The president and his team entered these negotiations believing he could strike a grand bargain that would allow him to present himself as a born-again budget cutter, as fiscally responsible, as a Man of the Center. And in the process, he kept instructing us, he would emerge as the only adult in the room. At this juncture, it looks like Obama is the most adolescent, even childish, figure in the negotiations – a petulant man who also happens to be an inept negotiator.

This isn’t what the president and his supporters expected. But of course, that could be said for his entire presidency. Barack Obama, we were told by not a few liberals, would be America’s next Lincoln or FDR. It turns out with every passing day, he more and more resembles James Earl Carter . This is very bad news for our nation and very bad news for the Democratic Party.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: congress; debtceiling; democrats; obama
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last
This is what happens when the sheeple elect a man to the presidency who never ran a department at a small Family Dollar store or a hot dog stand.
1 posted on 07/25/2011 1:28:40 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Bookmark to read later.


2 posted on 07/25/2011 1:30:03 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (Obama is the least qualified guy in whatever room he walks into.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

yes,

nor did he have even the experience of a former city council member, business owner, and governor

as sarah palin.

comrade obama was a street organizer.


3 posted on 07/25/2011 1:30:55 PM PDT by ken21 (liberal + rino progressive media hate palin, bachman, cain...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
What I tell all my liberal relatives.

You get wnat you vote for.

4 posted on 07/25/2011 1:31:46 PM PDT by OldNavyVet (One trillion days, at 365 days per year, is 2,739,726,027 years ... almost 3 billion years)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

You are too kind to him.

He is a C....R...E...T...I...N.


5 posted on 07/25/2011 1:33:01 PM PDT by Da Coyote
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
Everyday Frodo moves closer to Mordor.

470 days and counting and the Ring of Fire will be destroyed!

6 posted on 07/25/2011 1:37:39 PM PDT by TheCause ("that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
That may be one reason why [Obama] is instructing Majority Leader Reid to push for a deal that moves the next debt ceiling debate to after the 2012 election.

Dirty Harry is trying his best to kick the can down the road until after the 2012 elections. How damn stupid does Obozo think we are? Agreed, there is a huge segment of the voting public that cease to have any neurons firing, but still...is the bulk of this Republic that stupid? Harry and Obozo say Yes. Man, I pray they are wrong.

7 posted on 07/25/2011 1:38:11 PM PDT by econjack (Some people are dumber than soup.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ken21
"comrade obama was a street organizer."

AKA a Rabble-Rouser!
8 posted on 07/25/2011 1:38:41 PM PDT by FortWorthPatriot (Obama is no Hitler; Hitler got the Olympics)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Yep, we’re finally getting to him.


9 posted on 07/25/2011 1:39:41 PM PDT by donhunt (I am sick and tired of those bastards insulting and lying to me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

DONATE

Sponsoring FReepers are contributing $10 Each time a New Monthly Donor signs up!
Get more bang for your buck!
Please Sign up Now!


10 posted on 07/25/2011 1:43:07 PM PDT by DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis (Want to make $$$? It's easy! Use FR as a platform to pimp your blog for hits!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Second, Democrats on Capitol Hill are rapidly losing confidence in the president’s competence as a negotiator.”

When 0bama said to Eric Cantor “Don’t call my bluff” he proved what a dope he is. If you are bluffing in a poker game you do not tell your opponents that you are bluffing.


11 posted on 07/25/2011 1:45:34 PM PDT by forgotten man (forgotten man)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

Better late to the realization than never


12 posted on 07/25/2011 1:45:45 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

FUBO! To hell with Obama and Geithner! Both are corrupt lying bastards!!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2753709/posts

NO DEAL!!

Cut the spending! Cut the government! Cut the taxes!!

Rebellion is brewing!!


13 posted on 07/25/2011 1:45:57 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Rebellion is brewing!! Impeach the corrupt Marxist bastard!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Da Coyote

Origin of CRETIN
French crétin, from French dialect cretin, literally, wretch, innocent victim, from Latin christianus Christian
First Known Use: 1779

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cretin

Didn’t know that. The word “cretin” is a variant of “Christian” in the context meaning wretched innocent victim.


14 posted on 07/25/2011 1:47:06 PM PDT by bvw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet

I other words - the president is a “d*ck”

When does Mark Halperin get his job back? With a raise? And a promotion?


15 posted on 07/25/2011 1:48:43 PM PDT by Scotswife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: forgotten man
When 0bama said to Eric Cantor “Don’t call my bluff” he proved what a dope he is.

But...but, Pelosi said Obama was a genius - brilliant. I'm so confused;) He's just another stupid Chicago thug in a presidents clothing.

16 posted on 07/25/2011 1:51:53 PM PDT by Bitsy (!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: FortWorthPatriot

AKA a communist agitator.


17 posted on 07/25/2011 1:52:38 PM PDT by Jim Robinson (Rebellion is brewing!! Impeach the corrupt Marxist bastard!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet


18 posted on 07/25/2011 1:53:07 PM PDT by Iron Munro (The more effeminate & debauched the people, the more they are fitted for a tyrannical government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bvw

Nor did I. Just another example of how hanging around FR expands one’s knowledge.


19 posted on 07/25/2011 1:55:39 PM PDT by Ax (Meshuggeah pilim.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: 2ndDivisionVet
I do not wish anyone harm or misfortune, but until we see phase one of 50,000+ layoffs in the Federal government this is all a sham. 30% reduction in federal workforce is a good start.

Start eliminating programs NOW.

schu

20 posted on 07/25/2011 1:55:47 PM PDT by schu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-36 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson