Obama Takes Populist Swing

Wall Street Journal ^ | DECEMBER 7, 2011 | LAURA MECKLER

[reaganaut1]

Adopting a sharply partisan and populist tone, President Barack Obama on Tuesday painted a picture of the American middle class under siege from wealthy interests, drawing an explicit comparison to the industrial monopolies of an earlier era.

In a gamble, Mr. Obama largely put aside optimism about the U.S., a tone he struck at his State of the Union address in January, and instead worked to embrace the anger and skepticism emanating from much of the electorate.

Too many children can no longer expect to join the middle class, the president said, no matter if they work hard and play by the rules. "That's inexcusable. It's wrong. It flies in the face of everything we stand for," he said in a speech at a Kansas high school.

His language, borrowing explicitly from Theodore Roosevelt, was unsparing, blaming "the breathtaking greed of a few" for the financial crisis and deriding "huge bets, and huge bonuses, made with other people's money on the line." Republicans and their policies, he suggested, enabled irresponsibility.

Republicans responded that Mr. Obama should be held responsible for the economic bad times. Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Mr. Obama had "his hands on the economic throat of the country," and likened the president to Jimmy Carter, who lost re-election amid a steep economic downturn, rather than Mr. Roosevelt.

The president's tone sets the stage for the themes of his re-election campaign, and the likely GOP response. The speech will escalate charges the president is engaging in class warfare, a complaint heard from business executives he has been trying to court as well as Republicans.

The White House views the speech as an opportunity to set out a clear contrast in visions heading into 2012 and to deflect blame for the economy to a swath of sources.

[reaganaut1]

Obama is an evil demagogue. One cause of the financial crisis and recession was subprime lending to meet racial quotas, pushed for by community organizers like him.

[MichaelP]

I guess obama wants war, It starts as class war, then...

Mike

[b4its2late]

... and a miss.

[arrdon]

O-Bammy continues to bitch-slap you right in the chops, America - doing his part for the ‘middle class’, doncha’ know......

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The man is a disgrace to America.

[MEGoody]

ZerO is such a hypocrite. He talks about "shared sacrifice", yet he and Michelle go on expensive vacations, have big name performers give private concerts, etc, etc.

What a fraud.

[nhwingut]

Jonah Goldberg had the best line on Twitter last night....

If you just woke up from a coma & this speech was playing in your hospital room, you'd have no idea Obama's been POTUS for 3 years.

[Old Sarge]

FUBO!

[Lazamataz]

Adopting a sharply partisan and populist tone, President Barack Obama on Tuesday painted a picture of the American middle class under siege from wealthy interests, drawing an explicit comparison to the industrial monopolies of an earlier era.

CoughCoughCoughBullshitCoughCoughCough

If anything, American middle class is under seige from YOU, OTrauma!

[listenhillary]

April 21, 1934

[AlanGreenSpam]

-—”In a gamble, Mr. Obama largely put aside optimism about the U.S.”

A gamble? He’s been putting aside optimism about the U.S. ever since he took office. Nothing new here.

[Dr.Deth]

McKinley’s fault.

[God luvs America]

funny thing- the populist tone these days is a demand from Americans that the gov’t curb its spending but obozo just wants to tax and spend...tax and spend...

[Obadiah]

Clearly and unequivocally a campaign stump speech on the taxpayer's dime... and not a peep from the corrupt MSM.

[headstamp 2]

The man is an absolute disgrace.

The Democrats would willingly destroy this country to maintain power.

This imbecile will attempt to ride a policy of scorched earth into a second term. He needs to be beaten over the head with this irresponsible gambit.

Republicans had better move their asses with rebuttal to this and to also highlight every abject failure of this fool and his administration.

[cartan]

Republicans and their policies, he suggested, enabled irresponsibility.

Uhm…Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, affordable housing…wasn’t all that a big Democrat pet issue?

[ScottinVA]

ZerO is such a hypocrite. He talks about "shared sacrifice", yet he and Michelle go on expensive vacations, have big name performers give private concerts, etc, etc.

... and the GOP nominee needs to drive that message home with regularity.

[listenhillary]

"The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.”

[TMA62]

Yes, Barry. There is the greed of a few. The greed of politians and government that only wants to grow bigger and bigger. YOU and people like you, are the problem.

[Theodore R.]

But the poor, Eric, truly believe that he is “looking after” them. I don’t think we can persuaded them otherwise. They are expecting much more in a second term.