Posted on 07/21/2015 4:59:42 AM PDT by Kaslin
Obama and Trump: Two of a Kind
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/421403/obamas-inner-trump
Outwardly they couldn’t be more different. But take a closer look.
Victor Davis Hanson
July 21, 2015
President Obama is said to feel liberated, in the sense that he can finally say what, and do as, he pleases — without much worry any more over political ramifications, including presidential and congressional elections. Obama’s lame-duck presidency has now devolved into the progressive bully pulpit that his base always longed for. Of course, his editorializing and executive orders may worry Hillary Clinton — much as Donald Trump’s pronouncements do his more circumspect Republican rivals.
Trump is a celebrity who tweets and phones his praise of and insults to comedians, athletes, and media kingpins. But so does Obama love the celebrity world. He is comfortable with Jay Z and Beyoncé, picks the Sweet Sixteen on live television, and has reminded us that he’s the LeBron of the Teleprompter, who won’t choke under the spotlights. Both see pop culture and the presidency as a fitting together perfectly.
(Snip)
Donald Trump believes he can oversell America abroad in the manner of Chamber of Commerce boosterism; isn’t that the twin to Obama underselling the country in the fashion of a wrinkled-browed academic? Both are stern moralists: America is too often shorted, and so Trump is angry over the sins of omission. For Obama, past genocide, racism, and imperialism vie as sins of U.S. commission.
Would a Trump bragging tour be all that much different from an Obama apology tour? If, in politically incorrect style, it is implied that all immigrants are likely to be criminals, is that any sloppier or more politically motivated than the politically correct assumption that all are dreamers? Threatening to charge Mexico per illegal immigrant seems about as sensible as leaving the border wide open and nullifying existing immigration law.
There is no need to elect Donald Trump; we’ve already had six years of him.
Would you mind going over that with me? I am kinda fuzzy on what makes McCain a hero? I flew in combat, was not shot down and was never taken prisoner. I do not consider myself a hero. Scott O'Grady was shot down but was not taken prisoner. He is not a hero either. McCain endured horrendous suffering at the Hanoi Hilton, but hundreds of others did as well. The media is not calling them heroes, though I would like to hear from them. McCain himself said he is not a hero.
When I was a kid we used to joke about the worst players on the other team by saying, “you’re our best player.” McCain is the Democrats’ best player.
Hanson is dead wrong. Trump is the diametrical opposite of Obummer. Obummer’s entire effort is expended at destroying America, the America he hates to his core. He is skilled at doing so. Trump may be many things, but he loves America and will do his utmost to make it great again. Will he succeed? All we have is Trump’s record of determined achiever and doer to guide us.
Great article.
That is such an incredibly stupid article. I can’t believe this came from Victor Davis Hanson.
“We know where Cruz stands because we’ve seen it.”
Yes. Cruz voted for TPA, a trade bill that transfers immense powers to Obama, as per the word of Senator McConnell. He also voted for the Iranian Corker bill, which, as Rush says, is a disaster, and enabled Obama to surrender to Iran. That is not talk, that is action. I await you telling me what a horrible person I am as a refutation of what I say to excuse Cruz’s Obama kiss-ups and to show he is the only conservative candidate.
I will most likely talk to Wayne latter this week. I will tell him he went to far to try and make his point and still didn’t get there.
“Don’t watch what a man says, watch what he does.”
That eliminates about 99% of Republican “leaders” from the discussion.
Thank you for your service.
“Hanson is dead wrong. Trump is the diametrical opposite of Obummer. Obummer’s entire effort is expended at destroying America, the America he hates to his core. He is skilled at doing so. Trump may be many things, but he loves America and will do his utmost to make it great again.”
VDH, a Democrat, gets so many things right, it’s a shame to see him botch this analysis so horribly. Evidently TDS is kicking in early in some sectors.
To all the questions about trump, the answer is ‘no’.
To all the hype to repqair the velcro sticking to McCain:
1. he prostituted his being a POW, whereas the others, IIRC, did not.
2. his POW inmate buddies don’t want to be connected with him.
3. AFTER being a POW, and elected as U.S. Senator, this ‘richard’ was one of the keating five, ripping off a lot of folks out of their money, myself included, and was never brought to the halls of justice for that.
4. Any time The People stand up, and demand answers from this ‘richard’, he has, on record, called them lunatics, insane, idiots, and more, both to their faces, and in the well in the Senate.
Trump is a private American citizen, unbeholding to any political favors or debts incurred in any elected political of Congress, unlike any of the others who have decided to enter their candidacy.
For the umpteenth time, no one thinks he's a conservative. But he doesn't have to be on all issues. All he has to do is be a conservative on the 3-4 issues that he IS a conservative on, border security, Common Core, vets, business and trade.
Obama is an ideologue. There is no one who would accuse Trump of that. Trump is a businessman/opportunist, and sometimes that's what you need. Warren Harding appointed his entire cabinet of businessmen. All we got from that was the Roaring 20s before McCain/Romney (er, Hoover) began government interference and gave us the Great Depression.
Did he ever introduce a bill to defund Obamacare? Did he join Paul in trying to filibuster the NSA snooping? As senator, I'm not sure just sponsoring one or two bills that you know no one will pass really counts as doing a lot. It's great---better than most, and certainly better than Rubio or Perry---but still not much to so on.
But if you look at Abraham Lincoln (no, Trump's not Lincoln but hear me out), we had NOTHING to go on of what he had "done" when he was elected, only what he said. Reagan had a number of policies in CA that were not great---raised taxes, put in place abortion. But when he ran for president it was a different ballgame.
What Trump has DONE, more than anyone, including Cruz, is stand up in front of the public for several BIG issues, paint a bullseye on himself, and said, "COME ON." That's what a leader does. He has refused to buckle under withering criticism and has, by default, completely redefined the playing field. No one else has yet been able to DO that. So I guess he has done a lot.
I love what Walker did in WI, but I have this very bad feeling that Walker a) won't win a national, but worse, b) on big issues he'll be McCain. No, I don't have evidence for that. Like I say, in WI he has been great.
Huh? Just above you said it was a “great article.”
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