Recently Vice President Biden ( with obviously the full support of Obama) told Democrats that they should "buck up" and "stop whining" over their complaints about Obama's failures as the most dishonest, disingenuous, ineffective, politically deceitful, inept,unqualified convictionless and wasteful president the Democrats have ever had.
Obama then chimed in with this:
"The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible," Obama told Rolling Stone magazine. "We have to get folks off the sidelines. People need to shake off this lethargy, people need to buck up.
Obama then chimed in with this:
"The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible," Obama told Rolling Stone magazine. "We have to get folks off the sidelines. People need to shake off this lethargy, people need to buck up.
Then there was Robert Gibbs whining and complaining about what he called "the professional left", obviously wishing that the left could be as unprofessional as the White House. And Obama's tepid speech in Wisconsin to a bunch of disillusioned students revealed more of why Obama has been so ineffective. He continued whining about Republicans not going along with his wishes. He talked about how he "hoped" Republicans would work with him. But leaders dont hope, they lead. And Obama is not a leader. As for wanting to work with Republicans to solve problemsm the question is why? Obama had the biggest congressional majority any president has had in 100 years. He didnt need Republicans. That he allowed them to block his agenda because they didnt want to play ball with him is his own fault, his own lack of convictions and his own political ineptness.
After Obama and Biden's latest salvo against Democrats ( most are sure to wonder why they havent been able to be as tough with Republicans) they may very well stop whining and feel even more motivated to join the 61% of independents who say they are so disgusted with Obama over what he's failed to deliver they will vote against Democratic congressional candidates or stay home as retribution. The number of rank and file Democrats ready to give Obama and Biden a "teachable moment" is growing which is putting Democratic congressional candidates in a real bind.
What's needed, as usual, is for Obama to simply do what he seems to be incapable of doing -- just stop talking. No one cares what he says anymore, and for good reason. It has been Obama who has been irresponsible and incompetent, putting the country and congressional Democrats through a year of unncessary political angst because he didn't have the backbone, conviction or political know how to take a stand against Republicans and get a public option passed using reconciliation in the summer of 2009 and then again in early 2010 when his lackluster healthcare bill was passed. It was Obama who watered down the financial reform bill which did nothing to get rid of derivatives, the instrument that caused the economic melt down in the first place. And it was Obama who didnt deliver on his promises to bring unemployment below 8% admitting that he "underestimated" the economic situation.
It is time for Obama to realize that he is the cause of the lack of enthusiasm, and his inept handling of his job, showing that he not only had no convictions, he had no backbone when it came to standing up to Republicans to get what was needed done. And his lying about having accomplished what he promised is only making Democrats and independents angrier.
Rather than admit his failures, admitting he hasnt been all that he hoped to be and asking for forgiveness and promise that with a Democratic congress he will do better, he and Biden whine about the lack of enthusiasm over the tepid "better than nothing" bills they passed when it was possible to do so much more.And they whine about Republicans standing in their way.
There will be real irony if Republicans gain the majority. From the beginning Obama has blown the biggest congressional majority any president has had in 100 years by kowtowing, bowing and capitulating to Republicans. Every tepid ineffectual watered down bill passed by the Democratic congress from healthcare to financial reform, was watered down and made toothless by Obama in order to try and curry favor with Republicans.
Since Obama has spent more time trying to mollify a Republican minority instead of putting to the best possible use the Democratic majority, and since its clear he doesn't have a clue as to what to do with such a large majority in the first place, instead always telling us how "hard" everything is to do, then it might be poetic justice as well as self-fullfilling prophecy for him to spend the last two years of his presidency dealing with a Republican majority ( anyone in the DNC who thinks Obama has any chance of being re-elected needs their heads examined) since he's acted like that's what he's had for the last two years anyway.
The only solution for Democratic political candidates in close races , the only chance for those Democrats in trouble, is to do what Russ Feingold did in Wisconsin -- distance themselves as far as they can from Obama and realize that voter disgust is not because the Democratic bills that were passed went too far or added to the deficit, but that they didn't go far enough. And that was because of Obama.
The other thing they need to do is send a message to the White House and tell them to just shut up. The more they talk the worse they make it, like Biden deciding this was a good time to thank George W. Bush for supporting the troops and giving him credit for the war that caused the bulk of the deficit. Then they turn around and accuse Democrats of "whining and complaining" simply because they are fed up with Obama's lack of character , his political disengenousness, his ineptitude and his well documented lying ( like the auto bailout saving GM from "liquidation" when "liquidation" was never even remotely a possibility or threat). And they just cant understand why Democrats are angry.
A really smart Democratic candidate for congress would immediately come to the defense of rank and file Democrats who Obama has accused of "whining and complaining" and point out that they have a lot to complain about and vow to change it,to stand up to Obama as well as the Republicans, and deliver what Democrats expected in the first place. Then there will be some real enthusiasm.
Democratic candidates need to acknowledge what is obvious to Democrats -- that Obama has been a catastrophic failure in executing his office, in not delivering on his promises, by always trying to play both ends against the middle with half way measures, and creating a long and documented record of lying and reneging. But then they have to promise that a Democratic congress now chastened by Obama's lack of convictions and failures will take the reins and get it done.
And then deliver on that promise. Even though it will leave Obama whining and complaining.
After Obama and Biden's latest salvo against Democrats ( most are sure to wonder why they havent been able to be as tough with Republicans) they may very well stop whining and feel even more motivated to join the 61% of independents who say they are so disgusted with Obama over what he's failed to deliver they will vote against Democratic congressional candidates or stay home as retribution. The number of rank and file Democrats ready to give Obama and Biden a "teachable moment" is growing which is putting Democratic congressional candidates in a real bind.
What's needed, as usual, is for Obama to simply do what he seems to be incapable of doing -- just stop talking. No one cares what he says anymore, and for good reason. It has been Obama who has been irresponsible and incompetent, putting the country and congressional Democrats through a year of unncessary political angst because he didn't have the backbone, conviction or political know how to take a stand against Republicans and get a public option passed using reconciliation in the summer of 2009 and then again in early 2010 when his lackluster healthcare bill was passed. It was Obama who watered down the financial reform bill which did nothing to get rid of derivatives, the instrument that caused the economic melt down in the first place. And it was Obama who didnt deliver on his promises to bring unemployment below 8% admitting that he "underestimated" the economic situation.
It is time for Obama to realize that he is the cause of the lack of enthusiasm, and his inept handling of his job, showing that he not only had no convictions, he had no backbone when it came to standing up to Republicans to get what was needed done. And his lying about having accomplished what he promised is only making Democrats and independents angrier.
Rather than admit his failures, admitting he hasnt been all that he hoped to be and asking for forgiveness and promise that with a Democratic congress he will do better, he and Biden whine about the lack of enthusiasm over the tepid "better than nothing" bills they passed when it was possible to do so much more.And they whine about Republicans standing in their way.
There will be real irony if Republicans gain the majority. From the beginning Obama has blown the biggest congressional majority any president has had in 100 years by kowtowing, bowing and capitulating to Republicans. Every tepid ineffectual watered down bill passed by the Democratic congress from healthcare to financial reform, was watered down and made toothless by Obama in order to try and curry favor with Republicans.
Since Obama has spent more time trying to mollify a Republican minority instead of putting to the best possible use the Democratic majority, and since its clear he doesn't have a clue as to what to do with such a large majority in the first place, instead always telling us how "hard" everything is to do, then it might be poetic justice as well as self-fullfilling prophecy for him to spend the last two years of his presidency dealing with a Republican majority ( anyone in the DNC who thinks Obama has any chance of being re-elected needs their heads examined) since he's acted like that's what he's had for the last two years anyway.
The only solution for Democratic political candidates in close races , the only chance for those Democrats in trouble, is to do what Russ Feingold did in Wisconsin -- distance themselves as far as they can from Obama and realize that voter disgust is not because the Democratic bills that were passed went too far or added to the deficit, but that they didn't go far enough. And that was because of Obama.
The other thing they need to do is send a message to the White House and tell them to just shut up. The more they talk the worse they make it, like Biden deciding this was a good time to thank George W. Bush for supporting the troops and giving him credit for the war that caused the bulk of the deficit. Then they turn around and accuse Democrats of "whining and complaining" simply because they are fed up with Obama's lack of character , his political disengenousness, his ineptitude and his well documented lying ( like the auto bailout saving GM from "liquidation" when "liquidation" was never even remotely a possibility or threat). And they just cant understand why Democrats are angry.
A really smart Democratic candidate for congress would immediately come to the defense of rank and file Democrats who Obama has accused of "whining and complaining" and point out that they have a lot to complain about and vow to change it,to stand up to Obama as well as the Republicans, and deliver what Democrats expected in the first place. Then there will be some real enthusiasm.
Democratic candidates need to acknowledge what is obvious to Democrats -- that Obama has been a catastrophic failure in executing his office, in not delivering on his promises, by always trying to play both ends against the middle with half way measures, and creating a long and documented record of lying and reneging. But then they have to promise that a Democratic congress now chastened by Obama's lack of convictions and failures will take the reins and get it done.
And then deliver on that promise. Even though it will leave Obama whining and complaining.
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3 comments:
Lawyers are taught that it is less work to convince your client that he or she deserves very little than to fight with the opposing party. Obama is trying to convince us that we should accept what little he has been willing to give so HE doesn't have to work so hard with a Republican congress.
Well, it is too late for the congress critters to distance themselves from O now. Too late.
They all dived into the swamp. They all thought O will help them via his big donor list. They all stabbed Hillary and Bill in the back.
They allow crazies like Kos, Huffington etc.. to hijack the party and turn it into a nuts party.
Hey, I wish all of them lose their jobs on Nov 2. I will down a whiskey amd LMAO. The current demoractic party was dead in 2008.
Great post, agree 100%. But I think you missed the point of why Obama and Biden AREN'T shutting up. They're saying these things merely to set up scapegoats for the severe beating that Dems are going to take in November. They want to scapegoat progressives and independents who are fed up with his lack of leadership and failure to deliver on every level (which you detail quite well here, I'd add), rather than face the possibility that it was their own damn fault. They're trying to set the narrative.
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