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2010-03-19 Home Front: Politix

James Taranto, Wall Street Journal

What accounts for the relentless drive to ram ObamaCare through every procedural obstacle, regardless of the political cost? Ideological zeal, from Obama himself above all, is part of the explanation, but it isn't sufficient. One can, after all, be ideologically committed to a goal without falling into a self-defeating obsession.

There seems to be an emotional desperation at work here. The legislative success of ObamaCare has become so tied up with Obama's sense of himself that he feels he must push ahead--and to some extent, the leaders in Congress feel the same way. Obama is not the calm rationalist he seemed during the campaign. But while there's a place for passion in politics, to be governed by a politician who fails to govern his passions is a frightening and creepy experience.

Jennifer Rubin, Commentary

But should we be surprised? This was the candidate who created a cult of personality, who told us he represented the "New Politics," who was going to eschew politics-as-usual, and who would be post-partisan, post-racial, and post-ideological. Now he's a handful of votes away from a humiliating defeat. No wonder it's desperation time. His possible failure would not be a mere political failure; it would be the obliteration of his own mythology.

Should he squeak it out, Obama's "victory" would come with a heavy price. Gone is the image of a policy sophisticate (try watching that Bret Baier interview a few times without wincing). Gone is the "moderate" moniker. And gone is the notion that he'd usher in a new era of less contentious and less corrupt politics. (It's a new era, perhaps, but hardly a better one.) There is no mistaking now the depth of the campaign deception. The public has figured out what he is all about. And increasingly, they dislike what they see.

Posted by Mike 2010-03-19 09:12|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 As fascist as he is, Soetoro approaches things more like a Lenin than a Mussolini.

Mussolini was imbued with the Cesarian tradition hence the white horse and all the military trappings. Lenin was the leader of the Party he had no desire to show himself as a military leader. As long as the party had total control he didn't care particularly about the military or its trappings.

That's Zero. He does not see the need for the military to directly oppress the masses. He will do that with regulations and edicts and decrees using the various police forces (IRS, FBI, INS, etc.) to enforce his will.

Until the people rise to take back their liberty by force this will be a bloodless "coup of the bureaucrats and lawyers". I have heard too many people who don't care about any of this as long as they aren't directly AND NOTICEABLY effected. Increasing prices on everything due to fees, taxes and regulations are not noticeable to the proles.

Posted by Alanc 2010-03-19 11:31|| 2010-03-19 11:31|| Front Page Top

#2 Increasing prices on everything due to fees, taxes and regulations are not noticeable to the proles.

For those of us living on a fixed income, ANY increase (for whatever reason) is noticeable.

Posted by WolfDog 2010-03-19 12:07|| 2010-03-19 12:07|| Front Page Top

#3 Obama is not the calm rationalist he seemed during the campaign.

I find this statement's main assumption misleading. Many of his ideas were irrational. He is merely a "calm irrationalist", and too many people bought it. Hook, line, and sinker. I don't know why they bought it, but they did. Maybe it was panic setting in at the start of this depression, sorta like the kind that led to Hitler being installed when he promised to fix their broken economy and restore nationalistic pride.

Posted by gorb 2010-03-19 12:16|| 2010-03-19 12:16|| Front Page Top

#4 One more thing, I guess the big difference between Hitler and Obama here is that Hitler trashed his neighbors. Obama is trashing the US.

Posted by gorb 2010-03-19 12:17|| 2010-03-19 12:17|| Front Page Top

#5 Wolfie, as one of those ON a fixed income I should have been clearer.

It's not that the proles wouldn't notice, it's that they wouldn't connect the dots sufficiently to blame the dictator.

Posted by Alanc 2010-03-19 13:04|| 2010-03-19 13:04|| Front Page Top

#6 Especially when the Media is so willing to blame the 'Conservatives' or 'Right-Wingers', or that old standby - the Jews.

Posted by CrazyFool 2010-03-19 13:24|| 2010-03-19 13:24|| Front Page Top

#7 I just walked past a Tea Party demonstration in front of our federal courthouse. Not many sign-holders but one heck of a lot of people honking.

The best incentive Obama can offer congresscritters for a yes vote is a guaranteed spot in the Witness Protection Program.

Posted by Matt 2010-03-19 14:45|| 2010-03-19 14:45|| Front Page Top

#8 The best incentive Obama can offer congresscritters for a yes vote is a guaranteed spot in the Witness Protection Program.

Matt that's awesome thanks ;)

Posted by Jan at work 2010-03-19 18:13|| 2010-03-19 18:13|| Front Page Top

#9 Anytime. And I'm only half joking.

Posted by Matt 2010-03-19 19:55|| 2010-03-19 19:55|| Front Page Top

#10 Prediction:

November - Republican Tsunami

January - Appointment of Special Prosecutor

June - Trials of Obama cronies begin

Posted by DMFD 2010-03-19 20:00|| 2010-03-19 20:00|| Front Page Top

#11

I looked at Obama during the Campaign. And I listened to him. My judgment then and my judgment now is: "He's a Mouth."

I liked George Bush. We all have faults, but George W. was very Texas. W was someone I felt sure would stand his ground and had principles he wouldnt deny or betray.And he MEANT what he said even if he mangled the words. I trusted the MAN.

Obama is a Mouth.

Obama is a Mouth...and the people who voted for him are delusional suckers.

Posted by BlackBart 2010-03-19 22:00|| 2010-03-19 22:00|| Front Page Top

#12 PRES-YEAR 2012 POTUS BAMMER TERM > Besides serious Congressional, Mainstream resistance agz His POTUS legislations back home, the Bammer also has ISRAELI-ARAB/MUSLIM FLASHPOINT OVER AL-AQSA MOSQUE CONTRUX, ISRAELI-IRAN WAR THREAT, + NEW ISLAMIST, OTHER INSURGENCIES BREAKING OUT IN AFRICA + SOUTH ASIA [Cold War-style Radic Islam "attacking where the US = US-NATO/ALLIES are NOT]. There's also IRAN threatening to expand its NucEnrichment + produc "DUAL-USE" CAPABLE CHINESE, NORTH KOREAN LR + TAC MISSLES.

I'M NOT CONVINCED THE HEALTHCARE BILL WAS THE BAMMER'S SOLE REASON FOR CANCELING HIS ASIA-GUAM TRIP UNTIL THIS JUNE.

* US-JAPAN ROW oer OKINAWA MARINE BASES > Many Japanese want ALL US BASES out of Japan, not just Okinawa, but Tokyo Govt [also includ TAIWAN] wants the US Bases to stay as hedge agz China = until such time Japan is trusted and legally allowed to possess its own STRATEGIC NUCLEAR ARENAL, which China + other regional Asian Nations don't want to see occur.

E. g. WMF > JAPAN'S 200-MILE EEZ ZONE AROUND THE RYUKYU ISLANDS INDIRECTLY GUARANTEES JAPANESE MILITARY PROTECTION OF TAIWAN [+ SOUTH KOREA], AND OBSTRUCTS CHINA'S PLAN FROM ENTERING THE NORTH PACIFIC.

INTEHWESTING > Before WW2, the US chose to NOT fortify GUAM [+ Philippines] out of fear of further harming US-JAPANESE RELATIONS, a fear which did NOT stop Japan from dev its MAJOR BASES IN MICRONESIA. Now, vee CHINA, "ISLANDS" are at the crux of GEOPOL INSECURITY IN THE NORTH PACIFIC.

GUAM-CNMI-MICRON, + NON-US ISLANDS DEEMED BY MISC PERTS AS BEING GEOLOGICALLY PART OF THE MARIANAS???

To defeat the US ala TAIWAN [or even KOREAS, SOUTH CHINA SEAS, ETC], CHINA MUST MILITARILY OR GEOPOL DEFEAT THE US IN GUAM-WESTPAC + AS FAR AWAY AS HAWAII IFF NEED BE.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2010-03-19 22:22|| 2010-03-19 22:22|| Front Page Top

#13 CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > CHAIRMAN MAO, WHAT DO YOU THINK - "PEOPLE'S WAR" IN THE 21ST CENTURY!?

and

SAME > THE PANICKY EAGLE CIRCLES THE DRAGON: US POLICY DEMANDS THAT THE CHINESE PEOPLE BE KEPT POOR. Rising China = the ECON TRUBLED, WEAKENING USA must find a way to either DESTROY CHINA'S RISE, or else SLOW IT TO A DEBILITAING CRAWL???

* WMF > CHINA'S FOREIGN SECRET FRONT AGZ THE US: A LARGE NUMBER OF ASIAN NATIONS STRATEGICALLY OR TACITLY SUPPORTED BY CHINA.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2010-03-19 22:29|| 2010-03-19 22:29|| Front Page Top

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