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Obama's fading coalition
Topic Started: Jul 15 2010, 08:31 AM (708 Views)
Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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The fading embers of Obama's coalition

By Marc A. Thiessen
Tuesday, July 13, 2010

With midterm elections less than four months away, Republicans are fired up and ready to go. But they are not the only ones upset with Barack Obama. The president has also angered many of the key Democratic constituencies he needs to keep control of the House and Senate, and now Democrats are blowing furiously on the fading embers of their electoral coalition, hoping to stave off disaster this November. In the process they are abdicating their responsibilities to govern -- failing to pass a budget or any of their annual spending bills, while using their executive and legislative powers to appease their special interests instead. It is a far cry from the hope and change they promised two years ago.

Take organized labor. Unions are incensed with Obama and congressional Democrats for their failure to deliver on key priorities such as card-check legislation. Gerry McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, complained earlier this year, "We can't get anything done for the people we represent." The White House made things worse by publicly ridiculing the AFL-CIO for supporting a primary challenge to Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), prompting the union to fire back: "Labor isn't an arm of the Democratic Party."

To repair the breach, Democrats have turned their legislative agenda over to the unions. Instead of moving appropriations bills, they are pushing legislation that would shield unions from the campaign finance reporting requirements of the Disclose Act and force the unionization of public-safety workers in 21 states. And they have allowed the teachers unions to hijack the war funding bill for our troops, and the Teamsters to hijack the FAA authorization bill over a provision to make it easier to organize FedEx. Whether this will be enough to overcome the animosity of organized labor remains to be seen, but it can only feed the animosity of Americans who believe Congress is failing to do its job.

Another disenchanted constituency is Hispanics. Latino support for Obama has dropped 12 points since the start of the year, as anger has grown over the Democrats' failure to make immigration reform a priority. Instead of putting forward legislation, Obama delivered a speech this month in which he laid the blame for his failure to act on Republican "demagoguery." Then last Tuesday, the administration filed a lawsuit in federal court to block Arizona's immigration law. This was unnecessary, according to Kris Kobach, the former Justice Department official who helped draft the Arizona law, because the law was already being challenged by the ACLU and other groups: The issue was already tied up in the courts. The Justice Department doesn't add anything by bringing its own lawsuit. These actions were designed to bolster Hispanic support, but they doomed any hope of bipartisan cooperation on immigration. Democrats appear more interested in posturing to win Hispanic votes than getting something accomplished for Hispanic voters. But the strategy may backfire if Latinos see through the charade, and the Arizona lawsuit ends up bringing down Democrats facing tough reelection battles in the West.


The drop in Hispanic support is dwarfed by the astounding 36-point drop in support for Obama from one of the most reliable Democratic constituencies: Jewish voters. Jewish Americans are outraged with Obama, says former New York Mayor Ed Koch. And it's not because Obama's middle name is Hussein. Obama alienated many in the Jewish community by reaching out to Iran while relentlessly criticizing Israel. He excoriated Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for his plans to build new Jewish housing in East Jerusalem, raising concerns that he was abandoning long-standing U.S. policy that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel. Then, Obama added insult to injury by humiliating Netanyahu in March, refusing to have a picture taken with him and leaving him waiting for over an hour at the White House while Obama had dinner with his family.

Sensing the political damage, Obama has begun to backtrack. After opposing legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program -- a top legislative priority for Jewish groups -- Obama suddenly reversed course and two weeks ago invited Jewish leaders to a White House ceremony where he signed the bill into law. Then last week Obama invited Netanyahu for an Oval Office photo op, heaping praise on the Israeli leader and declaring "the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable."

Jewish Americans may be forgiven for suspecting that Obama's sudden enthusiasm for Israel has less to do with his desire for a two-state solution than his desire for a solution in two states -- Florida and Pennsylvania -- where Jewish voters and donors could play a critical role in tight Senate races. Bottom line: Republicans are riding a wave of voter enthusiasm, while Democrats are fighting a rip current of bitterness among many of their core constituencies. To avoid getting swept out to sea, they are pandering desperately. But for those they are trying to appease, it may be too little too late. And for the rest of America, it is a sad reminder that change we can believe in has given way to politics as usual.

Marc A. Thiessen is a visiting fellow with the American Enterprise Institute and the author of "Courting Disaster." He writes a weekly column for http://washingtonpost.com.

Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
It's OK, man. In his 18 months in office, he has saved the country from financial Armageddon, passed two landmark reform legislations (healthcare and financial), and appointed 2 Supreme Court Justices. Many Presidents could not achieve half as much in two full terms.
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Riiiight.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Glad you agree. :)
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JBryan
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I am the grey one
Oh, brother.
"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne


There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it".


Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody.

Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore.

From The Lion in Winter.
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
Axtremus
Jul 15 2010, 08:50 AM
It's OK, man. In his 18 months in office, he has saved the country from financial Armageddon, passed two landmark reform legislations (healthcare and financial), and appointed 2 Supreme Court Justices. Many Presidents could not achieve half as much in two full terms.
First, appointing Supreme Court justices is a matter of necessity, not ambition. Second, I don't think anyone is capable of giving Barry credit for saving us from or placing us in financial Armageddon unless he or she has actually read more than 1% of the ARRA bill and can articulate its consequences. Third, if he's doing so great how do you explain his drop in popularity?
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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Renauda
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HOLY CARP!!!
Axtremus
Jul 15 2010, 08:50 AM
It's OK, man. In his 18 months in office, he has saved the country from financial Armageddon, passed two landmark reform legislations (healthcare and financial), and appointed 2 Supreme Court Justices. Many Presidents could not achieve half as much in two full terms.
Gee, all he needs to do now is invade Libya and Ethiopia and link up with the wrong side in some foreign civil war.

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h/t to the Duke of D'Ohshire for the designer portrait


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Larry
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Mmmmmmm, pie!
Axtremus
Jul 15 2010, 08:50 AM
It's OK, man. In his 18 months in office, he has saved the country from financial Armageddon, passed two landmark reform legislations (healthcare and financial), and appointed 2 Supreme Court Justices. Many Presidents could not achieve half as much in two full terms.
:huh:


:doh:



BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!!!
Of the Pokatwat Tribe

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Copper
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Shortstop
Axtremus
Jul 15 2010, 08:50 AM
It's OK, man. In his 18 months in office, he has saved the country from financial Armageddon, passed two landmark reform legislations (healthcare and financial), and appointed 2 Supreme Court Justices. Many Presidents could not achieve half as much in two full terms.

You forgot the Nobel prize.

And during that time he has reduced friction in the gulf (of mexico not persian) and lowered his golf handicap.
The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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JBryan
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I am the grey one
I think "lowered his golf handicap" is as far as we can safely go thus far. We really don't have any documentation as to his former golf handicap much like many other perhaps more important things we don't know about.
"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne


There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it".


Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody.

Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore.

From The Lion in Winter.
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Larry
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Mmmmmmm, pie!
Obama: Illegal alien living in government housing.......
Of the Pokatwat Tribe

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Copper
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JBryan
Jul 15 2010, 04:06 PM
I think "lowered his golf handicap" is as far as we can safely go thus far. We really don't have any documentation as to his former golf handicap much like many other perhaps more important things we don't know about.

This made me wonder if you could lookup a USGA handicap.

As you know golf scores used for handicaps are dependent on the honesty and integrity of the golfer. Each keeps and reports his own score.

So I Googled and came across this site:

http://www.myscorecard.com/cgi-bin/peerreview.pl

You have to be a member to participate, but the interesting thing is that a home of the District of Columbia is not an option. I wonder if this is because of the "honesty and integrity" requirement.

Maybe I missed it but I couldn't find it on that dropdown list.
The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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George K
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Finally
Obama's next act

By Charles Krauthammer
Friday, July 16, 2010; A19

In the political marketplace, there's now a run on Obama shares. The left is disappointed with the president. Independents are abandoning him in droves. And the right is already dancing on his political grave, salivating about November when, his own press secretary admitted Sunday, Democrats might lose the House.

I have a warning for Republicans: Don't underestimate Barack Obama.

Consider what he has already achieved. Obamacare alone makes his presidency historic. It has irrevocably changed one-sixth of the economy, put the country inexorably on the road to national health care and, as acknowledged by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus but few others, begun one of the most massive wealth redistributions in U.S. history.

Second, there is major financial reform, which passed Congress on Thursday. Economists argue whether it will prevent meltdowns and bailouts as promised. But there is no argument that it will give the government unprecedented power in the financial marketplace. Its 2,300 pages will create at least 243 new regulations that will affect not only, as many assume, the big banks but just about everyone, including, as noted in one summary (the Wall Street Journal), "storefront check cashiers, city governments, small manufacturers, home buyers and credit bureaus."

Third is the near $1 trillion stimulus, the largest spending bill in U.S. history. And that's not even counting nationalizing the student loan program, regulating carbon emissions by Environmental Protection Agency fiat, and still-fitful attempts to pass cap-and-trade through Congress.

But Obama's most far-reaching accomplishment is his structural alteration of the U.S. budget. The stimulus, the vast expansion of domestic spending, the creation of ruinous deficits as far as the eye can see are not easily reversed.

These are not mere temporary countercyclical measures. They are structural deficits because, as everyone from Obama on down admits, the real money is in entitlements, most specifically Medicare and Medicaid. But Obamacare freezes these out as a source of debt reduction. Obamacare's $500 billion in Medicare cuts and $600 billion in tax increases are siphoned away for a new entitlement -- and no longer available for deficit reduction.

The result? There just isn't enough to cut elsewhere to prevent national insolvency. That will require massive tax increases -- most likely a European-style value-added tax. Just as President Ronald Reagan cut taxes to starve the federal government and prevent massive growth in spending, Obama's wild spending -- and quarantining health-care costs from providing possible relief -- will necessitate huge tax increases.

The net effect of 18 months of Obamaism will be to undo much of Reaganism. Both presidencies were highly ideological, grandly ambitious and often underappreciated by their own side. In his early years, Reagan was bitterly attacked from his right. (Typical Washington Post headline: "For Reagan and the New Right, the Honeymoon Is Over" -- and that was six months into his presidency!) Obama is attacked from his left for insufficient zeal on gay rights, immigration reform, closing Guantanamo -- the list is long. The critics don't understand the big picture. Obama's transformational agenda is a play in two acts.

Act One is over. The stimulus, Obamacare, financial reform have exhausted his first-term mandate. It will bear no more heavy lifting. And the Democrats will pay the price for ideological overreaching by losing one or both houses, whether de facto or de jure. The rest of the first term will be spent consolidating these gains (writing the regulations, for example) and preparing for Act Two.

The next burst of ideological energy -- massive regulation of the energy economy, federalizing higher education and "comprehensive" immigration reform (i.e., amnesty) -- will require a second mandate, meaning reelection in 2012.

That's why there's so much tension between Obama and congressional Democrats. For Obama, 2010 matters little. If Democrats lose control of one or both houses, Obama will probably have an easier time in 2012, just as Bill Clinton used Newt Gingrich and the Republicans as the foil for his 1996 reelection campaign.

Obama is down, but it's very early in the play. Like Reagan, he came here to do things. And he's done much in his first 500 days. What he has left to do he knows must await his next 500 days -- those that come after reelection.

The real prize is 2012. Obama sees far, farther than even his own partisans. Republicans underestimate him at their peril.
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"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
Krauthammer seems to agree with Ax.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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George K
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Finally
That's why I posted it.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
- Klaus, 4/29/18
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Dewey
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HOLY CARP!!!
Quote:
 
he has reduced friction in the gulf


That was the funniest line I've read here in a long time. Brilliant, Copper! :lol:
"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685.

"Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous

"Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011

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Copper
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Dewey
Jul 16 2010, 05:35 AM
Quote:
 
he has reduced friction in the gulf


That was the funniest line I've read here in a long time. Brilliant, Copper! :lol:

Oops I thought I was going to get away with that.

The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
And some think Obama is not smart. I'm convinced more than ever that he's crazy like a fox. I have serious doubts that any Republican in the house is smart enough to counter him and stop him in 2012.
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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