THE OBAMA EFFECT
64
By: Wayne Brown
The Obama Administration really needs to take a hard look at the coaching staff. As in football, there are just too many players who are beginning to “telegraph” their actions before the ball is snapped. In this case, I don’t think too many people mind. At the same time I believe the players actually think they are doing something so original that no one can pick up on it even if clues are offered.
I have been saying for months now that Obama’s only hope 2012 short of absolute miracles taking place in the economy and on other issues is to bring new blood into his camp. In this case, I am referring to putting Hilary Clinton on the ticket in the VP slot and dropping Joe Biden. Now I see speculation on AOL as of today that it could be in the cards. Then there are those who seemed to have kept their head in the sand since the last election who contend that ‘Hilary would never do that, why she’s already turned that job down’. Still others point out that she doesn’t want to hold the same job twice (i.e. serving as her husband’s unofficial VP). I really think we have to examine the situation to come to an accurate conclusion.
First, let’s look at where we are with the Obama Administration. In general, people are far less than pleased that the economy remains in a weak state of recovery at the most optimistic analysis. The job markets remain depressed with the most jobs being created in the government sector as the federal government grew by a factor of 25% over the past two years. Immigration and border security are very hot issues which have been turned into political footballs by the Obama Administration. Border states are literally being held hostage in terms of border security in order to leverage reform. The oil spill in the Gulf has opened avenues which the administration wants to use to eliminate or drastically reduce off-shore drilling and impose greater environmental controls through cap and trade legislation. And finally, financial reform has been so poorly handled that most institutions are now so hamstrung with regulation and red tape that they cannot work themselves into a more secure position and eliminate their non-performing assets. All this goes on while Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two of the largest perpetrators in the industry, get a pass. Ice this down with a government run healthcare program which the vast majority of the public did not want yet the Obama Administration saw fit to jam their throats and you have a scenario that does not look too rosy for the 2012 re-election campaign.
The Obama Administration has led the way in pushing the government to dump more than $800 billions dollars into the economy as a stimulus to crawl out of the recession the country was in after the November 2008 financial issues. By the way, over $300 billion dollars of that money still lays there uncommitted but for whatever reason was not available for use to cover the additional $26 billion dollars in spending for teacher, police/firefighter, and government employee unions. This bailout of the unions, and that is what it ultimately is, just keeps more dues-payers on the books and in the end more money in the coffers of the unions. Well, guess what…that just means the unions have more to contribute when election time comes in 2012. Oh, by the way, if you look back in 2009, on a number of occasions, Obama indicated that the original spending stimulus package would be the money that would “save the teachers jobs”. So, we the public, have been duped at least twice in this operation to finance the democratic vote on the back of the taxpayers. Shame on us for being so stupid. Shame on them for thinking that we were. There are those in Congress on both sides of the aisle who will answer for this when the time comes.
Obama is losing ground in terms of popular support on so many levels that the leaks cannot be fixed without a total renovation of the ship. The handwriting is on the wall and coming rapidly with the mid-term elections. At the very least, the Democrats will lose control of the House and there are those who speculate that control of the Senate could be lost as well in the mid-terms. Either way, this brings the current Obama agenda to a screeching deadlock halt and he will be left to languish for his remaining two years in office prior to the 2012 elections. While this sounds bad for his chances, don’t forget that America generally prospers anytime Washington is in deadlock. Therefore, good things could happen over the next two years which Obama will most certainly take credit for as he normally does. So, there is an upside for him here even if he loses the Congress.
So, we get past the mid-terms and hopefully survive the efforts of the lame-duck Congressional sessions of late year 2010, what happens next. Well, it show-time then folks. With only two years to the 2012 elections, it will be time to hit the trail and start trying to shore up the vote. Obama will start by attempting to move to the center. You will see him take on a whole new attitude regarding immigration. He will talk more favorably about border security; he will actually visit the sites and possibly even confess that the problems are much worse than he had anticipated. He will point to the rapid recovery in the Gulf and urge Congress to spend more money in the region to aid the BP effort to achieve a return to normalcy. Of course, he will be waving the flag for his grand achievements in Iraq along with promoting his continuing efforts to dominant in Afghanistan. Once we have had a full dose of that type of campaigning, then the numbers assessment will take place and the ponies will be trotted out to the gates.
The Democratic Party is losing momentum both in terms of their motivation to vote, due in large part to the current administration poor showing, and also due to the drastic movement that the Obama Administration has taken in swinging the party to the left. These circumstances are causing some fall out in the ranks especially at the fringes with the moderate Democrats stepping more into an “independent” voting block. This, along with Obama’s popularity ratings being in the tank will call for some drastic effort to shore up the party support in 2012. This brings us to the subject of putting Hilary Clinton on the ticket for 2012 as the VP running mate.
Back when Obama was pushing Hilary out of the Democratic nomination in 2008, Hilary did express that she had no interest in the job of Vice-President. Of course, at the time, she was still fighting for political survival in the nomination fight. Things have changed and they have changed in such an ugly fashion that even Hilary has to reconsider her position if everyone in the boat is to survive politically. Granted, she is not interested in the job to hear her tell it. But let me point out something she is even less interested in and that is being without a political position period. Once she weighs thing from that standpoint, preferences take on a whole new perspective.
Hilary Clinton is currently Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. This is a high visibility position that Hilary wanted if she could not be President which would allow her to maintain a high profile in the public eye and deal with issues around the world which were in the news on a daily basis. This would be here platform to shine even if it meant having to man the post for an eight year term before her next shot at the nomination in 2016. If she can keep her visibility high and her name in contention, 2016 would likely be her last shot at the crown due to the age factor primarily. In examining those alternatives, I don’t think anyone in her camp or the Obama camp ever ran the current scenario that Obama would tank in his first two years in office putting his re-election hopes in grave danger. Now Hilary has four choices: 1. Turn down the VP slot and watch Obama, Biden and her go down in flames in 2012, 2. Take the VP slot and pray that her presence on the ticket will shore up the support and popularity enough to save the 2012 re-election, 3. Resign her current post and challenge Obama for the nomination in 2012, 4. Just resign and go home. Of those choices, the second one will eventually be the only one that will make sense for her political survival and visibility.
So there you have it. It will most likely be Obama/Clinton in 2012 with Clinton taking the lead role in the campaign trying to rationalize the Obama agenda. Certainly Clinton can help restore some of the feminist vote to the ticket and attempt to strengthen the party’s position against the active growth of conservative women in both the Republican Party and in various Tea Party operations around the country. Will it be enough? Will it be too little too late? In and of itself, it will not be enough but when it is combined with the loyalty of the union vote and possibly with an additional voting block to be created by Obama when he extends his hand to support illegal immigrants in this country, then it could be a big factor. Besides, it is the only option short of talking Oprah Winfrey into running for office on the ticket with Obama.
We have come to this place in the road by no accident and for good reason. Singularly, Barrack Obama’s so-called leadership in the first two years in office has been directly responsible for a 25% growth in government, conflicts on immigration and State’s Rights, out of control-deficit spending, creeping socialism in government programs and policies, government run healthcare, unwarranted attacks on energy-producing companies, financial reform that handcuffs the industry while letting the criminals in it run free, and general disregard for both the Constitution and the Bill of Rights with Obama himself quoting almost verbatim from the 1963 goals of the Communist Party to point out that the Constitution is an “outdated document”.
America really owes a debt of gratitude to the Obama Administration. This is the first administration in a long time that has actually taken actions that aroused the voter base out of their apathetic and tolerant mindsets. The administration has created a firestorm of interest like never before in the politics and government operation of this country. Conservative voters are on fire and cannot wait for the next election. The voter base is energized. The irony of it all is that it will likely go heavily against the Obama Administration and anything or anyone associated with it in both the 2010 and 2012 election cycles. For that, America says “thank you”, Mr. Obama.
© Copyright WBrown2010. All Rights Reserved.
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Excellent analysis Wayne. The only positive here is that Americans are exercising their right to participate and speak out. It's been a long time coming and he pushed the button. Other than that he's a big zero and a danger to our nation.
Wayne in my mind like in many here we cannot get rid of this administration fast enough. And you are right apathy is no longer an option in the USA anymore. There is an Ideological war going on in the USA now. People are getting a real taste of what true liberalism is and finding out that it sucks. I am no fan of Hillary either she is just part of the machine and another Soros employee along with Bill.
Remember the movie Mommy Dearest....where she says "No more hangers".....well...NO MORE HILLARY!!!!!
Wayne, while I disagree with some of your opinions, I think we could go back and forth and both make good arguments. However, your thoughts on 2012 are missing a very big piece of info. Unfortunately, most people are not well informed on politics. There are certainly exceptions like yourself and some of the political hubbers and bloggers but generally, most of America simply doesn't pay attention. A lot of people give credit and blame on the president based on the economy. Although some of the credit and blame may be unfair, that is simply how it is.
I believe in November, the ‘anti-incumbent’ mood will push out some Dems. Many people are just upset with both Republicans and Dems and will simply vote against incumbents without knowing much about them. This will benefit Republicans but I don’t think to a great degree. You will probably see Dems controlling both House and Senate after November.
Look at the economy. Job loss has stabilized, companies are reporting strong earnings, the stock market has rebounded very strongly, etc. In 2 more years, we'll most likely be in a strong economy, which is simply the cycle of these things. Obama will get credit for this whether it is deserved or not.
The GOP approval rating is a paltry 20 something percent, which is the lowest I’ve ever heard of. The challenge with Republicans is that they support terrible, terrible, terrible candidates. In my home state of CT, World Wrestling CEO Linda McMahon got the GOP nom for Senate. There is so much wrong with her, I wouldn’t know where to start. In CA, conservatives hate Barbara Boxter but they put Carly Fiorina against her. Most people will remember Fiorina drove HP into the ground and was forced out by the board and one of the HP founders. These are simply lousy candidates.
Who will the GOP put up for President that can challenge Obama ?
@General Comment...Woooo! I guess I lit up the boards with this one...now I have to pay the price!LOL! WB
@Tom Whitworth...Thanks for comments Tom. I am not crazy about anything the Republicans are doing at the present but I think this coming election is bigger than Republicans...it's more about conservatism and traditional values and stepping away from liberal agendas. WB
@breakfastpop...I know your urgency, Poppy and I agree. If the mid-terms do not shift the voting balance then we have two more years coming that look like the first. I am not sure we can survive that even if there is economic upturn. Thanks for your comments! WB
@Tony0724...I think you see in the same light as I do. Voters are difficult to get charged up on a subject but this is what the military calls "a target rich environment"...there's something here for everybody to get excited about and I think that will make a big difference. Thanks for your comments, Tony! WB
@Jibberish....I agree Jib. Before Obama came out of nowhere, I was actually frightened at the prospect of a Hilary Administration. The two together is unimaginable! WB
Wayne great job with your analysis I honestly cant imagine Hillary in office I had enough of her and Bill. Cheers.
@LRCBlogger...I tend to agree with your points on the Republican side as I am not particularly meshed in their performance at the present. And you are correct, that do not presently have a pony. There are those that I think bring some sound aspects to the process...Huckabee, for one, but at this point I think he has lost his desire to fight the Washington Congressional machine. I also agree with your assessment of the cross-section of voters in the country who are ill-informed. I think that is a constant in the equation and tends to balance on both sides of the aisle. At the same time, Obama has created a more 'target rich' environment that I can remember in most previous elections with a broad range of issues that are painted against a backdrop of socialist leanings. This scares the hell out of a lot of people who otherwise might be a bit too apathetic. I think there is more anger in the voting populus, especially on the conservative side, than I have ever seen including the Carter years and during the Vietnam conflict. There are also a lot Obama voters who feel totally betrayed by his performance and attitude in the past two years. In terms of the economy, certainly there are and always will be cycles. The hills to be climbed in those cycles are mighty steep in this administration and there is the promise of even more regulation and taxation if it is allowed to continue. The jobless rate has slowed but it will hit close to 10% by the mid-terms I believe so that will be perceived as a negative. The efforts on the part of Pelosi and Reid this past week is nothing short of buying the union vote and then using taxpayer money coming back through union contributions to finance the Democratic effort. That is appalling in my book and a sign of the deep of political nose-thumbing the current crop in Washington has reached. Americans in great numbers are getting a message from both Obama, his staff, and the current Congress that Washington perceives them to be stupid. That makes a hell of a lot of these folks out here mad regardless of how informed they are on the issues. I find myself asking how far liberalism has to go before even folks on the more liberal side of the aisle hold up their hands and say 'that's enough, we don't do that in America'. Just yesterday, I heard references that Soros controlled think educational think tank was recommending that the teachings in school relative American History be dropped to include The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, and any educational provisions for teaching financial awareness and economics. Where does that leave the young people in America. I would say very much exposed to the dangers of socialism and communism and we as a public, regardless of our political affiliation, are willing to accept that rationale and then assume that we will remain a free society. I am sorry but those things threaten my and the welfare of those behind me greatly and I for one want that direction changed. Call me a traditionalist in the strongest sense, call me an American at the same time. We currently have a President who has the audacity to appoint a Muslim leader to represent the United States throughout the world. A leader who is up to his ears in the controversy of building a mosque near the site of ground zero in NY. A leader who is unwilling to label Hamas as a terrorist organization, who blames the USA for the attacks of 9/11 and yet the President thinks he is the best one to represent the USA to the Muslim world...people are outraged at the suggestion. The examples of outrage are stacking up daily: the one I just mentioned, government-run healthcare, the politicizing of illegal immigrations, the lack of border security in the south, the foot dragging performance in the Gulf, the appointment of a totally inexperience law professor to the Supreme Court bench, an administration staffed with self-professed socialist and communist, 20 years of sitting in a church pew with a poison spewing minister, the total indifference to Arizona, deficit spending beyond belief, election manipulation, the snubbing of our staunchest of allies, the in-your-face vacation mentality, and that is just to name a few. Yes Americans can be apathetic and uninformed but I think this administration has done more to alleviate that condition than any other by miles and miles. I think the voters will take them to task not only in 2010 but also in 2012. If it does not happen then America is most definitely headed to a dark, dark place where we can all stand in line for our rationing of rice and a chance to wash the people's truck. Thanks for your views and comments LRC...come back anytime. I always enjoy the discussion! Best Regards WB
@ValerieH...I agree with you Valerie but I do not see Hilary letting the party go down by not trying to prop up the ticket. She might bring a relative humility to the ticket that Obama is not capable of showing even in his darkest hours. He is wrecking the Democratic Party with his agenda and I believe a lot of well-intentioned Democrats recognize that and want it stopped. The leanings to one side or the other along the aisle have in the past been rather minor in comparison to the agenda this man is pushing on America. When is gone, there will be others who will pursue that same agenda just as vigorously, George Soros will see to that. It will come on the backs of the Democrats and change that party and America forever. This country is and always has been situated slightly right of center and for the most part we have not deviated to far right or left in years past. Now we are venturing extremely well left of center and the push is there to take us further left. That movement demands that Americans abandon principles and deeply rooted beliefs to embrace what is nothig more than packaged socialism and communism. It will all be sold against the backdrop of the evil rich and the big corporations which are both "bad for America". Ultimately, it promises a redistribution of wealth which is a false promise but always offered like a carrot on a stick is dangled out in front of the donkey. By the time one figures out there is no pot of gold the rainbow is gone and there is no turning back. This is what Obama is about. Thanks for your comments. WB
Wayne, good analogy of barry and his suicide pact with the devil. I see him as I understood you to see him, his own worst enemy. I am in no means a fan of Bush, and feel that to an extent we would have seen much of the financial woes even if he could have stayed on BUT I doubt seriously we would have had to experience the "fuque you" attitude that seems to bubble off obama's presence. He is one I just cannot stand to watch, and many a joke is cracked on Bush being short on smarts, I found that he was just a little human versus obama's I'm smarter than the whole of this nation and all of congress combined. If a few folks like pelosi for one, were to be removed from the equation, I think barry's tone would become more tolerable. It's a petty reason I'm sure to some folks to dislike a particular person in this arena, but I have a feeling that when the house as well as congress changes hands, by the end of 2011 barry's poll numbers will rebound giving him a shot in 2012. In the event that the house and senate remain the same, it will mark the beginning of the end, revealing the results of the 2012 elections to fall into the hands of barry again. Bill and Hillary both had no use for barry in the 2008 race, and I feel that Hillary will not accept a 2nd chair offering, but she surprised me by stepping down to the job she now holds. I'm not sure why she did it but I'm sure it was a tactical reason to further her next bid for the presidential seat. 50
I am not too well up in American politics but I thought this was a well written, interesting article.
@50Caliber...Dusty, I think you are correct on your assessment of the financial situation. That was pretty much put in stone in the Clinton era when mortgage restricts were all but tossed in the trash. The Bush Administration warned of the problem on various occasions only to have it fall on deaf ears. Hilary will have to take a big swallow and probably drink a lot of Pepto-Bismol to accept the VP slot but she will fall on the sword to keep her name on the political scene. Her only real hope is 2016 anyway you cut it short of Obama just walking away from re-election. If she stays where she is, she falls with his administration in 2012 unless things shift greatly. Of course, there is one consideration, every good horse race requires at least two ponies and the Republicans have yet to really trot one out. It will be a let down if they trot out one of the old worn out ones and choose to forfeit by default. Huckabee has the best head for the job but has lot his stomach for the politics; Fred Thompson has some merit but seems past the age level such that he can generate a majority of voters for the ticket. Newt Gingrich and John McCain are the past. I could easily see a ticket with Rick Perry, Govenor of Texas running with either Sarah Palin as the VP or the current Governor of Arizona. Perry has done a very good job here in Texas and I think he has a lot of appeal on the national scale. He is a smart, nononsense guy and I think it is his time! Thanks for the good comments! WB
@leni sands...if you spin up on USA politics, you might scare yourself a bit! Thanks for the comments on the piece. If you read it without having that much interest in USA politics, then I take that as a great compliment that I could hold your attention with the article. Please come by again soon! WB
Wayne, Both Obama and the Democrats in congress are on a tzx and spend spree. They think big government can solve all the problems, where in reality the are the problem.
They are, I'm afraid, ready to set the economy in a down spin again. They think that everyone should pay the government big money so the government can spend the money to the likes of Goldman and Sachs and the other big banks and corporations they are in bed with.
In the mean the money they steal from the people is not being circulated around to build up the economy. And on top of it, all of the new taxes, and EPA restrictions that come in effect, i.e. 2013, will close down up to twenty percent of manufacturing.
And the repeal of the Bush tax cuts will take another 5 - 10% of the money out of the economy.
In other words WE ARE SCREWED!!!!
Keep on hubbing!
@eovery....I am afraid that your predictions and observations are very true. We could be screwed just as George Soros wishes that we will be. When the riots breakout, then its marshal law time and all bets are off in terms of ever seeing the republic again. The thing is we cannot give up or we are pre-destined to end up there. If the conservative side, Tea Party or Republican can take back the Congress, then some of this damage can be reversed. We have to the this just as much as the patriots had to throw the tea in the harbor...there's no other choice here. Thanks for the read and the great comments. WB
Wayne -
I saw George W Bush and Laura in the news yesterday welcoming back troops for Iraq. When was the last time the O-Bomb recognized our military for anything? General McCrystal maybe?
All the Best,
Tim
@TimBryce...Very true Tim. And, George W and Laura were probably doing it with as little fanfare as possible. They were doing it because the wanted to; because they felt in their heart that a "welcome home" was the least they could do. GW never disrepected the military or their traditions. I had to laugh as I opened the paper this morning and saw where Obama was poised to sign a 600 million dollar border security bill that was passed through an all but empty Senate late last night. There's a term they use on the street, the word "whore" raced right through my mind...maybe that's why it seemed funny. I hope no one else insults my intelligence by trying to point out to me how intelligent Obama is. He has no ideas of his own...he's a sockpuppet and George Soros is working the lips when he speaks. We are on a troublesome road with this guy. Thanks for comments Tim. WB
What struck me when I saw Bush reaching out to shake their hands, smiling broadly, and Laura as well, is that Bush was, and remains, a leader free of arrogance, a leader that just feels like someone who is sincere, regardless of whether I might have disagreed with some of his decisions -- as opposed to Obama and MEchelle. The Bush's never wanted to lead the band like movie stars or royalty, they wanted to support the band, something like that, march in it, while the Obama's clearly are too important, too elite, to join in - unless they're in campaign mode and playing a role.
Rambling comment above, sorry about that. You've covered the situation very well here, Wayne, but I can't imagine seeing an Obama/Hillary ticket myself, it just doesn't fit with his persona, or hers. In 2007 a Hillary/Obama ticket would have been a grand slam, but I don't see her taking a VP slot and getting tainted with Obama's policies for 4 years, she's been too careful to stay out of the limelight even as Sec. of State. It could well be her last hurrah, and I don't see her wanting America to have their last historic view of her tainted, a failure.
Rachel Maddow had a NYT columnist on her show a couple nights back. The whole focus was on a few Republican candidates that have said at least one undesirable thing that they could point to and laugh at. The theme being that the Republicans are giving the gift back to the Dems so to speak, because they can't get their shit together and put up good candidates. Of course they only focused on about 3 Repubs, out of lots of them running.
The NYT columnist also made one comment that stayed with me, she sort of sneering said that within a couple weeks they'd have political commercials everywhere, and that would take care of things. The sense was that the Dems had a lot more money ammo for commericials etc... than the GOP candidates. Is that possible, Wayne?
@KFlippin...You make good points on Hilary which I considered. In a way, she is between a rock and a hard place that would almost say that she would be better off to jump ship and go to the Republican side if they would have her. She is at risk either by taking the VP slot and suffering the taint or by risking a drop out for four years prior to the 2016 elections. Of course she could challenge Obama in 2012 for the nomination but I really do not see that as playing well with her. In terms of money, I think it is reasonable to assume the Democratic coffers will be well-oiled for several reasons. One...the 26 billion dollars of additional stimulus, 10 of which went to support teachers and government workers jobs. There will be union money flowing back into the Party for those favors. Soros will continue to funnel money through the backdoor of his operations. His family alone was the largest contributor to Obama's election and that did not include what he received from Soros' special interest groups. Although the Republicans are always painted as the elite, rich kids on the block, the Dems have the locks on union money and a lot of self-interest money like the American Bar Association...you'll notice there was not tort reform in the down your throat healthcare initiative. The Republicans fall short too often at the national level in trotting out good candidates...they failed miserably with McCain and in too many cases they fail to act when the opportunity is there. Right now, I think their biggest problem on the national level is finding a viable candidate. I think they have one in Rick Perry, the governor here in Texas but no one seems to be pushing him. A Perry/Palin ticket could be viable as could a ticker with Perry and the current Arizona governor but I have not heard talk of that on any level which is disappointing. Thanks for the good comments! WB
Love your choice of songs - Don't Bring Me Down! Isn't it just the truth? Something's gotta give and I fear that if it doesn't, he will never be reelected though it seems like one administration slips seamlessly into the next and the problems just keep getting bigger!
I do think that it's been so unfair for the Obama bashers to continually rag on him and all that he is faced with but then that would be the world today. He certainly did not get us into this mess, and until our government as a whole decides to sit up and do something for our country besides pad their own pockets, I truly think it is rather hopeless...and I'm an optimist!
Anyhow - good thoughts and I hope to heaven they DO put Hillary on the ticket. It couldn't hurt! I just worry about the song 'Don't Bring Me Down' as I fear if we do not get this thing working soon, it will be the end of America as we know it.
Well written and great points!
@akirchner...Thanks much for the good comments and I am glad you liked the song choice. The Animals are one of my favorite groups from the 60's era...they really did a superb job of incorporating the keyboard into their music! WB
Wayne,
I'm afraid that Obama will have the greater issue of sharing a ticket with Hillary than the other way around. He doesn't care for strong women or women that are smarter than he is. Hillary is not only smarter she's a strategist. She has her reasons for how she goes about things, don't always agree with them, but she has an idea of where she's going and how to get there.
A few months ago both Hillary and Bill stated that she would not run against Obama in 2012 because she had already seen the ad mock-ups for his campaign. She revealed that his campaign will play a major race card implying that anyone running against him in 2012 is obviously a racist and therefore cannot be trusted in office. I think that type of campaign will backfire, but who am I to say. The Republicans may be searching for someone who can fight off that type of attack. Personally, I think for once in history the individual states should ease up a little on their ticket requirements so that an Independent can successfully make it to the Presidential ballot.
It's time that the government be run like a business was run in the fifties, with honor, integrity, and a concern for its employees and product. It may be painful for the American public for a few years but I believe we can live through it. Besides if you listen to the rumor mill, Obama is going to set of nukes in our own backyard anyway to make sure he can maintain control.
Regardless of what Obama does, it may resolve itself. N.Korea has announced that they have successfully created and tested an EM bomb. My son has told me that even though it has not made the news, N.Korea has successful delivered their test missiles to our eastern shores and are only about a mile shy on our western shores. They are closer than most people realize. If N. Korea succeeds in one fashion or the other a 2012 election might be mute because we will all be under Marshall law anyway.
I don't know that government can be fixed through either party at this stage. It may take a complete house cleaning and starting with small time, virtually unknowns with new blood, ideals, and a desire to do good to fix the current mess.
I like how sum things up in the article. As always, a pleasure to see your point of view.
@C.A. Johnson....Great comments and good prespectives! This country will do well to survive four years of Obama especially if the Congress does not make a more shift toward a conservative majority. Eight years is unthinkable and I agree that the 2016 elections probably would be suspect as I could see us under marshal law by then if he is around. I agree with you on a race card strategy although at this point I don't see that he has anything else that he can point toward. I would think he would pursue an avenue of "class envy" and "class warfare" as his objective appears to be a total breakdown of the American culture anyway. All out class warfare would be a great way to get there. On the conservative side, I think Texas governor Rick Perry has the smarts, the record, and the cool to kick his ass real good and he can bridge the split in the Republican party between the religious right and the conservative majority. Few candidates can do that on the conservative side. Huckabee is another who I believe has the smarts and the vision to lead America home but I am not sure he can rally the party behind him as we have already seen in the primary for the last election. Huckabee is an honest politician but I think he has run out of stomach for the job. We'll have to see, regardless Obama must go and he must go in 2012. Thanks. WB
I can't see anyone named Clinton or Bush ever being elected President again, even if he or she is best for the job. And the longer Hillary is affiliated with this incompetent administration, the less chance she has of being elected for ANYTHING.
@garynew...The Obama name is rapidly closing on both Clinton and Bush as a bad word. If the mid-terms do not shut down his legislation avenue, he will earn the top slot in his first four years. God help us if he has a second term. Thanks Gary! WB
I guess this is the fork in the road. The facts are Bush and Obama are related. To vote for either one or a replacement from Democrats or Republicans is pure folly. These "leaders" are without doubt- on the same team. We are serial numbers for the Rothschilds, etc. There will be no change. There is only an hallucination of a change. He won't have a second term. The mongers won't stand for it. Many people won't really know why "to hate" but they will. A new puppet administration will be delegated for us to vote on. America and the world will swing from right to left and never move a bubble from the money and corporations that rule this world. I could bring up the past of United Fruit Company. I could bring up hundreds of thousands of people killed in East Timor by Indonesia with M16s made in the US. I could go on and on and list books to read for folks to get off the Obama hate wagon and onto the Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama hate wagon but then- our dictatorship is so cute and cuddly and all the news media (owned by the same owners) give us the freshest and sweetest homogenized news to support the prettiest dictatorship in the world. Thank you Wayne for the hub and for the opportunity to say- it's the Titanic folks.
@Micky Dee...there's a part of me that feels the same way yet I suppose there is little we can really do about it. It's like that dark area where good and evil meet and form a seem. The CIA is not the Mafia but it is difficult to tell where one ends and the other starts in many areas. Power and money corrupt all that is human. The founders of this country never intended Congress to remain in session year round. I think that is the basis for many of our problems...they are there so why not pass a law or spend some money. I appreciate the good coments Micky! Thanks for stopping in. WB
Pres Obama's best hope is to remind America of the mess the highly disrespected Republican President before him put the whole country in and ask them repeated if they are ready to go back to that and give the GOP another chance to make the rich richer and the middle class poor. The next year will be a test of just how stupid the modern electorate is because they deserve what they get. A lot of "bar stool musing" on the internet is what passes for intelligence these days and so the next year will also be a test of HUBs like ours.
@Fiacre...If you really think what we have in the White House right now is anything close to a leader, I suggest you look elsewhere. This man has had three years to show the world something and two of them with a democratic super-majority in Congress. The best he has been able to do is shove a healthcare program through in the middle of the night and spend 5 trillion dollars. The answer to America's problems are not with the government...there's too much of it and he wants to create more...that is headed in the wrong direction and no economy will recover from it. WB
![Reflections on the War in Iraq - Part III: Execution [112c]](http://s2.hubimg.com/u/5919173_50.jpg "Reflections on the War in Iraq - Part III: Execution [112c]")
Tom Whitworth Level 5 Commenter 21 months ago
Wayne,
You hit the issues dead center, a total bull's eye!!!!!!!
I do however think Obama is too much of an ideologue to move to the center, just my opinion!!!!!!!!