Manchurian President?
posted at 9:05 am on March 10, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Most political analysts do well to remember this axiom: avoid assigning to malice what can be explained by incompetence. Kevin Hassett of Bloomberg News wonders whether that applies to Barack Obama and his performance on the economy. Hassett makes the argument that Obama has declared war on business, and that the stumbles of his administration appear calculated for maximum damage:
It is no wonder that markets are imploding around us. Obama is giving us the War on Business.
Imagine that some hypothetical enemy state spent years preparing a “Manchurian Candidate” to destroy the U.S. economy once elected. What policies might that leader pursue?
He might discourage private capital from entering the financial sector by instructing his Treasury secretary to repeatedly promise a brilliant rescue plan, but never actually have one. Private firms, spooked by the thought of what government might do, would shy away from transactions altogether. If the secretary were smooth and played rope-a-dope long enough, the whole financial sector would be gone before voters could demand action.
Another diabolical idea would be to significantly increase taxes on whatever firms are still standing. That would require subterfuge, since increasing tax rates would be too obvious. Our Manchurian Candidate would have plenty of sophisticated ideas on changing the rules to get more revenue without increasing rates, such as auctioning off “permits.”
These steps would create near-term distress. If our Manchurian Candidate leader really wanted to knock the country down for good, he would have to provide insurance against any long-run recovery.
Obama spent plenty of time on the campaign assuring people that he had no hostility towards business and Wall Street, but at best one can say that he had no particular affinity for them, either. Obama came out of an environment of Leftist political and economic thought. It should come as no surprise to anyone who paid attention that he acts on economic policy as someone from that environment would. We’re seeing the Leftist playbook on economics, to the extent we have one at all.
Does that make Obama a “Manchurian candidate”? No. It does make him an elitist who thinks that he and his big-brained buddies can run the economy better than the markets can do themselves, in such a way as to guarantee equality of outcomes. Like others on the American Left, Obama sees the business world as hopelessly warped as long as it produces winners and losers. When he told Joe Wurzelbacher that he wanted to “spread the wealth”, he meant it — and sees that as the role of government, perhaps the primary role of government.
Just as Hassett makes the claim that Obama has crashed the markets on purpose, one can make the case that he’s incompetent — completely out of his league and clinging to his ideology rather than financial acumen. That case is much easier to make, since it doesn’t involve divining intent. We already see the results of Deadbeatonomics, as well as the thoroughly unprepared and outclassed staff of advisers that seem stuck in first gear at Treasury and the White House.
Which interpretation is correct? We’ll find out soon enough, but in the end, it may not matter all that much. Both will take us to the same place, and we have a long time before we can replace Obama. That’s what makes 2010 more important for Republicans.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: 1 2 3 Next »
Treason.
Dorvillian on March 10, 2009 at 9:07 AM
Henlen’s Razor. This is, of course, the president who talked about “profits to earnings” ratios, isn’t he?
Wethal on March 10, 2009 at 9:08 AM
Obama also assured folks that he had a plan to save the economy, and that as soon as he got into office, he’d initiate that plan.
Given Administration’s record, I can see why people would wonder if his plan to save the economy includes the first step of destroying it.
hawksruleva on March 10, 2009 at 9:10 AM
I want to give Bammy the benefit of the doubt.
I believe the market is crashing because he’s ridiculously unqualified and never held a real job in his life until January 20th.
Just like I said before the election.
Maybe by the time the Bed Crapper in Chief gets a handle on things, there will be still a few dozen points left on the Dow Jones.
NoDonkey on March 10, 2009 at 9:10 AM
oh come on. There are smart people out there, Warren Buffett among them, that would tell bambi that what he is doing is wrong. bambi is not taking the advice of any capitalist. what does that tell you? bambi is doing all this on purpose.
any idiot knows you can’t tax yourself out of a recession. duh. and you can’t spend yourself out of debt. and that the stock market doesn’t like uncertainty.
kelley in virginia on March 10, 2009 at 9:11 AM
The Obama administration once again proving that
Artificial intelligence in No match for natural stupidity!
milwife88 on March 10, 2009 at 9:11 AM
Add Manchurian candidate to overly-tired bordering on break-down, and we may have a winning meme.
JiangxiDad on March 10, 2009 at 9:11 AM
We are witnessing incompetence, not an intentional plan to destroy the economy. Just pure incompetence.
jbh45 on March 10, 2009 at 9:12 AM
In the case of The Precedent, it’s a combination of both. The idiot messiah is a stuttering, bumbling nasty person bent on revenge against the Western World, in general. But many of us knew this long before now. Just to reminisce a little …
progressoverpeace on March 10, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Larry Kudlow made the same argument last week. Its a theme that seems to be catching on.
genso on March 10, 2009 at 9:12 AM
The Obama administration once again proving that
Artificial intelligence
inis No match for natural stupidity!milwife88 on March 10, 2009 at 9:12 AM
God. I miss the class act that was George & Laura Bush.
kelley in virginia on March 10, 2009 at 9:13 AM
I notice that when he had the chance to spread his own wealth, he didn’t.
Some animals are more important than others. It will be interesting to what what happens to his own wealth as this goes on.
unclesmrgol on March 10, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Or, rather, to see what happens to his own wealth. sorry.
unclesmrgol on March 10, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Of course, you know that I am just as concerned about the mental health of our beloved President as you. Maybe more. ;)
genso on March 10, 2009 at 9:13 AM
the trick in this game is to convince the public that the problems are all the GOPs fault and he’s trying to ‘fix things’ but they are just so bad, its still the GOP’s fault.
the GOP has to start unloading on Obama to stop this, poll numbers are key.
btw, OF COURSE HE’S A MARXIST. he shared an office for years with William Ayers.
jp on March 10, 2009 at 9:13 AM
The truth is that both are true. Oslime-a is an elitist snob who thinks he knows how to run our lives better than we do. But his strings are being pulled by Emanuel etc. And they are evil to the core.
ObaMcCarthy and EmanuelBergen have established a puppet government.
csdeven on March 10, 2009 at 9:13 AM
Hey Ed,
When the stock market lost close to 4500 points between April 08 and January 09 – all on George Bush’s watch – was that because he did it intentionally, or because he was incompetent?
Or was it Pelosi’s fault? Or was it the market’s fault?
What’s the party line on this?
cornfedbubba on March 10, 2009 at 9:14 AM
good grief people… he hasn’t even had his new employee training yet.. give him some time. We all saw that he needed some more help with distinguishing between doors and windows, as well as the entry height on Marine One. I’m sure he’ll be just fine once he gets around to learning the ropes on the new job.
gatorboy on March 10, 2009 at 9:14 AM
Nobody could really be this stupid. Nobody.
Any thinking person could see BHO’s moves, or lack of them, are designed for maximum effect, psychologically and financially. Sort of like he dropped a daisy-cutter on the financial markets.
And good men, do nothing.
av8tr on March 10, 2009 at 9:14 AM
Did he deliberately ruin the markets? Probably not. Did he deliberately pursue policies that ruined the markets, hoping they’d do the opposite? Yes.
Hard to say really.
ballz2wallz on March 10, 2009 at 9:14 AM
It isn’t in his self interest to crater the markets. The midterm elections are less than 20 months away. A recovery by then is looking less promising which increases the probability of GOP gains in congress.
It would be better for Obama if he got a quick bounce in the economy and then used the resulting high approval for his socialist aims. Even Chavez is finding out that being a socialist dictator is no fun if the coffers are empty.
Conspiracy is possible but incompetence or impotence seems more likely.
dedalus on March 10, 2009 at 9:14 AM
Oh he’s definitely plotting the downfall of the American system. They’d better hang him while they have the chance, or we’ll all be getting reeducation through labor. Its a shame that McCain isn’t president. He’d have the market fixed by now. Or actually Sarah would, McCain would be too busy winning Afghanistan by now. If only we’d elected those 2 instead of Obama, none of the consequences of the Bush era economic policies would be coming back to bite us. None. A real shame this last election was…oh well.
ernesto on March 10, 2009 at 9:14 AM
So which is worse:
1) We have an intelligent Mussolini-lite fascist president, who embraces socialist policies
or
2) We have a clueless, incompetent president
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you’ve got to choose
Every way you look at this you lose.
rbj on March 10, 2009 at 9:14 AM
……You Keep On Talkin’ there BO.
try again later on March 10, 2009 at 9:15 AM
I vote for malevolent incompetence. Covers both bases :)
catlady on March 10, 2009 at 9:15 AM
Obama is the “Control” President
Control your health
Control your energy usage
Control your money
.
.
.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on March 10, 2009 at 9:15 AM
It would be interesting to see where Obambi stashed his cash before taking the oath of office.
sheriff246 on March 10, 2009 at 9:16 AM
Excuse me, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
JP1986UM on March 10, 2009 at 9:16 AM
cornfedbubba: that lost was triggered by bursting housing bubble caused by toxic mortgages. and guess who promoted those mortgages thru fannie & freddie? your own barney frank. i’m afraid the dems can’t run (truthfully) away from that.
kelley in virginia on March 10, 2009 at 9:16 AM
LOL. The guy’s first real job started on Jan 20 AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. That’d be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.
marklmail on March 10, 2009 at 9:16 AM
To be fair, at the end of the article he writes:
eforhan on March 10, 2009 at 9:16 AM
The real implosion of the dollar would probably require martial law to be instituted.
Just sayin’ …
progressoverpeace on March 10, 2009 at 9:17 AM
No, it’s both. In order to implement all his socialist programs, he has to tank the economy. He needs the baby boomers on board the gov’t freebie train as well as the current welfare crowd.
anniekc on March 10, 2009 at 9:18 AM
Indeed, a telling quote. But what does Obamabi think is “best” for the country?
Wethal on March 10, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Not this idiot.
Bammy’s a Harvard Educated idiot you see.
Some people were born idiots. Obama-Mugabe had to work at it.
NoDonkey on March 10, 2009 at 9:20 AM
if bambi wanted what was best for our country, he would move back to indonesia.
kelley in virginia on March 10, 2009 at 9:20 AM
Amazing to me I can read stories like this and not see “George Soros” once. The guy who single-handedly keeps failing liberal ventures afloat with his multi-millions of funding, changes market values world-wide in a day with currency manipulation for his benefit, and has made no secret of his desire for a United Socialist States of America. And now you never see/hear this Great Oz, this old white man behind the Obama shiny grande curtain.
Marcus on March 10, 2009 at 9:20 AM
you all have to admit that joe biden would at least be more entertaining. we could laugh our way into oblivion.
kelley in virginia on March 10, 2009 at 9:21 AM
So Barney Frank and Chris Dodd gets a pass? They are what wrecked the banks with their inane logic. Those two idiots are the start of the bank fall.
grapeknutz on March 10, 2009 at 9:21 AM
What dire times we live in, when Joe Biden looks like the better option.
rbj on March 10, 2009 at 9:24 AM
I vote that he deliberately tanked the economy. He’ll be very suprised at the backlash, though. Americans will rise, as they always do, to this occasion. This guy is sociopathic, creepy, deceptive and incompetent on top of it all. Nice going, America.
zeebeach on March 10, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Recessions happen. The economy corrects its mistakes and moves on. This is not your run-of-the-mill recession though, it’s govt purposefully destroying wealth.
There’s a big difference between normal wear and tear, and vandalism: even if the effect is pretty much the same.
Akzed on March 10, 2009 at 9:24 AM
Sorry, I just can’t except the premise.
I can’t associate Obama with any label containing the word Man within it.
fogw on March 10, 2009 at 9:24 AM
I do not care if Obama is just plain ignorant, or is so enamored with his new digs that the little people just don’t count, or if he was reprogrammed as a ten-year-old by an evil genius living in the mountains of the Golden Triangle…
That stuff, I really do not care about.
What I do care about is that he is the President of the United States…has been for 50 days…and he is working hard…working very hard…working to put down any and all opposition to Him, and is engaging the US Government, on taxpayer time and money, to silence his critics.
I also care about the stupidity of the populace, those voters who elected Obama on a Hope and a prayer, or out of malice, or guilt, or who were more intent on getting their “fair share” of the American Pie, as it were, so they could legally steal from those who earned it…and all of this with the current and unabashed approval and encouragement of the President of the United States.
Unfortunately, ya can’t fix stupid….or maybe you can. A 2×4 placed at high velocity across their brow might just get their attention. Maybe when enough “promises” turn to dust…or a bloody mess at our feet…these fools might take notice and maybe start to think about who it was who elected Obama in the first place.
Obama’s popularity is still high…while his policies are panning less so…what does this tell us?
Stupidity and love rule over logic and hard fact.
Obama the Manchurian Candidate?
J.F. Kerry, certainly was.
But, Obama?
Take your pick:
– Stupid,
– Ego-driven,
– Hates anything that smacks of “white” America,
– To scared to confront his “advisors” and handlers,
– Willing to party and spend his four years campaigning instead of actually taking responsibility for things that happen on His watch,
– No morale backbone whatever,
– The list is endless (as is this post).
coldwarrior on March 10, 2009 at 9:26 AM
I still can’t believe he’s intentionally doing this. He may not give a crap because he thinks the economy will eventually repair itself regardless(and he’d be wrong about that incidentally), but I don’t buy that this is on purpose.
Doughboy on March 10, 2009 at 9:26 AM
That’s the problem. 53% of the voters either didn’t pay attention or willfully blindfolded themselves. The information was out there, despite the MSM blackout. You can’t say that the right-wing blogosphere, talk radio, and other outlets didn’t try to warn people – they did. It’s that people weren’t listening. The independant vote that McCain was supposed to get was too enamored with being able to brag about voting for the black guy.
crazy_legs on March 10, 2009 at 9:26 AM
“It’s clear that President Obama wants the best for our country.”
*
This sticks out like a sore thumb. Based on his current course, I see no evidence of this. I only see evidence that he wants to pervert what America has stood for for hundreds of hears.
marklmail on March 10, 2009 at 9:26 AM
They got what they voted for…
Static on March 10, 2009 at 9:27 AM
As bad as the spending was during his admin. (much of that on a mishandled war that needed to be won) I think we;ll al be long for the “good ol’ day” soon enough if not already.
Yakko77 on March 10, 2009 at 9:29 AM
A true Manchurian Candidate would be programmed better right? Either way, we should have realized something was wrong when he was channeling Chairman Mao just prior to ascending to the Presidency.
econavenger on March 10, 2009 at 9:29 AM
Unfortunately they can lie and run away from it. The MSM allows Obama to continually say, “we inherited this economic mess.” The implication is that it was inherited from the Bush Administration. Obama would never say “we inherited this economic mess due to the irresponisbility of the Democrats in Congress like Barney Frank” and the media will never call him on that.
sdd on March 10, 2009 at 9:29 AM
But you have to understand that most people don’t read newspapers or sites like Hot Air or watch hours of cable news programming. Hell, most people probably don’t even sit through the half-hour nightly newscasts. They get their information through 10-second soundbites, or entertainment shows and magazines, or from talking to their friends. We have a lazy, ignorant, selfish, uninformed populus. It shouldn’t come as a shock that their leaders wind up having the same traits.
Doughboy on March 10, 2009 at 9:30 AM
A couple of things: Probably giving BarryO a little too much credit. I really think he believes honestly in his socialist utopia, and honestly thinks that he can harmlessly bring it about.
But, the problem comes from a fatal misunderstanding of government’s role in a private capital-based economy that for some reason most people have fallen for. Everyone SHOULD understand that a President cannot raise, lower, or modify taxes on their own, nor can they spend spend any significant amount of government funds unilaterally. That is Congress’ role, and can be influenced or proposed by presidents, but that is all.
As for the end results, government can’t really do much besides set tax rates, and pass laws regulating how businesses operate. And those regulations NEVER make it easier to operate, always harder and more expensive. Which of course, hurts the economy.
But everyone seems to believe that the magical powers of the White House control every up and down in the Dow Tracking Poll, and why, my goodness, the only thing missing is taking tax rates back to where they were during the Clinton Adminstration (Higher!), and by golly gee, weren’t things pretty hunky-dory back then? And Barry O seems to either be taking full advantage of that ignorance, or, in some twisted way, actually believe it himself.
It appears that Phil Gramm was right; we have become a nation of crybabies who want to be taken care of by our ever-lovin’ government!
JamesLee on March 10, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Nobody really wants to believe in a conspiracy, and that’s the problem, it’s usually too late. Friends of William Ayers would be proud.
kirkill on March 10, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Oops, meant to reply to this in my post above,
Yakko77 on March 10, 2009 at 9:30 AM
Obama has lied consistently since being in office. Since employers do not have to E-Verify workers, over 300,000 jobs created by the the taxpayer paid stimulus plan will go to illegal immigrants. By sending billions to Acorn, flooding the voter registrations with illegal aliens and forcing the middle class to their knees, Obama is mandating that the dims never relinquish their power again.
volsense on March 10, 2009 at 9:31 AM
BUFFETT: Well, I was going to mention to Joe that you’ve heard this comment recently from some Democrats recently that a `crisis is a terrible thing to waste.’
Nothing else needs to be said… This says it all!
Keemo on March 10, 2009 at 9:32 AM
I don’t see where he is doing one thing that he didn’t
warnpromise he’d do. All of the businesses in our small town fought tooth and nail to try to stop ‘him’ from happening, to no avail of course.*I* own one of those small businesses and as a direct result of all the lay-offs and cut backs (businesses ‘girding their loins’) I’ve had a disastrous first quarter!
He may not know what he’s doing, but I believe he knows WHY!
DanaSmiles on March 10, 2009 at 9:33 AM
And since a socialist republic is what he believes is the best, off the cliff we go…
kirkill on March 10, 2009 at 9:33 AM
Geez, 60+ posts already, and still no sign of our Kos Kid. Must be getting his daily talking points.
Del Dolemonte on March 10, 2009 at 9:34 AM
First time in American history the American people put a President on trial for treason before or after his term is up.
Did he not swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution?
“Words… just words”
katy on March 10, 2009 at 9:35 AM
I’ve wondered this myself – Is Hussein destroying the economy in order to rescue it?
Well, as he likes to claim, he taught constitutional law. He hasn’t a clue about economics.
Maybe instead of befriending all of those radicals that Wickapedia is trying to sterilize, he should have paid more attention to his economics classes.
madmonkphotog on March 10, 2009 at 9:35 AM
he said he wanted to spread the wealth around. he said that on live TV to Joe the Plumber.
it really doesn’t matter whether he wants to turn us into a socialist country (or make us more socialist) or is just doing all this because he doesn’t know what else to do. its happening nevertheless. and we need to stop it.
kelley in virginia on March 10, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Wow. This guy Hasset has a major pair. I’ll tell you why: putting the new prez’s incompetence aside, Hasset puts to print in a widely read financial publication what millions of angry and frightened people have been feeling, thinking, seeing with their own eyes but don’t have the courage to broach for fear of being burned alive at the stake for heresy.
I hate to think of the onslaught of hate mail this Hasset will get. I’ve noticed many callers to radio shows like Hannity, Limbaugh, Levin etc. have been expressing this sentiment for some time now, though Hannity doesn’t seem to want to hear it–he actually told a woman yesterday he doesn’t agree with her on this being calculated. (he’s def in the incompetence school right now or doesn’t want any flak). It’s dangerous to assume incompetence. Dangerous I tell ya.
RepubChica on March 10, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Wow Ed, is it really taking you this long to start talking about this topic?
It is blatantly obvious all of this is deliberate. Of course Obama and his friends are trying to destroy everything they can in order to push through their Marxist policies.
Riposte on March 10, 2009 at 9:36 AM
“A man came up to me and said:
‘I’d like to poison your mind,
with wrong ideals that appeal to you,
though I am not unkind.’”
***
Check his premises. He’s got the whole imported-from-Russia ‘the rich hurt the poor’ socialist mindset.
I’m not sure if he thinks he has the best interests in America as a whole in mind–he may be willing to see America hurt as some kind of justice for imagined crimes.
Count to 10 on March 10, 2009 at 9:36 AM
On the other hand, a case could be made that he’s a Manchurian Candidate from the Public School System …
eforhan on March 10, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Our President is doing a wonderful job.
Afer all this is a bush depression.
/getalife
carbon_footprint on March 10, 2009 at 9:36 AM
The definition of Misfeasance is screwing things up because you are incompetent.
The definition of Malfeasance is screwing things up because you have a malicious intent.
The Obama administration? Looks to me like a textbook example of both at once.
Mr. Grump on March 10, 2009 at 9:37 AM
By the time he and the gang are through with it, we won’t recognize it.
DanaSmiles on March 10, 2009 at 9:38 AM
Maybe he is working for Colonel Juma
blatantblue on March 10, 2009 at 9:38 AM
the argument on the side of incompetence is this: would a Manchurian Candidate ever be too tired to promulgate the wreck & ruin of our country?
he’s just too tired to be polite to our best ally. that shows a definite lack of raising.
kelley in virginia on March 10, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Yeah, just waiting for sethstorm or getalife to drop by and chant “corporations are evil.”
Count to 10 on March 10, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Do you consider a Marxist stupid?
faraway on March 10, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Obama only attended elite private schools
faraway on March 10, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Or from the University system. But in that direction.
Count to 10 on March 10, 2009 at 9:41 AM
I agree – sounds like incompetence.
The Democrat party gave us the ‘War on Poverty’ (as Ann Coulter said: “how’d that work out?”). Maybe Republicans can use the slogan “War on Business” against the Dems. Has a nice ring to it.
neato on March 10, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Count to 10 on March 10, 2009 at 9:39 AM
Those two worthless POS don’t even have to show up here and they still get play time.
Keemo on March 10, 2009 at 9:41 AM
From each, more than he can afford; to each, what he hasn’t earned.
whitetop on March 10, 2009 at 9:41 AM
That’s the elephant in the living room, isn’t it?
Why were banks and lending institutions threatened with shutdowns, or civil suits, if they did not make high-risk loans, or loans without documentation, to a large segment of the population who should not have been permitted under proper banking and accounting procedures to obtain a mortgage in the first place?
Which Party demanded that all regulations and prudent lending practices be tossed aside so these risky loans could be made?
Which Party insisted that there was nothing wrong with lending to those who never in their lives established any sort of credit, or had lousy credit?
Which Party insisted that Freddie and Fanny backstop these loans, thus giving them the imprimater of the USG and making the buying and selling of these loans an accepted financial practice? [John Edwards made millions as an advisor to a hedge fund...a hedge fund built on the buying and selling of risky loans.]
Which Party prevented oversight, intereferred with oversight, or stood in the way, en mass, when a President tried several times to stop these shady practices?
Unfortunately, we have as President, a former lawyer who made his name pushing through these previously unaccepteable lending practices, calling any person who opposed them as racist, and who actively sought and maintains the support of ACORN, the primary organization responsible for pushing the Dems to build this house of cards..largely with US taxpayer money.
Obama and his minions (along with Barney and Maxie, and Chris, and a host of other Dems) were super-active in causing the problem.
Does anyone really think any of them will be pro-active in solving the problem? Obama included?
South Chicago will become a tropical paradise long before that happens.
coldwarrior on March 10, 2009 at 9:43 AM
If you click on the link and read the full article, Hasset is very carefully framing this as a hypothetical but nonetheless succeeds in scaring the shit out of the reader. The last line of the article is pure CMOA (cover my own ass) funny:
It’s clear that President Obama wants the best for our country. That makes it all the more puzzling that he would legislate like a Manchurian Candidate.
LoL. Yeah, as clear as a muddy river after a storm.
RepubChica on March 10, 2009 at 9:43 AM
Obama himself is an incompetent lightweight. Which works out realy well for the people who pull his strings who have set out to destroy our economy – and our society – deliberately.
patriette on March 10, 2009 at 9:43 AM
David Horowitz just released his new book with mind blowing research on this very subject. Very telling, and very chilling.
Keemo on March 10, 2009 at 9:43 AM
Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright are really feeling proud now.
Dire Straits on March 10, 2009 at 9:43 AM
Has he issued Directive 10-289 yet?
Daft Punk on March 10, 2009 at 9:44 AM
D’oh. I should have done my research. Thanks.
eforhan on March 10, 2009 at 9:45 AM
On our dime I might add… Affirmative Action
Keemo on March 10, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Obama has accomplished the impossible.
He’s making me yearn for the Clintons.
Luis Gonzalez on March 10, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Which was exactly my point. The information was out there for anyone with an internet connection and access to Google. But the 53% were either hard-core leftists, too lazy to Google, or knew but willingly blinded themselves so they could vote for the black guy and feel better about themselves.
crazy_legs on March 10, 2009 at 9:46 AM
I read the justified sarcasm in that comment and I have to say I agree with you totally. I don’t believe for a minute he’s ruining the economy on purpose. I think he’s just an incompetent idiot.
hawkdriver on March 10, 2009 at 9:47 AM
He went to public school in Indonesia, though. They had the best Koran instruction, I think.
progressoverpeace on March 10, 2009 at 9:47 AM
I’ve been thinking this for a while now. What better way to redistribute wealth, but destroy what the “haves” have achieved? What better way to set up a government take-over of retirement accounts?
As for douche bags like Warren Buffett, I can only believe that it is white guilt causing his brand of elites to not take a stand against the saboteur in the White House – after all, “we can’t criticize him because he is BLACK.”
What other reason could there be for NOT speaking up about the utter incompetence we are witnessing?
Simply stand on principle, and call a spade what it is.
singlemalt_18 on March 10, 2009 at 9:48 AM
Obama acts/reacts as expected.
regal on March 10, 2009 at 9:49 AM
Well, at least David Brooks, (in his new “Axelrod re-programed state of mind), might be inclined to support hawks supposition:
“If the free market party doesn’t offer the public an honest appraisal of capitalism’s weaknesses, the public will never trust it to address them. Power will inevitably slide over to those who believe this crisis is a repudiation of global capitalism as a whole.” link
Brooks, who described himself as a moderate-conservative before he was “taken to a woodshed”, now finds capitalism as a questionable source to rely on. So, what’s the next trillion dollar question Mr. Brooks???? Did Axelrod give you any insight on how bankrupting the economy was just the first step in the liberal socialist process?
Rovin on March 10, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Two good posts this morning Ed. Good to see the discussion shift from dissecting Limbaugh’s words to real life issues. Not that you were guilty of that my friend; just sayin…
Keemo on March 10, 2009 at 9:51 AM
Raymond ShawBarrack Obama is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life.TugboatPhil on March 10, 2009 at 9:51 AM
Narcissism defines his policies. He expected his mere presence to heal the market. He is getting real time evidence that his ideas are flat out wrong, yet he cannot accept what his eyes see. Instead he blames “greedy” investors for not pitching their money into a black hole.
bitsy on March 10, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Comment pages: 1 2 3 Next »