Even Obama supporters worried about White House incompetence
posted at 9:37 am on March 16, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
I guess we can officially say that the honeymoon’s over. The New York Daily News, not exactly a pillar of conservative thought, finds itself wondering aloud about whether Barack Obama and his team have the competence to lead the nation. The whispers have grown into a chorus:
Not long ago, after a string of especially bad days for the Obama administration, a veteran Democratic pol approached me with a pained look on his face and asked, “Do you think they know what they’re doing?”
The question caught me off guard because the man is a well-known Obama supporter. As we talked, I quickly realized his asking suggested his own considerable doubts.
Yes, it’s early, but an eerily familiar feeling is spreading across party lines and seeping into the national conversation. It’s a nagging doubt about the competency of the White House.
Well, what did people expect? For the first time in decades and perhaps ever, America chose a President without executive experience in the public or private sectors, and without military command experience. If people expected smooth performance and cool competence from that kind of resume, then the best that can be said about them is that they indulged in self-delusion on a massive scale.
For the rest of us, this comes as no surprise at all. The failed appointments have managed to be less embarrassing than the ones that “succeeded”, such as Tim Geithner and Vivek Kundra. The administration keeps promising plans that never get delivered, and Obama all but abdicated to Nancy Pelosi during the Porkulus debacle. And that doesn’t even begin to cover Obama’s embarrassing performance during Gordon Brown’s visit, and Hillary Clinton’s shameful “I don’t understand multiparty democracy” tour at the EU.
Obama is in over his head, and so are his closest aides, such as Geithner, Hillary, and the entire team. The best we can hope is that on-the-job training can work quickly.
Update: Worse than Bush? Kevin McCullough makes that argument in his weekly column.
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Sigh, he said we recover this year and next year it picks up steam.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:08 PM
So the “Bush Depression” isn’t quite over, because if it were over the job losses wouldn’t continue at their precipitous rate and Summers wouldn’t be opining that no body knows if it’s over.
Keep refining things though, it’s a good mental exercise for you; the brain stays sharper and all that.
Bishop on March 16, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Bishop on March 16, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Recovery.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:14 PM
You mean the pimply faced guy who just learned to operate the french fry machine at McDonald’s, isn’t yet qualified to be CEO?
Then why did we elect the Community Organizer President? Isn’t the CEO of USA Inc., more important than a guy who peddles substandard hamburgers?
NoDonkey on March 16, 2009 at 12:14 PM
The only thing he truly cares about is turning us into the USSR of A.
Wyznowski on March 16, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Ah, a tin foil hat becker.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:15 PM
And your point is what?
fogw on March 16, 2009 at 12:16 PM
fogw on March 16, 2009 at 12:16 PM
Audit the wealthy for those.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Good! Now Obammy has to sustain that and positive GDP growth for two whole quarters and we’ll officially be out of a “recession”.
The Dow is will assuredly fall flat again very soon when the Porkulous I, II, III, and soon to be IV fall flat. We haven’t hit bottom yet folks…and Barry knows it.
Wyznowski on March 16, 2009 at 12:18 PM
The Dow will drop 2,000 points if he gets Card Check enacted and another 2,000 if he gets Cap and Trade.
If he wants a real stimulus, Bammy can speechify on dropping both of those idiotic ideas.
NoDonkey on March 16, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Wyznowski on March 16, 2009 at 12:18 PM
I think his budget projects GDP growth.
The gop will not bother to propose an alternative budget.
They have thrown in the towel on his budget.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Gold foil actually…it serves as head protection AND a better investment than the Dow.
Wyznowski on March 16, 2009 at 12:20 PM
Gotta hand it to Bubba, Barry is truly the biggest fairy tale ever seen.
Christien on March 16, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Wyznowski on March 16, 2009 at 12:20 PM
I think a will coin this abbreviation:
TFHB=Tin Foil Hat Becker
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:22 PM
And what does that have to do with Geithner shelling out billions of dollars to the wealthiest of Americans, at the taxpayers expense.
So now, after the horse is out of the barn, you want Turbo Tax to start looking into the books of the companies he doled out a quarter of a billion bucks to.
You’re a silly person.
fogw on March 16, 2009 at 12:24 PM
I don’t think we’ve seen the bottom yet either. It is interesting though, that the right has been correct since the beginning of the one’s presidency. All the idiot has to do is speak positively and the Dow will follow.
Frankly, though, I think any health care plan is what will ultimately tank the Dow.
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 12:25 PM
fogw on March 16, 2009 at 12:24 PM
I think they will address the too big to fail issue.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Based on what, lawsuits, porn peddling and trust fund income, the only three things Democrats are good at producing?
Because if he gives more power to the unions, our future can be seen today in Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo and a variety of other craphole cities the Democrat Party and the unions, ran into the ground.
Extending these dumb ideas to the rest of the country is no way to turn things around.
NoDonkey on March 16, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I get chicks all the time using that argument and believe me, it works.
NoDonkey on March 16, 2009 at 12:28 PM
He advocated conceding Iraq to al Qaeda and Iran even when it was obvious that victory over al Qaeda and pacification were in sight. Prior to that we learned that he was mentored by Ayers and Wright.
He is governing exactly as I expected. The only surprise is that he kept Gates as Sec Def.
The best we can hope for is that his smug arrogance will be replaced by indecision before he does any more damage. The notion that he has a clue how to fix the economy is hilarious.
Basilsbest on March 16, 2009 at 12:29 PM
NoDonkey on March 16, 2009 at 12:27 PM
TFHB.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Basilsbest on March 16, 2009 at 12:29 PM
Dow up 120.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:30 PM
While average Americans continue to lose jobs in record amounts.
Perhaps you guys should stop caring so much about Wall Street and focus on Main Street?
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 12:32 PM
If Barry was competent, there would be no need for his shills to infest Hot Air. Their mere presence here proves the original premise of this thread.
Christien on March 16, 2009 at 12:34 PM
The telepromter Prez and the deer in the headlights Geitner are talking about their grand plans on the boob tube right now………….and it looks like a circus.
Knucklehead on March 16, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Good point but have to wait on the new unemployment figures.
Any more layoffs today?
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:35 PM
Watching this administration is like watching a Mel Brooks movie.
Guess who plays the Sheriff.
Y-not on March 16, 2009 at 12:36 PM
The Dow needs to get back over 10,000 before any number there is good news. Watching the Dow has become my new source of entertainment but there is no way it is the end of the bad news until unemployment is flat or declines.
Not going to happen, getalife. Do you know why?
Because people are scared shitless of what the administration of children is going to do next.
Wait until the next terror attack.
Don’t count your chickens, although while Obama is talking positive the Dow will rise.
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 12:37 PM
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 12:37 PM
TFHB.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Right, getalife. Good comeback. You are the smart one.
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 12:40 PM
We’ve already heard all we need to hear about Obama.
Say hello to the other fish for me.
fogw on March 16, 2009 at 12:40 PM
No you frakking moron, your Precedent gave a speech and all layoffs have ceased. I try not to lift your rock, but sometimes you are insufferably ignorant. From this day forward all jobs are safe and it will be illegal to release employees from their positions. Let it be written. Let it be done!
signed
Precedent Obortion
thomasaur on March 16, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Now that the ‘Bush Depression’ (shortest and shallowest in history apparently) is over, all that comes next is Obama’s responsibility, right?
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Last Thursday’s weekly unemployment benefits rose again., Rolling average is 650,000. It needs to be below 400,000 to get job creation back.
Im thrilled that the Dow has stopped falling as well and I have no doubt the Stimulus plan will do some good in the near term… but what were seeing here is the market responding to news starting to come in thats not as bad. The money from the Stimulus doesnt hit households till April 1.
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 12:44 PM
No experience.
No accomplishments.
No resume.
Would anyone here with any business knowledge hired Obama to run a department much less your company?
jukin on March 16, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Hence, the term recovery.
Chin up Americans.
Turn off the Beck and Rush comedy shows.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:47 PM
OK, getalife.
Let’s say this is recovery. Congratulations. Anything from today on out can not be blame on GWB then, right?
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 12:48 PM
blamed
sorry
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 12:49 PM
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 12:48 PM
The honeymmon ended on day one with the rush attacks.
New abbreviation:
RTF=Rush To Failure.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:50 PM
Well, they haven’t totally announced it, but drug company Roche said late Friday that they are laying off 1500 people at their campus in Nutley New Jersey, which has been there for 80 years.
Oh, and the Fed announced this morning that industrial production was down in February.
Del Dolemonte on March 16, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Here’s one for ya…
CSGWFO = cum sucking gutter whores for obama
(Sorry AP, ban me if you must…I couldn’t take it anymore.)
Wyznowski on March 16, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Wyznowski on March 16, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Dude.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Unemployment is projected to rise for a year or 2 and GDP just fell by a massive 6%.
Dow goes up when people get laid off because investers like cost cutting.
Very odd you suddenly starting using this as a measurement. It’s more like something the GOP would do.
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 12:53 PM
1 + 1
Don’t expect an answer in the form of a direct response. Expect something more like this ……. Bush lied about Mission Accomplished.
fogw on March 16, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Note that getalife is online and posting like an SMG with the trigger held down.
One can only assume that the french-fry unit is down for repairs today.
Yoop on March 16, 2009 at 12:55 PM
I don’t. I wrote more sophisticated programs on my C64 back in the 80s.
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 12:57 PM
SNAP!
ladyingray on March 16, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Yes, they use it as a forward thinking argument and so will I.
Just to be fair.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Sorry, but that abbreviation is already used, and no doubt is already legally owned, by two separate entities.
Microsoft uses RTF to describe their Rich Text Format.
And RTF is also the official abbreviated name for the jazz fusion band Return to Forever, which reunited in 2008. Their live CD from the tour will be coming out tomorrow.
Del Dolemonte on March 16, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Del Dolemonte on March 16, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Did you know GFY can mean Good For You?
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:01 PM
So what is the grand new Obama plan for businesses? Sorry I missed it while Obama was cowtowing to AIG (making excuses for them) saying Liddy didnt take control until after the TARP money… Then I was busy reading the new link up that says that AIG is using American taxpayer monies to bail out foreign banks and my head spun around…Anyone know what was laid out?
Was it something along the lines of giving the banks more money to lend to the small businesses? Wow
canditaylor68 on March 16, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Don’t listen too closely canditaylor68. Didn’t you get the memo from your nearest obamatron? Obama is succeeding. That is all you need to know.
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 1:05 PM
What does that mean?
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:06 PM
I see you use tools. Can you also make tools?
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:07 PM
canditaylor68 on March 16, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Good for you for bringing up the AIG bonuses. The President and many Americans are outraged but cons are against the only solution. Full socialization, fire them and sell off the company.
So is the President.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:06 PM
Sorry, the Dow was used as a forward thinking indicator and so will I.
Looking at the Dow, the future is looking better don’t ya think?
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:12 PM
Why worry about competence? Just spend our grandkids’ money – isn’t that how the Dems govern?
Cinday Blackburn on March 16, 2009 at 1:12 PM
No you are wrong Getalife. Stop giving them money that is the only real solution.
canditaylor68 on March 16, 2009 at 1:12 PM
So in fact you are a socialist then?
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:12 PM
How about bankruptcy, and a judge decides the fate of the bonus contracts?
ladyingray on March 16, 2009 at 1:13 PM
Death to Media Hacks said “Obama’s unveiling a pro-small business plan today, chances hot air will cover it?”
No Idea what Hot Air will do but is this sorta like the plan to help small farmers, small ranchers and farmers markets announced in his speech yesterday.
chemman on March 16, 2009 at 1:13 PM
canditaylor68 on March 16, 2009 at 1:12 PM
Then you lose the money already invested and many more jobs.
It’s a mess but letting them fail has been taken off the table.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:16 PM
I cant exactly get excited about one week up when the Dow is still at 50% off its high.
Lets see what the Dow does when the next unemployment figures come out, then GDP, then the deficit, then inflation.
Obama’s short term solutions will have long term pain. $2 trillion deficits that are 12-15% of GDP are completely new territory for our country. Dont think thats not going to leave a permanent mark.
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:18 PM
I think he will address the deficits in his next term.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:20 PM
I wouldn’t hire Obama to run a LEMONADE STAND. He has proven that the only thing he’s good at running is HIS MOUTH.
NightmareOnKStreet on March 16, 2009 at 1:20 PM
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:12 PM
We are capitalists in good times and socialists in bad.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:21 PM
What’s the plan?
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:22 PM
Is the Iraq War over yet? Why aren’t ANSWER and MoveOn protesting? Seems every month they were complaining about it until November of last year. I wonder why…..
Speedwagon82 on March 16, 2009 at 1:22 PM
We hate our country unless a Democrat is in office.
carbon_footprint on March 16, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Henceforth, ALL RESULTS belong to Barry and his merry band of failures.
No more blaming Bush. Seems reasonable.
Yoop on March 16, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:22 PM
I am sure his stump speeches will cover it in the next cycle.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:24 PM
Wow the incompetence cup runneth over for the Obama administration. Now they have sent the dogs on AIG execs. This is a very fine line the Obama administration is playing with contracts and the rule of law is the glue that holds the American economy together. This populist witchhunt against AIG is misplaced bigtime esp when our own government gave them the funds no questions asked, and now they want to rewrite contracts and history.
canditaylor68 on March 16, 2009 at 1:24 PM
carbon_footprint on March 16, 2009 at 1:23 PM
Never ever hate our country,
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:24 PM
canditaylor68 on March 16, 2009 at 1:24 PM
There ya go again.
AIG is the victim?
Come on.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:25 PM
getalife is a parody.
Well done.
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Looking forward to that. His numbers so far have been pretty suspect.
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:26 PM
Look pretty good to me.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:27 PM
I’m sure there’s a getalife in this pond that likes shiny things. If I could just get it to bite I’ve got dinner! getalife bite my lure!
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:28 PM
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:28 PM
I think many are biting my lure.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Not very consistent. What are you right now?
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:32 PM
About the same as him taking a new puppy into the White House. There will be piles of crap all over the place for somebody else to pick up.
Barry: “I didn’t know puppies pooped so much.”
Yoop on March 16, 2009 at 1:32 PM
Of course, it is like shooting fish in a barrel.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:32 PM
OK einstein.. Here are some fourth grade math questions for you.
1. Is 9600 Greater than or less than 7325?? Think hard now.. I know it’s a strain for your brain.. Ok.. here is the answer. 9600 IS greater than 7325. 9600 is about where we were on Nov 4th. It’s been a downhill slide ever since your jugeared jackass got elected.
2. Is 12,000 greater than or less than 7325?? Now, I realize you have to think about that for a while because, for you, those are Biiiiiiiggg numbers. Ok.. Give up?? here is the answer for you.. 12,000 IS GREATER THAN 7325. The dow was at about 12000 in May.. What event happened around May??? Oh, President training wheels (as someone else so appropriately named him).. President training wheels locked up the democrap nomination. The market was starting to get the jitters when a guy who never even ran so much as a cash register at wal mart might be president.
So, when you point to a one week ‘mini rally’ you are showing you are either ingnorant, stupid or deliberately deceptive (or perhaps grossly delusional).
The overall trend tied to two major events shows that your idol is a complete dunce… a tyro, a neophyte, misguided, in over his head, ignorant, incompetent, dangerous etc…
Listen, if you go over to Amazon, you can get a nice copy of “Math for Dummies”. Once you digest that, say in about 4 years or so, try “Basic Statistics for Dummies”.. That should hold you for the rest of your life…
bullseye on March 16, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Obama only has a way to pay for 5% of his 2 trillion $ deficit- and those are based on above average growth starting in 9 months.
Obama’s on track to create about half the debt in one year Bush did in 8 years. I’d call that fiscal incompetence.
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:34 PM
No more bait for me. Just spreading seed and fodder so the American public will know the truth. Hitting the blogs at the university now, you wouldnt believe how fast the students are turning against Obama…
canditaylor68 on March 16, 2009 at 1:34 PM
Or in your case, like seeing fish in a barrel and shooting yourself in the head :)
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:35 PM
An optimistic American that never wants my country to fail.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:36 PM
of course, from listening to your … whatever it is you post, I have serious doubts you would know which end of a firearm to point at the barrel. I have a strange feeling it would be lights out for you when you pulled the trigger, if you could find it.
(I know ad hominum arguments suck, but I’m just getting tired of the obamaites.. Their idiocy is ruinging 200 plus years of developing the finest republic in the world. They are intent of turning us into a third rate socialist banana republic. IOW, they are ruining something that was great and leaving crap for my child and his children. )
bullseye on March 16, 2009 at 1:37 PM
I hope they are turning, canditaylor68. All it took for a college student I know was a family dinner where a die hard liberal was anxiously awaiting instructions on how to sign up for an Obama give away. The college student clued in that it was money that he hadn’t even made yet that would be paying for his uncle’s goodies.
ORconservative on March 16, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:34 PM
I would agree w was fiscal insane but now the President has to clean up his mess then address the deficit in his second term.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:38 PM
So are you a socialist or not? Simple question.
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:39 PM
Good to know you wanted 100% of President Bush’s policies to succeed. Including Iraq, the surge, the war on terror, gitmo…
ladyingray on March 16, 2009 at 1:40 PM
WOW… I’ve got a great friend whose wife is in academia. I’ll have to ask him what they are hearing..
If so, that is a ray of sunshine but also a concern. Students are notoriously unstable and unpredicatble. That causes me some concern. Let’s hope and praythat God will guide us over the next couple of years.
bullseye on March 16, 2009 at 1:40 PM
He is creating far more debt than Bush did.
Chuck Schick on March 16, 2009 at 1:40 PM
I see, so you think anyone who blames the failure of rust belt cities (Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, etc.) on Democrats and the Unions is part of the TFHB.
So tell me, who do you think is responsible?
Surely not the unions, who made the wages sky high, the work rules unworkable?
Surely not the Democrats in charge of those cities, who turned graft into an art form, who turned “competence” into a irrelevancy and who turned the race card into the only card in the deck?
Norther industrial cities run by Democrats are hell holes of crime, of school free drug zones and are areas where no sane individual would start a business.
Now Barry Obama wants to do for the rest of the country, what incompetent and corrupt Democrats have been doing for Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo for decades.
Super.
NoDonkey on March 16, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Only took you an hour to catch on.
You’re the fish pal.
fogw on March 16, 2009 at 1:41 PM
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:39 PM
We are in bad times.
It is temporary and will go back to capitalism but with regulations.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:41 PM
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Then it’s not capitalism.
ladyingray on March 16, 2009 at 1:43 PM
ladyingray on March 16, 2009 at 1:40 PM
Well, it is not full socialization. They just use your money to avoid collapse until it stabilizes.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Lose your fear. If you are a socialist you should be proud to say “Yes, I AM a socialist!”. If not, “No, I’m no socialist!”
Why are you such a wimp?
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:46 PM
DarkCurrent on March 16, 2009 at 1:46 PM
No TFHB.
It is working.
getalife on March 16, 2009 at 1:47 PM
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