Video: Why are there no Obamaites?
posted at 1:36 pm on November 4, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Chuck Todd gets a little too close to the truth for Chris Matthews’ comfort in this clip from MS-NBC. Radio Vice Online has its own take on this, but before you hear from either of us, watch the clip first:
MATTHEWS: But Chuck, let me get back to you again. Is there such a thing as an Obama believer? In other words, is there a set of beliefs he holds which can be shared by other politicians of the Democratic Party?
TODD: You know, it’s funny you say that. I think right now you’re seeing an argument on the Left take place where you’re seeing some criticism of the President — “Hey, where’s all the change?” So I think this is all trying — I think they’re all trying to figure this out. The White House seems to be about, and this President seems to be about pragmatism and — you know, trying to get something done, trying to figure out a solution in Afghanistan, trying to compromise and get health care through.
But you’re right, there isn’t this core set of principles that were so easy to say and do — “change you can believe in” in 2008. I think he’s struggling to translate that to policy. We’re seeing it, this whole Organizing for America wing of the DNC is struggling to work correctly. I think they haven’t figured it out.
Jim Vicevich at the link thinks that Obama has a core set of principles that run to the hard Left, but has kept them hidden thus far. Why? Jim argues that Obama couldn’t get elected on those principles, and so he has kept them hidden while pushing them through his legislative agenda.
Actually, I think Todd is closer to it. Obama wanted to be President, not to lead, but just to win. Now that he has won, he has no core set of governing principles other than what impacts Barack Obama. He has offered no leadership on any part of his agenda all year long, content to have Nancy Pelosi run it for him. His foreign policy thus far consists entirely of making himself personally popular with the world. On Afghanistan, Obama has thus far allowed Robert Gates and David Petraeus to make his decisions, only balking at the moment because the McChrystal strategy puts him at odds with his base, which could erode his popularity.
We’ve complained a number of times about the cult of personality that surrounds Obama, but as Todd implies with this answer, it’s really all Obama has.
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“gigantic words”. To you they are. You’re about half as smart as you think you are, and no one cares what your silly nic is or why you chose it.
Janos Hunyadi on November 4, 2009 at 3:48 PM
It’s hard to broadcast from a fainting couch.
Mr. D on November 4, 2009 at 3:48 PM
“We’ve complained a number of times about the cult of personality that surrounds Obama, but as Todd implies with this answer, it’s really all Obama has.”
Yes. It’s like Sampson and his hair. You take away the cult and the image, it’s over. And the ACORN-esque “ground game,” too, that has to be factored in.
Beck said it best yesterday about Team Obama. They have two things: Propaganda and bully tactics. That’s it, that’s all they have.
Jim Vicevich and you, Ed, are both correct: Obama does want to enact a hard left agenda and he did want to be president (and he wants to be powerful, both now and for the rest of his life). I think the latter is more important than the former, however. That is, he’ll do what he has to do to stay in office and maintain power. If that means the left wing agenda gets thrown under the bus, so be it. See 1994. I don’t think he’ll throw the radical concepts away as easily as Clinton did, but if they have to go, they’re gone.
Obama is about Obama, and that means post-presidency as well. Once I saw him and Michelle sucking up to Theresa and John Kerry Heinz before the inauguration (and maybe during the campaign), I knew a lot of this was about Obama getting himself set up for life with power and $$$.
As you point out, Afghanistan is a great example. Every decision made by this administration is political, at least so far. Governance is secondary to The One, and that isn’t likely to change.
Paul F. Villarreal
PhoenixUniversal on November 4, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Definition of an empty suit. Who knew???
FireBlogger on November 4, 2009 at 3:55 PM
I think about says it all.
BobMbx on November 4, 2009 at 3:57 PM
Fixed it for myself (FIFM)
BobMbx on November 4, 2009 at 3:57 PM
Great post Morissey.
Gaunilon on November 4, 2009 at 4:12 PM
We will know the Obamaites have turned the corner when Sting, Oprah and Farrakhan accept that Obama is just a mere mortal. Okay, I’m not waiting that long.
pjean on November 4, 2009 at 4:13 PM
We agree on what the consequences of his tenure are, but we disagree on this part of his wanting to be liked. I have the view that he doesn’t care what people think about him – not Americans, or Westerners, anyway. He’s never really done anything to try and make anyone like him. The press has always assumed that it was their job to get everyone worshipping the moron.
We split here, too. I have no doubt about his goals. He’s been explicit about them, if not intentionally so. You might disagree, but all I can tell you is that nothing he has done has surprised me in the least. for instance, when he went to Copenhagen and everyone assumed that he would never do that without having it in the bag, I was of the opposite view, because I knew that, more than anything, he likes destroying the credibility of the office and making it a mockery. And when that was a total bust, it didn’t make him lose a step on his push to destroy us. He is very single-minded (and simple-minded, thank G-d).
progressoverpeace on November 4, 2009 at 4:23 PM
The Obama Doctrine: “You either worship him, or you are an un-American RACIST!”
V
munchnstuf on November 4, 2009 at 5:44 PM
It’s all about you? ;-)
ya2daup on November 4, 2009 at 5:46 PM
I don’t think most people believed that Obama would be dumb enough to outsource his entire legislative agenda to the unpopular liberal morons in Congress. He has no ideas of his own apparently. To allow Pelosi, Reid, Waxman et al. to set the agenda is pathetic and weak.
echosyst on November 4, 2009 at 6:21 PM
See Marx, Lenin and Mao.
jpmn on November 4, 2009 at 7:44 PM
Obama reminds me of a hands-off manager who delegates the decisions to subordinates because he’s not competent to make them. Then he takes credit for success and criticizes failure sharply, without getting any on himself. It works pretty well for mediocre managers everywhere.
Tantor on November 5, 2009 at 9:42 AM
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