Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Earlier this week, Bill Kristol relayed some observations a friend had made:
Obama has a broken machine inadequate for the race he is in. Wisconsin behavior and aftermath indicative. Reminds me of scene in movie Miracle where the Russian hockey coach Tikhonov—so used to winning—doesn't realize he should pull his goalie in the final minutes to gain a one man advantage on offense. U.S. assistant coach says to Herb Brooks, "Why doesn't he pull his goalie?," and Brooks studies the guy and says, "He doesn't know what to do!" Same for Team Obama. Never behind, never on defense, never had trouble getting media to carry their talking points. Now it's different and they don't know what to do.
Here is Barack Tikhonov Obama in action:
It's one thing to tell your recently defeated base in Wisconsin that you were too busy to come help them out in their hour of greatest need. It's another to say that when you were holding multiple fundraisers a stone's throw from each of its borders. That's just bad form.
So the Obama campaign is lost and doesn't know what to do. What are they going to do to correct course? They're having their second rough week in a row.
Kristol's friend suggests:
1. Replace Biden: Not one vote at risk and putting Hillary here brings him some points. Might shut up Bill as well.
2. Play president until speech at Dem convention.
3. Give mea culpa speech in which you acknowledge the pain of suburbanites whose votes you need and you intention to focus on their problems (high taxes, debt, market jitters etc.) Run this theme for next 60 days.
He also suggests that Obama could try a Sister Souljah moment, perhaps with Keystone. Or he could fire Axelrod or Messina.
Kristol thinks Obama is too stubborn to fix his problems. What do you think? He's got to do something, right?
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Jun '12
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Replacing Biden will never happen for two reasons.
In this case, two strikes means the idea's out.
Jun '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
The Tikhonov analogy is a good one. Here's another one: he's like the "bubble boy" on Seinfeld: everyone caters to him, no one tells him his failings, he has astronomical self-esteem (as opposed to self-worth), and it's all turned him into an aggrieved, self-absorbed, clueless jerk.
He has got to do something. I say that, given the above, he won't do anything so radical. His messaging will evolve, but he is what he is. (On the other hand, maybe he's more Machiavellian than I give him credit for--his attempts so far have shown him to be an incompetent Machiavellian).
Also, his statement that the "private sector is fine" was not a slip of the tongue. It was scripted, and--heaven help us--he really believes it.
Edited on June 12, 2012 at 4:26pmSep '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
The Russian playbook in these type of political situations usually consisted of:
(1) Find compromising photos of man with other woman. (Failed)
(2) Find compromising photos of man with other man. (Wouldn't matter, since if Romney turned out to be gay, his approval rating would go through the roof.)
(3) Radiation poisoning. (May affect women and poor disproportionately)
Oh well.
Nov '11
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
He's too stubborn and too bad at his job to do any of those suggestions, Mollie. He's really just not good at this job or this game.
Jun '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Are we sure that he even wants to win? I know the people around him desperately want to stay, but what's in it for Obama? More pain and more failure, if he remains unwilling to change course, and he obviously is unwilling to change. He might want to get out before the house of cards collapses.
Jul '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance.
Sun Tzu
Sep '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Ken Langone on television a month ago said "we elected this guy who's never done anything except run around making speeches so why should we be surprised when that's all he does" I fervently hope they make no changes to this awful campaign and get whipped like the rented mules they deserve to be.
Feb '12
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Obama doesn't want to bargain; he wants to be worshiped. When he is questioned in any way whatsoever, he becomes even more arrogant, self-righteous, and dismissive. As he runs into more questioning during this campaign than he did in 2008, I think we will see him reveal his true nature ever more often, and I doubt swing voters will find the spectacle attractive.
Nov '11
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Not only would Obama not be likely to replace Biden with Hillary (make that Billary), given the fact that neither he nor the economy is likely to improve, what does she get out of it besides ssociation with a failure?
Aside from the President's own well-known arrogance, so long as Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama and Robert Gibbs and David Axelrod, etc. are in charge of his care and feeding , nothing fundamental in the campaign will change.
As noted, the press, in giving him a free ride, has done him and itself damage, but it's too late for a change there. As if.
Edited on June 12, 2012 at 4:57pmApr '12
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
It is too late and who knows if he had the stones to pull a Clinton, but some symbolic moderation would make a lot of sense.
May '11
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
I dunno. I think it's too early to say it's too late.
Conservative Wanderer: "The last President who switched Veeps before a re-election campaign was Richard Nixon. "
But Mr. Agnew had other issues that made him even a more significant liability than Biden. I agree that Obama won't swap Joe for Hillary, but I don't think Nixon is the reason.
Apr '11
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
As much as I like all of the talk about how Obama seems like he is going to lose (at least in part because it demoralizes the other side), we have to keep in mind that we are 21 weeks from election day. A lot can happen. Obama doesn't have to think about pulling his goalie yet because we're still in the first period.
Besides, Obama doesn't have to fix any of his problems. All he needs to do is appear better than Romney on election day. That's a lower bar. It just requires Obama to go on offense against Romney.
And Romney's job is to realize that this is far from over, stay on offense and not say or do anything stupid.
Jul '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Thank you, Captain.
I continue to be amazed that anyone on our side spends even a second thinking about what Obama should do to improve his chances of winning in November! As I heard someone say, "Just think of what Obama will do when he doesn't have to think about the 'pesky voters.' "
May '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Leporello nails it. Pride, arrogance, is an affliction that blinds the one afflicted. No one gets to the Presidency without an ego. But ego and pride are two different things. Bush 43 had an ego (he was a Texan, after all ;-) but he also had humility. (Witness recent comments regarding the Clinton portrait unveiling and his work with wounded warriors.) But Obama has lived his life to what appears to the unreflective as adulation. To everyone else it is recognized as affirmative action. So he has come to believe his own clippings. He really thinks he is the smartest guy in the room. Why else did he get the Nobel prize? He can't change.
"A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep." – Saul Bellow
Jan '11
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
If Obama went zombie or was convicted of a felony tomorrow, simply because he's a Democrat, he'd still be over 200 electoral votes, and would need barely a handful more to win. Now, he's such a bad president that those baked-in votes might be all he's going to get, but who knows?
What's scary is that the results are horrible, and every indication is that Obama doesn't know what he's doing ... and yet, the media and Democrat Party still push him along.
I can't help but ask ... what are they getting out of Obama?
Dec '11
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
I've expressed this before myself. I don't believe he does. I believe his (and the Hard Left in general) are not looking for a win. Their goal is a narrow Electoral College loss coupled with reasonably clear win in the popular vote.
And may God have mercy on us all if they get it.
May '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
If you watch the video, there's even some advice in there for Romney from Herb Brooks:
Play your game. Stick to the economy.
Poise and control. Don't get shaken off message by petty attacks on your business record.
Ok, no more changes until the next whistle. (Fill in your own)
Feb '11
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
He will continue as he has in the past, because he's a hammer and everything's a nail (and that's worked for him in the past). His track record is that of a brittle juggernaut and there is no evidence that he learns from mistakes. He got here by being a Lefty-bopper's wet dream and he's not bright enough to see more than a move or two ahead.
Dec '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
In the immortal words of someone wiser than I, "When your opponent is busy destroying himself, get out of his way and allow him to finish."
Stop giving the other side interesting pointers on how to fix their problems.
Go pop some popcorn and savor the schadenfreude.
May '10
Re: Obama Needs To Pull His Goalie But He Doesn't Know It
Shhhhhhh, Mollie. He's doing just fine. Leave the poor guy alone.