Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
The introspective analysis is complete and the preliminary reports from President Obama's therapy session with "60 Minutes" are in. After a painful search, the President has seen the problem, and it is him. Well, sort of. In a stunning revelation, he says that, "...leadership is not just legislation," adding that, "it's a matter of persuading people." Even more, he says, it's about:
"...giving them confidence and bringing them together. And setting a tone. And making an argument that people can understand."
Apparently, the dozens upon dozens of endless, tedious, tiresome, stupefying, butt-numbing lectures on comprehensive healthcare law weren't enough, because we couldn't understand the argument, see? If only we had been able to overcome our own stunted intellects and see the grand vision of a utopian paradise with an overflowing cornucopia of goodies waiting just over the next horizon, or the one after that, the mid-term elections would have played out differently. These are the tribulations of great men.
Speaking with just enough disdain to be worthy of the state that keeps electing him, John Kerry laments the epidemic of, "know nothing-ism," currently sweeping the land. And Barney Frank, reclaiming the mantle as most the boorish ass in congress after the voters fired Allan Grayson, launched a frontal assault on an electorate that actually compelled him to campaign for his job and then compounded the error by voting for him.
The remedy, according to the President, will not be a moderation of his agenda, but rather more communication. So get ready for an avalanche of speeches, talks, lectures, seminars, fireside chats and bully pulpit sermons, all designed to present his case on a level we can understand. Perhaps he will speak slowly, like Al Gore on valium. Perhaps he will don a sweater and ask, "Can you say social justice?" Perhaps he will be even more repetitive, as if he were interviewing to be Secretary of the Department of Redundancy Department.
Whatever remedies Messrs Obama, Kerry, Frank, and the rest apply, do not expect them to consider the obvious; that we have heard them and understood them, and found their policies to be offensive to our liberty and principles. Because what they fail to understand is that we cannot respect an ideology that refuses to respect us, and that leaders who hold contempt for those they would lead, should expect nothing less in return.
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Jun '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Let's see...who else is on the list of national leaders who was/is "never wrong"--just misunderstood? Stalin, Mao, Castro, Hugo Chavez....
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Amen, Dave. I was struck by the very same thought as I read President Obama's remarks. Optimist that I am, I kept looking for a grace note, some sort of sense of humility stirring to life; instead, I did a slow burn as I realized that Obama was simply insulting the American citizen. Again.
Jul '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Poor Barack, having to explain stuff over and over again to a bunch of dumb mopes like us.
It's like having to do potty-training with 300 million very slow children.
Jul '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
What I find particularly grating is the undertone of false humility in his statement. On the surface it sounds as if he's owning up to some shortcoming in his own actions, but look closer and he's not really accepting responsibility for misreading the public mood or even considers his actions as mistaken. No, the prolem lies in the poor, ignorant masses who, if only they could have things dumbed down for them, would understand why everything he's done has been for their betterment. Once they see this, they will run back shouting hosannas to him again, and he will once more be their beneficent ruler seeing to their every need.
I would much prefer an honest liberal who would admit they overreached and got a stern rebuke from the public. Even if they then tried to continue that agenda, at least they are honest that the difference is between two differing ideologies that citizens made an informed choice about rather than some blessed cognoscenti who has to protect the mindless drones from themselves. This is self-serving drivel masquerading as chastened modesty.
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
George, and Kenneth, it reminds me of the old gag Cajun letter that starts, "I write dis letter real slow 'cause I know you don't read fast." It would be funny, except these people are so sincere in their condescension.
Jun '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
There is anecdotal evidence that humanity has a misunderstanding gene. Take a recent high school incident a teacher pal related. He was passing a teacher student exchange in the hallway when the student, a junior, drop the big ‘F-sharp’ on the teacher. The teacher hauled off and cold-cocked the student, who ended up in a heap on the floor.
Being a witness to the previous day’s festivities, my pal was called back to the same classroom as the student in question returned to argue the previous day’s case with his father, a strong construction type in safety boots. The concerned parent asked the teacher if he’d cold-cocked his son. The Teacher explained that he’d only done it after Sonny-boy dropped the Big F-sharp. The old man then turned to Sonny-boy and asked: “Did you say that?” The son nodded, after which the old man cold-cock him. Sunny-boy ended up in a heap again where my pal, being a football coach used to the comatose, brought him around and asked: “What did you learn?” The kid replied, “Don’t get cold-cocked twice in two days.”
Edited on Nov 5, 2010 at 8:41pmJul '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
The guy is clearly a sociopath. Sociopaths are utterly lacking in empathy, but they learn how to manipulate others by mimicking normal human emotion. This works quite well with liberals, who want to believe, but to the rest of us, it rings alarm bells.
Oct '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Peter Sellers said it all, in 1958, in the finest political speech of all time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxBtGuu9BVE
May '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Mark Levin calls the President a jerk. He is that, yet so much more. Unfortunately.
Jul '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
This splendid trip to India is prompting comparisons with Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette.
But, I am reading an excellent book by CV Wedgewood, about Charles I and the run-up to the Civil War (Charles was beheaded in 1649). Anyway, the parallels are definitely weird: both Barack and Charles ignored advice; their closest 'advisors' were second rate people (aside from a couple of men who early on were also beheaded); Charles had no problem throwing friends and allies under his chariot, just like Barack (only in the latter's case, a bus). Appearance was everything for Charles, and he loved expensive beautiful surroundings, as does Barack. Both men were/are lazy men, who want/ed to rule their country in all ways. And neither understood/understands the military. And underneath their foolishness, they believe strongly in their own "truth". In Charles' case, he felt completely justified in everything he did, even unto his death. Barack should understand that he is very lucky to live in the US, where the only equivalent to the ax is an impeachment.
May '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Dave Carter: In a stunning revelation, he says that, "...leadership is not just legislation," adding that, "it's a matter of persuading people." Even more, he says, it's about:
"...giving them confidence and bringing them together. And setting a tone. And making an argument that people can understand."
How many times does President Obama have to tell us before we realize he's the professor and America's the lecture hall? The problem is never that the lesson's stupid: if only he could convince us to drag ourselves out of bed and come to class, we'd stop fighting him! If he added some cartoons to the overheads, maybe that would get his wisdom through our thick skulls!
We keep hoping for the president to show some willingness to listen, but I think moving Fox News to the front row for press briefings was the only nod we'll get. Nah, there's no need to converse with any of the experts Fox hosts or even to stop vilifying them - Obama's given them a better seat to watch from while they're talked at.
And that pretty well sums up his administration!
Aug '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
With apologies to a truly great President from Illinois- you can treat all of the people as fools some of the time, you can treat some of the people as fools all of the time, but sooner or later you will reach a critical mass of people and/or time and it will turn out you're the biggest fool of all, because you learned nothing from your mistakes or were too stupid to see them as such (or both).
Oct '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
The Radical-in-Chief (Stanley Kurtz’s new book…must read!) turns out to have matriculated in the Department of Unreality—academic home to all socialists. When ‘equal outcomes’ is your ethos (see Joe the Plumber episode), envy and redistribution become enshrined as Humane, Good, Intelligent, Thoughtful. Asking Obama to reconsider his socialism is like asking a PETA member to consider clubbing baby seals. When leaving the seal unmolested is the only right answer, those that think otherwise must just not “get it.” To the Professoriate and professional Community Organizers, that’s a problem solved with a few more lectures, perhaps more slowly delivered. Unfortunately for Obama, the ‘visuals’ for socialism aren’t impactful like bleeding seal cubs festooning a snowy ice floe.
Thank Goodness for Obama’s generosity of spirit! Clinton was self-centered and skillful enough to turn midterm defeat into second term victory (it helped running against somnambulant Dole—another lesson!). We shouldn’t encourage Obama to get a grip on reality. He needs to ride out this flat spin to a soft landing on the lecture circuit in January 2013. The Pelosi It-Can’t-Be-ME-That’s-Wrong model is pitch perfect!
May '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Dave, maybe someday I could build you a nice new deck. I do great work. I just have a hard time with "the matter of persuading my customers" of this fact. I can't ever seem to "make an argument that my customers can understand."
But I'm a real craftsman.
Jun '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
If character is destiny, we're in for a rough two years. When a malignant narcissist can't get his way, he starts lashing out at those around him. That would be us, fellow patriots. The "60 Minutes" interview is the confirmation. Once the rejection becomes personalized, and it will very soon, the next step in the mind of the sociopath is to punish those who rejected him. Such behaviour is frequently illogical, impulsive and erratic. Carefully scripted interviews will not reveal the depth of the pathology. Listen for the off the cuff remarks that slip out in unscripted moments if you want to understand the president's thinking. The MSM will continue to cover for him until he suffers a major public meltdown. That's my best prognostication. Sorry to be the harbinger of yet more bad news.
Jun '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Yes, he thinks he is smarter and his ideology is better, but isn't that how all elitists feel? He is President. Therefore what he thinks and wants is a million times more important than what any of us think or want. Fortunately it is not 100 million times more important. We made him President. Thank God we can, in two years, make him former President. I do not find it surprising in the least that Obama, Pelosi, Reid and their cohorts still believe what they did last congress...what their "vision" for this country continues to be...is the correct direction for the USA and governance in general. I never understood the arrogance of the left. Certainly we all have an affinity for the correctness of our own views. But for the left, the patronizing lack of respect, the subordination of conservatism to simple childishness, meanness, or selfishness, is almost pathological. It really aggravates me, as, it seems, most all of us here at Ricochet.
May '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Not one of those strictly (small r) republicans, unlike Steyn or the Derb. I like our Prez to have the trappings of Majesty, and swanning about trailed by a fleet of 34 warships was pretty cool. Symbol of our country, and we want to think he's great and makes for a good symbol, cause we love our country.
But good Lord, this guy makes it hard. Apparently he took the lesson of his utter refudiation as "well, now those Republicans will have to obey." Which is no lesson at all.
As Charles I said, "the King and his Subjects are clean different things". That view is no more convincing now than it was then.
Aug '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
One of the best indicators of maturity is measured in the time between one making a mistake and one admitting to making the mistake. An immature child denies the mistake, hides the mistake, or blames someone else for the mistake. A grown-up admits the mistake and moves on.
From the president's behavior, it's clear: This country is currently being run by immature children.
May '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
~Paules
The MSM will continue to cover for him until he suffers a major public meltdown. That's my best prognostication. Sorry to be the harbinger of yet more bad news. · Nov 6 at 5:05am
I'm half expecting a nervous breakdown, too, but I also wonder if perhaps he's so assured in his own righteousness, so comforted by the steadfast support of right-thinking sycophants, that he can handle rejection by the ignorant masses with complete equanimity.
Unfortunate as it is, this latter possibility is actually better for the country. The last thing the world needs in these times is the president of the United States huddled in the fetal position under the Resolute Desk.
Aug '10
Re: Respect Runs Both Ways, Mr. President
Kenneth
Potty training 300 million ? I wondered what that smell was...........
Either that or he has very badly scared the -----out of 300 million !
In retrospect, those 300 million had better focus on why they voted for this guy or allowed the massive voting fraud to go unchallenged. If the media isn't discredited after this one, well... you get what you deserve.
Maybe the shift in influence to the court jesters is some kind of selfimposed punishment.
Back at the ranch, the world's largest pimpmobile is rolling to the subcontinent. Hey, if you know what time the party is over, you might as well try to drink all the booze.