The American Spectator

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Why Not the Worst?

7.14.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 3 of 7)

Philip Klein wrote, of Barack Obama:

"Obama, by contrast, was just two years into his Senate term when he announced he would for president. To date, he has been the lead sponsor of 123 bills..."

I believe that, if Mr. Klein digs a little deeper, he'll discover that Sen. Obama's colleagues in Springfield and Washington were obligingly placing his name on their own bills to deflect scrutiny of his lackluster performance (he often voted "present" in Springfield so as not to "commit" on controversial issues -- in Washington, he "misses" votes he doesn't want to commit to).

The junior senator from Illinois has been groomed for this presidential run even before his 2004 keynote speech. His Saul Alinsky-style Marxist leanings have been downplayed and his paper-thin resume has been artificially enhanced.

Mr. Klein asks "What's The Worst That Could Happen?" I'm of the opinion that a "President Obama" has the potential to make Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili ("Josef Stalin") look like a choirboy.
-- David Gonzalez
Wheeling, Illinois

I have to vehemently disagree with Mr. Klein's all-too rosy assessment of a potential Obama-Presidency.

Mr. Klein reminds me of the Kevin Bacon character in 1978's Animal House, screaming in vain to "REMAIN CALM!!! ALL IS WELL!!!" as he is trampled flat by a stampeding mob.

"President" Obama would be far worse for this nation, and do far more damage to the fabric of our society than Roosevelt, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton combined. The character of the Left has drastically changed in the last 30 years. Gone are the days when the Democrats could be called a "loyal opposition." The Left in this country has become an openly disloyal and malignant presence that seeks power for it's own sake, and despises the very freedoms and principles that make this nation great to begin with. Their policies are the policies that a "President" Obama would pursue with utmost vigor.

From taxes, to immigration, to race relations, to the economy, to Wall Street, to the war on terror, and practically every other issue of national importance, "Senator" Obama has openly demonstrated that his vision is completely and utterly out-of-synch with American ideals. The only difference in a potential Obama administration is that [shudder] "President" Obama would have the power and authority to make the Left's vision into a pernicious reality.

Sorry, Mr. Klein, but I'm not ready to drink the defeatist kool-aid. What's the worst that could happen if Obama is elected? To paraphrase John Lennon, "Just imagine...It's easy if you try."
-- Gavin Valle
Peapack, New Jersey

I must admit I was staggered by Philip Klein's article. Despite the evidence that Obama is a doctrinaire leftist Klein seems disposed to believe there is positive news coming out of his camp for conservatives. Unless one is an Obamacon or paleocon (both seeking to destroy the Reagan/Bush coalition of neocons, traditional conservatives and evangelicals) there is nothing good coming out of the Obama camp for conservatives. Wishful thinking that a liberal won't be as bad as feared has empowered the left for generations. The Obama candidacy, like the blue dogs of 2006, offers conservatives absolutely nothing. Based on his history with the election stealing ACORN, minuscule resume and policy positions Obama will be worse than we can imagine.

So what's the worst that could happen with an Obama Presidency? Since he's an amalgam of all that's bad in liberals it would not be straining one's intellect to see him morphing into a hybrid of a feminized LBJ and feckless Jimmy Carter -- vitriolic rhetoric without gonads and a bigger, more intrusive and expensive Federal government. If that's not bad enough for Klein and other conservatives then heaven help our movement and country, because God can only save us from our own stupidity.
-- Chaplain Michael Tomlinson
Jacksonville, North Carolina

Mr. Klein falls far short of conceiving the worst case scenario under an Obama administration. The worst case scenario of course is that America would cease to exist as America, e.g., our Constitutional Republic would dissolve, along with civilization as we know it. This would be a not unlikely possibility. An Obama administration would be perceived as an extraordinarily weak one internationally, leading to all sorts of mischief around the world, with the Zimbabwe model predominating. Further, an Obama administration would be perceived as arrogant, insular, and unilateral, far more so than the Bush administration has been. He has already discomfited our European allies by stating that he would act unilaterally to pursue diplomacy with Iran, cutting Europe out of the process. He indicates that he would under no circumstances use nuclear weapons, and it is almost certain that Iran, for one, and North Korea for another, not having been cowed by previous more aggressive administrations, such as the Clinton and Bush administrations, not to mention the GHW Bush, Reagan, or Carter administrations (after all, Hezbollah car-bombed the Marine Barracks in Lebanon under the Reagan administration with no retaliation -- apparently Weinberger feared Soviet retaliation at the time for any assault on Iran), would certainly not be cowed by an Obama administration, and there is little reason to believe that the entire Middle East would not go up in smoke during an Obama administration, while he orated about the events. Undoubtedly he would not pursue missile defenses, further alienating Europe, particularly Eastern Europe.

His naivete would embolden Russia to support Iran, pursue adventurism in Eastern Europe, align with China against European interests, and hamstring Europe, perhaps even dominate Europe entirely, and Europe would be unprotected with any missile defense, completely vulnerable to a mad Iranian regime incensed at Israel and the West and bound on destruction of the West even if it means suicide for them. Russia would foolishly support Iran right up until Chechnyan terrorists detonated a nuclear device in Moscow. If Obama pulled US troops out of Iraq entirely, a likely possibility, Iran would dominate the region unchecked and war against Israel would be inevitable. The supply of oil would plummet, the price would sky-rocket, and global recession would ensue. Pakistan is already offended by his statements that he would invade that country, and would likely come under the control of the Taliban anyway, and probably attack India with Nuclear weapons, while India would retaliate.

Internationally, protectionism would run rampant and the globe would be plunged into a long depression; war and famine would prevail around the world; the US would do nothing, could do nothing, to stop any of the above. International institutions would be fully discredited and prove to be completely ineffectual, as they already have been shown to be in Oil for Food and numerous other events, yet would be the institutions through which problems would be addressed, with complete failure.

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