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My Rahm Reunion
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The Left Hates Us
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Such a Dynamic Duo
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The Continuing Crisis
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Calvin Coolidge: His Times Are Our Times
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The Current Crisis
Concern at Home and Abroad
There is something very dated about the ideology that this president takes so seriously.
WASHINGTON — It was precisely February 4, 2009 when I broke my self-imposed rule. It was not a very old rule, but it was serious. I had told myself that I would not criticize the new president of the United States, Barack Obama — at least not for a few more months. But I slipped up. I could not completely swallow the fact that a community action leader with almost no experience at the national level had become president. There were already complaints coming in from foreign parts. The Indians warned against his sticking his nose into their dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, and to the President’s offer of talks with Iran, a low-level spokesman, Mr. Gholam Hossein Elham, replied: “This means Western ideology has become passive.”
Yet since those halcyon days the flubs and near disasters have gotten worse. They have gotten worse for two reasons. To begin with, there is the experience factor. President Barack Obama is less experienced than any modern president, and I am not sure he has had any more experience than any president, period. Maybe Millard Fillmore was less experienced. I shall research the matter and report my findings,
Now think about what this means. He has had no experience in foreign affairs, intelligence gathering, the workings of the treasury, or any other aspect of the federal government. He does not know how to deal with a gigantic oil spill or, come to think of it, a small one. We are left thanking the stars in the heavens that this president has Joe Biden at his side! Maybe we are even reassured that Rahm Emanual is there, if one does not mind a sharp elbow in the ribs, and David Axelrod and someone by the name of Valerie Jarrett can be counted on to keep watch while this president flies off to foreign parts.
Second, Mr. Obama is wedded to the politics of the far left. He thinks because there is someone to the farther left of him that means that he is a moderate. But as things stand there are people to the right of him too. As I see it, there are at least three quarters of the American people to the right of him, possibly more. These people matter. It probably was imprudent of him to go to the baseball game last weekend even if the Chicago White Sox were playing. And the next day he should not have played golf, even if Joe Biden came along. Not even if Saul Alinsky wrote about golf back in the 1960s.
There is something very dated about the ideology that this president takes so seriously. The progressives thought they were electing a forward looker. They were getting an antique merchant. In fact, they are antique merchants. Even the Chinese and the Indians think Mr. Obama is backward. The Canadians’ view of the world is light years beyond him. Now even his supporters are beginning to talk. The president is dangerously out of touch and he is incompetent.
The other day Mortimer Zuckerman wrote an ominous piece. In U.S. News & World Report he cited widespread talk in Britain of the end of our “special relationship” with that country. He cited French President Nicolas Sarkozy speaking ill of Mr. Obama and he noted Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s contempt for a number of our president’s views. Mr. Zuckerman went on to cite problems that the president had had with China, Middle Eastern leaders, particularly the King of Saudi Arabia, and Turkey and Brazil. Of course, in his tour de horizon he mentioned Mr. Obama’s problems with Cuba, Iran, and North Korea. Then he said it: “a critical mass of influential people in the world” are “no longer dazzled by his rock star personality and there is a sense that there is something amateurish and even incompetent about how Obama is managing U.S. power.”
Now I have not always been an admirer of Mr. Zuckerman, but there is something solid about his piece. He wrote it clearly worried about the path that lies ahead and when he spoke of that “critical mass of ‘influential people” he knew what he was writing]about. This is why official Washington is taking a fresh look at Joe Biden. They note his gaffable presence, but they are clearly fortified by his presence. After all, who else is there, Axelrod, Emanuel, and Jarrett?
About the Author
R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. is the founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator. He is the author of The Death of Liberalism, published by Thomas Nelson Inc. His previous books include the New York Times bestseller Boy Clinton: the Political Biography; The Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton; The Liberal Crack-Up; The Conservative Crack-Up; Public Nuisances; The Future that Doesn’t Work: Social Democracy’s Failure in Britain; Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House; The Clinton Crack-Up; and After the Hangover: The Conservatives’ Road to Recovery.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (102) | Leave a comment
More Articles by R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
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Carol| 6.24.10 @ 6:38AM
V.P. Biden would be better than Obama. At least he's been around and he acts like he likes Israel.
Biden says stupid stuff all the time but he seems like he can work with people - where Obama is being led around by the nose by his puppetmaster George Soros.
Obama is the most dangerous president ever elected. And nothing is going to stop his agenda unless he is impeached from office.
Florence| 6.24.10 @ 8:32PM
I have to agree with you. I have lain awake at night wondering why there isn't some of the few Democrats who are againt Obama and the Republicans haven't stood up and said impeach him and get him out of office before he destroys our country totally.
vtwin| 6.25.10 @ 7:11PM
I agree, the Russian, Indians, and Chinese would prefer an America under conservative governance, an America mired in endless war, economically declining, and monetarily indebted to them.
Nobammy Bin Lyin| 6.27.10 @ 10:30AM
Yeah good one vtwink, your president campaigned on the Afghan war and look how well that's going! He went on his world apology tour so do you really wonder at why the world holds us in such contempt? The Dem congress passed the "Get your free house" act which led to the housing collapse and by extension, the economic quagmire we all enjoy today. And if that wasn't enough, your Teleprompter-in-Thief shoves another trillion $ felony down our throats! (Funded by who? Yep, the Chinese!) Where were all the conservatives for those votes? Banging on the outside of a locked door because the Dem of thieves wouldn't allow them in. You obviously forgot all the bribery, arm breaking and threats the Dems committed to pass all this 'legislation'. Just how retarded do you have to be to actually believe all that crap you write? your face must be so up close to Nobammy's anus that you can't see the light of day. You wouldn't happen to be one of George Soros' testicles would you?
Ret. Marine| 6.24.10 @ 6:59AM
I read Mort's peice myself and cannot say there was much that I disagreed with, spot on. The world needs to worry, this admin. gives new meaning to the words, "in a world of hurt." and "we haven't seen nothing yet."
For the life of me, I cannot find one possitive item to talk about when it comes to these thugs, otherwise known as "this admin." Am I the only one? I disagree with the statement, nothing is going to stop this admin. and it's genda short of impeachment. I believe this admin. is going to let a very big "cat out of the bag" and when it does, it will be the end of it and all it's incompetence. We can only hope the adults come back for the hearings and charges of fraud and make them stick. That's the way to build confidence back into the political inviroment, and God knows we sorely need it.
Nick| 6.24.10 @ 11:58AM
Ret. Marine,
"[...] otherwise known as 'this admin.'"
Try using "this regime."
Lefties really seem to hate the term "regime" being applied to this incompetent bunch of socialists!
Dope and Chains| 6.24.10 @ 3:29PM
Nick: Try Junta Chavista sometime. That really knocks 'em off balance!
Nick| 6.24.10 @ 7:50PM
Dope and Chains,
"Junta Chavista?"
I like it. They both have the same ears!
Although, Hugo the Hippo would break O'Bama in two if he fell on President Dither.
Frederick S. Reinhart| 6.24.10 @ 7:02AM
You have overlooked an important point: The president is succeeding marvelously, in what he's set out to do; destroy the nation he hates. Alinsky and Ayers and The Rev. Wright have taught him and he was an apt student.
withReinhart| 6.24.10 @ 12:49PM
Thank you, Mr. Reinhart.
You are right on target, of course.
Since Obama so obviously intends to take America down, the question becomes: why can't the American people understand that, or even realize that he hates America?
The question suggests the answer. They can't handle the truth--a President who hates America.
And a terrible, tragic truth it is.
S.L. Toddard| 6.24.10 @ 7:03AM
"Now I have not always been an admirer of Mr. Zuckerman, but there is something solid about his piece."
Something only the Bob Tyrells of the world would consider "solid" - i.e.anonymous, substance-free attacks on Obama's personality.
You know, with all the time the Fox News Right spends waging ad hominem personality attacks against the president you'd think there was nothing real to criticize. "Obama's a snob!" "Waaah he looks down his nose at us!" "He's aloof!" "He doesn't spend enough time telling everyone how much better we are then them!" etc etc.
Oof - and a Saul Alinsky reference to boot! Didn't this magazine used to be respectable?
Bilwick| 6.24.10 @ 8:20AM
So enlighten us, SLT--what are the good qualities of "Il Dufe" that we in the pro-freedom camp are overlooking?
(Stand by, folks. This should be good.)
Ken (Old Texican)| 6.24.10 @ 9:20AM
Mr. Tyrrell,
Thank you. Personally, I thank God every day that Obama is lazy and inept...and inexperienced.
What in the world would we do if he were "action oriented", adept at subterfuge, and experienced at destroying a free country?
Instead, what he has managed to do is ignite a revolution.
Investment capital has already gone galt, all across the country. Every large company executive committee I know, (lots), are putting out feelers to move operations "off-shore", and the small and medium sized companies are simply hunkering down trying to weather the storm.
In the face of all this, the young geeks drop in here and in all seriousness demand we believe them... instead of our lying eyes.
Old SL
is forted up at the north pole in fortress America.
Heh, at least his posts are shorter and my scroll finger gets some rest.
Thank you for this site, sir.
JP| 6.24.10 @ 10:09AM
SL,
Please stay with the thread. This is not about Fox News. Perhaps, one day, someone will write a piece about Fox News and you can rant all you want.
Besides, I seriously doubt Zuckerman watches Fox News. You people live in such ideological state of mind that anyone who disagrees with you must a)view Fox News 24/7, b)Own and gun and believe in God, c)subscribe to the Weekly Standard, and d)Keep a post of Sarah Palin in thier living room.
Zuckerman's opinion does have some relevance as his a billionaire who made his money in both real estate and publishing. He is part of that New York Jetset who is tuned into the what political and cultural movers and shakers think. Take it for what its worth. He's been wrong plenty of times.
One doesn't need to have a mansion in the Hamptons to see what is happening to our President. I don't think many of relish the President's challenges. Most of us would like to see the recession ended; our borders secured; and a return to some semblance of order. But on the other hand. there are those that believe Obama's middle name is Chaos.
Bilwick| 6.24.10 @ 10:26AM
When State-shtuppers like SLT (or is pretending to be some kind of paleocon this week?) complain about Fox News, I'm always reminded of that scene in GONE WITH THE WIND in which Melanie donates her wedding ring to "the Cause," and Scarlett, not to be outdone, donates her wedding ring, too..And Rhett Butler-- who knows Scarlett married Charles Hamilton, a man she didn't care about, while secretly in love with Melanie's husband, Ashley--says to Scarlett, in a voice dripping with sarcasm: "And you, Mrs. Hamilton--I know just how much that wedding ring meant to you."
Having been in the pro-freedom camp for about forty years, and seeing how "objectively" the pro-freedom side of any controversy is treated by the MSM, I always say in the same sarcastic tone as Rhett, "And you, Mr. Liberal--I know just how much unbiased news means to you."
Wil I Am| 6.24.10 @ 2:57PM
Excellent analogy, Bilwick
S.L. Toddard| 6.24.10 @ 8:40PM
I'm sorry, it it being alleged that either of you are less statist than myself? Perhaps you are both new here.
Palinfan| 6.24.10 @ 7:00PM
Do you know where they sell Palin posters for the living room? And if they take credit?
:^)
Sampson| 6.24.10 @ 6:30PM
I have found an unarguable FACT!!
Every single time I read “ad hominem” it is always written by a progressive liberal.
Ad Hominem: 1 : appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect
2 : marked by or being an attack on an opponent's character rather than by an answer to the contentions made.
Only a progressive liberal would accuse another person of using their strongest and most often employed tactic. I have not found a single “honest” liberal who can or will debate using FACTS let alone logic.
S.L. Toddard| 6.24.10 @ 8:36PM
"So enlighten us, SLT--what are the good qualities of "Il Dufe" that we in the pro-freedom camp are overlooking?"
There are none. The man has no redeeming qualities (I do not count telegenics or charm as redeeming). The problem is that people are attacking things that are not actual problems. The issue is that people are wasting their time with stupid personality attacks instead of policy-based attacks. With idiotic gossip instead of critique. Is this US Magazine? It is not a problem for the American people if the president is a snob. It is not a problem for the American people if the president seems "aloof", or if his body language indicates that he "looks down his nose" at people. It is not a problem for the American people if he seems cold and academic. His job is to faithfully execute the laws of the United States, not to be our best friend or daddy-figure. What makes Obama a president that should be opposed has nothing to do with how well he bowls or where he went to school or what bands he likes or who he's taking to the prom - it is that he is continuing a long and unbroken string of Presidents who have failed America by leaving her in greater debt, with less revenue and a larger government that violates - in every sphere, foreign and domestic - the letter and spirit of our Constitution.
He should be impeached, not gossiped about.
Bilwick| 6.25.10 @ 3:49PM
Why not, if the gossip is interesting?
And where was the gossip in this article?
EasTexan| 6.24.10 @ 7:15AM
When a man who has never run anything so much as a hot dog stand, and is a committed American-hating lefty to boot, ascends to the white house, we've got a problem folks...yesseree, a big time problem. May the Deity help us, and the world, through this one.
1000yardsquint| 6.24.10 @ 7:36AM
Mr. Obama is a symptom of a larger problem and the larger problem is with us: We The People. Remember when Mr. Obama oversaw the government-takeover of hundreds of (mostly) family-owned Chrysler dealerships and ordered their assets sold to government-approved buyers? What did We The People do? We fussed, fumed, and watched it happen. Now it's done and Mr. Obama and his infernal crew have only increased the frequency of these same kinds of unbelievable, outrageous, no-common-sense-to-it kinds of things. Day before yesterday (22June2010) one of the Mexican cartels warned the police of Nogales, Arizona that if they don't look the other way when a drug-deal is being done in Nogales "we will send our snipers to kill you." Mr. Obama says nothing and does nothing. It goes on, and on, and on. A Dept. of The Interior functionary stops the berm-building on the Louisiana coastline. Mr. Obama does nothing. Mr. Obama won't waive the Jones Act because it would offend the AFL-CIO-AFSCME-SEIU bosses. And to top it all off, the whole idea of cap-and-trade was INVENTED by BritishPetroleum and their lobby-men. Do you feel the contempt that these people have for We The People? If you don't, you will. We The People used to be an agrarian society who understood the bloody ruthlessness of life on the farm. Now the farm is far, far away and millions of children don't know that milk comes from cows. If the Good Lord doesn't snap us out of our luxurious somnambulism, Mr. Obama and his tribe of infernal political cannibals will eat us alive.
Forever Marine| 6.24.10 @ 11:50AM
So SLT, 1000yardsquint makes a good point. It's not just that Obama is a snob. He hurts people. He hurts "the small people" who he has sworn to protect. He allows Mexican gangs to set up listening posts....in ARIZONA!!!! He will prosecute the State of Arizona for defending itself. He stalls the efforts of "the small people" to effectively try to defend themselves from oil in the gulf. He fires GM CEO's. He disparages the greatest military on earth. He demonizes business and job creators. He's going to kill Americans
S.L. Toddard| 6.24.10 @ 8:42PM
Yes, FMarine - I agree almost 100% with all of this, and even where I don't they are all legitimate and good reasons to oppose a President. Whether or not the President is a snob is not.
Iron Sights| 6.24.10 @ 3:40PM
Mexican snipers killing our law enforcement people? Nothing a few loitering A-10's overhead couldn't fix. That is if we had a Commander in Chief with the brains and stones to do it, which of course, we don't. Turn a few of those macho desperados into pink jelly in front of their compadres and I think they just might rethink that position while they hot foot it back to the lawless squaler that is Mexico..
P.S. Never surrender your weapon.
hobbit| 6.24.10 @ 5:36PM
My understanding is the Mexican side of the boarder is the high ground. That you can 'observe' all of the AZ side.
In the cross hairs would be an understatement.
Those A10 would have to shoot across the boarder.
Yes, it would require stones (and not the earthly kind)!
I say get to it, but then I live in AZ, so I'm already on the enemies list...
Petronius| 6.24.10 @ 4:23PM
1Ks
Eating Us is his objective. 40 years ago the Black Panthers at my university declaimed at their rallies, "first we gonna git yo guns away from ya. An' then, we just gonna gitcha!" Today they run his injustice dept. And they want to use that power to engage in personal plunder of all assets owned by white people with one exception. They have no use for books. When the Bulls fans went marauding on Michigan Ave. smashing store fronts, the only one not looted was Stuart Brent Books. Couple that with the desire for blood vengeance and contemplate what will come after.
Dave| 6.24.10 @ 9:56PM
@1000yardsquint: Excellent post.
Also in that vein, a stirring interview of Dennis Prager:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNUc8nuo7HI
Timothy L. Pennell| 6.24.10 @ 7:48AM
Joe Biden?
Please name ONE FOREIGN POLICY piece that he was RIGHT about? There isn't one. He's been WRONG on every one.
Cutting off Arms to South Vietnam. Putting Pershing II Medium Range Missiles in to Western Europe. Opposing Reagans' every attempt at DEFEATING the Soviet Union. He was WRONG on Unilateral Disarmament. WRONG on Grenada. WRONG on Panama. WRONG on Nicaragua. WRONG on everything concerning South America. WRONG on the 1st Gulf War. WRONG on these WARS.
"Washington is taking a fresh look at Joe Biden"?
That's a JOKE, right?
David Williams| 6.24.10 @ 8:50AM
No, the quote was, "official Washington...", and that explains why official Washington is itself the joke. Unfortunately we are all the brunt of it.
JmsA| 6.24.10 @ 9:18AM
And WRONG on partitioning Iraq.
Ted| 6.24.10 @ 8:35AM
All I can say is THANK GOD Sarah Palin is not the Vice President!
This is said with sarcasm, as so many foolish people pointed out her supposed inexperience as disqualifying her from being the Vice President. Yet those same people, somehow, managed to miss the fact that Mr. Obama has little experience in any field of endeavor.
Dave| 6.24.10 @ 11:11PM
@Ted: I recently re-watched Katie Couric's hostile interview of Palin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGg . It seems to me, the only questionable aspect of Palin's "foreign policy experience" was that it was a little different from what we usually mean by that. She hadn't gone to international conferences (not part of her job scope), but she did (like she said) have relevant experience. I was quite offended at the way the Left discounted it -- especially compared to their support for Obama's non-existent experience. Biden's limited experience was no more relevant either.
Curly Smith| 6.24.10 @ 8:42AM
The biggest problem that Obama has is his inability to surround himself with qualified competent people. His staff is nothing but lackeys and political hacks who'll never tell him a discouraging word. Obama's job isn't to negotiate with the North Koreans or clean-up the oil spill, it's to make sure that the agencies charged with those duties properly execute them. And he's utterly failed because of the clowns that he's appointed and because he doesn't really know who's responsible for what -- that's where the lack of experience is most evident.
Had Obama handled the oil spill correctly he'd be a landslide cinch in the next election. Now, he may be buried by the landslide.
Ret. Marine| 6.25.10 @ 5:38AM
Why yes indeed, you can thank John Pedesto, from the Center for American Progress, think libturd at it's finest, for this foul up, as he alone was responsible for the formation of all of this regimes actors.
Freedom's Daughter| 6.24.10 @ 8:45AM
This is how pathetic it has become in America: Tyrrell talks about not saying anything about this community agitator as president for a few months! Does not anyone know what George Washington would be doing, within a few months of this illegal alien being in office?! Believe me, the birth certificate WOULD have been produced, and the impeachment proceedings would be in process.
Everyone could see through this empty suit when he was campaigning! How did he get elected, because America would not have willingly elected him. It was vote fraud, and mccain's loss of the conservative voter that produced this suicide.
When W ran against algore, he had the fraud investigated and proven; where was mccain in this same process, for it was HIS responsibility to expose the fraud that was in all the news across America! mccain was AWOL. ACORN won the day.
Now we have a bigger job to do to save the country. I hope the people are up to it.
Sandy| 6.24.10 @ 1:21PM
I agree with this comment 110%. There is no possible way the man was "voted" into office --NO WAY!
Radegunda| 6.24.10 @ 10:33PM
It seems pretty clear that fraud carried Obummer through the primaries (specifically the caucuses), and I have no doubt that some fraud was committed in the general election in 2008. But that's not the whole story. I've been shocked to hear otherwise reasonable people say they voted for Obummer--because they thought he was "very smart," or because they were "fed up with the Republicans" (never mind that Dems controlled Congress), or because of something he promised to do. Undoubtedly many were swayed by the feel-good factor of voting for the (half-)black guy.
Most shocking to me was to hear an educated person who disagrees with Obummer on virtually every policy say (up through summer 2009) that he would be better than McCain because McCain is an old dog who can't learn new tricks whereas Obummer is young enough to learn to do the reasonable thing!
Obummer was swept in on a wave of naivety, wishful thinking, ignorance, stupidity, racial condescension, media malfeasance, and leftist hatred of America.
davelnaf| 6.24.10 @ 8:56AM
The idea that twenty percent of the country can dictate to the remaining eighty percent makes perfect sense to progressives.
AMENBRO| 6.24.10 @ 9:54AM
All I can say is when I saw this ipshit in chief on the dias at the KERRY/EDWARDS joke of aDNC convention it was obvious then he was an empty suit capable only of reading what others prepared for him.
As a fossil ass attending college to compete with the know nothings many of US's kids have born I was buttressed by my experience while being buffeted by Academics and pukes complaining about what my generation had left them. I was informed on more than one occasion that the world will be a better place once MY GENERATION dies off.
WELL what the hail yawl gonna do now that you , in the lexicon of BURGER KING LMFAO have,
" Had it your way"??
I'd really be laughing if I wasn't genuinely scared witless about this juncture in history having been raised and trained in High School with the understanding I was going to Viet Nam.
GOD BLESS THOSE WHO FELL and THOSE WHO SERVED. WE ARE ALL IN YOUR DEBT FOREVER!!
SANDY| 6.24.10 @ 1:25PM
Amen! God Bless All our Troups!
chris haynes| 6.24.10 @ 9:58AM
Its sad when conservatives write nonsense.
If you had bothered to check, you would have found that Millard Fillmore had quite a bit of expereience . New York legislature, founded the Univ of Buffalo. State Comptroller, Vice President for 1-1/2 years.
While you check this out, look at Lincoln. 3 months in the militia, no combat. 4 terms in the legislature, 2 years in congress.
So your point is what? That inexperience makes you incomptent? Well Obama, he actually had a bit more experience than Lincoln, if you add it up. And myself, I figure Lincoln was okay.
Interested Conservative| 6.24.10 @ 10:25AM
Goodness - I'd thought the Lincoln/Obama comparison was long since stale.
Inexperience doesn't make you incompetent, incompetence does. Inexperience only adds to the effects.
Besides, you've conveniently omitted Abe's extensive and very successful legal career.
The POTUS is a truly unique combination of extremely limited experiences, very narrow competence, and interesting character traits, none of which seem to have been either useful or helpful to the tasks at hand.
It's not all his fault, and if he could manage that it would help his credibility at the least. Still, a trace of competence could begin a self-fulfilling trend.
Bilwick| 6.24.10 @ 10:30AM
"Goodness - I'd thought the Lincoln/Obama comparison was long since stale."
It may be stale; but to the Hive, party lines rarely die--or if they do, the Hive keeps flogging 'em, like dead horses.
AMENBRO| 6.24.10 @ 3:43PM
Sir, may I be so humble as to add NARROW SMALL MINDED INABILITY TO SEE THE BIG PICTURE to your list of character defects PAPTPOTUS posses.
FlaJim| 6.24.10 @ 1:34PM
Actually, the comparison of the boy in the White House to Lincoln is quite apt when you consider they both ran/run roughshod over the Constitution. Lincoln had no constitutional authority to invade the South or suspend habeas corpus, for example. The boy had no authority to take over large segments of the economy.
Both spoke/speak in grandiloquent language. Only difference is that the teleprompter hadn't been invented in the 1860s. Both have been abject failures in terms of foreign policy.
Both embraced policies that divided a nation. In Lincoln's case, he supported the mercantilists in the northeast; the boy has alienated many more with his marxist agenda.
ds80| 6.24.10 @ 11:17AM
Here's the point: when you need an example of a Doofus President, Millard Fillmore is so far removed from everyday thought that he springs to mind simply due to his goofy name.
Jimmy Carter serves the same purpose, although he comes to mind because he actually *was* incompetent.
And now, ta-da! Thanks to all you squishy hope-and-changers, we have a Doofus President who will be remembered for his incompetence, for ages.
tonypal| 6.24.10 @ 11:35AM
As a conservative, it pains me to say that Chris is right. Obama really does have more experience than Lincoln and Millard Fillmore did have a fairly substantial background before becoming president. Therefore, the only possible reasons for Obama's troubles is that he is an ideologue and a fool. So I stand shoulder to shoulder with my new buddy Chris in my condemnation of the article by Mr. Tyrrell
Jeff Perren | 6.24.10 @ 1:02PM
Odd how Progressives enjoy insisting that the Constitution must be treated as infinitely flexible because life is so different than it was 100, 150, 200 years ago. Yet, they find it useful to reach back 150 years whenever it's convenient to make a point.
Ok, let's ask: apart from the obvious fact that Obama is no Lincoln, would Lincoln be a good President today?
Curly Smith| 6.24.10 @ 1:16PM
The quality of the experience is much more important than the length of experience. Consider the difference between the Lincoln/Douglas debates and the Obama/Clinton debates... Lincoln debated somebody with an opposing view in front of hostile crowds. Obama debated somebody who only differed with him on trivialities in front of crowds who adored both of them. One is a useful experience, the other is just a photo-op.
Who would you rather have as Governor... Chris Christie or Charlie Crist? Surely Crist would be better because he has more experience? Or, Chis Christie and Arnold Schwarzenegger? Wouldn't Arnold be the choice? No to both Crist and Schwarzenegger because more experience doing the wrong things isn't useful unless you learn from the experience.
Ray| 6.24.10 @ 1:46PM
"Well Obama, he actually had a bit more experience than Lincoln, if you add it up."
That's not true, Lincoln had far more experience as a leader that Obama. He was a county lawyer. He owned several farms that he managed, although he never became "rich." He was highly respected as a community leader and not just an "organizer," And he even was a captain of a warship, although he never experienced any combat! Those are all leadership positions, ones that Obama never had, which gave Lincoln far more experience than Obama could ever hope to achieve even with four years as President!
Ray| 6.24.10 @ 1:52PM
Sorry, that should read "captain of a militia company" and not "captain of a warship." My bad (I don't know here the "warship" thought came from!)
roadrage| 6.24.10 @ 4:44PM
Right - Lincoln was chosen captain of a company of Illinois militia raised during the Black Hawk War; he didn't get into any fights, but later commented modestly on his service and on seeing the scalped bodies of other militiamen killed by Sauk and Fox warriors.
Yes, Lincoln knew poverty, hard work, the value of educating oneself. His life experience helped give him a vast store of common sense, a talent for cold reflection guided by a deeply humane spirit, and an immense capacity for growth.
May we always be so fortunate in our leaders.
Battleshiphips| 6.24.10 @ 3:58PM
I'd just like to point out that Lincoln also had a childhood full of hard physical work that if nothing else, taught him the value of a dollar as well as an understanding that making real wealth involves ripping them out of the dirt with real effort and sweat.
Economies, green or otherwise do not spring fortht from presidential proclamation, I don't care how much magic pixie dust is used.
Louis Acker| 6.24.10 @ 11:36PM
Abraham Lincoln, a thinly educated and little experienced bumpkin, was incapable of averting the greatest disaster that has ever befallen this country - was complicit in it. Ahh, but he spoke so well that his beautiful words are engraved in stone. See a parallel here?
russel| 6.24.10 @ 10:27AM
So Chris , you're saying there's hope for Zero ? . That he'll ' grow ' into the job or maybe do something right , as in Lincoln .? . Comparing doesn't work . We're dealing with nuclear weapons here ; with a very small world now . The dolt in chief shows absolutely no evidence of altering his socialist ideology . To make matters worse , he's a narcissist incapable of changing his behavior .
buckeyeman| 6.24.10 @ 10:51AM
While Obama's lack of achievements, lack of experience, and increasingly apparent ineptness are all concerns, these are not the real problem. Obama's international socialist/marxist world view is the problem. Why would O control the border when in his heart he believes that the rest of the world has as much right to our country's wealth as we do? Every decision this guy makes fits the pattern of one who prefers failure for our country rather than success.
The debate for the history books is whether Obama is the feckless clown he appears to be or a clever wizard intent on destroying the country he so obviously dislikes (or could he be a feckles clown-puppet manipulated by clever wizard-puppeteers?).
PolishKnight| 6.24.10 @ 12:44PM
Buckeyeman, I've had a number of debates and conversations with leftists in trying to understand their anti-American stance. Here's what I have come up with, so far.
They realize they need to hide or deny their anti-Americanism for political reasons. One woman even claimed "I love America! This is my home!" when it was clear both of us knew she was full of it.
Even so, I do think she was sincere at a particular level (and this is what annoyed her). Even seeing through her blundering, I pointed out that she DID love the states for this reason: Half of the modern leftist agenda has been implimented here while not in Europe. Europe is full of white people. White-guilt was at first a means to an end, to disenfranchise middle and working class voters who were staunch anti-communists but now it's enshrined leftist dogma. Even in France or the Netherlands, the home of leftism, leftists feel a need to engage in ethnic cleansing in order to justify the policy in the states. This is not just for political consistency, but now has become an emotional issue for them. Heck, nearly all original leftist agendas are now largely moot or meaningless: They don't care about the environment if it means using nukes to produce electricity. They'd rather see oil and coal being burned in the background. Now that the middle and working classes in the states are largely anti-communist, they regard them with disdain as they worship, the wealthy, as cool (and ride around in private jets) or laud the illiterate poor on welfare who vote Democrat. Working at a medium wage private job is for suckers, in their opinion. etc. etc. The left is morally and logistically bankrupt. They just don't know it yet since they aren't politically bankrupt.
Back to the left hating America: In metro areas of the country, they are firmly in control. They control the media and the educational system. Yet... they still act as if this is the headquarters of capitalism and in in a way it is. Because of pesky conservatives daring to, gasp, express their opinions otherwise and the fact that there are still small pockets of free enterprise here. In other words, their notion of reality is based upon squelshing dissent.
Terry Ott| 6.24.10 @ 1:30PM
Discussion of the "experience" issue relative to the presidency should be confined to (successful) experience in leadership positions and experience in being in charge of complex organizations ... in a nutshell, experience in bringing solutions to fruition through practical strategies and effective implementation --- starting with putting the right kinds of people in charge and making them accountable for results in a reasonable amount of time. And also, experience in keeping in touch with all the things that have priority, including asking the right questions, assessing status reports, and interjecting himself into the operational details when that is called for (and knowing "when that is called for" is ALSO learned via real world experience).
Unfortunately, most people who know how to do these kinds of things are realistic enough to know that the Presidency is pretty nearly an impossible role to do well, even in the best of circumstances, and put their talents to work elsewhere.
Inasmuch as the world is a competitive place, the analogy that comes to mind is one of entering the Tour de France on fat tire bikes with training wheels.
Louis Jenkins| 6.24.10 @ 12:35PM
The Pretender n Chief is a failure, as Rush said. Now I for one don't believe in failure, but when you're the boss, and it's your policy to fail, sounds like he's a great success. The Pretender n Chief said he would change America, and he's done it. The USA is now a failed Republic, and he will continue down that path. We the people, in the trenches, scream for success, but those screams fall of deaf ears. We long for the day when a President can once more say, "We've won this one. Now where's the next?"
Ran | 6.24.10 @ 1:34PM
Louis - yeah, well, with the BP disaster pushing him to find "who's @ss to kick" the Pretender in Chief naturally looked in the wrong place.
Cuffs| 6.24.10 @ 1:42PM
Buckeyeman is right on the nose.
The global cabal chose Obama for a
reason--no experience, no integrity,
no standards, etc. Obama is perfect
and he has been able to accomplish a
great deal e.g. Healthcare, GM, Chrysler,
TARP, Stimulus-- ad nauseum.
The cabal plays the tune and Obama
does the dance. He will be mightly rewarded. Even if he is a one term president
he will have done irreparable harm to this
country. He has served his masters well.
George Collins| 6.24.10 @ 2:03PM
Obama will not serve a full term in the Office of the President. There will be a crisis in the Middle East, and he will take a post at the UN, where he can pretend to be King of the World and not have to worry again about the riff raff here in the US.
chris haynes| 6.24.10 @ 3:25PM
The premise of this article is that President Obama is incompetent because he lacked experience when he took office.
Yet Lincoln, who was one of the best, had a thinner resume than Obama. That says that experience isnt essential.
And it says a lot about the premise of this article and the wisdom of its writer.
Solipslip| 6.24.10 @ 5:07PM
Is your problem that you won't learn or that you refuse to learn?
tonypal| 6.24.10 @ 5:26PM
Chris, perhaps you read a different article than the rest of us. I saw the experience angle as being only part of the point that was being made. But since you refer to Lincoln, maybe the point is that in spite of Lincoln's obvious lack of experience, he possessed certain unique qualities that allowed him to overcome that apparent flaw in his resume.
The problem with Obama is he possesses none of those qualities, which ought to be obvious to anyone who has observed his time in office. The other problem, which was as least as much of a theme in the article, is that he is wedded to an outdated and discredited ideology.
The last point is significant because it renders him impotent in the face of events that routinely occur during the course of a presidential term. He just doesn't seem to accept the fact that a business cannot survive if the cost of doing business is prohibitive. He plows ahead with a misguided job growth policy based on so called "green jobs", using Spain as the model in spite of the fact that Spain's self-described socialist president has publicly admitted to the miserable failure of such an approach.
You've got to open your eyes to what's happening. I know it's difficult to realize your support for Obama may have been wrongheaded, but it takes a real man (or woman as the case may be) to accept that they made a mistake or error in judgment. Many people are waking up to the sobering fact that we have a president who is in way over his head. Take a fresh look at him and be true to yourself. I think you might be surprised with the results.
Louis Acker| 6.25.10 @ 12:16AM
Enough about Lincoln! He was an uneducated and inexperienced dolt who carried this country into the greatest disaster in its history. A man with glowing rhetoric but no imagination. Whose first and only idea was WAR. Who could only win with an alcoholic butcher whose strategy was to overwhelm his opponent's army with the dead bodies of his own. Lincoln! Lincoln! What inspiring rhetoric! Know him by his works. What an idiot. For a start, look into the details of Sumter and Lincoln's response. Not one whit better than the hotheads he was facing, but oh so much more tragic. Is that what people so admire about him - the tragedy of it all? And now another golden tongued, inexperienced fool stands astride the world. Hah!
Skep41 | 6.24.10 @ 3:41PM
Hold on a minute Babba Louie! We've now sunk so low that we are thanking our lucky stars that JOE BIDEN is backing up Barry The Wonderful...and this from a lion of the right like Mr. Tyrell. OK, its time to put on my lead-lined bunny pjs and my nuclear-safe crash helmet and curl into a fetal ball under my youth bed and wait for the blast.
ONTIME| 6.24.10 @ 3:46PM
There is something very surreal and definately inconsistent about Barry Sotero in so many ways and it is hard for a adult to imagine that even being indoctrinated by communist, socialist and leftist all his life, when proof of how many times the use of the marxist philosophy has fallen flat on it's ugly face, when it is right in front of you, he still thinks that this ideaology is superior to the freedom that this Republic has used to become the best of nations and given every country a standard to achieve. The guy is just frutier than a pet coon.
duck| 6.25.10 @ 11:33PM
I find that Marxism\socialism a common thread with the left.
Hillary even stated that socialism is OK, it's just that we can do it better than those that have tried it before.
In conversations with leftists, I have found that while they deny believing in socialism, they would almost immediately start describing socialist policies and programs that they like or would like to see implemented. Many are socialist to quasi-communists without realizing it.
seth| 6.24.10 @ 4:12PM
Whether the frumpy grump liberal from the small town school board or the suited leftist in D.C., none of them can handle even a half-teaspoon of reality. Liberalism today is the ideology of the completely disconnected intellect and the tortured soul.
Ken (Old Texican)| 6.24.10 @ 4:58PM
(I wrote this as a comment to Antle's blog. I wnted it to have longer legs.)
Ken (Old Texican)| 6.24.10 @ 4:50PM
OKOK!
I shall now make my final (unarguable)pronouncement on this situation. (smile)
I do NOT expect Afghani warlords to march on DC.
Why?
...Because DC has already been sacked and raped by the barbarians....in slow motion to be sure.
I thank God daily for the few "Centurians" who have stood and fought over there....DeMint, Culberson, Cornyn, ...et al.
I pray for them to get some reinforcements in November, and I pray that is not too late.
.....I got a call from a dear friend a few minutes ago. He lives in Indiana. He has 6 under-aged kids. His question: "Ken, where do I take my family when everything comes apart"
I must tell you, folks, there was silence on the line from my end for too long.
Finally, I told him ..."east Texas in the forested part."
Where else he asked.
I had to tell him..."I don't know anywhere else."
I'm sure there are other places. I just don't know where they are, but I know Texans.
I told him to call a real estate agent in Madisonville Texas and to inquire about 50 to 100 acre "hideaways" in a fifty mile radius.
Ladies and gentlemen,
McChrystal is only a symptom. He has been sickened by the rules of engagement that get his troops killed for no reason except for "wimps in the whitehouse".
Many of those troops actually blame McChrystal for the rules of engagement... duh.
I personally have a solution for Afghanistan. Burn every single poppy field in the hell-hole, and make them grow food....or starve. Napalm is cheap.
The Russians were too stupid to figure it out.
We have wheat rotting in silos. We can feed them without missing a beat.
NO POPPIES! (heroin base for you dummies).
But finally, Afghanistan is the smallest of our problems. Burn their poppies and the "warlords" lose all their power.
Ladies and gentlemen, our major problem is the sack of DC.
Worse, the barbarians there don't even know that their basic survival depends upon us.
Truckers, please prove it to them.
Farmers, please prove it to them.
Pipeliners, please prove it to them.
Doctors, (MDs), please prove it to them.
Oil/gas producers, please prove it to them.
Coal miners, please prove it to them.
Slaughter houses, please prove it to them.
Ranchers, please prove it to them.
Soldiers and Marines, please prove it to them.
It will bite you, but you will survive.
The barbarians cannot....without you.
God bless America.
Anthony| 6.24.10 @ 5:07PM
Irony is the Left's middle name. Bob is correct, this "progressive" president is both dated and dangerous.
As noted, friends and enemies are both laughing silly and sweating bullets at America's demise under this incompetent fool.
The left had the vapors over their moronic perception that under Bush, America had lost its moral superiority; that the world hated and despised us for our shortcomings.
Now under Obama, America is a 3 ring circus. We are neither superior morally, militarily or economicly. How's that for leftist irony??? How's that for Hope & Change??
Jonathan| 6.24.10 @ 7:16PM
Somehow the author of this piece missed that Obama was an architect of federal policy for 4 years and of Illinois state policy for 8 years. There are many presidents who have had less experience then that. And so far as the "workings of federal government" go, do you actually think that George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, or Jimmy Carter had more experience with the workings of federal government than Obama?
Of course, a hack piece is a hack piece - this was meant to preach to the masses and I doubt it will do much else.
tonypal| 6.24.10 @ 9:41PM
Really Jonathan? An "architect" of policy? Perhaps you can tell us which policies feature his unique brand of architecture.
Nate| 6.24.10 @ 11:23PM
Jonathan,
I'm not so sure about that. Obama was pretty inactive in the Senate and in the state legislature. I still don't think that necessarily means he'll be a bad president. He's still a work in progress, and I basically trust him and like him.
Christopher Holland| 6.24.10 @ 7:54PM
You can sense that a catastrophe is only a matter of time when people start saying that a blowhard Senatorial drone like Joe Biden is the smartest guy at the table. Jesus wept! And I can jsut see the Israelis taking out the storage box where they keep the fuses for their nukes - wont be long before they start going off.
Nate| 6.24.10 @ 8:18PM
Mr Tyrrell is right about Obama's lack of experience, although of course the Constitution doesn't mention it and some of our most experienced presidents -- think of George H.W. Bush or Nixon -- have had less than stellar presidencies.
What I don't understand is a man as sober and reasonable as Tyrrell going for the right wing rhetoric that Obama is "wedded to the politics of the far left."
This just is not true. Obama is wedded to the politics of the moderates in the Democratic party. That may be far left of the Tea Party right, but it's hardly the far left.
Obama refused to even stump for the public option. He's surrounded himself with an economic team that is WEDDED to Wall Street. If you think Larry Summers is a part of the far left, you just don't know what the far left is.
Obama -- and he must now curse the gods he did it -- authorized more off shore drilling in an attempt to attract Republicans to the table on energy policy. Obviously Obama is and was not thrilled about off shore drilling, but it's hardly the philosophy of the far left to make this kind of deal.
Indeed, there is not one single issue in which he has demonstrated any singular loyalty to the far left. He has refused to close Gitmo; he has extended Bush's foreign policy in many critical areas; he has massively expanded the war in Afghanistan; he is prosecuting government leakers. These are hardly radical, "far left" stands. But they are Democratic stands, and there's the rub.
Now there's no reason for you to agree with Obama on anything. But I think it's better to describe his actions and overall philosophy accurately if you're going to be a decent critic of him.
John Navratil| 6.26.10 @ 12:54PM
I Obama is a moderate, God help the entire human race. We will be eaten by wolves.
Datsun Mark| 6.24.10 @ 8:53PM
Obama's rise (now fall) reminds me of the old Star Trek episode where Kirk loses his memory on a planet about to be hit by an asteriod and mistakenly becomes the medicine man of the local tribe. The Tribe all worships him until he is challenged and reveals he is only human and then tribe turns on him. *Behold the God who bleeds!*
Still got the tingel in your legs you Libs?
Nate| 6.24.10 @ 10:17PM
Datsun --
Every subculture has its strengths and weaknesses.
I've noticed a weakness of the Tea Party right is analogies.
You guys are just terrible at them.
I think it's because you model your thinking on right wing radio talk show hosts, men who are also extremely unskillful at the art of analogy -- particularly historical analogy, but also pop culture analogy.
If you work first just at clarifying and articulating your ideas and you invest more time learning about the issues you may find you start to overcome this embarrassing clumsiness. I don't doubt your Tea Party friends won't be able to tell either way.
Marc Jeric| 6.24.10 @ 10:12PM
Just imagine what this great country has come to! Abu Hussein al-Mombassa (or whichever Kenyan hellhole this marxist Muslim was born in), our Community Organizer-in-Chief, is in charge of our future. That looking somewhat shakey, our hopes turn to that bloviating gasbag and functional moron Biden - what a relief!
RCV| 6.25.10 @ 5:09PM
Honolulu is the city your lame brain couldn't think of
JmsA| 6.25.10 @ 10:46PM
Marc Jeric,
Scary, yet eloquently said.
Dave Trapped in NYc| 6.24.10 @ 10:51PM
The people that will be most hurt by Obama are the ones that voted for him.
Hold on, November is about four months away.
valwayne| 6.25.10 @ 1:36AM
So this is what it has come to? We knew 6 months ago that we should have gone for Hillary or even McCain! Now people are so fed up with the inexperience and incompetence that they think that even Joe Biden would be better!!! And, Lord Help Us All, They are probably right!
RCV| 6.25.10 @ 5:11PM
You really didn't go for Obama in November 2008, so stop pretending otherwise. Those of us who worked long and hard for his election are quite glad we did.
carlos ortega| 6.25.10 @ 8:49AM
I have to agree with Anthony, ? how bad will it get ? november is coming, thank God and the framers of the constitution
bluecollarbytes| 6.25.10 @ 9:00AM
Tyrrell-."We are left thanking the stars in the heavens that this president has Joe Biden at his side!"
Good one.
PopMedia never questioned Obama's void of experience in anything foreign other than his Islamic days in Indonesia- which don't matter unless it means he's a 'world citizen', with the proper mindset to save us from our historically-bad ways. And it's no surprise to find out that Joe Biden never had a meaningful part to play in ANYTHING much less foreign policy.
Joe Biden is truly a warm bucket of spit compared to Dick Cheney.
chris haynes| 6.25.10 @ 12:07PM
I only say Obama's inexperience isnt fatal. And I give Lincoln as an example. My point is keep your eye on the ball.
I figure, the main thing on Presdient Obama is he votes to keep infaticide legal back in 2001. And he's for legal abortion. That doesnt rule you out, what does? I dont mean just President, I mean dog catcher. But the same for Giulianni too.
You say its okay to kill innocent humans, forget it. Better to leave the job empty.
merle widmer | 6.25.10 @ 1:15PM
I predicted at the time of his election that there would be no highly organized terrorist attack on any U.S.. property. Obama's intention is to lead a populist attack on the contry thus weakening itself within that a well planned terrorist attack like 9/11 or worse might re-unite the people.
Rather than uniting the country, Obama is slowly destroying this counrty within. He has a good start as surveys show that approx 30% of our citizens prefer a more socialistic type of a big and bigger federal government.
prestonsbrooks| 6.26.10 @ 2:46PM
Obama's Regime will result in the death, literally, of unknown thousands of Americans. How many have died already in Arizona? How many old folks and "non-producers" will "healthcare" kill?
jen| 9.9.10 @ 1:58AM
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