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The Obama Watch

Obama’s Petulant Presidency

By on 8.18.10 @ 6:08AM

So much for his “first-class temperament.”

Remember when Christopher Buckley endorsed Barack Obama? Let’s revisit.

The son of the late William F. Buckley, the founder of National Review, wrote in October 2008, “As for Senator Obama: He has exhibited throughout a “first-class temperament.”

Yet now nearly nineteen months into Obama’s presidency there is scant evidence of that “first-class temperament” to which Buckley refers. If Obama’s term in office thus far can be summed up with a single word I would choose petulant. Merriam-Webster defines petulant as “insolent or rude in speech or behavior”; “characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor.” This fits Obama to a tee.

President Obama has been petulant towards those who disagree with him. Just days after taking office he told Republican Congressional leaders who objected to his stimulus plan, “I won. I’m the president.” At this same meeting he told Republicans, “You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.”

President Obama has been petulant towards those who seek freedom from totalitarianism. When it came time to choose between the Iranian mullahs and the millions of Iranians marching on the streets he chose the mullahs, stating it wasn’t for us to “meddle.” This would not be forgotten by the Iranian people. During the 30th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, months following the “elections,” demonstrators could be heard chanting, “Obama, Obama — either you’re with them or you’re with us.”

President Obama has been petulant to dissidents. He would not meet with the Dalai Lama during his U.S. visit in October 2009 so as not to offend Chinese Communists prior to his state visit to Beijing the following month. When the Tibetan spiritual leader did finally meet with Obama last February, it was behind closed doors. The only glimpse the world got of the Dalai Lama was when he left the White House out a side door where a large pile of trash awaited him. Contrast this with the time the Dalai Lama met with President Bush in October 2007. On that occasion, Bush handed him the Congressional Gold Medal.

President Obama has been petulant to our closest friends and allies. After the stalwart friendship between Bush and Tony Blair, Obama paid his respects to Great Britain by returning a bust of Sir Winston Churchill, which Blair had lent, to Bush after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Obama’s rudeness didn’t prevent then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown from giving him a penholder made out of timbers from the H.M.S. Gannet, an anti-slavery ship. Obama’s idea of reciprocity was to give Brown 25 DVDs — which were unplayable in the U.K. Let us also not forget how Obama made every possible effort to avoid Brown during the opening of the UN General Assembly last September. And to think Brown was a fellow socialist.

What about President Obama’s petulance towards Israel? Build nuclear weapon in Tehran and Obama will be cool, detached, and behave as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. But build houses in Jerusalem and Obama will unleash not only his sound and fury but also the entire weight of the U.S. government right down on you. When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wouldn’t let Obama push him around at the White House over settlements in East Jerusalem, Obama walked out on him.

President Obama has been petulant towards police officers sworn to protect us. Who can forget when the President chastised the Sergeant James Crowley and the Cambridge Police Department for having “acted stupidly” in the arrest of Harvard Professor (and Obama’s friend) Henry Louis Gates, Jr.? Yet it isn’t the only time he has cast aspersions against law enforcement. Last April, when commenting on Arizona’s immigration law which had passed days earlier, Obama said, “But now, suddenly, if you don’t have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you’re going to be harassed.” That President Obama would casually accuse law enforcement of planning to engage in wanton harassment speaks of a petulant disposition.

President Obama has been petulant towards this country. What American President refers to his country while abroad as “arrogant, derisive and dismissive”?

And now President Obama has been petulant towards the families who lost loved ones during the attacks of September 11, 2001. This time he may have taken his petulance too far with his support for the construction of the Ground Zero Mosque: 

But let me be clear. As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America.

Yet Americans have been clear in saying it isn’t about religious freedom but rather about propriety. Just because Muslims can build a mosque near the site of the deadliest terrorist attack in our nation’s history doesn’t mean they should. But instead of apologizing and admitting the error of his ways, Obama reverts to petulant form and tells us, “I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding.” And exactly how many mosques are presently being proposed for construction on private property in Lower Manhattan? For Obama to suggest he wasn’t giving his blessing to the Ground Zero Mosque is an insult to our intelligence. He has now reached the pinnacle of petulance.

Does Christopher Buckley still think Obama has “a first-class temperament”? What does he have to say for Obama’s petulant presidency?

About the Author

Aaron Goldstein writes from Boston, Massachusetts.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (285) |

a| 8.18.10 @ 6:31AM

Inman Obama is a man-child.

drudge ette obama| 8.18.10 @ 6:55AM

Obama's speech patterns and word choices remind me of something his white grandmother might say if she could get from under the bus.

Kathy from Kansas| 8.19.10 @ 4:10PM

Reading Obama's words in print doesn't capture his petulance. In the soundbite of the same quote, when he said, "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion AS. EVERYONE. ELSE. in this countrih." he just spat those words out with hostile, overly defensive, self-righteous spite. You could HEAR the contempt in his voice. He made it quite obvious how much he despises "everyone else" (meaning, in this context, all non-Muslims). And the pundits wonder why so many Americans think Obama's heart lies with Islam rather than with American founding principles?!

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 9:32AM

Obama is better than McCain would have been; it is a tough job and McCain might not have been able to retain his health-- at his age.
But Dole was what made me detest the GOP. From 1992 to '96 we heard, "Clinton is a reprobate, he must be voted out of office in November of '96." So what did the GOP do? it ran a silly old fool (Dole that is, not McCain!) who wasn't even physically fit to be president. After that I lost all respect for the GOP.
'96 is water under the bridge; today what worries not only me but others, is: will the GOP continue to run lacklustre candidates for president?

The feeling is that the GOP is is stringing the electorate along until it figures out a coherent Post-Cold War, post-Bush strategy.

Teflon93| 8.18.10 @ 9:39AM

As opposed to the Democrats, whose dazzling strategy in 2006, 2008 right through to the present is "Blame Bush".

Meanwhile, Iran will have nuclear weapons, Al Qaeda and the Taliban will resume business as usual in Afghanistan, and the Obama administration will continue to treat terrorist attacks on American soil as isolated outbreaks of Sudden Jihadi Syndrome.

It's time to write off the 20% of Americans who identify as liberals. They're simply too dogmatically stupid and too small a minority to bother with.

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 9:55AM

"It's time to write off the 20% of Americans who identify as liberals."

Reagan Democrats are a sizable number, too. Not nearly as large as 20 percent, but substantial.
BTW, you evaded the issue of whether McCain would have done better than Obama if McCain had won the election of '08.

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 9:59AM

"and too small a minority to bother with."

20 percent of a population of 300-something million is "too small?"
Such is not entirely convincing.

Max Hoff| 8.18.10 @ 7:09PM

Alan, 300 million is around the TOTAL population, 120 million is the rough number of adults that COULD vote.

pablo| 8.18.10 @ 11:13AM

Alan yer BABBLING again. Who gives a shit about McCain? The article is about how OBAMA acts. Saying that someone else might have been just as bad is taking your usual cowardly tack of sidestepping the real substance of every issue.
But, since you brought it up........
Obama has snuggled up to tyrants the world over; he has bitterly criticized America, and our allies. If you think that McCain would have done that, then apparently you forgot about his five year stint in a tiger cage as a POW. Taking potshots about his age does not disguise the fact that McCain didnt wait to be President before he was "proud of his country"

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 12:53PM

"that McCain would have done that, then apparently you forgot about his five year stint in a tiger cage as a POW."

But my first point was McCain might not have been strong enough to withstand the rigors of the presidency. I wasn't sidestepping the point, I think Obama is a better person and politician than McCain, as Reagan was a better person and politician than Carter. That IS the point.

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 1:32PM

Are you serious Alan Babbling Brooks?

Barak Hussein Obama,II is "a better person"
than John Mc Cain?

This petulant little narcissist-racist is a first-
class LIAR, a first class CONTROL-Freak/TYRANT, and a first class
Anti-American Bitter" half-Black who takes Delight in ignoring the Will of the People for
His Own Imperious Will.

McCain has none of these Demonic vices
characteristic of inordinant self-adoration!

Tony| 8.18.10 @ 4:56PM

Let's be perfectly clear. Hussein Obama is an arugula-eating, metrosexual pantywaist.

Chairman Nobomba| 8.18.10 @ 8:24PM

Well said. Alan Alan Babbling Brooks indeed.

greg cook| 8.19.10 @ 4:06AM

Well said. I will copy it and forward it to all to remember November.

Roscoe| 8.18.10 @ 3:29PM

First McCain, then Reagan AND Carter. Now Alan's got not one, but three straw men going.

ds80| 8.18.10 @ 3:41PM

Exactly. What an amazingly huge pile of straw these leftists have to construct their diversions.

Larry| 8.18.10 @ 5:24PM

"McCain might not have been strong enough to withstand the rigors of the presidency"? What rigors? What a joke. Running a 20K marathon is rigorous. Participating in mixed martial arts is rigorous. Geesh get real. There is nothing wrong with his health that would prevent him from being President. His family genetics shows life expectancies far in excess of what the job requires. If you're looking for neo-marxists, liars, whiners and thin-skinned people then yes Obama is a better person and politician than McCain. Obama is the biggest loser of all Presidents than I can remember since JFK. I can't wait until the next election in which the people will throw his sorry skinny ass under the bus.

Ron| 8.18.10 @ 8:14PM

McCain has held it together for many years, he is twice the man Obama is and we would not have lost the respect of the rest of the world if McCain had won. I am only hopeful now that after November he and Michelle can go on permanent vacation

Doctor Right| 8.18.10 @ 12:07PM

McCain WOULD have been a better President than Obama, under any circumstances.

Obama is a socialist. Socialism is a disaster.

So you used to be a Conservative, but were turned away by Bob Dole?

Bullcrap. That's absurd. You're no Conservative, and no Republican, and you never were.

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 12:57PM

"You're no Conservative, and no Republican, and you never were." Perhaps you right; though I'm not gullible, answer me how anyone could be liberal without being gullible.
The remaining question is: what are you? You may think you are conservative, but you might be wearing conservatism as a badge.

jrjr| 8.18.10 @ 5:16PM

Alan, whatever you are, here is a simple question: If McShame did absolutely nothing while Prez, would it be better or worse than the Chosen One's rule?

Ken (Old Texican)| 8.18.10 @ 6:34PM

Alan,
I JUST HAVE ONE...ONE... QUESTION: WHY IN GOD'S NAME DO YOU WRITE DOUBLE POSTS ALMOST EVERY TIME?

Are you bipolar? Are you forgetful? Are you just completely disconnected left hand from right?

What in the dickens makes you do that?

You interrupt my scroll button.

vivian Bennett | 8.18.10 @ 7:18PM

I have to agree Ken. Must be bipolar.

McCain would have only been a tad better than Obama. I as a right wing ultra conservative republican will say I will not vote for another RINO... Republicans, get the act together and give us someone terrific and conservative to vote for.... Charismatic, young, smart... no more old white guys. :)

scotchieguy| 8.18.10 @ 9:09PM

Heh heh heh...that is what I always think. He's like a fly that you have to shoo away everytime you hit your mouse.

Rocky| 8.18.10 @ 11:16PM

Actually Obama is a better President than McCain would have been. I mean come on now, it's almost certain that because of Obama the Democrats will soon be returned to minority party status. McCain couldn't have accomplished that!

Ned| 8.18.10 @ 1:12PM

the circumstances under which McCain could NOT have been better than Barry O'bullshit are simply unimaginable... all John would have had to do is show up, and he'd be head-and-shoulders above this current loser... but then the same could be said of just about anyone now living...

Warrior | 8.18.10 @ 2:08PM

Doc Right: I disagree on the McCain issue. Please understand that this a philosphical discussion as we have to "guess" at what McCain might have done. First, do you believe McCain would have vetoed any form of "Health Care Reform." I would argue that he would have made a terrible piece of legislation worse. He would have supported reaching across the aisle to get a bill done and given the D's more cover to make the bill worse. There would have been no division of parties to keep the bill at bay for the many months that it was sitting idle. Immigation amnesty would have already occurred as the same question has to be asked, do you believe he would have vetoed it or provided it bipartisan support. Cap and tax would have had a better chance of passing again because McCain as President would have supported it and given enough cover to "moderate" R's to get this done.

Quite frankly, McCain can't be trusted to do anything but look at legislation like a liberal. However, in doing so, he would give the D's the much coveted "bipartisan" support that have been seeking for political cover. We could say he would have been an improvement because he would have been less petulant but probably a little more cranky.

I agree, Bob Dole was head a shoulders a much better man than Bill Clinton could ever hope to be.

Dave| 8.19.10 @ 12:03AM

Warrior,
You may have a valid point about health care, but I am sue a McCain stimulus package would have actually put some people to work, which would make him better than Obamalamadingdong!

Alan,
You are just an idiot!

darcy| 8.19.10 @ 12:16AM

I agree with you Warrior. Within the Republican Party -- all across the nation -- with McCain in the oval we'd have heard the constant bleating of the establishment element telling the rest of us how lucky we are to have JM at the helm, how noble are his national healthcare initiatives, his open-borders policy, his cap and trade measures, and how spendid his choice of nice, progressive, mainstream justices have been -- such a moderate and forward-looking fellow is our Johnny boy. In short, we would have been screwed royally. NO ONE in the establishment would have balked in the least at these liberal/leftist measures; and they would have come down hard on the murmurings of the conservative wing of the party to SHUT US THE HELL UP.

Tea Parties like today???? Not likely. Nope. We're much better off as a nation having a commie-muslim-dictator in the WH who intends our ruin post haste, than an emperor-wannabe named McCainwhose cronies would have ridiculed and silenced the Rep base. Party unity and all that crap, don't you know.

No. McCain's tentacles and power reach too deep in the party for it ever to permit the lesser ones to buck and kick. Thank God for Obama.

Bob350 | 8.19.10 @ 9:13PM

Warrior, you are absolutly correct!! If McCain had been elected the same things would have happened. I just believe that it would have occured slower then it has. Both McCain and O are progressives in their parties. I don't believe that America's standing in the world would be as bad as it is now though.
You said it better than I could have. Thanks

Fairbanks99| 8.18.10 @ 3:28PM

My CAT would be better president than Obama. Much better to have a Commander in Chief who licks his own balls rather than one who constantly is kicking us in the balls.

sestamibi| 8.18.10 @ 1:36PM

Um, Alan. Reagan was elected in 1980--thirty years ago. Most of the Reagan Democrats are dead.

JenBee| 8.18.10 @ 4:55PM

LOL, are you serious?! Can you not add? Someone who voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 would have had to be 18+ years old, which makes the youngest of Reagan voters 48 years old today. Put down the bong, move out of your parents' basement, and get a job!!

cletustheslackjawedyokel| 8.18.10 @ 9:13PM

The "Reagan Democrats" were by and large rust belt union members aged between 30 and 60. Those folks are now somewhere between 60 and dirt nap, so the previous poster was correct, many of those voters are gone. Furthermore, most union members 30 years ago were employed in the private market. Today, most union members are government employees, and seeing as how Obama and the Democrats are merely a subsidiary of the AFSCME and NEA, it is highly unlikely a majority of these wards of the state will vote for a cut in their "allowance".

Jmulcahy| 8.18.10 @ 10:30PM

One too few judging from Alan's posts.

Alan Brooks| 8.19.10 @ 5:04PM

"Um, Alan. Reagan was elected in 1980--thirty years ago. Most of the Reagan Democrats are dead. "

You were sleeping in 2nd grade math class, sestamibi?

glenny| 8.18.10 @ 6:05PM

"BTW, you evaded the issue of whether McCain would have done better than Obama if McCain had won the election of '08. "
He would have! glenny

CharlieEcho| 8.18.10 @ 9:48PM

"If" McCain had won and "if" he failed to complete, we would have had Sara. If Obama fails to complete, as he so far is doing, we would have the incomplete Biden. So what is your point?

Trebor Noslem| 8.18.10 @ 10:06PM

Even _I_ would do a better job than Obama. Let's face it, Obama is not suited to be President; he's nothing more than a Chicago ward-heeler who has reached his level of incompetence.

Buzzard| 8.19.10 @ 10:06PM

What we wouldn't have with McCain is a president that was raised as a Muslim, rose through reliance on affirmative action yet listened to the hate filled black rhetoric of Reverend Wright, and surrounded himself with burned out hippies who think that its time to put into place all their drug induced discontent from the 60's.
What McCain would have brought into the White House would be a belief in America's exceptionalism, experience in the armed forces and a greater understanding of foreign policy, who would have surrounded himself with people of experience.

Margie| 8.20.10 @ 3:08AM

Buzzard speaks the truth. But the anarchists don't care. All they're interested in doing is whining and complaining about the state of affairs and complaing about the Republican party.

KJ| 8.18.10 @ 3:51PM

I have a theory about liberals. I think they get exposed to a virus during their formative years and as they age, it eats their brain.

Kathy from Kansas| 8.19.10 @ 4:18PM

We can't write them off, as much as we'd like to. Since they control the media, Hollywood, the universities, the public schools and the courts--and they have plenty of thugs to register voters under 20 different names, get dead people's votes, intimidate conservative-leaning voters at the polls, slash the tires of Republican get-out-the-vote volunteers on Election Day, smash and vandalize the offices of conservative candidates, suppress media coverage of the nefarious activities and connections of Democrat candidates, collect and cover up illegal campaign contributions, physically assault and injure conservative donors and campaign workers, etc., etc.--it is our unavoidable task to fight these creeps.

PJ| 8.18.10 @ 10:45AM

"Obama is better than McCain would have been..."

Let me give you my opinion on that.

I really don't know if McCain would have been a better president. I believe he would have pushed the status quo on local issues ie healthcare, education, pork spending,... & would have continued w/the TARP mentality--- bail out big corporations & friends.

On the international front I think McCain could have been a bit more astute given his background as member on various important senate committees. In this day & age, w/all the tensions percolating under the surface (China, Mexico, Russia, Israel, .....), international know-how is very important. There are some indications McCain was more competent in that area at the time of 2008 campaign.

I voted for the one who I thought would cause the least amount of damage, who I viewed as more ethical(not by much), & who had access to advisers more to my liking.

(I also didn't like Dole but I didn't want the then "pig" to continue either.)

WayneH| 8.18.10 @ 10:53AM

Alan,
As usual your comments have little relationship to the topic. As usual, you indulge in discussions with yourself. I can't think of anyone else on this site that replies to himself on a regular basis. You are such a fool. As to whether or not the hero as opposed to the zero would have done better - YES, ANYONE OLDER THAN 6 YEARS OF AGE WOULD HAVE DONE BETTER. IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS ARTICLE - OBAMA THE PETULANT MAN CHILD.

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 12:59PM

You are demonizing Obama in a way similar to the way Bush's opponents demonized Bush.

JenBee| 8.18.10 @ 4:59PM

Wayne, you are completely right... What Alan has pretty successfully done here is to distract from this accurate and damaging article calling into questions Obama's malignant personality trait(s). He's made all these posts become about what sort of President McCain would have been, when we *SHOULD* be talking about what a disaster of a President Obama has become. STRAW MAN ARGUMENT, detractions, and deflections are the tools of the progressive liberal. IGNORE THE TROLL, and don't let him further hijack this discussion!

Albert| 8.18.10 @ 10:59AM

"Obama is better than McCain would have been..." is saying nothing. What is your fascination with this Bozo President, anyway? You love him simply because he is not Bush? Look, I have no love for the Republican Party. I quit in the late 1990's. All they wanted was my money and the opportunity to outspend Democrats, which as we are seeing under President Bozo and the Imperial Nancy P., is quite impossible. But disdain for the GOP does not logically lead to admiration for Bozo. At lease there are a few Republicans with some backbone and a brain. Not many, but a few. There is not one Democrat in Washington who is worth a bucket of warm spit. A third party (and a fourth Party, and a fifth Party, and...) would be nice about now.

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 1:02PM

"You love him simply because he is not Bush"

No, McCain. Bush would have left office on 1/20/'09 no matter what. I don't like Bush, but I don't actively dislike him as I dislike LBJ and Carter.

Albert| 8.18.10 @ 3:04PM

I agree with you on McCain. Personally, I think it was Democrat crossover votes in 2008 that put him on the ballot. He certainly was not my choice. And you're right about LBJ and Carter. But how that translates into being a Bozo-phile is beyond me. Barack Obama is the dumbest stump I have ever seen in politics. My dog would make a better President.

nena | 8.18.10 @ 11:16AM

LOL my dog would have done a better job than Imam Obummer!

John II| 8.18.10 @ 11:49AM

You're being entirely too petulant, Alan.

Wait a minute. So! THAT's why you voted for the Professor. At last the truth emerges. Petulant is as petulant does.

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 1:05PM

I did not vote for Obama in '08, because of Rev. Wright. But I will vote for Obama in '12, as the GOP has lost its way since Reagan left office. Read the comments above from people who don't trust the GOP either.

Lois| 8.18.10 @ 1:46PM

Alan you are truely a loser with no ability to think for yourself... oh wait, and this is truely sad, maybe you are thinking for yourself.

If you like Obama so much, move to Russia and you can live under socialism without having to wait until 2012.

Warrior | 8.18.10 @ 2:14PM

Alan: This may single handedly be the dummest post I have seen on any blog. You have to either suffer from some form of mental retardation or are a complete moron to make this kind of statement. You are a true liberal making a very weak attempt at cloaking yourself as a very moderate R.

Nancy in NC| 8.18.10 @ 2:16PM

You would vote for Obama in 12? Are you insane? What part of serfdom don't you understand?

What about we find some suitable candidates to run in 12 instead. I think 4 more years of Obama will finish off the Republic.

John II| 8.18.10 @ 4:09PM

"But I will vote for Obama in '12, as the GOP has lost its way since Reagan left office."

In other words, you really, really LIKE Obama now that you see how petulant he truly is?

Actually, Alan, the GOP lost its way during the Hoover administration--or rather it finally defined itself as not having any particular way after behaving generally so since the administration of Andrew Johnson. Eisenhower was the last ordinary Republican president of any stature to give the way of the wayless a certain mature dignity. And there's something to be said, conservatively speaking, about being truly and utterly non-ideological.

Our Ron, it turns out, was an anomaly--a former liberal Democrat who brought his political passions under sufficient control to think clearly, after some standard life-changing brushes with the vicious imbecilities of the Left. And his compromises on the road to success were unblushing: e.g., selecting the elder Bush (the man who ultimately gave us Clinton, with the assistance of the Perot movement he inspired) as his running mate in 1980 and choosing his political battles shrewdly (no effort to end such absurdly wasteful policies as farm subsidies and corporate taxes--you know, the taxes you and I pay in the form of higher prices).

In fact, I would say that the principal thing Our Ron had going for him is that he was a good man: un buen hombre, as one Hispanic voter summed him up. Great opportunities came his way, a few of which he helped to create, and he took proper advantage.

The younger George Bush is a good man too, who enjoyed fewer opportunities. The Professor is not a good man. And that trumps everything else.

If you vote for the Professor in 2012, your expression of petulance in support of petulance will haunt you all the remainder of your days unto the next generation and beyond, a bane on your children's children's children.

You have been warned. And now back to my huge John Wayne DVD collection.

obamanable| 8.18.10 @ 5:25PM

Who did you vote for, Ralph Nader? Or perhaps Socialist Party USA Candidate Brian Moore?

Alan Brooks| 8.19.10 @ 5:12PM

"Who did you vote for, Ralph Nader? Or perhaps Socialist Party USA Candidate Brian Moore? "

I did not vote in '08 at all.
Neither did I vote in '92.

SusanL| 8.19.10 @ 8:33PM

If you didn't vote, you don't have a right to an opinion on who was elected.

Margie| 8.20.10 @ 3:05AM

Excellent point. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see that!

Jeff| 8.18.10 @ 11:59AM

McCain probably wouldn't have been much better but Bush certainly was!

Warrior | 8.18.10 @ 2:24PM

Bush???? Are you forgetting Medicare Prescription, expansion of SCHIP, nobodies dumbass kid left behind, his failed attempt at Immigation Reform, fighting two wars without funding them, all the money for mosquito nets in Africa, bailouts galore to include banks and auto companies, Patriot Act, etc. Bush was horrible, McCain would have been worse and the current numbnut in office is in a morons league of his own.

scotchieguy| 8.18.10 @ 9:20PM

So, who do you like in '12?

Nunya| 8.18.10 @ 1:05PM

So, what you're saying is...even though the article is about Obama's petulance, he's better than McCain would have been? So, that's kind of like saying...because red cherries are tart, they're better than cucumbers... right?

One has absolutely nothing to do with the other, it is a non-sequitur and a red herring.

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 1:07PM

No, because you people are being petulant yourselves in demonizing Obama; and because you people almost act as if the GOP won the election in '08.

Nunya| 8.18.10 @ 1:11PM

I'm sorry, could you come back and say something coherent?

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 1:21PM

You are harshly condemning Obama, which is somewhat petulant of you; calling it indignation is pedantic.
And the GOP is saying "trust us", when there is no reason to trust them. You think you can say what you want about Obama, but that the GOP is not culpable-- when it IS culpable.

Alecia K| 8.18.10 @ 3:48PM

And there is reason to "trust" Obama and the Democrats?!?!?!
How on earth can emphatically state who you will vote for in '12, when you have no clue who the opponent will be??? Typical liberal moron! Won't even consider anyone else.

Tim*| 8.18.10 @ 4:34PM

Now Alan , you're startin' to be petulantly culpable .

Go over there and sit in the naughty chair .

JenBee| 8.18.10 @ 5:03PM

Alan, frankly I am sick and tired of the fact that you have hijacked this entire thread and in the typical way of a progressive liberal, distracted from the main point of the article, which is how Obama's malignant personality trait(s) have damaged not only his Presidency, but the man himself. You must be quite proud of yourself, because look how many people here are commenting not on the article, but on your silly back-and-forth posts about McCain, the GOP, and whatever other straw men you have brought up. You're a good little troll and your progressive soros friends must be quite proud of your skills. My wish is that everyone here would instead focus on the merits of this fabulously written article and the arrogant dismissal of the American people and our allies by this narcissistic president!!!

MattinCA| 8.19.10 @ 6:34PM

Finally someone said what needed to be said. Why is anyone having a conversation with this obvious troll. Don't Feed The Trolls! Ignore him, he brings nothing to the table to discuss. He is trying to keep you from discussing anything of relevance and succeeding. He has successfully put egg on all of your faces by taking over the entire topic of this conversation and changed it into some deluded hypothetical completely off topic.....WTF. It's always tempting to respond to blatantly stupid statements but refrain from doing so.
Don't Feed The Trolls.
DFTT!!!!!!!
Or if you feel like you must respond to such deluded thinking only one person do so and then leave him be.

Back on topic I think this article is spot on. I've seen nothing but contempt for America from this empty suit. It's aggravating to see the leader of the free world despise the very country that made the free world possible.

Although I'm sure Carter is smiling and doing the happy dance that he's been relieved of the Worst President in recent memory award.

Convet| 8.19.10 @ 3:27PM

Stupid is as stupid does.

Roscoe| 8.18.10 @ 3:25PM

Methinks Alan Brooks is a fool. In response to an article purely about the failings of the empty suit, Allan's knee-jerk response is to light in on John McCain. Then - incredibly - Alan writes: "[but] '96 is water under the bridge; today what worries not only me....". Do you see a little discordance here Alan? Here's the news Alan; the empty suit is president, not John McCain.

Randy | 8.18.10 @ 3:44PM

If McCain had been elected, then died, our country would have been in infinitely better hands with Sarah Palin as President than we are with Obama.

Alan Brooks| 8.19.10 @ 5:16PM

"If McCain had been elected, then died,"

McCain would be pleased to hear that his death would have been a positive thing if his ticket had won.

obamanable| 8.18.10 @ 5:15PM

The Democrat Party of JFK is not even recognizable today and you complain about the GOP!!? Today's Democrat Party has become exactly what all those 60's hippies once proclaimed to detest. They now stand for despotism, socialism, big government, and censorship. For all its faults and unsavory factions, at least the GOP generally reveres the notions of personal responsibility, personal accountability, and freedom. These were the values of the Founding Fathers.

glenny| 8.18.10 @ 6:09PM

"...who wasn't even physically fit to be president."
Like FDR?
"Obama is better than McCain would have been" and "But my first point was McCain might not have been strong enough to withstand the rigors of the presidency."
As they say in court, "I object, speculation. Objection sustained".

SusanL| 8.19.10 @ 8:38PM

If McCain could withstand what the North Vietnamese did to him, I think he could have handled being president. The sickest thing done by the Dems in 2008 was the mocking of McCain's disabilities.

sub| 8.18.10 @ 6:50PM

thanks for the history lesson, grandpa. fact remains that obama is as described: arrogant, petulant, and incompetent. neither you not anyone else on this earth have any knowledge of how mccain would have been, you have only your biased and dated opinion. obama's bonafides, however, are on full display. what a pathetic joke....

Burg| 8.18.10 @ 6:52PM

Funny you slam MEN who have suffered, bled, and served YOU, we know about McCain, remember Dole? Italy '45...but your the type that reminds me of the civilians in Kipling's Tommy, always ready to talk crap about those who protect you from the wolves, while hiding behind them...SHEEPLE!

riddy_d| 8.18.10 @ 8:02PM

Sounds like you were congenitally inclined to seek an excuse to "detest the GOP." Lackluster candidated\s? Dukakis...Gore...Carter...Kerry...Obama..."

surfcitysocal| 8.18.10 @ 11:29PM

So your whole opposition to the GOP is based on them putting up, in your view, "old" candidates for which to vote?

Wow. That's deep.

Bill| 8.19.10 @ 12:41AM

Alan, my guess is you were never a true Republican. If you were, I'm glad your stench doesn't permeate our ranks any longer.

Bob Dole may not have met your standard for physical fitness to be president (one of the dumbest things I have EVER heard said, but probably not in the top ten dumb things you said today), but there's a reason for this. He was gravely wounded while fighting for our country in WWII. That's right, shit-for-brains, fighting for the right of complete degenerate fools like you to espouse your idiotic drivel over the internet.

You are a disgrace, Alan - pure and simple.

Bill Melater

By the way, what did you think of FDR's physical ability to lead? Moron....

SA| 8.19.10 @ 3:13AM

I long for the competence of George W. Bush!

You need to get off the drugs and take a good look around, my friend.

Obama has failed and failed miserably.

Anyone, including McCain, would have this country humming along in a nice sound recovery by now.

Obama is such a dunce he has put us in a death spiral.

paradelady| 8.19.10 @ 7:41AM

You don't have to be physically fit to be president. FDR governed from a wheelchair.

Dole's disability came from his World War II service, some of McCain's physical limitations came from his Vietnam serviec. It would be foolish, discriminatory and insulting ot disallow veterans who are injured in serving their country the opportunity to serve in the White House? Something tells me Allan Brooks is not a veteran, probably never did a thing for his country.

David| 8.19.10 @ 12:47PM

You're an idiot. The GOP put up two military war heroes who would have been far better than Clinton in his second term (Lewinsky Gate) and Obama in his only term (Incompetent Community Organizer).

nan| 8.19.10 @ 2:07PM

i can't let mr. alan broks comments about the health of former presidential candidates versus obama's health go unanswered. it is common knowledge that john mccain suffered and recovered from injury . he had skin cancer from sun exposure and recovered. his mother is nearly 100. bob dole also suffered injury during the was and recovered-also had a challenging childhood due to poverty. he is 87 and still works in a law firm in washington. he had pneumonia in feb. of this year . his mother lived until 80 years. obama's mother died of cancer around age 50(?) he is a smoker increasing his chance of cancer and hasn't been put to any physical stamina test. he is petulant/ has had a pretty good life (except for childhood abandonment-i can't even go there and the psychological effects on him)-only see him playing golf a lot and on vacation (a lot ). his presidency has been a disaster, regardless on his health.

Alan Brooks| 8.19.10 @ 5:20PM

"he is 87 and still works in a law firm in washington"

Dole an attorney! how heartwarming.

john hogue| 8.19.10 @ 6:12PM

you are incoherent

john hogue| 8.19.10 @ 6:14PM

sorry I need to clarify

you, Allan Brooks, are incoherent

Lynne| 11.13.10 @ 9:58AM

Wow...Nothing like throwing in a history lesson to get off topic. Way to go.

Bobothree| 8.18.10 @ 1:21PM

You are right. Obama is a punk.

CB| 8.18.10 @ 6:41AM

The man is a joke. You know it, I know it, the people who voted for him know it, and now, the rest of the world knows it.

Tomas| 8.18.10 @ 7:43AM

The British papers, especially.

Let's not forget the public humiliation of the Supreme Court during the State of The Union Speech.

The more the man insists, "Let me be clear," the more confusing he becomes. We've let him be clear for over two years now, and we still don't know anything about the guy.

Other than the fact that he's incompetent.

-

potkas7| 8.18.10 @ 7:48AM

Except...in his first 18 months in office he's rammed through his healthcare plan, nationalized two of the 'Big Three' automakers and turned the means of produciton over to the workers, taken over the financial system, passed spending bills that will bankrupt the nation and appointed two justices of questionable qualification to the Supreme Court without a peep of protest from the Republican opposition.

If Obama is a joke, why is no one laughing?

Gill O’Teen ✝✡$| 8.18.10 @ 9:37AM

The enemies of OUR Country are laughing.

And the petulant won was correct when he said, “But now, suddenly, if you don't have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you're going to be harassed.” He only erred by confusing Arizona law enforcement with his spouse, 'chelle-fish’s, food police since once he autographs the first lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative currently on the kon-grrssional table it will possibly grant her the authority to control what we are allowed to feed our children.
[ http://thehill.com/homenews/ho.....ition-bill ]. How ironic that the family which epitomizes my Dad’s favorite verse, “I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream!” will soon have the legal means to deny the rest of us one of life’s simple pleasures.
Gill O’Teen ✝✡$
Don’t Tread on Me.
gill.Oteen07041776@gmail.com
“It's fun. When people come in to buy ice cream, they're happy. It's a treat.” - Mike Manfredi
Only 886 days to go.

yamama| 8.18.10 @ 5:21PM

God, I hope so.

Dan| 8.18.10 @ 6:43AM

I have to agree that Obama is very petulant. I too should be considered petulant by the definition you have here. The only difference between my petulance and Obama's is, is that mine is used as a Patriot and defender of everything that made America great. Obama's petulance comes from a mostly anti-American sentiment that seems to come from his pure hatred of America and everything American, including our Constitution. Obamas petulance hit an all-time high when he declared war on Christianity by throwing his socialist weight behind the ground zero mosque farce. Supporting Sharia law in a Christian nation , while being the supposed leader of that nation, is pure Marxist tyranny.

John II| 8.18.10 @ 12:08PM

On the other hand, "petulance" carries the distinct connotation of being small-minded and peevish. You're not petulant about lefty hatred for America, Dan; you're indignant.

Me, I'm contemptuous. But I work in academia, where petulance is ingrained in the culture. If you had to work with petulant people all the time, you'd understand the difference between petulance and sincere indignation.

Petulance is surely a prominent attribute of Professor Obama, but the Professor is above all a child of his times and his political class--and petulance (along with such attributes as arrogance and self-preening) is a mark of the lefty mindset. So I guess the question is whether the Professor is drawn to the left by dint of his own petulant disposition or petulant by dint of his uncritical imbibing of the lefty culture.

Or both. After all, as Orwell reminds us, a man make take to drink because he feels himself to be a loser and then become all the more a loser because of his drinking.

Alan Brooks| 8.18.10 @ 1:12PM

"If you had to work with petulant people all the time, you'd understand the difference between petulance and sincere indignation."

This is splitting hairs as only an academic would do. What is your niche in academia? are you a philosophy professor?

John II| 8.19.10 @ 12:49AM

No--it is splitting hairs as no academic is any longer interested in doing.

And I have no niche, being an academic of all trades. If you must know, my title is the Algonquin J. Calhoun Professor of Classical Rhetoric, semi-retired, A.B., M.A., Ph.D. LL..D., D.D.T., &c. But I tire of listing my bona fides.

And now back to "The Music Box," for which Laurel and Hardy took the 1933 Academy Award for best four-reeler. My grandkids are calling, and their taste in movies is impeccable.

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 1:40PM

As a fellow academic, a professor in comparative religion, I like real philosophers and their prowess in making significant distinctions in their analysis of the human condition.

Religiously, I suspect, Obama--to a Hindu,Buddhist,Catholic Christian, Confucian,
Taoist(maybe even Islam!)--would be petulant
because he is Demonic:he loves the Evil he
says and does, and adores himself(idolatry).

This was not imbibed from the narcissistic
self-righteous Left, nor a genetic pre-disposition,but a FREE CHOICE to be
a Tyrant because, after all, he thinks He is The One:the Mahdi,the Mashiah,the Apocalyptic Son of Man. He's self-delusional!

John II| 8.18.10 @ 4:32PM

"He's self-delusional!"

But doesn't that also let him off the hook morally?

I've never been quite up to discerning the difference between "the Devil made me do it" and "I grew up in a very troubled environment"--except that the former is more elegant and less pretentious.

Yet both claims (the appeal to nature and the appeal to nurture) prescind from the issue of personal responsibility. Somehow, on the contrary, we truly expect more of one another, if not always of ourselves--I mean, we know we have the power "to rise above it," whether "it" be the weight of one's own history and habits or the allure of temptation.

And we know that when we do not exercise that power, we are blameworthy. All great literature--and there's been a huge chunk of it produced over the past few thousand years--depends for its staggering effect on the premise of personal responsibility.

So does any half-decent piece of detective fiction, come to think of it. And I don't think the Professor is unhinged. I think he's bad.

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 8:00PM

My post, John II, clearly defines Obama as FREELY
Evil--his choice is Tyrrany .
This is complemented by his narcisssist delusions of grandeur--he really believes Only He is the One;that
was not merely a campaign slogan. Self-worship is
the center of his deepest self--even his "autobiographies"reveal this, embedded in his quest to be 100%(not 50%)Black. He really Hates
whites, in order to be Black!

Any sage or scholar from any of the religions I list
would call him demonic or, as Hindus say, MahaMaya. He is a really Lost man--by Choice!

John II| 8.19.10 @ 12:01AM

Then he is not "self-delusional." And "tyranny" is spelled with one "r" and two "n"s.

I'll put my classical education up against your anthropological education any time, dude.

And now back to "Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe."

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 1:54PM

John II~

Here's a thought on this subject. Once many years ago, Billy Graham went to Russia and came back saying that there was Religious freedom there.

Yeah, there was~ if you were what was called back then a Stooge church for the Communists.

Richard Wurmbrand who suffered 14 years in Communist prisons under their torture and lived to tell about the entire system of "Religious freedom" made this comment, "Either Billy Graham is deceived, or he's lying."

The question comes down to then, if one is deceived, will he be held accountable for it before his Maker?

The Bible says that God judges the heart, yes. It is up to each one of us then, to be certain that we are not following a lie.

Lynne| 11.13.10 @ 10:02AM

Sounds like the antichrist to me. i have often suspected he may be...Or just here to usher in the one.

Apostrophe Jones | 8.18.10 @ 6:44AM

When you elect a community agitator , this is the result .

T. Coddington Van Voorhees VII | 8.18.10 @ 6:51AM

I'm Beginning to Believe This Obama Fellow Is Unequal to the Task
by T. Coddington Van Voorhees VII
Intellectual Conservative At-Large

Summer once again tiptoes in on crepe soles to the eastern extremities of Long Island; affording, as is its wont, fresh opportunities to enjoy the providence of nature and the financial acumen of one's forebears. Despite the looming spectre of global climate change the lawn is verdant and lush, and my gardener Hideo informs me the hibiscuses are in especially fine fettle. Much to the relief of his mother (if not the household staff) young T. Coddington VIII has returned from Quonsocket Prep and Rehabilitation Center. I am pleased to announce he has made significant strides in overcoming the acute arson disability that so plagued his sophomore academic marks, and thus his matriculation as a member of Harvard '15 is all but assured. And, if you will forgive a note of personal triumph, I also find myself in the midst of a career renaissance as the leading conservative thinker on the scourge and embarrassment of conservative extremism.

This solstitial season should then, by all rights, occasion in a conservative centrist like myself a deep sense of satisfaction -- if not outright contemptuous pity for the jejune editorial boobs of The National Topsider who some 18 months ago unceremoniously dismissed my services following my prescient endorsement of Barack Obama. Thanks to the good conservative breeding instilled in me by my late father, swashbuckling Topsider founder T. Coddington Van Voorhees VI, I am happily above such base emotions. Living well, as they say, is the best revenge; particularly when underwritten by royalty checks from the New York Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek, and the other top-tier periodicals unintimidated by trenchant critiques of the soi-dissant 'Tea Party' idiots. Rather than basking in the deserved status of a conservative man in full, however, I instead find this the summer of my discontent. Each day seems to introduce some new crisis on the world scene with hints of more to come, and one is left to wonder if even our elegant young President's oratorical and tonsorial gifts are equal to the challenges ahead. (continue reading)

http://iowahawk.typepad.com/io.....-task.html

Gretchen| 8.18.10 @ 3:14PM

BRAVO!!!

Margie| 8.18.10 @ 6:21PM

Hilarious. Iowahawk, I remember you from over at Lucianne.com and perhaps the old Alley. Do come back now, ya hear?

Don Carlson| 8.18.10 @ 6:59AM

The issue of the mosque is a curious one--if the Muslims who wish to build it are merely serving a local community of Muslims, why not build it 10 blocks away where it will not be intruding on the memorial to the victims of their co-religionists. It is undeniable that those Muslim terrorists committed the murders of almost three thousand people in the name of their faith and, they believe, at the behest of their prophet. This is something to be ashamed of, not to celebrate. Mr. Obama's approval of it is redolent of his born and bred anti-Americanism.

Ret. Marine| 8.18.10 @ 7:00AM

I've said it before and it is worth the time again, this is one first rate cl-ass punk. The American Thinker today has a blog entry entitled, " What would a jihadist Do" and the last line pretty much sums it up, these are all the things our President has Done.

This cl-ass punk, aka, the "won", aka barry soretto, aka, baraque hussein obama, aka, obamas bin-lyin, aka the pretender-n-theif of anything American it just what this Country and it's countrymen/ladies needed at this time in history. First, he's a known liar, taking bill klinton's place, second he's a killer of un-born babies, inside and outside of the American territories, third he a real example of a back walker, every time he open's his mouth someone in the department of the something has to explain what this great intellectual means before he restated what he meant what everyone clearly knew is meant before he really understood what he meant to say, geeeez, this is getting tiresome, there's no excuss for this man-child pretender of anything that comes to his mind. Loser is quite fitting. Traitor to this republic is best fitting, and treasonist atributes is what he shows us every day. Someone get the damned IMPEACHMENT papers to the proper authorities before this Country turns on one another. The great united my arse, more like the great deciever. This peice of sheet along with his partners in crime, i.e. the demonrat party are the enemies of We the People. It's just that simple to this old Devil Dog. Semper Fi.

Gill O’Teen ✝✡$| 8.18.10 @ 10:23AM

I was banned by American Thinker for being too revolutionary for their censors.

In Mark 5:9, Jesus inquired of the man with an unclean spirit, “What is thy name?” The possessed answered, saying, “My name is Legion: for we are many.” These devils were relocated to a great herd of about two thousand swine. Back in the days when I was a profuse reader of science fiction, I read a work by Arthur C. Clarke, also the author of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, named “The Nine Billion Names of God” which tells of a Tibetan lamasery whose monks seek to list all of the names of God, since they believe the Universe was created in order to note all the names of God and once this naming is completed, God will bring the Universe to an end. As a big fan of connecting the dots, I have grave doubts that the petulant won is the messiah ol-burrman thinks he is. I could be more easily swayed that he is possessed by a legion of fallen angels. Since by Mark’s count that’s about 2 kilodevils, hopefully, by listing all their names this presi-duncey will end.

In that hope, I have begun compiling various monikers for the golden calf. I have added some of yours to this list.

Didn’t know that by posting these, you may have helped save the universe, did you?

Anyone else with candidate names for the lord of flies, do email them to me. Even in my Vicodin-induced haze, I need a chuckle. Once I have a full list of 2 kilonames, I’ll send it to all who so request.
Gill O’Teen ✝✡$
Don’t Tread on Me.
gill.Oteen07041776@gmail.com
Q: What’s black and white and red all over? A: a newspaper? Q: No A: A sunburned zebra Q: No A: A sunburned penguin Q: No A: I give up Q: No more hints.
Only 886 days to go

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 1:47PM

You've said it all! Even better than an academic like myself. We all Know a Devil when we see one, don't we? Except Alan Babbling-Brooks.

He's like the "children in the market place"wondering why we don't sing and dance to the praises of THE ****ONE?

And thanks for being a Marine!! Sempre fi!!
Uhrah!

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 1:48PM

Oops.
My post was in reply to Ret Marine--not Gill . . .

Appleby| 8.18.10 @ 7:00AM

Zero is behaving just the way one would have expected a college sophomore to behave if he had been reared as a Big Fish in a handmade pool and now found himself in the ocean with much bigger and more experienced predators who didnt get the memo that they are contractually obligated to bow to him.

Most sophomores get over this with the aid of both friends and enemies, and the natural passage of time. Some never do, and if they are fortunate they become professional athletes, and if not, they become mosquitoes and pester us all their lives.

I have the feeling Zero is fated to be another mosquito.

arlo price| 8.18.10 @ 10:17AM

The obamagedon PIMP thugocracy chugs along.....

Unfortunately, your correct in your feeling of this pesky mosquito.

The 'shock' of the implementation of the global elitist ruling class agenda is designed to make the furtherance of the agenda more palpable. It is similar to military 'basic training' which is a real shock for the first few days until you become accustomed to it.

Regretfully, unless legal action (or other means) are taken against the first half-white potus and the rest of his spll/jihadist tribe, they will succeed.

This Republic needs to shame these people in the most graphic of ways or we'll hear from the half-breed for another 30 years.

LET'S ROLL !!!

John II| 8.18.10 @ 12:18PM

"Most sophomores get over this with the aid of both friends and enemies, and the natural passage of time. Some never do, and if they are fortunate they become professional athletes, and if not, they become mosquitoes and pester us all their lives. "

More specifically, they become college professors for a while and then become college administrators.

Some become film stars.

Many become lawyers, journalists, lefty bloggers, liberal churchmen, and politicians.

One became President of the United States recently.

Ned| 8.18.10 @ 1:23PM

on that "sophomoric mosquito" theme - I can envision Barry Hussein Obullshit and Jummy Carter showing up arm-in-arm at the national Demoron Convention, 20 years from now, and embarrassing the hell out of presidential candidate Chelsey Clinton... while stealing Michael Moore and Al Franken's seats near the back wall...

Gretchen| 8.18.10 @ 3:19PM

Rx for mosquitoes?

RAID!!!!!!!

Mimi| 8.18.10 @ 7:01AM

AARON....Great idea..petulent! When in the great State of New York totally 'controlled by
the petulent "ONES" party you pull in to a convienient store parking lot , at 2 pm and here every truck and car radio blasting out the RUSH LINBAUGH SHOW...You just know something is
amiss !! The President of " Dems " only will here from all the American people come Nov 2 ,
and sir: It will be all about " LIBERTY ".

Mimi| 8.18.10 @ 7:16AM

mispelled....sorry Rush....LIMBAUGH, darn and alsoHERE should be HEAR....Its too early, sorry!

DE_JA| 8.18.10 @ 9:40AM

MISSPELLED...sorry!

Laney B| 8.18.10 @ 7:06AM

This is man who hates himself. When you haate yourself, you can love nothing.

Timothy L. Pennell| 8.18.10 @ 7:15AM

Petulant? I don't know. I'm thinking more of a word that starts with the letter N. And you can put the word MUSLIM in front of it, while you're at it.

Tami Bell| 8.18.10 @ 8:05AM

Narcissist?

Lawrence Boccardi| 8.18.10 @ 7:26AM

Mr. Pennell may be on to something there! At the very least, our last half-black President has done more to set race relations back 50 years, than the Klan has.

saleboter| 8.18.10 @ 7:49AM

PETULANT - What a perfect description.

Stephanie| 8.18.10 @ 7:57AM

What got me about obama's speech was his use of the constitution to stroke his muslim buddies he was feeding that night at OUR White House. Like he gives a rats rear about that sacred document, except to trash it and find ways to get around it. And Lawrence, how right you are. obama has divided this country badly, not only in the race relations dept., but along party lines as well. AND as Ret. Marine said, obama is what we needed at this time in history, to wake us up, get us involved again. I just hope it doesn't end in violence.

Pat Spooner| 8.18.10 @ 9:42AM

Not to mention that it was a dinner that working American's paid for!

Ret. Marine| 8.18.10 @ 11:18PM

As any good Marine will tell you, you must be PREPARED at all times.
pray for the best but, always be prepared to take on anyone who would threaten our way of life. I've got a gut feeling this is not going to turn out the way the so-called prez thinks it will. There are way to many of us who would just as soon put him in the grave as any for his billegerence towards We the People. Semper Fi.

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 8.18.10 @ 8:00AM

Obama's shortcomings are many.

The real story is that White House and the administration of chock full of anti-American, anti-business ideologues so far to the left they are beyond communism.

When Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh let the public know about these bizarre personalities the White House immediately fires them because the White House doesn't want the public to realize just how far to the left they dwell.

So in essence, Obama tells the Republicans not to listen to Limbaugh but in fact, the Obama White House reacts every time another radical is uncovered by Beck or Limbaugh.

Obama's disdain for fairness apparently goes to his own staff and is simply the hallmark of a political animal whose only desires are his own desires. Basically a nine year old. A man child.

Doctor Right| 8.18.10 @ 8:04AM

Liberalism is not logical.

It is an emotion-based philosophy that values feelings over reason and facts.

Obama is a liberal. So are all of his followers.

Therefore, it stands to reason that he's a petulant baby who sulks and throws temper-tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants. It also stands to reason that the vast majority of liberals act and react in the same manner.

Thusly...opposition to liberalism always boils down to the most base, infantile criticism:

"YOU DON'T CARE - YOU'RE A HATER!"

Liberals are a pestilence. Their philosophies must be defeated. We're running out of time.

Margie| 8.18.10 @ 2:01PM

AMEN to that!

MVP | 8.19.10 @ 8:22PM

Obama is a GIFT! Now that I've said that, I have your attention. Obama has done more to rally our citizens around the constitution and the bill of rights by demonstrating his tyrannical tendancies and reminding us how the liberal agenda means certain doom for our economy and way of life. A McCain presedency would only have extended the apathy that our voting public became accustomed to. This is coming from a guy who regards John McCain my hero. But he is a waffling politician who should only reach across the isle to slap the silly liberal who stands there!

martin j smith| 8.18.10 @ 8:04AM

Obama was elected in the Most fraudulent election for president in my lifetime. He was proped up by the MSM, and his opposition was John McSomebody or other--who first of all should not have been the naominee at all and second gave me the impression he did not really want to be or at least to act as if he was really in a presidential race. Next, for anyone paying close attention Obama's background and associations were VERY RELEVANT. And, his comments and speeches during the campaign gave more away of who he was. So, what in the name of the CPUSA did you expect huckleberry finn ? Now that his behavior as President is bare naked for all to see the opposition to his persona as a president and his policies grows daily. His comments about the Ground Zero Mosque ( though insignificant compared to the damage that he has done in so many areas ) I think becomes another nail in the coffin of his and the Democrat Left. The key to all of this is November. But a word of warning this guy and his ilk are criminals at hear and capable of doing ANYTHING to stay in power. Be aware and informed.

Curly Smith| 8.18.10 @ 8:15AM

I think "petulant" grossly understates the level of animus that Obama has for the country and her citizens. His behavior is neither "capricious" nor "temporary"'; it's consistent, deliberate and focused.

But, who can blame Obama? He intended to lose the election and then go on to a lifetime gig as the next Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton or Rev. Wright. He was set, he'd never have to work again. He'd be the man denied the Presidency by the racists, the donations to his national community organizing center would never stop. And then those dang racists went and elected him.

No, he's not petulant.... he's a parasite.

The Bishop| 8.18.10 @ 8:22AM

Let me be petulant: This clown is giant hemorrhoid on posterior of America. No ointment will bring soothing relief - only curative removal of the offending tumor.

John II| 8.18.10 @ 12:29PM

You're not being petulant, your excellency. You're being dour, which is more dignified.

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 2:20PM

Au contrair mes amis:

Obama is far beyond petulant, and much worse than dour: He's Demonic!

Why is Evil & Tyranny so difficult to
recognize merely because it wears a
laconic smile, insists he's 100%(not 50%)
African-American, and mouths "just words"
that bedazzle his shallow legions of Blacks,
Hispanics, Yuppie white women, and the elitist
buffoons in the MSM!

If only Jesus would have emulated "The One"--
they would have really made Him the Mashiah King(as they tried to do with their Hosannahs),
not a crucified Blasphemeous Seditionary.

JimH| 8.18.10 @ 8:27AM

To be fair to the One, his behavior is not unique among politicians. Years ago my father was part of a crew installing a new telephone system in City Hall in NYC when the new mayor, John Lindsey shows up and starts giving all kinds of orders to these men about how and when he wants the work done. He ended this by saying ‘I am the Mayor’. My father’s reply was ‘Don’t blame me, I didn’t vote for you’. Sometimes a strong union is a good thing as there were no repercussions.

Deborah D | 8.18.10 @ 9:13AM

Boy, I'd love to shake your father's hand! What a great retort!! Yes, to be a liberal politician (and, I'm sure any politician) is to think you know it all. Ridiculous -- not reality-based. Politicians live in a world of yes-men and bribes -- no wonder they think they're all-knowing, god-like halo wearers. They believe their own propaganda.

Michael L. Hauschild| 8.18.10 @ 8:39AM

There will be legions of "petulant" voters come November.

Redstateboy| 8.18.10 @ 9:16AM

First I'd say.. "petulant" Perfect description. Second I'd say.. you think he's petulant now? wait until Nazi Pelosi hands the Gavel over to John Boehner - then you're going to see "petulant"

Ned again| 8.18.10 @ 1:28PM

C-A-N-N-O-T W-A-I-T!

Derek Leaberry| 8.18.10 @ 9:16AM

As Mr. Goldstein approves much of Obama's social agenda like homosexual "marriage", I am surprised he has written such a negative column.

Anthony| 8.18.10 @ 9:19AM

Obama is the poster child for the arrogant, intolerant, elitist Left that rules America. Like his fellow churlish Leftists, he lives in a bubble world in which only his views and those of the Leftist agitprop are valid.
This is why the Leftist MSM and the rest of the Leftist establishment have no qualms with the constant criticism leveled at them by the rest of America. These superiorists are immune from their woeful stupidity because THEY DON'T CARE WHAT WE THINK.
The sooner we rid America of this elitist cabal, the sooner we can restore America to its founding principles.

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 9:23AM

It's nice to see so many posters here "get" Obama. What I don't understand is why his pathology wasn't obvious from the moment he announced his candidacy for the highest office in the land.

Our popular culture chose to ignore this puerile, self-centered, narcissistic, ignorant, ideologically-driven, nihilistic, puffed up non-entity because it has long chosen to ignore or misinterpret these traits in itself. The truth is, Obama IS 21st century America.

When we have a culture in which grown-ups have to resort to childish neologisms like "the 'n' word" when discussing valid sociological issues; when we have decided that "caring" is the highest form of human achievement and the production of goods and services that are valued by our fellow men is nothing but greed; when we've agreed to bestow divine Goodness to ourselves for "caring" when we force one group to give another group its money and then bask in the reflected (and false) "glory" of a wealth transfer that cost us not one dime; when we have decided that capitalism is evil and socialism - for everybody except us, of course - is good; when we've decided that any person's grievance, however petty, can be transformed into a civil right being denied a fill-in-the-blank victim group by white people; when we have agreed to dissolve our sovereignty by erasing our borders and debasing our currency; when we have decided that the laws of economics mus be repealed; when we have decided that self-esteem is the most important character trait one must develop in adulthood; when we have inverted right and wrong such that amorality is moral, crime is justice and the constitution is unconstitutional; when we excoriate human decency and admire chicanery, cronyism, corruption and the pornification of our entire society; when we willingly offer our necks to our enemies to behead in the hopes of achieving the ultimate masturbatory ecstasy in the vacuous name of “tolerance;” when we love ourselves but hate all of the institutions that made our lives possible; when we knowingly adopt a false narrative based on self-aggrandizing emotion and reject the reality of a causal universe; when we buy into primitive concepts like the original sin of technology even as we gobble up ipads and iphones and sit in air-conditioned comfort in our cars because WE are not the problem; when we avoid hard decisions by embracing false values and then receive praise in the echo chamber of mainstream media for our cowardice; when we devote all of our attention to patting ourselves on the back for pulling the wool so thoroughly over our own eyes -

we deserve a piece of shit like Barack Obama for our president and his whole lot of rotten, fetid, corrupt, incompetent would-be dictators.

As a civilization, we have decided that it's time to dismantle America in favor of an elite group of ubermenschen presiding over a concatenation of competing tribes all engaging in our own separate hedonistic, self-gratifying pagan orgies.

And when morning comes and the orgy is over, and the conflagration has consumed even the insulated fortress of the elite; when we see the extent of the destruction in the light of day, I do not want to hear one goddamn word from you liberals. Your sole utility in life ought to be to keep the wolves occupied while the surviving adults try to build something SUSTAINABLE from the rubble.

Sheila| 8.18.10 @ 10:21AM

Excellent comment as usual, Grzmlyk. One minor emendation, though. ". . . I do not want to hear one goddamn word from you liberals" - should be "liberals, centrists, progressives, moderates, and conservatives". Attribute blame to whom it's due, please - left liberals and right liberals alike.

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 10:24AM

Touche, Sheila; I should have also included "go-along-to-get-along-RINOs" and
"reach-across-the-aisle" Republicans" - just in case they're too dense to realize they're already included.

Margie| 8.18.10 @ 2:04PM

So you include conservatives in your list? Okeedokee.

Warrior | 8.18.10 @ 2:18PM

If you classify someone like George W. Bush as a conservative then I would agree that conservatives should be included on the list.

Margie| 8.18.10 @ 6:30PM

GW's a good and decent man. That's more than I can say about the likes of you.

BilboMcFonzie| 8.18.10 @ 11:14AM

Too true. It's easy to point the finger at Obama and the left. But what does it say about US as a country that has elected him and others like him? We can hope that people start to listen to those that are mocked and discredited for telling the truth.

George True| 8.18.10 @ 11:35AM

48% of us definitely got who Obama was from the very beginning. The 52% who voted for him might deserve him, but we certainly don't. In any case, I believe the MSM deserves even more of the blame than the 52% of the dumbed-down electorate. The MSM has claimed in the past that they are good for at least a 5% difference in the vote, and I believe this to be true. They are the ones who made the critical difference as the de facto propaganda arm of the Democrat party.

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 12:09PM

I agree with you in that I personally do not accept responsibility for Obama's election. And I'm pretty sure most individuals on this site are similarly blameless.

But the fact is, as a whole, we Americans have allowed our culture to become sicker and sicker.

Yes, the MSM has an undue influence on our culture, but why has it been allowed to veer into insanity and take so many people with it? I have long believed that one of the first things we'd have to do to take America back is to commandeer a large swath of mainstream media so that we are no longer considered fringe, but that we shape popular culture - literally buy out CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, CNN, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, the Atlanta Constitution Journal, Gannett, AP, PBS - one or more of those entities.

And unlike many who think the rise of conservative Web sites and Fox News are the harbingers of the grown-ups finally taking the wheel of American culture and that the traditional liberal venues are dying, I am not nearly so sanguine. Some claim we’ve established a beachhead from which we are about to conquer liberal territory. Right now it looks more to me like a walled garden in which the exotic flowers grow, but do not commingle with the weeds beyond.

I believe that as CBS and the NY Times and the others lose their liberal followers, their Web-based avatars pick up the slack, along with new-media entities like the Huffington Post and Moveon.com which gobble up a youth which, thanks to the left's iron grip on all levels of education, is already thoroughly saturated in the propaganda of a false consciousness and just ripe for the grotesque theater of the likes of The Today Show.

I mean, just about every person I know in my daily life thinks the sun rises and sets by what PBS says. The tilt against capitalism is now the currency of mainstream thinking, and those who demur are considered moral lepers. It is shocking.

As a culture, we have allowed this liberal cancer to metastasize such that perversion of everything good is not only accepted, it's aspired to.

Nixon called them the "silent majority." We have been silent too damned long.

When 52 million people vote this OBVIOUSLY worthless goon into office - and when he STILL has myriad defenders, when his daily depredations against our constitution are cheered by all but a few, I'm sorry, but that means the cancer has won.

We have been victimized by that oldest of nemeses: Human Nature. Ironic, since it is the left's mirage of a utopia in which human nature is gloriously eliminated that has brought this country to its knees.

Sheila| 8.18.10 @ 12:26PM

Why can you say "the cancer has won" and not get tarred as a quitter by Ken (Old Texican)? I note these things and I'm an anathematized preacher of despair! Anyhow, aside from issues of cosmic justice, too true. The oft-cited figure of 41 percent living off 59 percent of the population is, I believe, severely understated. Make certain to count those depending on farm subsidies, student loans, and "their" social security, and you have a whiny and dependent population who deserve what they get. Our forefathers (genetic and spiritual, take your pick) had the will to create a nation and conquer a wilderness. We lack the will to defend our own and we have lost our homeland. All those who blame "the press" are merely an extension of this national lack of responsibility. Like you, I have no culpability in Obama's election, but I (and more importantly, my children) will have to suffer the imminent disintegration of this country into total (we're currently merely at partial) multicultural chaos along with the rest. All those who are so enamored of posting laundry lists of "what we should do" are as delusional as all those salivating over a "triumphant" November." Decline and fall.

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 12:36PM

Sheila, I'm sure Ken will be by soon enough to castigate me - he's done it on many occasions.

The fact is, if history is any guide - and I believe it is - our representative republic is doomed for the same reason they're all doomed (and as Alexander noted back in the 18th century): All such forms of government collapse once the populace figures out it can vote itself goodies from the public treasury. He even noted that your average democracy lasts about 200 years.

Anyone who thinks we're going to pull back from the brink before we go over the cliff hasn't been watching: We're STILL offering sub-prime mortgages to people in an effort to reflate the housing bubble; we're STILL bailing out entities like unions and private companies; we're STILL debasing the currency. We're STILL insisting that we allow enemies into our homes even though it's obvious that once they are inside, they will kill us. We are STILL holding up ever-increasingly perverted behaviors and values as the apotheosis of enlightened thinking.

What I keep trying to tell Ken and others is that we are ALREADY OVER THE EDGE OF THE TOWER OF BABEL. We just haven't landed yet. Sure, things don't look too bad as we pass the 80th floor window.

Ken once said he had a magic wand - implying that with a wave of his arm, he coult put a stop to this. What was the magic wand? Going Galt. Well, that was a few weeks ago; we haven't gone Galt, and we won't go Galt because too many entities see short-term gain in NOT going Galt; like our politicians, these entities don't give a damn about the long-term consequences.

It's too late to decide we made a mistake by jumping off the cliff, and, despite what Obama and his thugs say, we cannot repeal the law of gravity.

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 12:37PM

I meant to paraphrase "Alexander Tytler," not "Alexander."

John II| 8.18.10 @ 5:22PM

Tytler. Oh. I was wondering about that. For a second, I thought you meant Pope, but that didn't make any sense.

Whoa--I haven't had occasion to spelunk in Lord Woodhouselee's Universal History (still in print, by the way!) for years. I prefer the likes of Dawson and Burckhardt for that sort of thing.

I dunno, Grzzy. I think of Tytler as being in the same league with, say, Durant or Toynbee--and the American thing doesn't really have any very exact historical precedent. We're sort of winging it with this experiment, if you follow my drift.

Besides, your paraphrase of Tytler may itself be the paraphrase of a paraphrase going the rounds as a faux-quote for the past several decades, on the analogy of the Chesterton paraphrase regarding atheists believing in anything.

I think you should bone up on, say, Tocqueville, to give your pessimism a tad more qualifying ballast.

I mean--damn, Grzzy! I think I need some "Hogan's Heroes" to cheer up.

the rifleman| 8.18.10 @ 7:24PM

The Sgt Schultz on "hogans Heroes" is far more intelligent than the doper Schultz who works for the Marxist Socialist Nothing but communism(MSNBC) "network".

Ken (Old Texican)| 8.18.10 @ 7:12PM

GRZ,
I would never castigate you and Sheila, Sir.

...only remonstrate with you.
If I may, may I ask you in what State you reside?
...or grew up?
The "working title" of my book is "The Nays of Texas".
You will have noted that my posts have been quite short the last few weeks. I am writing...and thinking...furiously.
See...you and Sheila have all the problems encompassed ...eloquently.
I'm working on the solutions.
I am busting my butt to get the book on PDF by October first. Buy beans and wheat....and Clorox bleach.
Food is a non-issue. Bad water will kill you faster than starvation.
God bless

Nancy in NC| 8.18.10 @ 2:29PM

Excellent posts. I assume you will in DC on the 28th for the Restore Honor rally.

We need to restore personal and national honor, and now would be better than later. Our society is very sick, and the government is a reflection of the people. I have suspect that more people voted last year on Amercan Idol than voted in the primaries.

I think it was John Adams that said something like "a republic is only suited to a moral and religious people". Guess that explains why the republic is on the death bed.

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 2:09PM

I agree. The problem is though that many of the posters believe that it is of no use to vote at all. While no one in their right minds can disagree with the conclusions of Gryzmlyk and Sheila, (all except for the white Nationalist racist stuff on Sheila's part), they seem to be throwing the baby out with the bath water. Talk about castigating? If you castigate the entire lot of human beings in the electorate including conservatives, who is left?

Should we then give up and not vote at all? Is it anarchism that you want? If there are no conservatives left in your minds to vote for then we may as well lay down and die. Yes decline and fall!

While I agree that our government is so huge as to be Leviathan impersonated, I refuse to succumb to handing the election to the Left!

If you want to talk reality, read Matthew 24 in the Bible. There IS a Great Tribulation coming indeed, and it's going to get a lot worse out there. But in the meantime it is charged to us to fight on, isn't it?

I'm still going to vote AGAINST the Party of Death by voting Republican. It's the least I can do. Don't "castigate" me, now! :^)

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 2:14PM

LOL I said Leviathan impersonated. Instead it should have read, personified!

RCV| 8.19.10 @ 4:46PM

Ah yes, that small little defect of "white, Nationalist racist stuff", which is part and parcel of so many of the postings from the right on this site. We can overlook that, can't we? But not health care for the poor! That's an unpardonable sin!

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 8:03PM

I never overlook it, and didn't this time. And it isn't a philosophy of the Right, it's one of the Left. Just as Hitler hated the Jews, the White Nationalists hate anyone non-white. That's their problem, not mine. These types don't fool me.

But it still doesn't justify your being a Leftist and backing a Leftist. You don't fool me, either.

RCV| 8.19.10 @ 11:04PM

I've never tried to fool you or anyone else. And pretending that racism isn't rampant on the right is sheer blindness, Margie. It's a deep -seeded sin and sickness and permeates the bulk of the attacks on our President on this site. The snickering little anti-black jokes and references give away the real motivation for the opposition to Obama. Are you a racist, Margie? I never thought so for a moment. But if you're going to tar liberal Democrats with the sins of fringe socialists and Marxists, don't complain about getting lumped together with the people you're in the trench with.

Margie| 8.20.10 @ 3:01AM

More lies.

More Ned| 8.18.10 @ 1:31PM

ala Sheila, excellent comment Grzmlyk - but you WERE describing Congress, were you not?

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 1:41PM

I was referring to America as a whole.

Certainly our congress reflects that, but just look at our culture. We used to idolize heroes like Audie Murphy from World War II.

Now we obsess mindlessly about Snooki from the The Jersey Shore.

I could go on with thousands of examples, but you get the drift.

It's a sick culture that has produced our congress, not the other way around.

Collectively, we have allowed the cancer to metastasize.

Sheila| 8.18.10 @ 2:31PM

Congressmen were "freely elected" by the vaunted "people" who are so quick to disclaim any responsibility for the state of this nation. Just as they insist their neighborhood schools are fine, it's public schools in general that are failing, so too do they feel their representative is doing a good job, it's just others who must be replaced. You get the government you deserve. A sick unto dying culture produces a sick and dying nation. Since this is what the progressives set out to do (destroy capitalism, Christianity, and the white race) and the people as a whole went along for the ride (Dem or Repub, fast or slow, it's all the same) they are collectively culpable.

RCV| 8.18.10 @ 7:49PM

If you and Sheila despise American culture so much, please, take a slow boat somewhere else and let the rest of us enjoy life in the greatest nation on earth. Whiners.

rdman| 8.18.10 @ 1:35PM

His pathology WAS obvious... by some.

Behind the facade, Obami is completely ruthless, despotic and tyrannical, oppressing people, taking away their constitutional rights, their freedoms and their dignity.

The law of the Chicago ghetto jungles gives Obami the perverted rationale for using intimidation and force when it suits his ends. He believes he is a law unto himself, cynically living in the world of realpolitik where what matters is having the might to prevail, regardless of right or wrong.

It is impossible to be congenial with and dangerous to trust a person like Obami, since he takes every sign of friendliness or cooperation as a sign of weakness and therefore as an invitation to take advantage of others. Treacherous and immoral, Obami has absolutely no compunction about lying, cheating, stealing or reneging on his promises. He will resort to any unconstitutional illegality or ruse to get what he wants. He will blatantly and outrageously lie repeatedly so endlessly and vehemently that it begins to be accepted as the truth. The smallest hint of opposition from others will bring an avalanche of retaliation from him.

Obami is able to destroy because he does not identify with anyone else. His egocentricity allows him to see only himself in the country, and if the country does not reflect him, he will eventually hate the country so much that he will attempt to destroy it.

To quote the philosopher Hillel, “If you are not for yourself, who will be? But if you are for yourself alone, what are you?”

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 2:03PM

It was obvious to some, but not enough; this clown should never have come close to the nomination, let alone win the office.

But no, the feckless "independents," whose spines are made of papier mache, chose to ignore the numerous red flags and were willingly grifted by a third-rate con man and a fifth-rate human being.

And even now, many, many people think he's a swell guy. Arthur Laffer last week fell all over himself to stress to brick wall Sean Hannity what an exemplary human being Obama is personally; it's just his policies that are wrong headed, you see. Arthur Laffer: pandering to the left in a craven attempt to be LOVED by those who will always hate him.

And Limbaugh rightly made much hay of every media pundit - left AND right - who deplored Michelle Obama's trip to Spain not for what it said about her (correctly assessed as a "Marie Antoinette" moment by the NY Daily News), but because the "optics" were bad. No, it's the person who's bad.

So we still have many on the left and right who refuse to see this totalitarian thug and his trashy wife for what they are.

I mean, how sick is our culture if we are actually debating the propriety of building a mosque at ground zero? On 09/12/01, would you, in your wildest dreams, thought America would take such leave of its senses in just 9 short years?

We have lost our mind, just as happened with th cultures in Ancient Rome and in Weimar Germany.

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 2:35PM

Grzmlyk:

Your litany of looking into the mirror of 21st
America is, lamentably, too accurate. But
it verges on hopelessness.

There is hope if folks like you(an me):
Vote out all Liberal sychophants of Obama
Litigate all Obama decrees endlessly
Boycott all nations(Mexico) and businesses
(GE,NBC etc) that support Obama
Engage in organized Civil Disobedience
in response to Obamacare
Promote Recall petitions for all Senators or
Representatives who Vote for anything Obama
wants
Last, and not least:LAUGH at the Buffoon Obama
every time he appears--on tv, in a political
speech, or anywhere you see him or hear his odious voice. Laugh at the Tyrant-Narcissist!!

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 3:19PM

Hello, drgene:

I am hopeless. Again, I don't believe it's possible to change your mind once you've jumped off of a cliff. We are over the cliff.

The debasement of our currency alone is a fait accompli. We have been monetizing our debt since about 2008.

There is only one way we can hope to pay off our debt and that is to print money, which we are ALREADY DOING. When that happens, the dollar will no longer be the world's reserve currency. When that happens, the middle class will collapse; the working class will turn toward even more dicatatorship. The upper classes will run for the high ground and feed the rest of us to the crocodile in order to appease him.

We are absolutely about to see unprecdented inflation. It is not deflation that will kill us, as so many say; it is hyperinflation.

Aside from that, your solution sounds like Ken's "go galt" solution. Great idea. Doesn't work in the real world.

Sure we can vote out liberal sycophants, but how many Republicans turn RINO the minute they realize the job of every politician is to spend money? While there are still printing presses and we can still pretend we're not living on borrowed time, I have NO confidence that conservatives won't betray us the minute they're elected into office as so many have in the past.

Is it realistic that we're going to litigate all Obama decrees endlessly? I don't think so. We're not the litigious faction of American politics. The ABA owns the Democrat party. Tort law is the province of liberals. Lawyers are liberals. The courts are increasingly corrupted by liberal pathology. I'm not even sure we can or have the poltitical will to repeal Obamacare.

And we are 1 supreme court judge away from making any kind of litigation introduced by conservatives moot.

As for organized civil disobedience to Obamacare, what they are counting on is a critical mass of people who will say, you know, this Obamacare's not so bad - before the really bad stuff kicks in. It's the boiled frog scenario; they'll offer what looks like free lunches to enough of the important demographics - young people who don't mind paying the penalty and illegal aliens, etc - such that there won't be a groundswell of support for civil obedience to Obamacare. It's old people who will suffer the most under Obamacare, and they make the calculation that most of those people won't be around to vote Republican in the next election cycle. Keep flooding the voters' rolls with new, young, newly-minted dependents.

That's what they're counting on, anyway.

Promoting recall petitions for all senators or reps who vote for Obama initiatives - well, that won't work in "blue states" who love Obama, or at least would never abandon liberal principles; it won't work in large cities, which are overwhelmingly liberal; it won't work when you have a monolithically liberal media that will report on all such civil disobedience and recall petititions as the hijacking of civil discourse by right-wing bigots and racists.

As for laughing at Obama, I do agree that ridicule is his kryptonite; it's the one thing he cannot abide, and if enough people simply refuse to see him as a serious human being - which he is not - maybe his mask will slip further and he will reveal himself to be the clueless, ignorant, angry, petulant child he is.

Hey, I hope I'm wrong. But history says I'm right.

The one hope we have is not preventing the collapse of America, but what we build from the rubble. Again, it's ALREADY HAPPENED.

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 8:07PM

To Grzmlyk:

Should all else fail, we must do what our Founders did:revolt and re-institute a Constitutional America--
minus nearly all of the 17 amendments(after Bill of Rights), and with term-limits for all Senators
and Representatives, and a Popular Veto and/or Recall of any Imperial President.

But alas, America has been dumbed down for
at least 30 years now--not sure if this courage
exists anymore.

I prefer LAUGH, DISOBEY, and if all else fails, LEAVE the American Titanic to its own Karma!

RCV| 8.19.10 @ 1:40AM

Yes, please leave - all of you. You're insufferable. You're among the most privileged, prosperous, freest people on earth, living at a glorious time in history with options and voices at your fingertips, and you wallow around in hand-ringing despair! You're a disgrace, you petulant babies.

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 4:13PM

No, Obama is the disgrace. Not Grz and not those of us who despise his petulant actions!

Sheila| 8.18.10 @ 2:39PM

Absolutely correct analogy. What some seem unable to understand is that I write "Decline and Fall" not in hope, but in sorrow as in "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." The Bible says "By their fruits ye shall know them." The idea that someone can be a "nice" (weasel word) person but merely terribly misguided is dangerous because it severs the connection between character and action and denies the reality of human evil. Obama is still, far too often, derided and dismissed as stupid and feckless, rather than malignant. I suppose that people still hope is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. As you've noted, though, we're in free-fall and haven't yet hit bottom. Of course, many will continue their denial even after they hit the pavement (as you noted, again look to Ancient Rome and 20th century Germany) . While I deplore the coming fall, I would rather approach it clear-eyed and prepared. I will properly say that I hope, but in no way expect, that those of you excited about future free elections are justified in your feelings.

Grzmlyk| 8.18.10 @ 3:49PM

Yup.

Just to clarify, I do not think Obama's a serious human being in the sense that he's a thinker or a leader with gravitas; he is not. He's a blinkered ideologue and an immature one at that.

But he has the power to transform every one of his whiney complaints about his lot in life, every dark impulse, every perceived grievance, every desire for retribution, into pain for America, which ineed makes him malignant, maleovolent and consquential in a devastating way.

It's like those stupid movies in which a spoiled brat is suddenly endowed with magical powers which he then uses for evil.

But this is no movie.

One problem we face, I think is that we just can't imagine our society breaking down; for too long we've freighted it with more and more nanny-statism, more and more moral equivalence, more and more decadence, and the center has held. Life goes on for most of us.

And so we ignore the insidious permeation of liberalism ever further into our lives. We accommodate it. We don't want to rock the boat. We don't want to be frowned upon by our liberal neighbors who are convinced they are the Anointed Good.

Well, the center will not hold much longer, and when we do hit the pavement, this country will look a lot different.

Rmm| 8.18.10 @ 4:19PM

Maybe this explains why I have not been getting much sleep of late. This circus is enough to drive anyone to distraction. A bigger fraud than O could not be found. We must be suffering from Obamagitis.

rdman| 8.18.10 @ 5:15PM

Grzmlyk,

I forgot to mention the paper, “obvious pathology… by some” was originally written in August 2008.

I will agree that an alarming portion of the voting public have lost their minds… there has been a steady “Progressive” upward trend for the last 15-20 years. However, what is really alarming is the amplitude of that trend in the last few years.

The real concern is the pathology of the neglectful, irresponsible voting public who are responsible for “this person” now occupying our White House.

These neglectful, irresponsible voters have now become adamant about not facing the conflicts and problems they have caused. They actively resist seeing the bizarre results what their votes have caused and they continue to perpetuate their irresponsible emotionalism to protect themselves from guilt and anxiety, and to maintain their relationship with their false illusions.

As a result, these neglectful, irresponsible people have become obstinate and absolutely impervious to changing their minds and accepting responsibility, including most of Congress and the American version of Pravda and Isvestia.

Even the most obvious and relatively easy solutions will not be addressed by this government and/or the MSM, because they simply don’t want to and will not!! All their energy is directed at maintaining their defenses against dealing with reality, so that nothing will get to them.

However, the great silent American majority has finally lifted their noses off the grinding stones and have become more and more aware and more and more angry. The voting revolution starts in earnest in November 2010. Obami’s Socialist/Marxist programs will be defunded and he will be rendered impotent. If he does not resign, he will be impeached.

That is… if we still have elections in November and the right people are voted into office.

Cincinnatius| 8.19.10 @ 8:03PM

rdman,
I refer to the phenomena you so eloquently described as "arrogant ignorance". It is pervasive in America today, particularly so in the political arena. Coupled with cowardliness, it is especially toxic to a nation's survival. (ours) I hope and pray that the nation (we the people) do find our courage and a leader to move the required revolution forward. I think it has come to that.

the rifleman| 8.18.10 @ 7:03PM

Very true-Its hard sometimes reminding people Adolph Hitler and Mao tse Tung didnt get to the top being "nice guys". Obama is from Chicago,in Chicago you dont get to the top by being "nice". Chicago is all about backstabbing and thuggery. So is the marxist moslem. Hes about as "nice" as Hitler and Mao were, given the opportunity I wouldnt put it past him to act like they did when in trouble.

the rifleman| 8.18.10 @ 7:16PM

I beleive you just described what pshrinks call a Nuerotic Narcissist. Youll know a few of the other names said to have such a personality disorder. Hitler, Stalin,Mao ,Che Guevarra and Pol Pot. And history has little good to say about any of them. And every one of them turned into a mass murderer, thats whats most dangerous about Obama.

AMEBRO| 8.18.10 @ 9:24AM

Even more petulant are the ignoramuses that elected this stupid MF. What leaders & ideas do you have is their cant & meter of how our side is approaching the problem. The problem is no one man or party is above the law or is the law of this land. Exactly what the hail we are grounded upon Constitutionally. Clear the deck chairs & return to Representative Government. Pedigree is not a requirement nor impingement upon incumbency.

The Meteoroid crater this insipid , spoon fed, rich without doing shit, POS is digging, is gonna take far more than a vote in November to backfill. Only God's mercy will deliver us from what the idiots among us have elected. They'll bitch & kick & fight the entire time worried about offending some one.

I'm past patience with these idiots. Somebody please tell me how to communicate with these people. I sincerely want to make a difference & be part of the solution not part of the problem. I just have no patience with the patent PAP that is foisted by those among us who haven't a clue what is really going on.

We're worried about home grown Al Queida terrorist. What about the American SHEEEPLE . They are just as much a danger with a vote based upon a tingle from a sound bite or fascination with a Media Event formulating their idea of an informed decision

On 9/11 I witnessed the second plane impact with a room full of people that one would think were watching a Bruce Willis movie. I was instantly on alert after the first one calling my wife making arrangements to go get junior at school & everyone was else was topping their coffee asking me what I was so excited about. Not till the Towers fell did these SHEEP start to get a clue. It was astonishing. I'm sure I wasn't the only person to experience the same.

Those same IDIOTS elected this dipstick & still for the most part can't be bothered from their own insipidity to take part in cleaning up the mess while calling all of us who are WILD EYED RADICAL RACIST ZENOPHOBES.

I'm PISSED. I'm to the point where I wanna start knocking sense in some of these idiots I deal with daily. Our country is literally fading away into the distance and their worried about getting their asses waxed. This sheep dip just might have to get rather ugly before its over. My prayer is simple. Lord please deliver us from Evil. For thine is the kingdom & the glory for ever & ever.
Trafacant had it right BEAM ME UP SCOTTY

John II| 8.18.10 @ 12:51PM

"Not till the Towers fell did these SHEEP start to get a clue. It was astonishing. I'm sure I wasn't the only person to experience the same."

I watched the horror from the privacy of my living room. Amid a lot of angry and bewildered commentary coming out of the tube, I remember turning to my wife and saying, "This will all be forgotten in six months."

Well, I was wrong. It took almost a whole year before the usual suspects were crawling out from under their rocks and making their creepy noises about Islamic victimhood and American blame. And now one of the creeps is POTUS.

the rifleman| 8.18.10 @ 6:56PM

Amebro-not only Obama-what about those who elect and keep re-electing the likes of Pelosi, Frank, Dodd, Rangel, Watters, Barbara Jordan,Henry Waxman, Schumer, etc.? What about start holding the ANTI-AMERICANS in media ? And college professors-BILL AYERS-a weather underground murdering communist- not only a college professor with a seat deciding whats on the college curriculum, also in 1997 named the Chicago "man of the year". Other professors on american campi-like Julio Pino, Ward Churchill and Angela Davis, amongst others? And lawyers-the Aclu, the southern poverty "law" center-all anti-american fronts. Before the sheeple wake up, these groups need a serious house cleaning. Joe McCarthy turned out to be right after all.

RCV| 8.18.10 @ 7:47PM

Morris Dees and the Southern Poverty Law Center have done more for freedom in a week than you'll ever do in your lifetime, boy.

John II| 8.19.10 @ 12:25AM

It would perhaps be more accurate, Ricky, to suggest that Morris Dees has done more for the advancement of political scamming in any single week since about 1970 than has any ordinary Americano quietly raising a decent family been able to do for freedom that's clear to folks like yourself.

Now think about it, Ricky. Where would the likes of Morris Dees be without the likes of the Ku Klux Klan?

No, no--don't respond, Ricky. Just think about it.

Redstateboy| 8.18.10 @ 9:29AM

Perhaps if young Barack had had a Father while growing up.. instead of that seed spreading rolling stone who fathered him.

PJ| 8.18.10 @ 11:06AM

Wouldn't made that much of a difference. His mother, her family, & people he associated w/were social deviants. His wife, who should be a major influence in his life, wasn't that much of an improvement either!

the rifleman | 8.18.10 @ 6:46PM

His book "dreams of my father"-how would he know the dreams of a father who abandoned him? Maybe the book should have been "wet dreams of my pimpin father". It would have been more accurate.

Redstateboy| 8.18.10 @ 10:02AM

I don't hate Barack Hussien Obama.. I hate what he's doing to my Country. He is with-out a doubt the single greatest political opportunist I've ever read about in History. Border Security?? That's completely secondary to gaining a new Entitlement class firmly ensconced down on the Good Ole' Democrat Plantation. Deficits? What is that to paying off Unions - who'll actually turn out thugs to intimidate opponents. Food Stamps for all? Free Cell phones.. free this, free that... it's Pathetic. Look in the Dictionary under Political Opportunist: There's his picture.

Rmm| 8.18.10 @ 10:22AM

Punk, provacateur, puppet = Our President

Mark MacInnis| 8.18.10 @ 10:31AM

Just waiting for the day we can replace the "L" with a "J" in the following sentence: "Barack Obama has been eLected as the President of the United States."

Even a Liberal can figure that one out....

martin j smith| 8.18.10 @ 11:03AM

For me Petulance is no the best word to use to describe Obama. Though to be sure his cold hearted,calculating, dismissives ofm all who disagree with him is a part of his character. That said, I would opine that Anti-Social or sociopathic would be better all around descriptions. The reasons are these: He ignores the "rules" of our society and imposes regardless of how others feel ( his petulance ) his views. Obama behaves as if he is the president of only those who agree with him. Thus, even though he was elected President of the United States of America his behavior has taken the exact opposite approach of causing conflict on purpose in my opinion. President Obama Lies with ease about any number of issues such as the effects of the economy. He blames everyone but himself for his failures. He flagrantly disregards our culture,history and sensitivities. And another example is his flagrant "do as I say not as I do" attitude. His excessive vacations golfing etc. This is a man who comes thru as " I don't care what you think,how you feel , or what you want. "Up Yours" he would say. For someone to be President and behave in this manner is sociathaic and anti-social. As a case in point lets look at the Ground Zero Mosque situation. Sadly I am not the fly on the wasll of Obama's secret meetings to know the truth but here are my ideas. Or,theories if you will --or if you won't.

In my opinion the idea the germ of the idea took place in the Oval office. Obama himself or wioth the cannivance of input from other countries such as Saudi Arabia develope the core plan, as my thery goes and chose this Rauf person as the individual to supervise and lead the plan. It is a part of Obama's appeasement policy towards muslims and the muslim world. Again this is my theory. Obama and his allies such as Bloomberg new very well there would be opposition and now our dear leader appears tom be caught in the middle of a mess. But, Gov Patterson tries to come to the rescue. ( On orders from Obama himself. he will have a "meeting" with those who want to build the Mosque and do what ? Well that depends on orders from dear leader and the actions of those Muslims who claim to be a " religion of peace". In point of truth, what should happen ( and will not ) is an apology from theose Muslims for being insensitive and show a desire to"understand" the feelings of those who do not support the Mosque in ground Zero ( and by the way Obama should also apologize as well ( but he will not ). What I suspect will happen will be a "grand bargain" inb which in return for that Raf person's "generously" agreeing to changing the venue, He and his group ( supported by Obama ) will " demand" taxpayer funding for an every greater and glorious Mosque in Manhattan--in a very good location. Short of that, the Rauf person will dig his heels in and claim again with Obama's support that tthe opponents of the Mosque are unreasonable. Now this is my theory, my guess.
But, given who Obama is and an election coming up he may be hearing from other Democrats--pleading with him to not allow this issue to enter the campaign. What will he do ? Stay tuned.

Steve A| 8.18.10 @ 11:18AM

Just watch this guy melt down when it starts to go really bad for him politically. He is out of touch with reality & has always been told how great he is. The guy is a spoiled brat & when the American people cash in their chips on his agenda, like they are in the process of, the fireworks will go off. Just watch.

Chisco| 8.18.10 @ 11:26AM

"If Obama's term in office thus far can be summed up with a single word I would choose petulant. Merriam-Webster defines petulant as "insolent or rude in speech or behavior"; "characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor." This fits Obama to a tee. "

Spot on target -- there's nothing more to add to this description of the spoiled shortpants in the once adult Oval Office!

fantum| 8.18.10 @ 11:46AM

OBAMA IS A MUSLIM DEDICATED TO REBUILDING AMERICA UNDER MARXISM and with deference to Muslim Law. In order to do this he must cause the collapse of our current government, capitalism, family-values and freedoms.

What better way to bring America down that to bow to Islam, abandon our allies, ignore our security, degrade our military, increase racial tensions, weaken our military and place huge, unsustainable debit on American taxpayers.

Islam - Can You Feel the Love?
http://usataxpayer.org/?002583212

Our Muslim Heritage...
http://usataxpayer.org/htm/vids.asp?A=16782107

There is no such thing as an innocent Muslim, or an American Muslim.

A.M. Mallett| 8.18.10 @ 11:55AM

Who really cares what Christopher Buckley had to say? He was a dirt ball when he said then and he would still be a dirt ball if he retracted it now.

Louis Jenkins| 8.18.10 @ 12:54PM

It was a sad day for William F. when his son wrote those words. William F. may have very well turned over in his grave. Alas, time marches on and the old has become the new. Just like Obama last week, when he actually gave reference to the Constitution in civil manner. But of course it was buttressing up the Pretender n Chief's argument for the mosque.

RCV| 8.18.10 @ 1:06PM

William Buckley was his son's biggest fan. WB would be appalled to be even associated with the half-baked know-nothing sentiments expressed around here.

dw| 8.18.10 @ 1:37PM

Coming from you that means less than nothing.

RCV| 8.18.10 @ 7:45PM

Boy, you really know how to hurt a guy!

Steve A| 8.18.10 @ 1:24PM

Hey RCV, The only thing half baked around here is your mind. Lay off the pipe & admit you voted for a thin skinned, condescending cry baby. Just watch this guy implode as his political favorability continues to deteriorate.

RCV| 8.19.10 @ 1:48AM

I not only voted for him, I worked tirelessly for his election, volunteering in Iowa, Ohio, Texas, Nevada and California; I donated thousands to his campaign, and was a delegate to the DNC convention in Denver. And I'll work just as hard for his re-election in 2012.

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 4:11PM

Then you are aligning yourself with the first anti-American President, and can said to be a "partner in crime."

RCV| 8.19.10 @ 4:43PM

I think the term "anti-American" more aptly applies to those, like many on TAS, who spend their days running down our country, our culture, our government and our cherished constitutional values embodied in the Bill of Rights.

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 7:56PM

Right, so you see those who are angry and thoroughly disgusted at what this Socialist President is doing running down (in truth and in REALITY) this country as the ones doing the running down.

"Denial is not a river in Egypt"
~who said that?

RCV| 8.19.10 @ 11:25PM

To you, a "socialist" is anybody who doesn't agree with you. And, yes, I do see the constant demeaning of our American culture and it's "decline and fall" as running down the country. There has never been freer or more democratic society than America right now. In the past century and a half, we have abolished slavery, finally rid ourselves of the mortal sin of segregation (at least legal segregation), extended the vote to women, non-whites, 18-21 year olds and poor Americans. We have made great strides in extending health care, abolishing child labor, ending monopolies, cleaning up our rivers and streams, guaranteeing workers a safe work environment and ending workplace exploitation. I'm proud of our country and its culture and the accomplishments of its people. God has truly blessed us. We live in a free and prosperous society, and so very much more fortunate than 98% of humanity, who have no choices, no opportunities in life. To listen to the posters here, you'd think we lived with jackboots on our necks. That's nonsense! Having to share our bounty with others less fortunate is not oppression. Comparing our President to Hitler or Mao or Stalin is garbage. That's denial of reality.

Margie| 8.20.10 @ 2:58AM

The freedom sucking Socialist vampire Obama and his minions are ruining this country with their GARBAGE policies.

And you like it! THAT'S too bad.

dw| 8.18.10 @ 1:30PM

Obama is a socialist, engineering dictator as is necessary when implementing marxist tenets. What is left of real Americans will and have rejected his rule, but still, in keeping with his socialist mandate, he continues the ongoing take over of the country, through legislative imposition geared toward the limitations of individual rights and the indoctrination of the ignorant.
His petulant behavior is a result of any opposition thrown in his way as it is his delusional mindset that he and his fellow socialist despots, possesing superior intellect and as a result unique foresight, are acting for the benefit of all mankind and as such have a moral imperitive to do so.
It is the same kind of result that occurs when a liberal can not respond to intelligent, logical debate and resort to using name calling and insults as their ammunition. The liberal religion can not be defended on an intellectual plane and therefore its emotional proponents always revert to a base level of childlike petulance.

David | 8.18.10 @ 1:50PM

Hey Alan, speaking of physically fit, have you ever seen boy Bam Bam throw a baseball? I have seen him throw the opening pitch twice, and it is flippin' hilarious. He throws like a girl who never picked up a ball before. I've never seen such a limp wrist.

As to Bam Bam's lecture to us real Americans about what it means to be American, I almost lost it. Since the campaign we have been screaming at him on the tube, "this is America you moron, were are Americans you moron, we are exceptional you moron", and then to listen to the moron lecture US about what it means to be American. The guy has no sense of shame.

Personally, I think he screwed around on Michelle and she found out about it, or she has good reason to suspect that he did. Why else would she take a vacation to Spain with her daughter when it was his birthday?

Nancy in NC| 8.18.10 @ 2:34PM

With which sex?

Steve A| 8.18.10 @ 2:48PM

That's funny. I can just picture it. BO: " Uh, Michelle, Uh, let me be clear, Uh, Uh, Barney did not spend the night when you were out of town."

David| 8.18.10 @ 2:08PM

GeorgeTrue, do not blame the media or anyone but the 52% who voted for him. He showed us exactly who he was and what he was likely to do by his associations with Jeremiah Wright, and other leftists all across America. If Wright didn't scare then away, they should have run for the hills when he said the "oceans would begin to recede and the planet would begin to heal itself if I am elected".

He not only showed us, but he told us what he was going to do:

Redistribute the wealth
Make it so that our energy costs " will necessarily skyrocket"
Talk to our enemies without preconditions
Raise our taxes
Supports partial birth abortion

Those items along with his obvious serious personality disorders were not hidden. The were out front and center for everyone to see.

eddie the geek| 8.18.10 @ 2:05PM

I am afraid that our President is simply not all that smart. He lectures us about the Imam's constitutional rights like we're in 8th grade. It's not about whether I have the right to do something or not - it's about what I ought or oughtn't do. And the "peace-loving" Muslims OUGHTN'T build a mosque two blocks from the site of a massacre perpetrated in the name of Allah. It's really not all that difficult, Mr. President. And yet, somehow, you just don't get it!

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 2:53PM

The time is coming, and will soon be here
if the 2010 elections, or the 2012 election
do NOT REVERSE our course:for the
Unthinkable Thought.

Like our Founders, in their Declaration,
it may be time for an Insurrection or Revolution
as the only way to enable the Resurrection of
Constitutional America.

For so many years(since FDR & JFK) we voters
have nurtured an Imperial President-King--at least 53% have promoted this!

Without Hope, there is only one subhuman option:COPE(accept the unacceptable), and
one human option:Resist,Disobey,and Revolt--
or be Lambs for transcendent religious reasons.

We need to Prepare Now for these 3 ways of responding to a continuation in 2010 and/or
2012 of the tyranny of Obama!

Wow! How far we have fallen!

David| 8.18.10 @ 3:11PM

This is my first and last post. Alan go away. You are either a plant or a punk, but either way take a hike. Go to a site more in line with your ilk....NYT or Washington Post....It really sucks to have to see your name every day.

David| 8.18.10 @ 3:19PM

To the "David" who just posted here to Alan, do you mind choosing another name or using a last initial. I use "David" and have been posting on this site for some time. Thanks.

Thomas Cassidy| 8.19.10 @ 11:56AM

Of all the displays of third grade mentality I've seen here, this one takes the cake. You not David, I David! Mom!

David | 8.18.10 @ 3:21PM

Nancy and Steve, that was funny, but I'm not gonna go there.

Steve A| 8.18.10 @ 3:49PM

David, You are probably right. Could not resist though. As for our boy Alan B. The guy may be the ONLY person out there who did not pull the lever for BO in 08' who now claims to be ready to vote for him in 12' without any idea who the opposing candidate will be. Let him continue to embarras himself here as it is somewhat entertaining to see shallow intellect attempt to defend the moronic, socialist policy of a self absorbed elitist.

valwayne| 8.18.10 @ 3:59PM

I would add Arrogant and Mean Spirited to Petulant, but that pretty much sums up Obama!

Louis Jenkins| 8.18.10 @ 4:13PM

So just how petulant is the Pretender n Chief? An article in the American Thinker pretty much sums it up. I’ve copied some of the highlights.

http://www.americanthinker.com.....ama_1.html

“Beschloss was extolling Obama's "sky-high IQ," but just as he was hitting his stride, the host interrupted his guest's rapture: "So what's his IQ?" The historian had to sheepishly admit that he didn't know.”

"I've now been in 57 states -- I think one left to go."

"Austrian" language which Obama believes is spoken in Austria?”

"In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died - an entire town destroyed."
- 2007 campaign speech on a Kansas tornado that killed 12 people

"Islam has always been part of America and ... American Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country."

"On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes -- and I see many of them in the audience here today -- our sense of patriotism is particularly strong."

“…predict that endless golf-cum-basketball outings, musical soirées at the White House, and vacation upon vacation in posh spots, culminating in Michelle's Spanish junket and a forthcoming stay in the elitist retreat of Martha's Vineyard, would be a major irritant to the people hard-hit by the recession or an undermining influence on the president's popularity?”

Denise Woods| 8.18.10 @ 4:14PM

Alan Babbling Brooks needs to a) leave the country and move to a country that is better, b) come up with an argument relative to the topic (petulence), or c) get a life.

Tim*| 8.18.10 @ 4:17PM

Obama is a shuck & jive trash talker with no game .

Bench his ass .

drgene| 8.18.10 @ 8:12PM

Ah the sheer beauty of your post,Tim.

While I (and maybe some others) drown in a flood of obfuscatory words and obtuse analyses, you
hit the bulls-eye!

We who are about to die salute you!

A.C.Guard| 8.18.10 @ 4:26PM

American's deserves who they voted for. So we now have a president who is a narcissist, communist, Muslim and whose main qualification was that he was black and spoke like he was white. Face it, that was really his appeal, especially for far left liberals, Democrats, many Republicans, and Bush haters. It certainly wasn't Obama's senate record, where he voted present more than yes or no. Perhaps we will all be smarter in 2012.

Edward| 8.18.10 @ 4:40PM

It's not often I can say it, but..

Absolutely spot on!!

Michael Tomlinson| 8.18.10 @ 4:57PM

Time for Americans to consider civil disobedience to the Muslim "Trojan Horse" in NYC.

the rifleman| 8.18.10 @ 6:40PM

Mike-that may just become necessary. When this guy gets his backside kicked in November, I cant see him losing with grace. Dont forget, Emanuel once said something about not letting a good crisis go to waste. This POS is just the kind of jerk who might try to manufacture a phony crisis.

Houston Rao| 8.18.10 @ 5:06PM

Not that one needs to add to the list of his petulance, but when he visited Texas earlier this month, he refused to accept a letter from Governor Perry, personally offered by Governor Perry, twice... then nodding to his lackey, Jarrett, to take the letter from Perry.

Yes, he will accept a book from Hugo Chavez, but not a letter from a US governor.

Colin Foy| 8.18.10 @ 5:16PM

Arron G: What, exactly, did you expect? This is what a planned, patient usurpation/coup d'état looks like. President Hussein is a radical marxist ideologue. Communists and marxists are simply Pigs. Dangerous, shifty, murderous, unscrupulous, cut throat pigs.
There's no amount of appeasement, diplomacy or understanding that will satisfy even the most maladroit among them. You either fight, or conform and succumb to their ideology and demands.
Your choice of a word like "petulant" to describe this evolving little marxist tyro is soft and misleading.
Really, President Hussein's "petulance" is the least of our worries. This is the kind pointless, effete crap I would expect of Maureen Dowd/y and the morons at the NYT.

the rifleman| 8.18.10 @ 6:36PM

Jonah, in 2008 the conservative media was warning the American public about Obama and his associations with anti-americans and communists like Ayers, Wright,Khalihi, and Soros. Now some of them are having second thoughts. Putting an extreme left communist president with a sympathey for cultural Islam and a hatred for Europeans , together with over 70 members of his party in Congress being outright communists(yes, communists) is , as has occurred, a recipe for disaster. Step one to righting this disaster will occur in November. Step 2 that NEEDS to happen is Obama MUST be removed from office, and before 2012. Jonah, communists(as you know) NEVER accept losing gracefully. I cannot put Obama creating some phony crisis to declare martial law or overturn the election. There are distinct reasons hes kowtowing to Islam and radical blacks and illegal immigrants that go just beyond a voting bloc.

RCV| 8.18.10 @ 7:44PM

Well, Joe McCarthy Rifleman, please name the "over 70 outright communists" in Congress. And, please your evidence and criteria for listing them as communists.

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 4:08PM

From Merriam-Webster's dictionary:

Communist: "..one held to engage in Left-wing, subversive, or revolutionary activities."

RCV| 8.19.10 @ 4:40PM

I guess that makes Tom Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Sam Adams and Patrick Henry communists. "A word means whatever I choose it to mean."

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 7:51PM

Okeedokee.

Radioman777| 8.18.10 @ 6:55PM

Obama continually reminds us that he described himself perfectly when he said of Kanye West: "He's a jackass".

Mark D.| 8.18.10 @ 7:18PM

Terrific article...He is a disrespectful, arrogant, SOB...Bring back W.

Ken (Old Texican)| 8.18.10 @ 7:21PM

GRZ, Shiela, I copy-paste from above.
Ken (Old Texican)| 8.18.10 @ 7:12PM
GRZ,
I would never castigate you and Sheila, Sir.

...only remonstrate with you.
If I may, may I ask you in what State you reside?
...or grew up?
The "working title" of my book is "The Nays of Texas".
You will have noted that my posts have been quite short the last few weeks. I am writing...and thinking...furiously.
See...you and Sheila have all the problems encompassed ...eloquently.
I'm working on the solutions.
I am busting my butt to get the book on PDF by October first. Buy beans and wheat....and Clorox bleach.
Food is a non-issue. Bad water will kill you faster than starvation.
God bless

Long Ben| 8.18.10 @ 8:24PM

TURD O' MISERY , your name is Barack Hussein Obama !

Frank| 8.18.10 @ 8:30PM

Petulant,yes! Condescendingly proud ,detached,arrogant and un-american all describe his character. His base overlooking one or two is disappointing,but to deny all requires a profoundly disturbing mechanism. Of course we all know the one reason,many will always support
him.

rdman| 8.18.10 @ 8:38PM

I've posted this before... perhaps it worth posting again given this thread's topic...

The Rise of the Government Class
After decades of progressive incrementalism, the United States Government has finally surfaced to reveal a culture of ungodly and soulless tyrants, thugs and bullies. Cynically disguised as distinguished, articulate, self-appointed elitists, these despotic, vacuous, narcissistic, image-oriented hypocrites emphasize symbols over substance and reality. The pursuit of excellence is being replaced by the celebration of the artificial. Politicians are more concerned with the display of personalities and pursuit of personal power than with principles or the use of power for the common good.

This generation of politicians has become experts at deceitful duplicity, selling their calculated positions to the public to the point that voters can no longer tell the fabricated image from a real person. The voters are so seduced by the slick package that they often do not realize that there is nothing in it… the slick package is the message.

The shallow values and beguiling oratorical skills have become the norms by which everything is measured. The only guideline is the ability to gain attention… what is noticed has value. Calculated images successfully masquerade as reality. Exhibitionism and self-promotion is now acceptable as Government Class factions compete to be the winner… to be famous and celebrated.

Once elected into government, the politician embarks on an unbridled and unprincipled pursuit for power and control, incrementally eroding the private free market sector, our Constitution, and our freedoms and liberty. They launch vicious, personal attacks to destroy any person or any organization demonstrating genuine leadership and patriotism that strives to protect our magnificent Constitution and our magnificent Country.

The root cause falls at the feet of the “Good Old Esquire’s Club” who make up the majority of the Government Class. With very few exceptions, these greedy leftist lawyers turned career-politicians and career-bureaucrats have never managed a P&L, never had to meet a payroll, never managed a company or corporation, never started and grew a company that created jobs and more jobs.

They are, in fact, predatory partisan hacks and tyrants (many who were former prosecutors) now believe they are a law unto themselves; cynically living in the world of realpolitik where what matters is to prevail, regardless of their constituent’s best interests or their sworn duties to the Constitution and the Country.

Conscience, Dignity, Integrity, Leadership, Statesmanship, Public Service and the Lessons of History are totally absent within the emerging Government Class. The Founding Fathers must certainly be turning in their graves. Our magnificent Constitution, our magnificent Country and We, the People are in mortal danger.

We, The People are being sold a narcissistic fantasy and a cruel charade.

The Only Solution… Constitutionalism & Federalism
Its time to stand up, find these career-politician tyrants in gross violation of their Constitutional Oaths and purge them from the halls of our government.

Eliminate the Washington DC snake pit of entrenched appeasing, expedient, placating and crab-walking despots by voting these delusional, parasitic, megalomaniac realpolitiks out our government… they are not worthy to represent We, The People of this magnificent Country. They are, in fact, a scourge upon the land.

1. Establish term limits by organizing States to convene State’s Conventions for the sole purpose to modify Article I, Section 2, Section 3, Amendment XVII and any other pertinent parts of the Constitution to read: “Citizen Representatives will serve a maximum of two terms in the Senate and three terms in the House. Ex-incumbents may run again after two terms have transpired.”

2. Reject all career-politicians running for re-election. They have become corrupt and no longer fit for Leadership or Statesmanship.

3. Recruit and elect true representatives of We, the People… Citizen Representatives who demonstrate strict compliance to the Constitution and Federalism in every respect. Citizen Representatives whose attributes include excellence in management performance, integrity, patriotism, pride and optimism, chivalry and civility.

4. Institute strict compliance and governance to Amendment X… the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People.

The intent and purpose is to re-establish the public service model of our Founding Fathers… Leadership, Statesmanship, Integrity, Dignity, Honor and Duty, leading to restoring our country to that “Shining City on a Hill.”

the-gunslinger| 8.18.10 @ 9:27PM

Wow. Alan speaks and the entire comment section is all about him.

Why do you guys feed the trolls??

Cow Rie| 8.18.10 @ 10:27PM

Just a note on the Obama-Dalai Lama trash photo-op:
Mulims have always enjoyed over running (and slaughtering) the peaceful groups like the Buddhist. Gee, I wonder if Obama ever lectures the Muslims about their arrogant and derisive actions in South Asia.

Justin Tyme| 8.18.10 @ 10:30PM

Kenyan Dad = Not A Natural Born Citizen

Justice Is Coming. . .

LibertyAtStake | 8.18.10 @ 11:10PM

Well, duh, he's entirely a creature of the Left; and the Left is all about petulance. Sorry about being so petulant. ;)

http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
"Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive"

Marc Jeric| 8.19.10 @ 1:34AM

What did you expect from Abu Hussein al-Mombassa (or wherever in Kenya this marxist Nuskim was born), our Community Organizer-in-Chief? He endorsed the Cordoba mosque at Ground Zero while giving Ramadan dinner at the White House to select jihadi imams. Now that mosque will have, like all modern mosques, 4 huge loudspeakers on its roof, proclaiming ever y day 5 times, by its muezzin, "Allah Akbar!" And the Arab street" will again dance all night celebrating the jihadi victory over the Great Satan - us!

Drillsitinherhard| 8.19.10 @ 1:41AM

Obama truly is a by-product of the university environment of political correctness. He is not brilliant or articulate; instead, he is a vapid storehouse of left-wing, insipid cliches. He is intolerant, which is a trademark of college culture (that culture confuses hair splitting for rigorous debate of "different perspectives"); and he is anti-democratic.

Regarding the Mosque, is there not a question of religious freedom here? Do hostile foreign powers have a right to fund and encourage subversion under the guise of practicing a religion? Yes, according to Obama and the left, because that religion is fighting the same enemy Obama and the left are - namely, America.

bunky| 8.19.10 @ 8:57AM

My dog would be a better prez.
He works at herding, while o works at vacays.
He gives me affection, while o gives us the bird.
He sings for his breakfast, while o demands we give him ours.
He warns of intruders, while o embraces them.
What's the better choice? My dog Scout or the o.

fran| 8.19.10 @ 9:06AM

Obama has always been petulant. People didn't want to see it--they were too busy projecting their fantasies on to his 'blank screen.' If you watched the Dem debates, he got irritated, interrupted, and pouted anytime anyone dared to challenge his false statements. I'm not the least bit surprised by any of this--if you were paying attention in 2008, it was clear who this man is and isn't. Now, he just can't hide behind Axelrod's marketing hype and the compliant media anymore. He has to make actual decisions, and it's a disaster. His inexperience alone should have disqualified him.

Thomas Cassidy| 8.19.10 @ 11:48AM

Petulant? I though he was just ornery as hell.

Paevo| 8.19.10 @ 11:57AM

I still think the pecs beach photo was photoshopped...

David| 8.19.10 @ 1:26PM

Hey Thomas Cassidy, thanks for the lecture. Let me ask you, how would you like for me to post under the name "Thomas Cassidy" and say some really stupid, ridiculous thing. Just don't want people to get confused as to who is saying what. Sorry if that appeared childlike and sorry if you were offended by it. Now, do you have anything more substantive to say?

D-man| 8.19.10 @ 1:28PM

Of course Obama is a petulant incompetent ego-maniac,this is exactly what his globalist handlers wanted and until we press the issue of his actually being a American citizen he will continue slipping the dog collar of socialism around our neck.1.5 million$ to supress discovery on vital records so far,......what is he hiding???How about the Kenyan diplomat who said they are commemorating his birth village in Kenya?Dreams of My Father....wife beating,serial adulterer,abandonment...and Alan....O's dad died early,O's mother died early, and you question McCain's constitution???
Once we establish O as the fraud he is ,we can vacate all the legislation as well as the two fools now on the Supreme Court....time for a full court press(no pun intended)

dunce| 8.19.10 @ 2:55PM

A first class temperment is no part of the qualifications for president but country clubbers find it charming.Too bad he was not hired to serve drinks to blue bloods like buckley.

Marty Noel| 8.19.10 @ 3:46PM

Dear Author,

You forgot to include "Whose ass he is gonna' kick" and the desire for those in our heartland who "cling to religion and guns."

Margie| 8.19.10 @ 3:59PM

Interesting observation~ Some enjoy "castigating" Alan Brooks for his stupidity in openly stating that he voted and will vote for Obama, yet these are the same people who "castigate" those of us who DO vote against the party he supports!

"Verrry interestink, but NOT intersetink enough!"

~who said that?

RCV| 8.19.10 @ 4:50PM

Arte Johnston on "Laugh-in"

CB| 8.19.10 @ 5:33PM

Obama has regularly displayed irritability at any form of criticism, along with questioning the motives and honesty of his critics, often to cover his own shading of the truth or outright dishonesty on an issue. Remember his accusation that the NRLC was lying about his vote on the Illinois abortion law, and how it turns out they were actually spot on.

Sadly, Chris Buckley's comments about temperament and his support of Obama seem more grounded in a country-clubbish, populism-phobic attitude than in any real analysis of Obama's temperament, which has been on display for years now for those willing to actually look.

There seems to be a class of Republicans who's committment to conservative first principles is outweighed by their attitudes about how the GOP should behave and the importance of maintaining an elite class in America. This differs greatly from WFB's remark about his willingness to be governed by the first names in a phone book than the faculty at Harvard and similar comments.

Call it snobbishness or an ill-considered elitism. It also seems to be tied to a rejection of social conservatism.

Their analysis of Obama's temperament was as ill-considered as their ironic questions about McCain's own temperament and Palin's judgment and qualities, which were never the cool, reflections of the urbane intellectual. No, that approach got us the current inhabitant of the White House.

fred| 8.19.10 @ 5:50PM

ok, so what? all malignant narcissists act and speak this way. whats new? let's just hope he doesnt murder all of us in our sleep. if we can avoid that, we'll be in good shape. once he is sent packing.

USSAlabama| 8.19.10 @ 5:53PM

Mark these words!

This man is living out the dreams of his father and grandfather.

No need to look further than that. Evident in every Freudian mistake, every action. Just look into his father and his paternal grandfather. It's all there.

D. H. WHITE| 8.19.10 @ 6:08PM

Who is Alan Brooks, and why is he commenting on a conservative website considering his liberal mindset? Is he a 'defender of the faithful', or is he just argumentative?

Soylent Green| 8.19.10 @ 7:33PM

Guys like Chris Buckley and David Brooks are total buffoons. "First class temperament." "Perfectly creased pants." Absolutely sickening. Anyone with a brain knew Obama would be this bad ... and, lo and behold, he is.

When will O drop that terrible line of "let me be clear...". Every time I hear him say he is "being clear" I know that everything he says after will be a complete lie.

roger rainey| 8.19.10 @ 7:54PM

Don't forget the middle finger head "scratches" he directed at Hillary and others during the campaign.

S&W M&P| 8.20.10 @ 12:29AM

One comment on 2012...Paul Ryan for President! As far as Obama...Psalm 109:8!

S&W M&P| 8.20.10 @ 12:42AM

I should have added Michele Bachmann for VP!

Nancy| 8.20.10 @ 9:06AM

President Obama inherited the worst economy in decades, 2 IDIOTIC WARS, then the oil spill. He needs time to correct these problems. At least he doesn't shoot from the hip like George or bite his lower lip like the sleaze Clinton !!!!

Tom Shire| 8.20.10 @ 9:30AM

'Petulant' sounds like a better description of the tone of this article than of Obama's time in office.

Michele San Pietro| 8.22.10 @ 5:50PM

Obama's presidency is simply disastrous.

AH| 9.18.10 @ 8:33PM

FCUK NIGBAMA

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