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The Obama Watch
Hi Ho, Hobby-Horse — Barack Obama Rides Again
The Lone Ranger he isn’t.
Barack Obama has ridden half a dozen horses in hopes of glory. Never mind that they were all made of wood. It began with “hope and change” — his most famous steed. In full gallop on this hobby-horse, he secured his presidency.
But there was one moment during the primaries when he faltered — and Hillary Clinton seemed to be catching up. For a time, he left “hope and change” in the attic and rode out to battle on a hobby-horse of a different color — declaring himself to be a “post-partisan politician.” As he explained it, the crown by all rights should be his because he had had the good sense (or good luck) to grow up after the ‘60s. Hillary, by contrast, had come of age during the ‘60s. Said Barack: Hillary “has been fighting some of the same fights since the ‘60s,” and she would have “a very difficult time in trying to bring the country together and to get things done.”
Tactically, that was a brilliant stroke in unhorsing his opponent. But was there any truth to what he said?
If you had to choose which of the two candidates (Hillary or Barack) had drunk more deeply from the poisoned well of Nineteen Sixties thinking, with its faux intellectualism and all the cant about rebelling against authority and rejecting bourgeois (i.e. traditional) values, surely it would be Barack. In recounting his college years at Occidental in the late ‘70s, he boasts of his lefty leanings and his deep sense of “alienation.” What could be more quintessentially Sixtyish than this passage in his memoir Dreams from my Father?
To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully. The more politically active black students. The foreign students. The Chicanos. The Marxist professors and structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets. At night, in the dorms, we discussed neocolonialism, Franz Fanon, Eurocentrism and patriarchy. When we ground out our cigarettes on the hallway carpet or set our stereos so loud that the walls began to shake, we were resisting bourgeois society’s stifling constraints. We weren’t indifferent or careless or insecure. We were alienated.
Needless to say, Mr. Obama abandoned the “post-partisan politician” hobby-horse as soon as it had served its purpose. Upon assuming office, he moved quickly and sharply to the left. His first big piece of business was the passage of the $787 billion stimulus bill, which had the opposite effect of the one intended, as it jump-started the wrong things — not jobs and economic activity, but huge increases in federal spending and U.S. indebtedness.
The president sold the stimulus bill on the prediction that it would keep the jobless rate below 8 percent. How then to explain why it rose to 8, 9 and then 10 percent in the months that followed? No problem. The president hopped on the “jobs created or saved” hobby-horse — claiming credit for keeping the unemployment rate from going even higher… to “12, 13 or 15” percent.
At first, the administration based the numbers game on a computer model that applied a Keynesian multiplier to government spending (or “investment,” in Obama-speak). If the administration had spent enough money to support two jobs, then it figured that it had “created or saved” three jobs. The Cartesian logic here was: It is assumed, therefore it is. But soon the calculation of how many jobs had been “saved” became even more airy-fairy.
In this space in December 2009, I wrote an article entitled “Lies, Damned Lies, and Job Creation,” in which I predicted that the president would ultimately claim full credit for stopping the unemployment rate from hitting 25 percent — just because that was where it was when Franklin D. Roosevelt took office during the Great Depression.
Though I said this in jest, Mr. Obama proved me right nine months later. Conjuring up phantom economists to validate phantom jobs, he said in a speech in Racine, Wisconsin: “Now, every economist who has looked at it has said that the Recovery (Act) did its job. It put the brake on the collapse of the economy. We avoided a Great Depression.”
By this time — the fall of 2010 — the president’s own advisers were begging him to get off the “jobs created or saved” hobby-horse. The whole thing had become joke (reminding one of the Groucho Marx quip when caught with his pants down — “Who are you going to believe — me or your own eyes?”).
So the president got down from that sorry-looking pony and mounted a new one: the “car-in-the-ditch” hobby-horse. In every speech he gave in the run-up to the mid-term elections in November of 2010, he regaled audiences with the same story about how he and his hard-working friends had sweated and strained to pull the automotive equivalent of the ship-of-state out a ditch, while his Republican opponents stood there sipping their Slurpees and doing nothing to help.
The president seemed to get a kick out riding this hobby-horse, and he rode it to death. The overuse of this unfunny and un-charming metaphor surely contributed to the complete “shellacking” that he and Democrats took in the mid-term elections.
If a hobby-horse is taken to mean 1) a child’s plaything consisting of an imitation horse mounted on rockers, or 2) a favorite topic or obsessive fixed idea, it is clear that the president has ridden several other hobby-horses as well.
Throughout the long debate over Obamacare, the president returned again and again to a pair of fixed (and false) ideas. One of these is the idea that it would be possible to launch a massive new entitlement — extending health insurance to 30 million people not currently covered and passing a slew of new mandates — and “not add a dime to the deficit, not one dime.”
About the Author
Andrew B. Wilson, a frequent contributor to The American Spectator, writes from St. Louis.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (39) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Andrew B. Wilson
More Articles From The Obama Watch
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/04/18/hi-ho-hobby-horse-barack-obama
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Robbins Mitchell| 4.18.11 @ 6:24AM
Not the Lone Ranger....more like "Leroy Rogers"
USSAlabama| 4.18.11 @ 8:50AM
"Post" partisan is "Most" partisan.
JimH| 4.18.11 @ 9:43AM
The sheriff of Rock Ridge?
Pecos| 4.18.11 @ 1:17PM
Cowboy X , who harassed the good people of Snidler's Gulch from Sesame Street is who leaps to my mind.
Appleby| 4.18.11 @ 7:09AM
Obama is rapidly turning into Jerry Lewis -- an obnoxious nerd with a grating voice who is beloved only by the French.
Southern_Comment| 4.18.11 @ 7:27AM
Beloved by the French -
We have a saying in Alabama regarding education. . . "Thank God for Mississippi or we'd be dead last". Is that how he's beloved by the French?
(Just have to add - until this last election, Alabama was a Democrat controlled state for 136 years and the AEA (Alabama Educators Association) is the strongest union here (right to work state) and is considered to have been poison to this state (rightfully so).
Maddox| 4.18.11 @ 8:00AM
Yes, the awakening has finally begun here in Alabama. There are trials coming that will reveal more corruption and theft perpetrated by those who held that power in banking, government, and the AEA. Many have seen the light and are throwing the bums out despite the local press cover up.
May this be the wave of the future, here in all other States.
southern_comment| 4.18.11 @ 1:12PM
And it's about time! After disasters like Troy King (someone seriously should have strung him up), the AEA, and the vile job that had been done by the Dems here - Well, I sincerely hope this state will rally that call to action for a long time and not forget the damage that was done and never lets it happen again. Alabama is too beautiful of a state with too much to offer to forgive those thieves (AEA and the legislature) - and at least we've gotten rid of Parker - what a perfect example of a cowardly agenda motivated failure of a person dem.
sam iam| 4.18.11 @ 1:41PM
never insult jerry lewis by mentioning him in the same sentence as the great buffoon-in-chief!
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 4.18.11 @ 7:34AM
Note to Obama.
If you're alienated you are most likely indifferent, careless AND insecure.
Mike D.| 4.18.11 @ 7:45AM
The only horse this clown rides is the fifth horse of the apocolypse, the yellow horse. According to Mike d's book of revelations it goes like this " and on the fifth horse rode a weakling, and this horse was yellow and called incompetence and cowardice"
PattyMor| 4.18.11 @ 7:50AM
Let's see now he calls spending "investments". It all sounds all more produtive and useful. The only thing it invests in is Democrat voters.
If we have Medicare for the old folks, medicaid for the poor, and SCHIP for the children, just why do we "need" to give dollars to Planned Parenthood? It seems to me that that needy groups are already taken care of. And, despite what Harry Reid says, the women in his family DO NOT get their healthcare from PP.
Teaghan| 4.18.11 @ 8:20AM
How right you are Patty. Reids speach was so pathetic! Couldn't you just vizualize his wife, daughters and granddaughters waiting in line for their "healthcare" at PP?
PP is here to cull the herd of the weak and those of color. Just read about Margaret Sanger and her reasons for establishing PP. I wonder if they teach the kids in the government schools about ole' Maggie and her ideals?
Old Guy| 4.18.11 @ 10:22AM
Actually, he's a little behind times for us in Indianapolis. We've been throwing hundreds of millions of subsidy tax dollars at professional sports and real estate developers for decades - and they're always "investments." The return on those investments has allowed our parks to deteriorate and our libraries to operate on less staff and reduced hours. Some (bitter) sarcasm there!)
Louis Jenkins| 4.18.11 @ 8:21AM
Obama doesn't ride a horse, he rides a pig. But don't worry too much, if the unemployment numbers gets worse, as said, he can always say it isn't as bad as.... Yes we get the picture. Well, don't blame me, I took the bitter pill and voted for the other guy so I wouldn't have to admit I voted for him. All Obama has played is Cowboys and Deficits, and the Deficits are winning hands down.
Elaine Luiz| 4.18.11 @ 8:48AM
Wish this article could be on the front page of every newspaper across the country, INCLUDING the New York Times!!!
Timothy L. Pennell| 4.18.11 @ 9:33AM
Does anyone know what's going on in AFGHANISTAN? Something about DEATH SQUADS? Is that what I heard? Cause I haven't SEEN ANYTHING on the 'News'.
Is the War in Afghanistan OVER? What about, Iraq? Is the Iraq War, OVER? Have their been any Americans KILLED, over there? I haven't heard anything.
Oh, the good old days, when we got a DAILY BODY COUNT, of our War Dead, from a grim faces 'Reporter' on EVERY LIBERAL NEWSCAST. Somber music played in the background, as ABC's George Stephanopoulos, displayed the Photographs of our fallen Heroes. ("Oh, the humanity.") Every day we got THE EXACT NUMBER of DEAD, right up to the MINUTE! We had COUNTDOWNS, to the next big number. There were PEACE MARCHES, and ANTI-WAR RALLIES.
Cindy Sheehan and CODE PINK.
The ACLU sued, in Court, for the RIGHT to show the Coffins of our Dead, as they returned home to Dover AFB.
They WON. Has anyone seen any pictures of Coffins?
David T| 4.18.11 @ 3:06PM
And where's all the outrage about gasoline prices? No one seems to care now . If you do hear anything, it's that Bush-Cheney are still manipulating the market.
glenny| 4.18.11 @ 10:11AM
Repeat after me, "It's the spending, stupid!"
russel| 4.18.11 @ 10:27AM
Good article , but then again , more have been written about this incompetent boob since he imposterized the oval , than Bush in all his terms . Written by us , that is . Crickets from the socialist's . The line about him not even thinking about tomarrow , makes sense the more you visualize his agenda . Just like the Grasshopper partying the summer away with nary a care in the world .
Citizen Jerry| 4.18.11 @ 10:32AM
We can survive a fool like Barack Obama. What we might not survive is the millions of Obama Zombies who live in a mellow apathy. I still can't understand how so many could be so buffaloed by the snake oil salesman of Dr. Barry's Hopenchange Magic Elixir.
Mattled| 4.18.11 @ 12:03PM
You're right CJ. Our Obama delegate friends and our relatives still believe that he is the smartest prez ever. They also believe Carter was the best prez ever---until Obama. It's not even worth it to talk to them. About anything.
russel| 4.18.11 @ 2:58PM
Yeah Matt , I have a very nice Aunt married to a 70 something ' Democrat ' . I'm fairly certain she drank the aid too . No longer talk to her , that's how p.o.'d I am . To make it worse , they have a daughter who followed in Dad's steps - a teacher . The thot of what those kids are being " taught " just mortifies me .
George S| 4.18.11 @ 11:20AM
Well, screw him and whatever horse he rode in on.
Pecos| 4.18.11 @ 1:46PM
Ding! Ding! Ding!
We have a winner!
Best post of the day.
Oldefarte| 4.18.11 @ 11:42AM
Great article/thoughts, Andrew----you nailed it! I would only disagree with you excellent analysis slightly, in that I'd prefer the term TROJUN-HORSE, in leau of your HOBBY-HORSE. IMO, it is the former because he completely brainwashed/propagandized the ignorant/stupids of this country into voting for him by means of his fictitous bullexcrement/lies. Anyone with a normal IQ could/should have been able to see through this smokescreen, but one only sees what they want to see [even though the opposite is directly in front of their faces]. Voters did not pay enough attention to his background, associates, professional history, liberal education from Ivy League schools, the source of his political campaign contribution support [ie the Kennedys], etc; but sadly only wanted relief from their voter-rage over Bush's longterm middle east war policies [aided by liberal Democrats proficiently manipulating the general voting public like puppeteers toward voting for their TROJUN-HORSE]!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike Gabel| 4.18.11 @ 12:27PM
When you are Barack Obama, and everyone has paved your way for you, then yes, nothing is real and nothing really matters.
His life has been prepared for him, and now lived, as if he is the Entitled in Chief.
Mike Gabel| 4.18.11 @ 12:34PM
And yes, despite Obama trying to demagogue the issue with his false argument against "millionaires and billionaires", THE ISSUE is government spending and reach.
Mike Gabel| 4.18.11 @ 12:35PM
Simply put, Obama feels the money we earn, our private property, is his money. Its his whim as far as how much he will allow us to keep.
Uli Kunkel| 4.18.11 @ 1:30PM
"Play acting!!!" YES!!!
Obuckethead spends his nights at the "Holiday Inn Express" and accounts for his mysterious acquisition of expertise in things that normally take a lifetime...
ABNCP| 4.18.11 @ 2:42PM
What is even more disturbing is over half of voting Americans put this incompetent boob in office . Over half of voting Americans voted for that lunatic Gore. About half of voting Americans voted for "oh look I have a little nick on my arm, you must give me a Purple Heart" Kerry. BTW the treating navy doctor later said he covered that tremendous wound with a small band-aid. Thank God for the Swift Boat guys and their "Unfit for Command" book or Kerry might have been voted into the Presidential Office by the people of this country. I guess what I am trying to say is, in 2012 we need to make sure everyone we know goes to the polls, votes and pray that good honest
traditional Americans make up for the naive, radical left wing progressives among us.
Jack| 6.13.11 @ 3:52AM
You mean like the Americans who put that incompetent fool Bush into office? Remember him? The reason/catalyst for all of America's current problems?
WickedDickie--Virginia| 4.18.11 @ 5:16PM
Articles like this one are published over and over again and still we get people voting en masse for this Alfred E. Neuman-like festering sore on the body politic. What's it gonna take to rid us of this evil creature foisted upon us by the Democrat Party of Death?
Delta Zelda | 6.10.11 @ 3:18PM
All it will take to put BHO out of office are Republicans using clips of BHO’s own words to defeat him and call him on his LIES!!! I don’t think Rudy would have a problem doing this. Unfortunately, the Republican party has a habit of going wobbly when it should be showing a spine made of rebar.
10000LBS electric winch | 4.20.11 @ 4:20AM
Many thanks.Still an additional brilliant article, this is exactly exactly why My spouse and I arrive to the blog page over and over again!
JT | 4.26.11 @ 9:17AM
I, too, am more afraid of the fact that so many Americans have been mislead by empty promises, lofty rhetoric, and banal accusations and smears of opponents. There was a record out there nobody (in the MSM) wished to research and publish, and now there is all the evidence we need to see what this man will do in office. And many of our fellow countrymen will vote for Obama again anyway.
I weep for our country.
Jam| 6.13.11 @ 3:53AM
It's no wonder you don't have a job working for a real new publication instead of whatever this tabloid magazine is masking itself as. With your ability to take quotes out of context and twist words fact checkers would have a field day with you.
weddingdress | 7.1.11 @ 1:04AM
All it will take to put BHO out of office are Republicans using clips of BHO’s own words to defeat him and call him on his LIES!!! I don’t think Rudy would have a problem doing this. Unfortunately, the Republican party has a habit of going wobbly when it should be showing a spine made of rebar
Creative Recreation | 8.10.11 @ 10:12PM
is good