The American Spectator : He's Discouraging

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He’s Discouraging

By Ben Stein on 12.12.12 @ 6:09AM

Slicker than an oil slick when he needs to be.

(Page 2 of 2)

During the campaign and afterwards, Mr. Obama has taken credit for an explosion in U.S. oil and gas production over the past four years. But this immense increase has been DESPITE Mr. Obama’s hatred of and fighting against the oil companies — not because he did anything to help.

The jump in hydrocarbons production has been entirely the result of the oil companies’ hard work, resolution, and imagination as Mr. Obama fights them tooth and nail. Mr. Obama is claiming credit for the success he tried his damnedest to stop.

And he gets away with it — smiles and smiles and smiles and waves and grins and acts as if he deserved some credit for America’s leap in fossil fuel production.

The man is amazing. I wonder — if he cannot feel shame and embarrassment over his lies and failures —what he can feel? That thought scares me. It’s discouraging.

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About the Author

Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He writes “Ben Stein’s Diary” for every issue of The American Spectator.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (60) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 12.12.12 @ 6:39AM

Politicians are snakes. Not all but most. Once you know that you must assume that politicians fulfill their mission in life just like snakes fulfill their mission.

I am always surprised to hear the public complain about politicians and the political class.

Several thousand years of human recorded history prove that politicians lie just as surely as the sun will rise.

Politicians live for the thrill of deceiving the public and political parties likewise.

There is nothing that can be done about the weather and little that can be done about lying scheming politicians.

The public is part of the problem because many people don't want to hear the facts.

The best thing to do is to continue to do what you do best and hope the political class won't steal too much of your money.

TLP| 12.12.12 @ 7:54AM

I'm back in my Glorious TV Room, above my garage. As I sit in the window, looking out over the scenic Northeastern December devastation that has sticks and leaves as well as other people's loose Trash, strewn about the street (I live on a street. I live in a Neighborhood. I do no live in a Community. ANIMALS live in Communities. Just so we understand each other) I wonder to myself: "Why do we still call it The TV Room, when the TV doesn't even work anymore?"

Anyway. I'm back now, sitting in the Glorious office chair (that I got for Free, on the side of the road) and thinking about the brisk night air we had last night. I wonder if the $43 of Diesel I bought yesterday, will last the week.

After a call to get the Cable and the Internet turned back on, I get a call from the Mortgage Company, (who got Billion$ in Bailout Money) and a letter from the Electric Company, with big Red Banners all over it. They send me Hate Bills all the time, threatening to Shut Off this, or Turn Off that. I barely have time to Ponder the plight of the African Tangerine Monkey. I urge you to send money to this Worthy Organization so they can hire the necessary personnel to peel the Tangerines for these Noble (lazy) Creatures.

As far as the what Richie Rich wrote?

I'd say he was at least a Couple Years too late to the Dance.

Could he be any less interesting?

No.

He could not.

Warrior| 12.12.12 @ 10:17AM

Do you think Lancelot Link lived in a neighborhood or a community? The writer has a perfect set of intials, B.S. I think I'm going to look at puppies, as I believe the writer using the term internet puppy farms has to be "dog" whistle code for Playboy.com and the like.

TLP| 12.12.12 @ 10:27AM

Remember...the Optimal word is "Puppies".

I'm thinking along the lines of..................you know.

Look at him.

He's got Meghan's Law written all over his face!

Occam's Tool| 12.12.12 @ 11:57AM

I dunno, TLP, but I'm sure that raising our taxes will help Bennie sell his condo. And that's what matters, isn't it?

One of the things about law school is that they teach you how to make convincing arguments divorced from reality. At least in Rabbinical school, someone always stops the woolgathering by reminding you that stealing livestock also involves shit disposal.

Appleby| 12.12.12 @ 7:03AM

Luke 4:5: The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus turned him down. What do you think Obama said?

SUBVET| 12.12.12 @ 10:44AM

DISCOURAGING..........JUST DISCOURAGING

Ben, .... my man everytime you post up it shows just how out of touch you really are.....

Al Adab| 12.12.12 @ 10:51AM

To which The Lord replied, "Mene Mene Tekel Uparshim"

Joellen| 12.12.12 @ 7:08AM

We are all living in the Twilight Zone and each episode gets worse and worse. We hear Rod Sterling preparing us in the beginning that something terrible is soon to happen, yet we've entered into that room, some of us eagerly, some forceably pushed. As a kid I loved that series because it had an ending and you thought you've learned from it; i.e, cant get away with murder, cheating, stealing, etc. However, here in realville, not so much. For it seems no one seems to learn from the message, no in fact they seem to not only reject the true message, but then as Ben stated (for which I agree), the truth is never reported. Oh no, with his phoney smile and the help of our media, we are told, "you didnt see that, you didnt hear that, no, TRUST ME, this is what's really going on blah blah blah blah blah".

Only through prayer and GOD is this nightmare going to end. Keep praying folks, cause the Twilight Zone has been re-upped for another 2013-2016 term. Hope I dont die of fright before the series ends.

TLP| 12.12.12 @ 8:45AM

Why would the Nightmare end?

It's Revelation time. Obama is just a Cog in the Wheel of Prophecy.

Jeremiah 16:10 ¶And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee: Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?

11 Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

12 And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:

13 Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.

16 ¶Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

Do you really think that the Utter Implausability of THIS HUMAN BEING, with his Biography, his Backround, his Lifelong Associations with Evil, and his Life's Paper Trail locked away on a Volcanic Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean never to be seen by the eyes of men JUST HAPPENED by itself?

Impossible.

Al Adab| 12.12.12 @ 10:54AM

He judges the nations and while His Kingdom will survive, there is no gurantee that any of ours will. When nations become idolotroushow much time is left?

Jefferson, of all the founders no less, wrote, "Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever."

Appleby| 12.12.12 @ 11:23AM

What has convinced me of the Approaching Hoofbeats is the Pope getting a Twitter Account. Now the Gospel can in fact, for the first time in history, be preached to all lands and peoples. And then, said Jesus, the End Will Come.

Lamps filled, wicks trimmed, matches at the ready, and have another coffee -- you want to be awake when the Master comes.

Al Adab| 12.12.12 @ 11:56AM

Interesting to note that the 70th anniversary of the founding of modern Israel is in 2018. Daniel and the 7, seventies remember?

Also we might note that no man knows the time.

Robbins Mitchell| 12.12.12 @ 7:12AM

Barokeydoke smiles like he just got word that his uncle died and left him a watermelon farm

JimH| 12.12.12 @ 11:02AM

I just saw that a prehistoric lizard was named in his honor because of his smile, Obamadon gracilis.

Robbins Mitchell| 12.12.12 @ 12:54PM

Pity the poor lizard

TLP| 12.12.12 @ 1:24PM

I heard that it's only Half Lizard.

Cobalt| 12.12.12 @ 7:49AM

How dare you criticize a black man.

You are not being politically correct.

Obama is an arrogant, malignant narcissist who has no shame.

Obama is supposed to be untouchable while he helps destroy this nation. He is just a puppet, or figurehead, of the radical Left. Like all gay people, women and minorities, Obama is a tool of the Left, and is protected by sycophants in the news media.

Cutural Marxisn is alive and well in America.

Warrior| 12.12.12 @ 10:18AM

According the Census bureau he is white. Criticize to your hearts content.

Curtis Rasmussen| 12.12.12 @ 3:00PM

Obama is half white. He only decided to obfuscate his elitism by taking the mantle of the black man to forward his career as the underdog of the underclass.

Unfortunately, he is the new figurehead of the racist, divisive left. I hear all kinds of disparaging remarks about whites in the LSM without a peep of protest, yet if the word black was substituted for white, there would be an uproar. I fear that this rhetoric will eventually lead to new racially motivated crimes, a hypocritically apalling payback to the man.

FU Obama.

Cobalt| 12.12.12 @ 4:42PM

"I fear that this rhetoric will eventually lead to new racially motivated crimes, a hypocritically apalling payback to the man."

I think that train has already left the station.

Black Mob Violence and the Media Silence

By Colin Flaherty

http://www.wnd.com/2012/09/bla.....a-silence/

A Censored Race War?

By Thomas Sowell

http://www.spectator.org/archi.....d-race-war

notfooled| 12.12.12 @ 8:13AM

As far as I am concerned; I believe the Bum is the true representative of what our country has transmogrified into over the last few decades.
We have become a mutt country full of flim-flam men and women who care only about themselves and power.
It is difficult for older folks, like me, to admit this change has occurred; but it has.
I see little chance that we will ever go back to the country I knew as a young man.
My only solace, and its a poor one, is that I will not around long enough to witness the final results of the Bum's administration.
"Hope and Change"
There is no such thing as "hope" and folks seem to have forgotten that "change" can be for the worse.
So the Bum wasn't really lying when he used that as his campaign slogan, was he?

PJ| 12.12.12 @ 9:05AM

Transmogrify: A new word for me. What a most apropos word to use. It succinctly makes the country's situation so much more distressing.

Stephie| 12.12.12 @ 8:21AM

And as things get worse because of what he does, he will continue to point across the aisle to the repubs and say, "it's their fault"
As I watch Boehner start to roll over and let obama kick him, I realize the same as "notfooled" above. We will never get back to where we used to be because we have a press who will nominate who they want and it won't be a conservative.
Hillary is next.

PJ| 12.12.12 @ 9:07AM

Eric Holder is also getting ready to be next.

Hardcard| 12.12.12 @ 8:37AM

ben........ this is the first time to my recall that you have mentioned that condo to us why? Is it on the market? Looking for a fast sale? You're concerned our fearless leader has no conscience believe me he doesn't give two shitz about you or the stuff you love and the stuff you covet. Take a nap.

c. j. acworth| 12.12.12 @ 9:09AM

Please remember, that even though Ben owns multiple dwellings in multiple states he is, as he informed us a few days ago, NOT RICH! Because he doesn't own a plane.

Al Adab| 12.12.12 @ 10:57AM

Rich is a matter of degree. Almost all Americans are rich compared to the norm around the world. Do we measure net worth or income? How Much makes an American "rich"?

Appleby| 12.12.12 @ 11:26AM

He did say the other day that he was going to get rid of "some of" his homes.

Between Ben Stein and the NHL players who continue to bawl that $100,000,000 JUST.ISN'T.ENOUGH, I am ready for the flood waters to rise and sweep them all away.

TLP| 12.12.12 @ 1:29PM

I'm begging you to come to The Contest, this Friday.

It'll cheer you up.

I promise you.

Hardcard| 12.12.12 @ 9:33AM

THAT'S A "PLAIN"

Anthony| 12.12.12 @ 9:35AM

Poor Ben, it's double whammy day. His Hope and Change president turned out to be the lying fraud we all knew that he was, except Bennie.
And his other hero, Dominique Strauss Kahn, the French version of Slick Wee Willie Clinton, who Ben staunchly defended as being a victim of a scheming 3rd world African chamber maid, just paid out an "undisclosed" settlement to the woman in her NY state law suit.
Ah, but at least DSK avoided criminal prosecution, thanks to the hack Manhattan D.A. who had Kahn's rear end covered, which is more than DSK managed to do for himself.
Poor Bennie, his heros are falling like flys.

JP Jones| 12.12.12 @ 9:36AM

Ever notice that the real bond that is being forged is between Obama and his Socialist Big Gov knows best crowd and the really Big International Corpoations
who's trade mark is using slave labor to market their goods to world populations.

Hmmmm. Once you finish destroying the middle class in the USA that uthopian marriage can finish the job of world domination.

The Michigan Right to Work snap vote was latest vivid example of an orchastrated plan from the Ism's elite to control everyone from cradle to grave.

At the core there is not a dimes worth of difference between hard core socialism and hard core capitilism.

It's about control and always has been.

SUBVET| 12.12.12 @ 10:52AM

JP...........you see it too..........

Walter White| 12.12.12 @ 9:40AM

Am I alone in that I am being driven from Tyrrell's site by the insipid and annoying pretentiousness of Stein?

Nancy in NC| 12.12.12 @ 9:53AM

Gotta be able to take the bitter with the sweet. Just ignore poor Ben.

PJ| 12.12.12 @ 9:49AM

I've been trying to figure out why Obama was re-elected; trying to understand why people bought the scam. It has nothing to do with policies which he obviously did not campaign on & everything to do with empathy & blaming the Republicans for the economic mess this country is in. And he succeeded.

Take a look at this well-crafted video for a perfect example: http://www.whitehouse.gov/phot.....na-family.

It makes Slick Willie look amateurish.

Let's face it, Obama & ilk have absolute control over disseminating information that they want the public to know. How does one wrestle control from such people short of a revolution? I don't know; but, I'm personally teaching my kids to recognize this nonsense.

SUBVET| 12.12.12 @ 10:55AM

A....caisson

davelnaf| 12.12.12 @ 9:56AM

Democrats discovered the uses of chronic obfuscation during Clinton’s presidency. Along with the newer race card, and the talking points distributed to the MSM each day, they now have the lie machine—an America conditioning machine—running in high gear. Conservatives call Obama and the dems out on their lies, but it seems to have little effect—Obama keeps on lying (this is part of the never-admit-to-a-lie conditioning, along with the united front).

But the lying game has an expiration date—even the dems know this—that’s why they are trying to destroy the Republican Party. Once enough Republicans are removed from Congress they will be free to run the country—and the economy—as they see fit.

Commander Kelly | 12.12.12 @ 9:59AM

Obama is economical with the truth, but not much else.

See "Conspiracy Theories Old and New" only here...http://americanconservativeinlondon.blogspot.co.uk/

Bob Grant| 12.12.12 @ 11:14AM

Perhaps Mr. Stein is discouraged because he witnessed no incredibly-strickingly-beautiful creatures of the opposite sex on this particular day.

Buck up Stein. I'm sure wherever you're currently residing there's a trendy coffee house, upscale shopping center, or spa where you can get your fix.

Now, I'll ask this question again: Please tell us how raising taxes on revenue producers, or on anyone for that matter, will get us out of this hole?

What's discouraging to me is people like you providing cover for obama's disastrous economic policy.

TLP| 12.12.12 @ 1:28PM

I hope we'll see you on Friday, Bob Grant.

SUBVET| 12.12.12 @ 8:53PM

Bob.........when the dust settles ben will be playing..........."an't got no home" by Clarence "frogman" Henry

Peppermint Tea | 12.12.12 @ 11:39AM

Ben, you really need me to help solve your problems. Let's be friends.

1. Your pesky neighbor in the desert. Just sell her the condo. You wanted to divest anyway.

2. When discouraging people call...hang up the phone.

3. Whenever you hear Obama on the radio/tv just say, "You liar!" That's what I did with Nixon (your hero who brought us the EPA), and Clinton.

4. Go watch Skyfall. I hear it is a great movie.

5. Write out a check to the U.S. Government. You know they are having some financial problems and if the rich could just give some more the problem could be solved.

6. Buy out the puppy farm--you worry more about puppy farms than Snoopy--and then EAT them. I hear they are good with onions and a little BBQ sauce.

Hardcard| 12.12.12 @ 11:56AM

obamao's favorite is curried Yorkie with bean sprouts and brown rice, just like back home with lolo.

Hardcard| 12.12.12 @ 12:02PM

News Flash !!!!!! N.Korea has launched ICBM, which can reach Hawaiian Islands. Obamao immediately re-schedules vacation to a more suitable location Havana, Cuba, no missiles there since the 60's.

Hardcard| 12.12.12 @ 12:04PM

moochelle like to salsa, and can hobnob with joann chesimard.

Cuffs| 12.12.12 @ 12:25PM

Obama, a master politician??????????
I think not. Clinton was a master not
Obama. Obama gets complete cover
from the media--with that who wouldn't
succeed? With Obama the Four Horseman
have a new riding companion.

Cuffs| 12.12.12 @ 12:28PM

TLP| 12.12.12 @ 1:26PM

He's the Black Rider of Pestilence.

Lyoncelt| 12.12.12 @ 1:21PM

No, it's not the thought about what Obama can or cannot feel--he clearly has all of the emotional empathy of a Stalin, and it's all about him, America be damned--it is the fact that the American electorate is either so thoroughly incapable of seeing what Obama is, or that a majority of the electorate actually celebrates his mendacity, narcissism, and wanton acts of destruction and decimation of the rule of law, that is the scary and truly discouraging thought. America prefers to live a lie and decline in an economic and political stupor than to be what America was founded to be.

Ronsch| 12.12.12 @ 2:44PM

Why be discouraged Ben? NerObama is going to give you everything you need...higher taxes that you are so endeared to, you get to keep your doctor, new green energy investments, a new stimulus package, and he is going to save Israel...What is not to love?

RJ| 12.12.12 @ 4:19PM

Yes, Ben, Obama gets away with lies, incompetence, and destructive policies, but not because the majority of Americans believe he is truthful. He gets away with it because they do not care. As long as dependent people are given other people's wealth, they will support the dispenser of it.

Obama will likely take us to the end of prosperity road, but Robin Hood will remain popular with those without hope or resources. After all, what do they have to lose?

Marc Jeric| 12.12.12 @ 4:47PM

There is one encouraging side in Mullah Obama's investments if green and renewable energies - these simply do net exist.
1) They are extremely unreliable;
2) They are rxtremely expensive; and
3) They are all environmentally destructive.
Also - they are trying to defeat the the first and second laws of thermodynamics, which is impossible.

Intelligent Design| 12.12.12 @ 6:07PM

About half of American voters are profoundly ignorant about Obama's dismal performance, and know very little about economics or history. They are self-absorbed in trivial pursuits, and brain-washed not only by the media but much earlier --- when they were enrolled in the public school system.

State and local governments should sell the public schools to private education companies. This would ensure free enterprise competition, which invariably leads to reduced costs, freedom to choose, and higher quality. State and local taxes would be cut significantly (by as much as 50%) and education companies would be free to hire qualified non-union teachers. In addition to selling the K-12 schools, the states should sell their public colleges. The entire business of education would be revolutionized, our students would be free of the most dogmatic political curriculum, and the United States would be a stronger country. Future voters might even know about the issues and facts!

Private enterprise has given us the best housing, food, clothing, technology, cars, and medicine (despite interference from the federal government), so why not the best education too?

Ideally, this plan would eventually be combined with the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education, the elimination of all federal funding of schools, and ending the federal student loan program, which is subsidizing outrageously high prices. The Internet can also replace much of the antiquated brick and mortar.

Biff| 12.12.12 @ 8:27PM

couple of points on Obama's deficit deceit; first, the deficit in 2009 was 1.4 trillion, nearly three times the 2008 level, which means Obama missed by a factor of nearly six.

And second, Obama - to his defense - didn't completely ignore this occurrence. If you recall, he did comment that the mess he inherited was worse than originally thought.

I would submit that Obama's next book could be his list of favorite excuses. How on Earth this man could possibly win reelection by lying, making excuses, and campaigning for four years escapes logic.

That being said, thanks for another wonderful read.

alincali| 12.13.12 @ 1:15PM

I've been reading the Spectator a long time, including BS' columns. But now I feel I'm watching the man's slow descent from quirky but sometimes insightful commentator on issues of the day to wealthy crank going on about his many houses, girlfriend issues, puppy mills, and the inferior service he received at the Biltmore in Scottsdale. I mean, sure, I wish I had the same problems with multiple houses and fancy hotels, but really, why does TAS continue to print this drivel?

Ralph Novy| 12.13.12 @ 5:01PM

Just when I thought Mr. Stein was coming to his senses and becoming a smarter, better man, he writes

It all makes me wish for the thick hide of a master politician like Mr. Obama. He's amazing in this regard. He can tell the most whopping lies, see them exposed as lies, and then blithely go forward to make the nation believe that he didn't do anything wrong and that it's all someone else's fault."

Etc.

So, after all, there's not that much difference between Ben Stein and Rep. Steve King of Iowa, who, also today, said

"“I believe that it’s a lot bigger than Watergate, and if you link Watergate and Iran-Contra together and multiply it times maybe 10 or so, you’re going to get in the zone where Benghazi is,” Mr. King said. “I don’t think the public has any idea, and I tell you, I don’t either, of the chronology of the events — what took place, and who was where doing what and why. And all the way down through — we still haven’t seen an autopsy report on the ambassador yet. Simple questions that you would ask in the first 24 hours have not been asked yet.” Or, in other words, "I don't know what I'm talking about, but I know Obama is up to no good."

Discouraging.

ONTIME| 12.13.12 @ 6:54PM

The Fraud in the WH is not all that slick but he has the loyalty of Eric the racist Holder to obstruct justice for him and many who would be sacrificed before he is exposed......

SilkyWiley| 12.14.12 @ 10:34AM

And satan is a liar and was from the beginning. Why are we in the grip of this? People get the leaders they deserve.

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