The Failed Obama Administration
So it appears Judd Gregg has withdrawn his nomination for Commerce Secretary, signaling yet another blow to bi-partisanship in an increasingly partisan Washington. Business, it would seem, shall proceed as usual. Two things about this are really funny to me.
First, it’s really funny to me that the media is clinging to every one of these “failed” nominations as though they were major blows to the Obama Administration. Conservative commentators are already decrying Obama as a failure or an embarassment or worse and gleefully harp on his every hiccup. Liberals aren’t much better. The vultures are circling, the blood of the campaign still fresh. And I think the Fox News clan is happy to have a President they can attack instead of defend. Attack is so much better for ratings, and so much more fun.
What the media forgets is that this sort of “trainwreck” is common fare at the beginning of any Administration looking for its stride. Do they honestly think voters remember these sort of foibles? Will we think about how Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination, or whatsisname–that Governor from New Mexico–who was he again? Will we consider these things on election day in 2012?
Second, it’s really funny to me that the Republicans are being so obtuse. I mean, it takes serious skill to shoot yourself in the foot this well, and this often. If the GOP had acted with any scruples, any fiscal responsibility, any political honesty over the past eight years, I wouldn’t be saying this. But they didn’t. They followed George W. Bush to the gates of economic madness and then stepped off the brink, and now they want the American people to believe that they’re the champions of fiscal conservatism? Those were two words utterly absent from the Republican lexicon for nearly the past decade. Power really does corrupt. It would seem loyal opposition does, too.
Gregg said he didn’t see this massive of a stimulus package coming, and what? He can’t serve with a clean conscience in an administration dedicated to such massive spending (and tax cuts!)? Would he have served in the war-mongering, fiscally irresponsible Bush Administration? Would his conscience have prevented him then?
No, in reality Gregg couldn’t bear the assault from his own Party. They want him around to vote against it, and they want to send a message to the Obama Administration. What that message is becomes less and less clear daily.
This is not to say I’m all in favor of the stimulus. But that’s beside the point. The point is, the Republican Party is signing their own death warrant by opposing it. They are grossly underestimating the voter support on this one.
That’s also kind of funny.
Sullivan rounds up reactions to the Gregg “disaster.”
And every day the Obama administration becomes a supposedly failed administration, I immediately head over to gallup to check his daily tracker.
Man, I didn’t know failed presidents could manage 65% approval day in and day out. Bush was in the thirties on a good day(failed president), Obama stays in the 60’s (failed president). What’s a successful president look like?Report
I hear you both on Obama. But I think there is a danger for the Congressional Democrats, especially in the House. Never underestimate the stupidity of the American public and the dirty tricks wizardry of the Republicans. We’ll see it looks to me like 1993 all over again. Clinton in the end beat Gingrich but not after having lost The House.
I think this is ultimately a ploy to either A)drive a wedge between Obama and the Democrats or B)Force Obama to abandon any attempts at bipartisanship and make him subservient to Pelosi and Reid. C)Untether Pelosi/Reid/Hoyer from Obama and they give up the play nice to the GOP that Obama has wanted.
With the financial crisis forcing so much domestic focus, while I think it’s truly despicable, it could work.Report
“First, it’s really funny to me that the media is clinging to every one of these “failed” nominations as though they were major blows to the Obama Administration. Conservative commentators are already decrying Obama as a failure or an embarassment or worse and gleefully harp on his every hiccup.”
Do you find any of this surprising? Better yet, did you find the constant celebration of Obama throughout the campaign equally disheartening? It seems to me that the folks in the punditry business need to fill 24 hours of programming non-stop, so they talk up every single scandal/adulation they can get their hands on. Quality programming it isn’t, but hardly surprising.
And it’s easier to get enough talking heads to commensurate on this subject, then say, actually discussing the bailout as an initiative. That would require actually understanding economics.
On the other hand, I do hope that all these figures removing themselves from Obama’s potential cabinet reaffirms that politics can not be changed by eloquence and optimism. Rational individuals already know this, but some need constant reminders.Report
Hey, I’m all for accountability. It’s the loss of perspective (both in elevating Obama unrealistically before, and now in casting his administration in this ridiculous light of “failure”) that irks me about the media.
In any case, you’re completely right, and no I’m not at all surprised…Report
Actually Obama has had a long media honeymoon. As I recall The Failed Clinton Presidency occurred about 5:15 pm on Inauguration day.Report
The following is not really on the subject, but anyhow, I’d appreciate some response.
I’m usually pretty isolated from the conventional wisdom and media hype in general since I don’t live in the States and I don’t watch TV. But the other day I watched Obama’s first press conference on the Internet. I didn’t catch the whole thing but what I saw freaked me out quite a bit. Obama just seemed in over his head. He looked like some overly-bright high school kid defending a master’s thesis–no real knowledge or wisdom, just a lot of rhetoric that never really made any points at all. Here are my notes from the other night. I tuned in when Obama was taking some questions about national security.
I realize that some of the above is too extreme and I would modify it accordingly. But afterwards I looked at some blogs to see how they reacted and nobody reacted like I did. I saw stuff like, “Wow! No wonder he won the elections!” and so forth. Maybe it was just the constant “err, you know, err, you know…” followed by meaningless gobbledygook that freaked me out. But he just seemed like he was reciting a lesson, not answering questions or explaining the situation to the public. The “ideologically blocked” crack kind of pushed me over the line. Do people really take this seriously?
It made me think of the “Officer Krupke” song from “West Side Story.” You know,
Did anyone else look at it this way at all?Report
I think Obama has proved in many ways that he’s a savvy politician and smart enough to do the job, however he may differ ideologically from many on both the Left and Right. It’s simply too early to tell how well he’ll govern. And watching GW’s first press conference was much more painful. Obama may be in a bit over his head, true, but he’s a quick learner. So far, those who have underestimated him have been wrong…Report
I’m posting this link for the record.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/president-obama-is-litera_b_166152.html
When I find my misplaced motivation, I’ll likely write about it.Report