Why Obama's In Trouble

As usual, I don't claim to be that smart or to have the whole answer, but this is sure part of it: I think Obama's has gotten where he is largely courtesy of a constituency that is either a) dumb, b) not paying attention, or c) seeking power on his coattails. I'm not going to say any more about it than that, but it sure is easier to win an election where you simply pander to the gullibilities of your constituency.

Those who win that way then face the dilemma that Obama now does: how do you back away from the clearly unworkable promises made to secure the votes of the aforementioned innocents, while avoiding the tantrums we're now witnessing, when you've already burned your bridges to those who saw thru your cynical campaign charade.

On the subject of dumb constituencies, I occasionally hear cited by race pimps the fact that, in the census of the ante-bellum South blacks were counted as 3/5th of a man. This is brought up to demonstrate to their gullible audience another way that blacks were "kept down". I may as well set this one straight right now (although anyone reading this probably already knows the story): the 3/5 ratio was not the product of racist white southerners trying to devalue blacks; on the contrary, it was devised by northerners at the Constitutional Convention, who were trying to reduce the power of southern plantation owners. In other words, blacks outnumbered whites in the ante-bellum South but, like non-property owners and women, could not vote. If blacks were counted the same as whites, southern states would be over-represented in Congress, giving the South disproportionate power . . . to, among other things, possibly admit more slave-holding states. See what happens when you're blinded by victimhood?

Used to be that only property owners could vote in this country. This was one of Alexander Hamilton's ideas, and its purpose was to combat the reasonably foreseeable situation where votes were obtained by promising the moon to those with little, at the expense of those who would have to pay for them. His idea, borne out by history, is that if everyone were allowed to vote, the majority Have-Nots would invariably vote themselves goodies at the expense of the Haves, ultimately bringing down the whole system. Is not the advent of social welfare programs beginning with FDR (tho with good reasons at the time) and expanded by LBJ (with considerably less justification) a manifestation of that?

Obama appears to love the sound of his own voice. When he speaks in public (I doubt he speaks to Michelle at dinner this way) he seems to be focused on how his words and voice will sound on the future version of "I Can Hear It Now" -- the whole carefully crafted phrase about taking the torch of freedom and "delivering it safely to a new generation" or the whole styrofoam-supported "This is our time, this is our moment" were recent good examples. If this guy thinks he's Lincoln, FDR, or even Reagan, he needs to realize that these guys had earned their way, and their words were backed by a long record of public service and accomplishment, which affects how their speeches were judged by history. You have got to earn your place thru accomplishment before your words are enter the pantheon of Presidential utterances, and Community Organizer followed by a few months as Senator doesn't get it. In other words, Warren Harding was a good looking guy who gave a good speech, but I don't hear them quoted all that often.

So why is Obama in trouble? Because now he's the President of the whole country, including people with whom his old, transparent tactics simply won't wash. Now he's got to answer to people who can actually figure out that government run health care insurance will lead to government intrusion into aspects of our lives, and to government health care deficits not apparent to those unwilling or unable to think about it. And he's got to answer to the people who will end up paying the bill for the societal and fiscal quagmire that this is guaranteed to produce. The smooth, melifluous voice, the dramatic turn of phrase, the skill with a teleprompter, do not fool those who have made it on their own, the type of people who have made this country the envy of the world, and who see the fruits of years of personal initiative and hard work about to be confiscated.

Alexander Hamilton, if you can come back (I can get you Shirley MacLane's number), this would be a good time. But don't tell her why you're coming back -- she's part of the problem.

The only good news in this whole thing is that it will limit the damage Obama can do to just one term.