It has been an interesting two weeks of existence we’ve had here in America, hasn’t it? Ever since the Democrats gave America’s Tina the Ike Turner Treatment [1] by passing health care in the face of majority opposition [2], we’ve had the Democrats give us a victory lap, settle down, look at their poll numbers, and apparently they’ve begun to feel something similar to the uncomfortable state of being which accompanies the passing of a kidney stone the size of your average brick.
There is no other way to explain the actions of Barack Obama from a PR-only standpoint.
By this, I refer to the tendency of any politician to want to control the headlines. If you examine the headlines only, and don’t dig any deeper, the image being painted is slightly disturbing…
Obama to health reform detractors:Bring it on [3]; Obama’s victory lap [4].
Quickly followed by his interview with Harry Smith of CBS News [5], where he stated the following:
“Well, I think that when you listen to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck, it’s pretty apparent, and it’s troublesome,” Obama said. “But keep in mind that there have been periods in American history where this kind of vitriol comes out. It happens often when you’ve got an economy that is making people more anxious, and people are feeling like there is a lot of change that needs to take place. But that’s not the vast majority of Americans. I think the vast majority of Americans know that we’re trying hard, that I want what’s best for the country.”
He can’t help but lie through his teeth. He knows full well that there is no vast majority of Americans who think he’s trying hard and doing what is best for the country. [6] His approval rating is below 50%, and more Americans might prefer to step in dog crap, barefoot, than meet their Congressman these days [7]. In fact, damn near 60% think that the country is on the wrong track. [8] His interview was typical politician: Take whatever comes out of a politician’s mouth, and instantly assume that the opposite is actually true.
His actions this week point to the fear that exists in the Democrat Party these days.
On March 30th: Obama calls on UN to impose tough sanctions on Iran [9].
On March 31st: President Obama: Drill, baby, drill [10]
Back to our domestic abuse analogy, Obama is engaging America just like the stereotypical puke from the daily soaps…
SMACK!
“Oh baby, come on baby, you know I didn’t mean that… I looove you, baby…”
It’s an abusive relationship! Beat them up a bit, then try to bribe your way back into their good graces! Give them lies about how you love them, when the real problem abusers face is that they love themselves too much… It’s like watching a bad episode of Cops: Trailer Park Edition. Ugh.
Of course, it fits the Health Care pattern. The Democrats bribed everyone and anyone in DC to get this thing passed, now they think it’s just a matter of bribing the public. But they’ve screwed up, they’ve forgotten their Machiavelli, in its entirety:
When a decision has to be made involving the fate of powerful cities that are accustomed to free institutions, they must either be destroyed, or conciliated by benefits. Any other course will be useless; and, above all, half measures should be avoided, these being most dangerous.– Niccoló Machiavelli, The Discourses. 1517.
The Democrats were faced with two possible responses to their violation of all the principles of democratic/republican government: destroy their opposition (not possible since it’s the majority) or try to bribe them.
But here’s the President’s problem: He can’t really afford to bribe conservatives to be happy because of the anger on the left. Conservatives only demand no quarter in this political fight because the liberals have been fighting to win, no holds barred, for decades. You don’t see video of Conservatives laughing at the Constitution, saying that they don’t care about the Constitution, etc… The President accuses the right of angry vitriol, but I post on a lot of forums, bulletin boards, and the like, and let me tell you: The right has nothing on the anger of the left.
So the President is, through ineptitude, falling into that third option, the “half measures” option. He isn’t going to recover from this health care vote, politically speaking. He’s trying to appease the right because the left is a minority in this country. By doing so, he angers the left, and they step up their attacks on the right. This in turn fuels the right’s anger, and we get a vicious, self-feeding cycle. As Ol’ Nick said, the “most dangerous” of measures…
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Mike McGowan [13]
Latest posts by Mike McGowan (Posts [14])
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