By Margaret Wente
Barack Obama should try to enjoy his vacation on Martha’s Vineyard for as long as possible. A swaggering governor from Texas (yes, another one) is about to eat his lunch.
Until this week, next year’s election was still his to lose.
The Republicans couldn’t field a decent candidate. Michele Bachmann is too crazy. Sarah Palin has peaked. Mitt Romney, the only one who seems even slightly qualified, is as electrifying as a slab of tofu. Everyone agrees that Mr. Obama is a major disappointment. But at least he’s trying hard, and he’s likeable
Rick Perry is likeable, too. The handsome three-term governor (they call him Governor Goodhair) has swiped Mr. Obama’s rhetoric of hope. As Mr. Obama discussed the finer points of cattle manure with Midwestern farmers this week, Mr. Perry announced his run for the presidency and released a devastating campaign ad. Of all the jobs created lately in the U.S., 40 per cent of them are in Texas. On top of that, the guy looks fabulous in cowboy chaps.
The Perry-Obama race (if it turns out that way) would be a contest between two starkly different visions of how to save America. The Perry vision is to unleash the forces of private enterprise through low taxes, less regulation and dramatically smaller government. “I’ll work every day to try to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential in your life as I can,” he vows. The Obama vision (which he plans to reveal in September, as soon as his advisers can think one up) probably will involve big-government job-creation schemes dreamed up by a bunch of wise people in Washington.
Mr. Perry “occupies the cultural and intellectually empty heartland of the Republican Party,” wrote Richard Cohen, a liberal pundit, in The Washington Post. “He vows to diminish Washington’s influence – a conservative applause line but a moronic policy.”
The Republicans couldn’t field a decent candidate. Michele Bachmann is too crazy. Sarah Palin has peaked. Mitt Romney, the only one who seems even slightly qualified, is as electrifying as a slab of tofu. Everyone agrees that Mr. Obama is a major disappointment. But at least he’s trying hard, and he’s likeable
Rick Perry is likeable, too. The handsome three-term governor (they call him Governor Goodhair) has swiped Mr. Obama’s rhetoric of hope. As Mr. Obama discussed the finer points of cattle manure with Midwestern farmers this week, Mr. Perry announced his run for the presidency and released a devastating campaign ad. Of all the jobs created lately in the U.S., 40 per cent of them are in Texas. On top of that, the guy looks fabulous in cowboy chaps.
The Perry-Obama race (if it turns out that way) would be a contest between two starkly different visions of how to save America. The Perry vision is to unleash the forces of private enterprise through low taxes, less regulation and dramatically smaller government. “I’ll work every day to try to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential in your life as I can,” he vows. The Obama vision (which he plans to reveal in September, as soon as his advisers can think one up) probably will involve big-government job-creation schemes dreamed up by a bunch of wise people in Washington.
Mr. Perry “occupies the cultural and intellectually empty heartland of the Republican Party,” wrote Richard Cohen, a liberal pundit, in The Washington Post. “He vows to diminish Washington’s influence – a conservative applause line but a moronic policy.”
Moronic or not, it’s a message that resonates across America. Most Americans have lost their trust in the folks in Washington. Eighty-five per cent of them think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Seventy-three per cent doubt the government can solve their economic problems – up from 41 per cent a decade ago. In their view, it’s the folks in Washington (and their reckless buddies on Wall Street) who’ve wrecked the country.
This isn’t just a Tea Party sentiment. It’s the most important theme in American politics today, and it’s a major reason why Mr. Obama got elected in the first place. It’s also the reason why he’s likely to get unelected next time. Americans will keep throwing out incumbents until someone gets it right...
There is some truth in Ms. Wente's article however, the falsehoods and negative vibes turned me off. Examples:
ReplyDelete"The Republicans couldn’t field a decent candidate."
"Michele Bachmann is too crazy. Sarah Palin has peaked."
“almost treasonous,” all right-thinking Americans were appalled."
"These times need a great man, and he is merely a good one."
"but lacks the killer instinct to strike back at his opponents"
I know, they bothered me too. We need to get used to hearing this underhanded snottiness because they're really going to ramp it up the next 14 months. Sometimes I DO post the distaff side just so folks know what they're saying.
ReplyDeleteNow we know all their memes--the better to fight them. You picked out a very apt list.
I believe, in the case of Obama, the title of this article should be "breaking wind."
ReplyDeletePolliwog, then he will say: It wasn't me! Bush did it!
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha, Phooey! LOL!
ReplyDelete(I'm gonna hafta slap Sissy....)