"Obama is very possibly a world-historical political figure..."

[babylonsister]

Woe are they! This man is very conservative; must kill him to acknowledge this.


Time to Get Serious
John Podhoretz — April 2013


Barack Obama is a serious man. Yes, he likes to golf, and yes, he ran a campaign with cutesy Facebook pictures and seemingly inane Flash slideshows like “Life of Julia.” No, he does not seem interested in the mechanics of legislation, nor does he seem adept at negotiation. But the weird condescension his opponents display toward him is ludicrously wrongheaded. They seem eager to believe he is a lightweight, and he is not. Obama is very possibly a world-historical political figure, and until those who oppose him come to grips with this fact, they will get him wrong every time.

The common idea during his first term—peddled by, among others, Mitt Romney as he sought a way to criticize the president that would not offend too many people—that Obama “is a nice guy but in over his head” is entirely backward. Barack Obama almost certainly isn’t a nice guy (even his admiring biographers are consistent in describing his friendlessness and icy hauteur).

And you should only be in over your head so much. After a single statewide election, Obama has now won absolute majorities in two successive national tallies with a combined vote total of 135 million. He has much of the media in his pocket; he has his party in his thrall; he escapes responsibility for failures that would sink other politicians; he muscled the most important piece of legislation in decades into law; and with a 20 percent increase in federal spending levels, he has ended the political age in which a Democrat would say “the era of big government is over” (Bill Clinton, 1996). That isn’t luck. It’s skill. Rare skill. Political genius of a kind.

more...

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/time-to-get-serious/

[lunatica]

1. Podhoretz will soon be in the cross-hairs of the teabaggeratti

It's too soon yet. They're hatred of President Obama can't see beyond the color of his skin and hatred makes people blind to reality. Telling facts that sound like praise isn't going to work.

The GOP needs to come to the realization that they're broken and the breaking is their fault. It'll be a while before such introspection gains any ground.

edited for clarity

[undeterred]

9. "teabaggeratti"

[freshwest]

11. Yes, love that one!

[bemildred]

2. The light dawns, eh?

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. It's called DENIAL John.

[Aristus]

3. "...he escapes responsibility for failures that would sink other politicians..."

Project much, John?

You're thinking of Dubyah, who was given a free pass on his idiocy and incompetence by the very people who are trying to sink President Obama, in spite of his skill and competence.

[CitizenPatriot]

4. I love the logic fail

he is haughty therefore not nice? How many presidents are super accessible? Oh, right.

not good at legislation? LOL. Only a constitutional lawyer who was a senator, and whose historic healthcare law was upheld by conservative SCOTUS.

Not good at negotiating? Yeah, that's how he passed historic healthcare legislation that his own party was divided on (w/ much help from Nancy Pelosi and even Harry Reid - but who got them in line?).

They are so desperate to criticize him they can't see him.



ETA: I totally get OP's point and it's spot on. I just couldn't stand the garbage that came with the writer's revelation

[freshwest]

12. I know, what can you say. They just can't... get the words out... oooh!

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. Obama's "icy hauteur" = "doesn't do a steppin fetchit routine for the neocons"

If the n*gger ain't dancin', then it's icy hauteur.

John Podhoretz is a certified piece of dogshit.

[Jakes Progress]

6. Gets elected.

If that's the criteria. Now moving an agenda. Not so hot.

But he can get elected. That is so true.

Are we celebrating praise from conservatives now? So bankers and CEO's loving him would be a good thing?

[JoePhilly]

7. Yea, cause no one will remember the end of DADT and DOMA.

Or ending the Iraq war.

Or passing the ACA.

Or stopping the US from falling into a full on Depression.

Obama will end up being a historical President ... to the great dismay of critics from the right, and from the left.

[freshwest]

13. No, no, no!! That doesn't count! The media said he did _____! Didn't you hear? ZOMG!!!

[Jakes Progress]

15. Sigh.

Enjoy the dream.

[Cha]

8. Oh, President Obama is so much more than you would have us believe..

Updated and Expanded List of 212 Obama Accomplishments, With Citations
http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009.html

"Obama Ends ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Policy"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/us/23military.html

"Obama Endorses Same-Sex Marriage Initiatives In 3 States"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/26/obama-same-sex-marriage_n_2020733.html
.
"Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal"
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/us/politics/obama-says-same-sex-marriage-should-be-legal.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

HHS finalizes rule guaranteeing 100 percent funding for new Medicaid beneficiaries http://www.democraticunderground.com/11028481


President Barack Obama talks with Katerina Rodgaard of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, in the Blue Room of the White House, before making a statement on gun safety, March 28, 2013. Vice President Joe Biden hugs another event participant in the background. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

http://theobamadiary.com/2013/03/28/this-and-that-59/#comments

[Jakes Progress]

16. I'm

sorry to have invaded the love fest.

The world can always use more love. So carry on. Being happy is important too.

[Cha]

17. That's right turn up your nose at FACTS.

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. Not much use arguing with an out-and-out hater

[Cha]

19. Yeah, I know.. just wanted to

let him know he's not fooling anyone with "lovefest" red herring crap.

[Jakes Progress]

21. And not much use

in trying to get people to wake up. Daily, more and more of us who gave hundreds of hours and even more dollars to help put Obama in office are actually looking at what is going on and becoming less enthralled with his below average performance. If you need to believe more than you need to see, then go ahead.

The point of all the "haters" is to stop enabling the administration in its wholesale sell-out to the corporate interests. When the la-la group keeps singing his praises regardless of what he does, then his advisors see not reason not to rake in the bucks, and the president sees no downside to his place in history when greeted with posts saying he is the greatest thing since Democracy. Adoration has its place, but there are still some years left when he could address the issues that he is being given a pass for you the choir.

We don't hate. We are disappointed. We are disillusioned. We are angry. The guy is too nice to hate. But his place in history is at jeopardy if he continues down the centrist, new democrat path. He could do better if he didn't have a whole wave of idolators holding him back.

[Jakes Progress]

20. Dude.

Chill. I said go ahead and dream. You wanna deal with selected stuff and ignore other stuff, you can do that. If it makes you happy, go with it. Selective blindness is at least partial sight.

[Cha]

28. Dude, Keep Digging. n/t

[Jakes Progress]

29. Dude. Keep grinning. t

Your boundless (if unsupportable) cheer is a wonder to behold.

[Cha]

30. Your shovel's getting worn out. n/t

[Jakes Progress]

31. Obviously you aren't reading the news.

Must be nice in that cocoon.

[Cha]

32. The NEWS

Obama Offers Republicans A Deal on Social Security That He Knows They’ll Never Accept

by Jason Easley
http://www.politicususa.com/obama-offers-republicans-deal-social-security.html

I Doubt That Obama Really Expects a Grand Bargain With Republicans by Kevin Drum

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/04/i-doubt-obama-really-expects-grand-bargain-republicans

Greg Sargent: Liberals who oppose Chained CPI need to start thinking right now about how to answer this question: Which is worse, a Grand Bargain, or continued sequestration? It’s unclear to me that there is any other likely outcome. Either Republicans will decide to weather sequestration or they will agree to some kind of a deal to replace it. So liberals need a good policy answer to that question…..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/04/05/the-morning-plum-why-obama-wants-a-grand-bargain/

Michael Tomasky: I Think Obama Is Bluffing

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/05/i-think-obama-is-bluffing.html

http://theobamadiary.com/

[Jakes Progress]

33. Oh. Now I get it. You don't know what news is.

You quote several "opinion" pieces as news.

See. What you are reading is what some personality thinks it would be cute to say.

News is what happens. You know. Like when the president says "Let's cut Social Security."

But your bias towards personality instead of reality and facts has already been noted.

But you go on and dream. Some of us will actually try to do what Obama said for us to do - hold him accountable and tell him when he messes up. It's nice he has a choir, but those who actually care about the people more than loving their idol, will go ahead and tell him that he is wrong. You be the enabler. We'll try to keep him from being a huge joke in the history books. Right now, he's coming off as a guy who just wasn't up the job he asked for, not even sharp enough to deal with people as stupid as republicans.

[Cha]

34. It's more than opinion if you'd bother to read it.

[Jakes Progress]

35. Again. It becomes clear.

You keep calling the opinions of people you like news.

I can see why you are confused. See if someone bright can explain this to you.

[Cha]

36. All you have are insults.

[Jakes Progress]

37. All you have is a dream.

Tell me what news was in any of the links you posted.

[Doctor_J]

22. He IS moving an agenda

the neo-liberal corporate DINO agenda. SS cuts, union-busting, KeystoneXL, destruction of public schools, and Heritage Care. Historic indeed.

No wonder Pod-whore-itz loves him

[Jakes Progress]

23. Yep. Rightward Ho.

It took Nixon to go to China.

It seems the Democrat to corporatize American education will be Obama.

[frazzled]

10. "has much of the media in his pocket"? Right-wing mythology

No, George W. Bush had them in his pocket (Bob Woodward especially included). And that certainly did not nor ever will make him a world-historical political figure.

This article is back-handed bullshit.

And exactly what "failures that would sink other politicians" has he "escaped responsibility for"?

[freshwest]

14. +1.000

[Jakes Progress]

24. That the OP didn't get this

is only more proof of a desire to praise any praise. I can't imagine being delighted to trumpet this article.

Reminds me of when the reagan people chose "Born In the USA" as an anthem for their guy. They never bothered to read the words or figure out what the song meant. It was a flag and USA in the whole thing so it was okay.

Better to post praise on DU from liberals when you can find it.

[Doctor_J]

25. That's the irony of having a (D) president

Despite the president's conservative agenda, Big Media still hates his guts.

[tridim]

26. Same with the "big goverenment is back"

These idiots don't have a clue what's happening in reality.

[Johnny2X2X]

27. Ugh

Even in a piece like this they can't help but lie over and over!

20% increase in Federal spending levels? TOTAL LIE. Bush's last budget (2009) was enacted at $3.52 Trillion. Obama's latest budget is for $3.8 Trillion. That's less than an 8% increase over 4 years. Bush actually increased spending 89% over 8 years.