Obama to GOP: "Grab a Mop." This is political gold (and we need to use it)

[ProSense]

Obama to GOP: "Grab a Mop." This is political gold (and we need to use it)

by NicolasC

I'm sure that, like me, you can see it coming, from now through 2010.

You've banged your head against the wall hearing conservative pundits on TV complain about Obama's deficit spending as if he didn't inherit a $1.5 trillion deficit the day he took his new job, as if the vast majority of our national debt didn't accumulate under the presidencies of Reagan and W. Bush. You hear them blame Obama for job losses spurred by a financial crisis whose roots go back long before he even announced his candidacy. They even blamed him for the low Dow the day he was inaugurated, though of course with the Dow now hitting 10,000 those criticisms have long vanished.

You hear all this and it becomes clear: they want to pass their mess off as his. And the longer it takes him to clean it up, the more they think they'll be able to fool people into believing it.

Well, I personally believe a strong healthcare bill with a public option is going to pass by year's end or shortly thereafter (my money is on a state opt-out compromise; and my further money is on no state opting-out). I also think Obama's backloaded stimulus is going to spur some real growth in the coming months, so their strategy will be an epic fail, come 2010 and 2012.

But in the meantime, Obama's come up with political gold to counter any attempt to pass a Republican mess off as his own, or criticize him for not cleaning it up fast enough. And we need to repeat it ad infinitum and scream it from rooftops. This needs to become the political catchphrase of the next year.

Obama, October 15 at a DNC fundraiser in San Francisco:

What I reject is when some folks say we should go back to the past policies when it was those very same policies that got us into this mess in the first place. (Applause.)

Another way of putting it is when, you know, I'm busy and Nancy's busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else's mess --- we don't want somebody sitting back saying, you're not holding the mop the right way. (Applause.) Why don't you grab a mop, why don't you help clean up. (Applause.) You're not mopping fast enough. (Laughter.) That's a socialist mop. (Laughter and applause.) Grab a mop -- let's get to work.

more

[emulatorloo]

1. rec n/t

[Auggie]

2. How about we sweep the next election?

[JBoy]

3. Unlike Bush, I'm sure Obama's actually held a mop in his lifetime.

[mkultra]

6. because he's black?

just kidding :)

[JBoy]

13. Lol. Georgie has held other handles in his life:

[RepublicanElephant]

35. lol! that beer photo is rich! nt

[WonderGrunion]

73. Because he was poor and raised by his Grandma.

I bet he can do most chores pretty well. I bet she taught him well growing up.

[mkultra]

74. you didnt read me post did you

either that or you fail to understand that a serious response to a frothy question is really one dimensional.

[WonderGrunion]

77. There's really not a "light hearted response" smilie

I know you were just joking. I can see how my response seems a bit scathing. Sorry about that.

[mkultra]

83. lol, i reread your post with the proper tone and now its funny

Thanks!

[mkultra]

4. "You're not mopping fast enough." lol

That one trips off the lips of the inanely stupid so frequently.

[Submariner]

5. But..but...Obama is Black111!!11

How can he be smarter than EVERY F'IN Republitard in Congress.

[FreakinDJ]

11. Republitard - nice I like it

It may have to replace RATpubliCON

[Cobalt-60]

32. I like them both, but a monosyllable is better for abuse

I humbly offer "Puke", short for repuke.
(not my original term! Am I Puke to plagiarize?)
You can spit a monosyllable with stronger disgust than the longer terms.
And it brings up, if you'll pardon the expression, an appropriate olfactory component, too.

[BobTheSubgenius]

33. I also like "Retardlicans."

[Enthusiast]

38. "Retardlicans"

:rofl: :fistbump:

[ann_american2004]

75. How 'bout Retardlican'ts

n/t

[Cobalt-60]

31. Hes smarter than all of them COMBINED

Remember, Puke politicians are selected for obedience, not intelligence.

[Tarheel_Dem]

86. I love your Palin sticker, and now you owe me a keyboard.

:spray:

[kestrel91316]

7. Each speech is better than the last. He is mopping the floor with the RW.

[sandnsea]

8. I don't think that is just to the GOP n/t

[mkultra]

84. Its clearly also meant for the back seat drivers.

[Cha]

9. Wonder if Jon Faveau thought

of that one or did PO come up with it?

Grab a mop instead of sitting around whining.:silly:

[HopeOverFear]

12. word up

[AzNick]

63. FavReau? The actor/director?

I love in the in The Replacements.

He is also a very decent director.

What does he have to do with this?

[Cha]

80. That Jon Favreau has nothing to do with this but this Jon Favreau

does..:)


Jon Favreau, head speech writer for US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Photograph: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/barack-obama-inauguration-us-speech

[Cha]

82. Sorry, I spelled it wrong the

first time.

[glitch]

10. That's a socialist mop!

:rofl:

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. Ditto!

[NewJeffCT]

40. The sad thing is

that 90% of the Republicans out there wouldn't know socialism if it came up & bit them in the ass.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

53. and they don't know fascism, even though

Repukes, thy name IS Fascist!!!!

have I mentioned I hate republicans???






but I love OBAMA!!

[ann_american2004]

76. TRUE!

n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

87. I love it when Repubs call in to talk radio, spouting terminology they've only heard...

in passing. When the host asks them to define socialism, Marxism, etc., it's just so funny to hear them try to make up a definition. And, naturally, it's always wrong.

[and-justice-for-all]

81. The best kind...nt

[Clio the Leo]

14. I firmly believe that the comment was not directed ONLY to the right.....

.... but to some of us as well. Particularly the comment, "you're not holding the mop the right way, you're not moping fast enough!" .... No one on the right wants him to mop faster or differently ... they want him to stop mopping.

Certainly not saying that folks cant complain .... and I dont think he was either ..... I'm just sayin' .... so was he. :)

[zeemike]

28. I think you are right there.

We tend to think it is just a matter of policy but it is more complex than that....and it will not be easy or fast.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

54. I would tend to agree with you.

:hi:

[wiggs]

15. HILARIOUS...and on point! nt

[ProSense]

16. A video clip has been added at the original link. n/t

[Life Long Dem]

17. There should be plenty more cleaning up for them considering...

the conservatives are always saying President Obama hasn't done anything.

[Harry Monroe]

19. When an elephant has been taking a huge shit all over America for the past 8 years..

...you don't grab a mop. You grab the biggest shovel you can find and start shoveling!!

[Jennicut]

20. I wonder if Michelle ever made him mop. He did used to like to do the dishes once upon a time, right

:)

[1monster]

51. Didn't I read that Michelle said something on the order of like most men, he only washed the dishes

when the camera was present? :hide: :yoiks:

[Jennicut]

62. Ha! Probably did.

My husband does them once in awhile, although to be fair he works two jobs.

[AzNick]

66. And vaccuum...

Like most men.

I also do my own laundry.

[AnneD]

67. How does a cowboy pick a wife????

she has to be strong enough to do ranch work but not so big she scares ya. MO fits the bill and I bet BO has done his share of housework. I think MO has bigger 'guns' and BO respects that.I would want her covering my back.

[Orsino]

21. Win. n/t

[Kdillard]

22. Gold.

[dana_b]

23. "that's a socialist mop"

LOL he does have a great sense of humor!

[BREMPRO]

26. I love that he digs at his nutty critics with self effacing humor- it's endearing.

and brilliant politics. I love the mop analogy!!

[NNadir]

37. He's rather like his famously favorite predecessor in that way, Lincoln.

Both Presidents had to mop up after notoriously incompetent administrations.

In the CSPAN ranking of Presidents, Buchanan comes in dead last at #42 (there are only 42 since Grover Clevand was both 22nd and 24th President).

http://c-span.org/PresidentialSurvey/Overall-Ranking.aspx

The Boy Emperor comes in at #36, just before Millard Fillmore and Warren G. Harding.

I think this is unfair to Fillmore and Harding.

Bush's incompetance ranks his in league with truly "worst" Presidents, like Pierce and Buchanan.

I think Pierce and Buchanan actually beat out Bush, since Pierce was an active drunk during his administration and did much to create the American Civil War. Only Buchanan did more to assure the inevitability of the war.

Since that war was worse than any other American war, including Iraq, maybe Buchanan and Pierce beat out Bush for worst. However Bush's war was a war of choice whereas arguably the American Civil War involved the real issue of slavery.

[NewJeffCT]

39. Isn't Buchanan also related to Bush?

through his mother? So, incompetence runs in the family...

[NNadir]

41. I believe the President in question is Pierce. Alcoholism is known to be a genetic

disease syndrome - not that I wish to excuse Bush on the grounds of his alcoholism, since I have several friends who are recovered alcoholics and very fine people - so it hardly surprising that Babs is a Pierce.

Pierce was her maiden name.

Pierce is generally rated as the second worst President. I think he marginally beats out his distant cousin Bush for that title, although only barely.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

55. Wow, that's interesting

I didn't know about Pierce (wasn't paying much attention back in H.S. history class) and Barbara-Quaker-Oats-Guy's ancestry...

boy I sure learn alot here!!

[BREMPRO]

50. And Bush was a descendant of Pierce. Incompetence runs in the family. n/t

[Phx_Dem]

24. It took Sullivan, a Republican, to recognize the gold. Where are the

liberal blogs? I know Drugington Post is loathe to post anything positive about Obama so it's not surprising they've ignored it, but whhat about the real Democratic blogs -- TPM, Think Progress, Crooks & Liars . . . anyone? Has anyone picked it up?

Kudos to you, Andrew Sullivan.

[HughMoran]

25. It is time to ask them to "give a hand" since they are so worried about the future

If they really want thing to get better - why wouldn't they help out?

[vaberella]

27. I love it. I got the feeling he was taking shots at both sides of political spectrum. n/t

[jacobfloyd]

29. and also REPUBLICANS = RACIST x RELIGIOUS x RETARDED x RICH

[Lugnut]

30. K&R n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

34. The GOP don't mop up, they F**K up!

Mopping is not what Old Money does. The Grand Old Party is far too grand to ever Mop.

[Mosaic]

56. GOP?

Why does everyone refer to those morons and thugs as grand? I never do. Why give praise to the enemy? Obama was a little too self deprecating for my taste. I want him to be stonger, bolder, and more progressive.

[JDPriestly]

36. Great speech! But before Obama tells other people to pick up a mop

he needs to mop away the Geithners and Summers and Bernankes in his own administration. He should appoint Elizabeth Warren as his Secretary of the Treasury. She understands the financial tricks of Wall Street but is not a member of the Wall Street elite and is not captured by them. She would be able to bring Wall Street into line with what Obama claims are his goals.

There is an inconsistency between Obama's apparent social consciousness, his stirring rhetoric and then on the other hand his appointments. I'd like to see more consistency on this point.

[change_notfinetuning]

52. JD, from your post to Obama's eyes. Maybe he's adding to the mess on the

floor to ensure janitorial job security. Then we could hear again how many jobs have been saved by his clueless, economics geniuses.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

59. hmmm, good point n/t

[truedelphi]

88. Obama the image vs Obama the Corporate Servant and Tool

the first Obama keeps us hopin' and believin' that maybe tomorrow he will walk the way he talks.

The second one is all that really matters, and will guarantee him his office for eight years, with Palin scaring us all into voting for him in 2012. And that will happen despite the majority of Republicans not even liking her - they are shafted by the Theatre of Organized Chaos as much as we are.

[JNelson6563]

42. Why would someone unrec this?

When I came in there was 105 recs. I recommend it after reading, still 105 recs.

Julie

[nradisic]

43. Amen!

Obama is trying to clean up a mess made under 8 years of GOP rule. It take a while to mop that up...

[amb123]

44. Proud Member of the Democratic Mop-Up Crew!

We need t-shirts, bumper stickers made. We need to encourage volunteers to join the Democratic Mop-Up Crew. This IS political gold.

[mecherosegarden]

47. +1 N/T

[mkultra]

85. werd

[ecstatic]

45. Great analogy!

[Historic NY]

46. Clean up in aisle 5.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

58. LOL! n/t

[gblady]

48. yes, he does mop up....

[SallyMander]

49. I would like to change my screen name to "Socialist Mop"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

57. +1

:silly:

[stlsaxman]

60. flashy graphic

[BluDemocratGirl]

69. WOW!

I like that . How did you do it? Somebody need to teach me how to put funny pics under my quotes.

[BeyondGeography]

61. A total rhetorical home run

Humorously links their irresponsible present to their incompetent past and portrays them as the carping whiners that they are.

[nolabear]

64. I love the constant extension of the hand.

C'mon...we can use you! Get in here and work with us! We need you! It's a beautiful thing to see and VERY hard to argue with.

[AlbertCat]

72. extension of the hand.

And the Repugs cannot extend theirs or they will be against their own platforms for the past 30 years. That's the beauty of it for me. Repug ideas DON'T WORK, as has been proven over the decades. They need to come up with some new ideas, but they would then be another party, not the GOP of the past 30 years. Obama puts them in a real jam. And all they can do and hold on to their ideology is extend the finger, and few like that. No no no...negative obstructionists.... they ain't liked. Quel pickle!

[NorthCarolina]

65. Republicans knew full well they would have ZERO chance in the 08 elections

and likely manipulated a huge economic downturn to greet the new Democratic Administration as Phase 1 of their plan. You are witnessing Phase 2 of this plan with their efforts to pin the blame on the incumbent Democrat through their conservative media outlets. In retrospect, given the position the Bush Administration and the GOP led Congress left the GOP in, what other game plan could they have chosen? Create the crisis, then use their public media to shift the focus of the blame to the new administration. Simple enough plan with the exception of a few "truth teller" roadblocks such as Maddow, Olberman and Schultz....but GOP friendly cable outlets help to keep their public access/influence well below that afforded to FOX who plays a key role in "re-educating" the public. Just yesterday when the Dow broke 10,000, Neil Cavuto queried "Is now the Bush Recovery?". I think it's pretty easy to see who they're cheer leading for.

[BluDemocratGirl]

68. Grab a broom, too!

...so we can sweep those RePUKES out in 2010!

[oldtime dfl_er]

70. T shirts for the cause

http://www.zazzle.com/grab_a_mop_and_help_clean_up_america_pop_art_tee_tshirt-235637255051778755

http://www.zazzle.com/quit_complaining_and_grab_a_mop_t_shirts_hoodies-235725632781848898

[Vidar]

71. REcommended

[liberal N proud]

78. The part y of no thinks they are above mopping up their mess

[and-justice-for-all]

79. That is the talk I like to hear and now I await the action...nt