O.M.G. Ben Stein's pick for Republican presidential 2012 candidate: Barack Obama (transcript)

[tpsbmam]

Once again his opinion piece on CBS Sunday morning absolutely floored me. This really did say it all for me:

As everyone knows, the Grand Old Party has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of the 2008 election. The GOP controls the House, had big gains in the senate, has a gigantic swath of states with Republican governors and is well liked in the polls.

What we do not have is a clearly viable candidate for president. Huckabee, Palin, Romney, Haley Barbour is my own favorite. All have their pros and cons but none stands out as a clearly winning alternative to Barack Obama.

But wait a minute. Isn't there someone out there who's Obama's equal in oratory and ability to draw votes who could run as a Republican? Why yes there is. Barack Obama his own self.

Yes! Think about it. Since the elections of 2010 he's clearly moving in the direction of the Republican Party. (Newspaper headline graphic: Obama defends compromise with GOP) He's completely signed onto the Republican's position on tax cuts and kicking the deficit can down the road. Long since he signed onto the Bush position on Afghanistan. (Newspaper headline graphic: Obama May Add 30,000 Troops in Afghanistan) He's now swearing he'll do something about government spending even if it angers his most basic constituency, the government employee unions. (Newspaper headline graphic: Liberals' Frustrations with Obama Boil Over After Deal) His speech in Tuscon was a masterpiece of restrained eloquence. (Shows a clip of the speech)

Now, admittedly he has a lot to learn in the right to life world and about the environment but he's a fast learner.

There's been loud murmuring from the Democratic left that President Obama is too cozy with the Republicans. A loudmouth from Florida, former liberal Representative Alan Grayson, has suggested he might challenge Mr. Obama from the left for the presidential nomination. Fine and dandy.

Let the Democrats have Mr. Grayson. He's a great guy. Let's us Republicans seize this moment to humbly ask the best campaigner since Reagan if he would care to join up with our side, the winning side. (Graphic: Obama pin with r/w/b stars & stripes & r/w/b elephant) He's highly teachable, a sensible guy and is probably as good as we can get right now. The worst he could do is say no and then we can brag about our efforts at bipartisanship for the next 100 years. Barack Obama, first man to be elected president from both parties. What's not to like?


(This is a pretty accurate transcription -- I rewound a bunch of times to check. Paragraphs were thrown in by me for easier reading.)

[ProSense]

1. Ben Stein is onto something.

President Obama is the best "Republican" President ever!

Maybe he'll keep repeating that until the 2012 elections. Wonder what impact it will have?

[wtmusic]

3. Maybe inadvertently

Ben Stein is an incurable GOP shill.

[vssmith]

16. Clinton was

[lark]

62. You weren't paying attention

Clinton fought the Repugs on many things, Obama caves at every single turn. Name me one pro worker thing Obama has done - Clinton but in fmla on first day, Clinton raised min. wages, Clinton raised (not kept at lowest rate ever and even actually lowered estate taxes) taxes on the rich, balanced the budget, presided over biggest increase for middle class wages, etc. etc. He's WAY more Democratic than Obama. Oh yeah, Clinton also didn't keep 2 wars in place and started none of his own.;

[vssmith]

64. NAFTA, Welfare reform, repeal of Glass Steagall, consolidation of media, DADT

[molly77]

65. Obama does not have an administration.It is 100% clintons.

Hillary was the choice of our corporate masters. Since she couldn't win dog catcher, the clinton administration just moved in on obama. Bill clinton said in SC during the primaries , there was a time when obama would be bringing him his coffee. The obamas were not invited to chelea's wedding and I have read will not be going to prince williams'. Racism is alive and well amongst the ruling class.

[yourout]

2. Some Truths really suck.

[meow mix]

4. cant wait to hear the campaign i ordered an extra supply of travel sickness bags

it will be good entertainment inbewteen the nausea im sure

[treestar]

5. That is the dumbest thing I think I've read in many months.

This guy does not have a clue about Republicanism.

Maybe he needs to listen to Rush for a day or two.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. No, YOU don't have a clue about Ben Stein.

From Wikipedia:

Stein began his political career as a speechwriter and lawyer for President Richard Nixon, and later for President Gerald Ford. On May 3, 1976, Time magazine speculated on the possibility of Stein having actually been Deep Throat. Stein responded over the years by not only denying he was Deep Throat, but by going further and accusing journalist Bob Woodward of falsifying the famous secret source. In the May 14–21, 1998 edition of the Philadelphia City Paper, Stein is quoted saying, "Oh, I don't think there was a Deep Throat. That was a fake. I think there were several different sources and some they just made up."<12> After Mark Felt's identity as Deep Throat was revealed, Stein stated that Richard Nixon would have prevented the rise to power of the Khmer Rouge if he had not been forced to resign. For his actions leading to that resignation, Stein said:
“ If there is such a thing as karma, if there is such a thing as justice in this life or the next, Mark Felt has bought himself the worst future of any man on this earth. And Bob Woodward is right behind him, with Ben Bradlee bringing up the rear. Out of their smug arrogance and contempt, they hatched the worst nightmare imaginable: genocide.<13> ”
In 2005, Stein said in the American Spectator:
“ Can anyone even remember now what Nixon did that was so terrible? He ended the war in Vietnam, brought home the POWs, ended the war in the Mideast, opened relations with China, started the first nuclear weapons reduction treaty, saved Eretz Israel's life, started the Environmental Protection Administration. Does anyone remember what he did that was bad?
Oh, now I remember. He lied. He was a politician who lied. How remarkable. He lied to protect his subordinates who were covering up a ridiculous burglary that no one to this date has any clue about its purpose. He lied so he could stay in office and keep his agenda of peace going. That was his crime. He was a peacemaker and he wanted to make a world where there was a generation of peace. And he succeeded.
That is his legacy. He was a peacemaker. He was a lying, conniving, covering up peacemaker. He was not a lying, conniving drug addict like JFK, a lying, conniving war starter like LBJ, a lying, conniving seducer like Clinton—a lying, conniving peacemaker.<14>
”
On June 24, 2008, Stein received the Freedom of Expression Award at the Entertainment Merchants Association’s Home Entertainment Awards for "his outspoken economic and political beliefs."<15>

[DeSwiss]

38. Yeah, now that's the snide little weasel we all know....

- A former sleazy bagman for the likes of http://whitehousetapes.net/transcript/nixon/536-016">"Tricky Dick" Nixon, who hated his guts.

Now there's a résumé......

K&R

[treestar]

69. I have to read all that to judge what he said?

Who cares who he is? To label the President that way requires dumbness, not any particular history.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dkf]

6. Well Obama realized the liberal way of hating and scaring corporate execs

doesn't create new hiring. Until we can figure out how to lower the unemployment rate without corporate hiring we are kind of stuck.

[Hydra]

32. We have demand, don't we?

We have available labor, don't we? We even have a bill in Congress to take the money-making back from the Fed since they can't seem to keep things from boom/crashing.

If the private sector doesn't want to do it, they can sit this out and we can do something gov't based, instead of letting our current financial dogma kill us.

[ThomCat]

37. Oh yeah, caving in to corporations has been working out so well.

But if you look back, historically, those periods when our party stood up to corporations and regulated them strongly were periods of strong job growth and economic growth.

Standing up to corporations does not mean that you hate corporations. It means that you hate corporate corruption and abuse of power.

[DeSwiss]

39. Would those be the corporations....

...whose asses we just took out of the fire? Bought stakes in, and generally threw money at?

- Or the ones on Wall Street whom we've recently indebted our great-grandchildren to?

[dotymed]

46. The very same vermin that

the SCOTUS (illegally) declared "persons" with unlimited candidate purchasing power.

[Renew Deal]

7. Why are great Democratic presidents all "republicans"

They say the same thing about Kennedy and Clinton.

[Arkana]

12. Pretty sure the left was pissed at FDR for some time too.

[Renew Deal]

13. I'm talking about the republicans.

Some of them claim JFK was really a republican. Clinton too.

[Arkana]

14. You can always tell when Democratic Presidents are on the verge of greatness.

The GOP will latch on to a few compromises they've made in the interest of governing and then try to adopt them.

Ben Stein knows that there are a bunch of eternally angry so-called "progressives" who want a reason to hate Obama. That's why he wrote this--to rile them up.

The tax cut deal was utterly odious, but necessary if we wanted to get anything done. Without it we would not have gotten DADT repealed or START ratified.

[Kahuna]

22. Good question.

Anybody? :shrug:

[DeSwiss]

40. Because that's the only kind....

...Corporate America©™ will allow to become President.

- Duh.

[avaistheone1]

44. I don't remember Kennedy being referred to as a republican president at any point in time.

Where do you get this stuff?

[Renew Deal]

54. Some right wingers say it

And I've heard it. It's idiotic. Here's a link: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100714190540AArOgJZ

[kenny blankenship]

9. He doesn't need to join up with your side, Ben. You got him a long time ago.

[decidedlyso]

48. Yours is an accurate post, imo. It has become increasingly clear

that Obama was never a Democrat. He did an excellent job of fooling people, though. Obama was allowed to be President by corporations who saw in him someone who could be easily molded. At the time, the hate for George W Bush was palpable. The MIC considered both McCain and Obama and went with Obama because of McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, who was and is simply too dangerous. Had McCain picked another for his running mate, the MIC may have gone for McCain. The safety for them, however, was with Obama. And that worked out very well for them: look at all the decisions and their foundations. Look at the February, 09 meeting meeting between Obama and the Health and Pharmacy people, where Obama was told was what would be acceptable in HCR. It is now those same industry leaders that are fighting the repeal of HCR. So why are the Republicans fighting for repeal? They are more or less staging a show for their base. One of the reasons they were elected was to repeal HCR, so they had to make some effort to do that. If they are successful, their base will be in great bliss. The Healthcare Industry will simply work around it--but don't expect those monstrous premium increases to be refunded or reversed. Anyway, with respect to Obama, I would bet that every decision he makes has been first approved by corporate interests. As time goes on more and more of the general public will come to understand this. But will that matter? I don't know. Look at Obama's rating on Rasmussen, a notoriously conservative pollster. Obama hit six last week. Why has his approval ratings increased so much? Because of conservatives and right-leaning Indies. He is forming a new base. There are a few people on this board who knew what Obama was doing even before the election. I was not one of them. I was fooled like most of the rest. Axlerod did a marvelous job of deceit. We are on the path to total destruction, which seems to be the Republican aim. Why? Because with Obama leading the way, it will be relatively easy and they can feign innocence. And in the end, they will have vanquished Democrats.

[nckjm]

55. Spot on, decidedlyso!

[decidedlyso]

49. Even before the election.

[NYC Liberal]

50. Ben Stein is side on the of progressive Democrats?

Who knew? :shrug:

[socialist_n_TN]

10. Stein is an idiot, but this IS a telling piece.........

All it would take would be for Obama to go farther right on social issues and he'd BE a Republican in the Romney/Pawlenty camp. You know old(er) school, big business, Republican Classic.

[DeSwiss]

41. Exactly.

And yet it was the idiot -- the Jester who was the only one at-court allowed to speak the truth to the King. He did so in jest, and was allowed to because the King knew there was at lest one person who would speak the truth.

- Among so many liars.....

[Arkana]

11. Wow, Ben Stein has realized how easy it is to get liberals' blood boiling.

Jesus Christ, why are we listening to this fuckstick? He's completely irrelevant.

And Alan Grayson hasn't suggested once that he'd challenge Obama.

[Rex]

27. Not really, I think he is pathetic trash. Not worth my emotions.

I just don't understand his hatred for the left...does anyone know why? I personally believe he is just another charlatan like Rush and Glenn...maybe more small time, but still a fake.

[Hydra]

33. You might want to look at why we're riled up

And it has nothing to do with the messenger.

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. Once he's mastered all the GOP talking points, and further dismisses his base,

he may as well change parties.

[DeSwiss]

42. Naw....

...from the center-right position where Obama is governing from now, he doesn't have to make a move. They say he may raise $1 billion.

You know in feudal times the nobility inter-married with close relatives in order to keep all the money in the family and away from the rabble. Now we just swap CEO's and technocrats from Corporate America's©™ Boardrooms and into -- and out of -- government executive branch offices. Almost seamlessly. It's getting hard to keep them apart -- to remember whether they're public or private now, without a scorecard.

- So after all Obama's done for Corporate America©™, they'd be a fool to let him go now.......

[Motown_Johnny]

17. Sure, The Pro-Choice Guy Who Repealed DADT, you know The Black Guy

Run him in a Republican Primary


That is the one race "she who shall not be named" can beat him

[Stinky The Clown]

18. Wow, I hadn't heard this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=255146&mesg_id=255146

I'm giving yours a K&R, too.

:thumbsup:

[whatchamacallit]

19. Ultimately, Obama will force DU to accept reality

until that day, this board will pretzel itself defending his "democratness". Ben Stein is an idiot, but time just caught up with his broken clock.

[tomp]

45. that pretty much sums it up. nt

[derby378]

58. Which side of DU are you talking about?

The side that believes Obama has passed nothing but Republican legislation, or the side that believes Obama's compromises are the best thing since sliced bread?

[slay]

20. I don't like Ben Stein - but I think he's right this time

Obama might as well run as a republican judging by his actions. Like Clinton - he is republican-lite.

[Jamel]

21. Propoganda

He knows saying this will keep the RADICAL LEFT home from the polls. He doesn't really mean it.

[Peace Patriot]

23. LOL! And it's a sure-fire way to get (s)elected by...

...far rightwing-connected ES&S, which just bought out Diebold, and is now 'counting' most (80%) of the votes in the USA, using 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY software, with virtually no audit/recount controls.

Should've been the FIRST thing that our Democratic leaders did, in '06--RESTORE transparent vote counting. Why didn't they?

[sabrina 1]

24. So even Republicans have noticed.

Yes! Think about it. Since the elections of 2010 he's clearly moving in the direction of the Republican Party. (Newspaper headline graphic: Obama defends compromise with GOP) He's completely signed onto the Republican's position on tax cuts and kicking the deficit can down the road. Long since he signed onto the Bush position on Afghanistan. (Newspaper headline graphic: Obama May Add 30,000 Troops in Afghanistan) He's now swearing he'll do something about government spending even if it angers his most basic constituency, the government employee unions. (Newspaper headline graphic: Liberals' Frustrations with Obama Boil Over After Deal) His speech in Tuscon was a masterpiece of restrained eloquence. (Shows a clip of the speech)

Now, admittedly he has a lot to learn in the right to life world and about the environment but he's a fast learner.

If he touches SS he may as well change parties.

The only thing I disagree with is Stein thinking Obama's constituency are govt. employee unions. By now it should be obvious, Obama doesn't care about what everyone thought was his constituency.

[decidedlyso]

51. Its actually easier to accept him as a Republican and admit that

many of us were fooled because this constant day-by-day anguish on everything he does is becoming unhealthy. Many I know are suffering. I agree: if he touches Social Security, he may as well change parties, but even that won't help him with the public.

[Karmadillo]

25. This might be our only hope for creating a two party system for the USA.

nt

[Rex]

26. Did some liberal come along and steal Ben Stein's wife away from him?

Kick his dog!? Everytime I read a political garbage article by Ben, it is always brimming with his unexplained hatred for the left. Why so? Is he really that jealous of Beck and Rush!? Didn't get the 15 minutes of fame he wanted? Bueller?

[Still a Democrat]

28. fa·ce·tious [fuh-see-shuhs]

–adjective
1. not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark.
2. amusing; humorous.
3. lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential, amusing, or frivolous: a facetious person.

[whatchamacallit]

31. “Jesters do oft prove prophets” - WS (nt)

[progressoid]

36. Things said in jest are built on truths.

...regardless of how much as I dislike the messenger.

[stevenleser]

59. I'll be sure to remind you of that when Rush Limbaugh jests. n/t

[progressoid]

60. OK

[walldude]

30. I love how Grayson goes from "loudmouth from Florida"

to "Great Guy" in 2 sentences :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I can't stand Ben Stein but like the proverbial broken clock, he's right.

[pa28]

34. I don't think he's joking. You hear a similar shift among Republican leaders and opinion makers.

McConnell - "if the president is willing to do what we would do anyway, then we should say yes."
McCain - "I think the president has already changed a great deal."
Larry Kudlow - "He's gone supply side!"

Stein's thinking here is seriously out of the box but it's worthy of consideration. Barack Obama as a Republican President might free him up and allow him to govern as a decent Republican in the mold of Eisenhower rather than as a Democrat trying to emulate Reagan.

Of course rank and file Republicans would never go for it but I wouldn't be angry with him if he made the switch.

[Sherman A1]

67. I wouldn't be angry at him if he made the switch

then I can vote for a Democrat. That Democrat may indeed lose, but I would vote for them. As things stand now.... I will most likely skip the top of the ticket.

[deacon]

35. Propaganda. Extremely transparent. The game plan revealed. Attack OUR base. Yawn. n/t

[judesedit]

43. Barack Obama is EVERYBODY'S president. Screw the party affiliation bs. And anyone who thinks the

last election was a product of legal voting by the American public is very naive. Since SCOTUS passed that bizarre rule stating corporations were people, billions of dollars have been dumped into the republican party's coffers by wealthy persons and corporations, domestic and foreign, who do NOT want regulation and don't want to pay their fair share of taxes...which, by the way, pay DOWN the deficit. Most people do not vote in mid-terms unless of course they've been stirred up with lies, lies, and more lies and/or given money, money and more money. It's amazing how many people have a price they will sell their souls for. Take it to the bank...the greedy ole party cares nothing about plants, animals, humans, air quality, water toxicity, food purity or anything else that really matters. All they care about is $$$$$$$$!

Obama's got to do what he can. The corruption is so ingrained in Washington, the current criminal ingrates in office are like drowning victims taking their last gulp of air in desperation. They will do anything to maintain THEIR wealth, ignoring OUR devastation. The foolish democratic congress dug their own grave with their petty crap and spineless fear of and groveling to special interest groups. The republicans, especially the racists, inside D.C. and out, did everything possible to defeat Obama...including NOT hiring people so he'd look bad. Wake up, people. Obama is the best thing that could've happened to us after the Bushco destruction team left us in this monumental effed-up state of affairs. I don't care who supports Obama as long as he's supported. He is bringing a much-needed change to America and they are fighting him tooth and nail every step of the way.

[blindpig]

47. If he's the best.....

then we are well and truly fucked.

[BklynThirtyThree]

52. imagine

a viable anti-corporatist presidential candidate. how long would he be allowed to campaign? longer than RFK?

[SammyWinstonJack]

56. Long enough for some dirt to be dug up and no longer. Happened in '08.

[Jakes Progress]

53. The guy was a Nixon speechwriter. However

the point to get from this is the kernel of truth that lies underneath. Stein's little speech would have no point if there weren't plenty of thoughts about how conservative this administration is.

Many of this administration's trumpeted successes are to the right of main stream republicanism in Nixon's time. Check out Nixon's health care suggestions.

Under this all is the smug satisfaction that the republicans feel toward our President. It is their job to call him names and attack him, but steaming political rhetoric aside, they are not all that unhappy with the way this administration is going. The only truly upset voters are thinking liberals and thoughtless conservatives.

[Better Believe It]

57. Well, there is this: "Republicans for Obama"

http://www.republicansforobama.org/

[Marnie]

61. Totally agree Obama is a moderate Republican of the

Reagan era. He is already a proven Neocon and is at least a budding RepoCon.

You left out Obama's support for Guantanamo, military kangaroo courts, torture, black sites and is probably is still doing renditions.
He also started a third war with Pakistan that is unfinanced.

He gave away universal health care way too early for it to be traded for something he might have wanted.
And did the same with single payer.
And did the same with opt in.

He has already attacked Social Security and plans to more damage to it, even though SS does not contribute to the deficit and would be in better shape 10 to 20 years from now if he had increased the SS withholding 2% rather than decreased it. A move that hurts SS but really does nothing to help the economy. But does help him with Republicans.

His oratory very cleverly tells liberals what they want to hear on a superficial level, liberal dog whistles, but as soon as he steps down from the lectern and closes the door to his office where we can't see him he is schmoozing with his big business staff and shrugging off what his has just fed to his base.

Obama's duplicity is that he is not a 21st C type Republican, his is a late 20thC type Republican. He can't win running as a Republican.
So, he chose to run in 2008 as a liberal Democrat rather than as a moderate Dem. He soon will have to decide who he wants as his voter base and start being honest with them by speaking to them and also by living up to his own rhetoric.

I am not nearly curious enough to want him in the WH, any longer than it takes the Dims to come up with a real Democratic candidate, just to see if he will offer an uninsured unprotected private investment plan in lieu of our protected prefinanced Social Security System, or to see how far he is willing to extend our invasion of Pakistan.

Oh yeah, and about those jobs.....

[Crowman1979]

63. Looks like the Rethugs would prefer Obama over that hoe from Wasilla.

[liberal N proud]

66. I saw this on Sunday and almost fell off the chair

[The Wizard]

68. All President Obama needs

to learn is a snappy goose step.