Obama's speech summed up - crying wolf again

[quinnox]

Obama said a lot of right things, but when it comes down to it. It will be like the boy who cried wolf.

No follow through. Wait and see. This was a campaign speech to try and get Dems to get excited about him again.

He will say he is serious about tax raises on the rich, then say he was powerless to stop it as the GOP holds something hostage once again when it is time to renew them.

"Damn it, I really wanted to raise taxes on the wealthy, but GOP did it again, I had to give in"

This farce is getting old folks.

[FLAprogressive]

1. people have fallen for it again

[AnOhioan]

2. yep

[lonestarnot]

16. No one has fallen for shit. We're waiting to see how money talks and bullshit walks.

[Aerows]

38. Well said...

...and frankly, I'm seeing this as just more bs.

[Terra Alta]

3. Actions speak louder than words.

It was a good speech. But will he follow it up with some actions? Only time will tell but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[xchrom]

4. Rubber has to meet road. Nt

[Motown_Johnny]

5. no way he can do that in 2012

He is planning on running on that and trying to go back on it would be political suicide

[eleny]

6. Those tax cuts expire after the 2012 election

This was discussed earlier today here at DU with links etc.

So the tax cuts for the wealthy issue will be one of faith if he runs on it.

[Recursion]

31. The tax increases literally *can't* happen before the election

They don't sunset until the 2012 lame duck. He'll run on them, not run having done them.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

37. They can be removed before 2012.

It's just that they won't be.

[Donnachaidh]

7. k&r to zero

out in force tonight I guess :shrug:

[JoePhilly]

8. The search for a meme to get past the false predictions continues.

For the last 2 weeks, the breathless prediction was that Obama would announce major cuts to Social Security and Medicare TODAY.

That was the prediction used to anger Democrats all across the country.

When that prediction turned out to be WRONG ... the search for a NEW anti-Obama meme started.

And this OP, is one example of it.

The false outrage machine runs 24/7 ... and while Obama's sppech today slowed the gears down briefly, the false outrage machine is working hard to create the new "Obama bad" meme.

If only the false outrage machine created something that we could sell ... the economy would turn around in a false, and the deficit would be a huge surplus.

[Name removed]

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[sendero]

23. Why does that matter?

Why does that matter when what actually happens BEARS NO RELATION WHATSOEVER to what Obama said?

You think that just because he didn't endorse cuts that there won't be any? Have you paid ANY ATTENTION WHATSOEVER to what has happened the last 3 years?

[JoePhilly]

27. Yes I have ... did you notice that he kept his promise to not raise taxes

on the middle class? I noticed.

Did you notice that amidst all the breathless predictions here on DU that he would never sign a repeal of DADT, he has signed it. I noticed.

Did you notice that in the days before the State of the Union speech, DU was ablaze with predictions that Obama was absolutely, positively, going to announce major cuts to medicare and social security? I noticed.

Did you notice that when the prediction about the State of the Union turned out to be false, the outrage machine changed its focus to Egypt predicting that Obama was secretly working behind the scenes to keep Mubarak in power? I noticed.

Has Obama announced any cuts to Social Security or Medicare? Nope. Its been breathless predicted here twice now. And when it doesn't happen. The outraged simply move on.

[Javaman]

35. In order to cut the taxes on the middle class he had to maintain the bush* tax cuts for the rich...

How is that a compromise? When the whole country suffers?

While I enjoy my tax cut, being a member of the middle class, I would gladly give it up if it meant that the rich bastards have to pay taxes.

We, the middle class, are now pulling the heavy load, tax cut or not, I would have preferred the rich pull some of the fucking load to help us along.

His not raising taxes on the middle class had nothing to do with him not wanting do it, via his 3 dimension chess logic (that some people like to claim Obama exhibits), it was that same chess that forced him over a barrel to aqueous to the repukes to maintain the middle tax cuts AND continue the bush* tax cuts.

He could have pushed this issue before the elections but he let it all slide.

So how again does all that work out?

You know what? fuck it. none of it matters anymore. We as a nation are fucked until the riches tax cuts expire...that is if Obama actually follows through this time and lets the expire. I'm not holding my breath.

[JoePhilly]

39. There were 2 promises ... and he had to break (or delay) one of them.

He did push the issue, and the Dems in congress punted.

If he had let the middle tax cuts expire, the folks on DU who scream no matter what is does would have simply screamed that letting the tax cuts for the middle class expire during a fragile recovery was PROOF that he hated the middle class.

Not only would DU be on fire over it, so would the media, as they played endless video of Bush #1 saying "read my lips" and then raising taxes on the middle class with videos of Obama making and breaking the same promise.

By extending all of the cuts to the end of 2012 puts the next chance to kill them AFTER the 2012 election. Which means that there is no fallout because he can't run in 2016 anyway. He can let them all expire.

[Javaman]

40. I seriously doubt DU would be on fire...

many people here, myself included, thought at the time if raising the taxes on the rich meant raising my own taxes, fine. It will be tough but that's the price one pays for having a civilization.

However, since he chose not to veto it, he just kicked it down the road thus putting the nation deeper in shit.

[JoePhilly]

42. I don't doubt it for a second.

And he did not "chose to not veto" anything. An existing bill was set to expire.

After the Dem congress punted, he reached an agreement to extend the prior legislation for 2 years, protecting middle class tax cuts, and placing the new expiration date early in his second term. At which point he can let them expire.

[Javaman]

44. Then we will have to agree to disagree. nt

[Just One Woman]

45. I noticed too!

I could not have worded it any better. I do want to point out that we have many trolls here, and some of them are not even human, but are avatars from software. If the avatars start to argue, you can trip them up with nonsense. If it is a troll, they go off on a tangent. Yes, there are some disgruntled DUers, but most of the time you can tell the difference. I don't mind the disgruntled, as long as the focus is on the big picture. When it comes time to vote for this President for re-election, no matter how disappointed I am, he will get my vote. He should get all the votes from here. United we stand, and divided we fall. The trolls here are trying to get us to fall. Don't sway like a tea bag, stand firm. Elections have consequences and this is not about taking your ball and going home. This is about saving our country.

[Name removed]

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[Arkana]

15. I'll take brainless cheerleader

over the unbridled, mindless outrage the Gollum-like anti-Obama folks here display. It's creepy and borders on Nixonian paranoia.

Oh, and by the way: Your claim to be a "realistic observer" when it's you people who think he can enact single-payer health care "if he just fought hard enough" is particularly funny to me.

[cliffordu]

19. Yep - that is pretty funny.

[RegieRocker]

28. Gollum-like anti-Obama folks.? Go back in your rabbit hole and

munch on those carrots.

[L0oniX]

13. It's 100% lip service.

[Arkana]

14. There's just no pleasing you people, is there?

When he does follow through you will continue to be upset because he didn't do it fast enough for your liking.

And you wonder why the White House gets so frustrated with the professional left.

[quinnox]

18. "professional left" - that is outdated

and obsolete. At least you got creative with the Gollum thing in the other post, props to you.

[KelleyKramer]

20. the 'you people' watch for what he Does, not what he Says

And your arrogant reference to "you people" is very revealing.

I have closely watched him never follow through, over and over and over again.

You say "when he does follow through" ...

Good grief, you are an idiot!

To do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result...

That is the textbook definition of insanity!

Also, your concern and specific reference to the 'professional left' are duly noted.

You are so smart you won't get that

And you wonder why rank and file working Dems don't support this bullshit

[bluethruandthru]

25. I've never heard anyone on DU bitch because Obama got

something accomplished later than they wanted. The complaining about him has been because he's all hellfire and brimstone in his speeches...but he rolls over and shows his belly to the repubs when the actual negotiating begins.
It's also not that we don't understand how government works. We realize that Obama has to deal with opposition...but we want to see him fight. Even if he loses, we would know he's trying. And if he fought back, chances are he'd get more concessions from the right.

[RegieRocker]

29. Damn that is good!

[Cleita]

17. I'm going to wait and see if the new Obama follows

through, or if he falls back on his old compromise and capitulate position, while Congress, the banks, Wall Street and the insurance industries rob of us everything that made America great in the past.

[woo me with science]

26. The language on Social Security was ominous.

He refuses to take it off the table.

[somone]

21. Yeah. Time to re-hope

and then (re)nth-hope...

[Name removed]

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[quaker bill]

24. The time for the fight

is election season. He has shifted back into campaign mode. You do read the papers, correct? He announced last week.

This is an issue he will take to the voters. This is why the "tax cut for the rich" was kicked down the road to 2012. He will stick with it because he wants to run on it. Tax cuts for the rich vs benefits for everyone else.

The man may or may not be many things, but he is a sharp political opportunist. Just like McCain's "fundamentals of the economy are strong", Ryan's 4.4 trillion in benefit cuts paired with 4.3 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations is too good a political opportunity to let pass. Better yet, the House will pass it and in the process put the tea party wacaloons on record.

[Skidmore]

30. There are other farces that are getting old too, and on this board.

They involve the usual crew.

[Bonobo]

32. A dramatic appeal to the Left -sounds like a speech to avoid Primary.

Spout a bunch of Left Winged stuff out of the midst of all his capitulations = par for the course.

It is approaching election hand-wringing time and he is right on schedule.

It is just talk as far as I am concerned.

[Javaman]

33. You forgot to mention the very obvious...

this "great speech" came AFTER he announced his reelection bid.


Where was this speech last month? or last year?

Oh yeah, it was, he stated that he wouldn't allow the cut to taxes on the rich, and then, he did.

now he says, he won't do it again. What the fuck kind of statement is that?

He wants our vote and his trying his best to play our tune.

flowery words don't work for me anymore.

[Bonobo]

34. That was EXACTLY what I thought.

See my post above yours.

[Zorra]

36. I believe this also. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

41. As a campaign speeches go, it was pretty good. If you like campaign speeches.

Full of promises and platitudes and enough wiggle-room to backtrack and still claim to be on the side of the angels.

[dionysus]

43. it's... healthy to have an active sense of imagination...

[bvar22]

46. Obama knows how to MAKE the promises.

He just doesn't know how to KEEP the promises,
and thats really the most important part!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7uvttu8ct0