97 Comments

1. robrott:

The one man who can bring this country to its knees…

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:26 pm 2. Charles:

Listen friends, and mark my words in this moment and this hour–
God is jealous for his name for his name is jealous.

Nor is this a charming flower to set before a man
nor one of his commands.

Yet, without Jesus, this is more than we can love as we desire peace,
and less than we can know as we desire joy.

For the sacred fire
that makes us liars–
I mean, that separates speech from dreams,
and separates our flesh from the future–
is God’s power manifested.
So, in the year and the hour– for his sake, invest your desire in Jesus.
Follow his holy fire for right now. Right now he intercedes for us in heaven!

Some will say we are people of the way.
We are people of the way.
We praise his holy name
Yahweh.
I am who I am.
I cause things to be.
I am the first cause of creation.
We praise his holy name
Elohym.

And say “Thank you Jesus for your precious blood–
better, so much better than the blood of Abel.

How then should we pray?

I pray bless me a lot oh God.
Show me your kingdom and righteousness
in such a way that my thoughts words and deeds
reflect your wisdom and power–
and that– for the sake of your honor and glory.
So that I will live in your presence
in this life and the next.
For your name sake
Let me hear my children praise your name
And their children too.
I pray all this in Jesus name.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:29 pm 3. leishman:

mmm…mmm…mmm…Barack Hussein Obama.

IOC say go pound sand.
He come back with empty hand.

mmm…mmm…mmm…Barack Hussein Obama.

Sent Michelle–she not so hawt.
She come back with diddly squat.

mmm…mmm…mmm…Barack Hussein Obama.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:40 pm 4. exhelodrvr:

The DVD set of American movies wasn’t enough?

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:01 pm 5. Subotai Bahadur:

If there’s any lesson to be learned from the failure to get a bunch of international officials to select Chicago rather than someplace else it’s that speeches don’t do it; goodwill doesn’t do it, though greed and fear may work just fine.

It is a lesson he knows domestically, but he seems obstinately resistant to learning it when dealing with foreign powers. One thing to depend on is that when people are doing something outside their normal pattern, it is for a reason. Someone who grovels to one set of people, and crushes his boot into the face of another set is afraid of the first and has contempt for the second. What does Buraq Hussein Obama fear, that he will default to submission to any foreigner, or at least any foreigner bound by law? When his normal pattern is cheating, lying, and oppressing his opponents; what causes this sudden deference?

A superior/subordinate relationship exists here. The questions are why and who? Why does he fear foreigners, or at least some foreigners? Is it a physical fear? Is he bought and kept loyal by reward? Is it fear of a non-physical punishment? Is it loyalty to another overarching ideology? And if so which one? There are a number of choices there both in the political and religious spheres; and in the murky gray interstices between. The ‘who’ will probably become apparent once we have a handle on the ‘why’.

This Scandinavian/IOC episode of “Punk’d” is more than amusement, and/or a crack in the domestic facade. It is a data point that perhaps more capable analysts and investigators can use to discover whatever reality is there behind the curtain.

That does not, by the way, mean that I won’t be laughing my tuchus off, in between crying at what he is doing to our country and to our sons and daughters in the military.

Subotai Bahadur

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:05 pm 6. solovyov:

Jim Thorpe had to return his medals because he once played semi-pro ball. When I was a kid the Olympics were something quite wonderful. I wonder whether, now that professionals can compete (post Dream-Team), people care as much.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:09 pm 7. K:

I decided to watch ABC News and watch Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson present the party line.

ABC News is a joke when O is involved. Otherwise the stories were reasonable today.

The ever reliable George S. tried to cast the defeat at the Olympics as a valiant rescue attempt that failed. Adding that the matter wasn’t all that important anyway.

George’s line was that Chicago had zero chance before O intervened. So whatever he did couldn’t have hurt. The WH perhaps didn’t understand IOC politics. Clearly IOC politics doomed our bid.

But suddenly George found the silver lining. If the economy improves and if Obama gets his programs though Congress and if AF goes well and if ……then people won’t be concerned about the Olympics bid in a year or so.

Gee whiz, thanks for pointing that out George. Who would have guessed that if matters improve people will become happier with Obama?

The next story was the big unemployment numbers. Charles Gibson took the helm. The presentation was fair and went thus: Yes, the new unemployment figures were dreadful. But Congress wanted to extend unemployment benefits. But boy, matters sure looked grim for the jobless.

Gibson didn’t mention ACORN.

While I typed this ABC put on O praising his own effort and some reporter saying the award to Rio was already in the bag.

And from Chicago a reporter said the city was heartbroken. Or maybe the city was housebroken, my hearing isn’t that good anymore.

At the moment they are telling us the atomic discussions with Iran are going pretty well although Iran again told them to pound sand today. Don’t be impatient, we are going to be very firm sooner or later.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:31 pm 8. DonB71inWA:

I think the President made two errors:

1. He didn’t apologize for the imperialistic and insensitive American Olympic medal victories of the past.

2. Acorn didn’t manage the IOC get out the vote effort.

Emmanuel and Axelrod where were you?

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:33 pm 9. RWE:

The International Olympic Committee has its own set of “Chicago rules”.

This may have been Al Capone meets Boss Tweed on Tweed’s home turf.

This may have been The Marx Brothers meet The Three Stooges in The Devil’s Triangle.

But what I wanna know is: I thought everybody loved us now that we are the Land of O. You mean some people don’t? You mean that when we elected a gangster all of the others did not become our pals? A Macy’s credit card does not work at Gymbals? Whooda thunk?

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:40 pm 10. RT:

Obama should have went to make the case not for Chicago but Kabul. Tell the world that we are in it for the long haul.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:44 pm 11. Annoy Mouse:

I always thought Rio would clinch it because the Olympics have evolved into an exercise in diversity as much as it was the world’s largest international party of jet setters. It would boil down to between Madrid and Rio. Mostly Europeans make the decision and what do you suppose they’d rather do? First off the whores in Madrid are really hot but most of the Eurp’s already keep mistresses there. The ones in Tokyo are nice but a little stiff and way too expensive. The Chicago whores are too chunky and strung out on crack so they kinda suck. Ah but the prostitutes of Rio can’t be beat. Not too hard of a decision there.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:48 pm 12. Walt:

He promised them Lake Michigan
Threw in Milwaukee too
He said they need but wish again
He’d see what he could do
About O’Hare and Wrigley Field
They’d have it if they cared
He was prepared to quickly yield
If lists were just prepared
That stated what the IOC
Would take to give the games
To his home town he’d pay the fee
All for Olympic flames
They told him money was the price
Not lakes or baseball yards
They told him once they told him twice
It wasn’t in the cards
Cash on the barrelhead is king
They said with knowing smiles
You’ve come to us without a thing
But politicians’ wiles
Fine speeches won’t advance the day
That we accept your bid
It’s pay to play Chicago way
In back rooms so it’s hid
They told him if he got the dough
They’d see if he could play
And meet at a garage they know
On next St. Valentine’s Day

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:49 pm 13. wretchard:

A leader can be loved. He can even survive being hated. But he must on no account become ridiculous. I suppose that’s why dignitaries don’t yodel or enter hot-dog eating or pie-throwing contests. A large part of power comes from respect by consensus. Most of the time cops can just arrest people on the strength of their authority; they don’t have actually beat them down or shoot them. Culture is what makes law economically enforceable. Poor President Obama has made a fool of himself and of his office. And that makes things just a little more dangerous.

Presidents shouldn’t act like celebrities or reality TV show contestants. If the bad guys of the world take him for a fool they will treat him like one. And one day a miscalculation will precipitate grief.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:53 pm 14. Batman:

Yesterday pundits were saying that Chicago was in the bag, else why would Obama go to Copenhagen and risk embarrassment.

Today on CNN the reporter was dumbfounded and incredulous.

As others have said, how can Obama be expected to negotiate with Iran if he can’t even persuade the IOC? (Of course, Obama really doesn’t want to persuade Iran; he wants Israel to attack so that Iran will be hurt and he can come to the rescue of Islamic states — but that is another topic.)

How ironic that the President who advertises that the days of American leadership and what he regards as bullying are over, then trying to strong arm the IOC.

He is a small man who thinks that “Chicago Rules” work everywhere. They may, but not if you keep badmouthing your own.

However, here is the point of this otherwise banal post. What will this IOC defeat prompt Obama to do next?

Will this reveal how inaccurate his intelligence sources are?

Will it weaken and embarrass him and America?

Will it, on the other hand, cause him to press even further for rapid enactment of his agenda out of concern that after the 2010 elections, and even more, after the 2012 elections, his window of opportunity may have closed? “Rahm” it through now while he can?

It is going to be a very interesting few months ahead.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:06 pm 15. DonB71inWA:

Unfortunately, Wretchard when creating a cult of personality overexposure and personal dignity seem for too many to be a low priority. Chavez, Qadafi and Ahmadinejad don’t appear to be embarrassed by their buffoonery (albeit, dangerous buffoons).

As the President exhausts his media opportunities I suspect it won’t be long until we see him host SNL some Saturday night or be a celebrity contestant on “Are You Smarther Than a 5th Grader.”

What’s next “I’ll eat a bug for health care?” I once saw a Cal Worthington for President bumper sticker. Silly me. I thought they were kidding.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:09 pm 16. Geoffrey Britain:

Money wasn’t the problem nor making a deal.

I mean we are talking Chicago, if any town knows how to grease the wheels that need greasing, it’s people from Chicago.

Obama just didn’t realize he had to offer the right deal.

He didn’t offer to meet any quota the IOC set, on how many medals the US could win. Just asking and agreeing beforehand on how many, in each category, would have sealed the deal.

Ah, hubris! Obama thought he didn’t need to offer a deal. He shoulda brought Daley along.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:12 pm 17. Annoy Mouse:

Oh heck, it’s not that grim Wretchard. Russia had the drunken, underwear clad Yeltsin. Venezuela has their Chavez, Iran their Almadinajad. So the US has its first boffo college student for life egotistical maniac selling his charm couched in condescending liberation theology, with overdramatic pauses like Jesse Jackson channeling MLK on a road trip weekend. We’ll get over it, and look at the bright side – hell hath no fury than a Liberal scorned. The Big O just might do something totally non-linear next. It could be good! He’ll be looking to confer great respect upon himself and he has already exhausted the apology tour.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:14 pm 18. Gary Rosen:

This is a disgrace. No, not that we “lost”, but that the POTUS was involved at all. It’s fun when once every couple of decades or so the IOC stages the Olympics in the US. But we are the greatest, most powerful country in the world, or at least we were. We do not need to host the Olympics to prove our importance, or that we have “arrived”.

What makes it even worse is that BO did this on behalf of his hometown political cronies. He lowered himself to the level of a small-time political hustler. Or, rather, exposed himself as one.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:18 pm 19. wretchard:

He didn’t offer to meet any quota the IOC set, on how many medals the US could win. Just asking and agreeing beforehand on how many, in each category, would have sealed the deal.

Wow. What happened to their listening skills? According to CNN Money, Chicago spent $100 million just to go through the bid process.

The bidding process alone is costing Chicago about $100 million, even if it doesn’t win, Livingstone noted.

You would have thought a $100 million would have bought them an email from the behind the scenes IOC suggesting the kind of deal “they” wanted to hear about. Wasn’t there an advance man who briefed the President on the way things stood? Told him what was needed? Or was something lost in translation? Could BHO have been that far off the mark so that Chicago finished, not first or second, but last? It was like Babe Ruth calling out a homer and striking out.

I guess $100 million doesn’t buy you much these days.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:26 pm 20. Tcobb:

Presidents shouldn’t act like celebrities or reality TV show contestants. But Wretchard, I think that’s all he knows how to do. That’s all he’s ever really had to do.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:29 pm 21. Amit Green:

Steven Den Beste: ‘Now this might, might ultimately be a good thing. Ultimately the decision about where the Olympics will be held doesn’t matter much. But with any luck, this will serve as a “teaching moment” for our President.’

I do hope he learns … so much to learn … so little time …

Karen Kerrigan: ‘Gosh, Chicago didn’t even get a bronze — 4th place! President Obama is lunging from one thing to another. For the sake of U.S. stability at home and prestige abroad, the President needs to focus on what needs tending.’

#19 Wretchard: ‘It was like Babe Ruth calling out a homer and striking out. I guess $100 million doesn’t buy you much these days.’

Ah the great O has struck out?

Anyway, its a little depressing, so lets try something else …

“I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member.” –Groucho Marx

This reminds me of puzzle 260 from “What is the name of this book” by Raymond Smullyan:

Inspector Craig once visited a community and had a talk with one of the inhabitants, a sociologist named Mc Snurd. Professor McSnurd gave Craig the follow sociological account:

“The inhabitants of this community have formed various clubs. An inhabitant may belong to more than one club. Each club is named after an inhabitant; no two different clubs are named after the same inhabitant, and every inhabitant has a club named after him. It is not necessary that a person be a member of the club named after him; if he is, then he is called sociable; if he isn’t, then he is called unsociable The interesting thing about this commuity is that the set of all unsociable inhabitants forms a club.”

Inspector Craig thought about this for a moment, and suddenly realized that McSnurd couldn’t have been a very good sociologist; his story simply didn’t hold water. Why?

Anyway, maybe if Obama pondered this puzzle he would become a better sociologist & stop making rookie mistakes. *sigh*

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:29 pm 22. PA Cat:

Well, as someone observed over at Vanderleun’s place, Barry still has the Special Olympics.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:43 pm 23. M. Simon:

I blogged it and used the Hindenburg clip for illustration.

O. The humanity.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:59 pm 24. The Count:

Wow… way to connect the freakin’ dots Richard! I don’t know how you do it. I can’t think about any one of these issues on it’s own without my head exploding.

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:17 pm 25. Morton Doodslag:

The correct Hindenberg quote in this regard is:

“O! The huge manitee!”

Laughingstock of planet earth.

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:30 pm 26. Free Radical:

Asking for freebies without showing the money is bad business etiquette and it ain’t funny.

Sure it is. First, it never hurts to ask, and amongst most nations such requests for ‘free cash & prizes’ are turned down politely but firmly.

But you can always hit up the US for such ‘favors.’ Because we have a very bad reputation for granting them- even in dicey negotiations with open enemies.

When the US attempts the same, we come across like the silly kid who has wised up to the fact that the other kids have played him for a chump. Trying to pull the same stunt on the cool kids ends up looking clumsy, obvious, and yields nothing but contempt.

I am led to believe that our ‘internationalist’ set is partially defined by the inability to internalize this simple lesson.

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:36 pm 27. luddy barsen:

what was he thinking –what WAS he THINking?

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:41 pm 28. Angel Martin:

Wretchard, I’ve always thought that the most dangerous thing about the Obama Presidency is his conceit that he could persuade the West’s enemies to change their behavior (and even their thinking) on the strength of his personality. If the personal diplomacy strategy could really work, then acting like a celebrity rather than a head of state might make sense. It would increase, rather than decrease one’s power.

The problem is, Obama’s personal diplomacy will not work with the enemies of the West any more than it worked with the IOC. The IOC fiasco could be a valuable warning but I doubt Obama will take the lesson.

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:55 pm 29. Gaffe Prices:

Well B.O. that’s what you get for being so pooty-whipped.
Europeons always bit the hand that protected them.
Now you’ve withdrawn that hand,
rather than stayed it.
And they’ll withdraw whatever it was
you think it was, that
they had to offer.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:02 pm 30. weSwinger:

Call me Mr. Schadenfreude!

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:02 pm 31. luddy barsen:

It was time for South America, time for Brazil, time for Rio. Brazil has been doing things right for some years now and it shows. A world player, and a good antidote for Chavez ism –despite Lula being by party affiliation a social democrat. Brazil has managed spending, whupped inflation, stabilized the region, and has gotten that magic accelerating growth going. Free world needs a Brazil dynamic and open and the Olympics will help.

matter of fact it could strike a person as pretty unseemly –you might even say downright dirty –for The huge American President Surge Show to pull the old Eleventh Hour Stampede ploy to try and snatch the prize away from an aspiring and deserving NEIGHBOR. A person could ask, does the hemisphere’s colossus, which has had so many Olympics already, need another one, at the cost of taking Brazil’s coming-of-age “moment” on the world stage?

i thought Hope & Change was ALL about the gauzy stuff –woops guess not.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:11 pm 32. luddy barsen:

“If you do, if we walk this path together, then I promise you this: The city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud.”

Proud how –the world proud to have a Chicago on it? Humans proud to share the planet with an American city? All of the peoples Proud to be Earthlings?

And walk what path –how is hosting an Olympics linked to walking a path –? Who is writing this mmm–treacle?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:23 pm 33. Morton Doodsag:

Angel- one of the most dangerous things about Obama is the fact that he shares significant ideological mental real estate with America’s enemies. As such, I don’t believe he’s interested in changing our enemies’ attitudes. Insread he is interested in convincing those enemies that the America which prompted them (and Obama!) to despise us no longer exists after his apotheosis. He is also dangerous because his mindset is delusional, and it relies on the notion that our enemies can only arrive at their positions of animus and hatred in response to our actions, transgressions, and beliefs rather than any seminal schism between our philosophies. In essence, they hate us because we’ve been bad to them. If we apologize, promise to stop doing whatever, then (for example) the Muslims will stop waging Jihad. It cannot occur to Obama that the doctrine of genocidal Jihad or Islamic supremacism preexisted our nation by more than a millennium, or that Jihad is the eternal fixed impulse which annihilated other former great civilizations. I believe Obama is also extremely dangerous in his capacity to project his demons, flaws and failures onto others without the slightest compunction or reflection. I watched him tonight shrug off his olympic blunder lightly. Tomorrow he (or his apparatus) will begin the scapegoating to deflect the staggering embarrassment. He won’t be deeply fazed by any of his mistakes.

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:04 am 34. Thrasymachus:

The simplest explanation is that Obama, and his crew, really think that all he has to do is show up some place, make his speech, and he gets what he wants. But why shouldn’t they? His entire political career has worked this way and in terms of moving up the ladder, his political career has been a spectacular success. (Actually getting anything done, no, actually aquiring and wielding power, no, but he’s not in it for that.)

He’s only been getting negative feedback in the last couple months. He got the stimulus package; not because of his golden tongue but because legislators were afraid of what would happen if they didn’t pass it, but it is too much to expect him to recognize that, the human ego being what it is. Health care reform is stalled but far from dead; his numerous speeches have not moved it along, but when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

More and more Obama seems to be the invention of some group in Chicago, but they don’t seem to be all that much more sophisticated than he is. Chicago politics no doubt require a lot of brashness and aggressiveness but I’m sure they must also require discretion and humility. They should have seen it was Brazil’s turn and not gotten Obama involved. But I guess that is where te magical thinking kicked in.

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:05 am 35. Morton Doodslag:

Luddy – rather than “the path” He wanted to say “the shining celestial thoroughfare above which I, Obama shed light like a river of gold or a resplendant sun…” but Oprah thought that was laying it on a bit thick.

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:25 am 36. starling:

Luddy barsen: Who is writing this mmm–treacle?

Agreed. The quintessential symbols/metaphors for the Olympics are the flame and the torch. Evocative as the imagery may be in another context, a path to be walked together misses the rhetorical mark. Definitely not up to the standards of the Inaugural address. http://bit.ly/znqcw

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:33 am 37. marymcl:

One thing about all the Obamapologists saying “it’s not important” is it begs the question – why then did he go on this junket in the first place? To keep himself occupied? Doesn’t he have other things to do? Is it skewed priorities or is he just running away from his responsibilities?

Incidentally has anyone else noticed that Obama’s hair has started to go grey in the past year? All presidents age noticably while in office, of course, but this one appears less equipped to deal with the pressure than anyone before. Maybe it’s just coincidence. But for someone who thrives on the worship of crowds and apparently believes all his own BS, the day to day reality of being POTUS has got to be murder on his nerves. There’s a guy who comments on pretty much every PJM blog but this one who believes Obama is going to have some kind of mental breakdown that forces him out of office well before his term runs out. I’m beginning to think he might be on to something. Then again, it could just be wishful thinking…

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:34 am 38. ledger:

I like the way the Big 0 boosted his own ego while lecturing the IOC:

“…Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential election. Their interest wasn’t about me… {Actually, it was about me and how much of a super star I am… sniff}

http://tinyurl.com/y9ypu6o

Gad, the whole world loves him. What a spoiled, self-absorbed, arrogant, silver spooned, diaper butt, dolt Barack Obama has proven to be.

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:53 am 39. Tarnsman:

Earlier in the week I was in Dallas with my brother and his business partner, who had brought along his three young adult sons, for the Monday Night Football game (GREAT stadium!, btw). After the game, one of the sons spent the wee hours of the morning talking with a Marine on leave at the hotel we were staying at. His comment to me when I asked about what the two had talked about was that the Marine went on and on about how much the rank and file depise the President. “He’s the CiC and we will follow his orders” was the important qualifier that the Marine made a point of to make after his comments. Granted it was the alcohol talking, but this is not the first time I have heard of military personnel expressing their displeasure and unhappiness with their new boss. I know that Liberals can sense that the Military is not the least impressed with their new CiC. They have to wonder and think thoughts that keep them up at nights.

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:56 am 40. PA Cat:

38 ledger

What a spoiled, self-absorbed, arrogant, silver spooned, diaper butt, dolt Barack Obama has proven to be.

Reminds me of one of Don Marquis’ poems from archy and mehitabel (1927):

[archy is a cockroach who composes poetry on Marquis' typewriter but isn't big enough to hit the shift key and a letter at the same time]

i met a toad
the other day by the name
of warty bliggens
he was sitting under
a toadstool
feeling contented
he explained that when the cosmos
was created
that toadstool was especially
planned for his personal
shelter from sun and rain
thought out and prepared
for him

do not tell me
said warty bliggens
that there is not a purpose
in the universe
the thought is blasphemy
a little more
conversation revealed
that warty bliggens
considers himself to be
the center of the same
universe
the earth exists
to grow toadstools for him
to sit under
the sun to give him light
by day and the moon
and wheeling constellations
to make beautiful
the night for the sake of
warty bliggens . . .

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:01 am 41. ledger:

Nice one.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:18 am 42. dtmack:

If you’re sleeping too much I suggest you think about a major International crisis erupting while this crew is in charge. That’ll solve the problem.

It seems they don’t have the slightest clue as to how they should be conducting themselves. It’s hard to fake it when you don’t know what to fake.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:20 am 43. Morton Doodslag:

#42 – A direct result of an affirmative action Presidency. This particular cream didn’t need to rise too far before it soured, but artificial forces kept it rising beyond the imagining. I’ve been extremely worried about Obama since early last year. I still can’t comprehend how so many srill fail to see how catastrophic he is for our nation.

America’s agony is just beginning.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:55 am 44. no mo uro:

Wretchard wrote:

“But he must on no account become ridiculous.”

“Become”?

Oct 3, 2009 - 2:33 am 45. Salt Lick:

In all the years I’ve inveighed against the dangers of “diversity” and balkanization by race, I never imagined their poison would enable the election of an incompetent to America’s highest office.

I only hope his failures will discredit those policies instead of deepening our racial divides.

And on the bright side, other political currents have raised other incompetents to the Presidency, and we’ve survived.

Oct 3, 2009 - 2:51 am 46. Mongoose:

SB, I think we have to ask if there is not an international effort to bring America down as the Global power. if this is so, then how do we ultimately respond?

Well the only postive and honorable way out is to radically reduce government and to support truly productive enterprises, most particularly focusing on manufacturing and technology. Along with that, we must reject cultural Marxism and repair our ailing and sick culture.

There are some real and practical matters here:
1) It means, at least to some degree, curtailing Globalism.
2) It means radically reducing the size of Government and all levels, like say by 60 to 80%, and with it taxation and regulation.
3) It means finding an alternative to the Unions. (profit sharing?)
4) It means addressing education–a return to real standards and excellence (and actual failure for the incompetent)
5) It means sending all the parasitic rent seekers and clients of Big government, at all levels, to the woodshed.
6) It means doing something about the Media.
7) It means enforcing that law against members the Liberal establishment It means we will have to throw out hte whole “victemology” huslte of the Left
9) It means thoroughly rejecting both cultural and political economic Marxism.
10) It means embracing the Constitution, capitalism and the traditional notions of the individual, personal achievement and individual liberty (and it might require a resurgent Christianity of some sort).
11) It means we must do something about energy, and by “do something” I do not mean “green energy”, I mean exploit our natural resources and support technology efforts in the area actually viable energy sources in the area of “fossil fuels” and nuclear energy.
12) Redouble our commitment to global military superiority.

In essence, it means a rejection of the Left and the Democrat Party and all they ave established over the last 80 years.

It is a tall order and we have little time or room to maneuver in. It requires some profound soul searching and facing some painful realizations about how we have gotten to this point. All of this require a sustained, sober and difficult effort by a quite large majority of the American people and this consensus will have to cross generations and political divides.

It is doable. Have we the will? Leadership will have to come from somewhere other than the GOP I fear, and this adds to the problem. We must face that this is really a spiritual crisis manifesting itself as a political one. We are in an extremely decadent period. Is it a terminal phase? Can it be reversed? It would seem to be up to us. There is no other barrier to this but ourselves. We have allowed this to happen; we have created it ourselves.

Soon we will be thrown upon our very essences, thrown upon the qualities of our souls, characters natures. We are not the nation we were in 1944. What are we? that is the question.

Buddy: yes we have chucked it away, and we have done it like in two years. It could have been dealt with in this time, even if there is an international conspiracy against us to change the world order. The issue is why the American people fail to understand this, or if they do, why are they so passive. It is not hard to understand, not really, and if we here think otherwise then we are just flattering ourselves. The average person understood all of this during the Cold War, they understood it even under Clinton. What has changed? Seems to be tied up with the boomers reaching full power, an internal, anti-american media assault unlike anything we have ever seen, and the final, butter fruit of the public educational system.

Again, it can be turned around but it will take hard work and at least a decade, perhaps a generation. We need leadership, and more than Sarah Palin (and, do not get me wrong, I am a big fan of hers). It will take more than one person. Our problems are way beyond what Reagan faced. We were still a powerful nation then despite Carters machinations. The Dollar was king and so was American manufacturing.

I truly wonder if we have it in us. It is really very tragic as all this need not have been.

Oct 3, 2009 - 2:53 am 47. no mo uro:

Mongoose #46

Excellent post and a good road map to the future, if we can do it.

I’m assuming that failures for the incompetent in education includes consequences for failed educators as well as failed students.

Perhaps if you could clarify – what aspect of globalisation are you considering curtailing? Are you talking about transnational socialism, cultural elitism, trade, labor, . . . it makes a difference, because some types are things that can be curtailed and guided while others are like the proverbial toothpaste that is already out of the tube. I don’t think that globalisation of labor supplies, for instance, is reversible at this point.

Anyhoo, good post.

Oct 3, 2009 - 3:07 am 48. Lifeofthemind:

K,
And from Chicago a reporter said the city was heartbroken. Or maybe the city was housebroken
Chicago is not housebroken.

Annoy Mouse,
Thank you for your exhausting research. We can expect your grant application when?

Obama needs a victory. Like the English Schoolmaster who would bring the least offensive boy in the class up to the front to thrash he now must find a victim. Screwing Poland wasn’t good enough and is old news already. My guess is that he would love to hurt Israel but he knows they will punch back. Who will his victim be? India maybe in some trade and visa rampage? Maybe he will find some way to do dirty by South Korea? Perhaps he will send the Marines into Honduras to salve his wounded pride? I will pull a victim out of a hat and predict that something horrible will happen to Taiwan with Obama’s connivance.

Oct 3, 2009 - 3:28 am 49. Paul:

I wonder how much pot POTUS smokes? Supposedly, but never shown, he stopped and got his act together. Yes Sir, really buckled down. Yup. ( I’ll bring his stellar academic records around tomorrow. )

Oct 3, 2009 - 3:47 am 50. no mo uro:

LOTM #48

India, IMO. They’ve moved to the right politically and economically, and have thereby committed the greatest of all sins (to a leftist), apostasy, which needs to be punished. Plus, many Americans have emnity towards India because that’s where their job migrated, he can exploit this amongst those voters. Finally, they’re a stabilizing influence in Asia, balancing China, so harming them destabilizes the world to some extent.

So going after India is a threefer for him.

Oct 3, 2009 - 4:13 am 51. maineman:

Yes. Here, here ‘goose. And in keeping with this, having TOTUS humiliated so publicly and incontrovertibly is a good beginning, especially given the lack of consequence of the issue at hand.

I disagree with Wretchard on this one. It is best to have him and them (the Left in particular) to be shown to be ridiculous.

It remains to be seen, but this may be an Emperor’s New Clothes moment. Should be if anyone’s awake.

Oct 3, 2009 - 4:18 am 52. feeblemind:

I agree with you maineman (#51). It is hopefully an Emperor’s New Clothes moment. I was thinking that yesterday. While foreigners may see him as increasingly weak as Wretchard suggests, people here in the USA should be seeing that as well. After all, shouldn’t a messiah be able to deliver something as trivial as the Olympic Games without so much as breaking a sweat?

Oct 3, 2009 - 5:45 am 53. The Wobbly Guy:

Going after India is a bad, bad idea. The Indians are rising almost as quickly as China, and they will NOT be happy. And China might not be happy at overt US meddling in the region’s affairs either, even if it might be to its advantage.

Oct 3, 2009 - 6:27 am 54. nullification:

The Olympic ideal is totally missing, when you let creatures of the dark like this become involved the results are inevitable. The only solution is to make the site permanent in Greece.

Oct 3, 2009 - 6:47 am 55. nobozons:

A prognosticator of things to come: Sitting down with Iran, North Korea, Taliban, Pakistan, Senate on Health care, cap and trade, republicans. Obama is now typecast as a Loser, easily rolled and quite insane.

Oct 3, 2009 - 7:08 am 56. herb:

Subotai:

I saw Cokie Roberts this morning on ABC before I was able to turn it off. She was speculating that this whole trip was a mistake and that if things go well, it’ll only be a blip, but if several things go south he’s in trouble.

The tone of her little perspective piece was not the usual praise-glop you see on the network. Made no excuses for Baraq. She’s an interesting somebody. Literally grew up in the House of Reps. Her Daddy was a Long from Louisiana and her Ma inherited his House seat. She has sources and instincts that are totally grounded in realpolitic. If she easing out the door, best not be behind it.

Somebody said the timing of this on Friday was a mistake because it’ll be all they can talk about on Sunday. To the extent that makes any difference. However it does get us unwashed a glimpse of the thinking of the CW and the legacy media. They aint what they used to be but they can hurt somebody.

Oct 3, 2009 - 7:16 am 57. WillDoMathForFood:

Subotai (#5) nailed my confusion almost exactly. Obama confuses me. He acts completely opposite domestically – where he seems to revel in “I won” arrogance – and diplomatically, where he behaves like a cringing nerd who fears being beaten up for his lunch money. And Subotai is right in that “fear” explains the evidence, but somehow I don’t think it really is “fear” that explains his behavior. I don’t know what it is, however. Guys who really get off on Power, like Obama, seem to like to exercise it everywhere, and Chicago politics should have certainly been a graduate-level course in the exercise of power. It’s more like O is extrapolating victimology politics to the rest of the world, and he’s trying to build a constituency, just like he did back in the Community. And it’s not working. The world ain’t his homies, and they’re laughing at him. More than a few are probably noodling over when might be a good time to try their next drive-by.

Luddy @ 27: THINK?? ing?

Oct 3, 2009 - 7:21 am 58. JFSanders031:

@57. It becomes very clear if you put it in the context of a five year old playing in the back yard by himself…

Also, {THIN King} get it?

As with all things in life. It is just a matter of time. All things will come to pass in time. The only thing that will change is who will be there to see it happen.

Oct 3, 2009 - 7:31 am 59. Fen:

I hope the Copenhagen Gimps aren’t involved in the Iran talks.

Oct 3, 2009 - 7:43 am 60. Marcus Aurelius:

I was in Toronto when they were rejected for the ‘08 summer games bid. They, of course, were every bit as disappointed. I had to chuckle though, because I know the Chinese probably bought far more booze & hookers for the IOC members than the Canadians did, in fact, I would guess infinitely more, what is 1/0? I’m guessing Obama and Michelle came to the IOC with the same level of booze & hookers as did the Canadians.

As far as Chicago goes. Persuasion is important but the right type of persuasion counts. Yes, cash or bullets are always a key component of that but what struck me was the reports of the speech were not what Chicago, Obama, Michelle, or the USA could do for the Olympics but what the Olympics could do for Chicago, Michelle, Obama, and the USA and long tales of hardship in Chicago. That is not how you sell products & services.

Oct 3, 2009 - 7:52 am 61. programmer:

Salt Lick@45:

Like you, I believe President Obama is the result of political correctness run amuck. He appeared on the scene as a clean, articulate “ethnic person”, who, if left alone and allowed to season in the give and take, rough and tumble of congressional business, might, Ah say, Ah say might, have become an effective leader/politician. But a whole host, a plethora of liberal and liberal leaning centrists, are watching the event horizon known as death sweeping closer and closer. They wanted desperately to see their hopes and dreams of a color blind society come to fruition before they were consumed by darkness. Hence, here we are. What a mess!

Sometimes I think the difference between the liberals and the conservatives is nothing more than the fact that most conservatives I know are smarter and more practical than liberals. The biggest mistake we ever, ever made in education is promoting unearned self-esteem, because the liberals are all about magical thinking. If they say they are smart and take dumbed down classes, like a college class on how to tell males from females, then they are smart. Based on my limited observations of modern sexual mores, I think a lot of the liberals flunked that class.

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:02 am 62. RAH:

A couple of thoughts about Obama’s ruthlessness toward domestic policies and fecklessness and timidity on the foreign policy front.

Obama the persuader as in his campaign was lower key in the early campaign until he felt more secure. After he got the presidency he has the power to impose his will.
He does not have that power in foreign policy so he falls back on sweet nothings.

Bush was almost the opposite. On foreign policy especially after 9/11 Bush demanded and the countries fell in line. Fear had a lot to do with that. After all we could have gone crazy and nuked the ME.

Another idea that may not be valid, but Obama’s early years were in foreign countries under a more oppressive doctrine of Muslim faith and a step dad that probably scared the child into line.

So psychologically he may have been conditioned to submit to Muslim countries and not western countries because his upbringing under western countries was without fear.

I submit these ideas to discussion to see what you all think. I agree that his indoctrination in Marxist ideology has also lead him to despise the US capitalistic system and to idealize the oppressive socialist/Marxists regimes.

.

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:07 am 63. Ben Crain:

Though I certainly agree with Belmont Club’s deeper comments about the Nature of Man and Politics, there really is a simple, Occam’s razon explanation: Chicago is a shitty city. Purely on the lofty grounds on which the IOC should, idealistically, stand, Chicago deserved the boot. That Obamanation made his pitch sweetened it a bit for those IOC members who wanted to stick the US in the eye: the boot was probably over-determined. OTHO, I now read that Rio is pretty shitty too, once you get past glamor, beaches, babes. Could be, but which shitty city do you think the IOC itself would rather live-it-up in, for a couple of summer weeks? A sweltering, grim Chicago, or a Rio with glamor, beaches, babes…?

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:13 am 64. HEPT:

“I’m asking you to choose Chicago. I’m asking you to choose America,” Michelle Obama told committee members.
Choose the America she is only now proud of?
Choose the America her preacher screams I hate each sermon? The one who says God damn America?
The Chicago that see’s children beaten to death while being videoed by his classmates?
Now Michelle Likes America?
How much B/S do these folks carry around with them?

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:48 am 65. OtherUncle:

From the NYT:
———
Richard W. Pound, a committee member from Canada, said that the other cities wanted to knock Chicago out early because they thought it would have been more difficult to do so in the later rounds.

“I’m sure that a lot of the political maneuvering was based on the fact that Obama was probably going to come and was coming, so they said, ‘We’ve got to keep Chicago out of play or we’re all dead,’ ”
———-
Could game theory have predicted the failure of the Chicago bid? The IOC voting process eliminates one candidate per vote. The other three candidates saw a substantial threat in Obama’s advocacy. Without conspiring, they all lobbied against Chicago, hoping to improve their own chances.
Does the IOC process effectively doom a single exceptionally strong candidate?
Did Obama’s advocacy actually diminish Chicago’s chances?

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:51 am 66. tomw:

48 LOTM:
Japan?

They are a reliable serious partner, and thus should be targeted as ‘evil’.

Perhaps the repercussion will be a new member of the atom club.
tom

Oct 3, 2009 - 9:07 am 67. Marcus Aurelius:

I had to LOL at the notion that at home Obama is an “I won” bully and on the international scene a shrinking violet waiting to get beaten up for his (”our”) lunch money.

As far as the comment offered by Ben@63 about Chicago being a s#!++y city I beg to differ. It is not it has its spots no doubt but on the whole Chicago is a city worthy of international events. The difference being the booze & hookers in Rio are probably cheaper.

I hope this little incident illustrates it takes more than lofty talk to persuade those with real things to give. Alas, Senator Burris was quick out of the blocks blaming W.

Oct 3, 2009 - 9:10 am 68. NahnCee:

I would love to see Michelle and Oprah dressed up in one of those Rio costumes featuring feathers, tits and ass, trying to sell their diverse multiculturalism.

(Does Oprah realize that her affiliation with these two no-goodniks is dragging her down, too?)

///

“The difference being the booze & hookers in Rio are probably cheaper.”

Surely all those soon-to-be-laid-off ACORN workers will be looking for new endeavors, and I would imagine that Chicago would be a likely place for them to go endeavor in.

Oct 3, 2009 - 9:13 am 69. RWE:

What timing! This is rich!

I just got a scam e-mail that traces back to the University of Chicago….

And with a contact e-mail address provided that is in …. Hawaii!

These people are priceless!

NO ONE escapes from Stalag 13!

Oct 3, 2009 - 9:19 am 70. Uncle Jefe:

“And the world, strangely enough, expects America to act like America, not someone who aspires to be one of the boys. The lesson was cheap at the price. Being the 44th President of the US isn’t so bad; not if one understands what it means.”
Wretchard nails it again.
The boss cannot be friends with the employees, nor the parent with children (until they’ve left the nest).
You can have input and dialogue, give and take feedback, sometimes make concessions in order to achieve the long-term win, but when it comes time to make the important decisions, enforce discipline, and lead by example, the employees or the children need to know that there is strength, that there is leadership, there are boundaries, and that there are consequences to actions.
This guy has always smooth-talked his way through situations, and has never shown an ounce of leadership.
His bullshit doesn’t fly, not even on something as inconsequential as the Olympics.
He’ll never wake up to the fact that on the bigger issues, he’s already owned.

Oct 3, 2009 - 10:35 am 71. Sam:

What’s the difference between the President and a UPS employee? Only one of them delivers.

Oct 3, 2009 - 10:45 am 72. Mongoose:

Looks like the Irish a voted in the Lisbon treaty.

After all the long centuries of struggle for independence they just hand it over.

After fighting so valiantly against the continental powers, from Agincourt to the Normandy invasion, they will now be their serfs.

Something is deeply wrong in the western world.

Oct 3, 2009 - 11:29 am 73. Mongoose:

Not sure what it is worth, but these days Chicago has one of the best Symphony Orchestras in the world. I think it is probably the best in the country these days now that the NY Phil seems to be headed downhill.

Oct 3, 2009 - 11:33 am 74. Roderick Reilly:

“”"”" 6. solovyov:

Jim Thorpe had to return his medals because he once played semi-pro ball. When I was a kid the Olympics were something quite wonderful. I wonder whether, now that professionals can compete (post Dream-Team), people care as much. “”"”"”

“Amateurism” was an elitist construct. Remember, it was BARON De Coubertin who founded the modern Olympics. It was intended to be an outlet for athletic young ‘gentlemen.’ Keep in mind that the original definition of a ‘gentleman’ was a young man of good family with an annuity who needn’t hold down a job. Such young men could engage in sports if they were so inclined, and showed promise.

The reason Americans were able to compete was because of the land-grant college system. Because ‘amateurism’ was the rule, unaffiliated athletes had to find resourceful ways to adapt that also involved a lot of personal sacrifice. Poor Jim Thorpe just got unlucky, and had no job skills outside of athletics. Amateur athletic career longevity was very short outside of the Communist bloc for this reason.

Oct 3, 2009 - 11:46 am 75. Instapundit » Blog Archive » JIM LINDGREN: “I have been surprised at some of the criticism of President Obama for going to Copen…:

[...] ANOTHER UPDATE: More thoughts from Richard Fernandez. [...]

Oct 3, 2009 - 11:54 am 76. naturalfake:

Shocking! But perhaps inevitable:

Tired Floor Routine Costs America Olympic Gold

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:17 pm 77. Steamboat Jack:

45. Salt Lick:

I only hope his failures will discredit those policies instead of deepening our racial divides.

And on the bright side, other political currents have raised other incompetents to the Presidency, and we’ve survived.

*****************
I share your concerns.

There are many African-American women and men that could have been credible candidates, such as Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.

Unfortunately, Obama was chosen on the color of his skin. As Marion Berry said of Jessie Jackson: “he aint never run nothing but his mouth.”

I am concerned that people will say Obama’s failure is because of the color of his skin. President Obama isn’t failing because of his color but because of his character.

As for surviving this President. His methods are eerily similar to Peron’s of Argentina. That country was #7 in wealth in the early 20th century. Peron made them into an economic basket case in less than a generation and they have never recovered.

Regards,

Steamboat Jack

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:33 pm 78. myna:

You don’t need an ideologue like Rush Limbaugh lambast Obama as an idiot everybody knows that now.

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:40 pm 79. oMan:

#62 RAH I buy your theory on why Obama is tough in domestic matters but wimpy on international ones. Classic bully personality, which is to say cowardly. Fear of pain is the driver. When confronted with credible risk of pain, the bully cringes and fawns. But the minute the risk is removed and bully can assert dominance, look out, there will be brazen cruelty and arrogant taking. Partly as compensation for earlier and other humiliations, partly because such half-formed personalities have no gene for empathy let alone honor and conscience.
Bottom line, we have a silver-tongued six-year-old in the WH. Hard times now and far worse coming.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:24 pm 80. seguin:

3) It means finding an alternative to the Unions. (profit sharing?)

Merely removing their protected status in closed-shop states would probably destroy them as-is. In right-to-work states they’re weak, bordering on irrelevant.

6) It means doing something about the Media.

Continued presence and growing professionalism from the Internet is eroding their influence to a rapid degree. They’ll either have to reform or die as it is. Stay the course on this one and I think within a couple of decades they’ll be either dead or reformed.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:31 pm 81. JFP:

#31, luddy barsen: Those were my sentiments exactly. I have to wonder why he was even pushing for an American city at all. I expected him to push for Rio to get it, or maybe Cairo. By pushing for Chicago, he just seems rather greedy. It’s not enough that America has already had a few Olympics during my lifetime while an entire continent has had none; but he wants to get yet another one.

On the other hand, Brazil really prefers World Cups to the Olympics, while Chicago is the opposite. Still, the Brazilians did seem quite happy to get it.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:32 pm 82. K:

Well, this one is over. On Sunday the talk shows will explain that it was everyone’s fault but Obama’s.

The prevailing politically correct explanation is that his staff didn’t understand IOC politics. But that is sort of OK because they understand everything else in the universe so well.

In second place is the recent Chicago TV killing. Those were probably caused by the vicious attacks on ACORN.

In third, but gaining fast, is George Bush. He continues to be the fallback villain whenever difficulties are encountered. Cheney must have been too ill to handle matters himself. Or the IOC matter was not important enough, so he let George do it.

The Honduran government has yet not been blamed but the Iranian government has been cleared.

America is a big country and here and there someone whispers that maybe Chicago didn’t make the best proposal. Those SOBs will be dealt with; names are being taken.

This morning the media reminds us that O is going to visit New Orleans later this month. The story is not new but to the media it seems time to rehash Katrina. Remember how mean Bush was to undermine the flood barriers? Then he sent in the army to shoot black people. The oil companies paid him to do that.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:32 pm 83. Langley:

Lifeofthemind@48

Bingo!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/sports/04usoc.html

The truce ended as quickly as Chicago was dispatched from the race won by Rio de Janeiro. In surprisingly frank terms, a number of influential people in American Olympic sports questioned the performance of the U.S.O.C.’s new management team and said its two top executives were ill-equipped to navigate the insular world of international sports.

Oct 3, 2009 - 2:04 pm 84. Gaffe Prices:

#31, #81 JFP,
Funny just how Amer-O-centric the american left is: They take American Power and Authority for granted, and then expect it to be there whenever they want all the world to follow their grand dictates,
while undermining its republican law structure and influence back home.

They think groveling and apologizing abroad will purchase *new* moral authority by paying homage to figures and policy the euro’s are now trying to shed like old skin.

Oct 3, 2009 - 3:25 pm 85. Mike:

I’m glad — I hate Chicago.

Oct 3, 2009 - 4:07 pm 86. Hannah G.:

Amit Green @ comment 21,

“This reminds me of puzzle 260 from “What is the name of this book” by Raymond Smullyan:”

Please tell me what is the answer to this puzzle.

Oct 3, 2009 - 6:43 pm 87. Rob De Witt:

“Presidents shouldn’t act like celebrities or reality TV show contestants.”

How soon they forget. Do you really not remember Bill Clinton playing the saxophone on MTV?

That was pretty much the end of “the dignity of the office” right there.

Oct 3, 2009 - 7:38 pm 88. presbypoet:

Hannah,
I don’t know if this is the “answer”, but the contradiction in the statements can be seen most clearly if no one is a sociable. They are then all members of a club of the unsociable. An earlier statement says every club has someone’s name. If everyone is a member of one club, the unsocial ones, it must have the name of one of the members, but then that person would be social, and not a member of the unsociable.

Hence the statements contain a contradiction, and cannot be true. I do not know if that is the “official” answer. Just my best guess.

Of course puzzle #260 isn’t the important thing, but rather does this help explain the puzzle that is BHO. Who is BHO?

I am not sad that sewer in North Ill. was not awarded the games. I figure the reason they are disappointed is the chance to steal billions from the process is gone. Although, perhaps an “honest” spoils system would be cheaper than the mess in Washington now. It doesn’t directly steal as much, but costs us more from lack of accountability, inefficiency, and pork. Not to mention the bureaucratic fat, those who simply stand in the way of anyone doing anything useful. Much like the public affairs Major mentioned by Michael Yon recently.

This is like an IT department that comes to “fix” your computer even if nothing is wrong, because now is time to “fix” your computer. They don’t care if it works. They only care if it is done at the right time, with the right paperwork.

Sound familiar?

I vote for King Log, against King Stork.

Oct 4, 2009 - 12:23 am 89. Batman:

Puzzle 260 sounds like an antinomy — something that is false when true and true when false.

Everyone in the town either shaves himself or is shaved by the barber. Who shaves the barber?

If those who shave themselves are NOT shaved by the barber, and those shaved by the barber do NOT shave themselves, then we have an intrinsic contradiction that is unsolvable.

But with President Obama we have a different problem to solve. Some choices are unacceptable and close to unthinkable but not intrinsically unsolvable.

Is he merely incompetent?
Is he a pawn of someone else (Soros? or some sort of Manchurian Candidate?)
Is he a grandiose utopian leftist?
Is he sincerely pursuing something he truly thinks will better America?
Is he misguidedly pursuing something he thinks is good for the country but is mistakenly promoting policies that will hurt America?
Does he have unconscious Muslim sympathies?
Does he have conscious Muslim sympathies?
Is his true agenda to turn America into a weaker country because he believes in a global system of government?
Or is his true agenda to turn America into a weaker country because he opposes the thought of American exceptionalism?
Are his economic proposals advertently or inadvertently weakening us?
Are his foreign policy and military decisions incompetent, mistakenly though sincerely thought by him to be good for the country, or deliberately designed to make America weak?

Reading comments on the Belmont Club reveals that those who post differ on this puzzle. It is opaque and we lack the truthful data to determine what the answers are. But it is not like puzzle 260.

There are answers. We just can’t determine them yet. Let’s hope we figure it out in time. Tick, tick, tick…..

Oct 4, 2009 - 1:14 am 90. The Fine Art of Eccentricity · Celebrity geekness… weird.:

[...] Ego has [...]

Oct 4, 2009 - 1:16 am 91. luddy barsen:

b/89; i’d say, every single one of those categories are represented by some person or persons of influence within the presidential brain trust. to greater or lesser degrees. one hopes they burn each other out as quickly as possible and let the nation sneak off toward its default settings.

Oct 4, 2009 - 1:30 am 92. Fred Beloit:

3. leishman

leishman, this is the second pearl of yours that I’ve run into. I’m taking quite a likens to you.

Oct 4, 2009 - 6:01 am 93. Exactly!:

Can #13 Wretchard please replace that silly old inconsequential Peggy Noonan on the Wall Street Journal Opinion page? Please?

Oct 4, 2009 - 5:16 pm 94. Rurik:

WDMFF – 55 amd Subotai

I agee, Ear Leader is certainly behaving as if he were afraid of something more serious than Putin and Sarcozy jumping him at the next conference and giving him a wedgie.
Such fears usually revolve around the exposure of some secret of dark corruption. Classically these secrets relate to money, sex, corruption and conpromise of state responsibilities, or drugs. Or choice E – all of the above. It must be something(s) he thinks one or more world leaders might know.
Who was responsible for engineering the bank collapse last October? China, Saudi, Russia, are all suspect, but someone knows for sure. Same question about the source of funds directed into O’s campaign coffers. During the campaign, there were charges about O. having had a homosexual reltionsip with Larry Sinclaiir. Similarly, and overlapping, there have been accusations about illegal ddrug use. Previously these charges were “discredited” without being definitively refuted. And of course the whole constellation of questions revolving around the “birther” issue, and the host of other occulted personal records. It certainly seems that there is something Ear Leader believes must not become public. Perhaps it concers the authorship of his books or his “articulate” speeches? Or he is taking instructions from some unfriendly foreign leader. Perhaps ther is yet some other scandal of which we yet have not even a hint. Chances are, that if we knew either the secret or the leader with the information, we’d know the other half of the puzzle too. There may be more than one of these secrets, and there may be several different world leaders in the know, each with their own personal button to joit the Big O. Of course each one having a key to blackmail, wants to preserve the leverage of the secret. It would be truly ironic if this secres were revealed in another October Surprise.

Oct 4, 2009 - 5:55 pm 95. luddy barsen:

Exactly!!! w would knock ‘em over –who in the stable stylizes current events commentary at a like intensity ?

Oct 4, 2009 - 6:06 pm 96. Rurik:

93. Exactly!: & 95. luddy barsen:

Brilliant idea! I’m a third adherent. I might even consider re-subscribing. But can anyone persuade Murdoch or any of their other old-thinkers?

Oct 4, 2009 - 6:28 pm 97. luddy barsen:

Rurik/94; re your conjecture, this is interesting reading.

coincidence, History Channel is this very instant talking about Churchill and Coventry –the British high command knew –from having broken the German codes –of the planned attack on Coventry –but could not warn without losing the secret (it’s not a proven fact, the tv says, that the gov’t really knew).

Oct 4, 2009 - 7:10 pm

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