211 Comments

1. Weirddave:

I haven’t seen in my lifetime anything quite like it, and furor of being had has the potential not just to take Obama down, but his ideology and supporters along with him for a generation.

From your lips……

Nov 22, 2009 - 9:30 pm 2. OsoPardo:

Goodbye Democrats. You sold us a pig in a poke and we’ll not forget. Next year we’ll release the clowns in both the Senate and House. In 2012 we’ll take back the gvmt and reverse this nonsense.

Nov 22, 2009 - 9:38 pm 3. Doug Wright:

VDH: This essay is spot on like so many of your other essays.

However, where is this country headed? Will we see Obama’s talked about, hoped about, Civilian National Security Force? Will the 2010 elections go forward as have all previous mid-term elections? Will the efforts to use ACORN and MOVEON to sway the electorate mean more Chicago style cemetery voters? Can we really keep our republic?

I guess only time will tell and if as negative a “tell” as I expect, what shall we need to do then?

Cheers and keep your essays coming; we need them.

Nov 22, 2009 - 10:14 pm 4. Robert Winkler Burke:

Dr. Hanson, I found it interesting by following your writings here and the people who post here… we all could read, more or less, Obama like a book… before the election. Yet others exposed to a different way of thinking, could not see what we could!

From Peggy Noonan, who confessed a “fog” yet approved of Obama, to the media that couldn’t see Rev. Wright’s 20-year mentoring of Obama indicated deep corruption of traditional Western morals, the Christian Broadcast shenanigan preachers who approved of Obama, even fellow Democrat leaders who never themselves stoop to low-morality Chicago politics… they all deceived themselves by the rivers of their thought, thought that I believe come from broadcast immersion of ignorance.

Because I have studied the shenanigan behavior of Broadcast Christianity, with its Neuro-Linguistic-Programming methods of deceit and audience-control, I have long felt it a danger to Liberty. Our last Presidential election confirmed my fears.

Dr. Hanson, I love Western Enlightenment. So I submit this poem as an explanation why the broadcast ignorant-taught of America appear to have been so gullible regarding Obama’s five promises you mention above.

An Advanced Degree in Thinking
By Robert Winkler Burke
Copyright 3/21/09

What I needed was a retarded,
Oops! I mean, advanced degree in thinking,
So I immersed myself in fantastic,
Oops! I mean, enlightened Christian preaching.

Me and tens of millions of deceived,
Oops! I mean, genius Christians did this,
So on elections we would be fooled,
Oops! I mean, ruled without prejudice.

We also learned when fleeced how to stop it,
Oops! I mean, to not touch God’s own anointed,
So when voting for US President our trance,
Oops! I mean, our spirit picked the one appointed.

I just thank God for my education from antichrist,
Oops! I mean Christian broadcasting,
I’m happy, no honored, to send money to them,
Oops! I mean to employees governing.

People who don’t understand my compliance, I hate,
Oops! I mean, I kindly, compassionately tolerate,
Who cares? Our leaders from pulpit to capitol devour,
Oops! I mean, have our best interests at stake.

My pulpit and political leaders fly high in their hubris,
Oops! I mean, wonderful executive jets,
My pulpit and political leaders are selfish cannibals,
Oops! I mean, selfless workers for my best!

Christian Broadcast has made me profoundly un-American,
Oops! I mean, the perfect patriot,
When demagogues speak and do evil, I’m so deaf and blind,
Oops! I mean, I’ll agree to whatnot.

My friends say my brain is full of twisted propaganda,
Oops! I mean so Christ-like and Christ-emanating,
They see the doctrines I was immersed uncritically in,
Oops! They’re now arrested, due for terminating.

Nov 22, 2009 - 10:26 pm 5. Dred:

Start ringing doorbells, registering. Folks are more receptive these days. I’m working my neighborhood, although it is surely more difficult doing that among the ranches in Selma.

Nov 22, 2009 - 10:50 pm 6. Joseph:

Hallelujah Victor if you are right the wicked witch is dead and Karl Rove’s dream of a permanent Republican majority is just around the corner. Man our bacon is now safe from those evil incompetent Democrats. Do you think we can get Tom Delay and Phil Gramm back too?

Obama certainly isn’t living up to the hype, but neither did Bush, Clinton, or most of a long line of recent or less recent politicians. We don’t seem to have had much success with politicians in the last half century, so who is going to save us from Obama, Palin? Good luck with that.

Me I’m going to keep my food stuffs dry and my ammo drier. When our new rulers start making all of us listen to Beck, Hannity, Levin and Limbaugh and memorize their little red state books I’m heading for the hills to restart the revolution. Remember with Bush we had “free speech zones” where you could go to protest miles from where the President was speaking. I thought the whole country was a “free speech zone”. Remember the couple arrested for wearing anti-Bush t-shirts in West Virginia on the 4th of July 2004. If that doesn’t rankle a little then I doubt you all’s patriotism. The right can be just as repressive as the left IMHO.

Nov 22, 2009 - 11:35 pm 7. Van den Berge:

The question now is: Is the US strong enough to survive this Presidency or will unrepairable damage be done?
Secondly independents need to reflect their vote, because none of this should have come as a surprise.

Nov 22, 2009 - 11:55 pm 8. David Thomson:

Barack Obama seems to be pushing the Democratic Party off the cliff. We witnessed an unprecedented event regarding the most recent U.S. Senate vote on healthcare. Never before have we observed politicians defying the wishes of their constituents to such an extent. Some of these legislators were giving the middle finger to roughly 60% of the likely voters in their district! This is shocking to say the least. The Democrat elected officials are obviously betting on the outside possibility that the majority of voters will eventually fall in love with their health care agenda. But what if they are wrong? In that case, the Democratic Party brand will be rendered valueless in all red and purple state areas. It is rapidly becoming a political entity that can win elections only in the bluest parts of this nation. In other words, it may never again be able to get a Democratic Party presidential candidate into office. Obama and his cohorts are burning their bridges with those Americans possessing the most Electoral College votes.

The president and Senator Harry Reid already realize they will unlikely win reelection—and therefore simply do not give a damn whether the proverbial crap hits the fan in the 2010 and 2012 races. This makes these two individuals particularly dangerous.

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:27 am 9. Pajamas Media » Where Has the Obama Thrill Gone?:

[...] Read the entire post here. [...]

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:25 am 10. Class Clown:

Then, if we can survive Obama’s spending, it may perhaps all be worth it. Americans have, for a long time, needed to awake from their torpor.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:51 am 11. Francis W. Porretto:

Beyond question, Obama has become the focus of a great deal of anger. Americans don’t like feeling that they’ve been deceived. But then, we’ve cut so deeply into our ability to trust that these final-stage betrayals hurt exponentially more than any earlier one.

The greatest irony of all, of course, is that in transferring our trust from our fellow citizens to politicians — the only subspecies of Mankind that says “trust me” — we were always on the short end of the bet. But that’s natural law for you: believing what sounds good in preference to what is good has never been an effective survival strategy.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:58 am 12. Tao Jones:

Your current president is so much the embodiment of the classic line about politicians (“How can you tell if he’s lying?”) that it would be laughable were not the consequences for the free world so dire.

Between the followers of Obama the BLT/Marxist and Gore the Fantasist/Fraud too many on your sinister side are spreading serious socio-economic disease across this planet. Many of the rest of us are – if you’ll pardon the expression – “hoping” you come up with a cure forthwith.

Nov 23, 2009 - 3:08 am 13. Charles Gordon:

Megalomania stirs in its cauldron the delusion of omnipotence with zealous passion but only causes untrustworthy behavior with dreary regularity.

The exalted demeanor of our historic first Islamic apostate president, who believes himself in possession of a preternatural gift to find the way to some promised land, belies his intention to thrust upon America the archetype of dystopia.

Tormented by the revisionist dogma of American injustice, he ignominiously grants to confessed jihadists the means for acquittal of their mass slaughter.

Having slouched from privileged schools to elite universities to elected offices, his most polished skill is applying the label of racist to anyone who doesn’t yield to his petulance.

After abandoning our nation’s soldiers deployed in combat, he struts before a militarily neutered emperor and a jihadist sponsoring king, then awkwardly kowtows, to reiterate, as if the world didn’t already know, how low he can get.

Nov 23, 2009 - 3:29 am 14. Gary Ogletree:

Obama may be the end of the progressive cycle, the acid trip into la la land. What a bummer the landlord knocking on the door ain’t hip to everything ought to be free. We haven’t hit bottom yet, but when we do, getting clean and sober will bring us back stronger and wiser. Curious how some people have never needed to hit bottom to wake up. I think of Sarah Palin stopping by the mall late at night to greet the first people in line, no TV cameras around.

Nov 23, 2009 - 3:35 am 15. LeighB:

With all due respect to Professor Hanson, I’ll have to take his word for it that Obama exhibited charm at some point. I am one of those moderate Democrats who believed his run to the middle to secure the nomination was a fraud. The apologies and the bowing have surprised me–never imagined any POTUS would do either.

I am most concerned about this President’s view of his role. We have never had a worse CiC, oh he might find time to show up at Arlington for a photo op or visit Ft. Hood, after President and Laura Bush have done so and after he’s taken a hit in the polls for his slow expression of sympathy for the victims and quicker defense of the perpetrator. Oh heavens no, this was no act of terror on his watch any more than “crap and trade” (to borrow from another PJM poster) and health care reform will result in huge taxes on people making less than $250,000. And if we fail to grasp this “nuance” why he’ll be glad to fire up the teleprompter and deliver another cold, poll-tested collection of “just words”.

If the Obama speaking tour ever becomes a listening tour–even for one day–I promise to tune back in. I do listen to what he says but I give more import to what he does, and so far, #44 looks like he might not be starting quarterback in a few seasons.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:05 am 16. Sparky:

I think people are furious at the Chicago-style hardball tactics of simply stealing money. I’m from CT and checked the recovery.gov website for my state and see $36M going to the City of Upland (doesn’t exist), $18M going to the Chicago Housing Authority (haven’t heard of Chicago, CT), another tens of millions going to something called the Metropolitan District. There seems to be corruption at a level not seen before.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:19 am 17. JOHN WICKEY:

We can only hope that it will be gone for a generation. It will take that long for the country to get back on its feet, even to a small extent.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:20 am 18. cfbleachers:

VDH, it seems that you have touched on or at least nearly so, the mood swing among the voters that decide each and every national election…the ones that get short shrift by the shrill screechings of the extremists that hold the reins of the two national parties each and every time.

Yes, there IS a “throw the bums out, bring in the new bums” cyclical nature to our national elections. The two major parties are a cockroach motel where reason checks in, but never checks out…(only through their own separate doors).

Extremism is a huge turnoff to the LARGEST bloc of voters in this country. And yes, it is prevalent, pervasive, and predictable on BOTH sides of the aisle.

However, there is a special noxious brand of extremism that wafts up from the left side of the spectrum. It is tinged with self-loathing for America and all manner of Americana, it is disrespectful and disloyal to her ideals, it demonizes her at every turn and it sullies her reputation with half-truths, distortions and outright lies daily at home…and worse, in bowing and scraping to our enemies abroad.

It fraudulently sets up “blame carnivals”, which moves its tents from world city to world city, with barkers on the prowl claiming that passersby can see something they have never seen before…whereupon they produce a freak show of faux epic proportions, for the world to gawk at, point and snicker. The traitors in our midst set us up for ridicule and scorn…and apologize for our very existence. It’s a cottage industry of sedition, slander and supplication.

Mix in Chicago, where West Madison Street was known as “the street of broken dreams”, littered with a sea of buildings and humanity in various stages of decay, drug dens, and depravity. It was a hard scrabble existence, fighting for a way out. But at least it was fighting.

But, that great city with all its broad shouldered magnificence has been hurled upon a national stage with a spotlight on its festering boil and its largest wart. Its politics. LaSalle Street is the street of broken promises.

Watching the power move around the room, clout being thrown back and forth like a game of soft toss…and watching truth, honor, integrity, loyalty, …disappear like a sleight of hand magic trick. And, the fighting against it stopped…years ago. Died with Royko. You can’t fight City Hall. They owned the “facts” and you were an outsider if you wanted the truth.

We all know you can fool some of the people, all of the time. And when you own the mode of communication in which the vast numbers of them get their “facts”, you can continue to fool them. Almost forever. The New Big Lie is de rigeur for the statists and their propaganda machine. When people stop fighting for the truth, the truth itself dies. It died in Chicago, and it is dying in America. So it goes, right? Grin and bear it. It’s part of the game, correct?

No, VDH…this time something was different.

But THIS promise, THIS duplicity, THIS disappointment…is particularly galling to the “real” middle, because they got played. And then they got dissed.

The folks who decide EVERY national election in this country are used to being lied to, told things that they know are never going to happen, that national politicians will act in their own self interests and that it will be “business as usual” in that fever swamp they call Washinton D.C.

So being lied to is not only understood, it is anticipated.

THIS time, it was going to be different, however. A very different look, a very different feel, a very different approach, a very different set of words, a very different style, a very different angle…produced the same crappy results. A bunch of liars with better props, better special effects, stagehands, better packaging, a neater logo, a catchy slogan…and New Coke inside.

We got set up for Gone With The Wind and got Howard the Duck instead.

So, the fall is further, harder…bruises more. There are arrogant prigs and extremists who will say they “knew” all along that this was going to be the case. They need to get over themselves. No, they didn’t. Nobody “knew” what we were getting…because the vetting was nearly invisible…and completely unavailable. Many brilliant people FEARED what might come to pass and pointed at all the signs and signals, alerting others to the POTENTIAL dangers. But nobody knew.

Information was in short supply. Rationed. Meted out in small doses, scrubbed and filtered and sanitized for mass consumption by our corrupt entrenched media. Flaws and frailties and faux pas were slathered in white out.

But, even AFTER the election…and certainly during the campaign…the open-minded, wait and see, maybe this time…center…REPEATEDLY got the back of the hand of this administration. This is a closed club and if you are not a nanny statist, you are not welcome inside the blame carnival tent. And you will be smeared and slandered, ignored and derided, just like everyone else. And pickpocketed to boot.

Well, the jugglers are now no longer tossing pins in the air three, four at a time…they are juggling chainsaws. The economy, jobs, Mideast, al Qaeda, Russia, Iran, …and EVERY answer in the blame carnival is the same. “Let me put my hands in your pockets”. “YOU are somebody for whom I’M going to apologize.” “You bitter clinger, you”.

This time it was supposed to be different. And, you know VDH…it is.

“God DAMN America”.

Indeed.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:38 am 19. TennesseeVolunteer:

Victor, I visited a used book store in Hardy, AR and visited with the 83 year old owner/philosopher/historian. A lifelong Democrat, WWII vet. After talking to him I am emboldened with new faith. he talked to me about our country, its constitution and the religious framework on which it was built. He also explained how America would be taken back by a peaceful, lawful revolution.
Your article describes just that. We in fly over country, We, the Great Unwashed, are about to rise up by the Millions to take over this country at the ballot box.
That is what he sees happening. You don’t want t see what he described in our future if we don’t.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:43 am 20. rp:

In 10 months, Obama’s added trillions to the debt. 11 months ago he said he’d bring the national debt down. He’s a fibber McGee.

In 10 months, Obama’s added 9,000 earmarks worth 2 billion dollars. 11 months ago, he pledged to veto all earmarks. Maybe he
was talking about his huge ears.

In 10 months, Obama’s increased middle class taxes by 700 billion. 11 months ago, well, you get the idea. The guys a pathological liar.

In 10 months, Obama’s set race relations back thirty years by letting the Black Panther voter intimidators go despite the fact
the defendants didn’t even show up in court.

In 10 months, Obama’s put approximately 35% of American’s economy under his thumb. 11 months ago, he denyed he’d do this Maybe he had
his fingers crossed.

In 10 months, Obama’s convinced me that he’s the worst President in United States history, trying to reinvent America into some kind of
image and likeness that would make marxist Saul Alinsky jump for joy.

In 10 months, Obama’s spent 4 trillion dollars the United States doesn’t have. 11 months ago, he promised to be financially conserative.

In 10 months, Obama’s added 30 Czars and officials that at one time or another have admitted to be avowed communists. Now he says he wasn’t
aware of it. Do we have to attach a lie detector around him
24/7?
In 10 months, Obama’s effectively passed socialized medicine that’ll:
A. pay for abortions
B. Cut 700 billion from Medicare and
C. Raise
middle class taxes by 900 billion. Taxes begin immediately. So called
benefits don’t come into play till 2013.

In 10 months, Obama’s deemphasized home security while causing the morale of the CIA to plunge by investigating their best attempts
under George Bush to save America from another terrorist attack, which, by the way they did.

In 10 months, Obama’s defrocked home security group allowed the first terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The commander in chief
assumes no blame while sandbagging the investigation.

In 10 months, Obama’s failed to take even the first step to make us energy independent. During the primaries he pledged to make this his
number 1 priority.

In 10 months, Obama’s conduct as President has demonstrated himself to be the worst, most socialist President in United States history. And
each day, more and more Americans are realizing Obama deserves justice in the worst way.

In 10 months, Obama’s financial bungalings have not only sent unemployment through the roof, now three percentage points higher than
the 8% figure Obama said unemployment would never exceed, but
because of Obama mismanagement, millions of Americans’ credit ratings have fallen like blind roofers.
At the same time, and even worse, Obama’s inept fincncial bungaling has caused millions of Americans to lose their homes. Now he’s trying to avoid responsibility by employing unsubstanciable terms, like “jobs saved” which means nothing.

Obama is truly as inept a President as he is a pathetic liar who’s lucky the mainstream media plays the role of constant lap dog. Without
a doubt Obama is the worst mistake in United States history. And, for now, there’s not a big enough eraser to fix all the gigantic problems
his love of Marxism and spreading the wealth have caused.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:48 am 21. jb:

Amen, brother~!

I felt semi-Okay in the summer of ‘08,,, I was somewhat put off by McCain being the front runner and then the nominee, (not my first choice), but I thought, “What the heck? He’s a good guy, a real American hero, and a very experienced lawmaker”. Why not? Then, as the run to the White House progressed, I watched in awe as McCain tanked every shot, and flubbed every opportunity to score. I think he was so afraid of being labeled a racist he was willing to throw the contest. The names of Bill Ayres and Rev. Wright were hardly even mentioned and I thought they were a hugely important aspect of who Obama is. There’s such a thing as having too much integrity. The only good thing he did was bring Sarah Palin to our attention.

Sadly, government run healthcare is now pretty much a done deal. Having moved the bill onto the Senate floor for debate, Harry Reid will easily get 51 votes to pass this government takeover of another huge portion of the economy. The freedom to make your own decisions about your health is now, for all intents and purposes,,, gone. Your Democrat led Congress has screwed you again.

I think it’s gonna get really ugly after this. Cap and Trade is the next nail in the coffin.

Looking ahead, I think we can only throw as much sand in the Government gearbox as possible in 2010, and pray for the best.

Whomever the conservatives choose to go up against Obama in 2012, assuming he runs for reelection, is going to have to be prepared for a real mud fight, must be willing to write off that 20% black vote, (Repub’s don’t usually get it anyway), and concentrate on the other 80% of the country. One thing Obama has done, intentionally or not, is to re-divide Americans more sharply along racial lines than before. We are not vocalizing it, but we are thinking it, mostly as a result of the video scandal revealing the willingness of (mostly black) ACORN Community Organizers to promote the importation of El Salvadorian illegal child prostitution, and to get tax payer subsidized money to do so. I find myself asking; “how is it possible that a sub-set of the American people (blacks) are so different from me?” “Do they not see the wrong in this”? These are the people who put Obama in office in ‘08. Worse yet, this is Obama!

I fear that the real backlash will be the attitude most will be bringing to the voting booth in 2010.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:12 am 22. whistling dixie:

Phase one of Obama’s demise has obviously come to pass. His ruse and fraud is exposed, therefore the 48% approval ratings justify his backslide. We now enter phase two, the reality of tax and spend will be felt in 2010 with tax withholdings and additional unemployment. Dr. Hanson’s prediction of 35% approval will certainly be accomplished. Graft and corruption, which is the reality of the Obama administration, will unleash phase three the outright hostile and unconditional removal from office. With our massive base of natural resources and unequaled work force the reversal will be swift and awe inspiring.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:31 am 23. Pragmatist:

Its not nice being a smart alec and saying ‘Told you so’ but there were many many of us who saw right through this dangerous buffoon long before gullible, hysterical, emotional, willfully misinformed and half uneducated American voters and RACIST Blacks voted him in to ooffice and and he started Americas destruction.

We were castigated and ridiculed and called racists and unbelievers but hey now you know its true and ‘WE TOLD YOU SO’

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:32 am 24. Pragmatist:

Initially wrote ‘uneducated’ but thought that maybe a little harsh so wanted to change it to ‘half educated’ but forgot to change ‘uneducated’ to ‘educated’ . Just so the Trolls see before they jump.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:37 am 25. neuro:

RNL BIO Rescues a College Student from Autoimmune Hearing Loss!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_jqPbTc0Ug

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:45 am 26. CatoRenasci:

VDH: There is an analogy to the current regime in American history that is not politically correct to contemplate and, for the Democratic party, hugely ironic: The thuggish, Chicagao-Northeastern-Left Coast liberals running the country are behaving towards the rest of the country, and the 80% of the citzenry who do not describe themselves as liberals in a manner reminiscent of a combination of the Radical Republican Reconstruction Congress and the Carpetbagger/Scalawag/Freedmen governments backed by federal bayonets in the prostrate South in the aftermath of the Civil War (or THE War as it was described by my grandmother who was a small child during Reconstruction and saw her house burned….)

The revulsion caused by the excesses of those governments – including corruption, forcing social change (some of which had to come, but that’s another issue), incompetence, etc. – caused a level of revulsion in the South, even among people who had been staunch Whigs before the War and who had opposed secession, basically turned the South away from the Republican not for a generation, but for a century.

If the Obama-Reid-Pelosi agenda is not stopped, I think we can look to the South’s reaction to the excesses of Radical Reconstruction as a guide to the reaction of average Americans, especially those of old stock who are descended from those who fought THE War (on both sides) and the Revolution. Only this time, the Left does not have a freshly victorious Grand Army of the Republic to back it up.

The most important question over the next two to four years is, if the Left enacts its entire agenda against the will of the people, and the people resist (one hopes peacefully with massive resistance – oops another politically incorrect phrase…), what will the military do? Will it be willing to use force on vast numbers of citizens?

If 2010 doesn’t stop the agenda in its tracks, Phil Gramm’s prediction about Hillarycare – that if it passed within a decade people would be hunting Democrats with dogs — may come to fruition much more rapidly.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:46 am 27. Pedrosito:

Gee is it necessary for some of you folks to write tomes!

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:06 am 28. marsouin:

All this focus on Obama is missing the point. He is simply the manifestation of a political movement (socialism) that has spread and taken over, spectacularly so, all American institutions for over a century. If you get rid of Obama, nothing will change. Look how the Democratic party has been taken over by the socialist wing these past few decades.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:07 am 29. Paul -Indiana:

Are you still proud that you voted for Obama?

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:09 am 30. Mike Murray:

Not easily do I say this — but say it, I do: Barack Obama is the worst president in my lifetime. (I am not informed enough to speculate about how he stacks up against the most awful in American history.)

I have been observing presidents fairly closely for roughly fifty years, and never have I seen such hubris, incompetence, megalomania, and obtuse thinking embodied in any one occupant of the Oval Office.

Obama is even more deviant in his thinking than was Jimmy Carter, and he is more thin-skinned (and vindictive) than was Richard Nixon. Making matters worse, he is even more taken with himself than were John Kennedy and Bill Clinton — combined.

But America (and a good deal of the world) is finally catching on to the malarkey. The feel-good schlock Obama proffered while campaigning was stuff and nonsense. Like layers of an onion, the myths surrounding The One are slowly being peeled away.

What remains is mostly ego. And, if pride truly does proceed a fall, then Obama’s path seems littered with banana peels.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:19 am 31. Joe:

I am beginning to wonder if the far left has decided to sacrifice a second term for Obama and just try to get their ruinous agenda passed. He appears to be very uncomfortable and may himself feel the job “is above his pay-grade”). He is looking more and more foolish, just wonder if he or his 2 amigos (Rahm and Axelrod) realize it. Thought his trip to China was an embarrassment.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:19 am 32. pelaut:

VDH: you way underestimate the stupidity of the American public, now in the fourth generation of “constructionist” education and subversive media per Marcuse/Alynski.

FORECASTS:

1. The unionists and radicals control the money and the media. Obama shall win a second term.
2. Obama shall meet a Russian style monumental defeat in Afghanistan and pull out before 2015.
3. When their ideas don’t work they’ll resort to force, and Obama will light up a Cold Race War.
4. Distinct legislative steps will have started at least partially to dissolve the Republic by 2020.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:23 am 33. jb:

@ 26. CatoRenasci:

The Civil War… uh,,, that would be the war of northern aggression. And you are right, the south went “Dixiecrat” for 100 years in protest of the treatment the South received at the hands of the Republicans.

I’m an old guy, raised by my grandma and grandpa who were the product of Reconstruction, I was 13 years old before I figured out “Damned Yankee” was two words.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:31 am 34. Pragmatist:

It is not likely that the Obamanations approval will fall much below 30-40% after all there are about 13% of the population who are Racist Blacks (96% voted Obambi) who will never change and about 20% left wing moonbats who asre either too stupid or too ashamed to admit they were wrong.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:34 am 35. r4i:

Hi,
I like this article but..
Can someone tell me about Barack Obama?
I know that he is a serious candidate for ‘08, but I would like to know where he stands on the issues. I checked his site but nowhere can I find the info. i am looking for.
so please tell me…

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:40 am 36. GLASS:

Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder.
The charm and amusement value of any street corner hustler that hit the big time usually wears thin pretty quickly.

The fairy tale President, stars in his eyes, saw everything wrong, did nothing right.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:46 am 37. CatoRenasci:

@ 33 jb: grandma, and everyone else, just called it “THE War” and we all knew what was meant. I’ve always thought that ‘war of Northern aggression’ similar euphemisms for the Civil War were something of an affectation: it was a civil war every bit as much as the English Civil War. Remember, the Yankees official name for “THE War” is the “War of the Rebellion.”

The only profanity I ever heard from her was “damnyankee.” Curiously, she once washed my mouth out with soap for using the “n-word” (in the familiar counting rhyme, not as an epithet, I think I was five….), telling me that only white trash said things like that.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:56 am 38. GoingGalt:

I don’t know if anger is the right word to describe my feelings. I feel like I’m in the first stages of a car wreck where everything is suddenly reduced to slow motion. I fear that when the debris settles, Americans will be left standing by the smoldering ruins in a state of shock. I don’t think Mr. Obama’s policies could be any worse even if they were deliberately designed with malicious intent.

What scares me even more is my belief that our president is a pathological personality capable of Nero-like follies. Or worse. His plans for Copenhagen make as much sense as Caligula ordering his legions to fight Neptune by stealing seashells on the beach. We’ve taken a step into the surreal.

I guess the only rational thing to do is hope for the best and plan for the worst. It’s not an easy step to take. The move will require a vast disruption in my personal life including relocation. Am I panicking? Not yet, but I’m not going to stand by and do nothing when I can clearly see that the fires are already lit.

~Going Galt

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:02 am 39. Samson:

Obama is not necessarily any more partisan than a Nixon or Reagan or Bush, only just as partisan—but when he claimed something quite different.

VDH …I appreciate your writings but see you stumbling (not just this essay) to get past the FACT that this president is more ..WAY WAY more partisan.

and not just partisan to democrats but to the far left wackos and socialist/marxists.

I understand your reluctance to say that because it sounds extreme and shuts off debate in some measure. BUT to continue to write without addressing the extreme position of the president leaves you skirting the real issue which is that this president is just such an extreme socialist/marxist.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:03 am 40. Bridget:

#30 – thank you for giving some context. I am 45 years old and was wondering if what I was seeing in this President was as bad as I sensed and in comparison to the past…..his decisions or staff decisions regarding the military, foreign policy, healthcare, the economy have all been fiascos. I am amazed at their hubris and the destruction they are wreaking on our country. However, I only have a context of vague memories of Nixon, Ford and Carter, much more recent memories of Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton and Bush 2, and was unsure if I truly could put this into historical perspective.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:09 am 41. Terry Gain:

Obama is not necessarily any more partisan than a Nixon or Reagan or Bush, only just as partisan—but when he claimed something quite different.

With respect, I disagree. Those 3 were not constantly in campaign mode long after they were elected. Obama is.

Obama is a creation of the media. They are trying hard to create Sarah Palin, as well. The public ain’t buying it.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:10 am 42. Thidwick:

Is it possible that we have a Jihad political party in place willing to commit (political) suicide for their higher goals (health care, save the planet, …). Certainly is shaping up that way. Hate to think what their heaven looks like.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:15 am 43. Poor Citizen:

You are correct. I have been looking at some polling numbers over the past couple of days and shine has certainly come off this president, lets have a look:

Obam policy approval: 48% (way down)

Personal approval: 74% (includes trust)

(bad news for republicans, Reagan had the same numbers)

Bush Policy approval 34%

Bush personal approval 24%

So we can see by the polling data that Obama is sliding downwards on policy. However, people tend to like him personally. Bush slid from 80% in the first year (just after 9/11 to 30% in the second term, which in political terms is usually political suicide for the party in power. So if Obama slides on the personal factor and/or Republicans can come up with “credible policies” in the next year or two……who knows? The issues are there, now all they need is Policy, without the word .no.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:18 am 44. vivo:

We all know this: the repugs/conservs/right-wingers will NEVER stop complaining. So it’s a given. Who cares?

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:24 am 45. Timstigator:

VDH’s finest article yet. Inspired.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:30 am 46. geoffgo:

Professor,

Thanks for such powerful words, again. Contemplate the conservatives, plus anybody else who values US, combining to win enough of a majority to make the necessary changes.
An unleashed America makes our debt seem more collectible, and worth something more than it’s current projected value, no?

Imagine what the mandate and mission to clean house and the timetable will be. The image looks very disruptible if we factor in labor strikes. Strikes, everwhere, everyday, for every reason. How each community reacts should be telling, no?

I foresee each and every community getting to know whose side their unionized police, fire, sheriffs and National Guard are on, politically speaking, when their union brethren illegally strike locally, because we’re returning their industry to the private sector.

A unionized “border patrol” – are we really suicidal? A unionized “internal security force”?

One of the major challenges will be de-unionizing government at every level, ASAP. This type of insidious POWER GRAB is only possible if enough of the rent-seeking nodes are complicit, and act in concert to overwhelm the remainder.

The mandate must include eradicaing all the tendrils of the Left. Otherwwise, why bother, when it’s clearly obvious that their strategy is designed to outwait US? Ugly choices. Time for real clarity and agreement about the results of winning a conservative majority will bring. Compassion or tough love, in a thoroughly trashed economy?

Your eloquent guidance on how mad we can get, as always, will be greatly appreciated.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:32 am 47. Pragmatist:

# 35 his PRE election stand on issues is locked away in the VAULTS never to see the light of day again along with his REAL Birth Certificate (which he must have had to get his Passport oops Passport details locked up too), School Records, College Records, Name Change Records, Baptism Certificate, Senate Records etc etc etc

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:38 am 48. George Best:

VDH,
You think too rationally and forget the kind of person that inhabits our country. All they need is 50% or so to keep power. As long as they continue to preach the rich are bad(unless they are liberal of course), whites are racist, conservatives are homophobic, and men are sexist,they will have a good chance of getting the votes they need to keep Democrats in power in most state offices despite a radical like Obama doing what he is doing.

Why is that? Look who is dying and who is taking their place amongst the voters. Many of the old have values that would never allow for such a dramatic take over of our country in the way it has just been done and I would guess that a majority of the dying either voted conservative or would never vote for even this kind of democrat. Many of them lived a fairly middle class life or lived with the same struggle as their neighbors without feeling like they were underprivelged any more then anyone else.

They are being replaced by even more liberal youth who are brainwashed by their teachers and the endless supply of media. With the promise of amnesty for illegals on the horizon and other social programs to keep this constituency in place, the liberal voting base is increasing faster then at the rate people are getting upset and having regret regarding their vote. There are simply less young people with conservative values to successfully teach their kids the same when the time comes.

With the elimination of much of the middle class, the country will continue to become more and more liberal. The smart will continue to do well but there are just too many people who want to blame others for their failings to ever make Democrats obsolete. We conservatives need to be worried about the lack of values in our country because it is us who are on the way out and we will soon be living in enclaves in Montana and Idaho being taxed to death to pay for all the destruction in the big cities of this great country that is being caused by the african american and their enablers.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:38 am 49. Timstigator:

Vivo: finally one of Obamatron’s minions shows up to stand up for him (by bashing the opposition)!

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:40 am 50. AugustFalcon:

Re #16 Sparky —

Alas, there is such a thing as the Metropolitan District District in Connecticut; it handles sewage for the Hartford environs.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:41 am 51. Samson:

READ WHAT IS BELOW THE PICTURE (trolls please wait for your instructions …do not go rogue)

http://www.pbase.com/opinion/image/119618471

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:43 am 52. Pragmatist:

# 44 VIVO whereas the Dems and left wing moonbats were oh so quiet or universal in their praise of Bush weren’t they. They are STILL selling the Bush/Hitler same sh1t different a$$hole T shirt here in Bangkok .

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:44 am 53. Cybergeezer:

The Democrat Party has replaced the Mafia for most corrupt organization in the United States.
And they have suicide voters in Congress to accomplish their “hits”.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:46 am 54. Patrick Sarsfield:

@ #12 – I hope so, too, but what if we don’t? Don’t wait for us to save you (I don’t know where you’re writing from), the cavalry has lame horses.

To those in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America (hell, even the rest of NORTH Amercia), I say follow the American example and change your country from within.

“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness…”

As for us, our system is on a solid foundation and is still salvagable, but it’s been abused and undermined for the last hundred years…another generation or two and it will be too late. We need to wake up, get back to our First Principles and rescind all laws and institutions that conflict with the Constitution (as per the narrow construction of the general welfare clause that its writers intended).

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:51 am 55. Steve MacDonald:

Prof. Hanson,

excellent as always.
And just when you think it can’t possibly get worse, we give you the Asian smart diplomacy trip.
1. Japanese press call the visit the worst ever. PM leaves for Singapore while O is still making the rounds – the Asian equivalent of the host heading to bed while his guest is half way through the main course.
2. Singapore an embarrassing zero – but I suppose photo ops with the Burmese junta counts for something.
3. China in the negative column as he was lectured on his spendthrift ways & won nothing on trade/Iran/currency that he hoped to make progress on……not even a pretence of improvement.
4. South Korea, who still waits for free trade pact ratification achieved nothing beyond a ceremonial black belt – similar to the Peace Prize + using our troops as a photo op prop.
it will be interesting to see how the world and the USA relationships recover when we reach the end of the road of smart diplomacy. I shudder at how much “progress” remains over the next few years.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:58 am 56. Sebastian Shaw:

“I haven’t seen in my lifetime anything quite like it. And this furor of being had has the potential not just to take Obama down, but also his ideology and supporters along with him for a generation.”

The arrogant Communists within our government–including President Obama–are going to get the full brunt of Hell to pay for 2010; this will follow with further Democratic erosion in 2012 & 2014 & beyond. The Democrats overplayed their hand with the very first, damaging bill, Porkulus, & they continue to overstep their bounds to shred the Constitution to remake America into some quasi-Socialist nightmare.

I agree President Obama’s rigid Leftist policies will destroy him & the Democratic Party for an entire generation; they will never been trusted for quite some time, yet they will continue to play their same old victimage politics as they grasp at strawmen for some kind of relevance.

President Obama is worse than Jimmy Carter. Nothing will save him–not even the MSM.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:59 am 57. jb:

@37. CatoRenasci:

I’m sure we could have a fine conversation some day over a glass of good California wine about; “The War of Northern Aggression” vs. “Civil War”. Funny,,, but not germane here.

My grandma never used the “N” word either. In her time it was considered unladylike, that was from the trash side of town.

What the right and left coast liberals have never learned is that there is a refined side of the South. That a man may just be a poor farmer, yet can still retain honor and pride. This is the heart of flyover America.

I hope they learn a big lesson in 2010.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:02 am 58. JOHN CALOMIRIS:

maybe only 99.9% of what has been said by all the writers above,” about OB is true,it won`t matter unless you call those “Distinguished and Honorable”tyrants and tell them what you want.
I wil tell them what I want.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:12 am 59. Fortescue Bullrout:

The only thrill I got from Obama was seeing the Weathermen capture the White House. And that thrill will last a lifetime.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:14 am 60. myth buster:

37. The memorial at Arlington National Cemetery reads, “The War Between the States.”

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:15 am 61. vivo:

49. Timstigator:
52. Pragmatist:

Tickled you ulcerated bellies?

Relax, Tnxgvg is coming.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:16 am 62. S Wood:

Great column as always. I just wish the president’s and State Department’s vicious actions against Honduras were not omitted, that the president’s reluctance to sanction Iran because of his ‘concern’ for the possible harm to the innocent in Iran is not contrasted with the cavalier and instant sanctions against our ally Honduras where the poor and innocent were immediately harmed by our actions. Of all the nation’s on earth he has chosen one of the weakest to swagger and bully for the sin of upholding their own laws(passed while Zelaya was a member of Congress) preventing the governmental takeover by lifetime despots.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:17 am 63. EnemyoftheState:

Amen.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:25 am 64. Pragmatist:

# 61 VIVO illiterate garbage from you as usual

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:25 am 65. Paul A'Barge:

Sir,
do you really get paid to write this stuff?

Because America is in real trouble and has a large pile of steaming funk to be shoveled away. Take a look at your fingers. See any blisters there?

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:28 am 66. Escape Communism:

VDH—always love to read your thoughts.

How about a solution?
A road map?
A way around the corrupt, in the tank media?

Someone, somewhere has to come up with a media plan, a road map, a PR strategy.

ABCCBSNBCCNNMSNBCNPRNYT—they still have a mighty audience and it’s ALL Obama—ALL the time positive, however a lie it is.

We can’t compete with just NRO, Fox and what we have now.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:35 am 67. John Oh:

Such optimism. Don’t underestimate the republican party’s ability to go find the one person that can’t win. They found Bob Dole, didn’t they?

And also don’t underestimate the echo chamber we’re in, here in the comments. There’s a sizable number of people who still approve of Obama and are quite devoted. About 40%. And they will likely turn out.

The advice to register your neighbors is the best advice. Most elections are won or lost on turnout.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:36 am 68. Abdi Abdoh:

The tingle up my leg has been replaced by a dribble of urine running down it. Will the new health care bill pay for my political incontinence? Somebody please break the glass and hit the “reset” button.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:38 am 69. higgins1990:

“And this furor of being had has the potential not just to take Obama down, but also his ideology and supporters along with him for a generation.”

Now there’s hope, baby!

November 2010 can’t get here fast enough.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:44 am 70. Ron Kean:

Dear Professor,

As repetitive as your posts may seem they always have an original feel. Thank you again for your time and effort to keep educating us and reinforcing our beliefs.

I went to buy a gun cleaning kit for my revolver and they were out of ammo. He says people call all the time asking about the next shipment and it sells out quickly. That’s scary.

There have been many battles in many wars where the attackers knew it was a bad idea but followed their orders and walked or charged into disaster. That’s how I look at America.

Our economy tanked but just like the learning curve in Iraq where we learned the way to success after much pain, we should know by now the way out of economic difficulty however painful it may seem. Free enterprise…freedom in general has always had within it the seeds of recovery.

Obama’s governmental control solution has failed over and over in many countries and I feel like we’re walking into a wall of fire and failure. Has he learned history or is he ignoring it?

Deep down inside, I think he’s just grabbing power and money. I think it’s all about power and money and he has no more loyalty to our great country than Bill Ayres, Franklin Marshall Davis, or Jeremiah Wright. People who don’t know or don’t care about those three are leading the charge into disaster.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:45 am 71. inspectorudy:

Dr. H, I think you are spot on with your analysis but I don’t think you quite understand the depth of resentment of people who are senior citizens like myself. I have the perspective of time and events to use in my analysis of the same man. What is happening to our beloved nation by this man and the lefties in Congress is so far from the main stream American ideals that it is staggering. Even in the worst of times and the worst of politicians we, as Americans, have always had faith that the basic goodness of our nation and it’s people would right the wrongs committed by these villains. I no longer have total faith that this is the case. I know that more of us than ever before have growing concerns but without the MSM helping to explain to the masses who do not use the internet, we may not win the battle this time. I went to a tea party this summer for the first political event of my life and I can tell you the people there were concerned about the same things that I was. They all felt that the country was in peril. We have got to rise up and take our country back. It won’t be a banker or a CEO, it will be one of us, a commoner, who understands our fears and can give voice to our demands of a free America!

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:57 am 72. ETAB:

Excellent analysis. I wonder how this will play out.

Obama is a brainless puppet, ideologically run by others, and only focused, himself, on his narcissistic gratifications. His need to feed his grandiose messiah complex is increasing.

IF he can get the socialist agenda of the BackRoom Gang (BRG) of radical socialists through Congress – they’ll keep him on. However, it is becoming extremely expensive to get policies through. Bribing Democratic Senators for their vote is expensive.

What are the BRG tactics?

1)The BRG set up the first stage of ‘getting the vote of Congress’ by a Stage One Bribe. That was the so-called Stimulus Bill which had zilch to do with stimulus and was a first bribe to Democrats for their vote. We’ve now seen that it has resulted in no jobs, in millions ’spent’ in districts and towns that don’t exist..etc. It was a bribe

2)It also set up a ‘crisis strategy’ of reducing the power of Congress (aka The People) by denying them the right and duty of reading these Crisis Bills and debating them.

3) The Bash Bush strategy, which got him into office is now aligned with apologies for the entire Pre-Obama Era is yet another tactic, and is the reason for holding a civilian trial in NY for the 9/11 Gang.
Notice that the 9/11 Gang has now said that they will no longer plead guilty, despite having done so for a military trial. No, they’ll plead not-guilty and their defense is US foreign policy ’caused 9/11′.

4)Futuristic utopian rhetoric, pumped up by apocalpytic rhetoric of economic and climate crises.

However, as Dr. Hanson points out, there are problems.

1) It is becoming clear that the economic policies are not working. Attempts by the Obama administration to continue to Blame Bush are insufficient.

2)Obama’s foreign trip behavior and actions are being viewed more and more with puzzlement. People are wondering – why does he bow, insult foreign leaders, apologize for America? And he gets nothing but a worsening ME, a nuclear Iran, derision from others…

Afghanistan? Obama’s obvious desire to get out is deeply harming that country for the Afghan citizens, if they feel the US won’t help them fight the Taliban, won’t themselves take up the fight. In Iraqi, the local citizens turned on the terrorists because they felt the US was there to help. Obama is doing the opposite in Afghanistan.

3) I think the Democrats were taken aback by the Tea Parties and Town Halls. They tried to pretend they didn’t exist; smeared and denigrated them…attacked FOX news, attacked any and all who criticized.

They set up special Town halls with smarmy Love Obama sycophants as counters..and to deal with Obama’s narcissistic needs.

His ratings continue to slide down.

4) I think the NY Trial of the 9/11 Gang is a Bash Bush strategy attempt, but, it too seems to be backfiring.
Democrats are losing the vital Independent in the polls.

5) Therefore, I wonder – if the Democrats will themselves have Obama as a One-Term President. That is, he’ll announce that he has done ‘what I came to do’..and move off to be..ah..head of the UN.

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:05 am 73. Thomas_L......:

Carter II! One term! Wanna make a little bet Vivo and fellow tro … er … travellers? If Obama loses, none of you ever post on a conservative site again. If he wins, I won’t post on … wait … I never troll libtard sites so … I’ll … change my first name to Mohammed or Momo or however its spelled. How about it?

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:06 am 74. johnt:

One good thing may come of this disaster of a human, Obama. We are starting to see the death of the myth of leftist efficiency and intelligence. Finally words like “stupidity” and “incompetence” are being used more, and quite rightly.
This is a crowd of fools. Bad planning, a chaotic agenda dumped on the table, over ambition, picking the wrong fights at the wrong times, and thinking that management and administration is like campaigning, what a mess.
Sorry Barack, Rahm and David, but you couldn’t run a candy store, and you let a media as dumb as yourselves convince you of a lie, that you are capable human beings.

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:21 am 75. Jennifer:

VDH is spot on, as usual.

So many folks ask why Obama and the Democrats seem hellbent on changing America as we know it, and so many of us wonder why would they risk it, seeing the polls and knowing the majority of us are angry at the over-reach of government power, knowing that we will vote them out in 2010 and 2012. Yet still they press on with their suicidal agendas.

This is why: The Cloward-Piven strategy. Read about it here in this great article at American Thinker: http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/09/barack_obama_and_the_strategy.html

Summarized as: “The strategy of forcing political change through orchestrated crisis. The “Cloward-Piven Strategy” seeks to hasten the fall of capitalism by overloading the government bureaucracy with a flood of impossible demands, thus pushing society into crisis and economic collapse”

This is what the Democrats are pushing for, and this end is so important, they will sacrifice their re-election to achieve it. Once the total economic collapse begins, of course only the US government is big enough to come in and ‘rescue’ the economy, thereby taking over nearly all private business, which will eventually lead to the overtake of nearly all private property. These politicians don’t care about their re-election because they will have PLENTY of opportunities for jobs in the huge expanse of government that will be necessary to run the entire country. Just this healthcare monstrosity will create at minimum 50 new federal agencies… that’s alot of positions to fill and reward the politicians who sacrificed themselves on the altar of this huge endeavor.

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:28 am 76. Tex Taylor:

We all know this: the repugs/conservs/right-wingers will NEVER stop complaining. So it’s a given. Who cares?

About 60% of the American electorate that will be voting against your worthless, Marxist ilk in the next two elections…

I figure that just about enough to turn you and your failed leader back to political irrelevance, where you can return to what you do well: lying and criticizing the political opponent.

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:28 am 77. bill:

The Big O’s poll numbers are plunging because he is reneging on his campaign promises – just like they all do. He’s left his progressive base high and dry. Race is still an important issue. His core constituency refuses to hold his feet to fire instead clinging to the belief he walks on water.

There are some interesting signs of growing discontent. In California Generation Y is finding out they have been sold down the river. The Asian’s loan us the money and we are spending Gen Y’s future into oblivion. They will never even know what a good job is. Wait until they live under the Governance of Moonbeam Brown.

So next time around we will lurch further to the right into the arms of Haliburton and Goldman Sachs. Palin, Huckabee, Bloomberg, or maybe Lou Dobbs. Oh dear….

Joseph #6 – Praise the Lord and pass the ammo;-)

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:38 am 78. Reasoner:

#17, JOHN WICKEY: Follow the money. These entities are likely not some dumb bureaucratic typographical error.

Likely as not there are “Executive Directors” and “Managers” and such who established these entities for the sole purpose of getting a dole from Big Govt. And their “associations” with the Obama Administration and the DNC is therefore more than probable.

Sounds like a great case for investigative journalism to expose the corruption!! Follow the money!!!

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:43 am 79. coriolan:

As Tacitus said of the Emperor Galba (who ruled briefly as Nero’s successor in 68-69 AD), “omnium consenu capax imperii nisi imperasset” – “Everyone agreed he would have been a great emperor if only he had never become emperor.”

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:46 am 80. paul_unalaska:

What I found funny recently are some American ex pats living in Asia ‘Commending’ Obama’s bow!

I’ve spent but a few months in Malaysia ~ 5 years ago. I recall a bow being an ever-so slight bend of the upper back, then stand upright and shake hands.

For Obama to bow angered some is one matter. Obama not being aware of the proper motions is another..

Whomever advises the President of international pleasantries et al. should be 86′d.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:01 am 81. Sparky:

“50. AugustFalcon:

Re #16 Sparky —

Alas, there is such a thing as the Metropolitan District District in Connecticut; it handles sewage for the Hartford environs.”

Thanks for the info – how appropriate. I still can’t find a city called Upland in Connecticut, but I do see that the amount given that city is no longer $36M, it is now just $200K. The Chicago Housing Authority still gets $18M. I also see tiny little towns getting millions upon millions for their “housing authorities”.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:05 am 82. paul_unalaska:

vivo, with regards to your comment of ‘complaining’.

Independents, Conservatives, Blue Dog Democrats, former/ distressed Democrats, Libertarians, Constitutionalists et al., call it ‘venting’.

This is an adult blog. Perhaps you should BEGIN posting such material, insight.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:06 am 83. geoffgo:

Proffessor,

The harder they fall? Think they don’t understand the consequences of failure? They’ve got “outs” and the fix is in across the floor. Ergo, their plan is either better-luck-next-time (forced tactical retreat to seeming reasonableness), OR it’s not to fail this time. We can’t afford the better-luck-next-time mindset. What does the difference in preparedness mean?

We’re down about 20 million jobs in the private sector and they’re not coming back. They’re obviously obselete or superfluous. Putting those unemployed to work will require there actually be 20+ million NEW JOBS THEY CAN PERFORM, available from the private sector. Without divine intervention, from where might those new jobs emerge? We’d require another Fortune 500 worth of companies to simply spring into being. In a depression, those jobs come from no where. Add-in “anti-business” government and you can achieve never.

We’ll get a seminar next year on jobs, while they impose taxes that will catapault the working class into serfdom. Why the lip-service disinterest on the part of the Dems in non-governmental job creation, but heavy into the extension of unemployment benefits? Simple – This captures the largest segment of the US population ever (20M+ today) with the shackles of total dependency. One fell swoop, instantly in control of all the pertinent info and bank accounts. Now to the datamining to determine who gets what.

Taxed to pay for health care for 20 million illegal aliens over an open border, so elected officials can afford to decide gramma’s fate, through anonymous paid panels? I mean efficiency counts for the children. Also, gets really sticky when Muslims are PC-MC and by law elected to those panels that get to make far-ranging medical decisions about the entire infidel population of US, eh? With Bill Ayers volunteering to lead the selection process for membership on the end-of-life determination committees…like he said he’d use back when he was a self-identified Anti-US terrorist, er, man made disaster.

I’m not making this up, right? I’m beginning to be a conspiricy theororist though and getting sufficiently terrorized. Their successes astound me. And the volume, speed and sheer audacity! And the staggering amount of treasure already redistributed by fiat! And to Fiat, visa the Chrysler giveaway?

So the question becomes “do they know somethin we don’t bout where they actually stand”? Sure are behavin like they do.
I mean apologies probably won’t suffice, no matter which side wins, right?

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:10 am 84. Doppelganger:

Um. Does Chuckles know you called Van Jones a truther?

He’s gonna have a hissy fit and ban you

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:22 am 85. jb:

They lie…

We know they lie…

We have accepted that they lie…

We think they will probably lie, about the lie, about the bigger lie they told last week.

We know they are liars.

Why do we continue to elect them to Congress?

OMG~! We are so stupid.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:22 am 86. R. Richard Schweitzer:

An even greater disaster than Obama & Co. is the legislative branch.

Tod Beemer’s father cliched it this morning (11/23) when he said we no longer have a “majority” party we are facing a RULING Party.

It is NOT the President who is spending, taxing, grabbing powers (in fact he is ceding to Congress) it is the Congress that has gone APE, doing what they are doing, against public intersests and wishes – doing so just because THEY CAN.

Don’t blame Obama alone. Show the whole panorama.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:29 am 87. JKB:

We have something to be thankful for come Thursday after a rough and tumble year. It isn’t much but that eyes once clouded are clearing is a hopeful sign that soon America will be on the road to recovery. True, since we’re hitched to a donkey cart rather than a locomotive, progress will be slow but the journey starts with one step.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:33 am 88. Hyphenated American:

This article proves once again why my prediction in November 2008 was correct – Obama will be a great president for this country, much better than McCain.
http://hyphenatedamericans.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-can-live-with-obama_02.html

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:50 am 89. ETAB:

The question is, can the Democratic BackRoom Gang (BRG) continue to control their agenda because they, using taxpayer money as bribes and a crisis strategy of pushing through bills, continue to control Congress?

Obama’s ratings are falling. Rasmussen points out that he’s been in double digit negative ratings for 9 straight days. Among men,he’s minus 20; among women, it’s minus 7.

The BRG ignore the people; bribe Congress; and use, as Jennifer points out ‘orchestrated crisis’ to force through change. However, a key component of their strategy is starting to fail. That’s Obama. He is being ridiculed openly, mocked not only overseas (the UK cover of Obama as an empty suit) but in the US. His rhetoric is more and more acknowledged as empty.

The BRG are attempting to fight back against this loss of their major player, Obama, with a new Big Public Figure, i.e., the Trial of Bush/America, aka, the 9/11 Gang of Five trial in NY. I’ll predict it won’t help them.

What’s next? That is, they have no ‘hope and change’ to bribe the electorate with as they did in the 2008 election. All they have is their Bash Bush tactic – and that’s no longer enough.

Plus, they now have to deal with an economy in crisis, a failed foreign relations policy and an angry electorate – angry at them.

I’m not sure how the Democrat BRG will get out of this.

Nov 23, 2009 - 11:00 am 90. Ben:

I disagree that Obama will spell doom for his ideology. As much as I hate it, the fact is that we have become a very soft, entitlement-mentality society. A majority of Americans, like Europeans before them, seem these days to value stability and protection from the unknown above self-reliance and self-restraint. Sad, I know.

Second, I wouldn’t count on Obama losing his reelection bid. In order the beat him, the Republicans have to come up with someone worth voting for. Romney? Empty suit. Palin? Unprepared, unqualified, and polarizing. Pawlenty? Yawn. Perry? Being challenged by his own party, and — let’s face it — the country is not ready for another Texas governor.

The GOP better come up with a standard-bearer quick — the 2012 campaign starts in earnest in only 11 months.

Nov 23, 2009 - 11:24 am 91. Delia:

Complacency helped get us to where we are. Hopefully there is not a majority of stupid in our country to allow tyranny to get a firm grip of our liberties.

It may well take some real, honest-to-goodness suffering and pain to force the tide to turn for our country. How much suffering and pain and what kind is anyone’s guess.

One thing is for certain, if we the people don’t get our proverbial sh*t together and take our country back from the reaches of destruction, the pie-in-the-sky elites will gladly pick at our last, rotting remains as the republic crumbles beneath us, even while the MSM tells us everything is ‘a-ok’ in front of the mushroom cloud of doom.

Nov 23, 2009 - 11:26 am 92. Sherab Zangpo:

The “thrill” ?
Which “thrill” ?
This is a man who never had a job, has always been in friendly terms with terrorists and other communists, and has frequented for twenty years a church of racists, black supremacists.
Which “thrill” ?
The media pushing him up have always been known for being in the hands of the subversives (domestic) and of the enemies of America (foreign: wahabists, european socialists, etc.).
Which “thrill” ?
This is a puppet propped up by the enemy, was a puppet yesterday, will be a puppet tomorrow.

We told you so last year, this year and maybe we won’t even able to speak next year because the masters of this puppet will have made of America the hell they wish to make…

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

Nov 23, 2009 - 11:26 am 93. Carolb:

“And this furor of being had has the potential not just to take Obama down, but also his ideology and supporters along with him for a generation.”

Let’s not forget that, about a year ago, some (oops, I’m sounding like Obama) were saying that conservatives and the Republican party were dead and no longer relevant and that Dems would rule for years…and now look at where we are. Shows how quick things can change.

Nov 23, 2009 - 11:43 am 94. donttreadonme:

Reagan was voted in and his approval numbers began descending as his inherited recession became his own over his first year or two. Then, Reagan pushed through pro-growth policies of lower taxes and Volcker completed his breaking the back of inflation and kick-starting our Treasury market. His numbers shot up, lower taxes and declining secular interest rates stimulated the economy and the rest was history. Obama is suffering as Reagan had as “Bush’s Recession” becomes his own. Obama will now raise taxes on the productive, jobs-producing part of society, interest rates are already at zero; and he has “Helicopter Ben” as his Fed Chief; he has perhaps pushed the senior vote squarely into the red column for perhaps years to come (ala Carter). Don’t let the doorknob hit you in the ass on the way out, Comrade!

Nov 23, 2009 - 11:58 am 95. Samson:

86. R. Richard Schweitzer:

Don’t blame Obama alone. Show the whole panorama.

agreed it isn’t obuma alone but would a travesty like this occur without a said narcissist at the helm.

if you follow his trail (as Lehey on Trailer Park Boy’s says) a sh!t trail to a sh!t storm.

he has not actually done anything in his life …he didn’t write his book , probably didn’t write a thesis. never wrote a bill in senate. I’m surprised that he didn’t get someone else to vote present. …a real fraud. his only attributable accomplishment is that he is a fraud.

Nov 23, 2009 - 12:44 pm 96. Gylippus:

VDH: “Obama is not necessarily any more partisan than a Nixon or Reagan or Bush, only just as partisan…”

I would agree, except for Obama’s pledge in July of ‘08 to create “national security force,” that would be “just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded” as the U.S. military. This, as those familiar with the history of dictatorial rule will recall, points to something more insidious. And there are also the serial attempts to demonize their opponents, and subtle calls to mass violence as well… Whether or not it is or was the intention of the radicals now in charge to push the U.S. in that direction, they seem (fortunately, for them) to have belatedly realized that there is an insurmountable obstacle in their path: the roused, righteous will of the American Citizenry – arguably the most powerful force for good in history.

Nov 23, 2009 - 12:54 pm 97. carla:

I dunno guys. From your lips to God’s ears. But I would not count the Bamster out just yet.In or out, if they push through Obamare, the country is screwed. Which, apparently, is the plan.

Nov 23, 2009 - 12:56 pm 98. Sebastian Shaw:

According to the AP via Hot Air, Porkulus is killing new jobs:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/11/23/ap-porkulus-killing-new-jobs/

Nov 23, 2009 - 12:58 pm 99. Don Rodrigo:

57 States and 875 Congressional districts. So THAT’s what Obama meant when he said he “intendds to fundamentally transform America.” Wow, what a civics lesson!

Isn’t it inspiring what $865 billion in stolen money can buy and/or create?

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:11 pm 100. noreen:

The thrill was gone for me with the first toilet flush of this administration. The sight of this clown and his evil wife in our Whitehouse gave me really bad gastrointestinal symptoms and the thrill went right down the can with the vomit and diarrhea

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:13 pm 101. Clyde:

If you want to see how it ends for Obama, watch the end of the movie “Tommy,” when the crowd starts singing “We’re Not Gonna Take It”:

We’re not gonna take it
We’re not gonna take it
We’re not gonna take it
We’re not gonna take it

We’re not gonna take it
Never did and never will
Don’t want no religion
And as far as we can tell
We ain’t gonna take you
Never did and never will
We’re not gonna take you
We forsake you
Gonna rape you
Let’s forget you better still.

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:14 pm 102. Don Rodrigo:

86. R. Richard Schweitzer:

An even greater disaster than Obama & Co. is the legislative branch.

Tod Beamer’s father clinched it this morning (11/23) when he said we no longer have a “majority” party we are facing a RULING Party.

Spot on. The Democrats and Obama treat the votes they received as a kind of “currrency” that allowed them to ‘buy’ America. From taking over auto companies to declaring himself a “partner with God on matters of life and death,” and claiming that our nuclear arsenal is “his” to “do with as he pleases,” Obama and his party believe that they own America and that we citizens are mere tenants on their property.

How ironic that the party and president who decried our occupation of Iraq act like occupiers of an America inabited by an increasingly sullen populace.

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:19 pm 103. Don Rodrigo:

57 states and 875 Congressional districts.

So, this is what Obama meant by “fundamentally transforming America.”

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:23 pm 104. Marc Malone:

So many things are coming to light, now. It’s like some strange convergence of events. The latest is the AGW hack, for example. The mask for so many things has slipped, or even come off completely.

It has been enough to awaken the people. They are now getting educated as to our Constitution and the Republic. The MSM numbers are completely tanking. FoxNews is overtaking even the giants of CBS, NBC, and ABC. Amazing.

The thing that cheers me to think of, is the reaction in 2010. How many Obama supporters will turn out for the mid-terms versus how many truly angry others? People will be standing in the cold, first thing in the morning, unable to wait to cast their votes. The anger will be palpable!

Yeah, I know they will rig the census, but it won’t matter if their people don’t turn out. The opposition is now becoming truly energized, unbelievably so. There will be a “good killing” in the elections of 2010.

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:24 pm 105. cynic:

Dr. Hanson, while I appreciate your viewpoint I very much doubt that we will actually see any kind of change in our political class. Why should the Democrats worry about their elections? The Republicans have completely failed to show any kind of leadership or opposition. Even if the most corrupt democrats (Reid, Dodd, Murtha, Pelosi, Frank, Rangel, etc.) were to lose their next election, they’ll only be replaced by another liberal who will quickly become just as corrupt as the others. Even if they lose an election they’ll just become wealthy lobbyists like former Dakota Senator Tom Daschle. He’s making several millions a year helping GE make money from universal healthcare.

Democrats will never pay a price for their corruption. The American mob will never storm the Bastille. The American empire may very well dissolve just like the Soviet Empire did, disolve into bankruptcy and rebuild itself as a kleptocracy.

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:38 pm 106. an Obama trifecta « right turns:

[...] scold. But he’s my kind of scold, and what he writes almost always resonates as true. From his latest, a prognosis on ObamaFever, which may now be going into remission: That said, I think not merely [...]

Nov 23, 2009 - 1:38 pm 107. Paul M:

I cnnot conceive of any reason for the President of the United States to bow before a Saudi prince 0r the Emperor of Japan. And President Obama did exctly that; not a courteous nod of the head, but a profound bow from the waist up, so that the upper torso of the President was parallel to the floor. At th same time the Saudi prince did not kin the least respond in kind. The Emperor responded with a modest gesture accomplished while extending his hand. The President’s bow signifies obeisance, surrender, and submission. It can only be described as degrading. And to the people to whom he bowed, what must they have said among their retinue after the event. Heads of state, unless one is the head of a client state, do not act as the President did. The President seems to view himself as a supplicant. It is impossible to understand his reason for doing what he has now done twice in the land in which he is a visitor.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:04 pm 108. arthur:

Obama will be re-elected.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:22 pm 109. baal:

104. Marc Malone:
91. Delia:
89. ETAB:

Whats most frightening is that there has been no mention of this in this site. When I look at this list of limp loopholes… we dont have a party representing us anymore.

Here is the resolution’s list:

(1) We support smaller government, smaller national debt, lower deficits and lower taxes by opposing bills like Obama’s “stimulus” bill;

(2) We support market-based health care reform and oppose Obama-style government run health care;

(3) We support market-based energy reforms by opposing cap and trade legislation;

(4) We support workers’ right to secret ballot by opposing card check;

(5) We support legal immigration and assimilation into American society by opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants;

(6) We support victory in Iraq and Afghanistan by supporting military-recommended troop surges;

(7) We support containment of Iran and North Korea, particularly effective action to eliminate their nuclear weapons threat;

(8) We support retention of the Defense of Marriage Act;

(9) We support protecting the lives of vulnerable persons by opposing health care rationing and denial of health care and government funding of abortion; and

(10) We support the right to keep and bear arms by opposing government restrictions on gun ownership.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:31 pm 110. genghis:

CYNIC may be right. Americans are docile. They are too easily bought off. Detocqueville was quite astute at identifying the weakness American democracy; degenerating into a mob demanding rewards from their polical masters.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:32 pm 111. ADean0322:

I hope you are right. I have never been so worried or so scared for our country and our individual freedoms. We sure have been fooled – big time!

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:38 pm 112. baal:

There is one single thing that we need. Just one.

The PLEDGE. The pledge is a binding contract that must be signed by all elected republican officials which prevents them from engaging in any deficit spending, with an enforcement mechanism of immediate expulsion from the party and a sworn pledge that they will resign.

Our country is bankrupt and the Republicans cannot be trusted to turn this ship around. Therefore we must change the rules of the Republican Party.

Yes, there are alot of other things that need to change but if the aforementioned list in my last post is any indication… we need to make this really, really basic for them.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:44 pm 113. Sebastian Shaw:

2010 will be more than a bloodbath for President Obama & the Democrats; it will be a political massacre. All thanks to their unconstitutional power grabs. Their power will be temporary when they are thrown out & all the Socialist positions are nullified, reversed, & repealed. President Obama is indeed worse than Jimmy Carter & he will be persona non-grata as Jimmy Carter was for 20 years. Obama–via the ObamaCare fiat–is writing his own & the Democrat Party’s funeral.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:51 pm 114. Meremortal:

I’ve sold my home in the city, and retired early to the country. I’m not helping pay for Obama’s fantasies. Here’s what concerns me most: If it’s true that every time government fails we give it more power and insist it succeed, we are in real trouble. Government is failing at a rate unprecedented in American history. This could lead to government power acqusition at a rate unprecedented in our history as well. I’ve lived as an optimist for 60 years, and for the first time I’m having problems being optimistic. It is not fair to blame Obama for all the economic problems. We have arrived at this point after 41 years of government corruption, overpromising and overspending. Obama is only to blame for his failure to inhibit the madness, instead he is piling madness upon madness.

Nov 23, 2009 - 2:58 pm 115. Anonymous:

I cnnot conceive of any reason for the President of the United States to bow before a Saudi prince 0r the Emperor of Japan.

He’s just demonstrating his willingness to “bend over and grab his ankles” is all.

Nov 23, 2009 - 3:05 pm 116. Banned by Huffpo:

” . . . since he won’t quit in his dream to transmogrify American into something like Belgium at best and Brazil at worse.”

No, more like Zimbabwe.

We’ll be there before you know it!

Get your cholera vaccine before it’s too late!

Nov 23, 2009 - 3:11 pm 117. Robert:

Since when has a proper gesture of respect become vilified?

Nov 23, 2009 - 3:13 pm 118. Dobby:

A Haiku

Obama has failed
The worst President ever
Jimmy Carter smiles!

Nov 23, 2009 - 3:26 pm 119. Samizdat:

I note the trollkins are less numerous regarding a number of different topics raised recently, including Mr Hanson’s.

Events have not been working in favor of the ephemeral utopia the Marxist types are pushing. The more Americans gather information on Obamacare the less they like it. We are angered by the repeated bowing and apologizing to the world this naive President believes is necessary to somehow restore equilibrium. We understand that we can not spend our way to prosperity, yet watch our government ignore reality and try it anyway. While real unemployment is 17%, our legislature focuses on “Cap and Tax” and a sociazlized medical nondelivery system after passing a stimulus that people of average intelligence knew was not temporary, targeted or timely.

The bloom is off the rose because people are figuring out how feckless and clueless this President is. It isn’t going to get better, in the near future it is going to get signifigantly worse.

For those of us who bothered to research this man’s “education”, associations, and “resume” we are not at all surprised. The majority of what has unfolded so far was oh so predictable.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:10 pm 120. Micha Elyi:

“Bush did it” is a shibboleth of the morally squishy who believe two wrongs make an excuse for Leftist policy enactment.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:13 pm 121. Now and Then:

112. Layer of Bill:

Still spraying The Pledge, eh? I see you’ve been inspired by Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project. You think if you can just get some buzz going on The Pledge you too can hoodwink enough Americans to buy a nice big house and a blonde wife. Oh, dream of the day! Of course, getting a politician to sign a voluntary pledge of expulsion is gonna be kind of tough, don’t you think? Hell, you can’t even get a Republican to testify under oath.

But hey, good luck, I suggest you get a really big chalk board and some pepper spray to rub under your nose. Gotta have those tears. Keep us apprised of your progress. “The Pledge” I have to admit it’s got a nice ring to it. Puts me in mind of furniture polish. Well, that and the words “incredibly naive.” What better connection could you want?

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:19 pm 122. Don Rodrigo:

117. Robert:

Since when has a proper gesture of respect become vilified?

Since July 4 1776. Americans bow to no one. A firm handshake, eye contact, and a nod of the head show plenty of respect.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:25 pm 123. Dr. T:

I have no confidence that the electorate, with its four minute memory span, will punish the Democrats a year from now. Once ObamaFedCare is passed (but before it is enacted in 2013), people will convince themselves (with help from a White House propaganda push) that the plan is good. If no new wars pop up and no new calamities hit the economy, the Democrats will retain majorities in the House and the Senate.

I also expect Obama to be reelected in 2012, with the help of strategically distributed federal largesse, a White House-controlled 2010 census, Acorn-enabled voting scams, voting the dead in democrat-controlled cities, and the usual weak Republican opponent.

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:36 pm 124. Mike, CO:

VDH:

While Obama has lost his luster, is there any hope that he will change because of it? It seems more likely that Obama, whose crowning achievement was to characterize mortality and failure as hope and change, will fall farther and farther out of touch with lessons of history and realities of the present.

Personal change requires more character than Obama has shown. When faced with failure, are his instincts to prove that he is right and that he can accomplish his stated goals, no matter how impractical and damaging they would be? Does he define success as sticking to his guns? There is already substantial evidence that Obama has a rigid ideology.

At some point in the future, Obama may find himself even more at odds with pragmatic policies and common sense, and to rational observers this conflict with reality may look like a breakdown. Comforted by his objectively superior intents, intellect and principles, will he dismiss criticism as easily as he does now? Then, will he choose to exercise the potentially abusive power of the Presidency, or will he choose to fall on his sword in a vain attempt to spare himself the embarrassing naivete?

We are watching to see if Obama’s ideology outweighs his narcissism. Maybe we should hope that he is more of a narcissist than an ideologue, which would at least make him more accountable to others instead of a demonstrably poor ideology.

Obama’s recent speeches lack creativity, inspiration, and positivity; qualities that cannot be reconciled with the message of hope and change. Isn’t that conflict a clear demonstration of his discomfort as President, and proof that his ideology has been unable to rescue him from the objective failures of his Presidency?

Nov 23, 2009 - 4:58 pm 125. Anonymous:

“On the matter of racial landmarks, some of the voters think, rightly or wrongly, that they did their thing, proving America is not racist by the fact of Obama’s election.”

Also on number four, you might have mentioned that if anyone was really so shallow that they came out for Obama purely because they wanted to vote for the first black President… wouldn’t they be just as likely to vote for Sarah Palin in 2012 so they could tell their grandchildren they voted for the first female President?

#4 is a dumb reason to vote for a President anyway, but to the extent that it exists, it should work in the GOP’s favor in 2012.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:00 pm 126. Joe Clark:

“On the matter of racial landmarks, some of the voters think, rightly or wrongly, that they did their thing, proving America is not racist by the fact of Obama’s election.”

Also on number four, you might have mentioned that if anyone was really so shallow that they came out for Obama purely because they wanted to vote for the first black President… wouldn’t they be just as likely to vote for Sarah Palin in 2012 so they could tell their grandchildren they voted for the first female President?

#4 is a dumb reason to vote for a President anyway, but to the extent that it exists, it should work in the GOP’s favor in 2012.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:00 pm 127. Chase:

You’re the best, VDH.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:04 pm 128. RottenRooster:

With the angry independents and moderate Democrats that have awakened to the Obama fraudulent fiasco, we are preparing to clean the clock of the Obama congressional puppet brigade at the polls next year. Meanwhile, the Rahm Emmanuel plan is to get amnesty passed this spring and to overturn the funding for “ACORN” to help unionist lowbrow henchmen steal the 2010 elections. The Chicago style power grabbing encroachment and total control of fiat money will continue to feed the fuel to flame the onslaught of their continued craming down of more socialistic agenda and spreading more political corruption with every pre-seeded crisis not gone to waste.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:11 pm 129. Don:

There is only one reason people voted for Obama—STUPIDITY.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:12 pm 130. Brian Richard Allen:

“Did George Mitchell transform the Middle East?”

Hell! No! — He still hasn’t “transformed” the British Ulster Province.

“Do the Brits feel the ’special relationship’ is stronger?”

Sure they do.

The ’special relationship,’ that is, with the endemically-alcoholic, bank-robbing, drug-and-gun-running, cravenly-cowardly, indiscriminately little-old-lady and baby-murdering psychopaths who so grandiosely call themselves an “army.” Before which the long addicted-to-appeasement Brits (never, unless by the looter, Atlee or the self-and-own-culture-loathing, Blair, better represented than by the definitive groveler, Chamberlain) have, these past thirty-five years or so, bent their collectivist knee — and to which Mister Mitchell engineered once great Britain’s final, total capitulation)

And the Brits always strong “special relationship” with Islamanazism and with its field practitioners — known to the rest of the still-somewhat-civilized world as bloody terrorists and thousands of whom, between ira-set-up Pakistini training camps and “ops,” rest up on the British dole — is stronger than ever.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:13 pm 131. Brian Richard Allen:

117. Robert — A proper mark of respect would see every morbidly-hesperophobic and/or pathologically-ingrate head of every foreign state prostrated before our head of state.

These past nine months, though, foreign heads of government have become about as hard to fool as are them Texas Circle Flies* — and, for now, kowtowing is out of fashion.

Brian Richard Allen
Lost Angels – Calif0zerocated 90028
And the Far Abroad

* A cowboy from Texas attends a social function where Buraq 0zero is trying to bribe up a few more votes for his health-care power grab. Once he discovers the cowboy is from President Bush’s home area, he starts to belittle him by talking in a southern drawl and single syllable words.

As he was doing that, he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head.

The cowboy says, “Y’all havin’ some problem with them Circle Flies?”

0zero stopped talking and said, “Well, yes, if that’s what they’re called, but I’ve never heard of Circle Flies.”

“Well Sir,” the cowboy replies, “Circle Flies hang around ranches. They’re called Circle Flies because they’re almost always found circling around the back end of a horse.”

“Oh,” Obama replies as he goes back to rambling. But, a moment later he stops and bluntly asks, “Are you calling me a horse’s arse?”

“No, Sir,” the cowboy replies, “I have too much respect for the citizens of this country to call their “president” a horse’s arse.”

“That’s a good thing,” 0zero responds and sets his marijuana to mumbling again.

After a long pause, the cowboy, in his best Crawford, Texas drawl says, “Harder to fool them Circle Flies, though.”

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:32 pm 132. Jerry M:

Brilliantly analyzed and written by VDH as usual. Obama will take many down with him. He has already made fools out of the likes of Warren Buffett and Colin Powell to name a few for endorsing him. What could they have been thinking?

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:47 pm 133. clear mind:

Media like PJ Media are fast becoming the mainstream. The voices heard here are mostly of reason, and those carrying the water for the left leave shoddy, incomplete thoughts that are overrun by the comments of reason.

This read is a must. When commuting between the Bay Area and LA, a talk radio host often had VDH as a guest and hie rationale was always sanguine as it is here.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:48 pm 134. gordo:

Well, Obama snookered many of us who chose to ignore his past deeds and listened to his words during the campaign. The challenge going forward is whether this great country will produce leaders who actually give a damn about the regular people. Obama is a socialist and our Congress is corrupt. Term limits may be a start – but our system isn’t producing any more Reagans it seems

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:48 pm 135. Dave Richards:

Obama will undoubtedly destroy the Democrat party the way Bush did the Republicans, unfourtunately he will destroy America as well. Obama is more dangerous and more destructive than Osama could ever dream of. “God Damn America”.

Nov 23, 2009 - 5:49 pm 136. HPax:

Obama om his way to impeachment.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:04 pm 137. Annie:

If Obama is the best our black population can offer…it will not bode well for future black candidates, not matter how qualified they really are.

The whole Obama episode has cemented in my mind that I will not trust another black person in the presidency. I will not vote for anyone that the press fawns over and will not release the person’s background, or tells us that we are racially motivated because we question. Unfortunate but true.

McCain would have also been a disaster.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:13 pm 138. jb:

Yes,,, it’s true… but VDH has assured me he will not run.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:36 pm 139. Dred Scott:

Bill won.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:40 pm 140. Banned by Huffpo:

Speaking of “The Pledge,” it cracks me up to see Dear Leader cupping his balls whenever the National Anthem is played . . .

“Take that, America! F-you, you bunch of capitalist pigs! I’m going to make you pay!”

And we are. Oh, how we are.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:46 pm 141. proreason:

The professor has an unusual number of insights in this piece, but two jump out.

1. The electorate has satisfied it’s yen to vote for a minority. Nobody will ever get the 10% again. I believe vdh is among the first to note it.

2. The backlash could destroy the Democrats for generations. This isn’t a unique insight, but vdh is one of the first mainstream conservatives to suggest it.

Well done sir.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:50 pm 142. Sebastian Shaw:

I believe Chris Matthews thrill up his leg has turned into a tickle down his leg as he has found himself & his fellow MSNBC Obamabots in the middle of a flush cycle of a toilet bowl going down where all the other waste is found. When Obama falls, so will the MSM. Watch out for the cliff y’all.

Nov 23, 2009 - 6:56 pm 143. proreason:

18. cfbleachers:

You wrote one of the best essays on the topic I’ve ever read cf.

Thanks, and congratulations.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:11 pm 144. Jeffrey:

VDH:

There is nothing wrong with this government that jacking up the radiator cap and driving in a new government won’t fix.
Yes we are there. Our politicians in the future won’t look like those of the present or the past. These new representatives will have short leashes with choker collars on. They will meet only once a year and get their work done in two weeks the rest of it will be done on a local level. There will be no special interest money, no PAC’s, no lobbyists and no favors. We will have a true Capitalist free market economy where the Golden Rule is “do no harm”.
In free society where the rule of law and the fear of God exists there is little need to reinvent the wheel every day and constantly add to or take away from. A few basic principles and a simple set of laws will suffice. Ronald Reagan commented once that ‘”every day congress meets you lose a little more of your liberty”‘. How true today.
Free men must maintain peace through strength with an iron adherence to a set of rules that must be upheld in every case. Within those rules or laws exists mercy, kindness, grace and love. Education must be complete for every person in that they must know the rules and laws of society, the rules of freedom, why they exist and how they are to be enforced and who they emanated from. They must understand the free market and how to function in it. The rest is up to the individual’s free choice. That’s a lot of room.
The free man will be a new kind of pioneer where his only limitations are between his ears and in his heart, the rest of it (the society and the rules) is not seen as a limitation but the assurance that only he can rain on his own parade.
In this new day the tolerance for evil is nil.
Of course there is only one foundation for all of this and that is The Word of God.
The Sheep are being separated from the Goats as we speak. Talk about polarization. How about a Super Magnet that no one can resist; you go to one end or the other end based on what you are. There is little choice now. You either are or you are not. A person may be able to find salvation today but there are no guarantees for tomorrow.
Sounds amazing, right! Can it happen? It is, right before our own eyes and ears.
What a day we live in.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:11 pm 145. misanthropicus:

The plus side of these, is that we assist at a memorable morality tale – the Copenhagen crash announcing a series of much larger fiascos like the “Ich bin ein Pacifiker!” one -

Are these increasingly common “re-entries” in normality registered by no-drama-Obama and his cohorts? Bellow is a merciless description of Obama’s travails in Korea:

[...] Barack Obama looked tired on Thursday, as he stood in the Blue House in Seoul, the official residence of the South Korean president. He also seemed irritable and even slightly forlorn. The CNN cameras had already been set up. But then Obama decided not to play along, and not to answer the question he had already been asked several times on his trip: what did he plan to take home with him? Instead, he simply said “thank you, guys,” and disappeared. David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, fielded the journalists’ questions in the hallway of the Blue House instead, telling them that the public’s expectations had been “too high.”
The mood in Obama’s foreign policy team is tense following an extended Asia trip that produced no palpable results. The “first Pacific president,” as Obama called himself, came as a friend and returned as a stranger. The Asians smiled but made no concessions. [...]

(“Obama’s Nice Guy Act Gets Him Nowhere on the World Stage”/By Gabor Steingart/Das Spiegal via RCP))

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:31 pm 146. GruntTGH:

The ones who focus on common sense economics the next election will win. We must be careful not to let them split the electorate on social issues. Only the Dem core is left and the flight is only starting. Even a fool knows that spending money is no way to get out of debt.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:37 pm 147. misanthropicus:

RE #117/Robert:

[...] Since when has a proper gesture of respect become vilified? [...]

Robert, you are wrong:

1) Heads of state, no matter what their stature is international arena, always observe during international ceremonies and presentations a dignified, yet neutral demeanor –

As far as Japanese etiquette:
1) One never bows AND extends hand for shaking – it’s an either/or situation -
2) also, in either advent one is expected to show much prudence vis-a-vis the appropiateness of the planned gesture, to read the response intentions of the other party – if you angage someone in the wrong way, yuo are simply rude or uncouth –

Prudence, restraint, “rude or uncouth” – Heh, these sure don’t apply to Adam Lambert -

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:47 pm 148. TLM:

Don Rodrigo:

“117. Robert:

Since when has a proper gesture of respect become vilified?

Since July 4 1776. Americans bow to no one. A firm handshake, eye contact, and a nod of the head show plenty of respect.”

And 233 years later we’re still explaining something that is obvious to the rest of the world….to our own countrymen. Go figure.

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:52 pm 149. TLM:

VDH:

Figuratively speaking — Dead Man Walking. I’m beginning to believe.

P.S. Apparently, you have a quite a following at Hudson High/The School for Wayward Boys (aka USMA).

Nov 23, 2009 - 7:59 pm 150. Jimbob:

Great article.
The reaction, by voters in 2010, to the deception of Obama and the Dems in 2008, may be such that the country will not have to wait until 2012 – a majority in Congress can always overcome a presidential veto, and impeachment is always an option.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:40 pm 151. JohnR:

Speaking of Obama, where is he? He seems to have dropped out of sight since returning from Asia. For months he was on TV every day, sometimes twice, now not so much? Whither Obama?

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:42 pm 152. Midas:

1. WeirdDave – I was about to post precisely the same thing.

From your lips to God’s ear, VDH.

Nov 23, 2009 - 8:42 pm 153. rknapp:

As always, VDH expresses complicated thoughts with an economy of words. Though many would predict what may happen in 2010, and later, in 2012 and 2014. I, for one, don’t make predictions, but do suspect that Americans’ experiment with American liberalism is about done. Generational change in a permanent way for the futere of American politics? Don’t bet on it. Remember, the Democrats have bought about half of the electorate; only the balance can determine the outcome of elections.

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:01 pm 154. Exactly!:

Dr. Hanson:

Whenever I read your columns, I go back to that terrific one about the Greek godess, Nemesis.

She is busy following after Obama as we speak.

I only differ in the interpretation of the “thrill” that is departing. From the many, many persons with whom I come into contact, quite a few who voted for Obama, I come away with the distinct impression that their emotions regarding Obama have progressed from embarassment over voting for him to disgust at his lack of knowledge or respect of American civics, to disillusionment with his “hope and change” and finally to real, bona fide anger.

That anger is being channeled into action and I believe we will be witnessing a sea change soon.

Nemesis has quickened her pace.

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:18 pm 155. jgdp:

How many times has it been said and how many more times must it be said that obama is a failure? Those, most anyway, who were deceived into voting for him now realize the enormity of their mistake; giving a totally unqualified, incompetent posuer the highest office in the world. This man is an embarrasment to our beloved country and he is so out of his depth as to be laughable. God help us if another attack occurs, because obama is completely unable to assuage citizens, react to their needs/desires or speak for the U.S. Bowing is NOT acceptable and this utter FOOL is totally not acceptable!!!

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:36 pm 156. jgdp:

One other thought/question…

Why won’t this fool of a president salute the U.S. flag and behave normally when the “Star Spangled Banner” is played? He is not one of us; he’s some sort of an alien communist/socialist growth better deported!!!

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:46 pm 157. Neo:

No amount of lipstick is going to help this “pig”

Nov 23, 2009 - 9:55 pm 158. chad johnson:

Excellent article. I think you are so right about a large segment of our society who thought they were obligated to vote for a black person. However I think that it was boomers more than independents. Boomers needed this to feel complete about themselves, and they could care less who winds up having to pay for it.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:07 pm 159. rp:

We spend a lot of time thinking about the last 10 or so months, having to put up with the worst President in United States history.
The first Marxist.

Now, though, I ask CF and some of the other really brilliant people here to anticipate both short and long term. What tricks does
Mr. Big Ears have up his sleeve? The six year term?

Maybe. Because it’s the only thing that can get him re-elected without implementing the kind of
vote stealing never done before on such a grand scale. I don’t think the moderate voters of either party will fall a second time for Telebama on the “fool me once….theory, Obama’s jumped the sharp too many times.
Obama no longer passes the smell test.

The black radical extremist comes up with one wrongheaded, unAmerican, unbelievably antagonizing move after another. So much so that I think the plan for the 2012 election is already set pretty much in stone. Fellas and gals, I’m convinced Obama ain’t gonna run again.

For a second, think like the enemy. The Democrats are convinced Palin is the Patton of the opponent party.

Against Sarah, they have only one defense and it ain’t Joe Biden. Anybody care to snag the golden fleece? To guess their plans?

Think. Who would the Democrats run in 2012 if it wasn’t Obama?

Anybody?

Did I hear somebody say, “Hillary.” Well, you get the prize. In my opinion, Hillary’s running in 2012. And who’ll
be her running mate? It’s a somewhat surprising, but really an easy call.

Oprah. Yes, Oprah.

Here’s another question. How many troops are going into Afghanistan? Now keep in mind the political savages in power today
are out to savage this nation. Even with an open and shut case, they didn’t even try to convict the Black Panther vote intimidators. They put an out and out Sotomayorian bigot on the supreme court. They call the while males of this country racial cowards. They dismantle missile defense.

They give a terrorist all the protections of a U.S. citizen and hold his trial in NYC. They try to bankrupt the country by increasing the debt by 3 trillion in 11 months. The believe in the redistribution of wealth, and start acquiring the means of production. They vote for socialized medicine (sorry folks, it’s a done deal). They pack the administration’s closest advisors with marxists and avowed communists (van Jones, etc. etc. etc.)

With huge amounts of donated foreign money, making sure all moderators of dem vs repub TV debates are democrats and dirty ones at that, Sunday talk shows cheerleading for the Democrats. The View, SNL, Stewart, NBC, MSNBC, CBS and ABC and the newspapers doing the same dirty work for the Dems.

And the result?

In my humble opinion, Palin’s gonna wipe the floor with the two Democrat heavyweights.

Anyway, that’s my version of the future, the considered opinion of someone with twenty five years in politics.

I’d love to hear some anticipation games from the rest of you. If you want, tell me where I’m off base. Make a prediction or two. Let us know what you’re thinking. Or, if you want, just let us know what’ll happen next week.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:08 pm 160. rp:

Sorry, I forgot to give you Obama’s troop reinforcement decision in Afghanistan.

The answer is a virtual zero. He plans to have all troops out as soon as possible. Look, if it were possible to reinforce the Alamo in
1836, Obama would say,” no way Jose.” It’s not that he hates violence or war. The guy hates America. We have the equivalent of a traitor in the White House. When President Obama’s time is up, it’ll necessitate the biggest fumigation project the world has ever seen. Not to offend you climate change fanatics out there, but Barack Obama is an absolute zero.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:18 pm 161. Citizen Jones:

Obama can be defeated in 2012, no doubt, but it depends on the candidate the Republicans put up. Unfortunately, the most engaging candidate, Sarah Palin, may not have what it takes to turn this around either…or, if she does have what it takes, she may not ever be perceived that way, and she may lose enough voters because of that to not make it. Provided that she runs, of course.

If she does, I think voters will be wary of talk this time, and her resume will be thought over a bunch, and she will of course be pilloried by the press and the Democrats as incompetent. She is not incompetent, to be sure (Pelosi and Reid fill that description) and although I think her experience trumps BHO’s easily, I believe that real recovery would take an extraordinary individual for two terms. And possibly the VP candidate afterward filling in the POTUS spot to continue the policies needed to reverse this socialistic slide the Democrats have led us into. Naturally, I feel only a conservative will accomplish a recovery: A RINO or a big-tent moderate would be disastrous choice.

I hope Conservatives do well in choosing a candidate, and that Americans do well in choosing the next President. I am not sanguine, as I saw what we did last time, and was disheartened by the adulation BHO received by the independent voters. They should have seen through the very thin fabric of BHO’s accomplishments. They did not. I guess the voters wanted to elect a god, not a man, and while Barry took on the mantle easily enough, that’s outside of his pay grade, and it’s showing now.

Nov 23, 2009 - 10:55 pm 162. malcolm y:

how can you stop these ads from flashing? very disturbing to the eye. does anyone even click on one of these ads? i never have not once and don’t know anyone who would. especially not when they’re shouting at you by flashing.

Nov 23, 2009 - 11:00 pm 163. Flash Hole:

And this furor of being had has the potential not just to take Obama down, but also his ideology and supporters along with him for a generation.

I sure hope so.

Nov 23, 2009 - 11:59 pm 164. Joseph:

131. Brian Richard Allen

That’s a funny joke, but the way you tell it makes it obvious you ain’t from Texas. No one from here (Texas) would ever call the hind quarters of a horse or any other mammal an arse. The proper word you bloody limey is ASS.

Nov 24, 2009 - 12:14 am 165. FiddlerBob:

Since Mr. Obama assumed office the level of complaints have risen geometrically as the electorate becomes more aware of his shortcomings and deceptions. His already disastrous legacy is well under way with little hope in sight – an ironic twist to say the least. I constantly read about the 2010 and 2012 elections being the salvation of the country and the rejuvenation of our Constitutional Republic.

Yet, the answer is right in front of our faces. It has been provided by the very document many claim to revere – the Constitution. We can, and must, act now.

Mr. Obama has failed to qualify for the office of POTUS as required by the Constitution. He is not a “Natural Born Citizen” and he may not have been born in the country. He has failed to qualify because he can’t.

(If you think about it you will understand how this lack keeps him from doing much of anything. Everything he does is illegal and subject to challenge via quo warranto and, perhaps, other legal venues. The broader his action, the more he invites discovery and prosecution. With each act increasing numbers of citizens gain legal standing to challenge him. Any other country willing to read our constitution will sooner or later gain standing to sue. Unfortunately, there are some countries who, even with Obama in the White House, don’t like us and will be very happy to humiliate us before the world. We have the perfect recipe for a complete presidential failure.)

The definition of “Natural Born Citizen” has been clearly established. While the use of the term was debated at the writing of our Constitution, its definition was not. Our founding fathers understood the wisdom of selecting a “Natural Born Citizen” as President and Commander-in-Chief and purposefully inserted that term as a specific requirement for POTUS. Precedent was established through hundreds, if not thousands of years of recorded history including, but not exclusive to, biblical history. They wanted to ensure that the POTUS and Commander in Chief was completely loyal to their new found nation and had no foreign allegiance of any kind. As they had learned from their knowledge of history previously mentioned, this was their best guarantee for our long term national security. They knew that some good people would also be eliminated.

Our founding fathers were very thoughtful and fully aware of the consequences of their decisions. Note Benjamin Franklin, “We must all hang together or we will most certainly hang separately.” Their collective pledge of life, fortune, and sacred honor was not lightly made, neither did any of them – NOT ONE – abandon their pledge. (What a lesson to our current leadership who merely recite words when taking their oath of office while simultaneously plotting treason.)

We can look back at their personal notes and references. We can review official documents, related statutes, Acts of Congress and Supreme Court decisions. Therein we find not only a clear definition of “NBC” but that all other definitions of any reasonable merit have been eliminated.

1 Born in the country
+1 Citizen Mother
+1 Citizen Father
=3

The problem is that some would rather 1(assumed) +1+0=3 because they have a particular liking for the number 3.

It’s time to stop complaining and start demanding action. We must stand up, speak out and hold our elected officials, judges and their staffs liable for the treason they are committing with openness and premeditation or we will soon discover their inability to understand another constitutional phrase, “WE THE PEOPLE.”

Barak Obama is a usurper in the White House and must be constitutionally removed to maintain the integrity of our Constitution. Make 2009 the year that spring cleaning came twice. If your Representatives and Senators won’t protect and defend the Constitution, bring them before a grand jury and send them on an early and permanent vacation, too. If your local grand jury won’t hear the case, create your own as you are empowered to do through the 5th amendment. You might also wish to look into who’s influence peddling behind them and turn your grand jury session into a real freedom party.

After spring cleaning find new representatives and senators who will represent their constituents – not a political party. It’s time for WE THE PEOPLE to take control of our country again.

Nov 24, 2009 - 12:29 am 166. jdg:

Obama still has a positive approval rating by half of the voters, according to Real Clear Politics. I know 20 percent of the voters are hard core lefties and another big swath don’t pay attention to politics, but how much more damage does Obama have to do before enough Americans wake up?

Yes, I’m heartened by the Tea Parties and the 912 project. And yes it augers well that Republican governors won in Virginia and New Jersey. But let’s not forget that our high schools and universities are radicalizing young people. Our government is undermining religion and families. The newspapers and the networks are pure propaganda machines. Ditto the entertainment industry. And who can deny that even our legal system is largely a tool of the left?

As if all of that weren’t enough, we have all manner of “centrists” Republicans calling for “moderation.” One question: where are the democrats who want to moderate? The only one I can think of, Joe Lieberman, got kicked out of the party.

Nov 24, 2009 - 2:47 am 167. vivo:

82. paul_unalaska:

“This is an adult blog.”

You sound as adult as the Twilight girls . . .

Nov 24, 2009 - 3:58 am 168. Gary Ogletree:

Obama is becoming the perfect foil. Sarah Palin continues to be the opposite of the Chicago con artist. She has what it takes to be a great president, now she has to change negative perceptions left over from the massive smear campaign. I’m betting she can pull it off. She’s already a more skillful politician than the Bushes ever were and has the advantage of being underestimated by her opposition. What worries me now is her safety, she is putting herself in harm’s way on this book tour. I hope her security is on the ball.

Nov 24, 2009 - 4:16 am 169. Peg C.:

Many, many of us knew and predicted pretty much all of this and more, many months before Election Day 2008. We were screaming it from the rooftops. It is no fun now knowing and saying we were right. We’d much rather have been wrong.

Sadder still is the realization that a huge chunk of this country is simply mindless, emotion-driven and easily brainwashed, and so easily led over the cliff. The best possible outcome, I fear, is that many of these people end up feeling played and betrayed and stay home next time, leaving more of the voting to people who actually do the hard thinking, researching and investigating of candidates, candidates’ backgrounds and issues going into an election. Please don’t cry, “but everyone should vote!” You don’t believe it. I don’t believe it. Voting is a responsibility, not a right, and should not be exercised lightly. In 2008 this country suffered a massive attack of FEELING and we are now being tortured with the result of our shallowness.

Nov 24, 2009 - 5:09 am 170. SteveM:

I sort of feel sorry for the Blacks. They were sold a bill of goods during the election. The first black president has set race relations back 20 years. The chance of a black person being elected to the highest office is now nill. That is a shame, for the color of a person should have nothing to do about how we vote. I didn’t vote against his color, I listened to what he said and how the media was treating him. I had a bad feeling about him from the beginning. An empty suit, dangerous yes, but all fluff. Eventually the truth about him will come out and America will awaken from her sleep and good people will come forward to run for office. We as a nation must be more knowledgeable about who we vote for.

Nov 24, 2009 - 5:58 am 171. Paul -Indiana:

Taqiyya anyone?

Nov 24, 2009 - 6:12 am 172. mgk:

Dr. Hanson for president (or Senator or Governor of California).

Nov 24, 2009 - 6:16 am 173. Bruce InCharlotte:

> His best hope is that the Republicans don’t run a demagogic figure such as he himself acted in 2007-8.
Who might this be? Palin’s got a story but too much history. Mitt’s been there and done that and the negativity from the 2008 election fight is still out there. Huckabee’s too right and won’t move to the center. Jindal and Sanford are too local or have other unelectability baggage. What other nationally strong Republicans are left?

Nov 24, 2009 - 6:26 am 174. Sebastian Shaw:

Speaking of Obama, where is he? He seems to have dropped out of sight since returning from Asia. For months he was on TV every day, sometimes twice, now not so much? Whither Obama?–John R

You spoke too soon! He’s on the television right now in a joint press conference with the prime minister of India; furthermore, he’s going to have another prime time news conference about the 34,000 troops he’s sending to Afghanistan; however, he underminds the troops he’s sending with “off-ramps.”

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/11/24/obamas-decision-34000-troops-to-afghanistan/

President Obama is already overexposed & no longer taken seriously within the USA because he has no credibility since he has lost the trust of Americans with his & Congress unconstitutional power grabs…

Nov 24, 2009 - 7:32 am 175. geoffgo:

Jeff@144 wrote:

Within those rules or laws exists mercy, kindness, grace and love. Squish!
You are obviously not busy reloading.

How about puttin JUSTICE in there around first place? Remember that justice and mercy are opposites…only the guilty need mercy, the innocent being satisfied with and deserving of justice.

While your new “libertarian land” would be wonderful indeed, it may be only a dream for your grandkids; if they’re truly luckey. In the meantime, I worry about getting outahere alive. Any movement in that general direction would be most encouraging.

An out-of-work, starving populace can just as easily become a rabble, or jackboots directed straight at the outnumbered, outgunned and outspent patriots. ACORN = kapo training in action, funded by $4+ BILLION of US tax dollars, which BTW start flowing again next month. The defunding was only temporary, doncha know.

All these jobs we’ve recently lost aren’t ever coming back. Do you really WONDER why the WH and Dem-controlled Congress avoid doing anything that would spur job creation in the private sector? Waiting means 20+ million more citizens soon becoming totally dependent on gov’t. Who will they be voting for? And longer waits mean more dolees – voters.

Let’s keep the borders porous too! Inviting millions more to become dolees, recipients of free healthcare – voters.

What will justice demand?

Nov 24, 2009 - 8:09 am 176. quesnay:

Dr. Hanson is right on target about independent voters. According to Rasmussen, today’s daily Presidential tracking poll has Obama at -15%. ” “Among those not affiliated with either major political party, just 16% Strongly Approve and 51% Strongly Disapprove”

Nov 24, 2009 - 8:18 am 177. Phil:

To comment #6

“Hallelujah Victor if you are right the wicked witch is dead and Karl Rove’s dream of a permanent Republican majority is just around the corner. Man our bacon is now safe from those evil incompetent Democrats. Do you think we can get Tom Delay and Phil Gramm back too?”

Won’t be worth a hill of beans if the Republicans do what they did to us last time, that is, turn into quasi-Democrats once they held all the levers of power. A big-spending big government is still a turd sandwich, no matter if there’s a D or an R after it.

Nov 24, 2009 - 8:58 am 178. geoffgo:

Enfant savant. Ever see one of those exceptional people who posses one skill to a remarkable degree, like virtuoso level, but all their other reasoning skills are diminished? Teleprompter-in-Chief fits the mold.

Ever deal with the deranged? Only a few types are not dangerous. Nevertheless, most types have the “story” down pat; illogical as it might be. Like they’ve memorized all their talking points. Automatons. Changing the inputs doesn’t change the output, in anything like near-real-time.

Although interestingly enough, money motivates all but a very few of the types considered to be not dangerous.

So it seems that we’ve arrived at a crossroads; OVER half the population is apparantly mentally ill, some more diseased than others. However, they all look like US.

The minority is naturally alarmed, perhaps too late, as they recognize that the erstwhile “loyal opposition” is really deranged and intends to go all the way, right now. IE, If it means legalizing national cannibalism to insure the political class survives, so be it. Small, green, cheap cookies-R-US.

My folks called such a scenario “playing for keeps.” Today, it’s “all in.”

Nov 24, 2009 - 9:12 am 179. Sebastian Shaw:

Rasmussen: President Obama drops to his lowest approval rating via Hot Air:

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/11/24/rasmussen-obama-drops-to-lowest-approval-rating/

Meltdown

Nov 24, 2009 - 9:42 am 180. Neal Snow:

Even though I have conservative leanings and vote Republican, I don’t buy into the BS that the GOP pushes. They just happen to “officially” share more of my views than the democrats. I “had” some friends of the african-american persuasion that I knew shared many of those same personal views (pro-life, free enterprise, no socialized ANYTHING, etc.) but chose to vote for obama. I asked them why they would be willing to betray their own personal and political convictions to vote for the man. They had no answer. Told me what I didn’t want to know but had to face up to – blacks (for the most part), no matter how conservative, tolerant or logical they may seem, will vote for race before values.

So who are the real racists here? Sure as hell ain’t me. If a conservative, moral and fiscally responsible minority ran for office, I wouldn’t let their minority status stand in my way of supporting them. Can blacks say the same thing?

Nov 24, 2009 - 9:44 am 181. Georg von Starkermann:

We need to always remember that Obama won the election simply because the man he ran against gave up the Ghost from the first day on. McCain was the real failure here, not Obama. Had he tried to win the Presidency, the Republicans would have been victorious. McCain didn’t want to fight dirty or clean, he thought he was a Gentleman who was above the fray of politics. The end result of which was his loss. Bush was no joy as a President, but at least he was honest and straight. McCain was and is a disaster for the Republicans as he like so many other politicians just served too long in Congress. He lost touch with reality causing the likes of an Obama to step in and claim control. On top of all this, McCain picked Sarah Palin, a relative nobody with a pea sized brain. Palin is nice enough and photgenic, but is she truly qualified to be the President or Vice-President? As a conservative, I don’t think so. O’Reilly had an interview with Palin and if he didn’t lead her along and constantly place words in her mouth, the interview would have been a disaster. The Republicans need to find a new identity if the Party plans on surviving now and in the future. McCain should retire, and Sarah Palin needs to take some courses in Geopolitics.

Nov 24, 2009 - 10:23 am 182. geoffgo:

rp@159&Jones@161,

Sara is experienced enough to do all the things a President should be doing. She’s not perfect, she’s real. Seems to have more integrity than most we’ve seen lately.

However, her success will be illustionary, less we simultaneously regain the majorities in both houses necessary to recind legislation, which by definition gores somebody’s ox, including Algore’s.

Housecleaning, everywhere the WH and Congress and the military can reach. Oh the inhumanity!

A Palin administration needs to have the mandate and the legislative power to actually fix stuff. Philobuster-proof. Another Maggie T.UK. We’ll have to run erstwhile republican newbies in hundreds of districts, including RINO land. All saying the same thing. We’re the Republican Party in exile. We’re back.

We need the message. I guess “Death to the Left” is too candid, eh? When can our dialogue with the Left become less civil? I’m tired of some officious thief scolding US or members of the opposing party, while their get-out-of-town funds grow. Spoils of the political class.

I read somewhere that the loudest easy-to-recognize signal to be sent to politicians prior to their 2010 ouster, can be sent on April 15th by 20 million taxpayers requesting a 6 month extension. IIRC, it said more is good.

Nov 24, 2009 - 10:28 am 183. Keith K.:

Well said, as usual. I particularly enjoyed the reference to Nostradamus. Your ending note sounds more “hopeful” than necessarily optimistic. As usual, the game has become the GOP’s to lose. Will they field another candidate who will supposedly appeal to the “moderates” (and if history is guide, lose the election)? It really depends on who’s driving the party bus.

Many life-long Republicans are so disgusted with the GOP’s demonstrated fiscal irresponsibility (read: big spending) during their last years in office (Yes – they get the blame even for the final two Bush years when the Dems controlled Congress, because their own behavior had left them with no economic high ground on which to perch over the rising swamp waters of the continued reckless and feckless spending) that they may be unwilling to give them another chance.

Cynicism which equates the failures of both parties to the same political motivations, misses the point. The GOP wins and the country thrives when the party adheres to conservative principles of limited government. These principles may be thought quaint and primitive by the northeastern self-selected elite of the party, but those of us in the Midwest respectfully disagree.

The Democrats win when they pretend to embrace these principles. They can never actually implement them because of their electoral debts to the far-Left. But of course, no one really expects them to, except those “moderates” who like Charlie Brown, keep hoping that Lucy will not snatch away the football one more time…

The media report with a straight face and a sideways wink-wink that their candidate believes in “A”. But the wink-wink assures the Left that they’re only saying it to fool the “independents and moderates” in order to get elected. Thus the outrage from these same partisans now that it has become obvious to even the Left that BO’s only allegiance is to himself, and that the wink-wink was to fool them as much as those gullible moderates.

Bottom line: Who is standing in the GOP wings ready to step forward and carry the burden for a time? It must be a Governor – ideally one with a demonstrated record of fiscal austerity and leadership in the face of intransigent ____(you fill in the blank…).

Could Romney or Jindahl carry the flag?

Stay tuned….

Nov 24, 2009 - 10:40 am 184. Vader:

“And this furor of being had has the potential not just to take Obama down, but also his ideology and supporters along with him for a generation.”

From your mouth to God’s Ear.

I’ve said it before: Every generation has to elect a Carter, so that those who are capable of it can learn from bitter experience.

Nov 24, 2009 - 11:19 am 185. Vader:

“Romney? Empty suit.”

I don’t think that metaphor means what you think it means.

At least, I’ve never heard it used for someone who is genuinely brilliant, genuinely educated, and has been wildly successful in the real world.

Nov 24, 2009 - 11:22 am 186. jodetoad:

Having lost confidence in the wisdom of the people as of Nov. ‘08, it’s hard for me to feel sure of it now.

But I hope most people would vote for Micky Mouse before they’d vote for a Dem. I think Palin could win, because many of us do see her genuine merit, and many more are doubting the MSM daily.

But if someone else is the GOP candidate, he’s got a tremendous leg up just from the hatred more and more of us are feeling toward the people doing all this crap to us now.

Nov 24, 2009 - 11:45 am 187. geoffgo:

GeorgeVon@181,

Run back over to the DNC now, like a good troll.

Nov 24, 2009 - 1:00 pm 188. ZDH21:

Are you people demented? I will agree that Obama has not lived up to the grandiose expectations placed upon him by many of his supporters and onlookers, but this article does not remotely address how the GOP has played a role in stifling more significant progress. Yes, Obama’s approval ratings are on the decline, but I think that was an eventuality given the total garbage he was given in January. Moreover, to call this “Obama’s recession” by March of next year is preposterous. That we could go through 8 years of stupidity, and for that to be transformed into Obama’s fault within 16 months is just plain silly. Honestly, I feel badly for those of you who believe “Karl Rove’s permanent Republican majority is just around the corner”. You are ignoring the facts. Republicans look more and more bewildered and crazy by the day. I can only hope that they continue to do so, so that we may one day realize my dream of a permanent Republican minority. Good riddance.

Nov 24, 2009 - 1:22 pm 189. Sebastian Shaw:

Despite the MSM still holding Obama’s back, his administration is in a complete meltdown; the fact remains Obama is not a leader & his empty suit is rotting away the rest of Obama’s foundation. Obama’s continued use to bash President Bush again in this morning’s press conference combines with Obama’s own self-absorbed narcissism with nothing but failures in his wake as everything he touches turns into turds.

I think he will continue to deflect any criticism & blame Bush even when Obama & his people are clearly to blame. Obama is a demagogue; therefore, I expect him to get more rigid & more dark as his facade completely shatters to reveal the bitter, angry man who has a chip on shoulder about America.

President Obama’s need for a cult of personality, narcissism, arrogance, & ignorance will destroy him. Unemployment & all of his power grabs will just hasten Obama’s political demise.

Nov 24, 2009 - 1:24 pm 190. arthur:

its hilarious to see all the name calling (including “Marxist”lol), and hatred for Obama by people crying about the hatred for palin, or Bush. How serious, or likely can the predictions be from people who were so sure so late into the 08 election season that there was no way Obama was going to beat McCain?

I tell you, as of this writing, Obama is in fine shape for re-election in 12. although I fully expect the Dems will lose some seats in the midterm. Right now 99% of the responses of recent VDH pieces remind me of the liberal responses to pieces about GWB from his first inauguration until he was re-elected. same hatred, and same wish fulfillment thinking and prognosticating.

As someone whom enjoys very much VDH books, and some of his pieces here, I truly wish to see less focus on partisan and Obama attacks, and some bigger picture, clearer VDH thinking and writing. Instead of complaining, i would love to read what the USA is doing right, why we are right, and Iran, hamas etc is wrong, and what our military is doing right , and some of the little observations of the day as well. these are the VDH pieces that really shine for me. I understand this is a Conservative website, and expect it to read as such, but would argue that VDH writing is not always bitter complaints about the dems and Obama, and that I am sorely missing some of his other writing here, the writing of such substance, that it is crucial and persuasive without ever seeming like a partisan attack or silliness.

Nov 24, 2009 - 1:38 pm 191. mr:

the probelm here is most of you people can’t get over the fact that a black guy is running the show!! get over it simpletons!! he is going to be running the show for the next 7 years!! I am convinced most of you people here are un-educated high school drop outs!! go get some more education and then you can have a more clear picture of what is going on in the world.

Nov 24, 2009 - 3:55 pm 192. Sebastian Shaw:

Mr, you’re not reading the comments. Out comes the race card. This tells me you’re the simpleton. Boring man, really boring. You’re predictable as the rain or as pink as one of those Code Pink ladies. Go shuffle off under a bridge from whence you came. I got better things to do that run rings around your diatribes.

Nov 24, 2009 - 5:12 pm 193. Sebastian Shaw:

Arthur, what’s hilarious about Socialism?

Nov 24, 2009 - 5:14 pm 194. Sebastian Shaw:

ZDH21, the Democrats have supermajorities in the House of Representatives & the Senate; they can pass anything they want. The Democrats have fractured into several different factions. The Democrats have kept the ObamaCare bill at bay. The Republicans do not have any power to keep the Democrats in check. What you’re witnessing is absolute power & absolute power corrupts. The problem is the Democrat leadership has long been corrupt for some time. Your red herring is turning blue from oxygen deprivation. Nice predictable attempted diversion, but anyone with a brain could trump you.

Nov 24, 2009 - 5:47 pm 195. Sallie:

so,…are you guys saying you’re not voting for any jr senators that vote present, won’t disclose their past and whose only other jobs was as a failed community organizers, and if you question him you are called a “racists”???…

I noticed one person said he “had” black friends, until after the election I suppose..too bad. Black people will back Obama, no matter, it’s a sense of “pride”..pride that goes before the fall…mmm mmm mmm
Its actually a very sad commentary. When we judge a politician, it should be for the work he has done , not his “color group”

you want a real person this time???? You independent thinkers!!!

191, you should be more careful who you call uneducated, and please check your sentence structure before posting. I dislike Obama because I have a sense of moral outrage over the things obama is doing and tryng to do to our people and country. we love our country. mmm mmm mmm doooonnnt…

Nov 24, 2009 - 6:10 pm 196. Desert Dog:

Hey Mr,

Don’t count them chickens before they hatch. When I see President Obama, I see a unprepared, in over his head pseudo socialist who has completely misjudged his election as a blank check mandate. Pulling out that race card is getting old. The fact that President Obama is wrong on just about every issue has nothing to do with his race. The only people I see judging him on his race and THEN his policies are people like you.

He will rise and fall on the merits of his decisions, not his race. If he continues to spend like he is now, continues to pull the entire country kicking and screaming hard to the left and if the economy continues to flounder and the jobs do not start coming back….he is a one term President. If you are as “educated and intelligent” as you claim, you surely must see that writing on the wall, no?

Nov 24, 2009 - 6:12 pm 197. Dr. E:

I’m with GoingGalt. I own a small business (44 people, 8 million bucks a year). I think they are deliberately doing all this. The Chicago Elite really hate individual americans. Obama is part of that. Penny Pritzker deliberately ruined Superior Trust with sub prime loans to low income folks on the south side just to prove it could be done, and then they passed the same thing (Community reinvestment Act) on a country wide scale. Freddie and Fannie underwrote the whole thing. This is all planned, and financial ruin is their goal. I feel it is starting to turn against them though. The climate scam is how they peer pressure their way into everything. Manipulate everything. JournoList is a cousin to the Hadley CRU e-mail cabal. Journlists everywhere knew to call this latest Fort Hood-thing a “crazed guy” instead of the first terror attack since 9/11. They are talking with each other, and drowning any opposition. We must break though their manipulation.

Nov 24, 2009 - 7:09 pm 198. Charles Gordon:

There must be a form of primordial revenge fantasy, a resistance to accepting the responsibilities of maturity satisfied by taking comfort in the permanence of adolescent rebellion against time-proven wisdom, that manifests its nihilistic influence on those whose wish fulfillment consists of, first, punishing the successful through confiscation of their wealth, then, denigrating the worth of their success, in order to assert the absurd virtue of lack of personal merit as the sine qua non entitlement to live the life of the successful.

The idea of benign collectivism is the opium of the masses. Ignorance is the only excuse for those in denial of the history of government abuse of the individual. Regret for prior failures of centralized authority to implement control of individual spirit is itself a failure to understand that power over the individual is only implemented with the use of coercive force.

The American ideal of individual freedom is anathema to our historic first Islamic apostate president and other career politicians. Do a word search of his pontifications, or, of any current bill passed or pending in congress, the ancient Western word “freedom” appears in one case only, as a subterfuge to suppress the emergence of life from the womb.

Take away individual freedom, there will be less movies in the cinemas, less teams in the stadiums, less information on the internet, less food on the selves, and more unaccountable authorities telling you what to do.

Nov 25, 2009 - 12:55 am 199. Ron Kean:

191. mr

Your comment is outdated. VDH spoke of the emptiness of the racist slur weeks ago. You can’t understand it’s about what he’s doing rather than who he is.

Nov 25, 2009 - 6:46 am 200. liamascorcaigh:

“ad nauseUm”!!! Quid Marcus Tullius dixisset?

Nov 25, 2009 - 7:49 am 201. George Best:

If the information regarding the fraud of global warming can be found with a little luck, it makes me think the same information regarding Barack Obamas birth in Kenya is also out there. Someone will find it soon.

Nov 25, 2009 - 7:58 am 202. vandenberge:

The grandmother of ‘Thriller’ is now in Mekka along with 2000 family members of the Martyrs of Palestine.
You cannot make this stuff up

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296278,report-obamas-muslim-grandmother-among-mecca-pilgrims.html

Nov 25, 2009 - 10:22 am 203. Pragmatist:

Here is the RACIAL divide that OBAMA has caused laid bare this from Rasmussen today

“The President earns approval from 97% of African-American voters and disapproval from 61% of white voters. ”

Quite clearly BLACKS are stuck in their RACIST groove.

Nov 25, 2009 - 10:30 am 204. Lefty:

Dr. E – Just a few points.

1. The community reinvestment act was created in 1977. 2/3rds of all Subprime loans were lent by private lenders under NO pressure from government.

2. Speaking of country wide, take a look at what happened to Anthony Mozillo and why he and other private lending companies responsible for the majority of the sub-prime mess are not being held accountable for the ridiculously lax standards used to write these loans.

3. Fannie and Freddie simply did not cause the subprime nor were they the largest participants. In fact, Fannie and Freddy lost market share in the subprime market due to federal guidelines about credit quality. Freddy and Fannie have proven themselves to be inept in their own way, but they were not the biggest problem.

4. Why would someone running a PRIVATE company write loans for someone without verifying basic risk info like, oh say A SALARY for crying out loud. Probably because a lot of white middle class Mortgage Brokers were booking commission on the loan. Heck, when you get paid by the number and amount of loans you make and heck, everything gets passed to some big institutional mortgage blender that suddenly shoots out rainbows from excrement. Well, it becomes a lot clearer what was going on.

However you slice it, I’m sure there were a lot of people who took mortgages out who made either bad or outright fraudulent dealings. But what kind of idiot would lend to these people on such a large scale?

It’s really just about greed, and everyone not wanting to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

And that is capitalism at it’s worst.

Nov 25, 2009 - 12:53 pm 205. Jack Marcotte:

Essential vdh

I object to describing BHO as not any more partisan than Bush, or Nixon. It shows a lack of understanding yet still in your thinking that BHO is simply about partisan politics.

This is about a Destruction of American and a bloodless Revolution by subversion that changes everything about what America is and and how it was made.

This is the very reasons the 2nd Amendment was in the constitution. We have been dumbed down to call it simply partisan politics. That was the dumbest statement vdh has made.

Nov 25, 2009 - 1:40 pm 206. Al:

From your pen to God’s ears, Honorable Hanson.

Ditto 172: mgk: Hanson for president.

Nov 25, 2009 - 6:48 pm 207. Pragmatist:

Obama Shatters Spending Record for First-Year Presidents

The federal government spent $3.5 trillion during President Obama’s first year in office. This far exceeds the spending for any other first-year president.

President Obama has shattered the budget record for first-year presidents — spending nearly double what his predecessor did when he came into office and far exceeding the first-year tabs for any other U.S. president in history.

In fiscal 2009 the federal government spent $3.52 trillion — $2.8 trillion in 2000 dollars, which sets a benchmark for comparison. That fiscal year covered the last three-and-a-half months of George W. Bush’s term and the first eight-and-a-half months of Obama’s.

That price tag came with a $1.4 trillion deficit, nearly $1 trillion more than last year. The overall budget was about a half-trillion more than Bush’s for 2008, his final full fiscal year in office.

Click here to read FOXBusiness.com’s Elizabeth MacDonald describe what the interest on the debt can buy.

That’s a big increase. But compared with other presidents’ first years in office, Obama is running circles around them.

Bush spent $1.8 trillion in 2001, according to government budget figures that have been adjusted for inflation based on 2000 dollars. Using the same formula, former President Bill Clinton spent $1.6 trillion in 1993.

The last president to clock in under $1 trillion was Gerald Ford, who logged a $982 billion budget in 1975. Post-war Dwight Eisenhower even brought Uncle Sam’s tab down to $556 billion in his first year, 1953.

Obama’s first-year budget, adjusted for inflation, is about five times that. His 2009 budget is also close to 21 percent of that for Clinton’s eight years in office — Clinton’s spending added up to $13.5 trillion over his two full terms. Bush spent $16.8 trillion from 2001-2008.

Nov 26, 2009 - 1:52 am 208. Pragmatist:

Obama’s Approval Slide Finds Whites Down to 39%
Support has declined much more among whites than among nonwhites
by Jeffrey M. Jones

PRINCETON, NJ — Since the start of his presidency, U.S. President Barack Obama’s approval rating has declined more among non-Hispanic whites than among nonwhites, and now, fewer than 4 in 10 whites approve of the job Obama is doing as president.

Barack Obama Job Approval Rating, by Racial Group

Obama last week fell below 50% approval in Gallup Daily tracking for the first time in his presidency, both in daily three-day rolling averages and in Gallup Daily tracking results aggregated weekly.

“The only subgroup showing a greater change than whites is Republicans, down 24 points since Obama’s first full week in office.”

In his first full week in office (Jan. 26-Feb. 1), an average of 66% of Americans approved of the job Obama was doing, including 61% of non-Hispanic whites and 80% of nonwhites. In the most recent week, spanning Nov. 16-22 interviewing, his approval rating averaged 49% overall, 39% among whites, and 73% among nonwhites. Thus, since the beginning of his presidency, his support has dropped 22 points among whites, compared with a 7-point loss among nonwhites.

Given the 17-point drop in his approval rating among all U.S. adults, it follows that Obama’s support has declined among all major demographic and attitudinal subgroups, with one notable exception — blacks.

Blacks’ support for Obama has averaged 93% during his time in office, and has been at or above 90% nearly every week during his presidency. Thus, part of the reason Obama’s support among nonwhites has not dropped as much as his support among other groups is because of his consistent support from blacks. (With Hispanics’ approval rating down five points, greater declines among Asians, Native Americans, and those of mixed races account for his total seven-point drop among nonwhites.)

The accompanying table shows how Obama’s approval rating has changed by subgroup from his first full week in office to the most recent week. The only subgroup showing a greater change than whites is Republicans, down 24 points during this time. Independents’ approval of Obama has declined nearly as much (down 18 points), whereas support among Democrats is down only 6 points.

Obama’s strongest support comes from blacks, Democrats, and liberals — all of whom give him approval ratings above 80%. He maintains solid support of more than 60% from nonwhites, Hispanics, and young adults.

Barack Obama Job Approval Rating, by Demographic Group, First Full Week in Office vs. Week of Nov. 16-22

A Closer Look at Race and Party

One reason Obama may have maintained support among blacks is their overwhelming affiliation with the Democratic Party. This is not a sufficient explanation, though, because Obama’s approval rating has dropped among Democrats even as it has held steady among blacks.

In fact, it appears as though Obama’s relatively small loss in support among Democrats has come exclusively from white Democrats. In late January/early February, Obama averaged 87% approval among white Democrats and 90% approval among nonwhite Democrats. Now, his approval rating among white Democrats is 76%, down 11 points, but is essentially the same (if not a little higher) at 92% among nonwhite Democrats.

Barack Obama Job Approval Rating, Among Democrats, by Race

Bottom Line

Obama won the Democratic nomination and the presidency with strong support from blacks and other racial minorities. In fact, according to exit polls and Gallup’s final pre-election estimates, he won the election despite losing by double digits to John McCain among white voters.

Those patterns of support seem to have persisted into his presidency, with his support among whites starting out lower and dropping faster than his support among nonwhites. And though he maintains widespread loyalty among Democrats, the small loss in support he has seen from his fellow partisans seems to be exclusively from white Democrats.

It is important to note that this pattern is not unique to Obama. For example, Bill Clinton averaged 55% job approval during his presidency, including 52% among whites but a much higher 76% among nonwhites and 82% among blacks.

Sign up for Gallup e-mail alerts or RSS feeds

Get Gallup news on Facebook and Twitter

Survey Methods

Results are based on telephone interviews with 3,611 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Nov. 16-22, 2009, as part of Gallup Daily tracking. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of error is ±2 percentage points.

For results based on the sample of 2,879 non-Hispanic whites, the maximum margin of error is ±2 percentage points.

For results based on the sample of 732 nonwhites, the maximum margin of error is ±5 percentage points.

Interviews are conducted with respondents on land-line telephones and cellular phones.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

Now aint dat a surprise …………NOT

Nov 26, 2009 - 4:19 am 209. Eowyn:

121. Now and Then:

Huh?!

Face it, Bre’r. The times they are a-changin’. Your O-buddies are going DOWN.

2010. Or not long thereafter.

Nov 26, 2009 - 8:20 pm 210. Al Reasin:

Yes, the shine has gotten very dull concerning this president, but what can an individual do to slow down this tsunami of freedom reducing legislation.

A gentleman I came to know had some thoughts about this after a July 4th TEA Party. He wasn’t satisfied that he had done enough. He had attended a stimulating rally and like many Americans had written endlessly to his elected representatives. They are not listening, so he felt the need to do something more. He thought, why not do something that is familiar and yet a little different.

He developed the idea of what he simply called the Corner Club. His idea was to just pay attention each week to the news of the day; pay attention to the broader issues and don’t get bogged down in little details. In all of the information that we receive, he decided to find a single message each week, stand on a busy corner during rush hour and do that every single week, different days but the same time 5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. and display a 2′x4′ sign with his message. The second week of his effort I joined him and we counted over 3000 vehicles passing our corner, usually with more than one person in each of them. We are now closing in on our 17 week and will continue to do so at our Freedom Corner in Bel Air, MD until this onslaught against our economic freedom and civil liberties is defeated.

The Corner Club is a timely idea. All it takes is time, some patience and a good corner. This is an easy thing to do and if done across the country millions of people would be getting a grass roots message about our government.

He decided to go on the Internet to encourage others to do what he has done; develop an outlet for his frustration over the path America is taking. Join us at http://patriotscornerclub.ning.com/ and do your part to take back our nation . . . one corner at a time.

Nov 26, 2009 - 9:36 pm 211. TLM:

Jack Marcotte:

“This is the very reasons the 2nd Amendment was in the constitution.”

Yet another simple historical fact known to our generation, and every one preceding it, but now abandoned by many our clueless compatriots. The 2nd Amendment exists to protect us from tyranny, the kind of tyranny practiced by governments throughout history.

Nov 27, 2009 - 1:15 pm

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