Aug 14 2011
Winners & Losers
This week has been interesting on many fronts. But any review of events must be seen in the context of a nation trying to enjoy the last few weeks of summer while probably doing everything they can to keep politics out of the picture. Too bad we can’t also keep the Obama economy out of the picture as well. So here are a few observations from some one who is also not really drawn to the babble of politics right now and only had half an ear on events. Especially given the latest round of business as usual on the debt ceiling debate – i.e., another round of impotent commissions, empty promises on future cuts and a massive and immediate rise in the debt. After that mess I can think of millions of other things to do with my time right now.
Michelle Bachman won the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, and congrats to her. Finally the DC Political Industrial Complex (PIC) will have to start to take her more seriously, though conservative women are never taken seriously by the left or right (see Sarah Palin).
Tom Pawlenty was one of the big losers in Iowa – his obsession and rudeness over Bachman basically torpedoed him. He totally forgot the 11th Commandment in his ridiculous attacks. Update: Hot Air has a post up with Pawlenty dropping out. Smart move on his part – end update
Another loser was Romney. Not only did he draw a Perry candidacy his star is definitely fading. He will never get over 25% in the GOP field, so as it thins out he will fade away.
Barack Obama was the biggest loser, has his own brinkmanship over the debt ceiling debate (remember all his veto threats and the Dems killing reasonable House bills in the Senate?) then turned into the lame whine about partisans holding the nation hostage. The stupid conclusion made by the White House – after his ‘we need to get along speech’ over the weekend is another flip-flop to ‘we need to become more intrenched and partisan‘:
As the economy worsens, President Obama and his senior aides are considering whether to adopt a more combative approach on economic issues, …
This careening back and forth is a clear sign the Obama White House is completely off track and rudderless. Obama has never compromised on a damn thing. Pretending their propaganda spin was really compromise is pretty lame stuff – even for politicians.
Obama is going into his final year here a lame duck. He has squandered all his political capital on losing policies (see stimulus as failing to trickle down jobs and Obamacare failing to contain costs). He will be either really compromising or sitting on the sidelines whining. What he won’t be getting is his way on anything unless he begins to lead and win back support. While possible, that scenario is highly improbable. There are tipping points, and Obama passed his a while back.
Fox News – big time loser on the Iowa debate and covering the Straw Poll as if it meant something big. Message to Fox News – stop being a political junky’s news channel. And stop throwing gotcha games in debates. One of the refreshing things about Fox News under Brit Hume was avoiding the minutia and staying focused on the big important issues. New Gringrich was right to call Wallace out for inane questions. Get back to representing the mains stream folks, get outside of the DC bubble before you auger in like CNN and MSNBC.
Big Winner : the Tea Party movement. The Tea Party movement is alive and well – if frustrated with the pace of DC getting its act together and making some headway on anything tangible. If you are taking a lot of heat and barbs then you are doing really good at shaking things up in DC. Only people who play the game avoid the heat. So don’t let the backlash from the Political Industrial Complex be a sign of failure. In this political environment the best place to be is on the side of Main Street and opposing the guardians of the status quo in DC.
Heck, the poll numbers for Congress is 80 percent something increasing the speculation of anti-Washington, anti-incumbent feelings. I think it is a mistake to call for replacing all incumbent Republicans in 2012 and 2014.
I think we should first focus on replacing Obama and the Democrats that are up in 2012 with strong conservatives. That will help us gain back not only a Senate majority but a stronger conservative majority than the very weak Republican majority under Bush. The RINOs should also be challenged by good, strong conservatives.
I am still amazed to see that Obama still has some strong supporters but those supporters are Hollywood stars and socialists. As for the other supporters…well, as I understand, they’re having buyer’s remorse. They wished that their vote went to Hilary in ’08. I understand that they might be pushing Hilary into running again but Hilary’s still reluctant and the fact that the Obama machine has gotten too big. So the only choice they have is to support Obama but with the lack of reverence that they had back in ’08.
I heard this morning, someone Fox called a Blue Dog Democrat, asking for congress to cut their vacation short and come back to DC to address the nations problems.
Normally I would like the Congress Critters and Senate Scum to be gone as long as possible, but in this case, again the Repug leadership has shown itself to be ignorant, lazy, inept, and not in touch, thus not qualified to lead.
The Repugs had the opportunity to do this last week and to contrast their work and ideas against an endless vacationing, no plan, no clue Whitehouse and Senate.
Now that opportunity is lost as the Dem minority has stolen the thunder.
NOT well played Boehner, McConnell!
These old, entrenched, career politicians MUST be primaried.
They act like royalty and screw the people over at every turn. They are too clueless to the concerns of those of us who pay the bills to be trusted to carry our golf clubs much less be players in the game.
They act like a third grade basketball team compared to the Tea Party Varsity.
It is sickening to watch and I don’t think I have ever been this mad at the Repugs.
The Rats are ideological morons, that we expect, but the Repugs are about to send some of us packing if they continue to ignore and try to marginalize us.
This may be the most significant year and a half in recent history.
The establishment Repugs will be sidelined by the Tea Party or they will become an irrelevant third party as the Tea Party tires of their ineptitude and Big Government ways and gives them the heave ho.
Boehner should have called the House back to:
1.) stop Obamacare in its tracks, no more implementation of an unconstitutional takeover of 1/6 of the economy. Make the Rats defend it and wake the Supremes and nation up to the urgency of stopping that which is strangling businesses and
2.) Pass a version of Ryans budget and Cut cap and balance sending it to the Senate where it was 4 Rat votes short last time.
Sarah Palin was right “Cut The Crap and Balance”
Instead the Repug leadership shows themselves to be unserious, uncurious, unqualified to lead. Almost as bad as the Lyin kING!
Tea Party Proud and Gonna Stay Loud!
come back early? What can Congress do but make things worse? When was the last time Congress made ANYTHING better???
let them stay out till after the next election. Safer for all of us.
Normally I agree WWS. Thus my second paragraph. I just think now is the time to strike, while the iron is hot, to use the current 11th circuit ruling as leverage to pass a bill denying any further implementation of ObamaCare.
Otherwise the socialists will merrily go on about implementing every insane regulation and edict they can glean from this monstrosity further strangling business and driving insurers and small business out of business.
They could use the debt downgrade as a backdrop to pass Cut Cap and balance. Make the rats defeat it now after the downgrade. They have an opportunity, but never let it be said the repugs could recognize or capitalize on something that would advance conservatism.
Makes it clear they are just socialist lite. Lazy, clueless, eunuchs collecting their salaries and screwing the bill payers.
anything passed by the House is symbolic only, since Harry Reid will never even bring it up for a vote in the Senate.
Symbolic acts are kind of nice, I guess, but we know where everyone stands. I’d feel a lot better if they’d impeach Holder and every member of the NLRB – even though the Senate would acquit them, THAT would make a big stink and you could drag all kinds of dirty laundry out in public.
People are tired of watching Congress airing its dirty laundry with us….should they air it with us?