Jim Cramer is puzzled, and just a little bit angry.
When Cramer said that the Obama administration is destroying wealth in this country, he thought his liberal bona fides would protect him. He also thought that the fact that he was, you know, speaking the truth might have some effect as well.
Cramer may have thought that liberals would defend speaking truth to power; after all, it’s one of their favorite phrases. But it depends what “truth” and it depends what “power.” If the powerful people being criticized just happen to be liberals or the Left, then it can’t really be “truth,” you see, whatever its obvious merits might be. And the person so bold as to utter that truth not only had better shut up, but he/she immediately becomes fair game for attack, ridicule, and/or distortions of what was said.
Now, as Cramer looks around from his perch under that crowded bus, he is surprised. He shouldn’t be. Welcome, Cramer, to the first step on the long road to change.
Not that Cramer will necessarily take any of the next steps. But it can be profoundly disturbing to discover (as Cramer now has) that those whom you thought were interested in actually solving a problem and listening to honest criticism are far more interested in silencing and marginalizing the opposition.
Previously a lifelong Democrat, born in New York and living in New England, surrounded by liberals on all sides, I've found myself slowly but surely 
March 9th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Cramer is lost. He says he’s in favor of all the things Obama wants to do, including raising taxes on the wealthy. He’s just not in favor of them RIGHT NOW.
If ever he stops and thinks about that position, a light might go on. I’m not holding my breath.
March 9th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Cramer appears to be a moderate Democrat who also knows finance. What he is learning is that the radicals have truly taken over his party and will brook no opposition.
I have a close friend and colleague who also is an old style Democrat. I told him a few years ago that the inmates were taking over his asylum. And even though he is very active in the local Dem. party, he told me that they were just making noise and that the moderates would still reign them in. It’s amazing how those on the inside have trouble seeing what to those of us outside can plainly see.
March 9th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
2 great comments.
I see the writing on the wall for Cramer…
his conversion is under way.
March 9th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
1. Reminded of left side blogger recently relating that he would, in future, actually search for the truth about issues. For him, it is no longer good enough to merely argue in favor of one’s causes.
I reacted with laughter and mirth. Yet, at least he had the light bulb moment about searching for truth. Many on the left never will. He experienced the conversation changing and intellectual shifting moment: What am I searching for inside this discussion? Truth? Or validation?
2. Video of Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, passionately discussing:
March 9th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Jim Cramer is still suffering from cognitive dissonance, he could work his way out of it if he would just go and have a good discussion with Timmy Geithner.
Jack Welch is priceless, I think he gets it!
March 9th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
My two trust-fund daughters, if I bring his name up in anything other than a glori[fying way]–they don’t have any critical thinking about it: at all!
Trust funds aside, where do those two work? CNN? Or MSNBC?
March 9th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Mr. Cramer is about to discover who the free thinkers are. If he doesn’t turn back soon, he will be cast into outermost darkness, and there will be no more TV show and no more cocktails with heiresses.
Mr. Welch’s anecdote about his daughters illustrates the point that you can’t understand ObamaLove without understanding urban social anxiety. The inauguration induced euphoria because the promise of Obama was to make this anxiety go away.
Now that they have come down from the high, the acolytes are starting to realize that Mr. Obama is ushering in new anxieties that are immeasurably worse.
March 9th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
I was always willing to give so-called moderate Democrats a pass as meaning well until four years ago when I got to know one far-left Democrat whose circle included one so-called moderate who was active as an influential legislator in my state’s assembly. What I quickly learned was that in this case (and as I suspect, in many others) the difference between the leftist and the so-called moderate wasn’t great at all, and there were no moderates of any stripe left in their circle.
While I might be accused of assuming a general proposition on the basis of too little experience, the fact is, after that experience, I couldn’t understand how anyone who could actually, honestly claim to be a moderate could be active in any way as a Democrat in today’s party. If Democrat holds any sort of position of power or influence within the party, as far as I’m concerned, it means they’re pretty far left.
March 9th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
The Obams enthusiasts are just eliminating the Mencheviki — the right-wing deviationists.
March 9th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Cramer is one of many useful idiots. His strongest feature is hyperkinesis, not $ intelligence.
March 10th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Yes, recognition of the liberal hypocrisy is the first step on the road to conversion. It may take Cramer awhile to fully commit. I remember what an odd feeling it was to be sitting in my kitchen one morning and angrily saying to my husband….. “They are driving me into the arms of the Republican party!”. Cognitive dissonance, indeed.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:02 am
“…Now that they have come down from the high, the acolytes are starting to realize that Mr. Obama is ushering in new anxieties that are immeasurably worse.”
Yes, indeed, Oblio. Those of us who never drank the Kool-Aid in the first place have been going all Cassandra about this all along. To quote Will Smith in “I, Robot” who said, “Sometimes, ‘I told you so’ just doesn’t quite say it”.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Kramer has not begun a conversion. He is typical of those who extoll the virus and are shocked at the disease. He still stands for everything that makes Obama inevitable, except the certain result.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
After two big up days, maybe the acolytes are starting to inhale again. There is some thought that yesterday in particular represented short sellers covering up.