Memo to Joe Klein: no, Obama’s not the guy you thought he was
Joe Klein is a liberal journalist who’s been an Obama admirer for a long, long time. He still is, in a way, which is a testament either to his ideological dedication, his inability to evaluate human beings and their natures, or his desire to continue to be invited to the right parties. Maybe some combination of all three.
But even Klein is a little perturbed by the current Democratic and administration cries of “The impeachment Republicans are coming! The impeachment Republicans are coming!” fundraising alarmists, drumming up business and money to fill their coffers.
Klein’s document is an odd one, and I highlight it not because of any special interest of mine in Klein, but because I think it represents how a person might deal with his/her unease when an idol turns out to have feet of clay. I’m surprised Klein is critical of this anti-impeachment fundraising campaign at all, even to the degree he is, because it shows that he has at least a small bit of integrity. Klein is careful, of course, to defend Obama by making it clear that he believes Obama’s constitutional overreach is no overreach at all. Klein doesn’t feel the need to prove this, but merely states it, calling Boehner’s lawsuit against Obama “silly” and asserting that Obama has done nothing “impeachable.”
Whatever you say, Joe.
But Klein also writes the following, which shows how disturbed he is by Obama’s behavior—not regarding the constitutional overreach that Klein refuses to acknowledge, but regarding the fake cries of “they’re trying to impeach me!”:
So, this is smart strategy on the part of the Obama political operation, right? Well, grudgingly, yes. But it’s also cynical as hell. The White House is playing with fire, raising the heat in a country that is already brain-fried by partisan frenzy. There is something unseemly, and unprecedented, about an administration saying “Bring it on” when it comes to impeachment. Clinton’s White House certainly never did publicly, even though it was clear from polling that the spectacle would be a disaster for Republicans.
But cynicism, thy name is Obama. How has Klein managed to miss that fact prior to this? He adds a suggestion that shows a profound misunderstanding of what Obama is about:
Also terrible for the country, if all too common, is the DCCC’s impeachment begging””and the President’s constant fat-cat fundraising in a summer of trouble. What if he simply said, “I’m done with fundraising. This is an important election, but there’s just too much going on in the world right now”? His political folks would hate it, but I suspect it might be more effective, and presidential, than sending out tin-cup emails.
Klein seems to have believed (or at least, wanted us to believe he believed) in Obama as statesman. But that was never true; he just played one on TV. Now he’s stopped even playing the role.
“But cynicism, thy name is Obama.”
So true. Some columnist rhetorically asked if the administration could be so cynical as to create a rule disallowing subsidies for citizens of states that choose not to establish an exchange.
The answer is yes. Further, when the 36 governors didn’t bite, the administration instructed the IRS to grant those subsidies, thus hooking the citizens on the benefit. He now dares Republicans to take those benefits away.
That’s even more cynical than the impeachment gambit, in my view. The impeachment bit is merely an exercise in media manipulation, which is second nature to this bunch, especially with a media so anxious to be manipulated.
Its impossible to get through to kool-aid drinks. Klein would stand in line to drink reverend obama’s poisoned kool-aid despite having the tiniest doubts about obama’s sainthood. What fools the Kleins of this world are, they never realize they are running dog lackeys and will be discarded when they are no longer useful.
Self-deceit has no natural limit. Some people embrace victimhood as proof of their worthiness. Playing the martyr has a long history. If your intentions are good and you refuse to accept responsibility for anything, how can you be to blame… for anything?
“help, help, I’m being oppressed!” – Barack Obama
Klein has been scuba diving on ether, a strange and disorienting rig for a shark tank, for sure.
Klein reminds me of Kirsten Powers, another dedicated liberal talking head that occasionally shows signs of independent thought. In particular she got directly burned by Obamcare as her policy was canceled and replaced by a much more expensive policy with less coverage. She was outraged, complained bitterly on Fox shows and even went so far as to call the obvious lies and deceptions what they were: lies and deceptions. and that people were getting screwed. Unfortunately she just couldn’t make the leap from “I don’t understand why they are doing this” to “They are deceptive, power hungry liars.”‘ Eventually the whole thing died down and she is now 100% back in the fold, defending every idiotic move by Obama and his lackeys.
Seeing this type of self-brainwashing is very discouraging. Convinces me we have to bottom out before things will get better. Liberals will always make an excuse for their ideology until they are begging in the streets. Even then many will stick to their core beliefs instead of accepting reality.
The stench of denial denied also reaches the WashPost with Glenn Reynold’s Instapundit LINK, tonight, reading “Study: Hundreds of rules passed by Obama administration are technically illegal.”
Which is preceded by the Truth the WashPost denies: “BY ‘TECHNICALLY ILLEGAL,’ THE WAPO MEANS ‘ILLEGAL.'”
Leftists are incorrigible.
“What if he simply said, “I’m done with fundraising. This is an important election, but there’s just too much going on in the world right now”? His political folks would hate it, but I suspect it might be more effective, and presidential, than sending out tin-cup emails.”
More importantly, he would hate it. Fundraising trips seem to be the only thing he lives for. He’s shown no interest in being presidential. His only interest is getting out on the fundraising trail, where there’s no personal accountability since he’s speaking to fawning audiences (and no actual tasks to accomplish), and whining. That’s it.
I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gotten in my car lately, flipped on the radio during a newsbreak, and been treated to Obama literally whining as they play an excerpt of some speech he’s given that day. It’s shockingly unpresidential. The entire tone of the way he speaks these days is an embarrassment to the office. George Bush caught way more flak than Obama ever has from the press or the opposition and he, as the holder of the most powerful office on earth, was never reduced to whining. Obama is such a small, small man.
Remember Mitsu, who wrote comments here from before, when Mitsu started thinking the subsidies as it was written was wrong? He went on vacation for a week or two, and then came back 100% for ObamaCare, no doubts whatsoever.
Now we just got to find out where the Left has their “zombie refining” machines at, because this is True Brainwashing.
I wonder how much public money goes into the president’s fundraising trips: travel & security, for example.
Maybe Joe Klein could propose this to the president: Have your donors pay your expenses.
Dear Joe: ALL Obama does is Fund Raise. Oh, and vacation and golf. Oh, and many bullshit foreign trips meaning NOTHING.
He is a Total Catastrophe. Neville Chamberlain on Steroids. Talk nice to Evil and it’ll tame down, smile winningly and cooperate,’Yo.
The World is on Fire, Yer Infantile Majesty, and you are largely to Blame. Congrats. Or, as the perpetually savaged Booosh/Cheney Cabal repeatedly stated: If there is anything which History has taught us: Weakness is Provocative.
Right, Hitler? Right, Hamas? Right, ISIS? Right, Muslim Brotherhood? Right, al Queda?? Right, Persian Mullahs? Right, Baby Kim? Right, Bashar?