How do you solve a problem like Obama?
On the surface Barack Obama is a great candidate with a lot going for him – he’s young, energetic, intelligent, hasn’t sold out to the lobbyists, hasn’t had enough time to be tainted by inside the Beltway thinking. Going in he looked really good, and a fine choice, but it has been down hill ever since.
While you can find out who his campaign advisors are, you can’t really know who he’s listening to when they give their advice. As a result, whatever comes out has to be assumed to be his thinking and his opinion.
I crossed him off my short list because of his statements on Iran. Nobody has presented any real, confirmed evidence that Iran is a major threat to anyone. No one has presented a believable case that, after over two centuries of never starting a war, they have suddenly switched from defense to offense. For me, Obama’s hawkish statements were not signs of reasoned thought on foreign policy. I noted that he was absent from the vote on Kyl-Leiberman, which is wishy-washy and no platform for complaining about those who voted for it.
Michael at Musing’s musings is really angry at Obama after this week. First there was the anti-gay gospel singer covered in Game over, and then the pathetic response by the Obama campaign covered in From bad to worse. Michael reminds us that Obama promised the people of Illinois he wouldn’t be seeking any other office until he finished his term as senator, and his Presidential run breaks that promise.
Obama has the real possibility of becoming the first person of color to be President of the United States, but I think he needs more experience in the real world of the national government and in international affairs.
12 comments
I put music to that title in my mind….
It does invoke “the sound of music” 😈
You are evil you know…that d**n song has been in my head all night.
It is a bit of a “Trapp”.
When I first saw your title, I thought you had pirated George Greanias’s 1964 parody musical, “Hello Hamlet” (scroll down), a Shakespeare send-up including a song titled “How do you Solve a Problem Like Ophelia?” Greanias went on to become City Controller in Houston, so it must not have hurt him too badly.
In 1964 I was busy plotting my escape from an all-male university in rural Hamilton, New York while still able to respond truthfully to local draft board 50 that I was still in college.
It was the Foreign Affairs über-macho foreign policy piece that convinced me he wasn’t ready for prime time. But this McClurkin gaffe, which apparently neither Obama nor his staff either knows how or wants to kill, put the final nail in the coffin. And I’m finding it difficult to believe the lengths to which the Obama apologists will go to try to justify cozying up to a guy that anybody with a brain or an internet connection knew was a raving homophobe (and, according to the latest revelations, apparently a flaming hypocrite as well).
I begin to wonder whether our political system can be resuscitated after two decades of Roger Ailes-style politics?
I’m getting really tired of having everything “framed” by the rightwing lunatic lint. They have convinced people that if they don’t buy into their crackpot ideas and prejudices, and pander to them, there’s no way of getting elected in this country, when all of the polls say the opposite.
Someone has told Obama that he has to adopt minority opinions on foreign policy and domestic issues, and suck up to the “values voters.” The polls say that Hillary Clinton is leading and the “values voters” hate her.
If he can’t escape the Beltway conventional wisdom, Obama may have a hard time keeping his Senate seat.
He’s surely going to have to earn back my vote in 2010. Though unless the Illinois GOP gets its act together and pronto (no sign of that happening, given they’re running an über-wingnut and a nonentity for Hastert’s open seat in the special election (whenever Fat Denny decides finally to vacate the seat). I s’pose maybe one of the other House Republicans from Illinois who decided to retire this year might take a swing at it, but as I recall, one of them’s older than God and the other just barely squeaked through in a close race–not what I’d call good prospects for a Senate competition–especially if Obama has cash left over from his presidential run to spend.
If he doesn’t maintain his connection to his base and the state, he could get cut loose. Hillary Clinton is careful to keep up with her constituents, even those unlikely to vote for her in upstate New York, while running. Obama had better be doing the same or he may find a primary challenge. Breaking his promise on not running for national office is not a good way to start a career.
The Illinois GOP has certainly provided some entertainment to the country, but they will be hard pressed to top Obama’s first senate race.
Kill. Bryan. Now. Hate. Sound. Of. Music.!
On the bright side, I showed your post to my husband, and now the song is going through HIS head, too. And he hates ALL musicals!!!! LOL
On the Obama side, I always did think he was a bit too green for the office. He will get there. It doesn’t have to be Now.
Sorry about that, Moi, but it was a weird day.
I believe he will find his persona on the national stage, but he hasn’t settled into his role. He’s listening to bad advice.