‘Obama the Wimp’ makes way for ‘Obama the King’
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Rich Lowry at National Review read yesterday’s health-care ceremony about the same way I did, although he expressed it a bit differently, as you might expect:
“The health-care industry just flopped on the floor and exposed its belly to Pres. Barack Obama in a craven gesture of submission….
Groups that could be expected to resist the further nationalization of health care are shouldering their way to the bargaining table in the hopes of protecting themselves from the worst of legislation they consider inevitable. For a president who made a cottage industry of hope during his campaign, Obama is benefiting from rank fear in his dealings with potentially recalcitrant business interests, from Chrysler’s secured creditors to the health-care industry — get on board or get run over.”
Fred Kaplan, writing in Slate, reaches a similar take in a very different policy area, Afghanistan:
“Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced this afternoon that he has “asked for the resignation” of Gen. David McKiernan, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, and that he plans to replace him with Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
This is a very big deal.
McKiernan’s ouster signals a dramatic shift in U.S. strategy for the war in Afghanistan. And it means that the war is now, unequivocally, “Obama’s war.” The president has decided to set a new course, not merely to muddle through the next six months or so.”
Can you spot the common theme? Until now, critics and observers have vacillated between two basic but contradictary narratives of the Obama presidency. The first held that he was too weak, timid and inexperienced to be an effective chief executive; the second, initially less popular read was that he would grow too powerful and dominant.
Not much past the 100-days mark, I think we’re seeing the gradual abandonment of that first story line and the embrace of the second. “Obama the King” is winning out over “Obama the Wimp.”
At least for now. The one area where Obama has yet to see his authority tested is in Congress. I get the feeling he’s picking his moment, but we’ll see.
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257 comments Add your comment
I Report :-)/ You Whine :-(
May 12th, 2009
7:56 am
However, Obama the Bozo remains with us.
ew
I Report :-)/ You Whine :-(
May 12th, 2009
8:00 am
It’s past the 100 day mark indeed, and everything that the Cons said would happen is well underway, the destruction of the United States economy, socialization of health care, taxing of energy, raising taxes on the poor, censoring talk radio, isn’t it about time for another bookman column saying that none of these things are happening?
I Report :-)/ You Whine :-(
May 12th, 2009
8:01 am
bookman, why did you delete your own comment?
Susan Myers
May 12th, 2009
8:02 am
All hail King Obama!
I love it!
Brad Steel
May 12th, 2009
8:05 am
Whiner,
Very thoughtful contribution. It’s good to see that you and your like have been marginalized to unoriginal name-calling. How predictable, boring and worthless your whole lot has become.
Maybe you should go back to your ACORN references. I hear that they are going to be counting people – yikes! How seditious and unAmerican.
ty webb
May 12th, 2009
8:06 am
Jay,
Who or what issue is going to test Obama in Congress? He has no opposition. No adversarial press. He pretty much has Carte Blanche at least through 2012.
Mrs. Godzilla
May 12th, 2009
8:06 am
He’s not the King…..he’s the Messiah…and on the 173rd day he shall rest.
Hot Damn! I like this President Obama.
Curious Observer
May 12th, 2009
8:07 am
Only 599 days until the expiration of the Bush tax cuts for the rich, and Obama doesn’t have to lift a finger to make it happen. Like Susan, I’m loving it too.
George American
May 12th, 2009
8:07 am
The uppity and big-headed Obamatang will soon be put in his place by real leaders – American Generals!
Cherokee
May 12th, 2009
8:07 am
Whiner I’ll say it – none of those things are happening.
But then you of course won’t let facts get in your way.
Paul
May 12th, 2009
8:07 am
The first: the healthcare doesn’t abandon a fight where there’s billions at stake. But they don’t stand in front of a tsunami, either. They adjust to what they see as inevitable. ‘Inevitable’ may not be Pres Obama’s vision, but it sure isn’t perpetuation of the status quo, either.
The second: I don’t think anyone realistically thought Pres Obama would go along forever with no changes. (Rushing here, need to go out for a bit). But the changes I listed in the previous thread, new generals, civilian advisors, policy meetings with his top people, yet still lurching about for a ’strategy’ let alone a goal… this is now Obama’s war.
And I take issue with the idea the ouster of Gen McKiernan signals a ‘dramatic shift.’ What is that, exactly, Mr. Slate Writer? It’s more the idea “I don’t like what I have. Don’t know what I want, or how to get it, I just know what I don’t like.”
Mrs. Godzilla, TN Gelding, DB Gwinnettian, followup is in the thread below. Susan Myers, you’re not left out, just not sure if you want a serious discussion of “Everything’s Black or White” or “Live is comprised of greys.”
Reebok
May 12th, 2009
8:09 am
2 contradictory narratives seems to be the defining characteristic of the wingnuts re: Obama…like back in the primaries where he was depicted by the GOP and their news subsidies as a latte-swilling, effete, intellectual, bomb-throwing radical Islamic terrorist.
Disgusted
May 12th, 2009
8:15 am
If you’re a four-star general in charge of a war front, you don’t embarrass your superiors with public calls for more troops. You make such requests quietly, through the chain of command. That’s the only lesson I see from the sacking in Afghanistan.
Jay
May 12th, 2009
8:16 am
I reposted it in the earlier thread, where the offense occurred, Whiner. You might also consider toning down your venom, by the way.
ty webb
May 12th, 2009
8:23 am
Oh yeah, he also has loyal subjects who see that he can do no wrong and believe he should have absolute power(see comments at 8:02 and 8:06).
Taxpayer
May 12th, 2009
8:30 am
Well, Jay, perhaps the Party of “do nothing except say no and then complain about it” is finally starting to realize that Obama can take it and dish it out. The GOPers scurried around during Obama’s first 100 days hiding behind NOs while randomly poking one of their fellow GOPer’s heads out to see if anything got slung back their way. In the end, the best they could do was scrape together a gang of worn-out has-beens, Cheney, Gingrich, and McCain, and gussy them up with some new clothes and makeup. More of the same just doesn’t do it for me. They need to hop in the back seats of their SUVs and let someone drive them to the Sunset Valley Retirement Home where they can live out their days watching old Reagan westerns on the big screen.
Susan Myers
May 12th, 2009
8:33 am
Paul @ 8:07
:^)
Susan Myers
May 12th, 2009
8:35 am
He ventured forth to bring light to the world.
Mrs. Godzilla
May 12th, 2009
8:38 am
oh ty….you silly goose
you lie when you say we think he can do no wrong or that we think he should have absolute power!
please if you are going to lie…do it on a grander scale. the way you do it is absolutely pedestrian! try bigger, broader, more expansive……something like: Obama supporters are trying to get Pope Benedict to canonize him or Obama supporters want to rename our home planet Barackatania.
I Report :-)/ You Whine :-(
May 12th, 2009
8:39 am
Venom?
I Report :-)/ You Whine :-(
May 12th, 2009
8:41 am
Line #1 of a comment hopelessly trapped in the clutches of the high tech Urinal’s spam filter-
The health care industry is not buckling to anybody, they heard all of the liberals nattering on about socialized medicine long ago and to counteract the inevitable, started jacking up their prices to compensate for this. They are simply now giving back what they have already taken. It’s like, duh.
ty webb
May 12th, 2009
8:51 am
Mrs. Godzilla,
Sorry I said that you think he should have absolute power. I take that back. You didn’t call him a king. You only referred to him as “the Messiah”. You do think he can do wrong? What kind of “Messiah” would he be if he did wrong?
Ray
May 12th, 2009
9:01 am
Every week there seems to be one more socialistic probe into free enterprise. Now it’s “we have to break the big monopolies” and spread out these companies who are providing the US citizen with some of the best service and products in the world. Microsoft has changed the face of computer technology worldwide through hard work, good business practices and providing a good product. Where is their reward? More lawsuits, more anti-trust suits and more regulation. Same with AT&T. Great company, providing land line and cell service all over the world. Good functioning company, well run, researched well, and providing thousands of jobs (33,000 at present) but we have to break them up so they don’t become a threat to the American consumer. This is vitriolic, socialistic nonsense. Gates represents the very best in American spirit, innovation and philanthropy but all Bozo can say is “Let’s get ‘em”.
Bosch
May 12th, 2009
9:01 am
ty,
You obviously don’t get Mrs. G.’s sense of humor. She’s awesome. Remember that. Always. Grrrrrrrrrr. Snort. Cough. Cough. Wheeze. Excuse me.
I for one am all ready for new health care reform – bring it on! I enjoyed our discussions yesterday.
I see these “meetings” from yesterday as a careful step played by the administration. I think the industry leaders realize that the time has come and maybe (as Copyleft mentioned yesterday I think) they are stalling until they get more favorable conditions, but I don’t think this tide is going any where. People are fed up and the Baby Boomers ain’t getting no younger.
Susan Myers
May 12th, 2009
9:02 am
Mrs. G,
There’s lots of stuff out there now that bears Obama’s likeness. My personal favorite are the Obama shoes – you wear them and you too can walk on water.
Mrs. Godzilla
May 12th, 2009
9:02 am
ty….
of course he can’t “do no wrong”….silly. he shoulda’ got a lab.
do you know what a joke is? did you see the “i’ll do my next 100 days in 72 days” clip?
i feel sorriest for the humor impaired.
DJ
May 12th, 2009
9:03 am
“You Whine” it seems like your comments are a little out of line factually. The health care you commented on is the same system that corporations, doctors and insurance companies are trying to find solutions to. Apparently, you are speaking from the bowels of nowhere.
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
May 12th, 2009
9:04 am
Jay, Jay, Jay, my dear sweet, naive, innocent, Jay – if you think this is a good deal, you need to let me sell your retirement fund some swampland in Florida of a bridge in Brooklyn – it would take too long to outline all that is wrong, but here are the big parts:
1) This is not $2T in savings against current costs; rather it it projected savings of $2T against expected increases in HC costs over 10 years. Hence, if those who proffer the savings sandbag and estimate a high enough growth rate for “expected costs” this may not represent any savings at all and may, in fact, could represent a hidden real cost increase;
2) $2T over ten years is not worth $2T, and it is dishonest of President Ob-amateur, in keeping with his emerging character, to tout that number when all rational, infomed people know that the net present value from the reduction in the rate of growth is no more than $1.2mm (under the most favorable of assumptions) and more likely less than $1T – then again, maybe President ob-amateur is neither rational nor informed.
3) Since this savings President Ob-amatuer is so proud of represent a 1.5% reduction in the rate of growth of healtchare costs that mean that actual healthcare costs will increase by $133T – one heckuva moral, though given President Ob-amatuer’s shady ethics and dishonest natureperhaps immoral, victory isn’t it.
Looks we can add a few more heads into the growing line of those who have outsmarted, outwitted, and outfoxed our wonder-moron, President Ob-amateur.
I do not believe in reincarnation, but if I did I would like to comeback as someone either selling something to or buying something from President Ob-amateur; he certainly is a first-class stooge made all the more ripe for the picking by a huge and uncontrolled ego.
King Obama – no way, more like King Loser or, given the way he is destroying that which is good in our nation, King Rat.
Susan Myers
May 12th, 2009
9:04 am
Single payer all the way! Yay!
Bosch
May 12th, 2009
9:04 am
Susan,
I want some of those shoes! I also want some Obama wine – you know it looks like water until you open it – and then party on!!!
Taxpayer
May 12th, 2009
9:05 am
Well, I don’t know about no shoes that let you walk on water. That tall tale sounds a little inflated to me.
Brian
May 12th, 2009
9:07 am
Off with his head then!
Bosch
May 12th, 2009
9:07 am
Taxpayer: Ye of little faith.
Bosch
May 12th, 2009
9:08 am
Brian,
Come on – we aren’t barbarians like them evil fundamentalists Mooslims.
Eric
May 12th, 2009
9:08 am
Has anyone noticed that gas prices are well over the $2 mark again? When this happened during Bush, there was a perceived “calamity” and “outrage.” Somehow, now that Obama is in office, everything is hunky dory and no gripes by anyone (including Jay). I find that interesting (and I’m an Obama supporter, but not blind to events).
DB, Gwinnettian
May 12th, 2009
9:08 am
Obama supporters want to rename our home planet Barackatania.
Fear of a Barack Planet?
Nan
May 12th, 2009
9:08 am
Let’s see — we had 8 years of unfettered capitalism and private industry free to do what it wanted in health care, banking, the housing market, you name it. The Bush administration’s answer for everything was “tax cuts!” We can all see how well that worked out, but you GOP supporters want to keep right on doing more of the same? Easy to see why the right-wing ranters have acquired the label “wingnuts.”
ty webb
May 12th, 2009
9:09 am
Bosch,
Speaking of baby boomers. The recession apparently has sped up Social Security’s trip into the red. It was expected not to be paying out more than it’s taking in until 2017, but it now looks like that could be as early as this year. Looks like we got more borrowing to do. I do think Mrs. Godzilla is comical, just probably not for the same reasons you do.
GayGrayGeek
May 12th, 2009
9:10 am
Susan @ 9:04 (any prolly Bosch and Mrs. G, too) – I can give you a great comparison of the two health-care systems that live right side-by-side. In January, 2008, we were living in Nashville when I screwed up my back. A visit to the ER, a CT scan, about 5 minutes of an ER doc’s time and three prescriptions later, we were on the hook for over $10,000 in charges above and beyond what our pitiful “medical coverage” thru my then-employer offered.
In February, 2009, we were living just north of Toronto when I did Major Crap to my shoulder. Two visits to the doctor, 17 X-rays, 5 ultrasounds, two prescriptions and less than a week later, our out-of-pocket expenses totalled $14.91. CANADIAN dollars, at that.
But, of course, Canada’s single-payer system is EEEEEEEE-VULLLLLL, right?
Susan Myers
May 12th, 2009
9:13 am
Bosch & Taxpayer,
No kidding, I have a pair of those shoes. They’re awesome! I walked across Lanier over the weekend, my feet didn’t even get wet!
Taxpayer
May 12th, 2009
9:15 am
I’m just enjoying watching the effect President Obama is having on the right wing fringe. They moan and whine about all the terrible things that President Obama is doing to the lifestyles that they have dreamed about having their entire lives as though they cannot continue to have the same old dreams for the rest of their lives. They’re so cute.
Ray
May 12th, 2009
9:16 am
Gay Greek,
Who do you think made up the shortfall on your Canadian medical care? The Canadian taxpayer is a pretty good guess. Someone has to be paying for this. You sound like some welfare geek, living in some sort of fantasy world where everything falls from the sky and we are healed again.
Bosch
May 12th, 2009
9:16 am
ty,
Well, I don’t know ’bout no Social Security – but I do know that you don’t make the Boomers angry. But I’ll take your word because that wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
I think they are the main reason people are starting to sit up and think “Oh crap” – I personally use a different word when I think that, but our population is aging very dramatically (I could show you drama you wouldn’t enjoy in my own house) – and that’s why things are gonna get done, it’s not Obama – he just happens to be sitting there in the chair now.
Taxpayer
May 12th, 2009
9:17 am
Bosch,
I have faith that I would step on the only needle in the whole of lake lanier if I were to try and walk on water using inflated shoes.
Susan Myers
May 12th, 2009
9:17 am
GGG,
I hear the same from my Canadian friends. It works, people, it really does!
Californication
May 12th, 2009
9:18 am
I don’t understand why people like Susan and Mrs. G want a single payer system; they don’t really know what that is. Please move to a single payer system country for a year or two. Then see if you don’t change your mind. Canada has a 55% tax rate; England just raised their tax rate to 61%. I would bet that the people that want a single payer system are the same ones who collect welfare or don’t pay taxes. Why should I work over half of the year for the government? Only a liberal could justify that with some idiotic reasoning. My wife and I work for OUR family NOT yours….
Paul
May 12th, 2009
9:19 am
GayGreyGeek
Can you tell us how premiums are structured in Canada? Out of the general fund, or is there a specific tax for health care? I’ve noted in the past (when I hear comments like Susan’s “Single payer all the way! Yay!”) that some European countries have a specific, significant tax for health care, separate from income tax. Many counties have little if any exclusion for those at the bottom end of the income scale. So it’s like our Social Security tax is now (for the moment, anyway) whatever you make, no matter how little, you contribute a share.
I’m just not sure the American population is of the mindset of “I want this, I have to contribute.” The parties have done so much to set up an ‘us vs them’ mentality…
But having said that, I think there are plenty of people, average wage earners, who pay so darn much in premiums and then have those great copays, that even under a significant new tax rate they’d come out ahead.
ty webb
May 12th, 2009
9:19 am
Are there also free lunches north of Toronto?
Joey
May 12th, 2009
9:22 am
Other media cheer-leading for the Obama Solution(s), this from the Washington Post:
“The recession has entered a new phase, pulling away from the abyss into a period of steep, but orderly decline.”
They did not observe, or did not report, if indeed that steep slope was slippery.
DB, Gwinnettian
May 12th, 2009
9:24 am
Cali asks:
“I don’t understand why people like Susan and Mrs. G want a single payer system”
Paul answers:
“there are plenty of people, average wage earners, who pay so darn much in premiums and then have those great copays, that even under a significant new tax rate they’d come out ahead.”
That’s about all you need to know, really.