Barack Obama is doing so badly at foreign policy, at dealing with the economy and at running an administration that predictions that he may be “the next Carter” are sounding optimistic.
But when it comes to neutralizing his competition, he shows he’s learned something from all his years in Chicago:
Keep your friends close—and the competition closer. There has been a buzz about Petraeus and the presidency since about the fall of last year, and to many in the Republican Party—a party bereft of ideas and credible leaders—the general has increasingly taken on the aspect of a possible messiah. His impeccable military credentials, his undoubted intelligence, his mastery of personal and professional politics (you wouldn’t catch him talking to Rolling Stone in a million years), plus his undoubted (if carefully tailored) conservatism have led many to see in him a man who can take on Obama in 2012, and beat him. He is even the sort of guy who’d allow the GOP to broaden its tent, drawing in “undecideds” and independents.
This can no longer happen.
Gotta hand it to the President.
Of course it could still happen. Great Leader is still holding to his idiotic timelime of beginning the drawdown in July 2011.
Sometime in October or November the general retires and throws his hat in the ring. He then geys to either be the one who ended the Afghan war or the main critic if things go south.
But he’ll be able to say (honestly) to the American people that he was able to work with both parties.
Here’s another evaluation of The Won that doesn’t rely on the paradigm of the failed Carter presidency
“By and large, I think the president, instead of being a 21st-century leader, is Hubert Humphrey on steroids,” Mr. Bush said. “I don’t think there’s much newness in spending more money as the solution to every problem.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/us/politics/23bai.html
“By and large, I think the president, instead of being a 21st-century leader, is Hubert Humphrey on steroids,”
Kel, NRO replied that Obama is more of LBJ on estrogen.
Mitch, perhaps you could comment on the Democrat candidates words at a Women’s (sic) forum yesterday. The money quote:
“Dayton said he would require local governments to submit quarterly reports to the state on how they’re enforcing the pay equity law.”
So you run a small town or county, and can barely staff you police department and fix the worst potholes in the roads. Now you have some fatass bureucrat in St Paul looking over you pay levels and decides if you pay levels are accepatable.
A long-dead hamster in a blender has more chance of winning 2012 Presidential race then 0bama. 0bama will not even survive the primary. And that is counting 20,000,000 freshly branded citizens’ votes created via royal, ahem executive, fiat.
ps. Apologies to long-dead hamsters everywhere for comparing you to 0bama – you do not deserve such cruelty.
jpa, how many chickens are you already counting as hatched?
Never misunderestimate the ability of the US economy to grow despite these bad policies.
And never misoverestimate the memory of the electorate.
I guess I am optimistic when it comes to basic human instincts and desire to be free rather then live under 0bama’s boot.
KR wrote “And never misoverestimate the memory of the electorate.”
One of your witty and charming days, I see, KR. I always enjoy those.
Thanks, DG.
🙂
Wait a second, *cue The Who*:
“When I smile, tell me some bad news”
Without doubt, McCrystal had to go. Regardless if the C in C is Reagan or the incompetent, immature cipher we have today, the military must repect civilian control or we “the people” no longer have a country. That said, the best part of the replacement by Patraeus is the gravitas of having a proven commander and winning strategist that can re-orient the effort in Afghanistan. Hopefully the Current Cipher listens to him. (The Current Cipher – you heard it hear first in the event it shows up in a Keillor column soon.) The second best part – watching MoveOn.org attempt to airbrush their Betray-Us nonsense. What do the crossaint and free trade coffee Democrats think of the Stalinist tendencies of their party elders?