The Obama Paradox

I wouldn't give Obama much of the credit. The Dems have a huge majority in the House and and a filibuster proof Senete, though with the mere threat of filibuster the Dems can't pass anything, Repubs use to laugh at Dem filibusters. I am sorry but Obama really showed how weak of a leader he is, without those majorities he would not have passed a single law. Even Bush was able to reach across the aisle in a way that Obama has been unable to do.

Susan, the so-called "paradox" that everyone is talking about is an illusion. The question isn't whether the prez has met his goals, it's HOW he has done so. Yes he passed a comprehensive healthcare bill, but even Dems like myself have to admit it's a mess. I'm thrilled for the universal coverage, but horrified at the backroom deals that were cut with insurance companies and big pharma to get it done. Those folks have absolutely no complaints. As I understand it there will be 32 million (!) new insured by 2014, which translates into a lot of premium dollars, with no counterbalancing power to keep costs down let alone cut them. And there is no doubt that Obama's financial successes have been on the backs of the little guy. We've bailed out AIG and "too-big-to-fail" banks without any guarantees that they would adjust mortgages. I suspect most of us know someone who is/has been threatened with foreclosure, often because they have lost a job that they depended on to pay the bills. Neither did the administration insist that the banks lend money to small businesses, the primary incubator of jobs in the US. The stimulus package may have helped stave off a depression; but who hasn't heard a TRUE horror story about how some of the stimulus money was spent? And yes, Obama said he'd take the action to Afghanistan, but with clearly defined obtainable goals. Ha! The list goes on...Such a disappointment.

The main premise of this essay is that Barack Obama delivered on his campaign promises, and yet his popularity has plummeted. It would be a tremendous understatement to say that this premise is false.
Barack Obama campaigned on 'no tax increases to the middle class', and yet the healthcare 'reform' is a huge package of fee and tariff and mandate costs borne by the middle class.
Barack Obama campaigned on no 'mandates' for healthcare, yet the linchpin of the package is a mandate (now officially called a tax).
Barack Obama campaigned on reaching across the aisle, and being 'post-racial', and we've seen how quickly that aura has dissipated.
Yes, if you draw the blinders tight enough, you can make a case that Barack Obama has simply delivered on his campaign promises... but that would be a very *very* selective narrative. The American public has a broader view (no surprise there) than the Democrat establishment is wont to discuss. When you advance such a partisan view, ignoring the larger scope of both issues and details, you come across as a partisan spokesperson rather than an informed and astute thinker endeavouring to enlighten and inform. The term disingenuous is aptly applied here.
- Bob Elkind

The reason BHO was elected is because the press no longer strives to protect the people from the politicians; (they are now in bed with the Democratic Party ( now the Socialist/Facist/Marxist Party). Remember Woodward and Bernstein. They were truly investigative reporters. If most of the voters knew 'who' Obama was (Marxist) and not just that he was both white and black I believe he wouldn't have been elected. Obama, Pelosi and Reid are the arsenic that is destroying America.

Obama, Pelosi and Reid are the arsenic that is destroying America. Wake up Susan!

President Obama has certainly delivered on his promises and now the people realize they bought a racists with utter contempt for the people of America.

I am waiting on the final curtain to fall when China and other soverign funds refuse to finance American debt for Obama. Obama will only print more money just like FDR. $3.7 trillion dollars in less than 18 months and more coming with Cap & Trade, plus the Amesnty Bill of adding another 15 million citizens. I can see the Revolution clouds growing by the day and it will make the French Revolution look like childs play. Remember Obama's statement about the 1 million man citizen army to be trained just like the military, Black Panthers and Nation of Islam. Crowd control - Susan?

Others before me, particulalry Bob Elkind, already nailed it.
I will offer too that public concern over the massive debt goes hand in hand with the high unemployment rate and the anti-business aura this administration has. One can easily dismiss the national debt and expanding entitlement programs when there is a large and growing tax base of employed people. With the official unemployment rate at 10% (cloer to 17% in reality), massive debt, and ever more regulation and entitlement programs it is no wonder the angst is so high.
Many of us knew this was exactly what would happen when the liberals finally had their one party rule and we told you so.

You can say "He made promises and he kept them"?
You're joking, right? Nothing has been transparent. No promises were kept. He has also managed to be the most divisive man in history.
Nothing this administration does is open or honest - so don't hold your breath waiting for them to deal with things in that fashion.

There's no paradox here. obama has destroyed this country with the grossly expensive programs that the American people do not want. He's taken over the car industry and banking industry. He's destroying the oil industry by ignoring a court order to halt the 6 month moratorium on deep water drilling. Is he above the law? I think he thinks he is. He's mocked those that disagree with him and repeatedly trampled on the Constitution without remorse.

He thinks he's so witty when TOTUS tells him to say things like "you can't have the keys because you don't know how to drive" while referring to republicans. He comes off as an arrogant, condesending little dictator.

He claims that the republicans had no ideas to offer for healthcare reform but failed to mention that he never allowed the republicans in the closed door meetings. Republicans had very good ideas and posted them on their websites. But did the state controlled media report things fairly? No. Did obama ever really intend to "reach across the aisle" with the republicans? No! He condems the republicans for being the "party of no" but has he ever crossed the aisle to a republican idea? No! He says things like "I won" and suggests that the republicans had therefore better vote HIS way or risk being labeled "the party of no" or "racist".

It's been disclosed that JournOList had a direct strategy with handling the coverup of jeremiah wright's hate filled diatribes that obama claimed to have never heard in 20 years of listening to them; label conservatives racists. To subvert the story of the "G-damn America" comments, they flat out said that they should call Karl Rove and Bill Kristol racists. jonathan zasloff, a law professor from UCLA suggested that the FCC simply pull Foxnews off the air. He actually wanted to know if the FCC couldn't just pull their broadcasting permit once it expired. Great. He's a progressive, the likes of obama and you wonder why obama's numbers have plummeted? Do any of your readers even know this has happened? He's a LAW professor. He's teaching kids and he does not believe in the Constitutional right of Freedom of the Press or Freedom of Speech? WHAT???

Do any of your readers even know about cass sunstein, the regulatory czar? He's dangerous! How about Van Jones, the communist who vanished into the night right into the waiting arms of the center of american progress? This way, the administration didn't have to answer any questions as to his communism and the radical organization he co-founded, STORM (Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement). He studied Lenin and Mao Tse Tung! Anita Dunn, the former White House communications director was another Maoist admirer! How about Ron Bloom, Manufacturing czar who said this: "Generally speaking we get the joke. We know that the free market is nonsense. We know that the whole point is to game the system, to beat the market, or at least find someone who will pay you a lot of money because they're convinced that there is a free lunch. We know this is largely about power, that it's an adults only, no limit game. We kind of agree with Mao that political power comes largely from the barrel of a gun. And we get it that if you want a friend, you should get a dog."

How about Andy Stern formerly the head of SEIU? obama's buddy said this: “[W]e prefer to use the power of persuasion, but if that doesn't work we use the persuasion of power.” The people he surrounds himself with are, shall we say, suspect? Any normal thinking person would consider that might make obama himself suspect.

How about obama's affiliations with unions? With ACORN? How about obama's attorney general, eric holder, dropping the case against the black panthers? Hm? The Federal Government had won the case (default judgment) and mysteriously dropped it!

He accepts no blame. He's blamed Bush, Bush, Bush, the Cambridge Police, Bush, Glenn Beck, Wall Street, Bush, Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Bush, Doctors who "unnecessarily remove tonsils" or "feet off diabetics", Bush, BP, Bush, Tom Vilsack, and did I mention Bush? He is embarrassing in his lack of maturity.

He's played golf 8 times since April 20, 2010. You know, the date of the oil spill. He's been on 3 vacations in the same amount of time and is already planning his fourth. That means he takes his family on vacations every month. Did he think he was elected to work only 40 hour work weeks, wink wink, with four and a half hour lunches so he can cram in another round of golf?

Additionally he's a liar. He said he'd close gitmo. Liar. He said he'd pull troops out of Iraq. Liar. He said he'd be transparent. Liar. He said no federal funding for abortions. Liar. He said no one making less than $250,000...uh...$200,000...uh...$150,000...uh...$100,000 dollars a year would NOT have an increase in taxes. Liar, liar, pants on fire! Oh wait! The emperor has no clothes!

There is no paradox here. He is not honorable. He's cowardly, brazen, arrogant, condesending and he lies. The only way the dems don't lose HUGE in November is if obama calls his thugs in SEIU, ACORN and the NBPP to intimidate and yet, when the dems DO lose huge, they'll be the first to claim "voter disenfranchisement". They always do - unless they manage to eke out a win - then SURPRISE! No disenfranchisement.

The saul alinskying is getting old. It doesn't work anymore. And THAT is obama's paradox.

I guess you can say he kept his promise to 'change' this country. But during his campaign, he gave absolutely no details on what exactly he was planning ('Hope for change and change for hope blah blah blah'). I think it's funny now that so many Democrats/liberals are surprised that his ratings are plummeting after he supposedly accomplished so much. His only accomplishment is to govern against the will of the people with his backroom deals and also embarrass us throughout the rest of the civilized world with his bowing and apologizing for our great country.

I do agree with you on one thing Susan; the Democrats' future does depend on their willingness to address questions open and honestly. But you know they can't possibly do that; for them to be honest they would have to admit their vision for the USA: a total socialist/fascist country where they control our wages, health care, sources of energy and ultimately what food we eat (Kagan wouldn't even agree that it's unconstitutional for Congress to control what we eat!).

So my silver lining from Barry being elected has come true: he has destroyed the Democratic party, with the help of Pelosi an Reid, much faster and to a much greater degree than what George W. did with the Republican party. And he did this with even a fawning media who refused to ask the question: Who is Barrack Obama?

Unfortunately, Susan spins when accounting Obama's "accomplishments":

HealthCare: Boondoggle economy killer
Stimulus: NO JOBS FOR 1 TRILLION$
SCOTUS: Unqualified idealogs who lie to get confirmed.
Afghanistan: General asked for 60,000 and Obama waited MONTHS to send 30,000.
Immigration: Does NOTHING but sue a State that enforces FEDERAL law.
Financial Reform?!?!?! Did NOT EVEN ADDRESS CAUSE OF THE CRISIS: Democrats slush fund Fannie and Freddie!!!!

Time for Dems to wake up to the reality of the FAILED Obama Presidency.

Susan should get off the kool-aid and support Hillary for the Dem Nom in 2012

Let's get off the name-calling and look at facts: Obama promised to try to be bi-partisan. The Republicans have filibustered everything he tried to do, and he gets the blame for lack of bipartisanship. On the other hand, he promised to close Gitmo, but instead, he transferred the atrocity there to Bagram and continued the worst of the Bush policies of rendition, etc. He even claimed the right to assassinate an American citizen without due process of law, which goes beyond anything Bush ever tried. Meanwhile, Gitmo is still going.

He promised to filibuster telecom immunity, but when the vote came, he eagerly voted for it, and has since promised to veto any bill that would hold anyone accountable for the unlawful behaviors of the Bush regime.

He promised a health care plan with a public option, which 64% of the American public wanted, but the public option was the first thing he negotiated away, leaving us with the plan John McCain campaigned on.

You're right about the national debt and terrorism being equal in the polls, but you left out the fact that every reputable poll out there shows that jobs are far ahead of either concern.

The stimulus was a half-hearted effort to placate the masses while the big dogs of Wall St. got their bail-out, as instituted by Bush and continued by Obama. Meanwhile, they seem bound and determined to repeat the mistake of 1937 when they took their eyes off jobs and concentrated on the deficit, and that landed us in another recession.

What ended the Great Depression, my Republican friends tell me, was World War II. Well, where did that money come from? The deficit then, adjusted for inflation, was greater than it is now, but the spending put people to work. We need that kind of effort toward job creation now.

Bipartisanship is the holy grail for the Beltway chattering class. But out here in the real world, we don't want bipartisanship. We want leadership, and we don't see it happening. That's why Obama's poll numbers are heading south.

Tom, whenever the republicans have filibustered, it was because they were trying to do what the AMERICAN PEOPLE wanted them to do. Instead, obama and his gang of corruptocrats have rammed this ill-advised sludge through at every turn. And when obama is in a lame duck session expect to see them ram Cap and Tax and Amnesty for illegals through, despite the fact that 80% of Americans are against these additional terrible, anti-american policies.
And you must admit, there have been many, many times when obama has not allowed republicans to participate in the debate. Remember when he promised transparency and then decided to not let American citizens so much as witness the debate? It's really quite simple. obama lies.

Obama lies, and when he is not telling lies he is being dishonest. He campaigned promising not to raise taxes on the middle class. He made that promise knowing that the Bush tax cuts were set to expire. That taxes would go up without his having to raise them. This year my tax rate will go up. I feel so much better about it knowing that Obama was not the one to raise my taxes, but on the other hand they are going up and he has done nothing to stop it.
And taxes are not the only thing he has been dishonest about. During the State of The Union speech when he said Obama-care would not cover illegals he knew that an amnesty was part of his agenda. Once amnesty goes through the people Obama said would not be covered will be covered since they will no longer be illegal. Wilson was wrong and he was right. I hate word games. I hated them when Clinton played them (depends on what the deffinition of is is) and I hate them now when Obama is playing them.
Besides the word games and the out right lies he has governed against the will of the people. While he did campaign on universal health care as the debate proceeded it was apparent that public opinion was opposed to the health care package that was forced through. Add to that the secrecy and back room deals that were required to pass it and it is no wonder his poll numbers have dropped. Susan its not that he has kept his campaign promises but how he kept them that has caused his numbers to fall.

"with triple the number of women on the High Court "? Who cares? There used to be two at one time....it is the push to "diversify" that has ignored accomplishments. Kagan has none. None. So we're better off because she brings her vagina with her?
I reject this folly of thinking.

I have decided that you are as irrelevant as this administration. Either you are one that will not be held to this plan or you are stupid. I do not use stupid lightly because I do not like the word but with your articles supporting this mess of a government there must be something in it for you. I do not believe Hillary or anyone connected to this administration. Obama has made the congress and Senate irrelevant with bills that were supported (due to threats and bribes) to destroy our freedom. I am focusing on my God and I believe we individually get into heaven not Obama thinking of collective salvation. WOW Susan WOW!!

Re: Auntie Sammie
Why was Cap and Trade such a great idea when the Reagan Administration did it, but such a lousy idea now?

Also, when did the Bush Administration and its Republican Congress ever include the Democrats in any plans or policy discussions? And why did the Beltway media not scream about "bipartisanship" then?

And, as any reputable poll will tell you, Republican senators have been filibustering to stop the very programs that the majority of Americans want passed. The polls show that Americans want more than the half-hearted efforts the Obama people have offered Congress, which, as I said before, is the main reason for the slip in popularity of Obama.

Tom, because of your total ignorance of the facts, you will go down with the rest of the Socialists. Stop watching Hardball and reading the New York Times. It's your only salvation!

THIS die-hard conservative liked Susan's column, despite her choosing to ignore the many, many broken Obama promises. But nothing she says is inaccurate nor polemic. Her column is syndicated in our local paper (The Daily Local, West Chester, PA and I for one don't hesitate reading her while other lefty columnists make me cringe.

The Count

She who knows but knows not that she knows is asleep. Awaken her!

Susan you are either alseep or delusional. Just as one would expect our lawmakers to at least make some pretence as to reading Bills (incidentally passsed by the mechanism of wholesale buying of votes within the fully corupt Democrat supermajorities in both houses and with which even the Clown Prince of Fools could not fail to get matters passed) one would expect a purported professor of law to have read the Constitution.

Article Two Section 1 final paragreaph "Before he [Obama] enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the foillowing Oath or Affirmation ;- I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will execute the office of the President of the United States and will to the best of my Ability,preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Remember this Susan? Obama took that Oath. It was the last great promise he made to the American people and the promise that he has with pre meditation consistently consciously and cravenly broken on each and every day he has been in Office. Each and every one of the matters you assert as an acheivement or the keeping of a campaign promise is without any doubt a breaking of that solemn Oath of Office. Lenin said that the most effective way to destroy a society was to destroy its money. That is what the so called financial reform, Obamcare, monstrous debt, crippling deficits are all about. Kagan has been appointed to weaken and destroy the Constitution from the bench. The immigration policy cited by the Administration in the suit against Arizona is proof positive that Obama has no interest in fulfilling his fundamantal promise to protect the United states from invasion by foreign persons or foreign powers. The real paradox is that Obama shpould be impeached for tearing asunder the Oath of Office but those who would have to instigate the impeachment process, to wit, the wholly corupt Democratic congress are to a man/woman also guilty of the wholsale breaking of their own Oath of Office. You know this to be true Susan. Now wake up and speak honestly.

Re: Early

How does calling me a Socialist disprove any of the facts I have asserted? I don't care about labels, tell me facts so that I can discern the truth. Actually, as the late, great Sydney J. Harris said, "The first one to start throwing labels around, such as 'liberal' or 'right-wing' is the one who has lost the argument on its merits and is now falling back on name-calling." The label, "Socialist" also falls into that category.

BTW, I neither read the NYT (which sat on a story showing Bush committing impeachable acts for a year till he could be re-elected, which printed lies that led us into war as news on the front page, and then buried the facts that refuted those lies in the middle of the inner pages) nor watch Hardball, which has consistently degraded the Clintons and praised John McCain.

So I suggest you get your facts straight. I am interested in an intelligent debate on facts, but not on a schoolyard-level contest of name-calling.

Tom,
Your comment stated no facts, only accusations. In your world we can't call Socialist 'Socialist' or Marxist "Marxist.'
If you study recent history, the Democcatic Party has become the Socialist/Facist/Marxist Party and the Republicans are the old Democratic Party. We are slowly dying as a great nation. The current holder of the office of President has surrounded himself with people who have an anti-constitution agenda. Do some research and discover the truth.

Most "independent" voters voted for Obama, because it made them feel good. They didn't really pay enough attention to know that he wasn't a moderate like he was pretending to be. Now, they know just how far left he is. He is not a moderate. It is impossible for him to bring people together because there is no one that is farther left than he is. They he is under a spot light and he can't hide is liberal friends, appointments and agenda. People know better now, and he will never be re-elected.

Sounds to me like the Republicans and Tea Partiers are the born-again "doom-and-gloom," anti-American, "nattering nabobs of negativism." People DO get tired of hearing how bad things are and what's wrong with America. Then we elect a chuckling, smirking "Morning in America" clown like Reagan just to tell us we're fine the way we are. I think Obama needs to just start smiling and chuckling and telling the nattering nabobs on the right, "There you go again..." every time they rail about the deficit or unemployment or "government takeovers" or "sociallism" or whatever else. They ARE tearing down America whenever they foster fear and paranoia and hatred.