Obama: Doubling Down on Incompetence

[Cow Poke]

This is his second major "shellacking", but he still doesn't get it.

Source: National Journal

November 5, 2014 Shellacked and thumped by an angry electorate, President Obama declared to every American who voted in Tuesday's elections—and to those who've checked out of the political process—"I hear you."

And then he ignored them.

From all appearances Wednesday, the president won't change—not his policies, not his style, not his staff, not nothing. Defiant and begrudging, the president said he would meet with GOP leaders, seek their suggestions for common ground, and maybe grab a drink with Senate Majority Leader-to-Be Mitch McConnell.

Beyond that, meh. "It's probably premature" to consider personnel changes, Obama said when pressed by a reporter for the type of reflection and resetting undertaken by President Clinton after his 1994 midterm trouncing.

Moments earlier, McConnell urged Obama not to take executive action to legalize undocumented immigrants, saying such a momentous policy change by fiat would "be like waving a red flag in front of a bull." The newly reelected Kentucky senator also called it a "poison pill."

Obama shrugged. While willing to consider any immigration legislation passed by the GOP-controlled Congress, "What I'm not going to do," Obama said, "is wait."

© Copyright Original Source

Sounds pretty much like his "I have a phone and a pen" malarkey.

[seanD]

He doesn't have to change anything when the Reps have indicated they're willing to compromise with Obama on issues, such as immigration. The only thing that he might butt heads with them is the next round of budget talks (which may not even be a problem either as there is no other smooth solution but increase spending).

[Jedidiah]

I do not buy this whole incompetence idea. He is competent enough to have brought the nation to it's collective knees. We were once upon a time a great nation. Today - not so much.

[rogue06]

I do not buy this whole incompetence idea. He is competent enough to have brought the nation to it's collective knees. We were once upon a time a great nation. Today - not so much.

I've seen several businesses brought down by incompetence. Governments in other countries have in the past been brought down through incompetence. We are not exempt.

[Juvenal]

Sounds pretty much like his "I have a phone and a pen" malarkey.

Hee hee. Y'all just can't get over the fact he won two elections, can you?

[Sam]

A midterm election with apparently historically low turnout and an abnormally high percent of the over-60 crowd represented. If you're looking for a more representative sample of American opinion, do you use 2012 or 2014?

[Cow Poke]

Hee hee. Y'all just can't get over the fact he won two elections, can you?

It's just amazing there are that many gullible people!

[phank]

I do not buy this whole incompetence idea. He is competent enough to have brought the nation to it's collective knees. We were once upon a time a great nation. Today - not so much.

Unless you compare how things are today, with how things were when he took office. Unemployment? WAY down. Stock market? WAY up. Annual deficit: WAY down. GDP? WAY up. Yes, this is a nation on its knees, OK. Oh, and let's not forget what Obama inherited, against which current numbers are being compared. Who was responsible for that inheritance?

Nobody is going to argue that Obama has managed to repair ALL the damage he inherited. That would be asking too much.

[Cow Poke]

Unless you compare how things are today, with how things were when he took office. Unemployment? WAY down. Stock market? WAY up. Annual deficit: WAY down. GDP? WAY up. Yes, this is a nation on its knees, OK. Oh, and let's not forget what Obama inherited, against which current numbers are being compared. Who was responsible for that inheritance?

Nobody is going to argue that Obama has managed to repair ALL the damage he inherited. That would be asking too much.

I get it --- Blame Bush!

[phank]

A midterm election with apparently historically low turnout and an abnormally high percent of the over-60 crowd represented. If you're looking for a more representative sample of American opinion, do you use 2012 or 2014?

There remains a serious image problem, and for this you must give Republicans credit, because they have been working on that since day one. The strategy is simple: vote often unanimously against every proposal (even if it's a plank of your own party platform), then blame Obama for not doing anything. It works!

So look what we have today: low unemployment, record-breaking stock markets, recovered home prices, improved national health. And look what we SEE in response to this (Cow Poke, Jedediah and others). Evidence DOES NOT MATTER to the ideologically committed. We have a Republican who spends two terms running the economy right into the ground, a Democrat who spends 2 terms rescuing it, and our forum Republicans are as blind as ever. Alas, it seems the public is too.

Well, we can take whatever solace we can find in the knowledge that whatever we suffer, we VOLUNTEERED for it at the polls.

[phank]

I get it --- Blame Bush!

No, credit Obama. He inherited a disaster, and he engineered a recovery despite bozos like you kicking and screaming all the way.

And I notice you completely ignored the changes since 2008. I wonder why?

[Cow Poke]

low unemployment

Might you care to elaborate on another aspect of unemployment? The Labor Participation Rate?

[Cow Poke]

No, credit Obama. He inherited a disaster, and he engineered a recovery despite bozos like you kicking and screaming all the way.

[Cow Poke]

There remains a serious image problem, and for this you must give Republicans credit, because they have been working on that since day one. The strategy is simple: vote often unanimously against every proposal (even if it's a plank of your own party platform), then blame Obama for not doing anything. It works!

So look what we have today: low unemployment, record-breaking stock markets, recovered home prices, improved national health. And look what we SEE in response to this (Cow Poke, Jedediah and others). Evidence DOES NOT MATTER to the ideologically committed. We have a Republican who spends two terms running the economy right into the ground, a Democrat who spends 2 terms rescuing it, and our forum Republicans are as blind as ever. Alas, it seems the public is too.

Well, we can take whatever solace we can find in the knowledge that whatever we suffer, we VOLUNTEERED for it at the polls.

So why do members of his own party run from him like rats from a sinking ship?

[rogue06]

A midterm election with apparently historically low turnout and an abnormally high percent of the over-60 crowd represented. If you're looking for a more representative sample of American opinion, do you use 2012 or 2014?

You use the 2012 election for 2012 and the 2014 election for 2014. If people sat home that also tells you something about the present mood of the electorate.