September 1, 2011

"If this was an attempt to make Republicans look unreasonable, then, in almost every conceivable way, it failed spectacularly."

"And scheduling the speech during the GOP debate, even if Boehner had immediately acceded, is the one way the White House could guarantee a) that fewer voters would be watching and that b) viewers and pundits would pay less attention to the speech’s content and more to the theatrics around it. In other words, it’s the easiest way to lessen the speech’s chances at success. If this is a preview of Obama’s re-election campaign, Democrats should be very worried."

WaPo's James Downie.

But wait. It occurs to me that Obama may want to divert attention from the speech's content. What do you think the content is? For a month, he's been saying the big speech is coming — he's got a plan to restore jobs. If he really had an answer to the chronic problem, why didn't he reveal it right away? He's been working on something that would sound like he's got an answer, and, in all likelihood, he knew it wouldn't go through Congress, so the point was simply to be able to say: It's Congress's fault. I had a plan, but they wouldn't pass it. But he couldn't say that unless he really had a plan that would impress people. My guess is: He didn't even have that. That's why he reverted to the theatrics, lame as they were.

We'll see. It's my hypothesis. He went for theatrics because the actual content of the speech will be an embarrassing fizzle after the big build-up. His bluff was called, so the theatrics look particularly lame, but he may even prefer our gabbing about the lameness of the failed theatrics to our scrutiny of the actual substance of the plan.

76 comments:

George said...

What possible content can he propose? Seriously? He's no got big ideas on jobs left and Clintonian/Dick Morris tiny little plans will just look silly after blowing up a trillion bucks on a failed stimulus package.

The Dude said...

In sports the saying is "nothing lives up to the hype". The same can be said about Ofloppah.

Bob Ellison said...

Most voters are not political junkies. They don't notice and won't care about the scheduling kerfuffle. Obama probably thought, accurately, that he risked nothing by stomping on the GOP debate, and probably calculated, inaccurately, that he gained something by getting Boehner to push him to re-schedule. These are negligible effects.

It is obvious that there is no big idea at work. Such a thing cannot exist in this universe. But now Obama can preach to his own choir without interruption, possibly using reference to the GOP debate the day before. Real Obama-worshippers won't care about the NFL/Packers stomp. It will be a light and leftist crowd watching. I predict an extremely political, leftist speech.

pm317 said...

Wow, would you read what you wrote there again -- theatrics, absence of substance, hiding from responsibility, juvenile instincts?

I am a naturalized citizen and I vote. But still having an outsider's eye, all this really looks bad for America. Is this the quality of the presidency we have come to accept? Where is the outrage?

Jeff in Oklahoma said...

Blaming Congress is the only scapegoat that polls worse than he does.

And why not blame congress - - he is really good at blaming anything and everything under the sun. Come to think of it, blame is the one thing he seems to actually be good at.

Unknown said...

Is there a pool for how many minutes after the scheduled start he steps up to the mike? If so, I want 22 minutes.

Original Mike said...

"It occurs to me that Obama may want to divert attention from the speech's content."

I think the problem with that thesis is, if we wanted lower visibility for his speech he wouldn't have called for a joint session of Congress to deliver it.

ricpic said...

Priority # 1 is cutting negroes down from trees. Everything else, including jobs, comes in a distant 2nd. One would hope Obama of all people would emphasize that task...which only gummint can do right.

Robert said...

Of course, now every Republican at the debate will have to have a jobs plan. And they'll get contrasted with Dear Liar's. Guess who's is going to look the lamest.

Original Mike said...

" Is this the quality of the presidency we have come to accept?"

Who's accepting it (other than Obama toadies)?

edutcher said...

He had supermajorities for 2 whole years and they rubber-stamped his initiatives. Blaming Congress will not fly.

Bob Ellison said...

Most voters are not political junkies. They don't notice and won't care about the scheduling kerfuffle.

More proof the echo chamber is now completely closed.

This is what Kerosene Maxine and the rest of the CBC have been saying.

That 27% of Demos is about to get a lot bigger.

vet66 said...

By blaming congress he is actually giving them a victim status in his attempts to roll over them. What happened to his 'healing the earth' and other bromides of bringing all sides together in a giant hug.

He lied!

wv: fogreme
what you say to yourself when you have screwed up royally. Usually preceded by "well".

Original Mike said...

"He had supermajorities for 2 whole years and they rubber-stamped his initiatives."

Thus, he got his stimulus and he got ObamaCare (which also was touted as a stimulus). And here we are.

2012 Republican campaign slogan:

It's the policies, stupid!

X said...

You say you got a real solution. Well, you know, we'd all love to see the plan.

Anonymous said...

Expect the classic rhetorical empty sack festooned with certain elements of arrogant overreach for the Administration and a withering denunciation of Congress. Couple this with Mr. Obama's weird affect and his inexplicable accent and you've got quite a package. BTW, why is it that no one comments on Mr. Obama's accent? What is it?

traditionalguy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Automatic_Wing said...

So you're saying he wants to disguise the lameness of his policy efforts by getting people to focus on his personal lameness instead.

If that's the plan, it appears to be working brilliantly. That Obama, he's so smart!

Der Hahn said...

I'm willing to bet this whole thing started because Team Obama got the word that no network other than MS-DNC would carry an Oval Office address live, and they decided to amp up the hype by staging it at a JSOC without even looking at what else might be scheduled.

Real American said...

he doesn't have a real plan. his only plan is to give another speech. that's all he does. He believes the bigger the theatrics, the more likely people will believe his plan is different. Except, there is no plan. His plan is the same old shit he's been peddling since 2009 - more govt spending, "shovel-ready" projects, tax hikes on the "rich", "investments" in education and targeted tax "credits" for so called green jobs. but, none of it will be on paper. there's no point in writing it down. it stands no chance. just like him. This guy is a fool and an embarrassment. I'm sure glad I didn't vote for him. At least, my conscience is clear.

Anonymous said...

(continued)

But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao,
You ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow.

TMink said...

Empty suit. He will blame Congress then call for more spending and the growth of government.

Same song 534th verse.

Trey

Unknown said...

Der Hahn, I think you have it figured out.

Unknown said...

Can't you see he has to wrap things up before he goes to Bali for vacation?

George said...

"Blaming Congress is the only scapegoat that polls worse than he does."


And there's no way he can blame Congress without a ton of friendly fire on Democrats.

Cedarford said...

Ellison - "I predict an extremely political, leftist speech."

==============
If so, I pity Obama, because the stink from that sort of empty suit, no real plan or solutions, blame your enemies and the hapless Dubya approach will linger at least 3 days.

When the 10th Anniversary Show of 9/11 starts. Where the eyes of the nation will turn to NYC, or at least the whole NYC-based media, still convinced NYC is the center of the universe. And probably not good "optics" for Obama if he is seen as a smaller person than those other VIPs also at the 9/11 ceremonies - a TelePrompter glib, partisan, weak man.
He may even get a little pushback on credit for "getting bin Laden" as the search team started under Bush and his role was basically to say - "Found him? OK. What do you recommend? Capture him for trial with ACLU lawyers in NYC? NO? Kill him? How?"
He will be standing with Bush. Rudy. Pataki. Cuomo. Tom Ridge. Generals..

random thoughts said...

Why isn't anyone getting the real goal in this stunt??? Obama didn't want to upstage the debate. He wanted to be able to address the only audience he has thinks he has left- minority and low income (i.e. In the bag for Democrats) voters. And he will either interrupt the game (those bastard Repulicans hate you and your sports!) or find a way to go on TV right before it so as to take advantage of the captive audience, in order to spout off about "the record number of voters" who watched his Sept 8 Speech that the Saved the World. The only way for me to NOT believe this is the purpose of these shenanigans is if the network airing the game does not carry his speech.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

.. he may even prefer our gabbing about the lameness of the failed theatrics to our scrutiny of the actual substance of the plan.

I was going to challenge that "may," but that would be politically.. politically incorrect?

Unknown said...

pm317: US citizenship has lost its luster. I sincerely hope you haven't amassed much assets yet. The US is the only country in the world that levies a world wide tax, and you have to pay a tax on your assets (not incomes) to give up your citizenship. In other words, you are screwed. In the Soviet Union of bygone years, Jews had to pay a bundle for an exit visa. Now you have to pay a "tax" to exit the US citizenship. And there's nowhere to hide or escape to.

Griff said...

Obama reminds me of someone who is forever starting a diet but never controls his weight. He's forever announcing an audacious plan to begin his diet tomorrow morning - yet his best intentions always seem to fizzle out to nothing and he's left where he began.

David said...

What substance? What plan?

There's nothing new he can propose, because there are no new ideas on either side of this debate.

We don't need new ideas. We need confidence, which is the result of stable, investment friendly government policies, sensibly diminished regulation and sound financial and fiscal policies.

It's blocking and tackling, which is why I will be watching the Packers-Saints, to see actual people can actually block and tackle.

Curious George said...

What will be interesting is next year when the Democrats in Congress, looking at the dismal landscape and Barry's popularity, abandon him like he has the clap. But they may not even wait til next year. They may want to start getting some distance now. The only thing alot of these assholes love more than socialism is re-election.

Christopher in MA said...

Poor SCOAMF. I can imagine he's incredibly pissed off and / or baffled. He's never had to come up with a concrete plan for anything - that sort of drudgery is left to the mere mortals who must avert their eyes from the splendor of The One. All he has ever had to do, in his "professional" life, is talk.

And apparently WHAT he said didn't matter, because it was the WHO saying it which mattered - that clean, articulate, black (but not too black), nonthreatening leftist, spouting back platitudes in his faux-somberous monotonous baritone. He would speak, everyone else would do.

But now he's in a position where he really has to do as well as speak, and he can't. He is literally incapable of the effort or the ability. So, like the driver in the ditch who keeps cranking the ignition, thinking that this time will be the one when the engine turns over, he can only haul out the teleprompter and hope this speech is the one that saves his lazy, coke-addled ass.

Anonymous said...

The POTUS Obama is the best and brightest of all our Presidents. The fact that is that this morning I woke up to Nina Totenburg saying on radio that this is the first time a POTUS is denied to speak (by the GOP). There was NO mention of anything else. The POTUS has won the round. The GOP as usual is out to lunch. You are gonna loose, really big. It will like a crater left by an asteroid. GOP is finished.

Original Mike said...

I can't stand Obama speeaches, but I'm going to watch this one. All the buildup has me curious.

Christopher in MA said...

"The POTUS Obama is the best and brightest of all our Presidents."

I tend to think Thomas Jefferson may have had a little more mental acuity than the SCOAMF. Hell, even GEORGE Jefferson packs more brainpower.

But keep bringing the funny, AP. It's comedy gold.

Paul said...

Maybe Obama will get some pyrotechnics like rock band to help him.

All he is going to do make some more stupid remarks... stupid accusations, and well, alot of hot air.

He is the 'affirmative action' president for sure.

Sharc said...

Anyone else think the Joint Session of Congress will end with Obama doing an impromtu drumroll and passing out ice cream sandwiches?

Richard Dolan said...

"But he couldn't say that unless he really had a plan that would impress people. My guess is: He didn't even have that. That's why he reverted to the theatrics, lame as they were."

If your hypothesis is right, then Downie is doubly right: "If this is a preview of Obama’s re-election campaign, Democrats should be very worried."

WV: Nation. The wv-gremlins are voting, and it's another bad omen of O.

Anonymous said...

"That's why he reverted to the theatrics, lame as they were."

Uh oh. More bad news for Obama. I just checked on Amazon (clicked through Althouse, natch!) and styrofoam Doric columns are backordered. Even with Prime, he's not gonna be able to get them until well after next week.

Anonymous said...

The night he's going to make the speech is the night that the NFL has its first game, the Saints vs. the Packers. I think more people will be watching Saints/Packers than either Bachmann/Perry/Romney or our failed president.

Original Mike said...

Nice hat there, Oxbay!

EFB said...

I don't think you've got it right. Certainly all this hoopla over the speech's scheduling is drawing more attention to it.

Let's not forget how many people voted for Obama. This is disrespectul to the American people which is what we expect from out politicians now especially the Republicans.

All the Obama-haters on this blog don't help.

Let's stay divided. It's served us so well.

Obama is spineless and Boehner is a tool.

This speech is more important than the debate or football.

I'm so glad we have our priorities right.

dbp said...

It is like the old saying, "If you cannot dazzle with brilliance, baffle with bullshit".

exhelodrvr1 said...

EFB,
Why is the speech important?

If the ideas in it are viable, why hasn't he already put them into practice, or presented them to COngress for those that need its approval?

Does he think the unemployed won't mind a couple more weeks without work?

Original Mike said...

"This speech is more important than the debate or football."

You funny.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

This speech is more important than the debate or football.

Oh. Baloney.

This speech is about as productive as watching paint dry.

Nothing new. NOTHING NEW will be brought out. Just the same old tired talking points and bitching and moaning that people are not bowing down to "his" will.

Infrastructure, shovel ready, investing (meaning pouring more money into useless government programs to support the Unions, stimulus (meaning more money being printed out of thin air, tax whacks on the wealthiest (class warfare), pointing fingers at businesses, threats and empty promises from someone who hasn't clue number one on how businesses work. Blah blah blah blah blah.

Obama sounds more and more like inconsequential droning in the Peanuts cartoons. Wha wha whaaawha wah.

Anonymous said...

This is disrespectul to the American people which is what we expect from out politicians now especially the Republicans.

You know what's disrespectful? A president that thinks I'm so stupid that a) I can actually be fooled into thinking that a smattering of "let me be perfectly clears" and gassy recycled platitudes constitutes a "plan" and b) I will actually believe his lame - and failed, I might add (is there anything he can't screw up?) - assertions that the date he attempted to dictate to a co-equal branch of government was not selected with political calculation.

Yes, let's stay divided. Better than uniting behind President Peter Principle and acquiescing to his previously-tried-and-failed governing philosophies.

Original Mike said...

"This speech is more important than the debate or football."

Fixing the economy is more important than a football game. Big difference.

And why is "The Speech" more important than the debate? It's clear to me that the only thing that's going to fix the economy is a change in Administration. The debate is more relevant.

Lokki said...

One small point that interests me is that we have heard -nothing- leaked from any of the usual sources about the content of the President's plan.

Usually, when there is any major program about to be announced, it will be leaked to the press by someone involved - even if only as a trial ballon.

We have heard....nothing. This leads me to suspect that no one has had anything to leak because there is NO PLAN.

Kirby Olson said...

It was a lot of free advertising for the debate as it turned out. This is good. Thaddeus McCotter is still not in it, though. He needed 4% in a serious national poll to get an invitation. He got 37 votes in the Iowa Straw poll out of 17000 cast. when is that guy going to get some momentum?

exhelodrvr1 said...

Since the speech will be on the same night as football, can we get John Madden to come back and analyze it with the Telestrator?

Original Mike said...

"This leads me to suspect that no one has had anything to leak because there is NO PLAN."

I thought Hope was a Plan. Did I get that wrong?

EFB said...

well if you would give it a chance, the speech might tell us what the plan is. maybe he's trying to reach out to a joint session of congress in a bipartisan way. in that respect it's more important than the debates or football. maybe i'm just not cynical enough to have lost all hope.

i guess for most of you the president as a failure is a foregone conclusion so you won't give him a chance (or the speech for that matter.) so we stay divided and the country will continue to faulter and spiral into the abyss.

and if the speech is so insignificant as you all claim what is the point of all these blog entries and comments about it?

Bob Ellison said...

EFB said: "i guess for most of you the president as a failure is a foregone conclusion so you won't give him a chance..."

Correct for me. I judge him a failure. At some point, you fire a failure. When you fire someone, he/she and his/her supporters typically come running back with all kinds of reasons why your judgement is wrong. It is important to see through that self-serving claptrap.

Original Mike said...

"maybe he's trying to reach out to a joint session of congress in a bipartisan way."

Well, the scheduling nonsense pretty much gives lie to that. Seriously.

If there is something substanative in his plan, we'll know it, independent of how it's communicated.

EFB said...

"Correct for me. I judge him a failure. At some point, you fire a failure. When you fire someone, he/she and his/her supporters typically come running back with all kinds of reasons why your judgement is wrong. It is important to see through that self-serving claptrap."

Fair enough, but it's surprising you don't see all of Washington that way. I do. And Obama has been a major disappointment, but not complete failure for me - though I voted for him.

Original Mike said...

EFB, I hope Obama comes out and calls for the things that will turn this economy around; a strong dollar and regulatory restraint (actually, at this point, significant regulatory pruning is in order). I really, sincerely do.

But it isn't going to happen. He simply doesn't believe in it.

Anonymous said...

Fair enough, but it's surprising you don't see all of Washington that way.

Why in the world would you find that surprising?

Original Mike said...

"Fair enough, but it's surprising you don't see all of Washington that way."

I do. But the Tea Party is giving me hope.

random thoughts said...

So did you catch the big headline on Drudge? Shucks darn it, they have NO IDEA how they will juggle the speech with the game. Bulls!#*!

Toad Trend said...

Show us your plan, Barry. It must have been many months in the making - I'm sure its killing you to now want to share it.

Scheduling error? Anyone knows these things can happen. Old John Boehner understands. That's why he said 'no'. He runs the house.

So Barry, just becasue you are president doesn't mean you are king. Jester Jay might like to crow about what you are going to do but he sure is short on details.

The American people will be interested in your jobs details Barry - if you offer up your typical angry black president boilerplate class warfare, your already sagging ratings will become even more flaccid.

Quaestor said...

The bankruptcy of Solyndra, a so-called green energy company back by more than half a GigaBuck in taxpayer's money (a loan which will be settled at about 10 cents on the dollar, btw) is a beautiful and timely example of the kind of waste which Obama considers to be a "jobs program".

Carol_Herman said...

You want to know the truth?

Merkel is gambling her own party won't have enough votes to dump her on September 29th. (Because that would force new elections.) And, politicians HATE that!

Anyway, over in Germany (because the pariliamentarian system STINKS) ... Merkel can go to 20 others ... picking her way to surviving ... by tossing bones to the socialists and the greens.

Politics is not for saints.

But for schlemiels? It dawned on me that Obama looked like a schlemiel when he was dancing with Ellen.

Acts become more transparent as time passes.

Besides, what did Obama want to do except throw water on the GOP candidates?

I'd ask if Obama wasn't suprised by the NFL kick off game. Because his game is golf.

Lance said...

For a month, he's been saying the big speech is coming — he's got a plan to restore jobs.

I can imagine the meetings he's having right now: "C'mon guys, I said this was going to be a big speech and all you can come up with is another job corps?!"

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... Is this the quality of the presidency we have come to accept? Where is the outrage?..."

Meh. I'm long past caring and fast approaching apathy.

showbiz111 said...

If the Speaker had relented and allowed this arrogant usurpation of the primary process by the WH, and Obama gave his speech when the repubs were supposed to be debating, what kind of good will would that have generated in rank an file repubs? No good will at all. Moreover the debate could not have gone on because at least two candidates are representatives who would have to be in Wash, DC instead of the Reagan Library to listen to the poseur spout off about economic subjects of which he is clueless.

Mike said...

Well as the old saying goes, if you can't blind them with brilliance (and Obama can't) then you try to baffle them with BS.

Looks like the Bamster has definitely gone to Plan B.

Conserve Liberty said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Conserve Liberty said...

X said:

"You say you got a real solution --- well, you know, we all want'a see the plan."

Hah. Hah. Hah. Hah. Classic! Thread winner.

Heh.

Anonymous said...

One small point that interests me is that we have heard -nothing- leaked from any of the usual sources about the content of the President's plan.

Usually, when there is any major program about to be announced, it will be leaked to the press by someone involved - even if only as a trial balloon.

We have heard....nothing. This leads me to suspect that no one has had anything to leak because there is NO PLAN.


WRONG. There is a PLAN.

The plan is for Obama to address a joint session of Congress. He will lie through his teeth and insult the Republicans, by implication and by name, hoping to get a reaction from them.

If there's any kind of incident -- anything at all -- the Fluffer Media will be poised to deliver the DNC Party Line about Republican obstructionism, intransigence, and incivility. We will be told that anyone who doesn't respect Our President is un-American and racist.

I'd love to read the JournoList (or CabalList, or whatever it's called now) to see how the usual suspects in the media will be preparing their spontaneous reactions to the speech and to the RethugliKKKan atrocity.

Kirby Olson said...

He doesn't seem to have any basic competency left. Maybe even the left will finally see him as the emperor with no clothes.

Methadras said...

It was clearly Boehner's civilized letter that basically told Urkel that he can't have his cake and eat it too. It just showed him to be a small, petty, little incompetent man who doesn't know the first thing about his office or governance.

Dustin said...

"i guess for most of you the president as a failure is a foregone conclusion so you won't give him a chance (or the speech for that matter.) so we stay divided and the country will continue to faulter and spiral into the abyss."

I don't get it. Obama's said the same crap a dozen times now. He has no idea what he's doing, and he's pretty consistent in how he deals with economic problems.

There's nothing unreasonable in giving up on him. Expecting him to fix this would be irrational at this point.

Why all the talk about it? Because the economy is terrible, and Obama's failure is the biggest part of that story. That's newsworthy. Sorry it bothers you so much.

Obama failed, and there is fixing it until he is replaced.

Bruce Hayden said...

I can't stand Obama speeaches, but I'm going to watch this one. All the buildup has me curious.

Someone on the radio today pointed out that the only people who really listen to him any more are his stalwarts. Very few Republicans listen to him (unless paid to do so), and not that many independents - and a lot of them will be watching the football game.

Nora said...

I think that Obama and his handlers did not want many people to hear his speech in the first place. If people watch they might notice that this speech is as full on slogans and empty of content as all his speeches are. At this stage Obama would rather have his perpetual chearleaders in the media to print everything what people ought to think about this speech. After all it worked during his election campain - the media succeeded in convincing even many bright people that there is a content to Obama's repetitive drivel.

Bruce Hayden said...

well if you would give it a chance, the speech might tell us what the plan is. maybe he's trying to reach out to a joint session of congress in a bipartisan way. in that respect it's more important than the debates or football. maybe i'm just not cynical enough to have lost all hope.

I think that there are very few here who believe that Obama is capable of reaching out to Republicans in a bipartisan way. I don't think that he is big enough to do it. He has never had to extend his hand across the isle before, and it is hard to break this sort of behavior. I agree with the poster above who suggested that Obama is much more likely to blame the continued recession on Congress in general, the recalcitrant Republicans in the House in particular. That is not the sort of thing that is going to win many Republican votes in Congress, and without a lot of them, most of what he is likely to propose is DOA.

I hope he surprises us. I just don't think that he will. More "investment" (i.e. pork barrel spending). More green job initiatives (i.e. crony capitalism combined with more pork barrel spending). Monetary stimulus (i.e. inflation). Regulatory reform (which would be laughable, given his Administration's runaway rule making - overriding Congress in numerous areas, including CO2 emissions, CAFE standards, immigration, union votes, etc.)

I frankly don't think that he has a clue how to turn the economy around. But what I find esp. humorous is that he admitted that he was surprised to learn that there was no such thing as "shovel ready" projects. No surprise here to anyone, as we were saying that back when the Dems passed his "stimulus" bill. But probably the biggest reason for this are the rules and regulations that control government spending.

And the biggest offender there? Probably Davis-Bacon, passed into law to keep federally funded jobs away from Blacks (but, they were called "Negroes" back then). He could, of course, have suspended Davis-Bacon. It has been done before (e.g. I think that GWB suspended it as an emergency measure).

But he won't. Why not? Because it has always been about protecting union jobs, and unions were his biggest contributors, both in time and money (esp. if you take into account all the illegal contributions they provided after his 2008 campaign turned off credit card verification).

So, we have a Black President refusing to suspend a law that was designed to keep jobs away from Blacks, in order to protect unions, when probably the demographic group worst hit by this recession are Blacks.

It would be hilarious, if it weren't so tragic.