It was neither prescient nor particularly insightful to predict that the novelty of Obama's skin tone would eventually fade - - the novelty, not the skin tone.  Even so, devout detractors such as myself could only have dreamed it would be so fast and furious.  I blame Bush, while it's still in fashion. 

I do wince a bit in watching various right wing bloggers, their commenters even more so, crow in their giddiness at his demise.  Me?  I know these things go in cycles, and no one can stay that low forever, or for four years, which is the same thing in politics, especially considering the captive lap-dog press will continue acting as his 24/7 public relations company.  It's early in the term folks, keep the schaufenfreude in check for the time being. 
 
Part of his problem is over supply or overexposure.  The folks in San Diego don't even notice that a calm and sunny 72 degree day is a wonderful thing, unlike us folks in Wisconsin, for whom such idyllic days can be counted on 2 hands in the span of a year.  Obama is becoming to the American public what nice weather is to San Diego.  Too much of anything gets boring eventually. 

But maybe that's the plan...

I have always been intrigued by a phrase from the Declaration of Independence, the part where the founders listed their grievances against King George.  

 " ....for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures."

I am beginning to believe Obama is using his overexposure on the healthcare debate to fatigue us into compliance.  The torture of his onerous and empty blather is enough to make us say "enough already, just shut up and do it".  I myself would almost consider it a fair trade, but for the fact he has demonstrated neither the inclination nor capacity to stay away from the limelight.

Problem is, blather is all he's got.  Don't take my word for it.  Take it from a liberal columnist...
 "Obama can seem a mite too impressed with his own aura, as if his presence on the stage is the Answer."
Howard Fineman - - Newsweek

And this from the guy whose boss only a few weeks ago described Obama as "God like". 

With no executive or governing experience, and whose only skill set is rhetoric, it is no wonder the difference between Obama the candidate and Obama the President cannot be discerned.  Ironically, one could credibly argue the few things he has done right is to continue the policies of his predecessor, who he blames for everything. (I'm thinking of leaving Gitmo open, not pulling out of Iraq, and maintaining certain provisions of the Patriot Act for example).  Well, he did promise audacity after all, and it really does take a pair to blame Bush for skyrocketing deficits one week, and triple them the next.
 
Fineman, fan that he is, is late in catching on, and it really does make one wonder what percentage of the entire Washington DC media elite mindset was caught up in wishful thinking about a year ago and since.
 
In an article where he lays bear the lie on some technical details about the healthcare debate, furthering my point on the need for honesty therein, Fineman's Newsweek colleague, economics columnist Robert Samuelson chimes in...

Americans worried about this legislation may not know its details or may even be misinformed. Still, their skepticism is justified. Grandiose rhetoric obscures unflattering reality. 

Gee, ya think?  Problem is, with Obama this ain't no bug - - it's a feature - - his only one.

But no one says more with so few words as my favorite, Dr Victor David Hansen, summing up Obama's "historic" address to the UN:

"Here is the synopsis of the president’s speech: “OK, I came in, dissed Bush, offered hope and change, and deigned to sacrifice myself, the smartest you’ll ever meet, for you, the world. So now  we amen’t Bush’s America, but Obama’s America, and therefore I expect you to reciprocate in kind — since you only have one last chance to get a divine American president of my caliber.”

There must be some Microsoft automatic program that writes these speeches.
 
Victor David Hansen, Sept 24

What set that off?  Probably this, which pretty much set the tone for the whole speech which was nothing more than another exercise in self adulation, except this time for a world audience.

Thus spoketh the naked emperor:
"For those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months." 

Barack Obama
Address to the United Nations  
Sept 24, 2009

In other words, forget the past.  History began on January 20.  I am here, to solve, to heal, to redeem my country, to not be Bush. Never mind the 200 year history that preceded both of us.  It's all about me me me me.  Note the telling singular possessive; "my" nation. 


In the meantime his majesty dithers in delaying the deployment of the requested troops by his appointed general.  Since that request 43 more troops have died.  Another headline says his final decision on that will take another 4 to 5 more weeks.  This President prioritizes government seizing control over one sixth of the economy where 80 plus per cent are satisfied with the current situation, but is somehow perfectly OK with leaving currently deployed troops vulnerable in a hot war. 

I don't care about his pigmentation, it's his priorities that are hard to stomach.

Nowhere else have I seen this reported but liberal pundits Martha Raddatz and Thomas Friedman accidentally shined some unflattering light on Obama on Sundays This Week with George Stephanopolous.  Assembled guests were taking turns wringing their hands about what Obama is going to do about Afghanistan and Friedman opens up with this, paraphrased:
 
Obama is not going to let this (Afghanistan) be his Viet Nam.  He is not going to let his Great Society ambitions and aspirations get hauled down by Afghanistan. 

Later on Ms Raddatz chimes in with this seemingly throw away comment, again paraphrased:
 you (they) might want to backtime their decision from the mid terms, if it is to increase troop levels, so that things improve by the time mid terms come around.

What?  A President marking troop deployment decisions based on Politics?  Really?  Wow, they accused Bush of doing that, even though he never did, and treated it as though it was the absolute height of political depravity.  Now that we have a Democrat President they actively advise him to do the exact same thing! 

Billy Connelly, Scottish comedian once said: " hypocrisy is the Vaseline of political intercourse".  I am not sure whether that's his or a stolen quote, but the more I observe in Washington the truer it seems.   

Obama can't even sell the health care takeover to his own party, delays a critical decision on Afghanistan, but finds time to do a Stepin Fetchit routine for Boss Daley in trying to bring the Olympics to Chicago.  Now THATS political depravity.  The graft and corruption potential of the Olympics in Chicago will make the world record for budget smashing Big Dig in Boston look like child's play.    




Spare me the faux outrage and bullshit racist smear for the Stepin Fetchit reference OK?  If you don't get it, google it and educate yourself with some context.  Besides, I borrowed the reference form a black friend of mine. If you have lived your entire adult life in mixed urban neighborhoods and can count a variety of colors and religions among your friends, the murmur might, just might, give a good crap about your opinion on racism.    

Take it from someone who is a minority where he lives, the racism accusation garbage puked out from the likes of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Walter Mondale and others lately does more harm than good to the cause of ending racism.  False charges of racism is the moral equivalent of a false charges of rape.   In both cases the accused gets unfailrly tarnished and in both cases real claims are taken less seriously.  Claiming it is where it isn't only serves to perpetuate the problem, which, considering how politically beneficial the faux race grievance industry has been to their party, explains it all.

It is gonna be a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong four years.