Month: July 2010

Barack Obama 18 Months Into His Term As President: Hitting A Rough Patch!

Ronald Leave a comment

Today marks 18 months into President Barack Obama’s term as President, and it is clear that he has hit a “rough patch”, the low moment of his term, based on public opinion polls!

Obama detractors are rejoicing, and Obama supporters are concerned, but one needs to have perspective, and if one does, this is not a danger sign that the President is failing!

It is common at this point of a Presidential term to have him in “trouble”, as there is disillusionment by some supporters who expected too much, and anger by many promoted by incessant propaganda by the opponents! No matter who is in the White House, there will be problems that have not been resolved, including those that arose since the term began!

A President is not a miracle worker, and cannot solve all problems, short term or long term! The effects he has had after 18 months are often not appreciated until time passes, and careful reflection takes place!

This President has faced more extreme opposition than most, much of it unfair and unjustified, but he, actually, has a lot to be proud of, despite those who think he has not been a success! He has accomplished more in 18 months than all Presidents except Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson! Much of it will not be fully realized for years, and the impatience of the American people is legion!

As has been said by Obama himself, the economic mess we are in took years to arise, and cannot be solved in a few months, but there are signs of economic progress!

Obama will have a long range effect on our country, only matched by a few, including those mentioned above, and Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt!

His detractors will continue to attack, but in the long run of history, they will be seen as negative demagogues, and he will be remembered for making the lives of Americans much better than they were when he came into office!

So, the grade I would give Barack Obama is the same as it has been–a B PLUS in accomplishment, and an A for effort!

George H. W. Bush, “Voodoo Economics”, And Republican Economics In 2010!

Ronald 2 Comments

The Republican Party is famous, or rather infamous, for creating a vast majority of the national debt, and yet they keep on acting as if the Democratic Party are the villains in this regard!

George H. W. Bush, competing for the GOP Presidential nomination in 1980, attacked candidate Ronald Reagan’s claim that tax cuts would NOT cause an increase in the national debt! Bush called it “voodoo economics”! Of course, that is exactly what happened under Reagan, with a tripling of the national debt from one to three trillion dollars!

The first President Bush was more cautious on tax cuts, and actually increased taxes and was bitterly criticized by conservatives, which helped to cause his defeat in 1992!

His son, George W. Bush, managed to almost double the national debt from 5 to 10 trillion dollars, meaning just Reagan and the second Bush created nearly a 7 trillion dollar increase in the debt, much of it because of Reaganomics and Bushonomics, meaning tax cuts for the wealthy who had no need for it, as many themselves would admit!

Meanwhile, the national debt went up much more slowly under Jimmy Carter, often considered stingy in his desire to cut government spending and avoid major tax cuts! Under Bill Clinton, there was also a rise in taxes on the wealthy, and a more careful handling of the budget so as to add far less debt!

So under the first Bush, Carter and Clinton, only about 2 trillion dollars was added to the national debt, which was one trillion when Carter left office!

So the two Democratic Presidents were better at managing the national budget and avoiding major debt growth, while the two Republican Presidents added most of it, and father Bush added more than Carter and Clinton, but also kept the idea of “voodoo economics” in mind during his Presidency!

But now, in the midst of propaganda that giving the unemployed extra months of compensation in the worst economic climate since the 1930s will bust the budget and add to the debt, leading conservatives in the GOP argue that major tax cuts must continue to the wealthy!

Are these Republicans living in the real world, or are they just so lacking in concern about what they claim to be a major problem only when it affects average Americans? 🙁

Is this country to be run for the top two or three percent, or for the American people at large? 🙁

This is what Americans must consider as they go and vote this November in the midterm elections! Will they vote out of ignorance and fear, and allow name calling to determine their decision; or out of reality, common sense, and realization that they are being fed propaganda to manipulate them?

The future of this country, and getting out of this economic mess we call the Great Recession, is up for grabs, a terrifying scenario! 🙁

Alvin Greene’s Debut Speech: Not A Great Start!

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Alvin Greene, the South Carolina Democratic Senate nominee against Senator Jim DeMint, is a true “unknown” quantity, having shocked everyone by defeating a white state legislator, despite have no campaign appearances, no funding, no platform of ideas, and no media coverage! Many have wondered if he was part of a Republican plot to undermine the Democrats, and have questioned how this unemployed person was able to pay the filing fee to run! It has also been pointed out that he faces trial on a pornography charge!

But so far, he has been cleared in every sense except the upcoming trial, and yesterday, he made his first public appearance at a local NAACP event in his home town, and delivered what he claimed would be a 20 minute speech, but ended up being only 7 minutes!

Greene repeated himself many times in his speech, which was handwritten, and referred indirectly to his own legal problems! He had nothing substantive to say, and it would be stretching things to say that he made a good impression! He also would not take any questions from the news media, and the one time he has granted an interview, he had long pauses before answering, sometimes as much as five minutes!

To believe that he has a chance to defeat DeMint is to believe in the tooth fairy and Santa Claus! The question remains whether he will debate DeMint, hold news conferences, make many campaign appearances, and have a campaign staff!

So far, there are no indications on these matters, and it seems likely that DeMint will win by a bigger margin than any Senate candidate running, and that Alvin Greene will turn out to be an embarrassing disaster for the Democratic Party! 🙁

The “Royal Families” Rumor Mill: The Bushes And The Clintons!

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Many observers have stated that, in a sense, we have two “royal families” in our midst–the Bushes and the Clintons!

Years ago, it was thought that the Kennedys were a “royal family”, with John F. Kennedy in the White House, Robert Kennedy as Attorney General, and Ted Kennedy in the US Senate!

But then President Kennedy was murdered; Robert Kennedy, after being elected to the Senate and running for President, was also assassinated; and Ted Kennedy “self destructed” as far as the Presidency was concerned, as a result of the Chappaquiddick tragedy, although he served a long, distinguished career in the Senate!

But the Bush Family saw George H. W. Bush serve one term as President, and son George W. serve two terms in the White House!

The Clinton Family saw Bill Clinton serve two terms as President, and wife Hillary seek the position as the first serious woman candidate in 2008, and then end up as Secretary of State under her rival, Barack Obama!

The rumor mill now has it that Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, brother of George W., and younger son of George H. W., will seek the White House in 2012 to reassert the Bush reputation and please his parents, in their high 80s but hoping to live to see a second son become President of the United States! This rumor, the author would say, is quite valid and more expected now than even a few months ago, as the Presidential nomination season comes closer to its start after the midterm elections!

Meanwhile, Bill Clinton has been restoring his reputation as a political “genius”, the most active former President ever to get involved in electing others of his party! The former President has become “gold” to candidates, most notably home state Arkansas Senator Blanche Lincoln, who received tremendous campaign support from Clinton in her winning primary challenge! Bill Clinton is actively pursuing helping others as well, and sometimes in various primaries, has endorsed someone other than who the Obama Administration supports! If the Democrats retain much of their margin in Congress and the state governorships, Bill Clinton will gain a lot of the credit!

But there are still rumors that the Clintons and Obama do not like each other very much, despite the fact that Hillary Clinton has been a loyal, hard working Secretary of State for the President.   So rumors have it that Obama may not run, and Hillary will run in his place for the Presidency in 2012; or that Hillary will switch positions with Joe Biden, and become the Vice Presidential running! mate for 2012, giving her an edge for the 2016 Presidential nomination; or that Bill and Hillary will repudiate Obama after expected disastrous midterm election results, and that Hillary will resign from the cabinet, and challenge Obama in the 2012 Presidential primaries!

It seems to the author that the first rumor, that Obama will not run, is highly unlikely, although Obama did say once he would rather be a good one term President than a mediocre two term President!

The second rumor seems more possible, that Hillary and Biden might switch roles for the 2012 election, putting Biden in a position that he certainly fits into very well!

The third rumor is preposterous on its face, as Presidents regularly see repudiation in midterm elections, and still come back to win another term handily, as did Harry Truman in 1948, Ronald Reagan in 1984, and Bill Clinton in 1996! Since Hillary agrees with most of what Obama has tried to do, for her to challenge him would only weaken the Democratic Party, divide it, and lead to a GOP victory for the White House in 2012!

Remember that every time in the last century that a sitting President has been challenged for renomination, he has overcome the opponent, but then lost reelection–William Howard Taft vs. Theodore Roosevelt in 1912; Gerald Ford vs. Ronald Reagan in 1976; Jimmy Carter vs Ted Kennedy in 1980; and George H. W. Bush vs Pat Buchanan in 1992!

So likely, the Bush rumor is true, and the second Clinton rumor might be true, while the first Clinton rumor is highly unlikely, and the last Clinton rumor is extremely preposterous on its face!

The Tea Party Caucus: Likely The Republican Party’s Worse Nightmare! :(

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The Tea Party Movement may have success this year in the midterm elections, and some Republican officeholders may feel comfortable to ally themselves with the movement, but the likelihood is that if they become influential, they will be the Republican party’s worse nightmare–uncontrollable, radical, alienating many voters, and causing GOP losses in 2012, both for the Presidency and Congress and the state governments! 🙁

Imagine the worst scenario!

Rand Paul becomes Senator from Kentucky!
Sharron Angle becomes Senator from Nevada!
Mike Lee becomes Senator from Utah!
Marco Rubio becomes Senator from Florida!
Pat Toomey becomes Senator from Pennsylvania!
Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint and James Inhofe endorse the Tea Party activists and join in a caucus with them!
Michele Bachmann keeps her Congressional seat, and organizes a Tea Party caucus in the House of Representatives with Tea Party activists who win House seats!

Imagine this and how it will affect John Boehner and Eric Cantor and Mitch McConnell and Jon Kyl and other establishment Republicans!

In fact, a conservative website, REDSTATE, projects the “ideal” leadership for the Senate, including Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn and lesser leadership roles for Marco Rubio and Pat Toomey! 🙁

It is clear that Republican establishment leaders are fearful of the effects of the Tea Party activists, who will certainly be hard to manage and will be “unruly insurgents”, as the Washington Post terms it! 🙁

So the Republicans might gain seats, and even, possibly control, but then their worse nightmare will occur, and they could turn off the nation completely by 2012, if they do not come up with magical solutions to make the American people want to vote them in again in 2012! 🙁

And the Republican presidential candidate list discussed in an earlier blog entry will rue the day that the Tea Party Movement gained such an impact, as they might do this fall! 🙁

An Early Assessment Of The Republican Presidential Race For 2012!

Ronald 4 Comments

Yesterday, the author commented on how many of the potential Presidential candidates in the Republican party were FORMER officeholders, and how being out of office was a positive factor in running for President!

Today, I am going to do an early assessment of who is likely to run, from the list of 15 possible candidates. I will also mention a few others that are rumored to be thinking of running! I am not looking at the negatives, just the positives on why they might run!

WHO WILL RUN FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION

Mitt Romney–a certainty to run, seen by many as the heir apparent as the runner up to John McCain in 2008, the front runner in campaign fund raising, has strong business background, very photogenic, good family image, good speaker.

Jeb Bush–comes from largest state in electoral votes of any potential presidential candidate, seen as effective governor and intelligent conservative, has family tradition of public service, can appeal to Hispanic vote, probably feels pressure to run so that his parents might see a second son become President before their demise.

Newt Gingrich–highly intelligent, a man of original ideas, great communicator, knows how to organize a campaign, can bring the fight against Obama in a way no one else can.

Rick Santorum–only figure from the Senate likely to run, strong conservative credentials, good speaker, can gain a lot of the religious conservatives.

Tim Pawlenty–represents the Midwest, strong conservative credentials, appeals to the religious right, somewhat untested on the national scene, but considered a “new face” in the GOP.

Mike Pence–only Congressman other than Gingrich who might have a serious chance, very good speaker, strong conservative, appeals to the Tea Party Movement, very photogenic.

Ron Paul–will certainly run again as the spokesman for the libertarian right, will draw attention by the differences he represents with others in the Republican party.

John Thune–only sitting Senator possibly to make a run for the White House, very photogenic, and a “new face” which may be an appealing point.

A “wild card” possibility is Republican National Chairman Michael Steele, who has hinted he might run, and would add an African American to the race, although his chances of being the nominee are zero!

So therefore, a good prediction is that eight or nine Republicans will compete for the Presidential nomination. All of them, of course, have their faults and shortcomings, and there will be plenty of time to analyze all of them, and any others who decide to run, but the point above was to show what their strong points and rationales are for running.

Now who WILL NOT RUN for the GOP Presidential nomination:

Sarah Palin–who has been able to have influence and make millions of dollars, without having any responsibility for policy ideas or facing the mainstream media. Why would she give all of this up for a grueling campaign that would require real knowledge, and challenges from opponents far more qualified than she is?

Mike Huckabee–very happy in his career as a talk show host on Fox, has expressed view that he has already done the Presidential race and does not need to do it again!

Haley Barbour–very unlikely that a governor from Mississippi with some statements that are highly controversial on race will choose to run, not a likely serious competitor against many of the others.

Bobby Jindal–still a bit young, has not made a good impression overall, maybe a possibility down the road.

Mitch Daniels–a great unknown, least exposed to national media, seems not to have ambition to run.

Scott Brown–more likely to run for a full term in the Senate, would seem inappropriate for a short term senator who also fights against the mainstream of his party to think of running, would create problems for Mitt Romney if he ran.

Chris Christie–brand new Governor, making many enemies, not fair but honestly NOT telegenic due to weight issues, too early to put himself in the race, but maybe to be considered in the future if successful.

Two others sometimes put on the list are Rick Perry of Texas, longest serving Governor, but not seen as likely to run for the White House; and Marco Rubio, who might be elected Senator from Florida, but too young and inexperienced to be seen as a serious candidate this time around, but possibility in long term future.

So therefore, I forecast NINE candidates running and nine others NOT running!

And among the nine running, the most serious candidates going all the way through the primaries and caucuses process would be: Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush, Newt Gingrich, and Tim Pawlenty–plus of course Ron Paul!

I welcome debate and discussion on this early assessment! 🙂

The Hypocritical Controversy Over Obama’s Vacation Time! :(

Ronald 5 Comments

The Republican propaganda machine is stirring up controversy over Barack Obama taking a long weekend and going to Maine with his wife and two daughters!

The idea that the President takes any time away from the White House is criticized as showing that he is not concerned about the Gulf Oil Spill, or the economic mess that this country is in, thanks primarily to the Republicans who ran the government totally for six years, and created most of the trouble that led to this Great Recession! 🙁

You would think that Republicans in Congress don’t take time off for vacation! Should not they be required to stay until those who are unemployed and running out of payments receive the extension that the Democrats have been trying to enact? Should John Boehner be playing golf when times are bad? 🙁

Why is it that all of these Republicans and other critics are entitled to time to cool down, refresh their heads, and take it easy to recharge their batteries, but the leader of the free world is not so entitled? 🙁

It is not as if the President is kept out of the loop, is not kept well informed constantly through communications and staff if any issue arises!

Why is that when George W. Bush spent nearly two and a half years of his eight in office away from the White House, that was perfectly alright? 🙁

How about all the time Richard Nixon was at San Clemente or Key Biscayne; or Dwight D. Eisenhower was golfing; or Ronald Reagan was at his ranch in California; or George H. W. Bush was at Kennebunkport, Maine? And how about all the time that John F. Kennedy was at Hyannisport, Massachusetts or Palm Beach, Florida; or Jimmy Carter was in Plains, Georgia; or Bill Clinton was at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts?

The whole point is NO ONE should make an issue of how much time the President of the United States is away from the White House, as long as he is doing his job!

No one can say that Barack Obama has been lazy or escaping the responsibilities of his job, the greatest burden since Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression and World War II!

So how about stopping the petty criticism, and instead show willingness to HELP the President through tough times? Fat chance, of course! 🙁

Presidential Campaigning: Being A Former Officeholder The Best Strategy

Ronald Leave a comment

Campaigning for the Presidency is a full time and stressful job! Being an officeholder when running for President, therefore, complicates one’s candidacy, as it leads to accusations that the candidate is not paying attention to his job! Also, if any controversial bills or problems arise, that candidate’s reaction to the situation can complicate or destroy any advantage he or she has gained!

So more than ever, most presidential candidates will be FORMER officeholders! This trend became evident when Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan all ran for and won the Presidency!

If one looks at the field of potential GOP candidates for President in 2012, note the following are all FORMER officeholders:

Mitt Romney of Massachusetts (Governor)
Newt Gingrich of Georgia (Congressman)
Sarah Palin of Alaska (Governor)
Mike Huckabee of Arkansas (Governor)
Jeb Bush of Florida (Governor)
Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (Senator)

Others that are rumored to be planning to run include officeholders who will not be running for reelection, either by choice or state law:

Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota (Governor)
Haley Barbour of Mississippi (Governor)

A few others considering or rumored to be running while staying in office include:

Bobby Jindal of Louisiana (Governor)
Mike Pence of Indiana (Congressman)
Mitch Daniels of Indiana (Governor)
Scott Brown of Massachusetts (Senator)
John Thune of South Dakota (Senator)
Ron Paul of Texas (Congressman)
Chris Christie of New Jersey (Governor)

So it is almost a certainty that the Republican nominee for President will be a former officeholder, with the time and the freedom to run a campaign without any work barriers on his or her part!

The Growing Impact Of Barack Obama’s Cabinet Members!

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Every President has a full contingent of cabinet members, but rarely do many of them have a major impact historically. Most come and go and are forgotten, except for a few, who scholars study to analyze their influence on the Presidency!

A few Presidents, however, have a large number of cabinet members who are memorable! This would include Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy!

It could be possible, however, that Barack Obama may be presiding over an historic cabinet, and some of the people have become more influential and significant than one might have thought even six months or a year ago!

Among these are the following:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton–who has become much more significant than many would have thought possible! She is very close to her former rival, and travels all over the world as an extremely active diplomat!

Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner–long under attack, but surviving and consolidating his influence in regards to the Financial Reform legislation and the Economic Stimulus legislation!

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates–a carryover from George W. Bush, but a major figure in every sense, very loyal, and also reforming the department, cutting costs on weapons systems seen as unnecessary, and also leading the charge on ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military services!

Attorney General Eric Holder–under constant attack on many fronts including how to handle terrorist trials, but strong and assertive, and playing a major role in reforming the role of the Justice Department on many legal issues!

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan–a major player in reforming education, promoting teacher accountability, and not well liked by the teachers unions, but more in the forefront than most people who have held his position!

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood–the other Republican in the cabinet in addition to Robert Gates, he has been a real activist in promoting his department’s influence, more than most who have held this office in the past!

Four other cabinet members, faced with great challenges, have had a rough media image due to the controversies over health care and the BP oil spill crisis, but have also been intimately involved in administration policy making: Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

What is certainly apparent is that Barack Obama made a conscious decision that his cabinet members were going to be major players in policy making! His cabinet choices overall have had an impact that will be seen as making this group one of the more historic and influential such combinations of public servants in American history!

What Obama And The Democrats Must Do To Defeat The Republicans In November 2010!

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Republican House Leader John Boehner has made clear what the goal of his party is if they regain control in November: repeal all legislation passed under Barack Obama, and rescind all regulations and reforms that have been enacted! 🙁

This is a negative approach, which basically is saying that we should go back to the Bush years of deregulation and corporate malfeasance, and ignore the reality of suffering for millions of Americans affected by the Great Recession brought on during the Bush Administration!

So the Democrats MUST go on the offensive, and in a sense, fight a guerrilla war against those who speak up for corporate America, for the privileged, for the elite! Make it clear that we gave the conservatives nearly 30 years in power in one form or another, and that it is now time that progressive and liberal ideas be permitted to bring about necessary reforms and fulfill the American dream of equal opportunity and a sense of fairness and justice, all of which has been lacking over the past generation!

And understand, this is not an issue of race, as there are millions of middle class and poor whites who have been exploited by the corporate world with impunity; millions of elderly and retired people who have seen their nest eggs irreparably stripped from them; millions of young people who have a sense of hopelessness about the future!

The Democrats must use the tactics of the Republicans to fight them, including exposing the truth of their records, their connections, their associations, and their heartlessness! It is very evident that the GOP does not care about the damage done to millions upon millions of American citizens by the economic crisis, the oil spill, and overwhelming power of the special interests! 🙁

The Democrats are far from perfect, but their history, their connections and associations, and the accomplishments that have occurred under President Obama offers greater promise for a brighter future than the negativism and chants of repeal and oppose, which has been the GOP message in the first year and a half of the Obama Presidency!