COLLECTIVE MADNESS


“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Bad timing for a luxury vacation in Martha's Vineyard



This morning's polling by the recent Rasmussen survey has Obama at the lowest point yet recorded for his short presidency. He has a -14% "approval index." Only 27 percent now "strongly approve" of Obama's performance, while 41 percent "strongly disapprove." This comes out as he finds himself in Martha's Vineyard.

It is clear from the morning talk shows that many on the left feel that they have been sold a bill of goods by Obama. They may be unhappy but have no where else to go, but hey did not get Obama elected.

The people that got Obama elected were the white middle class that wanted to give him a chance. They did and they are not getting much back except a nagging fear that they made a mistake.

7 comments:

  1. Jon Stewart was ranked USA's Top Newsperson in a recent "Poll."

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  2. He is certainly no worse than most of the rest and gets to the truth behind the spin.

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  3. How could that be, about Jon Stewart?
    When "The Colbert Report" is so much more balanced.

    As for Obamamerica, he is just another President, unable to move the ball far, left or lefter.
    As the Republican giant, Ron Reagan could not mover the ball very far to the right or righter.

    Even under the management of "Conservatives", the Federal Government grew and debt ballooned.

    The differences 'tween Bush43 policy and Obamamerica policy, on the ground in the various States and abroad, differing only in the margins.

    And of course, the rhetoric.

    The "Independent" middle is plagued by a nagging fear, but it would have been regardless of the outcome of the November '08 election. If "Maverick" McCain had been elected, they'd still retain that nagging fear.

    It's the economy, the great loss of real estate value that causes the residual nagging fear, not the resident of the White House.

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  4. Serious and Deteriorating

    The situation in Afghanistan is "serious" and "deteriorating," the top U.S. military officer said Sunday, warning that the Taliban insurgency has gotten more sophisticated while the Afghan people increasingly fear for their safety.

    Adm. Mike Mullen would not say whether the fight would require more than the 68,000 troops the administration has committed, but expressed concern about falling public support for the war which President Obama has called one of "necessity."

    "This is the war we're in," Mullen said matter-of-factly, when asked about public perception of a conflict entering its ninth year.

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the situation needs to be reversed in the next 12 to 18 months.

    "I think it is serious and it is deteriorating," Mullen said. "And I've said that over the last couple of years, that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated."


    Obama will be in a real squeeze on this one. For some reason, I suppose to balance his criticism of Iraq, he chose to say that Afghanistan was the real necessary war. He fell into a trap of his own creation and has made it worse by appearing indecisive and vacillating on other matters.

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  5. The challenge of Afpakistan is that the US electorate would support a hard military escalation against the aQ elements, now in Pakistan.

    But does not and will not support the long term construction and subsidy of yet another Islamic Republic.

    Whatever Obamas' Six Stars report back to him, their objectives and his, as well as the hopes of the majority of the US are not all on the same page.

    Success in extracting cold revenge, which would be cheered across the continent, depends upon who is really charting the way forward.

    The Six Stars will not push for that as the primary objective, but then they're not in tune with the US electorate.

    We'll see if Obama really is.

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  6. As best I can figure out, our "Job 1" in Afghanirocks is NOT to drop any nasty old bombs on the Poppy Fields.

    What a way to fight a war.

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  7. It's the economy, the great loss of real estate value that causes the residual nagging fear, not the resident of the White House.

    Hmm...I think the American people are worried about a lot of things including their leaders; all of them.

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