Obama's Politically Adolescent America

I went back late last night to look up an old quote from Sandra Day O'Connor, not only because of Obama's lecturing tone while making a false assertion, but because of the preening nature of the majority of Democrats present at the SOTU address in reaction to it. That includes AG Eric Holder - talk about a frightening and dangerous spectacle.

Chuck Schumer sat right behind the justices and couldn't wait to spring to his feet and begin clapping over them. That seemed to be the case for many Democrats, all too happy to flaunt Obama's words over the Roberts court that mostly sat stoically silent as the adults they should be. And all that due to an apparently misinformed Obama who, while a candidate, maintained a web donation set-up that made it hard, if not impossible, to track foreign donations.

She told an audience at Georgetown University that Republican proposals, and their sometimes uncivil tone, pose a danger to the independence of the judiciary, and the freedoms of all Americans.

On top of that, not once did Obama speak like an adult to the American people. While he assured them times were tough, unlike JFK, there was no serious call for them to be responsible citizens, to bear some of the burden, knowing we'd all get through - which he could have done while stopping far short of a Carter malaise moment.

If some Democrats have found the father figure in a president they've claimed to long for, it isn't a father wanting to teach them something about the world - to tell them we all have to grow up one day. It's more a father figure who tells them, don't worry about it. I'll write a check and make it okay. Just don't bother yourself too much with what I have to do to make it happen, it wouldn't be much fun for you to watch, or even know.

And then there's this. To the extent I may have ever worried about a growing portion of the American people approaching politics with an immature, or perhaps a childish view of the world - I'm even more concerned that the trend seems to have now caught on at the highest levels of American government. I came away from last night's spectacle wondering if there are still any adults in power left around at all. It's hard to see Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as one, given her decision to simply skip a speech that might easily have been hers to deliver. Surely she has at least that much control over her schedule if she chose to use it.

As for Obama, he seems to be selling a vision of America professed to be its coming of age. But is it really that, or just the opposite somehow? Hopefully enough Americans will realize that what we need right now is some combination of maturity, character and purpose beyond simply feeling comfortable with oneself and one's situation. Unfortunately, Obama doesn't seem to be the leader to show them the way. He seems to prefer undermining the real American spirit, as it likely sits as an impediment to his bigger than big government agenda.

If 2010 and 2012 change anything, hopefully it will be something of a return to concepts like maturity and adulthood being applied to the candidates we select and go on to elect. Barring that, I fear the future of this opulent playground we call America is going to look more like a lot of kids crying because it's their first day of school, as opposed to the bright shining faces of new graduates headed off to successfully find their way through a challenging world.

In personal and profane terms, House and Senate Democrats have huddled behind closed doors to list the debacles: The stunner in Massachusetts that cost the Democrats a Senate seat. The slow-motion collapse of health care talks. A government bailout of Wall Street while unemployment sits in double-digits.

Democrats for days were questioning whether to stand with the president, congressional leaders or neither.

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., did more than ask. In a private meeting the day after Republican Scott Brown won Sen. Edward Kennedy's Senate seat, Titus used a profanity to describe to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and freshman lawmakers the Democratic Party's prospects in the midterm elections if it ignores the lessons of Massachusetts.

Some House Democrats have privately blamed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who faces a tough re-election fight in Nevada, for the party's woes and the health care bill's poor prospects.

"We have to wait for the House of Lords to do their contemplating," said Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. "We're also not getting much guidance from the mother ship about what the White House really wants and what they're prepared to push for."

Comments

[expat]

The London meetings regarding troop commitments and strategy for Afghanistan and the formulation of some kind of policy toward Yemen are more important than being another bobbing head in Obama's audience. Does anyone want the Euros to make decisions on these issues without high-level US input? Besides, the A'stan meetings were scheduled quite a while ago. If Obama's people had paid a little more attention to foreign affairs, they probably could have avoided the scheduling conflict.

[marybel]

"...talk about a frightening and dangerous spectacle."

I came to your blog first this morning because Joe Scarborough on his Morning Joe show came to the Supremes defense, calling Obama not just 'misinformed' but 'uninformed.' Joe stopped just short of calling Obama stupid. In his remarks, Joe specifically mentioned your name.

I had screamed at my tv when the Lecturer-in-Chief went after the justices last night. I found it highly inappropriate and even scary, but not totally unexpected from Obama who can't help his overreach. Even the Fox morning show is talking about it, but not with Scarborough's passion or background proof.

Thank you for a great post. It was a comfort to know I wasn't alone in my shock and dismay.

[Fred Beloit]

THERE IS A REAL BULLY IN THE BULLY PULPIT

Obama, the "scholar of the constitution" and a man who took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution attacked those in the coequal branch of government that is charged with deciding what the Constitution means. And he did it in the so-called State of the Union message. One of them mouthed a reply. The rest of the "adults" just sat there and took it.

I almost never disagree with you, Dan. In this case I think they should all gotten up and walked right the hell out. What a disgrace this naval-picking President is! What a dolt! What a clown! What an egotist! What a jackass!

[USMC]

I will quote Dan's favorite: "He acted like a punk!" Glenn Beck.

Barack Hussein Obama is a half ass dictator wannabee with an Islamic world view. Yes, he is a punk.

You progressives will pay dearly for this debacle.

Prediction: A major crisis, not created by the progressives, will come and Obama will fail miserably. How will he handle it? I believe he will meltdown.

[templar knight]

Truly, Dan, I was made speechless by the tone and substance of this man's speech. He is a true believer, just as I have said here before; therefore, he appears hell-bent on a mission to destroy the United States as we know and love it.

He needs to be impeached and removed from office, and if Democrats in Congress don't wake up soon, they are going to receive the blame for destroying our country. Much to their detriment, I might add.

[Tim]

The last thing the progressives could possibly want is for all of America to grow up. They require a majority of "children", who want to be the recipients of their largesse, to keep them in office. The only people the progressives want to grow up are the ones who actually pay the bills for these "children", and they want these "parents" (actually, "sugar daddies" would be more accurate) to remain in the minority, with just enough carrot in front of them to keep them pulling the wagon, but never with enough political power to stop being the jackasses!

[Cubs_Fan]

Dan, I'm going to suspend judgment of Hillz on this one. I actually believe an irreparable rift has developed between the two. Obama has pushed Hillz into the background the past year, and I think she has grown to openly resent him. The fact he threw Bill Clinton under the bus with the "It's not '94 because you now have me" quip probraly made the two of them have an atomic meltdown. For the remiander of this year, she will let him do it, and thank him for it because it puts distance between his imcompetence and her "look what you could have had" presentation.

When, NOT IF, he screws up like he did with the Christmas bomber thingy, Hillary will resign stating the Administration's incompetence on policy issues blah, blah, blah. I expect her to resign by mid-summer, early-fall of this year. She will set up shop later this year, early next year to primary him in 2012. His "Bush is bad, I am great, and even better now because I now know what I'm doing after a year on the job" SOTU speech aside, Independents will continue to distrust him. And when the Senate jams that healthcare bill down our throats, the independents and progressives will end up loathing him, because its a) bad, horribly expensive legislation, and b) did not include the progressive mandated public option.

At that point, Hillz will yell "Come home to Mama". The progressives will flock to her in the primary, the independents will take note and observe, and Obama will be stuck for 2 years trying to pretend he is not an uber liberal to the other 70% of the electorate who are not liberal. If he does move to the Left to combat Hillary in the primaries, his poll numbers will drop as Independents say "screw another 4 years of that *$%#". If he tries to stay in the center, she paints him as an ingrate.

Delish!

[James]

One measure of the timeliness of the President's speech is the extant to which heads are exploding here. Obama is free to criticize anyone he likes, just as anyone here.

The SCOTUS enjoys no special Constitutional exception from criticism.

You call him childish, but this is projection because you have all wanted him impeached from day one based on, well, nothing.

I invite you hear his words suggesting you set aside the school-yard taunts on who is meanest, who is stronger, and who will torture longest. All of us are needed on deck just now.

Keep fiddling while your country burns. Keep demanding impossible purity tests that defy demographics. It's clear the President isn't going to wait for you any longer. The country certainly isn't.

[HumboldtBlue]

Awww, poor Dan Riehl doesn't like being called out for the fraud the he and his political allies are. Are you safe, Dan? I mean, you're not threatened by the black man are you, because we all know that black men, particularly young, healthy black man, scare you pantsless. Don't cry too much, it'll be OK.

[seekeronos]

Pro Tip: Obama is not a black, i.e. "African-American" man. He is biracial, and culturally a white man, albeit with black skin.

And for all his education and what-have-you... he is an EPIC failure as POTUS.

Carter is secretly dancing for joy that there has finally a risen a man whose utter wreck of a one-term (bank on it!) presidency far surpasses his.

And the fulfillment of Dr. Soejima's prophecy of an Obama/Biden resignation and subsequent replacement by Hillary drawer nearer.

[WAHOO WILLIE]

Dammit finally!!! Here's James the wise and his friend humboldt humboldt to straighten us all out with wit and wisdom. Finally someone to defend dear leader! Pity neither could make a cogent argument.