During the last nineteen days of this campaign season, some really bad news is in the wind for one Barack Hussein Obama. That bad news is that Americans are starting to take notice of the fact that the buck does in fact stop anywhere but on Obama’s undoubtedly not been used in four years desk. Americans, while they may be prone to making huge mistakes every once in a while, like for instance believing that there is such a thing as a fiscally responsible Democrat, or a tax reforming hawkish Democrat, have never been a fan of people who spent every waking moment thinking of ways to weasel out of taking responsibility.
As a very young Woolworth Manager in a previous life, I was promoted to manage a store in Michigan where the previous manager had been fired for, “running the store into the dirt.” My boss, the District Manager, looked at me before he left and said, “John, they’ll give you about six months to get this thing running right. That’s the amount of time the corporate guys will tolerate your claims that you are still cleaning up Bozo’s mess. It might be true that those problems will still exist after that, but after six months, they’ll just be tired of hearing it. That might not be fair, but then life isn’t.”
That’s the truth of it. We all have excuse fatigue, and when you boil down Barack Obama’s campaign strategy, excuses are the only real things of substance he has to offer. The problems with this president run much deeper than his complete ignorance on the subject of economics, his big government bent, and his belief that the solution for problems caused by big government interventions of the past would be even bigger government interventions for the future. The problem with this president runs even deeper than his projection of American weakness around the globe causing the sacking of multiple U.S. embassies across Northern Africa and in the Middle East. The problem with this President runs even deeper than his maniacal insistence on interjecting governmental oversight and regulation into every aspect of what used to be a free society, including by the way things as mundane as what parents are allowed to feed their school children on a daily basis. The deeper problem with this President, are his attempts to weasel his way out of even the slightest bit of responsibility, for anything.
The economic woes, of an economy that is still in as terrible a shape as it was in January of 2009, had become Obama’s self professed responsibility at least a dozen times since his inauguration. The economy by the way has gotten no better, it is merely a case where Americans have gotten used to the constant malaise. In truth, it became his economy on the day he took the oath of office, not because anything was his fault, but because that was the day he formally swore an oath to start taking responsibility for America’s business. The, “it is all George Bush’s fault,” meme became tiresome to Americans as a whole right around July of that year. Think back to July of 2009, remember what the big debate and political discussion was then? I do, and it was all about Obamacare, and reading story after story telling an electorate that clearly did not want it to become law to not worry, the bill had died. The President had promised multiple times to refocus his laser like attention on the economy instead, and then like a bad Peter Lorrie movie, the creature was reborn, and the economy placed on the back burner, remaining George W. Bush’s fault.
Afghanistan and Iraq had been won already by the time Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, and somehow he managed to project enough American weakness around those areas to turn those cowed states into hot spots for Jihadists, and that somehow too was Bush’s fault. Fast and Furious, the operation in which stimulus money was spent on enough small armaments to arm a small South American Country, and then presented as a gift to Mexican Drug Lords, that too was blamed on George W. Bush. Shocking, I know. Solyndra, A123 Systems, Fiskar, and all those other losers of tax payer money used to promote the Green Fairy from the land of Unicorns to actual reality, that was the fault of his obviously not-as-smart-as-he-is staff. The poor sales of his spiffy new auto companies, which are both in deep financial trouble once again, despite the $50 Billion we gave them and the unions in order to just magic those troubles away, why it was the fault of the people he hand picked to run those companies and carry out his wishes.
This latest kerfuffle in Benghazi is merely more of the same. Putting aside for the moment that Barack Obama’s foreign policy ended in the only possible way that it could have, disaster, his actions afterwards are nothing more than a continuation of his same old tiresome pathology. His first impulse upon all hell breaking loose was not to be in any way helpful to the people whom he had so icily placed in harms way with his kumbayah school of foreign policy, nor was it to shore up the remaining embassies which were also in danger of being sacked, nor was it to send a message of strength to those who now view America as ripe for more attacks due to our being a weakened paper tiger. His first impulse was to extricate himself from responsibility. He did not want the optics of failure to get in the way of his approval numbers or to damage his electoral prospects.
Barack Obama likes being President. You get a pretty cool jet airplane to tool around the globe on. You get a nice big house and your office is actually in the same building. People give you deferential treatment, out of respect for the office you hold, even if they do not agree with you personally or feel that you should be listened to outside of the office you hold. You get to party with Hollywood stars, and sports legends come to your house in order to have a little basketball game. You get to play a hundred rounds of golf in a year, and your wife gets to take lavish vacations in exotic locations, while including a hundred or so friends, secret service protection, and somebody else pays for it all.
The part of the job that Barack Obama does not like is taking responsibility, for what ever happens that may have an impact upon his job. Part of being President is being a leader. Even in grade school, nobody liked the kid who got everyone else in trouble for crap that he pulled while he skated clean, smelling like a rose. Sooner or later that kid ended up being hated by all. The other trouble makers hated him, the kids who never got into trouble hated him, and the teacher’s themselves eventually came to hate him. Barack Obama’s first impulse in any situation is to get out of taking responsibility for anything. That is a dangerous man indeed to have as President. Other world leaders will soon notice this if they haven’t already. The latest collapse in the polls, which continued by the way past the all important second debate in which we were assured Barack Obama actually won, is the direct result of the American people noticing that they are suddenly tired of a President who offers nothing but excuses for why nothing is his fault.
I don’t need a President with style, cool, or hipster gravitas. I need a president with competence and a sense of responsibility.
Cross Posted from Musings of a Mad Conservative.
Obama as Evan Thomas said is above it all, like a God.
More than anything, the history of the Obama Administration will be a history of the complete abscence of Leadership on anything. On the last thread I linked to where the Tennessean had endorsed Romney for President, and all of their reasons boiled down to that. But they, Liberals that they are, blamed this lack of leadership on GOP iintransigence. They simply glossed over the first two years of his Administration, when he had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and a sizable majority in the House. He could have done anything he’d had the leadership to accomplish, and he accomplished too much. He looted the treasury and got ObamaCare passed, but neither of these really required any leadership from him, merely the venality of the Democrats in the majority.
Obama has never really had to take responsibility for most of his life.
His comment in the first debate was instructive, “It’s time that the
Governor and his running mate accept responsibility”
It doesn’t occur to him that as president, the responsibility is his.
Very well stated!
I have a theory about why Obama bombed so badly in the first debate.
He didn’t see why he needed to be there. He is the president so why should he have to apply for the job all over again?
He would just tell them “Republicans started this mess so you have to vote for me next month. Now bring me my coffee and a muffin.”
Uh oh… Seems someone has some ‘splaing to do…
@ MikeA:
That’s going to leave a mark!
Iron Fist wrote:
I rally am getting more and more optimistic about this election.
@ Flyovercountry:
Wonder if they will find someone in the WH to fall on their sword and get run over by the Obama Bus. This just becomes the gift that keeps on giving. Romney needs to HAMMER Zero on this during the debate on Monday.
@ MikeA:
The Obama administration is trying to keep this information from getting out until after the election.
Hillary will be cleared (sounds like) but they want knowledge of the real screw-up to wait until after the votes have been counted.
@ MikeA:
The problem with that is the, “who’s left,” conundrum. After the Secretary of State, there really is no one left to over rule her besides the President. She holds a cabinet level position. She is at the top of the food chain in her directorate, and answers directly to the President of the United States. Any attempt to duck this one will only make him look worse.
Obama throws Hillary under the bus at his peril:
Say it again, Bill! So why did you agree to prop up this empty suit at the DNC?
@ Flyovercountry:
So Hillary was waiting for the big guy to sign off on her orders and he didn’t get around to it?
She was crying after the murders -- sounds like some of it might have been frustration that the deaths could have been prevented if her orders had been followed.
@ Eliana:
Tears over her Presidential aspirations going “Poof!” I assure you, not over the dead. The woman has no more soul than a dead mackrel.
@ Iron Fist:
Quite true!
@ Flyovercountry:
Oh I understand that but never underestimate the narcisist in chief. He will try to duck this but it will land on him.
Speculation: Might the October surprise be the Clintons getting the last laugh and throwing Obama under his own bus with this Libya fiasco?
@ MikeA:
This is starting to look like Watergate.
@ Iron Fist:
Bill Clinton just endorsed Romney.
@ Rodan:
No, Clinton is still lying for Obama:
He just let the mask slip for a minute. Clinton is a corruptocrat’s corruptocrat. I doubt we’ve ever had more corrupt a President. But Obama is much worse overall. Clinton had the good sense to change course when the voters overruled him, and then the economy picked up.
@ Eliana:
@ MikeA:
@ Iron Fist:
Why was an Al-Qaeda militia leader at the US Consulate in Benghazi during the attack?
This backs the claim that the US was recruiting Al Qaeda fighters at Benghazi for Syria.
@ Rodan:
Clinton: ‘It Is True’ Obama Hasn’t Fixed Economy
Oops! I didn’t see this link from Iron Fist above!
@ Rodan:
@ Iron Fist:
What is that line from Napoleon… When your enemy is destroying themselves, get out of the way and encourge them….
Rodan wrote:
Cough cough…
yea… you know what…. 
MikeA wrote:
No… That is Sun Tzu…
I find that Toon funny…look at the huge ASS Shrillary has in it! 8)
@ Iron Fist:
The Clintons got a deal with BHO.
They get something out of it.
RIX wrote:
But who gets the better end of the deal?
@ doriangrey:
Hey GumbeyandPokey from Hot Air is here under the name Ferb123.
@ Eliana:
Clinton just threw Obama under the bus.
Macker wrote:
How can they trust each other?
When dealing with Obama or either Clinton, you back out of the room.
@ lobo91:
Angry lesbians are so unattractive.
Rodan wrote:
Yup… Saw that…. Somebody needs to get him some Ambien… Hell somebody should make sure all the democrats get a nice healthy dose of Ambien… BWAHAHAHAH…….
@ Rodan:
Good -- he has a lot of former friends and grandmas under there to keep him company.
A broken clock is right twice a day!
Iran: How long can debt-laden US remain world power?
@ doriangrey:
That guy is so delusional.
@ Rodan:
Speaking of delusional:
Eliana wrote:
Heh! Good one.
Rodan wrote:
Ahhhhhh, thats a lie. A fat lie!!!!!!
Why you want me to be GumbeyandPokey?
I am not GumbeyandPokey from Hot Air.
XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Unemployment “fell” to 7.8% because one large state did not report its unemployment. As if 7.8% is something to be proud of anyway.
This is interesting:
@ lobo91:
That’s about the reddest electoral map I’ve ever seen.
Well, since 1984.
@ Speranza:
That, and because when businesses added 114,000 jobs in September, somehow 853,000 people managed to get themselves hired to fill those positions. A neat trick I know, but such is the magic of the Obama Administration’s accounting techniques.
hmmm unskewed polls look totally rigged
XDDDDDDDDDDD
ferb123 wrote:
Yeah, if by “rigged” you mean “not massively skewed in Obama’s favor.”
Flyovercountry wrote:
Enron accounting: It’s not just for Medicare anymore!
@ ferb123:
Was rigged in your word of the day email today? The great thing about the election is that in 19 days time, it will actually happen independently of our predictions. So keep running your mouth, and be prepared for this to be the theme on November 7, 2012.
lobo91 wrote:
oh come on, you really think Romney can win Michigan or Pennsylvania ???
(If yes, you can become rich by betting on that strange unskewed poll predictions)
Flyovercountry wrote:
I didnt start this “all poll are skewed” discussion.
Many other users here claim poll are skewed.
@ ferb123:
I guess we’ll find out in about 19 days, won’t we?
Keep telling yourself that people are going to turn out in record numbers to vote for the worst president of their lifetime, though.
I’m sure it’s comforting.
Heh! Bob Beckel just said that if the Gallup numbers (52% Romney 45% Obama) are real then IT IS OVER! Beckel didn’t sound too happy about it, but that is correct. If the Gallup numbers are real the election is over.
@ lobo91:
It’s going to be D+11ty on Election Day! 11ty!!!!!!
Iron Fist wrote:
Yeah. Sure it is.
Everyone’s going to hop into their new unicorn-fart-powered Volts and happily vote to re-elect Ear Leader.
ferb123 wrote:
OK Gumbey.
ferb123 wrote:
Fuck off dick sucker…
Iron Fist wrote:
Bob Backel is an asshole of the first order, but he is an asshole of the first order who occasionally forget to drink his koolaid.
@ lobo91:
So Obama needed a special favor because he speaks slowly. Poor little boy.
@ doriangrey:
Gumbey must be getting paid overtime. I am glad we are on the DNC’s radar.
@ doriangrey:
Unlike your pal above, Beckel is an asshole who needs to have a job come November 7th. Even he can see the writing on the wall. Continuing to make outlandish predictions about Obama being re-elected won’t gain him any credibility.
Rodan wrote:
Maybe he can sue for extra time under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
@ doriangrey:
ROFLMAIAO!
Rodan wrote:
yeah sure, big brother is watching you. XDDDDDDDDDDDD
Again I am not Gumbey and I am not from DNC.
@ ferb123:
[GAZE]
@ lobo91:
@ ferb123:
O.K., since I am one of the people here who actually know how polling works, and how to read the internals, follow the methodology, check the calculus used to analyze the statistics, I can see that you need some kind of a lesson, and why people in the know actually use Zogby and Rasmussen as a real guide.
I’ll add a note on Zogby at the end of this.
When you read the headline of a poll that 750 Likely voters were used to determine that this percentage of Americans feel this way or that, realize that the polling company probably made 15,000 phone calls to speak to 1500 people to determine that sample of 750. What you see in all of the polls is that no matter who the pollster is, most of them are very, very close to each other within each of the demographic groups represented. Gallup, Rasmussen, Zogby, Suffolk, Marist, or whoever, all pretty much agree that 86% of Republicans will vote for Romney, and that 85% of all Democrats will vote for Obama. They all agree, to within a razor sharp margin by the way, that Romney leads independents by 8 percentage points. The biggest disagreement is what the ultimate voting sample, or demographic breakdown will look like. During 2008′s Presidential election, at the height of the whole Hopety-Change-Hate-Bush fervor, that sample was 39%D/32%R/29%I. During the 2010 midterm elections, the sample was 36%D/35%R/29%I. A 6 point swing in the demographics of voter enthusiasm has huge implications. What you see in the top line of the polling company’s headline is not the actual breakdown of how people answered those calls, but a manipulation of answers to achieve a sample population which represents the size eventually given. In other words, the polling company will say, for our sample to be 39/32/29, we need to have our population include 293/240/217. When they have 85% Democrats say Obama, he’ll get credit for 85% of 293 people in their top line.
I hope by now, you can see where this is going. In the end analysis, that demographic sample is only an educated guess, no matter who is conducting the poll. There are only two pollsters who even attempt to proactively determine this sample makeup as a part of their program, and you probably guessed it, Zogby, which is a left leaning outfit by the way, and Rasmussen, which is a right leaning outfit. What everybody here noticed, who knows anything about polling, is that the other organizations were using samples that showed a prospective demographic breakdown of 39/28/33. For this to be a true representation of how our voting population will look this year, Republicans would have to be even more turned off on Mitt Romney than they were with John McCain. It also means that Democrats would have to be even more enthusiastic on the whole Hopety-Change thing this year than they were four years ago. There is nothing to show that this is the case. In the last 7 Presidential elections, the voting sample demographic matched exactly the proceeding mid term election’s sample demographic.
My note on Zogby: This year, John Zogby has changed his methodology from phone interviews to an online survey system. This is probably why we have not seen many Zogby polls this year. My personal belief is that he has not yet worked the kinks out of the system, and the very few in number of polls that I have seen from him, have all been outliers so far. This may be the future of polling, as every indication from the other people who do this for a living is that they are having a hell of a hard time getting people to stay on the phone for the full interview.
doriangrey wrote:
Beckel is strong anti-Jihad. I cut him a lot of slack for that.
…. but….yes, he is an asshole.
Check it out. New RCP electoral map finally puts NC in the “leans Romney” column. Electoral college now has Romney 206, Obam-uh 201.
ferb123 wrote:
To quote Joe Wilson…. You LIE….
Romney beating Obama among white voters by more than 20 points. In 2008 I think McLame only took 47% of the white vote.
Flyovercountry wrote:
Thank you ver much for the explanation.
Just one question. Do you think the large increase of independent voters can origin from Tea Party members ( of course they vote for Romney) who consider themself as independent voters?
@ ferb123:
Good question, and I believe that the number of independents has always been more or less consistent. About 30% of our population do not agree enough with either party to align with them on a consistent basis. They may very well agree with the GOP on economics, but find the social issues of equal import, and might very well feel the Democrats have the better appeal in those areas. That dynamic may be reversed, and it’s tough to get a real feel for how they’ll break as a group, because they are not any where near as homogeneous as the two major parties. There probably are a lot of Tea Party members, (tough to say, since there is not official role,) who are independent. From what I can see from the Tea Party groups though, is that they are not really fans of either major party, even those who consider themselves to be Republicans. They are pissed, and mostly pissed with voting for people who promise to cut spending and stop the graft and then seeing the same old nonsense continue. I do not know where this will lead, but if Romney gets elected, and does not follow up on his promises, the Tea Party will work hard to get him defeated in 2016.
doriangrey wrote:
I dont lie. There is no reason why I should lie about the “Gumbey thing”, or isnt it?
Who is Gumbey?
@ ferb123:
The biggest change in party ID among voters is the trend away from Democrats.
Have y’all seen this?
Mitt, please make Dennis your press secretary at least for a year.
If he MNF’s then you can fire him.
WTF?
@ lobo91:
WTF^2
@ lobo91:
Reading those responses, and it is no where near good news for Obama. Several of the categories should be added into one, and what it ultimately shows is that women in swing states will break about 50/50, just like the national average as a whole. If this is the case, that represents the end of Hopety-Change.
By the way, Susquehanna just published and removed a poll that showed Romney actually leading in Pennsylvania. If that’s the case, done.
@ Flyovercountry:
My first thought upon seeing that was that if it’s accurate, maybe we should re-think that whole women voting thing.
How the hell can a completely made-up issue be their top priority?
American deaths are “not optimal”?
He’ll fix them?
Obama: Benghazi Murders ‘Not Optimal’
@ Flyovercountry:
From what I have observed about the Tea Party, they are tired
of always being handed the bill.
Worse they see the future of their children & grandchildren having their
futures mortgaged.
When they object they are smeared as greedy & racist and they
won’t take it anymore.
More brilliance from Biden:
@ Eliana:
Well, he has had more than a few people treat him like he’s some sort of divine being…
//
@ RIX:
A lot (do not know percentages) are out of the Tea Party if Mitt is elected. They were in it to get Obama out and try to get favorable Congressional majorities. They will be for the GOP this year but after that who knows.
@ lobo91:
Remember, the recession hit men harder than women.
I consider myself an independent, in that I have never registered with a political party. But it has been a very long time (1976) since I last pulled the lever (literally true back then) for a Democratic candidate, because what happened next taught me a lesson I’ll never forget. Live and learn…
Maybe someone reprogrammed his teleprompter to an earlier version?
@ lobo91:
That will play well in Dearbornistan.
More of that famous Obama “bi-partisanship”
@ lobo91:
Obama’s advisers and closest fans keep telling him to be aggressive, hostile and rude (because it gives them tingles).
This behavior doesn’t seem to be helping him with the voters, though.
@ Eliana:
Except to our enemies…
@ lobo91:
He bows to them instead.
Devastating new American Crossroads ad:
Here is the main assessment.
With Romney’s campaign, Americans are seeing a way to oppose this sorry President.
He needs to keep it up. Hopefully John Bolton will help prep him for the next debate.
Rodan wrote:
Are you kidding -- the criminal enterprise known as the Obama Administration makes Watergate look like an inept band of teenage shoplifters at the Rite Aid makeup aisle.
@ Carolina Girl:
G. Gordon Liddy was the only one to offer to off himself (didn’t do it). Four people killed and another projection of weakness in the midst of our enemies. Crap, Watergate doesn’t even rate.
@ unclassifiable:
Not to mention the nice sideways slap at the First Amendment.
@ Carolina Girl:
No one died in Watergate.
MikeA wrote:
Hillary had in fact given instructions for beefed up security? I figured with Hillary throwing herself on her sword would in fact actually blow the lid off what happened in Benghazi instead of what the obama administration in their haste to put the blame somewhere else, would backfire on them. Susan Rice also doesn’t answer to Hillary so it wasn’t her that sent Rice out to lie at all the news networks…this came straight from the oval office. I hope it continues to blow up in obama’s face…at least then the 4 dead Americans will have some justice. Because obama owns this with every fiber in his body.
@ unclassifiable:
It’s telling that I have met lots and lots of people who voted for Obama in 2008 that will be voting for Romney this time.
Except for Doofus the Dick at the bar across the street and his merry morons, I haven’t encountered anyone who voted for McCain in 2008 but will be voting Obama this time. (and that’s assuming that DD and the MM voted for McCain -- I wouldn’t bet the farm on that)
Flyovercountry wrote:
Here’s the story. Poll shows Romney leading in blue Pennsylvania
@ huckfunn:
GMTA! I just did it as a headline.
Iron Fist wrote:
I was wondering when Bill would chime in. To me this has Jarrett’s and obama’s finger prints all over it. In their haste to deflect responibilty they had Hillary fall on her sword…but like someone said here a couple of days ago that sword went between her arm and side a slight of hand to look like she fell on it. And I agree why did Bill prop this loser up at the DNC convention? For what? He doesn’t like obama and obama doesn’t like him…for the Democratic Party? Was it worth it Bill?
New Thread.
Eliana wrote:
Hillary at least cared to some extent…but obama not so much. Why did Hillary blindly follow orders from him? Knowing she was going to step down…she had nothing to lose…Why? All her chances of being president in 2016 are gone simply from being in the obama administration. All up in smoke. Gone.
Iron Fist wrote:
True but compared to obama…well what can you say.
lobo91 wrote:
I don’t believe the most important issue for women is abortion. The media thinks it’s important for women …but women as a whole are more inclined to have food on the table and a roof over their head and a job if they are single/or single raising children. This issue about abortion is from the 1960′s that the democratic party seems to want to bring back..unfortunately among younger women abortion is more and more being frowned upon.
Eliana wrote:
No matter how obama screws things up he and his campagin seemed to think more of the same is in order. They are completely out of touch with reality. They seem to double-down on the same but more aggressive…it isn’t working well.
@ 28 lobo91: Someone should ask her if she cares about Watergate?
@ Lily:
MSNBC’s Mr. Tingle said that Obama turned into a hero at the most recent debate.
They’ve wound themselves up to the point where they think Romney and all those who support him are monsters like the ones who burst out of the chests of people in the “Alien” movies.
So Obama was a “hero” for standing up and saying something to Romney.
Liberals are pathetic.
@ huckfunn:
Natural protest over the outrage over the video. Really????????
/so it is natural for them to kill our Ambassador and 3 other people because the video (which hardly anybody has seen and has been on the internet since July) is much worse than the murdering of 4 people.
/do I have the obama’s talking points down. Unfreaking believable.
This is a good ad…going to leave a mark I hope.
@ 74 lobo91: That might be true. I have a lib dem woman friend who get hysterical when people want to limit partial birth abortions. Even if it would never happen. She would rather see the country go down in economic flames than carry a kid to term and give it up for adoption. The cost is personally too high for her. To me it is the soft bigotry of the left.
@ Eliana:
I caught a few minutes of Sean Hannity’s radio show earlier. He played a clip of Matthews interviewing somebody or other who basically implied that Romney was a racist for the way he talked to Obama during the debate, and that he never would have done that to a white president.
@ Eliana:
No kidding.
darkwords wrote:
That’s the natural result of a generation raised with no concept of personal responsibiity.
@ darkwords:
Even the libs in my family don’t rate abortion as a leading factor.
/especially partial-birth abortions. My family leans very lefty too.
@ lobo91:
Liberals called Bush a chimp for 8 years.
Now Mr. Tingle is complaining about a tone of voice towards Obama?
Pathetic.
@ Eliana:
He apparently wasn’t sufficiently “deferential” to Obama.
@ lobo91:
No leg tingle for Bambi in the debate is a travesty in Mr. Tingle’s eyes.