Ms. A. Huffington said this to Poltico "There's absolutely no way you'd call the Huffington Post a partisan defender of the Obama White House,".
Wow. That sentence is bat shit crazy. Akin to saying Joe Stalin was a small d democrat.
This leaves sane people with a few options regarding how to view her:
1. She is a delusional crack pot.
or
2. She senses yet another shift in the wind and will be ahead of the curve as the country turns on Obama.
or
3. She is a big, unapologetic, liar.
I'd go with the combo platter here. Her crack pottery is well documented. But she is astute enough to know that Obama is drifting south in the polls - now at a steady - if slow- pace and that Hufpo's relentless apologia for Obama can't last forever. She is also - by virtue of the statement above - clearly a liar. The Huffington Post became the house organ of Barack Obama years ago. The cavalcade of sexist attacks on Clinton and later Palin defined it in 2008. It is now the succubus of the liberal blogosphere.
Ms. Huffington has been:
a libertarian a conservative Republican a follower of new age leader John Roger a follower of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh An anti-feminist A feminist She now describes herself as a "progressive independent coming from the fourth dimension of political time and space."
Ed Rollins has a different take saying she is "a domineering Greek Rasputin" and "the most ruthless, unscrupulous, and ambitious person I'd met in thirty years in national politics."
Huffington is one of the creepiest entities on the elite scene. One of the sure signs that this country is socially corrupt at its core is that people like her continue to spread their poisonous egos without shame or contradiction.
John here: I want to point out that if Sarah Palin had referred to the "President" of Canada, Keith Olbermann would have had a stroke on the air screaming about it, and Arianna Huffington would have approved a post which attacked both her and Trig as "retarded"
Palin is the BULLY???? WTF???? Assholes like Huffington and Bill Mahr are the bullies. But I suspect they are "Perez Hilton bullies". Bitchy little weenies until someone clocks 'em....
In a four-page letter, Alaska-based attorney Thomas Van Flein wrote, "This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and The Washington Post, that the Palins will not allow them to propagate defamatory material without answering to this in a court of law."
I love it. I wish the Left had not given up on clarity and conviction in 2008. How long before the dipshits at Kos and Hufpo squeal about their "first amendment rights"....to slander.....?
Sunday Prayer:Please God, make the Palins sue Andrew Sullivan.
There are too many places one could cut and paste in The New Republic's slam of Ms. Huffington - The Puffington Post - to encourage a reader here to click there. I'll skip it. Just click here and read it. It's long and if you don't have time now bookmark it for later.
Huffington's creepy rag The Huffington Post has always been among the most empty "post traditional media" creations - I suppose because its owner is so obviously empty of anything except the ability to superbly repackage her own mediocrity. She is, in fact, superbly mediocre. Her long trudge from anti-feminism to the Newt loving D.C. cocktail circuit, to the weird stop overs in the New Age clown room, to hitching a ride on the Obama Adulation Express is not so much a story of growth or evolution - as it is the tale of a shrewd barnacle.
I hold fast to something I said about myself once in talking about a failed romance:
People make the same mistakes over and over again - until they make them perfectly.
Friends remind me of this momentary flash from me - and I've since applied it to other, broader realms. It may well come in handy as the BHO years progress. We certainly seemed to have made the same mistake perfectly in electing Obama. Everything we could have fallen for, like clockwork, we fell for. At least 52% did anyway. It was quite a sight to behold as it unfolded.
As a social and political commentator, Huffington now represents the perfect mistake of a shallow, attention deficit afflicted, media driven pop culture. She skips across the surface of everything and on occasional dives seizing on just enough truth to appear as if she, herself, has some depth. Anderson Cooper may give her a run for her money here. But he as only created himself once. Huffington, by my count, is on her fourth self re-creation. In all incarnations her work is vapid and shallow. After the public sours on Obama one wonders who she'll be. A trip back to the Right? Who knows.
She should not be trusted in any of her roles: Republican, Libertarian, Liberal or ________.
Andrew Sullivan's piece called The Fierce Urgency Of Whenever about gay rights is a good jumping off point for tonight. In it he states: ...I have a sickeningly familiar feeling in my stomach, and the feeling deepens with every interaction with the Obama team on these issues. They want them to go away. They want us to go away.
His piece is largely personal and about HIV, not gay rights (Though there are, of course, intertwined, they should not be taken as one and the same.) I have no desire to write a broadside about Sullivan and HIV. The appropriate response to that is, as always, compassion.
However, it causes a bottomless pit of fascination for me that so many people fell for Obama. And fall they did. Flat on their backs. Flattened on their backs is more like it. My distress and revulsion is still palpable.
I've done my time on campaigns over the years: Ted Kennedy, McGovern, Mondale, Brown, Jesse Jackson, Harkin, Clinton, Clinton, Gore, Kerry, Clinton...and in all those campaigns the level of self congratulatory delusion never came close to what was evident in Obama's campaign. Obama in the eyes of those who supported him was not a candidate at all - but a seer, a Messiah, an answer to everything from Gay Rights to bunions. As last year wore on - and into 2009 - oozing smugness became the order of the day. Regardless of all evidence to the contrary - and though that evidence was downplayed anyone with a computer could have found it - the Obama fanatics ignored and dismissed it. Have we ever seen so many people willingly blind themselves?
Every time I volunteered I had hope and purpose. Like all who volunteer I had a belief in the process, a desire to be a part of something bigger, and a faith, of sorts, in the candidate. However, rarely did I have or detect a sense in anyone else that they thought the candidate was anything but a person. Bill Clinton remains the most gifted speaker we've seen in my lifetime. I admit to occasional moments of being so moved by him that he appeared to be something other than a politician. It never lasted. I knew Bill Clinton was a moderate and would behave as such. And chose to volunteer anyway.
The faith the Obama people put in Obama was of a different stripe. It was religious. Which is to say it was willfully blind. The candidate himself really did not matter to them- and he knew it. What they were projecting mattered.
Now, I suspect that many progressives internally exited the Obama Exultation Express when he chose an economic team straight out of Wall Street. But their egos can't come "out of the closet" just yet. So excuses and half baked criticisms are all that can be mustered. "At least he's not McCain or Bush" is the order of the day. Even that excuse has jumped the shark. With each passing compromise and avoidance by Team Obama this too becomes moot.
Instead of reflexively resting on what they believe he's "better than", realistic Obama supporters should be asking - What exactly is the difference between McCain, Bush, and Obama? The answer, so far, is not much. As I stated before, the interference in Detroit probably would not have happened with a President McCain. But even there, the result will be the same: Bankruptcy for Chrysler and GM. The gag rule being rescinded is another instance of sure difference. Still that rule comes and goes every time the parties switch off.
I know much of my audience here is more conservative than me. That's fine. I appreciate it, in fact. Still watching so many "liberals" lop off there common sense for over a year is - at the very least - compelling reading. Did Sullivan actually believe BHO would be a strong proponent of Gay rights? Did John Avarosis? I love calling them dunderheads. but they aren't and I know it. How could Sullivan remain a cheerleader for so long? How did Avarosis get sucker punched into selling his soul?
Huffington and Cheetos man are a different breed. Neither are willing to think outside the box or question their current assumptions. Their arrogance is too thick. Obama merely accentuated their constricted thinking and gave them an excuse to continue bashing Clinton -any Clinton. Obama was the perfect candidate for them- especially for the fad following Huffington. I have no doubt that once Obama sinks below 50% she will turn. She is already prepping her crowd - attacking everyone in the Obama Admin - except Obama.
It actually saddens me a bit to see Sullivan's disappointment in Obama's gay rights cowardice. Like seeing a kid who just found out Santa Clause doesn't exist.
But my patience is short. He was cold blooded and mean last year and has not earned anything but a smidgen of compassion because he realized too late that his God has clay feet on issues closest to his life. Again the issue is not supporting Obama - it is supporting Obama blindly. Not questioning. Not holding up the basic tenant of being intelligent and engaged: Question everything and everyone - even those you intend to vote for. Sullivan and Avarosis have no right to be disappointed in Obama. Both men have a large audience and a platform that could have been used to educate. They could have questioned what happened at the DNC meeting last May. They could have - at least - wondered why Obama was so secretive about his academic record. They opted for cheer leading, mudslinging and gleeful, vicious attacks on Palin.
Sullivan in not a progressive but he's become a defacto member of the Left's intelligentsia with his adoration of Obama. And yes, Andrew, Barry does want you to go away. He wants Code Pink and Move On and anyone who believed he would shake up the elite to GO AWAY. You were used by a man who uses people and throws them overboard as a lifestyle. You should have seen this coming, Andrew.
Foto: Something to Chewy on. Poll Dance: Patterson is in the doghouse in NY. Cuomo leads him 70%-21% in Dem primary polling. Cuomo's Dem primary lead reminds me of Clinton's lead in places like West Virginia last Spring. Why is no one on the Huffington/Brentwood/David Geffen Left saying: What a bunch of backwoods bigots and retrograde racists those New York Democratic Primary Voters are!!!!
I am seriously. - Someone needs to tell the Daily Kos and H.R. Huffington 'n stuff!!!!! -Olbermann needs to make a Special Comment! -John Avarosis needs to...uh...go and post something about...
how bad Hillary Clinton uh I mean Cuomo...is so...because...uh.....those upstate hicks are all haters!!!! Wah!!! Therefore...vote for..uh...the Black Guy....I was not paid off..uh...by Axelrod...uh...to become an Obama Pod....wah!!! Stop being a hater!!...I hate Hillary! Wah!!!! uh...I mean I hate Cuomo!!! wah!!! He divorced a Kennedy! And Ted Kennedy endorsed Obama! Divorce rhymes with endorse! Wah! Me and Cheetos Man and Andrew "vagina dentata fears come upon me suddenly in the night!" Sullivan are super seriously important people. Wah! I blog therefore I am! wah wah wah!
Politico has - sort of - come clean. Obama is a thief and a fraud. What Chicago Slim has done is lie about his own agenda repeatedly and take Clinton's stances as his own. Gee, thanks for the tip, Politico.
President Obama is morphing into old rival Hillary Clinton
...(Obama) had a hard date for ending the war. Clinton repeatedly questioned the wisdom and sincerity of Obama's pledge to remove all combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office. It was the biggest difference between the two candidates-and one of the top reasons Obama won the nomination.
I would argue BHO's Iraq lies were the main reason he garnered the Democratic support his did. All of those people were lied to. All of them.
We can argue about the reasons the DNC and the media gamed the process to ensure Obama got the nomination all we want. My opinion as to the main reason remains sexism. The only debate in my mind is whether sexism was the accelerant or the fire itself.
There were other elements in play to be sure. The Democratic elite's contempt for the Clintons (mirrored now by the GOP elite's contempt for Palin.) played a part. Nothing so satisfies the monkey brains on the Dean Left as much as a nice round of mindless Clinton bashing.
Additionally, race was used as a shiny toy flashed in front of the likes of Huffington and the MSNBC idiots. "Look he's Black!" Which was the modern version of "I'm not racist. I have black friends, I swear!"
But what under girded all of this was a bourgeois, largely unspoken and often unconscious fear of powerful women. I am sure Olbermann, Cafferty and Huffington don't think of themselves as bigots. But they are. It seeped through in broadcasts and posts throughout last year. "Bitch" was thrown about like confetti on Obamablogs. One has to wonder what would have happened if Obama had been referred to as a "spear chucker" on a Clinton blog. Even my visceral reaction to "spear chucker" is more pained and pronounced than it is to "bitch." Why? Both carry the same amount of vile meaning and stereotyping. I am as inured to the debasing of women as the next man. It is in the atmosphere of this culture. Sometimes it is the atmosphere.
It is still perfectly acceptable to attack a female politician by going after her gender. In fact, that is the first line of attack. Cold. Bitchy. Emotional. Whore. "Everyone's first wife." Obama even used "periodic" to imply Clinton was unstable. And on and on the Chris Matthews goombahs of the media elite went.
God Bless Hillary Clinton for fighting through. I mean that. God Bless Clinton.
I will never let up on this point. Clinton was better qualified, more honest (which is to say simply - she is honest and Barry is not) a real leader, and not a concocted brand spraying soothing lies across the land.
So John, you ask, if BHO has taken Clinton's stances what is the problem? The problem is - as it always has been - THE LIE. He was never vetted. He STILL hasn't been. He was not held to any of the standards Clinton was hammered with. His past was not questioned. His life was not questioned. To do so invited a scathing attack from the petulant media and Obama's Children of the Corn.
Obama was wheeled through the city gates as a great gift bestowed upon us. Once the battle was won out of the Obama Trojan Horse came Bush's policy on Iraq (Obama lied), the "brain" trust of Goldman Sachs, Rick Warren, Bush's bailout policy, phony "stress tests" for the banks, health care reform lead by the same people who created the mess, a coward on Gay rights, a "Constitutional scholar" who abrogates contracts that annoy him, a narcissist who won't or can't let another living soul take center stage even for a millisecond, and a tacky man who insults our closest allies.
Given the context of the times, Obama is not "historical" at all. He's run of the mill. Take away the "Obama show" we are force fed and the remainder of his Presidency so far is entirely expected. In fact, take the mind game a step further. Make BHO a white male in your mind's eye and play out his first 4 months. He becomes shatteringly mediocre. His race is still a bobble white liberals use to amuse themselves.
McCain would have passed a stimulus bill (smaller, but he still would have done it.) Clinton would have too. Any Democrat from Edwards to Richardson would be working on health care now. The fact that he is disinterested in and apologetic to a fault for American foreign policy should only shock the willfully moronic. Ditto for the Afghan policy. He's more conservative than Bush on the right of the Feds to intrude on privacy. Is this a surprise? It shouldn't be. He telegraphed it loudly last year by ditching FISA.
The "change" he promised is still in the form of a series of announcements. Anything that might remotely upset the status quo will remain in the form of an announcement. The Guantanamo "announcement" sounded good - except he forgot to form a policy before he went before the TV cameras. The "big change" in environmental policy is dying in the House as I type. The over the top fantasy budget WAS a bit unexpected but it is no where near becoming law so remains merely an announcement. His promises to gay Americans are lost in the Axelrod wilderness. 2 weeks ago he thumbed his nose at Armenians - apparently for sport.
The one big move I can say has surprised me a bit is his intrusion into Detroit. But I must follow quickly with - that intrusion is arrogant, and counter productive. His huffy attack on the hedge funds who want a fair deal and disregard for contractual law tells us much about the man's actual temperament.
This blog stated almost immediately that his "announcement" on torture was gamesmanship and would certainly end up being destructive. He will dodge this shot at his own foot only because Pelosi is an 8 on the hypocrite Richter scale and she has now run for cover.
I defy anyone to tell me what Obama has done so far that isn't either:
A. What any Democrat would have done. or B. Stupid.
He was handed the Democratic nomination in a Democratic year not because he was the best choice. He was handed the Democratic nomination in a Democratic year because he had a penis and his opponent did not.
Bratty Brats and other Huffington types did not like Tea Parties. Normal people did.Check it out....oh...you say you want a revolution...
How many funny queens will dress as "The Gathering Storm" this Halloween? Rich on the last stand for bigots here.
ye old Olden News -
This "lunch Break" was ready to go last Thursday. Delayed but not forgotten. Some good reads. Email Hoot: I got this email recently:
We wish to inform you of the Yearly Award program that your Email Address has won an Award sum of Two Million Dollars Contact Pieter Vaart Claim Agent mail; payagency4@netscape.netRefrence No.NW234F221,Ticket No:HW4321-534K,Serial No:LU267-65-117,Batch No:W331-783-009.Sincerely Mrs,Irena verloot, Mrs. Irena Verloot, no less! I love it.
Not so straight talk express: Anderson Cooper, who is gay, takes an obviously gay bashing cheap shot in order to service Obama. "IT'S HARD TO TALK WHEN YOU'RE TEABAGGING." There is no way around interpreting this remark except to assume that Cooper could not speak because his mouth had testicles in it. You go, Andy. What a professional! Keep taking the high road as the country goes down in flames.
* there will come a time when the anger directed at wasteful spending will become rage directed at CNN and MSNBC....continuing to mock, bash, trash, and dismiss millions of people will cause blow back...blow back that I am sure CNN and MSNBC will mock, bash, dismiss, or if it is large enough - act "shocked". Many modern revolts begin by surrounding TV stations....have you noticed this?
Who are the Oligarchs?Read it. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and the 2008 Bilderberg Meeting: Read it. The lie gusting behind the blowback: Rove hits on something essential in his recent post at the WSJ - Now Americans are reacting to runaway government spending that they were not told about before last year's election... Poll: More nick names for M. O. from you guys... runoff later...remember this is not to be excessively mean to M. and/or B. O. but just so I can avoid writing "Obama" so much...okay, WAIT...let's be honest...it is also fun to be a bit mean to M and B...vote early, vote often...
As I sit down tonight it looks as if the Tea Parties were a success. Especially when compared to the lame A New Way Forward events, which fizzled out like stale Coke. Again, let me repeat: the issue with the Condescension Class on the Left is an ongoing refusal to see the central fact- Obama stands opposed to the goals of A New Way Forward. Until they understand that Obama is "working for the man" the Right will be able to seize the high ground. Like it or not. By ignoring the truth about Obama for going on years now the "left" has boxed itself in. The White House was "locked down" briefly. A p.r. win - if nothing else. Most rallies where directed at Obama, though they were to be "non- partisan." It is hard to asses the ongoing effectiveness of the Tea Party movement. What is worth stating - and quite clear now - is that the energy surrounding Obama just 90 days ago has faded abruptly. BHO, by tentatively staking out the alleged middle - betraying his promise of real change - and by coddling the bankers has blown yet another chance at change. Had he taken major steps to reign in the worst banks early on the Left who believed the worst banks should have been nationalized - myself included - would have a true rallying point. Obama demurred and now the Maddow/Huffington Left has been reduced to obnoxious snarking just 2 months after peaking.
Important points:
1. The anger today was focused on Obama.
(I interject my rewrite here: I should have said - "Obama stands to lose the most. Naturally anger will be directed at the man in power now." Also - BHO has promoted an agenda of spending that even made some of the most cynical Americans blanch. In other words - blow back against government spending has been given a large target in the last 2 months. Both Zombie and Jeannie pointed out in comments that I was off in the rather blunt #1 assessment. Tea Parties are clearly not a solely an anti-Obama phenomenon. They are, however, in many ways fueled by Obama's bailout plans and startlingly large budget blueprint. )
This can't be stated enough: with breathtaking speed a chunk of the population has galvanized against the person who is now in the White House. This may not be fair - but it will continue. 2. The GOP stands to benefit here, especially if the economy continues to creak. 3. Those of us who are anti-Obama liberals (I borrow Cannonfire's term - and suggest a read of this post.) must take care to avoid association with the loopiest elements of the Tea Party folks. I have great sympathy for what occurred today because I see it as blow back against both Obama and Bush.
The simplest way to stay clear headed and not allow the worst elements of the Right to re-emerge, while at the same time standing against Obama's fecklessness in the face of bankster criminality is to remember: Obama, like Bush, is a working for the elite class doing the looting.
Obama, unlike McCain, was the natural inheritor of George W Bush's mantle. Both men personify the problem.
Obama Pods - the time for an apology is now. Apologize. Cannonfire is right on. Please read his post here. This is not sour grapes. This is reality. We who opposed Obama and chose the rational candidate instead demand and deserve an apology from the Dailykos, Ariana Huffington, Keith Olbermann, John Avarosis, and the rest. The vicious trashing of over half of the former Democratic party by Obama stooges and nasty, vile idiots on the elite faux Left was beyond the pale. And for what? An overblown anti-American ego, on stick legs who makes an ass of himself and us before foreign leaders when he's not bailing out the crooks who brought down the economy. Face it Pods, we knew it all along. You saw one thing: His skin color -and went into masturbatory dithers over how "cool" you were for supporting a self evident fraud. It not "intelligence" Pods, it's inexperience, hesitation, and manipulation. Believe it or not - there is a difference.
The Obama Justice department's decision this week to not only embrace Bush's illegal, unconstitutional wiretaps - but to GO FURTHER than Bush ever dreamt of going makes the matter beyond dispute We were right. The pods were wrong.
The behaviour of the Pod people last year must not only be remembered- they must be held to account. Obama is a fraud. We knew it. They refused to see reality and, along the way trashed anyone who questioned them.
I will never let up on this. Obama is a mistake forced on us by fiends like Keith Olbermann and John Avarosis. He is polarizing the nation in ways we are only now seeing - and this will get worse. Watch.
One of the more disturbing and reactionary aspects of the Obama Pods in 2008 was the ruthless and vicious mockery of Sarah Palin, even though Palin was clearly more qualified than Barack Obama. And, frankly, a much more decent person. Obviously. The joy the cocktail party liberal set took in trashing Palin and her family will forever be a putrid stain on feminism. Only the piggish, sexist behaviour toward Clinton by Keith Olberman, Chris Mathews, and the quintessential alimony feminist, Arianna Huffington, was more disturbing.
As I've said before I probably would not vote for her - and did not in 2008- as her views on certain issues are too far from mine. But her reaction to Obama's offensive crack about the Special Olympics reminds me why I liked her personally so much last fall. As one of the rare women who have risen to a state governorship in the U.S. I also admire her. I am curious about your take:
Request: In my writing group at church I've heard some recounting of recent economic distress. I'd like to hear from people about the new Depression...(or as I stole from Kunstler because I think it is more fitting: The Long Emergency.) 500-800 words. Personal accounts of friends, family or yourself. Though, I get silly, glib and loud with my stuff - I treat all submissions with respect. I really do want to know how people are faring. John@liberalrapture.com
New Words and phrases:
Alimony Feminist: An opinionated divorcee who came into wealth via the dissolution of a marriage. The divorced alimony feminist convinces herself that her money confers respect and/or wisdom and the right to be heard in any number of forums previously restricted to women of who have had real careers, or have spent considerable time in the work force and/or raised children without nannies. Alimony Feminists are often women who vocally endorse feminist principles then consciously or unconsciously work against the advancement of women of actual accomplishment.
Obalosi: see also The Obalosi, in certain regions The Pelama:
The Obamlosi is the amorphous governing entity resulting from the merger of the Obama and Pelosi agendas in the early 21st Century. Usage various.
Examples: The Obamlosi wants those earmarks kept out of the papers.
It looks like Dodd will take the fall for the Obalosi on this one.
Obama's clay feet are showing. This should surprise no one. But it will. Still, even his base did not show up for his "House Parties" on the stimulus bill. As this queasy presidency unfolds let us save some of our anger for the media, who co-created this duplicitous, cowardly, little administration. We must not forget that a qualified candidate was hounded by MSNBC, Huffington, NBC, ABC, and CNN for a year. In a balanced society Olbermann, Cafferty, Matthews, A. Huffington and those who signed off on their bile would be exiled to Elba. They are part and parcel of what is now becoming the unfolding Obama disaster. We will pay dearly for their psychosis. They should pay with collective shunning.
Hillary warned us about Presidents who are not ready on day one. It's day 22 and we are still waiting for a President to show up.
In this little corner of the Internets the watchword is WATCH. Closely. As I've said already, I have no faith or hope in the man who is now President and this is a good thing. My expectations can be easily met, and, I suspect, will be. Some already have been met. That inauguration thingy was too pricey but did seem nice. The speech was okay.
If Obama turns out to be a truly transformative leader I benefit, you benefit, we all do. Win/Win.
Along the way, those of us who refused to "get on the Obama bus" now have the obligation to see as clearly as possible, to own what we already know. The man did not emerge from the ether yesterday. He got where he is with brutal tactics and calculating deceits. Not exactly new, but he did raise the bar. Aspects of these characteristics may benefit him as he deals with Pelosi and that lot.
For anyone who feels the need to "give him a chance" I support that. I don't feel this need. I want proof.
He's failed the trust test 1000 times over the past year. At every single moment when integrity was called for Obama chose duplicity. The Wright speech was as close as he came to showing some integrity. But then he ditched the old grump a week later anyway.
I won't be shaking the etch-a-sketch simply because he was sworn in. Real liberals don't do blind allegiance.
One of the reasons pro Clinton blogs were a treat and relief all year was because they supported and defended her while never letting her off the hook. I knew I disagreed with Clinton's war votes. The Obama pods knew he fudged his Iraq stance every 3 months and decided not to take in the information and deal with it - but instead to lie and pretend reality was, in fact, not reality.
The Obama Blogs and Media Machine attacked Clinton and ignored Obama's reality. They often slipped into moral depravity. Kos allowed - it seems encouraged - death threats against the Clintons, incitements to rape, and all manner of other vulgarity. Huffington was a caldron of blind hatred and shiny delusion. Avorisis sold his soul. Andrew Sullivan tried to - but came to find he does not have one. Poor Andy. Olbermann made a joke about killing Clinton.
Ha. ha.
The trolls who got off on alighting at those places, punking the Clintons, and working into dithers of Obama rapture are in for rough sledding. He's not what was sold. What he actually is is still open to question. And it may not be so bad. What he will be to many is disappointing. Most Pods began frantically making excuses the day after the election. In those pockets of the Left where integrity, principles, and consistency still matter the Obama party has long since dispersed.
Though this blog and many bigger ones directed fury at the Obama charade - lines where drawn in the sand. Anger was in full bloom. The murderous fantasies of spoiled children were not.
BHO does not fit any of the usual labels. Though this may sound appealing and revolutionary about now- it is not. Core principles matter. I have no idea what his are, or if he has any. Liberal and conservative are nouns. Moderate is a verb. To say Obama is moderate is to imply an action or way of being. It is not a statement of core beliefs.
Splitting the difference is not a core principle. It is a tactic. The Carter, Bush 1, and Clinton presidencies all suffered when a lack of core principles was exposed or principles were betrayed. Bush 2 believed in a thing or two along the way - but his anti-curious shallow personality resulted in an ossifying stupidity as the first years of the Iraq war and Katrina proved.
If President Obama demonstrates leadership skills and integrity, takes intelligent action, and proves he belongs where he now is - I will applaud. The campaign and transition proved that he was shrewd and supported by many. Nothing else. As far has I can tell, even after the speech yesterday, is that he believes in "unity". Before November he believed in "hope".
Yeah, well. Who doesn't?
The bar is so high for me, and my expectations so low, precisely because I watched closely all year. So far, all he brings to the party are slogans, speeches about unity, and, since winning, a congenital compulsion to split the difference in all fights. Oh, and a lot of very powerful folks behind the scenes who do have expectations.
The first 2 winners of the 2008 Rappy awards (which I made up over coffee one morning) can now be announced!!! The committee of 2 (me and my laptop) gathered at a Koreatown bistro called "Denny's" recently and tabulated the votes.
The Nominees for Most Grotesque Cable News Personality:
Nancy Grace Chris Matthews Dick Morris Keith Olbermann Bill O'Reilly
And the winner is Keith Olbermann!!!!
Olbermann wins his first Rappy after a year long display of Hillary inspired mommy issue meltdowns, murder jokes about the former First Lady, and bug eyed buffoonery he likes to call "Special Comments". The manic Olbermann, who is rumoured to be the love child of Phyllis Diller and Donald Trump, enjoyed a year of unconsciously making an ass of himself at every turn while cheer leading for Obama. Congrats Keith! You are the most grotesque news anchor in the woooooooooorrrrrrrrrrllllllllllllld!!!!
Nominees for 2008 Sexist of the year:
Chris Matthews Barack Obama Keith Olbermann Randi Rhodes Andrew Sullivan
With such juicy nominees one almost hates to announce a winner. Each of these people brought sublimated sexism and/or self hatred a special zing this year. However, the winner is: Barack Obama
Barry started the year by playing a song that included the lyrics: 99 problems and the bitch ain't one at his victory party after defeating Clinton in the Iowa. This set the tone for his delicious mix of arrogance, Gangsta/Ho homages, throw the middle finger to Clinton podium stunts, unequal pay for his female staff, and charmless derision to female reporters. All the while he refused to reign in his night of the living dead, women hating cult of idiot children on the Left -lead by Ms. Arianna Huffington - great patron of resentful, disempowered women everywhere, John Avarosis, king - and queen - of barely evolved self hating homosexuals, and that Daily Kos guy who happily played host to a cavalcade of homicidal, sadistic commenters all year.Congrats Barry. Your consistent, duplicitous misogyny all year has been a marvel.
* the empty suit photo signifies the Rapture has occurred - an expression of the heavenly effect winning a coveted Rappy has on people.
Also, it's an empty suit and an empty suit, as we all now know, is the new black.
So much enjoying the comments from the regulars lately. (and you lurkers - dive in! The water is....uh...wet??)
A comment from reader Marie on last night's post that is precisely on point when it comes to the increasingly loathsome Obama: Obama is not a coward - he is a passive-aggressive careerist who can't find a bus large enough to throw us all under. But here - on this site - many of us - and you,JSOM - saw what this man was and what he was selling and rejected it. Well, well, this is what slavish devotion will get you. A free ticket to the Capitol steps to hear yourself humiliated by a preacher thug who is BFF with the new Prez.Obama is a man as dangerous as W - in that he is no less driven by his ego pathologies.
A women after my own heart...
Also - after the "despicable quotes" Rappy nominations were announced reader Kara reminded me of a big oversight - the "cling to guns and religion" arrogant riff by Obama in San Francisco. There will be a special award created for easy going arrogance combined with elegant snottiness: TheArianna - sponsored by John-Roger. Guess who wins this year??!!??!!
And a comment on Caroline K. that nails it for me: The Caroline situation really feels like dropping another sexist shoe. I don't know if anyone has worked really hard for a promotion only to have the boss decide to appoint his girlfriend to the position? Anyway, that's what it feels like. yttik | 12.17.08 - 6:53 am | #
The most consistent and pointed satire around remains South Park.
Anyone who has suffered the Homeless Industrial Complex the city of Santa Monica has created and labeled "progressive" (- which apparently means letting alcoholics rot on the streets, and allowing the mentally ill to accost residents - ) will love this song. Santa Monica "liberalism" is the version of liberalism which has finally become ascendant in the Democratic Party with Senator No Resume's rise.
The goal is not to solve any particular problem, the goal is that people like Ariana Huffington and Tom Hayden get to feel superior on the way to the spa. Look at the homeless we allow on our streets - see we are open minded humanitarians! The slums in Obama's district and Rezko's government contracts are worth keeping in mind, as well.
Imagine that. An effete prick, sipping a latte, is implying that the Viet Cong were not so bad to McCain.
Arianna Huffington has always been a loud snake oil saleswoman demanding attention and using her ex - husband's money to get it. She deserves our contempt.
And yes, I already know that since I posted this piece attacking an Obama Pod for being an obnoxious thug - that I am a racist! Blah, blah, blah...
