Obama — The Dull Echo President
“A choice, not an echo,” has been used in political campaigns by both major parties. It was first used by the 1884 campaign of Democrat Grover Cleveland, and used again 80 years later as a slogan in the 1964 campaign of Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. This slogan was meant to draw attention to very basic differences with the other major party, its candidates, and its policies.
Alas, as is true with our present-day president when it comes to so many issues, especially those involving the economy, we usually hear not a real choice, just a dull echo of the other guys. Obama’s latest me-too involves oil drilling.
With the public riled up abut high gas prices, and Republicans singing their old “drill, baby, drill” number, Obama just announced a plan to open more public lands to oil drilling. He acted as if there were no alternative to this echo, no real choice, when it comes to reducing our dependence of foreign oil and its inevitable high costs.
When of course there are lots of better choices.
No, he couldn’t propose higher gas taxes the way they’ve done in Europe, and which have done so much to reduce its own oil consumption by promoting conservation. Not in today’s recession economy. And this being America, maybe never here. But…
But instead of more drilling on public lands, Obama could have proposed higher CAFE standards. He could have pushed for more funds for urban public transportation. He could have pointed again to his high-speed rail program and repackaged it as a save-on-oil measure. He could have proposed an excess profits tax on the oil industry that would generate revenue to pay for more public transportation and that high-speed rail program.
There are a lot of other choices available here as well. Ones with a more ecologically sound, more economically generative potential than drill, baby, drill. From this Democratic President, though, what we get instead is a Republican echo.
What we get from Mr. Change and Hope, in so many realms in fact, is a hopeless, changeless, more of the same of what the other guy is saying.
Is there a plausible third party candidate in the house? You know, you really might win in 2012. Really.
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10 Responses to “Obama — The Dull Echo President”
It’s politics and Obama needs to get re-elected. For some reason, Americans believe that the President picks the gas prices every morning before coffee. That somehow he is directly responsible for the prices at the pump. This belief could hurt Obama if prices are still very high during the campaign. So what can he do… make the speculators happy and open up some more oil field.
2nd term Obama should be very very interesting.
It’s a reelection year and the Teabaggers drove the previous election. Obamama is moving to the center, while the Repugs are hijacked by the likes of Rick Scott in Florida. Scott is even rumored to run for POTUS.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/14/2216138/will-gov-rick-scott-seek-the-white.html
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/rick-scott-for-president-absurd-but-possible/1169238
LOL The current Skeletor only has an approval rating of 30%.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=165266
So, was he a closet centrist all along? Or, has the job educated (and deidealized)the job holder.
My,opinion after a careful study of the cat’s kitty litter, is a bit of both.
To the center? No. It’s populism, plain and simple. Ron Paul and Obama are opposites, but neither is left nor right.
The fact that Obama is throwing up all kinds of random things up against the wall shows his administration is confined to a reactive mode as opposed to some proactive strategy. Gas prices will likely level in the mid 3s but that is being influenced by the demand side, not the supply side. And that demand is being curtailed by continued upward adjustment bumps in unemployment. Despite TMV fascination with only Republican unlikely nominees, the same old basic economy issues go unmitigated by their administration. When the independent goes into the voting booth, is he going to be remembering quips from 2011 or the size of his wallet in late 2012?
Obama is conceding to reality. Aping Clinton post-1994 again?
Now if he only conceded to reality with relish. Where is his budget plan? Where is his justification for military operations in Libya, for that matter? Why is he making stupid noises about immigration “reform” (amnesty to boost Dem vote totals) rather than worrying about the economy in general, and excessive federal spending that shoves us closer to a debt trap (and inflation of the currency) as well as forcing us toward austerity earlier and harder? Why is his administration trying actually to force Boeing to make business decisions ObamaCo’s union friends want? Et cetera.
Some of us would rather he end the lower-quality-voter-directed P.T. Barnum circus campaign acting.
Casual Observer wrote:
As I’ve described it, “winging it” or “dressing up and playing ‘government’ or ‘nation’”: in that sense, yes, amateurish and inept as he and his administration often have been. (Often out of touch with everyone else, too.)
Rick Scott for President? I doubt it. Chris Christie would do well in a run, among many, and certainly he should be considered for VP in 2012.
Rick Scott isn’t attractive — when he gives cameras the Greedy Stare it’s truly repellent.
http://romancatholicworld.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/rick-scott-black-and-white-photo1.jpg?w=620
http://www.naplesnews.com/photos/galleries/2011/apr/12/governor-rick-scott-first-100-days-florida/
etc.
Christie as VP might work. He’ll have to drop some pounds before he runs for P.
I’d prefer Christie over Gingrich. [grin]