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Bob Woodward joins the anti-Obama crowd — 57 Comments

  1. So you really think it’s an anti-Obama wave? I’ve seen the mounting evidence, but have superstitiously resisted putting it together as a trend. Now you’ve come right out and said it, and that gives me a new, unsettling kind of hope.
    Hope and change!

  2. “‘ Obama doesn’t really like very many people.’ I believe it.”

    Barak Milhous Obama

    Like Nixon we see a man in the Oval Office who is temperamentally unsuited for politics: introverted, insecure, and solitary.

  3. The part of the ABC article I found most interesting was that Nancy Pelosi actually puts the president on mute when he gets too long winded during phone calls, and someone in her office (presumably a Democrat in good standing) has no problem telling this to the world.

    One thing I’ve said about Obama for a while now is that he really hates making consequential decisions. On the revolutions in the middle east, the surge in Afghanistan, the debt ceiling, you name it, the guy sat back and let other people determine the course of events. He doesn’t decide what to do until he only has a few clear options left open.
    The teaser for the Woodward book shows a man who doesn’t lead, and isn’t taken seriously, which seems to fit with what I’ve been saying.

  4. As I recall, Ryan was sitting in the front row when Obama criticized him, calling him “unpatriotic.”. It was obvious at the time that Obama was going out of bounds with his criticism of the Ryan Plan. It was intentional, not a “mistake.” Obama is a petty, vindictive man, not a fool. Here’s how the WSJ depicted Obama’s speech in an editorial “The Presidential Divider: Obama’s toxic speech and even worse plan for deficits & debt”: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424

  5. ” Obama seems to like to dress people down publicly; humiliating someone and watching him/her squirm…..”

    One of the first lessons in effective leadership in the military is this: Criticize privately, praise publicly. Criticizing or humiliating people in public is not the way to create loyalty and teamwork. Praising subordinates in public creates good will, loyalty, and teamwork. Lack of knowledge of this simple tenet of leadership is just one of many skills that Obama lacks to be a good leader.

  6. I think that the Woodward book, the Kantor article, the Newsweek cover story, and a few of the other things we’ve noticed over the past few weeks are all first shots in the lamestream media’s attempt to regain some semblance of credibility. They never will be able to regain it, but I think they can recognize the tide is shifting, and if they don’t at least make an effort to get out in front of it somehow, they risk being tossed aside as irrelevant. As the desperation from the Obama camp grows, I expect we might see some more stories casting a less-than-positive light on this administration.

  7. The rats may be edging cautiously toward the lifeboats. It appears that many have already donned flotation devices.

    The water is going to be very cold.

    I love it; I just love it.

  8. Clint Eastwood, in his laconic manner, just nailed it; “President Obama is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people”

    The man’s a sociopathic, narcissistic Marxist. An empty suit, playing a role.

  9. “not exactly a tsunami, but at least a little wavelet.”

    It will be interesting to see how this develops. First, let’s all remember that the MSM has a vested interest in seeing Obama reelected so as to justify their sycophancy of the past 5 years. However, as their ineluctable sniping begins, however mild, it is also sending the same message to disillusioned Obama voters that the Romney media ad (and Clint Eastwood) did; i.e., it’s okay not to vote for him again, he just couldn’t get the job done and now we have to let ‘im go.

    Now link that up with all the other anecdotal evidence occasionally mentioned on these blog comments. Most recently, I saw today a cyberheadline that Obama leads in New Jersey by ONLY +7. Likewise about 3 months ago, someone speculated about whether Christie’s coattails could make New Jersey red. I hardly think that’s likely, but to even mention this thought without being ridiculed to no end means that (IMO) there is a game afoot that is simply not registering on the polls.

    Preference cascade anyone?

  10. mizpants,

    Think of the building wave as that cascade preference, a cascade preference decidedly anti-Owebama; it builds on itself.

    Look at the little things the media did not cover/had no involvement in: Chick-fil-A protest, Empty Chair Day, black bash mobs and the list goes on. America is fed up with the good for nothing lazy layabout jackanapes grifter that sits in the Oval Office play acting as our President. Don’t forget, Owebama is going to fight tooth and nail not to have to give up his spiffy ride, as he so indelicately called Air Force One within a month of his inauguration.

    Good things are happening, enjoy the moment, but keep pushing. It ain’t over ’til it’s over, and there’s just less than two months to go. You thought things were bad before? Now see what happens when Romney’s presidential campaign advertising cash kicks in (or rather goes out). Romney has not been able to spend any of his Main Event money, everything he’s spent up to now was primary money. Owebama’s shot his wad, he’s cooked, and the damn fool knows it. But I think with his massive personality faults, I do see him getting very very vindictive. More Executive Orders, more giving money away to other countries, especially our enemies; he’ll probably try to forgive Egypt all the money she owes us. And just wait until we all see his executive pardon list. That’ll be both a whopper and a doozy. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bernardine Doehrn on the list.

    This is going to be the wildest political ride I will ever have the distinct trepidation to experience, mostly because this is an election that really is for all the marbles. We go down the fast road to doom via socialism/government tyranny or we take a hard right and try to reinstate some of our founding Constitutional principles which might help us to start cleaning up our fiscal mess.

  11. I am introverted, insecure, and solitary. Maybe that is why I lost the Sixth Grade election for Class Treasurer.
    I have never gotten over it.

  12. RickZ,

    What’s to be sorry about? That you and I should write such similar thoughts is precisely the point—-a preference cascade. BTW don’t forget about the banner welcoming him to Sioux City, IA (OBAMA welcome to SUX).

    I thought about the pardons already, too. Dorn, Ayers, Geithner would not surprise me in the least. Ya’ wanna bet Holder’s on the list?

  13. T,

    Holder hasn’t been convicted of anything. I don’t think there’s such a thing as a pre-emptive pardon; you must be convicted of a Federal crime to receive a Presidential pardon. When Ford pardoned Nixon, he was already impeached and well on the way to conviction by the Senate at the time of his resignation.

  14. Obama’s acceptance speech was lame an lacking in specifics then today came more bad news on the employment numbers that only MSNBC could cheerfully spin. Paraphrasing the soup Nazi: “No bounce for you” Obama, but will more Obama critical editorials arise from the MSM before the election? I dont know. Im still trying to figure out why the race is as close as it is other than its apparent many people arent really paying attention.

  15. A complete fake. “The Candidate” brought to life. Fake black man, fake “constitutional scholar,” fake politician — “Present!” — fake Keynesian, fake leader, fake human being.

    Martin Kuther King is spinning in his grave.

  16. Oldflyer Says: “The rats may be edging cautiously toward the lifeboats. It appears that many have already donned flotation devices. The water is going to be very cold.”

  17. RickZ…

    Wrong across the board…

    Nixon bailed before the House could even vote on articles of impeachment — and months ahead of the required Senate trial.

    Ford then ‘pre-pardoned’ Nixon — exactly backwards from your assertion.

    —————–

    The Wan is a fulsome Gonnabee — read John Wareham’s works.

    Think DeLorean.

  18. It would be nice if some of the major media could see their way clear to mention The Won’s improper use of his middle digit in public appearances.
    Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go back and watch for the arrival of the good ship Lollipop.

  19. I wonder if Woodward’s book will get more MSM attention than the Ed Klein book, The Amateur. Seems like both cover the same territory. Klein has similar MSM credentials (former New York Times editor, etc.) but I suppose Woodward is more “famous” as a journalist. You would never know that Kleins book hit the bestseller list.

    Regarding whether or not Obama is fool or knave, I’ve always thought he is both. Part of me thinks that he and his wife would be happy to exit after one term…neither seems to embrace the idea of hard work and sacrifice for the sake of the country. The attitude has always been that they’re doing us a big favor. On the other hand, BO is such a monumental narcissist that he can’t conceive of losing a second term either.

  20. “One of the many reasons that Obama is incapable of facing the reality of his own flaws and learning from them is that he does not seem to want to”
    I’d go one further Neo – I believe the scope of his narcissism is such that it’s never occurred to him he has any flaws. That seems to go back to his adolescence, where I’ve read accounts he has always held a much higher opinion of himself and his abilities than his peers.

  21. I heard a soundbite today that really resonated. I wish I had some vehicle to get it to W. J. Clinton’s attention.

    Paraphrasing: Obama said he needed more time to correct the problems that have been developing for decades. Multiple decades, as in 20 years, or more. I am sure Clinton can compute that it has only been about 12 years since he relinquished the helm, and no more than 20 since he took charge.

    Maybe Willie would like to take back some of the lukewarm praise he heaped on Barack Hussein Obama.

  22. RickZ and Blert,

    I am not an atty. It was always my understanding that one is pardoned from the crime, not from the conviction or the penalty which, post-pardon, can no longer be imposed. And Blert, thanks for the info on Nixon. I followed the hearings closely, but not what happened thereafter; I did not remember that.

    Again, I am not an atty but would love to hear from some one with legal training (hint! hint!).

  23. Mumia! That is one scary, scary thought

    Yeah, I’m full of thoughts like that. Doesn’t make for a good night’s sleep.

  24. Obama has three great character flaws that disqualify from being a leader of anything. He is a prolific liar, he accepts responsility for nothing always blaming others for his failures and he is a diivider and not a uniter.

  25. “Obama doesn’t really have the joy of the game…Whereas, Obama, he really didn’t like these guys.”

    I can’t remember who it was, but some general commented in his memoir that you’ll never be a good commander unless you like soldiers…and that the feeling can’t be sustainably faked.

  26. is another way to assert power over another person and to feel superior oneself.

    its also sadistic… and shows that streak…

  27. One of the Powerline guys nailed it in 2008: Barack Obama is one of those guys that most of us remember from college: the guy who would not admit that he didn’t do the reading, but when asked a question would fill the air with meandering, polysyllabic, platitudinous drivel while affecting complete confidence and superiority over his classmates. The guy who provoked sighing and eye-rolls in every part of the room.

    In other words, the campus BS artist.

    He does not appear to have learned anything in all this time in public service, except perhaps how to better his golf and bowling scores (see J. Kantor’s recent NYT article on the First Golfer.)

  28. RickZ and T: Ford pardoned Nixon pre-emptively, to prevent the divisive, contentious possibility of a trial of a former president.

    Ford believed the acceptance of a pardon implied an admission of guilt. See this.

  29. Mumia! That is one scary, scary thought

    Let me go one further: suppose Obama really is an eyes-open hard-left operative, and wanted to throw America into a tailspin. How could he do it?

    Answer: Easy. Publically make an ambiguous statement that in one interpretation seriously calls into question his eligibility to be President. Loyal Americans would be howling that any legislation he signed was now null and void, while Reds and their fellow travelers would be defending him to the death. Uproar ensues.

  30. Do we need still *more* reason to dislike Obama? Well here it is. I didn’t listen to the speech but saw this quote fragment from it today:

    “… while I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved together, I’m far more mindful of my own failings, knowing exactly what Lincoln meant when he said…”

    Humbly acknowledging his own failings, right before he compares himself to Lincoln. Nauseating doesn’t begin to describe this.

  31. Do read Woodward’s Bush at War,, if you haven’t. Surprisingly respectful of W, it made him look like a damn good, hardworking, focused, patriotic commander in chief.

    I was amazed, and my respect for Woodward went up. It had to be less than entirely congenial to report good news about the Republican President. Then again, this was shortly after September 11th, and we were only dealing with Afghanistan.

    And the Pillars of Light are lit tonight in Manhattan. I saw them when I was out earlier, and it surprised me: I thought the Leftists had managed to stop that remembrance. I can see them from my apartment windows, too. Spooky, how the ghostly shafts go up and up to the cloud deck.

  32. Artful, that link is a bombshell! I forwarded the letter to everyone I can think of.

    Money quote from the brave hedge fund manager, Clifford Asness, who has the temerity to put his fiduciary duty to his clients, and his moral and legal obligations, above pleasing Hussein:

    “The President’s attempted diktat takes money from bondholders and gives it to a labor union that delivers money and votes for him.”

    POW! right in the kisser! and the rest of the note is the most eloquent plea for the moral foundation of free trade I’ve ever read.

    Please, folks, check it out and pass it on. Mr. Asness is a very brave man! and he’s right to fear the favorite weapon of Democratic presidents against dissidents: the proctological IRS audit. (See It Didn’t Start with Watergate, by Victor Lassky.)

  33. Very clever, Woodward: Obama’s failures are attributable to his personality and character flaws and not to his ideology. It’s just as Rush says: The more Obama slips in the polls, the more the establishment left will blame his demise on him to preserve the future viability of progressivism.

    Regarding Rush, his style and delivery tend to rub the newly converted the wrong way. But if you can get past that then you should listen as much as you can because no one else out there has a better understanding of American politics and explains it more honestly than Rush.

  34. The “joy of battle”–the ability to relish tough negotiations with rivals–is necessary to be a successful politician. Reagan had it, and many of his opponents respected him for it. In fact, he got a picture from House Speaker Tip O’Neill that showed two Irishmen shaking their fists at each other, with the caption, “Top o’ the mornin’ to ya”. (Or maybe he sent it to Tip). But, regardless of who gave it to the other, both had a good laugh over it, despite their drastic political differences. I do not see Obama feeling joy in much of anything except the perverse joy of cruelty in making others submit to his will. The man is not a politician. He’s a would-be tyrant.

  35. Interesting that these people are just now getting (or admitting) what the rest of us saw from the beginning: an emotionally detached, self-centered, cruel, clueless narcissist. I can’t wait for the debates and watching Teh Won’s meltdown.

  36. After the R’s lost in 2006, Rush Limbaugh had a long talk on his program saying he felt liberated, as he no longer had to carry the water for the rinos that were ruining the party and the nation. I look forward to having the msm doing the same thing in 60 days.

  37. I don’t think they’re *getting it*. The Left has always been willing to eat their own for the sake of ideology. The msm will always carry the water. After the election count on the lame duck period as being the worst of it, President Romney will be bushed/palined before ever entering office. If we’re going to win this war we cannot become complacent after the election – the msm needs to go.

  38. “. . . [Reagan] got a picture from House Speaker Tip O’Neill that showed two Irishmen shaking their fists at each other, with the caption, “Top o’ the mornin’ to ya”. . . . both had a good laugh over it, despite their drastic political differences.” (waltj@2:18 am)

    That could happen because the old Kennedy-type Democrats saw themselves and their Republican adversaries as working for the best of the nation, each just advocating different paths.

    Today, the Dem party doesn’t see the Republicans as honorable adversaries, but as evil opponents who must be stopped at all costs. The change is one of a fundamental moral and ideolological character, not one of policy differences. This has happened because the Dems don’t simply want to move America forward, they want to fundamentally transform it. Obama has outrightly admitted precisely this and yet the blinded party faithful still have members to identify as Kennedy Democrats.

    In his article yesterday Stanley Kurtz writes that Romney has yet to really attack Obama ideologically and worries that this could be a fatal flaw (H/T Instapundit).

    http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/316225/are-republicans-fooling-themselves-stanley-kurtz

    This may not be correct, because those Dem hanger-ons may not yet respond well to having an ideology (which they ignore in their party loyalty) openly flayed in public. It’s like attacking a no-good drunken, drug addicted reprobate cousin in someone else’s family. They all know what s/he is, but “he’s OUR drunken, drug-addicted reprobate cousin so YOU leave him alone!!”

    There is an old joke about a freshman congressman and a senior congressman. After the senior congressman is friendly to a congressman from the other party, the freshman excitedly asks “How can you be so nice to him? He’s to enemy!” To which the senior congressman replies, “Son, he’s the opposition. The Senate is the enemy!” Like waltj’s photo of two Irishmen shaking fists at one another, the joke is a sign of a bygone era. That doesn’t mean it can’t appear again in our future, but it certainly is not part of today’s political landscape.

    This is precisely why I consider this election the most important election in which I will EVER vote!

  39. Yes, all the way here in Western Australia this American has noticed the narrative shift. Instead of all MSNBC, all the time, the non Fox media has been, dare I say it, giving the One – the Push. Just enough. I have noticed that there is trouble raising money and that Wall St has specifically not contributed anything like what they did last time. I also read well over a year ago that the big time Democratic contributors on Long Island had gone stone cold on Obama. As a long time observer of the media I couldn’t help notice how they anointed Obama after his win in Iowa, hesitated when Hilary won NH, and then went all in as soon as Obama won again. The current pivot is not heavy handed or obvious, perhaps out of fear of being perceived as racist. Perhaps out the need to salvage what is left of the MSM’s reputation as others have suggested. But also perhaps to do just enough to get the job done. Well, on reflection the Woodward book is perhaps a little more than that 😉 If you zoom back a bit Obama’s presidency has been in lame duck territory since 2010. That was more than a shellacking. It was a massive defeat that in a parliamentary system would have caused an immediate change of government. In one sense the President has been a dead man walking – a zombie- since 2010. I think if swing voters break for Romney at the end it will be because they will have come to the conclusion that there is no sense in having Obama continue.

  40. “”If we’re going to win this war we cannot become complacent after the election — the msm needs to go.””
    NJcon

    As long as the three networks still have news rooms, our job won’t be complete. They need to be shamed out of existence for their complicity in the big hoax of Barak Obama.

  41. beverly said, “Artful, that link is a bombshell! I forwarded the letter to everyone I can think of.”

    I did as well. It is the perfect fisking of the auto bailout, which Biden and others are trumpeting as being such a wonderful accomplishment.

    “POW! right in the kisser! and the rest of the note is the most eloquent plea for the moral foundation of free trade I’ve ever read.” Yes, yes it is!

  42. I don’t care for Obama or his politics and I’m somewhat reluctant to throw water on this story. But Woodward has made a carear out of writing dubious things from dubious sources. Or to put it more plainly he usually lies and makes up his sources. He wouldn’t even be a name we all know if he had not choosen someone the left hated to make his name in this business. If he instead had simply told us the truth about JFK’s moral and legal foibles he would have been relagated to the trash heap of history.

  43. “humiliating someone and watching him/her squirm (or try to suppress the squirm) is another way to assert power over another person and to feel superior oneself.”

    Another lefty side bennie to the left with gay marriage wedge issue…. Lets redefine marriage and force you to comply in accepting it in several ways.

  44. Did anyone notice that art’s link was from May of 2009? 2009! So this is what we are up against with the media as the story has been out there, but the media played their “lying by omission” game. Time for that old chestnut from Orwell: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

    This is why the pick of Paul Ryan for VP sent Romney over the top. Ryan tells hard truths, not skittle coated platitudes. People are tired of the lies of commission and omission from politicians and the media which are allowed to go unchallenged. The new media and its social counterparts have a lot to do with this. Owebama must not be a sci-fi fan. No matter how much he tries, he can’t stop the signal, he can’t stop the shrinking of his Nigel Tufnel Presidency into irrelevency as he plays ever smaller venues, like in Charlotte. Even the stage props are tacky and suck out loud.

  45. Did anyone notice that art’s link was from May of 2009?

    Yes. The content suggested it was a few years old, and a check of the date proved it. So there’s a lot the media hasn’t been telling us about their messiah. If anyone is surprised by that, I have some nice desert land in south Florida I’d like to sell him. But blogs like this one can certainly help get the word out that there’s another side that the media is ignoring or distorting, and “unbiased” news might be listing so far to port that it’s about to capsize.

  46. You racists really love playing holier than thou!

    I expect that you go for guys that lie, are rich and think simpletons are going to vote Ryan Rommney into the White House. Oh I forgot you do believe everthing that tea baggers say (It’s not a party, it’s Carl Rowe and Fix News’ view of a far right agenda.) Barack Obama is not a Communist, a fascist, a Muslim, a Marxist, a Progressive or even a socialist. Hard to believe the only jewish man with a thinking brain is the guy who created the Power Rangers!

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shmuley-boteach/haim-saban-obama-israel_b_1874008.html

    Pretty much the only people who think President Obama is a failure are the guys who think George W. Bush was a success.

    Does it make you sick that a majority of NON-White Americans AREN’T racist and bigoted as you?
    Please cut the bullcrap. it’s obvious you are a racist. It’s obvious you are a bigot, it’s obvious you are an extremist. It’s obvious you hate people who aren’t white or Chrisitan. Stop denying that fact!

    Is Barack Obama a traitor to America? No

    Is Barack Obama a usurper? No

    Those in office know he is legit. There have been many reputable non-partisan fact checkers to debunk all that you have said. He has proven time and time again that he is legally able to be President, and last I checked, being White is NOT a requirement!

    Obama is not a traitor. He is working for the best interests of America as he sees it. You will find a very well organized campaign by some billionaires to affect the perception and fear of Obama. I can say I don’t agree with all of his choices but I also don’t have all the information that Obama has either.

    Is Obama an usurper…this would indicate that he is not a valid candidate or has used force somehow to gain office. I don’t see it that way. I could make a better case for Bush W being an invalid candidate but based on his skill set.

    Is Obama a fraud…no, he is the President and he has appeared to me as Presidential. I would have been more likely to blow my top at the insults and issues that were sent to him to distract the people from more serious issues.

    Is Obama destroying America…no. He is working for a middle class America and if you are uber rich then maybe you will not get as good a deal but those that make great sums on the infrastructure of America should be giving more. Many of the rich are also saying this directly. There are a few billionaires that want more and more money and power, almost an addiction. These B’s and sons of B’s are working the propaganda machine to make people work against their own best interests.

    Is Obama a Muslim…he says no. He says he is a Christian. Until we started wars based on lies we didn’t care so much. Now we are thinking that we are in some kind of holy war. In a free country it would not or should not matter what religion a person is and what should matter is the character of the person. This is why Romney, a Mormon, is able to move towards the Presidency. His beliefs that he will be given a planet to rule in the next life are odd but if he did a good job then he should be judged on his actions.

    I’ve had enough of this hateful BS. You wanna know Why Jewish people stilll support Obama? Becaue they are NOT racists, bigots, extremist idiot. they DON’T hate having a black man as President. Like Haim Saban, creator of the successful series Power Rangers, he ACTUALLY pays attention to what Obama is doing, not the racist right’s disgusting, pathetic misintreption, but what Obama is ACTUALLY doing! Most Americans, and probably the large majority of North American Jews fully understand the concept that an American president should sort of generally consider the interests of American citizens as slightly more important than the desire of a bellicose government of a foreign power to use the US to pursue its policy objectives – especially when there is very likely nothing to be gained from it. People living in ideologic echo chambers are usually the very last to know – but theatrics aside unconditional support for Israel has been waning for several years – and people like Mr Adelson despite huge donations aren’t helping to reverse the trend nor is Mr Netanyahu. A vote for Obama is a vote for America. Not for some money-hungry satellite state 10,000 miles away

    I can’t imagine right wingers have enough brains to know what a “narcissist” is.

    He may have recently apologized for it, but the gaffe was about a year and a half ago. He wasn’t insultingly “forgetting” the Republican VP candidate’s name. He was confusing the name of one of the 441 members of the U.S. House of Representatives with the name of the guy he ran against 7 years previously.

  47. I’m leaving up Questionman’s comment in its entirety because it is such an extraordinarily fine example of a certain strain of “thought” on the “progressive” left.

    Whenever people such as Questionman comes here to spew their invective, I wonder whether they realize what a sad caricature they have become.

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