No Way Out 6
The Booman explains that nothing Obama could have done would have produced a compromise on the debt ceiling.
In doing so, he maintains (I think correctly) that President Obama had no way of averting the stalemate, because the Teabaggers in the House of Reprsentatives are implacable true believers. I suggest that everyone inclined to think President Obama has a magic wand to make the stupid stop read the post. A nugget:
It could have been different. The president could have refused to accept any coupling of the debt ceiling to budget cuts. He could have, rather, argued he needed more money to stimulate the economy. He could have tried to convince people of that. But, in that case, we’d still be here this weekend facing default. And we’d be the party divided and unpopular. Obama, not Boehner, would be the one whose career was a smoking husk. And the people would be blaming the Democrats for their intransigence, instead of the other way around.
The truth is, the 2010 midterms were a catastrophe. They had horrible consequences. This weekend was one of those consequences, and it couldn’t be avoided through “leadership.”
The persons who think that the best thing to do in an election is a kneejerk “throw the bums out” really need to pay attention to the bums who want in.
Sure, politicians, including those of good will, have trouble keeping campaign promises because they, like the rest of us, don’t live in a vacuum, but what they promise tells something about what they believe, and what they believe matters, because it affects how they act.
The teabaggers campaigned on a platform of destruction. Now they are trying to fulfill their promises.
And no one should be surprised.
Also this.
August 1, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Good pointer. In a side note, take a look at my pieces on counterfeit Gibson guitars being advertised at the WaPost. I just noticed the same ad for them at Booman so whoever is doing it has quite a lot of balls.
August 1, 2011 at 3:59 pm
I doubt that the Booman can do much about the ads, but I know him and he’s a decent guy, if you want to drop him a line.
August 1, 2011 at 4:31 pm
Naw. not worth hassling a blog over at all. Most people would have no idea what this is about. You can’t tell if you’re not someone who plays Gibson guitars. I only caught it because it was initially staring me in the face all the time at the Post, so much so I finally got curious. Now I’m more interested in what firm is spinning out this ad package for the US.
August 1, 2011 at 5:10 pm
No idea. My HOSTS file blocks most ad sites so I don’t have to look at them. And they don’t slow down my page loads.
August 9, 2011 at 8:42 pm
There’s an old saying that what goes around, comes around.
During the last two years of George Bush 43’s second term, Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats did everything in their power to force our economy into the toilet so they could use the economy as an election issue. They were successful.
Facing re-election next year, President Obama and his fellow Democrats find themselves in George Bush 43’s position and are crying foul because the anemic economy is the bulls eye on their backs. Perhaps they think that we all have short memories.
The President and his men are hoist on their own petard.
August 9, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Oh my. This is party-line parroting of the highest order, with blinders on.
The economy crashed because Republicans think wealth=virtue and give the moneybags everything they want.
And the moneybags then take everything, including virtue.