Posted on 05/28/2011 10:50:17 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
Getting inside the mind of Barack Obama has been a challenge for journalists since the 2008 presidential campaign. But during the last two and a half years, as the public has gotten more familiar with the president, the picture is becoming a bit clearer.
On Thursday’s syndicated “Hugh Hewitt” radio show, columnist and National Review Online contributor Mark Steyn offered some thoughts. After host Hugh Hewitt referenced a Wednesday interview with Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe, in which he wondered aloud about what motivated Obama to make grand policy gestures, Steyn suggested that perhaps this was the first time Obama stayed in a job long enough to see his actions effect change.
“I think that is interesting,” Steyn said. “I mean, I think that if you look at Obama, he was wafted upwards basically through Columbia, Harvard Law, the Harvard Law Journal, community organizing, the Illinois legislature, the United States Senate – without ever lingering in those jobs long enough to have to do anything. He basically was someone who was kind of just wafted upwards through the system until he became the beneficiary of the ultimate waft into the Oval Office. And for the first time – for the first time in his life the words he said, and the actions he takes have consequences – for the first time ever. This is a guy who, you know as far as I know, has never had a paper route. This is the first time what he does has consequences and so the senator’s words are interesting.”
Steyn wondered if Obama realized what he was saying last week when he suggested a return to 1967 borders for Israel.
“And the fascinating thing about this 1967 borders stuff is whether he intended it as a conscious shift in U.S. policy that would allow the Israeli government or whether it – with the casual arrogance of his half-wit 12-year-old speechwriter, it just somehow got in there and he finds himself up there saying it,” Steyn said. “That’s what I don’t understand.”
LISTEN TO AUDIO:
However with that in mind, Steyn suggested there were historical and psychological reasons behind the president’s attitude toward long-time U.S. allies, specifically the United Kingdom, India and Israel.
“As we were talking last week, you know I think he has a — I think it’s hard to avoid the growing feeling that he is a contempt for long-time American allies,” he said. “I think he has in that sense a contempt for the United Kingdom and India. I hear from Indian politicians all the time and Indian diplomats who are amazed at his off-handedness toward India. And I think Israel falls into that category too. There are deep-seated historical reasons for this. I think there are perhaps some peculiar psychological ones in the back of his mind too. But I think he thought he was getting in a cheap shot at Israel and as usual, as with all this great, you know – the greatest speaker of all time, after he has given his great speech, the great orator then has to go out and give these mopping-up speeches every 48 hours to try to correct the damage he’s done.”
Hugh Hewitt interviewing Mark Steyn is like Sandy Koufax pitching to Willie Mays — a thing of beauty.
Affirmative action overrides the Peter Principle to move him far above his level of incompetence.
Perhaps peculiar, but alas not uncommon. Hussein Obama is just a reflexively anti-American commie SOB, like millions of others. ....hating America's traditional values and allies, and sympathizing with her enemies. But this particular one somehow, some way, astoundingly managed to become POTUS.
Obama’s “peculiar psychology” comes from his mentality which gives him more the attitude toward the US of an envious and resentful Third Worlder than of someone whose roots and traditions are deeply American.
Dinesh D’Sousa and others have written about this, and it doesn’t take the world’s keenest observer to pick up it. His treatment of GB and Israel, and his absurd apology tours in the Third World are major indicators.
In looking at pictures of Obama in England he looks like he is really working hard to keep it together. Im surprised he is running for President again as he gives no sense that he really likes the job
He doesn't have a brain, so you can't get inside his mind.
My observation? With obama it’s, open mouth insert foot. Then get angry & burn for a day or two before going out to clean up his mess. And that usually means we get a talking down to, because he thinks he’s mr. perfect and if there is a problem, it’s ours, not his.
With his nose up in the air all the time it’s a wonder to me that the man doesn’t drown when it rains.
Bottom Line:
Obozo is certifiable insane.
The way Steyn pronounces “Barack Obama” always makes me laugh. I’m not sure why, but it sounds like he’s making fun of him just by saying his name.
He and Michelle like all the vacations.
That is indeed a thing of beauty.
“Au-baah-muh!”
It wasn't a thing of beauty, but did you ever see Joe Nuxhall throwing to Willie Mays?
Nuxhall, a Cincinnati leftie, owned Willie Mays.
At least once a game, the pitch sequence would go like this:
First, a high, hard one -- directly at a point somewhere between Willie's chin and his molars. Willie goes down in a heap.
Willie gets up...with steam coming out of his ears. He gets back in the box, waving the bat threateningly -- like a cat swishing its tail. He digs in even deeper.
Nux throws another one at his chops. Willie repeats his act.
Then, Nux throws three straight fastballs out over the plate, but head high. Willie take a vicious cut at each...and strikes out.
Next up, Willie McCovey, a LH-batter. Nux delivers, McCovey swings...and it's gone, a mile-and-a-half over the RF fence.
I swear I saw this particular act repeated numerous times back in the early-to-mid sixties.
true
There's nothing hard to understand about it, but for some, I can see how it is hard to accept. For the mediots however, they were raised in the same leftist environs. Hence, everything about it seems reasonable, so it should work... but it isn't working... deny, change the subject, blame somebody else... etc. Just keep repeating the same memes and everything will be hunky dory. After all, it pleases the 'You're a peon' left.
O-BAM-a :)
Obama is born from a liberal nutcase, fathered by a muslim, raised by anti-american socialists, mentored and tutored by all sorts of liberal, socialists, anti-americans, sponsored by left wing hate groups and underground anarchists.
Is it any wonder that he sees the world slightly different than we do?
He hates the job!
But he sure likes the perks.
Air Force One and Wagyu Wednesday offset a lot of the "work".
Mark needs to get a copy of Dinesh D'Souza's book- "The Roots of Obama's Rage". D'Souza is a half black Indian himself and offers a completely reasonable and believeable explanation.
...if you look at Obama, he was wafted upwards basically through Columbia, Harvard Law, the Harvard Law Journal, community organizing, the Illinois legislature, the United States Senate -- without ever lingering in those jobs long enough to have to do anything. He basically was someone who was kind of just wafted upwards through the system until he became the beneficiary of the ultimate waft into the Oval Office. And for the first time -- for the first time in his life the words he said, and the actions he takes have consequences -- for the first time ever. This is a guy who, you know as far as I know, has never had a paper route.
No but I saw Drysdale bean him.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
HH: Okay, I’ve got to play for you Joe Biden, because he was in your state last night, and he was talking to New Hampshire Democrats. And it’s just sort of a carnival every day with these people. On the eve of the D-Day celebrations, and Memorial Day weekend, here is Vice President Biden talking about the decision to kill bin Laden.
JB: …was that President Obama leads from behind, President Obama is not decisive, President Obama is not bold. Well, I sat there for four months, along with him, actually, that’s not true, with three other people, watching him meticulously plan the boldest, the boldest decision, the boldest undertaking any president has undertaken on a single event in modern history.
HH: So Mark Steyn…
MS: (laughing)
HH: (laughing)
MS: By the way, Hugh, he’s wrong on that.
HH: (laughing)
MS: I think the boldest undertaking that’s ever been undertaken in the history of human undertakings was when Barack Obama decided to make Joe Biden his running mate.
HH: There you go.
MS: Don’t tell me that’s not bold.
HH: That’s very bold. It sounded like a Monty Python routine, the Inquisition. One guy, no, there are three guys in the room.
The full transcript of my conversation with Mark, including his assessment of Joe Biden’s latest pratfall and the president’s toast to the Queen, is here.
http://www.hughhewitt.com/transcripts.aspx?id=2b25444f-4d19-44ca-b249-0b99456a2ec0
FAIL
The "journalists" who populate America's Democrat newsrooms simply scanned 'Dreams of my Father', shrugged, and said, "Okay then... There's nothing more we need to know."
Thanks for posting the link. Good interview.
Gotta love Netanyahu, too.
I was reading about African-Americans who graduated from Ivy League colleges in the '60s and '70s, the first large intakes involving what would later come to be known as affirmative action. The expectation was that they'd be grateful for the opportunity. In fact there was much anger. They'd become very resentful and embittered.
Obama wasn't a part of that generation, but the attitude was very much in the air among his older African-American contemporaries. There's a sense of entitlement that takes life's obstacles as personal affronts or insults. One could speculate about the reasons, but at this point it's not something one can be surprised about.
“And the fascinating thing about this 1967 borders stuff is whether he intended it as a conscious shift in U.S. policy that would allow the Israeli government or whether it – with the casual arrogance of his half-wit 12-year-old speechwriter, it just somehow got in there and he finds himself up there saying it,” Steyn said. “That’s what I don’t understand.”
I suspect he just read what was on the teleprompter. You can psychoanalyze it as an indication of a mental conflict or ambivalence -- wanting to lean in both directions at once -- but it's doubtful that it was intended as a major policy departure.
“As we were talking last week, you know I think he has a — I think it’s hard to avoid the growing feeling that he is a contempt for long-time American allies,” he said. “I think he has in that sense a contempt for the United Kingdom and India. I hear from Indian politicians all the time and Indian diplomats who are amazed at his off-handedness toward India. And I think Israel falls into that category too. There are deep-seated historical reasons for this. I think there are perhaps some peculiar psychological ones in the back of his mind too.
More than France, or Germany, or Austria? If the "anti-colonial" idea so many people attribute to Obama has any relevance it's here. It shows up in the crappy present he got Britain's last PM, rather than in his policies at home: take someone of Obama's exact background minus the Kenyan dad, and he'd pursue Obama's whole domestic agenda, so it's not anti-colonialism that fuels his health care or energy or stimulus policy.
Arguably some remnant of his father's anger is behind his attitude in foreign affairs. But what about our old friend, narcissism? Couldn't it just be that Britain or India or Austria really doesn't make much of an impression on him?
Politicians can be funny in that way. They can be extremely ingratiating with people they need something from. But if you don't have anything to offer them, you're off the radar screen.
"Fsr above?"
The understatement of the century. Even as Pope he wouldn't be in a position to do greater permanent damage. The ultimate Affirmative Action disaster.
Steyn chose the perfect words to describe this ignorant fraud :
"...with the casual arrogance of a half-wit 12-year-old..."
Blaming the speechwriter sumply undescores the enormity of Obama's ignorance.
He is medicated to the gills 24/7.
Every time I see his vacant fish-eye stare I am instantly reminded of Howard Hughes and Elvis Presley in their final days.
Hey, a four-year orgy of rap, spending, vacations and hobnobbing with royalty for a bro on whitey's dime...
What's not to like?
It wouldn't DARE rain on Obama. < /sarc>
So what is D'Souza's explanation? Don't leave us hanging, man!
I would guess Obama is driven by some very profound psychological issues, a sponge-like absorbtion of leftist principles, combined with a total lack of experience in the real world. In short, he’s exactly the kind of person who should never hold elective office or any other position of power.
“He is medicated to the gills 24/7.”
I suspect he keeps a good stash on Air Force One, as it cannot be searched by our Drug Enforcement Agency. Also, I suspect he has a good stash in with his golfing equipment - that’s why he is on the golf course so often.
Obama undertook something more bold, more daring, than the D-Day invasion, the standoff against the Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba, confronting the Soviets to tear down the Berlin Wall, or halting all air traffic in the US and declaring War on Terror after 9/11? What could that undertaking have been? I've seen nothing in this man's actions that would compare to any of these.
hahaha
and way above his pay grade
Maybe he doesn't have a choice. His handlers tell him what to do. His handlers think they have no one else to run and that Zero is their best bet. They may decide they have a better chance with someone else and replace him as Soros implied recently.
Sandy Koufax pitching. Yogi Berra caching. The two work together very well. Before he become a philosopher, Yogi was the best catcher I have ever seen. He could hit, throw, and even run decently, while handling pitchers very. very well.
Your are kidding! He LOVES the perks of office, and the press loves him. So he seldom gets any negative publicity. He could conduct a voodoo sacrifice in the East Room and the Media would excuse it.
I don’t care much for Dinesh D’Souza, but his analysis of Obama’s anti-colonialism is as good as explanation for Zeros’ foreign policy as you’re going to get anywhere.
YOU WILL NEVER SEE OBAMA THE SAME WAY AGAIN
He’s been called many things: a socialist, a radical fellow traveler, a Chicago machine politician, a prince of the civil rights movement, a virtual second coming of Christ, or even a covert Muslim.
But as New York Times bestselling author Dinesh D’Souza points out in this shockingly revealing book, these labels merely slap our own preconceived notions on Barack Obama.
The real Obama is a man shaped by experiences far different from those of most Americans; he is a much stranger, more determined, and exponentially more dangerous man than you’d ever imagined. He is not motivated by the civil rights struggles of African Americans in the 1960s—those battles leave him wholly untouched. He is not motivated by the socialist or Marxist propaganda that hypnotized a whole generation of wooly–minded academics and condescending liberals—those concepts also leave him cold.
What really motivates Barack Obama is an inherited rage—an often masked, but profound rage that comes from his African father; an anticolonialist rage against Western dominance, and most especially against the wealth and power of the very nation Barack Obama now leads. It is this rage that explains the previously inexplicable, and that gives us a startling look at what might lie ahead.
In The Roots of Obama’s Rage you’ll learn: Why Obama’s economic policies are actually designed to make America poorer compared to the rest of the world Why Obama will welcome a nuclear Iran Why Obama sees America as a rogue nation—worse than North Korea The real reason Obama banished a bust of Winston Churchill from the White House and ordered NASA to praise the scientific contributions of Muslims Why Obama would like to make America’s superpower status a thing of the past
Stunning, provocative, original, and telling—no one has better diagnosed who Obama is, what he intends to do, and why he poses an existential threat to America than Dinesh D’Souza in The Roots of Obama’s Rage.
The preceeding is from the Amazon Editorial description. Basically, it goes back to his father’s relationship with the British colonialists in Kenya.
That matches, but doesn’t explain his fascination with Wright’s “church”.
For someone of normal mental capacity to get inside Obama’s mind somehow makes me think of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. This is not a trivial undertaking.
Obama is a radical communist Muslim. Of course he has contempt for all Western nations and their allies. He is a MUSLIM.
Was Koufax the dullest pitcher of his era? Hewitt is a respectable enough guy. But it's truly remarkable the lengths he will go to make his show as excruciatingly boring as possible. The guests he chooses (Steyn excluded, of course) are especially awful.
He recently dedicated the whole three hours to interviewing a southern California monk about his monastery. I couldn't help tuning back in periodically to see if he was indeed still interviewing the monk. Sure enough, the entire three hours. He is the grand champion of tedium, no doubt about it.
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