Posted on 10/30/2013 1:03:36 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Excuse me if I sit out this round of hyperventilating over President Obamas alleged incompetence on matters ranging from the Affordable Care Act rollout to the NSA spying scandal. Because we just played this game last spring.
Five months ago cable news and the Web were aflame with charges that the Obama White House had reached either a new level of tyranny or ineptitude after supposed new revelations about Benghazi, the IRS non-scandal and the administrations spying on journalists. In fact, the heavy-handed investigation of leaks targeting journalists in creepy new ways was the only story that merited serious coverage (and of course it faded more quickly than the other two). Likewise, the revelations that the NSA is listening in on the cellphone calls of our allies, and reports that Obama didnt know about it, is the story that really matters. But weve got wall-to-wall coverage of hearings on the ACA, with the NSA stuff thrown in to make all of the Has Obama lost control of government? (an actual chyron on CNN yesterday) hyperventilating more defensible.
So Richard Cohen hysterically declares the latest mess a question of competence (Obamas, of course). If that sounds familiar, its because the National Journals Josh Krashaar wrote about Obamas crisis of competence in the wake of the Benghazi/IRS/reporter-spying scandals. Declaring the president incompetent may be a new symptom of false equivalence and journalistic balance OK, the right says Obama is evil (and a Kenyan Muslim usurper ineligible to be president), and we wont go that far. The left says hes being sabotaged by an extremist Republican Party that wont accept his legitimacy; well, thats a little shrill. Lets find something in the middle; how about incompetent?
Over at CBS, conservative favorite Sharyl Attkisson told us in May that even her White House sources admitted to incompetence on Benghazi. Were portrayed by Republicans as either being lying or idiots, said one Obama administration official. Its actually closer to us being idiots. On USNews.com, Lara Brown derided a clueless White House while USA Today asked Is Obama under siege? and advanced the story line that the administration was guilty of incompetence if not malice in the trifecta of alleged scandals.
On the right, of course, the story line was uglier. Half-term Sarah Palin declared on Twitter that Obama was either a liar or incompetent, while the Daily Callers Jim Treacher insisted Obama knew all about the deep, dark IRS, Benghazi and Holder scandals. The only alternative is that hes utterly, criminally incompetent. Either way, hes unfit for office. Well, thats not news on the right. They impeached the last Democratic president, remember? But even Democrat Bob Shrum declared the IRS scandal was evidence of incompetence on par with Jimmy Carters.
That much of the world of punditry, including some liberals, was wrong about the substance and symbolism of the IRS and Benghazi non-scandals (while concern-trolling the White House, though not genuinely caring, about its spying and secrecy) ought to give some people pause. It doesnt necessarily mean theyre wrong about problems with the ACA or NSA; it just means a lot of them have a credibility problem when it comes to assessing the presidents competence or lack thereof.
Personally, Im not without concern about it all. Last week I defended the administration when it came to the ACA website rollout; this week, Im finding myself less forgiving of the fact that the president and Democrats continued to use the line if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your healthcare plan even though they knew how much new ACA regulations would increase churn in the private insurance market. Jason Linkins and Jonathan Chait unpack what was fair and maybe not so fair about that claim.
Still, the House GOP has perfected its method of paralyzing the country, and the Obama administration, even though it controls only one-half of one-third of the government (and that minority is controlled by an even smaller, wingnut fringe): Hold endless hearings that reporters are forced to both cover and lazily use as evidence that the administration is in big trouble.
It would be nice if the two parties worked together on solutions to these problems, like they did with Medicare Part Ds troubles, but the Republican Party is no longer interested in governing. Instead we have endless hearings and phony grandstanding and much of the media playing along. Wake me when its over.
Good point.
It’s like the progressives are having a contest. Awards give for the biggest, most, and most in your face lies.
Obama is dumber than donuts.
October 26,2012 Greg Gutfield “Charm is an evolutionary practice to mask incompetence”
Irregardless of any perceived charm the incompetent lable fits the won and he continues to excel in idiocracy with each utterance.
Right.
Author used an awful lot of very thoughtful words to say absolutely nothing.
A windbag.
Pernicious because it is true.
There is another theory
http://asspos.blogspot.com/2013/10/exclusive-obama-has-total-amnesia.html
Obama has total amnesia
By the Incompetent, For the Incompetent, Of the Incompetent
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