LOSING HIS MOJO? BAM'S MAGIC RUN COULD STALL

NY Post ^ | June 29, 2009 | Rich Lowry

[Scanian]

IS Barack Obama approaching the end of his masterly run?

Starting with his win in the Iowa caucuses in January 2008, he has been, if not the one we've been waiting for, the one best suited to tap the wellsprings of public sentiment and capitalize on political circumstances for his own and his party's benefit.

During his golden year and a half, Obama caught a wave of change that propelled him into the White House, a wave that only grew stronger when he took office amid an economic crisis. When challenged, Obama has resorted to his rhetorical prowess to defuse controversies (the Rev. Wright), champion embattled policies (the stimulus) and even aspire to end long-standing civilizational animosities (the Muslim world's hostility to America).

The man and his words met the moment. Obama has been a phenomenon as much as a politician. Less JFK, more the Beatles. Less "Almanac of American Politics," more the Harry Potter series. At least until now.

But the president appears to have arrived at an inflection point -- a level spot from which he could continue rising, or begin to fall.

Several questions have always attended his vertiginous rise: What if the wave of change recedes or shifts direction? What if his finely spun words collide too obviously with reality? What, in short, if the phenomenon ends?

Obama's extreme deficit spending and auto bailouts have for the first time made him responsible for policies people want to change. That's a novel position for him after running so long against all that people disliked about the Bush years.

"Change" might be starting to shift to the other foot. The president's job-approval number remains high, but his ratings have dipped on the economy and his standing has slid among independents.

[US Navy Vet]

We can only HOPE for CHANGE!

[Arthur McGowan]

If the public turns on Obama, it won't be out of animus to him personally. People will always think him smart and charismatic -- for the simple reason that he is. Nor are they ever likely to conclude that's he's a radical or cynic. His affect is too reasonable for the first and too earnest for the second.

I think he's cynical, radical, stupid, and repulsive. If "the public" will never reach the same conclusions about him, it's evidence that they themselves are stupid and wicked.

[samtheman]

I do think he’s smart. He knows how to play on the hopes of young people for a “better world”. He knows how to play on the stupid “guilt” of stupid white people.

But he’s not charismatic. His charisma comes entirely from a moronic leftwing useful-idiot press looking desperately for a Messiah... and he’s smart enough to step in and let them fawn on him.

[samtheman]

He’s smart enough to be able to slip his enemy-of-America resume past a gullible American public.

[grey_whiskers]

YOu might enjoy a vanity on just this point I wrote yesterday:

(Vanity) Obama and the Press, or, Totus Ponens

Cheers!

[ballplayer]

Another Republican who comes out in a Column and states the Obvious. Everyone has an opinion about this fraud because they are fed it every damn day.
The facts are his so called stimulus was never that it was REPARATIONS to ACORN. Lowry is just another hack afraid to tell the truth, all our enemies are on the Move and this Obama the Magnificent does not have a Clue what to do ,this Foreign Policy stuff is just a Distraction to the ONE we have all been waiting for,Actually I was hoping that he was the type we had gotten rid of but I guess I am a Dreamer, I just wish we had some Journalists that would Challenge this clown ,I guess they are afraid to Embarass him

[y6162]

“If the public turns on Obama, it won’t be out of animus to him personally.”

I think firing the IG who investigated his crony’s use of Americorp funds opened eyes. Coupled with the threats to bankers, auto makers and AIG employees, Obamachev has authorized mob rule. Folks don’t want to be afraid of their president.

I think the meme that ObaMugabe is ruling as an African colonel jas legs if it’s repeated often enough.

[RushLake]

"He knows how to play on the stupid “guilt” of stupid white people.

I think that's valid, but I also thinnk that a lot of those stupid white people hate the country so much, feel that they haven't gotten their "fair share" even if it comes from redistribution of the wealth that they are rabidly supporting him. I think they've bought into the communist position that we deserve to be brought down and they see Maobama as the vehicle to achieve that end. They would support him if he were an out member of the Muslim Brotherhood.

I'm sure you're right about young people. My daughter was doing some graduate work during the election cycle and stated many times that she encountered airheads on campus that would allow no counter discussion to the their perception of Zer0 as "the one".

[iopscusa]

Good job, GW...especially the roundup of previous Press ido; worship of various Lefty Presidents and their failures!

[MuttTheHoople]

We conservatives can't hope and pray for our opponents to make missteps. We've gotta come up with alternatives on the national stage. We don't need spokesmen who spend all their time whining like little Michael Jackson-groupies about how unfair the mainstream media is. There's plenty of alternative media sources in which to reach the people.

No matter what we think of Newtie Gingrich today, his strategy in 1993-4 was brilliant.

[LibLieSlayer]

Let me tell you how stupid some Americans are... this weekend I overheard a conversation between two men... both white... and they were saying that obama was not the biggest spending president of all times... they actually believed that obama was only having to spend all of our future just to pay back what those “damned Republicans” had stolen over the past decades. I was not supposed to hear this conversation and the situtation required all of my strength to not counter-attack. I wanted to badly... the situation would not allow it. We truly have some people out there with less than a functioning brain stem.

LLS

[LibLieSlayer]

Conniving and evil are not being smart. hussein is dumber than a crate of hammers.

LLS

[y6162]

“Let me tell you how stupid some Americans are...”

The left’s 7x24 propaganda machine has been going non stop since 2000. Oft repeated lie sink in.

Each and every lie must be refuted daily. I do it online on a message board. In everyday life, I refute the left’s talking points when I am invited to. Sometimes ya just can’t be polite.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“they actually believed that obama was only having to spend all of our future just to pay back what those “damned Republicans” had stolen over the past decades.”
You're not going to win an argument with such people, and an argument is the only possible outcome of engaging them in conversation. Too many people have bought into the idea that it's somebody Else's responsibility to pamper their every need, and Obama is playing them like a fiddle. People like you describe have a chip on their shoulder, and the DemonRATs have exploited it masterfully to achieve power. If they worked for me I wouldn't engage them or argue with them either, I'd quietly find a way to get rid of them. The rest of us have to pay the bills these morons are running up, and I'm pretty sure it's already put us past the tipping point.

[Right Wing Assault]

He’s got a great group of leftists planning things for him. Obi’s more of an inarticulate, not so clean front man.

[pke]

A traitor to his country and countrymen.

[nclaurel]

Obama may indeed charismatic so were Hilter and Jim Jones and many other narcissistic, ego-driven fools who destroyed followers. I don’t see charismatic as complimentary. He seems to be another power mad charlatan.

[RED SOUTH]

One of the Obama swing voters who wanted change from Bush said to me this morning , “Did you know Obama’s Healthcare plan will cut healthcare from old people because they aren’t useful citizen’s” ?

I said , “I warned you about the real Obama and you laughed at me like I am stupid”.

[RED SOUTH]

One of the Obama swing voters who wanted change from Bush said to me this morning , “Did you know Obama’s Healthcare plan will cut healthcare from old people because they aren’t useful citizen’s” ?

I said , “I warned you about the real Obama and you laughed at me like I am stupid”.