Posted on 10/12/2008 7:45:41 AM PDT by Kaslin
Most Americans wake every morning to news that Barack Obama will win next month’s presidential election. Strategists even say the word “landslide” aloud.
Every poll shows it, every pundit echoes it, and every analyst predicts it – therefore it must be true, right?
Let’s take this political axiom to some of those who do the predicting, to project what America will look like under an Obama administration, governing with a Democratic congressional majority led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
“First of all, let’s dismiss any talk of socialism,” says Democrat strategist Bob Beckel, who worked in Jimmy Carter’s White House with a Democrat-controlled Congress. “The idea that Barack Obama is going to bring socialism to this country is just crazy.”
Beckel says that, in government and politics, the policy pendulum always swings back and forth and, particularly in this economic crisis, “people will want – and Obama will deliver – more government involvement.”
“They feel more comfortable with that than they do with a bunch of people on Wall Street,” he says.
Beckel sees an Obama appointment of Hillary Clinton to the Supreme Court bench as soon as an opening occurs, and he dismisses the massive move towards industry regulations that some people predict.
One insider, who refuses to predict on the record, says privately that Obama will quickly announce his appointments to the cabinet positions of state, defense, treasury and attorney general. He believes Obama’s cabinet is shaping up to look like this: retiring U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as defense secretary; Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as attorney general; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent, at treasury; Susan Rice as national security advisor; Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as secretary of state.
Mark Siegel, a former Democratic National Committee executive director, says Obama will want to make it immediately clear to America and to the world that “there's a new sheriff in town." He expects Obama to make that point dramatically by issuing several executive orders.
Siegel says you will see Obama immediately suspend all pending judicial nominations, close Guantanamo, then reassure the world that he will never permit torture.
Also look for a doubling of the Peace Corps, a brand-new Volunteer Youth Network, an expansion of U.S. assistance for “Teach for America," and a reduction of interest rates on student loans, Siegel predicts.
What a difference four short years makes says Brian Darling, a congressional analyst for the Heritage Foundation.
Darling predicts Obama’s tax policy will have an immediate effect on small businesses and result in many individuals seeing their marginal tax rate double. Any Supreme Court retirements would dramatically change the direction of American jurisprudence. And he warns that the push for new regulations is the wrong reaction to problems on Wall Street.
“We need more capitalism, not less. Telecommunications has thrived without regulations, and our economy should make sure that politicians in Washington do not try to regulate and tax our way out of the current economic downturn.”
University of Arkansas political scientist Bob Maranto says the Illinois senator is a pragmatist tactically: “Obama knows that if you try to impose things like racial quotas and gay marriage, that would not be a vote-winner. But if you appoint federal judges who impose those policies, you can evade responsibility.”
Maranto suspects those are the judges Obama would appoint.
He warns that Obama is no fool. “Socialism is dead, and Barack Obama knows it,” he explains. “He would, however, favor a very strong government hand in regulating the economy, both because he believes that government knows best and because that means more subsidies and jobs to hand out to supporters, and more votes and PAC contributions to get in return.”
All four men agree that if Obama becomes president with Congress sharing his beliefs, then “change” is definite – but not infinite.
The degree of success or enforcement, they say, depends on how far the press and the next mid-term election will allow the new president and Congress to go.
How do democrats feel knowing they are closer on the political spectrum to socialism than republicans?
I often wonder—does the Media “really” love liberals more than they hate conservatives? I am not sure about this one. I think the media more than anything LOVES THEMSELVES...and once elected Obama will see more negative come out because the media make their living in bad news.
I do think things swing back and forth...how can we go from Carter to Reagan and Reagan to Clinton in just a few small years? Historically this is probably our time to lose...but Obama is a one term president in the making. What will be his theme in 2012? One thing is for sure the next presidential election starts sometime in 2009.....and the CHANGE theme is off the table for him. As for his opponent...she/he could easily say Obama’s Change=socialism....we warned you...you bought Obama’s change which was easy to do...but now look what he did to you...
The point is not to get down but to make lemonade. McCain is not the conservative answer. If we really think the way out of the political mess...the way to lead the world on foreign policy..the way to keep America safe from terror then we need someone with true conservative convictions...This gives us the opportunity to get back to the movement..the movement that ended in 1992....had a slight re-birth in 1994 (and electorally look what happened when we got energized with the movement)and then died. The movement died...because no leaders took up the cause. It’s time to take the cause and breed leaders from the rank and file conservative movement.
I would expect the number of bureaucrats and their power to regulate all areas of the economy and society to increase drastically. Very few business functions will be able to operate without some government involvement. Sure sounds like socialism to me.
Like an old banged up hotrod body, it’s going to take a lot of lead to fix it.
I imagine The Messiahbama believes he can bring it back from the dead.
“He believes Obama’s cabinet is shaping up to look like this: retiring U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as defense secretary; Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick as attorney general; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent, at treasury; Susan Rice as national security advisor; Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as secretary of state.”
God help us all.
Wow. That is heartening!
I beg to differ....
“Socialism is dead, and Barack Obama knows it,” he explains.
But he STILL wants to deliver it.
“He would, however, favor a very strong government hand in regulating the economy, both because he believes that government knows best and because that means more subsidies and jobs to hand out to supporters, and more votes and PAC contributions to get in return.”
A textbook definition of "socialism" if there ever was....
Bob Maranto is an idiot!
“Obama knows that if you try to impose things like racial quotas and gay marriage, that would not be a vote-winner. But if you appoint federal judges who impose those policies, you can evade responsibility.”
Great! More activist judges. Like they haven't f'd up anything yet....
"Plausible Deny-ability" is the term used. I call it "Cowardice"....
God help us all.
Nightmarish, isn't it. We certainly do need God's blessings.
They finally got it right.
Sen. John Kerry, D-M ass....
Reagan and Carter were close in the polls but the excitement within the country for Reagan was overwhelming...you just sensed Reagan was going to win big....he was optimistic, enthusiastic and confident...Americans were eager to get behind them and you just knew the polls were crap.
This time around? McCain is loaded with excitement,energy and enthusiasm...the country is squarely behind him...I get the sense McCain is going to win big...he is optimistic, enthusiastic and confident....Americans are eager to get behind them and you just know these polls are crap.
Am I too far off base here?
So they just dismiss any discussion of the future of the coutry? Any suggestion of socialism is crazy.
Don’t worry citizen your freedoms are not in danger...as long as you agree with Obama. ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL. But, LIBERALS ARE MORE EQUAL.
You will be Free to express any Leftist Polital view point you choose. Any you will be able to vote for any Political Party, you can choose from the Peoples Democratic Party or the Workers Socialist Party both equally good choices!
Enjoy your many freedoms knowing your tax dollars are creating a more fair society. These are GREAT times comrade, hail our GREAT and MERCIFUL Leader...(Begin the Oath to Obama..then the new socialist national anthem)
His Court appointments alone should scare all informed Americans. The problem is we have now 50% secular Americans voting and youth and uninformed minorities voting like zombies and that is more than the 48% informed, Pub, conserv voters combined. We are in real trouble and that change will be generational in scope.
The left wing mediots in charge of the MSM have been lying to us via their rigged polls for decades.
You just now came to that conclusion?
Several things to do quickly.
Purchase yourself a good reliable sidearm (or several), and ample ammunition, These things will be in short supply very soon.
Carefully enclose this cache of firearms and ammunition in a hidden location, then report it “stolen”. That way, when the “civilian” authorities come looking for your (legally registered, but presumed stolen) weapons, you can say, that you cannot produce them.
Once they have passed on (assuming they have accepted your story), retrieve and keep at close hand the cached arms, for the looters shall be close behind.
At that point, things will be getting pretty elemental. We need only study the tactics of the Weather Underground, and turn this upon the New World Order.
They brought Nixon to his knees, didn’t they?
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