Originally Posted By Mr X It just hit me. Our President is nothing short of brilliant. He saw right through the Republican strategy of "oppose everything Obama wants", and figured out how to turn it right around to blow up in their face. Notice how very many Republican ideas were integrated into the Health Care deal. One might ask (and I did, many times) "why would he DO that, when he KNOWS he won't get a single vote out of it?". Why, indeed. But it wasn't until the oil drilling announcement that it finally dawned on me completely. He is forcing the Republicans to repudiate everything THEY stand for, or else forcing them to "side with the enemy", an enemy they have convinced their followers is Hitler reborn. Either way, come election time they lose. Freakin BRILLIANT. I also noticed that my old friend on FB, the one I talked about who wants a Libertarian non-government and thinks Obama is the most Liberal whacko ever born, ACTUALLY ADMITTED on FB that he agrees with Obama on drilling. Wow, it's tough to have to agree with the anti-Christ, ain't it? And some of these hard core types, once some of the Republican ideas for health reform start coming around, will be forced to agree that they are good things, and then have to wonder why their Republican reps opposed it all...these people are all going to have their heads spinning by 2012, and THEY won't vote Obama of course but the moderates will look at the whole fiasco and wonder why the Republicans have voted continuously against not only Democratic interests but even their own Republican ones. I'm sure the Democratic Party will lose some seats in November, it's practically inevitable after two strong election cycles, but a) I don't think they'll lose control, and b) they'll make up all those losses and more in 2012. Check. Mate. Somebody hand that guy a lightsaber, please.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***He is forcing the Republicans to repudiate everything THEY stand for, or else forcing them to "side with the enemy", an enemy they have convinced their followers is Hitler reborn. Either way, come election time they lose.*** To elaborate since this isn't so clear (sorry), if they continue to repudiate their own agenda, they lose the moderate vote AND the reasoned Republican vote (most likely to a Democrat). If they sit down with the enemy, they lose the rabid right wing vote (most likely to a teabagger carpetbagger of some sort, who will probably lose the general but even if not it'll simply marginalize the party that much more). And it will take a couple more years for this strategy to simmer, which is why I said I don't think November will go so well for the left wingers.
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << But it wasn't until the oil drilling announcement that it finally dawned on me completely. >> The beauty of the whole oil drilling announcement is that it takes a conservative talking point of the table, but the reality is that oil companies have no interest in drilling offshore in the Atlantic or deeper waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It's just too expensive, and the hotspots for offshore drilling are in the waters of 3rd world nations where labor is cheap. So, the President slays conservatives with the knowledge that the environmentalists won't ever get too up in arms since the oil companies don't have any short-term intentions of drilling for expensive oil off the U.S. coast when cheaper oil exists in other places. That is the true Jedi mind trick.
Originally Posted By alexbook Then again, there's the theory that he's actually a Republican sleeper agent, placed in office as a way of convincing Democrats to vote for the Republican agenda.
Originally Posted By hopemax And now GOP members are going home to their constituents and telling them about the good ideas in the health care bill and how they were GOP ideas. Which makes it hard to claim lack of bipartisanship later.
Originally Posted By alexbook You underestimate the GOP there. They'll claim that the only reason the GOP ideas are in the bill is that the GOP stood firm against the attempted Democratic wholesale takeover.
Originally Posted By Mr X Oh, they'll say it. And they'll attempt to take credit for it, sure (just like they did at all those ribbon cuttings), but the more they do that the more exposed they become and that won't sit well with rational voters. Nobody likes a BSer.
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 The beauty with the healthcare bill is that, while usually the Republicans are pretty good at taking credit for things that they did not do, they were so loudly opposed to the bill and made sure all of their constituents knew they were going do everything they could to kill it that even if they try to claim that parts of the bill are Republican ideas everyone knows they did not vote for it. And if they do try to take credit for some of the bill the tea party nut jobs will be mad at them for having anything to do with the bill. I love the fact that the announcement about oil drilling totally confused the Republicans. You had Boehner trying to make it sound like drilling was the worst idea ever and McCain looking like he wanted to cry or hit something while stammering that he was glad Obama is going to drill but that he should do more. It was pretty fun to watch.
Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance I'm no expert or anything about all of this, but if you have half of the senate (republican) voting against anything the president does, regardless of what they may personally think about the matter, just so they won't lose seats in November, doesn't that seem, oh I don't know grounds for losing their job? They are no longer acting in the interest of the public (THEIR JOB) and are acting in their own interest which goes against everything their job was meant for.
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 I just wish I could get paid $174,000 a year for not doing my job. They have a pretty sweet thing going.
Originally Posted By Labuda "Nobody likes a BSer." Ummm, did you miss out on Bush winning the election in 2004? Enough people liked BS back then.
Originally Posted By Mr X 2000 was more of a travesty. Kerry was the crappiest contender EVER, it's amazing he managed to get close to half of Americans to side against Bush pathetic as he was. But yes, only a fool would've voted for Bush, I'm very content to say that I saw his act for what it was from day ONE (took others a lot longer, for the most part, but in the end pretty much everyone on the PLANET agreed with me).
Originally Posted By Mr X In fairness, I have an amazingly attuned B.S. meter factory installed...always have. That's the reason I have so very little respect for Douglas and his crap but surprisingly generous amounts of tolerance for DAR despite his amazingly inflammatory rhetoric at times. One is full of crap, the other is basically sincere (though oft misguided). As per the current President, I'm siding with him for the moment but by B.S. meter towards the entire administration is on "concerned" mode as of now.
Originally Posted By Labuda Yeah, note I didn't bring up 2000 since he wasn't elected then. Just 2004. And, for Gods' sakes, he beat ANN RICHARDS when he became Governor of Texas. I will FOREVER feel ashamed of myself for having voted for him over her in my misguided youth.
Originally Posted By Mr X OMG. just OMG. You need some serious penance, somehow. Good luck with that!
Originally Posted By Labuda I now befriend Republicans and try to turn them to the dark side. Does that help?
Originally Posted By Mr X There's a strong argument to be made that he also stole the 2004 election, but I just can't get all that worked up over the worst Democratic Candidate EVER, what they hell were they thinking!
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I now befriend Republicans and try to turn them to the dark side. Does that help?*** I think you need to feed the poor, or clean up the streets, or SOMETHING! I would feel so dirty if I were you! BUSH, over Ann Richards!!?? (that was the beginning of the end, you know!) Ugh. I don't think I can speak to you anymore!
Originally Posted By Labuda "I think you need to feed the poor, or clean up the streets, or SOMETHING!" Well, I give money to local shelters and hand out bottles of water to homeless people on street corners... not one to clean up the streets, though. I'll help pay someone to do that, however! And, trust me, I'm just DAMNED glad that Bush came out against stem cell research so early in his Presidency. That's when I forever split with the Republican party that I never should have been a part of in the first place. I let my loyalty to my Daddy take the place of my heart and mind in the political arena. That Ann is dead & gone, thank goodness. Now I do what's right, and I'm MUCH happier.
