Obama: Anatomy of Failed Presidency

Barack H. Obama, disconnected perpetually from America and Americans (that is, from the kind of Americans who would actually fight for their nation).

If Barack Obama and his cohort in economic crime, Nancy Pelosi, would each wear a bell, taxpayers would know when they're coming.

Obama, listen up: "Hopelessness is not a strategy. And terrifying people is a recipe not for recovery, but rather for national paralysis."

"We cannot continue to spend as we please." (Barack Obama)

"He's [Obama's] amplifying this [national] fear." (Jeffrey Rosenzweig, Associate Professor, Emory University)

Obama needs to present "some hope, some vision for the future." (Rosenzweig)

If Obama continues as he has since January 20, his presidency will be a monumental failure. His constant fear mongering is not only decimating financial markets, but also depressing the spirits of the American people, where consumer confidence is in the toilet. Scaring people is not a manifestation of leadership, although it might in the short-term be "good politics."

As you see in the quotes above, Obama recently said, "We cannot continue to spend as we please." Unfortunately, the "we" seems to apply both to individuals and Congress. Frankly, individuals in a free society exercise their liberty through making economic choices, either spending or saving. It's none of Barack Obama's concern what you do -- legally and reflectively -- with your money. He is the President (sadly), not the dictator of economic decisions.

In Congress, their has been wild overspending, plunging the nation into huge deficits and enabling huge trade deficits. Who's responsible for the profligate spending? Why, the most liberal members of Congress, since "liberal" is a synonym for "spend more."

And who are the extreme liberals? According to the non-partisan National Journal, the most liberal Senator was. . . Barack Obama. The second most liberal is Obama's Illinois colleague Dick Durbin. The third most liberal is avowed socialist Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The fourth most liberal is . . . Joe Biden.

In a few short years in Congress, Obama was responsible for nearly a billion in "earmarks," pet projects that are a hallmark of wasteful spending. The purpose of most earmarks has nothing to do with advancing national interests, but rather buying votes from a legislator's constituents.

Barack Obama's entire career consists not of solving problems, but rather at ensuring he's always on the government payroll. He has almost no real accomplishments either as an Illinois Senator or U.S. Senator. Why? Because he spent most of his time -- years -- positioning himself and running for higher office. What's next? Emperor of the Western Hemisphere?

Most people will grant that Obama is an excellent public speaker. By that, they apparently mean he has a nice baritone voice. In fact, his speeches are dreadful, devoid of any intellectual content. In one recent speech, he used the word "crisis" 26 times. Unfortunately, the "solution" to the "crisis" was to do more of what generated it -- over-spending and devaluing the worth of a dollar.

With his fear obsession, Obama reminds us of a famous statement by humorist Woody Allen. He said, "We are at a crossroad. On one side lie insoluble problems. On the other side lies the abyss and utter destruction. God grant us the wisdom to choose wisely."

Hopelessness is not a strategy. And terrifying people is recipe not for recovery, but rather for national paralysis.

As Emory University's professor Rosenzweig pointed out today on CNN, Obama's main oratorical accomplishment seems to be engendering panic. In short, Obama is a very scary man. He never misses an opportunity to evoke gloom and suggest darkly that we're on our way to doom. If his favor word is "crisis," it's followed closely by "catastrophe."

In another difficult time, Ronald Reagan offered a vision of "a shining city upon a hill." In Obama's case, his calls for "hope" and "change" didn't survive the presidential campaign. If he sees a city on hill, it apparently lies in ruins. If it shines at all, it does so in the manner of a dead mackerel.

The U.S. will survive the presidency of Barack Obama, the man who, with a straight face, can have U.S. governors attend a "Summit on Fiscal Responsibility. Obama lacks the rhetorical skills, experience, and vision to offer this country the kind of leadership it so desperately needs. Yes, we will survive the reign of Barack H. Obama . . . but just barely.

Senator Steve Sauerberg: Illinois Challenge

How can individuals like Steve Sauerberg, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Illinois (opposing Sen. Dick Durbin) pull off a totally unexpected victory? He needs to get across the point that re-electing people who are the causes of the nation's problems is a form of political insanity (i.e., doing the same thing repeatedly and hoping somehow for a different result). A key point GOP challengers must make is this: Only 22% of the American people approve of the performance of Congress, but many people are quick to defend their local person.

In fact, Dick Durbin -- and others like him -- ARE the Congress. Durbin has been part of it since 1982, and anything that's wrong with it is frankly his fault. He's not somehow divorced from its failures. They're HIS failures.

During Durbin's tenure in Congress, gasoline prices have more than tripled! (See http://moveondickdurbin.org). What did Durbin do to prevent the gas price catastrophe? Nothing. What did he do to warn the American people? Nothing. What can we expect from a future Congress full of Durbins? Would you believe gasoline at $6-$7 a gallon?

What is Durbin's plan to prevent such an economy-destroying development? He has none. In fact, his approach is to ensure the U.S. produces LESS oil -- presumably so we can become more dependent on the Hugo Chavezes of the world.

Illinois Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Steve Sauerberg with his wife and daughter.

On my Pennsylvania blog and my other national blog, I wrote today about the campaign of Dr. Steve Sauerberg, a Republican facing off for a U.S. Senate seat against Democrat Dick Durbin. Yes, with Barack Obama of Chicago running for the presidency, Illinois will be a tough state for Republicans, but aren't they all? (http://sauerbergforussenate.com/)

Can Steve Sauerberg win? He can if he does everything right -- and if the Obama campaign falters as much it might. Obama has the best voice -- and the worst record -- of any candidate to run for the presidency. As for Dick Durbin, he's a wimpish, fussy man with no real legislative accomplishments.

The Sauerberg Campaign has up a new web site: http://moveondickdurbin.org/, which is a stroke of political genius. Durbin has been in Congress -- first in the House and then in the Senate -- since 1982. As National Journal voted Obama the most liberal Senator in 2007, Durbin took the same dubious "honor" in 2006.

Under Dick Durbin's "watch," gasoline prices have tripled; food prices have skyrocketed; house price have gone into free fall; the nation has endured the devastation of 9/11; and the Democratic Party has systematically undermined the nation's security.

Durbin lists his religion as Roman Catholic, but he's pro-abortion. That's a little like being an agnostic Muslim. It makes no religious or intellectual sense, but of course it does make political sense -- the only kind Durbin apparently values. As a spokesman for the equally cynical Obama, Durbin has never met a hard question he can't evade.

Unlike Durbin, Steve Sauerberg is not a lifelong politician. He's a noted physician and a humanitarian. He's exactly the kind of person we need in the Senate, but of course, he's also the kind we rarely get.

Dick Durbin voted to prohibit drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, but he doesn't accept any responsibility for the fact that the nation is short of oil. He voted to provide "rights" in military detainees in Gitmo, but he doesn't see the relationship between those rights and the future deaths of Americans.

Like many Democrats, he seems terrified by the impending U.S. victory in Iraq. To prevent such a "calamity" from happening, he voted urge Iraq withdraw. Apparently, he realized that if the U.S. did not withdraw -- and won -- then he and his crony Obama would be exposed for the political charlatans they are.

Of course, most people don't talk to Dick Durbin in the way I am. Because he's a classic Beltway Bigshot, they humor him. They treat him as if he's not a total fraud and a pathetic legislator.

Dick Durbin will raise the usual gazillion dollars we associate with incumbent Democratic Senators. He may win the election, as he did the two previous ones. But there's some evidence that he could be in the fight of his life.

If America faces many wrenching problems -- and it does -- the Dick Durbins of the world can't escape culpability. The citizens of Illinois are good people, but when they ask themselves what Dick Durbin has done for them lately, they may just end up casting their ballots for Steve Sauerberg.