[quote=SK in CV][quote=UCGal]Allan, even Markos Moulitsas (sp?) the founder of dailykos, recently published a diary that questioned what the heck Obama was doing.
That particular column was referring to politics, not policies. But he (Obama) gets plenty of criticism for policy too at that site. Markos even mentions the call to primary him. Fact is, republicans are much better at politics, democrats are a miserable failure at messaging. Particularly Obama. But despite that failure, the electorate still dislikes democrats a bit less than they dislike republicans. Funny that.[/quote]
SK: Two things sort of spring to mind, reading your response. First, Obama is one of the best orators to occupy the White House in quite some time, so doesn’t the “bad messaging” narrative strike you as somewhat ironic?
Second, given that the GOP is largely lunatic at this point, and in the thrall of the more reactionary elements of the party, doesn’t saying that the electorate “dislikes democrats a bit less” sort of sound like saying “the electorate dislikes Stalin a bit less than Hitler”? I’m obviously being a little glib here, but you hopefully take my point.
The people casting barbs at Obama right now are not doing so from Commentary or the Weekly Standard or National Review. They are from traditional Liberal and Center-Left (or strongly Left) publications like The Nation and the NYT and, as UCGal pointed out, DailyKos. When the DailyKos starts talking about a 2012 Dem primary challenge, you know you’re in trouble.
Riffing a little on the debate you and EconProf have going on another thread: This is a crisis of leadership and confidence. In line with FDR’s speech about fear (“the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself”), this country is desperate for decisive leadership right now. As Tomasky opines in his piece, Obama appears adrift and the victim of circumstances. A bad position to be in, and one cured with a vigorous application of boldness. Akin to John Belushi’s rousing speech towards the end of “Animal House” (“was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!”), Obama needs to come up with something quick, or we’ll wind up electing another wild-eyed Texan…
