A timely reminder from Donna
like a mighty army
moves the church of God
brothers we are treading
where the saints have trod
we are not divided
all one body we
one in hope
and one in faith
and one in charity
onward christian soldiers
marching as to war
with the cross of Jesus
going on before
Princeton economist Alan Blinder has noted .... that the bills for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense and interest on the national debt amount to about two-thirds of all federal outlays. - Noonan
Obama inherited financial collapse, deficits and debt. He inherited a broken political culture. These things weren't his fault. But through his decisions, he made them all worse?????
He really dislikes the other side, and can't fake it. This is peculiar in a politician, the not faking it. But he doesn't bother to show warmth and high regard. And so appeals to patriotism—"Come on guys, we have to save this thing"—ring hollow from him. In this he is the un-Clinton. Bill Clinton understood why conservatives think what they think because he was raised in the South. He was surrounded by them, and he wasn't by nature an ideologue.
Barack Obama is different, not a political practitioner, really, but something else, and not a warm-blooded animal but a cool, chill character, a fish who sits deep in the tank and stares, stilly, at the other fish.
He doesn't know how to confuse his foes with "outreach," with phone calls, jokes, affection. He doesn't leave them saying, as Reagan did, "I just can't help it, I like the guy." And because he can't confuse them or reach them they more readily coalesce around their own explanation of him: socialist, destroyer.
This isn't good, and has had an impact on the president's contacts with Republicans. And it's added an edge to an emerging campaign theme among them. from NOONAN Friday 6/3/11
YES BUT CAN HE CHANGE?
WILL HE CHANGE...in time to get that 2nd term?
PostScript: "the powers that be are ordained of God!!!"
