Jonah Goldberg: Debates Show How Much Obama’s Presidency Has Shrunk
. . . "Only Biden stands as a formidable figure, because of his time at Obama’s side. And now even that is turning into a liability, at least on the debate stage.""What ever happened to Barack Obama?
For a while there, no modern figure was supposed to be as consequential. It’s difficult to describe the hype in the early days of the Obama era. Time, Newsweek, and countless deep thinkers cast him as a 21st-century Lincoln or FDR. Some literally saw a messianic figure — “The One,” in Oprah Winfrey’s words. Self-help guru Deepak Chopra said Obama represented a “quantum leap in American consciousness.”
"George Lucas speculated that he might even be a Jedi.
It was a global phenomenon. In a move that embarrassed Obama himself, the Nobel Committee gave him a Peace Prize on spec — i.e., in anticipation of what they were sure he would do. A leading Danish newspaper editorialized: “Obama is, of course, greater than Jesus.”
. . .
"The ranks of moderate and conservative Democrats were disproportionately hollowed out under Obama, while Democrats in deep-blue liberal areas were emboldened to move even further left. (Trump has had a similar effect on the right, decimating the moderate wing of the GOP while intensifying the partisanship of conservatives in safe red areas.)" (Emphasis added to this cautionary tale; TD)
Obama reportedly upset about far-left swing of Democratic contenders. . . "They're going to lose. Why should Obama endorse a loser?
"And more to the point, why endorse someone whose run to the left of even Obama (who was so left-wing he triggered the Trump reaction) means attacking the Obama legacy as well? We can already see some of this going on as Democrats attack Obamacare and Obama's deportation record as not good enough. For Obama, that's a problem for his ego.
"That's the big one, actually. Why endorse a loser whose real agenda is to throw a blow to his ego anyway?"
Reminder: Obama’s Aides Thought About Dumping Biden for Hillary in 2012 "As discussed in today’s Morning Jolt, no doubt Joe Biden is running as the “Defender and the Inheritor of the Obama Legacy” – even if, as Luke Thompson observes, Biden doesn’t do so with any particular strategy. When Biden realizes he’s in trouble in front of a Democratic audience, he invokes Obama, and hope that makes the trouble go away.
"No doubt Biden feels close friendship and affection for Obama, and vice versa. But any rival of Biden who is tired of Biden “invoking Obama when it’s convenient, dodging it when it’s not,” as Cory Booker put it, could have some fun pointing out all the times the Obama-Biden partnership didn’t run so smoothly." . . .
If that were a western, Biden would have been the dopey sidekick, "Grippy".
Establishment Democrats and Liberal Media Upset by Obama Bashing at Democrat Debates . . . "From health care to immigration to trade, key accomplishments of the Obama administration came under fire and faced a sometimes-unflattering re-examination by candidates eager to keep their campaigns alive by trying to prove their progressive credentials.
"Their direct target wasn’t Obama himself, but rather his former vice president, Joe Biden, who leads a large pack of Democrats looking to distinguish themselves in the party’s crowded presidential primary fight. Biden has tied himself closely to Obama, casually referring to his former boss as “Barack” in a bid to illustrate their closeness and benefit from his popularity." . . .
Obama reportedly upset about far-left swing of Democratic contenders. . . "They're going to lose. Why should Obama endorse a loser?
"And more to the point, why endorse someone whose run to the left of even Obama (who was so left-wing he triggered the Trump reaction) means attacking the Obama legacy as well? We can already see some of this going on as Democrats attack Obamacare and Obama's deportation record as not good enough. For Obama, that's a problem for his ego.
Shedding Obama "Democrats are tossing the 44th president aside like an old newspaper.
"He also has a disdain for his fellow countrymen that befits a Prince Charles or evidently Prince Harry, who is rapidly becoming just as insufferable.
"Obama failed the country because instead of healing the nation, he opened old wounds. His election was a milestone for race relations that he turned into a millstone because he branded any and all critics as racists." . . .
Openly declaring their rejection of journalism ethics:
. . . "After playing a clip of Trump speaking, Reid stated, “Democrats, you are running against that, not against the presidency or the record of Barack Obama.' ”
Reminder: Obama’s Aides Thought About Dumping Biden for Hillary in 2012 "As discussed in today’s Morning Jolt, no doubt Joe Biden is running as the “Defender and the Inheritor of the Obama Legacy” – even if, as Luke Thompson observes, Biden doesn’t do so with any particular strategy. When Biden realizes he’s in trouble in front of a Democratic audience, he invokes Obama, and hope that makes the trouble go away.
"No doubt Biden feels close friendship and affection for Obama, and vice versa. But any rival of Biden who is tired of Biden “invoking Obama when it’s convenient, dodging it when it’s not,” as Cory Booker put it, could have some fun pointing out all the times the Obama-Biden partnership didn’t run so smoothly." . . .
If that were a western, Biden would have been the dopey sidekick, "Grippy".
Establishment Democrats and Liberal Media Upset by Obama Bashing at Democrat Debates . . . "From health care to immigration to trade, key accomplishments of the Obama administration came under fire and faced a sometimes-unflattering re-examination by candidates eager to keep their campaigns alive by trying to prove their progressive credentials.
"Their direct target wasn’t Obama himself, but rather his former vice president, Joe Biden, who leads a large pack of Democrats looking to distinguish themselves in the party’s crowded presidential primary fight. Biden has tied himself closely to Obama, casually referring to his former boss as “Barack” in a bid to illustrate their closeness and benefit from his popularity." . . .
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