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May 21, 2013
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 Obama’s Luke Skywalker MomentPosted on May 9, 2011With the nation transfixed by the daring raid that killed Osama bin Laden, the first GOP presidential debate transpired last week with relatively little notice. For Republicans, that’s the good news. The bad news is that for those who did pay attention, the debate brought to mind—and I’m just trying to be honest here, folks—the famous bar scene from “Star Wars.” At times the dialogue sounded like a faltering attempt at interplanetary communication. Can anyone seriously imagine Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Ron Paul or Gary Johnson as president? Will anyone forgive Tim Pawlenty for joining such a motley crew? Back on Earth, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the elimination of bin Laden was good not only for national security, the interest of justice and the public mood but for President Obama’s political prospects as well. He’s not unbeatable in 2012, but at the moment you’ve got to like his chances. Indeed, the bounce in Obama’s poll numbers was immediate—and, for potential opponents, daunting. A Washington Post-Pew Research Center survey saw the president’s approval numbers jump nine points, from 47 percent in April to 56 percent last week. A New York Times/CBS News poll found an even larger 11-point jump in approval, while Gallup measured the bounce at six points. Sure, if you look more closely at the numbers, it’s clear that voters remain dissatisfied with Obama’s handling of the economy. Despite the news that nearly 270,000 new private-sector jobs were added in April—the best monthly number in five years—the unemployment rate is an unacceptable 9 percent. For the president, this is an obvious vulnerability. Advertisement Among pundits, there were two schools of thought about the encounter. One was that Cain—a tea party activist who formerly was chairman and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza—emerged as the clear winner. Cain is also an experienced talk-radio host, and he knows how to craft a distinctive sound bite. He dismissed the bin Laden killing with a memorable line: “One good decision doth not a presidency make.” Cain is also distinguished by being the only African-American in the Republican field. But he has the public profile of, well, a pizza box. And his anti-government rhetoric sounded a bit jejune in a week when Navy SEALs, CIA analysts and others on the federal payroll demonstrated just how skillful and irreplaceable government employees can be. Meanwhile, Paul and Johnson tried to out-libertarian each other. Santorum, by contrast, touted his credentials as a social conservative, kind of an anti-libertarian. And Pawlenty? Well, his performance brings me to the other school of thought about the debate, which is that he battled to a draw with Mitt Romney—who wasn’t there. T-Paw acknowledged that he once supported cap-and-trade energy legislation—which should be no surprise, since cap-and-trade once was popular with Republicans, before the party picked up and moved to the far-right fringe. Now such apostasy—even if fully disavowed and loudly lamented, as Pawlenty did Thursday night—may be a disqualifier. You know, like the fact that Romney invented Obamacare. Besides Romney, others who skipped the debate included Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Michele Bachmann, Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Jon Huntsman and Mitch Daniels. That’s a relief, because if they had all showed up, debate organizers would have had to put them on risers. Opening and closing statements would take so long, there wouldn’t be time for any questions. All right, I’m being facetious. I know that the GOP will come up with a candidate, eventually. I know that Obama had better find a way to talk about jobs that connects with voters. And I know that events—such as the one that took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan—have the potential to change everything. But I also know that Obama, practically overnight, has dispelled the fog of ambiguity with which his opponents have tried to cloak him—the vague suspicion that there was something effete, passive, not quite fully American about him. On “60 Minutes” Sunday, Obama’s usual caution with words seemed like disciplined reserve. His broad smile seemed fortified with steel. We like a bit of Clint Eastwood in our presidents. Come on, Republicans, make Obama’s day. Eugene Robinson’s e-mail address is eugenerobinson(at)washpost.com.  TAGS:
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Real American Boy: How Our Byzantine Immigration System and Failed Economy May Have Made a Terrorist
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By reynolds, May 14, 2011 at 10:42 pm Link to this comment
ain’t nobody not getting their money’s worth, chipster.
Report thisi don’t not count so many double negatives, i’m not
sure what you’re not saying.
By chip, May 14, 2011 at 8:14 pm Link to this comment
Ardee
I didn’t cherry pick nothing.
I started following Ron Paul when the dems kicked Kucinich out of the debates.
Voted for him in primary.
I’ve watched him on c-span countless times and even got him on 4 vcr tapes, one with Nader.
Maybe he will pick Nader or Kucinich for VP.
The worst thing I heard him say was he was pro-life.
Nothing about the crap you rant about.
Nobody is paying me nothing to write this.
Democrats say they don’t have to do nothing for the left “what are they going to do, vote republican?”
Samson, You are a wise person
Report thisBy Mekhong Kurt, May 11, 2011 at 1:19 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Amongst the Republican candidates, Paul is the most problematic. He has some ideas that at their most fundamental level are very attractive, yet his proposed methods are far too extreme, perhaps especially with regard to the speed with which he would like to see them implemented.
Put another way, he appears to think strategic, whole-front methods are the only ones available, which is hardly incremental. It’s almost as if he thinks, “Why use a flyswatter if a 105 howitser will do?”
And let me point out that “incremental” does not have to mean “interminably slow.” Many small steps taken simultaneously, or very nearly so, can add up to tremendous change.
I also feel that no candidate whose roots are essentially those of a third-party one—as Paul has been—stands a real chance, even if he wins the nomination of one of the two major parties.
One aspect of Paul’s thought really puzzles me, given that he’s a very bright man. How can he truly believe that the complete unleashing of business from *any* regulation or even mere oversight will result in anything other than “Business Goes Bonkers,” with terrible effects on the country as a whole?
For instance, he’s against NAFTA and other tools favored by internationalists, yet if we do away with regulations, why wouldn’t companies send operations abroad even more than they already do? How could that *help* but send even more Americans to the unemployment line? Let me interject that I don’t think that’s Paul’s goal at all, but I do think that would be the result of our following his fundamental philosophy.
He does appear to possess two critically important and highly attractive traits that are closely related: honesty, and an steely determination NOT to be just another bought-and-sold politician. I admire those qualities, greatly.
Report thisBy clarence, May 11, 2011 at 1:14 pm Link to this comment
I just heard someone seriously suggest on the radio that extremists are taking on an increasingly influential role in both parties. It’s easy to identify the Tea Partyers for the Repugs, but where the hell are the extremists influencing the Dems?
Obama, I think in Texas, just complained in a speech that, basically, whenever the Repugs make a demand he agrees to it and then the make more extreme demands. CEOs make record profits running their corporations into the ground or moving their factories overseas. But those Repug meanies won’t let us tax them.
We need to form either a left wing Tea Party or take over the one we’ve got. I think if we started showing up with signs about jailing Wall Street fraudsters and war profiteering corporations we’d find a lot of sympathy. If we talk about what the Repugs are planning with Social Security and Medicare they’d be alarmed.
Report thisBy Samson, May 11, 2011 at 9:20 am Link to this comment
If there are three names on the ballot ... say Palin,
Obama and Ron Paul, then I’m voting for Ron Paul.
Divide and conquer. Do people think that our
powerful enemies aren’t capable of using this age-old
strategy?
Be wary of those who always want to divide us.
In order to get our country back, we have to beat a
combination of Wall Street, the Pentagon, the CIA,
the FBI, the White House, both major corporate
political parties, Faux News, CNN and the rest of the
corporate media plus others too numerous to name.
That doesn’t seem to be a small task. But, there are
many who feel that this isn’t difficult enough on its
own, so lets keep the opposition divided into a bunch
of little camps each too tiny to even mount a decent
protest.
At some point, we have to stop nit-picking everyone
around us and rejected everyone who doesn’t perfectly
agree with us, and start to form some alliances so
that just maybe we can someday break into double
digits of support for an opposition candidate.
Ron Paul wouldn’t be my first choice. But, if we
fail to unify, all we are doing is just re-electing
Obama and Palin and getting more of the same.
One basic point about Ron Paul. I think he’s honest.
Report thisI don’t think he’s bought by wall street and everyone
else with a checkbook. That’s a big improvement over
anyone we’ve had in decades. I’ll take an honest man
who I don’t agree with on everything over a bunch of
crooks who are sure to rob me blind any day.
By BBFmail, May 11, 2011 at 6:34 am Link to this comment
de profundis clamavi, EXCELLENT COMMENTS! All sad but true.
Report thisBy ardee, May 11, 2011 at 3:19 am Link to this comment
chip, May 10 at 5:51 pm
You cherry pick the handful of statements that mislead so many into believing Libertarian politics a solution. Try using this media ( search engines) to educate yourself on that political philosophy and on Paul’s own positions on the things I noted. I posted fact and you think it fiction.
This is a problem for you, not those of us who do the research prior to forming a position.
Report thisBy Virginia777, May 10, 2011 at 10:40 pm Link to this comment
Free Instrumentals:
“Obama is still my man.”
Me too.
Report thisBy Virginia777, May 10, 2011 at 10:37 pm Link to this comment
Inky99:
“This is a serious question. WHY should I come to this site, if it’s full of this kind of CRAP?”
Lol.
Report thisBy reynolds, May 10, 2011 at 9:48 pm Link to this comment
gfys;
ignorance, malice, poor grammar.
Report thisBy chip, May 10, 2011 at 5:51 pm Link to this comment
Hey Ardee
I have seen Ron Paul on c-span
I heard him say “We should bring ALL our troops home,
no wonder they are attacking us, we keep messing with them”.
I agree
He wants to rain in the fed if not disband it entirely.
He thinks we should stop babysitting our grownups here in the US. You know that failed drug war?
I never heard him mention ending any of our social programs. He said “we have become used to them and ending them would be inappropriate now”.
My only problem is his pro life stance but wasn’t Kucinich at one time.
He and Ralph Nader were on C-span together and agreed to many of the same policy’s.
I am not uninformed on politics.
Report thisJust amazed so many folks let the media do their thinking for them.
I would much rather go fishing than watch c-span
but if your going to vote you got to know the real facts. Even the boring ones.
By ardee, May 10, 2011 at 4:51 pm Link to this comment
Do not vote for any candidate with money. The candidate who will be on your side is certain to be a broke candidate during the election.
Oh, Samson. the exception proves the rule as they say. Ron Paul, with or without money, is a dangerous and ultimately misleading man. His policies would free an already far too free corporate world to wreak havoc upon us all with nary a regulation in sight. His policies would see millions of homeless on our streets in no time at all.
That he postulates a bit of common sense in some areas fails utterly to make up for the craziness he spouts regarding education, welfare assistance, social security, medicare, etc.
War chest full or empty Ron Paul is a lunatic.
Report thisBy ceti, May 10, 2011 at 2:04 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Well, sure the Republicans look like the comical coterie of Separatists brought
Report thistogether by Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones, but it is Obama who finds his
inner Anakin Skywalker, extermination of sand people and dispatching of Count
Dooku (the Osama Bin Laden of this tale) and all. In fact, he does make an
effective servant of the Empire, consummated by killing the last Phantom Menace
/ servant of the Empire.
By Morpheus, May 10, 2011 at 1:31 pm Link to this comment
We are so fix on nothing that it is for us to deal with reality.
Memo to America: Stop waiting for Democrats and Republicans to save you.
“WAKE UP!” - JOIN THE REVOLUTION
Report thisRead “Common Sense 3.1” at ( http://www.revolution2.osixs.org )
We don’t have to live like this anymore. “Spread the News”
——
FIGHT THE CAUSE - NOT THE SYMPTOM
*** one day you’ll thank me ***
By Inky99, May 10, 2011 at 10:38 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Why are we being subjected to this kind of SHIT at truthdig.com?
Is it for the supposed comedy value? Or just to help out the bulimics among us?
This is a serious question. WHY should I come to this site, if it’s full of this kind of
Report thisCRAP?
By Go Right Young Man, May 10, 2011 at 10:27 am Link to this comment
reynolds,
Hatred, envy, and fear.
Report thisBy de profundis clamavi, May 10, 2011 at 9:25 am Link to this comment
Eugene, you are a perfect specimen of your species - Medianus Washingtonius.
As a forthright fan of the Washington Dems, you give us a play-by-play commentary on their tactics and strategy, and their short and long-term prospects for victory in their never ending electoral football game against the Washington Pubs.
Meanwhile, there is a country out here full of people who do not hold cushy media jobs, where Obama’s little stunt of launching a planned assassination raid into a sovereign country without that country’s knowledge or consent, though popular, is of no long term consequence for the betterment of the American people.
Yeah, Bin Laden is dead, the Navy Seals have shown that they are tough, ruthless, macho and effective, and Obama basks in their reflected toughness, ruthlessness, machismo and effectiveness.
But the Wall Street Banks still own and control everything including - especially including - Obama’s White House.
Assassination play over, Evil Terrorist dead, cheering finished, beers consumed, the weekly news Circus is over, but America wakes up the next morning and we’re still sharecroppin’ tenants on Wall Street’s plantation, hoping today’s not the day our number is up for eviction.
Eugene, your little celebrity bubble where Obama does his celebrity dance routines and you critique his pirouhettes, is about as real as Marie Antoinette’s peasant farmstead on the palace grounds at Versailles.
“Liberal” and “Conservative”, “Democrat” and “Republican”, you are all just members of a ruling class, the irrelevancy of whose intramural games is becoming increasingly apparent to the rest of us.
One day, when enough people realize how little you contribute while grabbing too much for yourselves, you will all be swept away.
Report thisBy Samson, May 10, 2011 at 9:08 am Link to this comment
His Luke Skywalker moment ... what, the one where he
finds out that Darth Vader is family?
Ok, I missed the Neaderthal debate ... did Dick Cheney
reveal that he’s Obama’s daddy, and that’s why the
birth certificate was so secret? Was that Obama’s
“Luke Skywalker moment”?
Hi Daddy-dearest, aren’t you proud of me and my evil
Report thisempire?
By Samson, May 10, 2011 at 9:06 am Link to this comment
Notice the number of people who will not let left and
right be civil to each other. That’s not an
accident. Keeping the people who support Paul
divided from the people who support Kucinich is a key
goal. They want their opposition divided.
———————
The key thing to look at is where the money is. If a
candidate has money, then they are not on your side.
If a candidate has money, then they’ll support the
people who gave them the money, not you.
The most important thing you can do is learn to vote
against money. Money has their candidates, and they
are not your friends.
Obama is money’s man. They gave him $750 million
last time, and he’ll be well supported by wall
street’s millions and the merchants of death this
time around as well.
The strange part is always watching the so-called
‘left’ and ‘progressives’ lining up to support the
candidate backed by wall street and the merchants of
death. That I suppose is the power of propaganda,
getting workers to support wall street’s
candidate…. getting anti-war voters to support the
warrior President.
Do not vote for any candidate with money. The
Report thiscandidate who will be on your side is certain to be a
broke candidate during the election.
By Samson, May 10, 2011 at 9:00 am Link to this comment
His Luke Skywalker moment? What, the one where he’s
Report thisrealized he’s lost his daddy’s drone and has to go find
it in the desert?
By reynolds, May 10, 2011 at 8:35 am Link to this comment
gfys
“Why is it that this Web space attracts a collection
of the most bigoted and racist individuals the
planet has to offer?”
funny you should ask. leave us identify a common
trait amongst the usual suspects, including, and
especially you. all of you firebrand activists
exhibit this constant, a manifestation of the
socially conscious; typing.
physician, go heal thyself.
Report thisBy Aaron Ortiz, May 10, 2011 at 7:54 am Link to this comment
Osama’s death was so well timed, (if it occurred at
Report thisall) that I have a vague suspicion that it was a
macabre publicity stunt.
By madisolation, May 10, 2011 at 7:47 am Link to this comment
Chip, as for now, Ron Paul gets my vote, too.
Report thisAs far as government regulations go, it astounds me that people think our current president is regulating corporations. He has been chipping away at regulations, creating loopholes you could drive a truck through, and has not once prosecuted a major Wall Street criminal who has broken those few laws that are still on the books. His Attorney General is too busy going after medical marijuana dispensaries, I guess.
In short, Obama, judging by the past two years, fervently believes not only in free market capitalism, he believes in corporatism. He proves it by supporting corporate interests here and abroad to the max: his push for NAFTA, tax breaks for offshoring, and his choice of economic advisors proves that. Ron Paul does not support NAFTA, offshoring, or giving tax money to corporations, and he believes in prosecuting CEO’s when they break the law.
However, whatever his economic views, I’ll vote for Ron Paul just on his anti-war views alone. If we can stop the wars, we can go forward with other positive changes in our country.
I absolutely do not like a lot of Ron Paul’s views, but I’m enough of a realist to know we aren’t going to find a better candidate at this point in the game. The Ron Paul detractors never seem to compare Ron Paul’s views to Obama’s views. They never say: “Obama believes this or that, and that’s why I’d choose him over Ron Paul.” It’s not a valid argument if they don’t offer a viable alternative, and by viable alternative, I mean a candidate who has announced they will run for President.
By Go Right Young Man, May 10, 2011 at 5:23 am Link to this comment
Why is it that this Web space attracts a collection of the most bigoted and racist individuals the planet has to offer?
-Republicans see things differently. Let us hate them
-Tea Party advocates see things differently. Let us hate them.
-Moderate democrats see things differently. Let us hate them.
-Blue Dog democrats see things differently. Let us hate them.
-More educated? We hate you.
-More successful? We hate you.
-Don’t support labor unions? We hate you.
-14 hour days building your own business? We hate you most of all.
Hatred, envy, and fear are the most commonly advocated emotions on every thread covering every subject. Why is that?
Report thisBy surfnow, May 10, 2011 at 4:13 am Link to this comment
So that’s the good news Mr.Robinson? Four more years of Obama in 2012. When it’s all over what will be the difference between eight years of Bush and eight of Obama? I’ll tell you: Obama can pronounce his words better. Obama is just the smiling face of the empire, and Eugene Robinson is just another Democratic Party hack.
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, May 10, 2011 at 3:30 am Link to this comment
Tim Pawlenty LOWERED himself??? Are you kidding me, Gene? This is the guy whose sole “qualification” seems to be that he led Minnesota from solvency and a balanced budget into huge deficits and a sick economy.
Do we REALLY need another George Bush? Bush took a fundamentally healthy economy and set fire to it, solely to benefit the rich and to start a war for no good reason. Pawlenty’s career has taken a similar path, no matter how “reasonable” he looks next to all the bat-shit-crazies currently running in the GOP.
Report thisBy ardee, May 10, 2011 at 2:38 am Link to this comment
chip, May 9 at 10:15 pm Link to this comment
Ron Paul gets my vote.
I don’t think he would let wall street run the country
I think that, prior to casting your ballot, you might actually read up on the political leanings of your chosen candidate.
To say that a man whose entire political life is dedicated to ending all government regulations would not let Wall Street run the country speaks volumes about your lack of understanding, sorry to say.
Report thisBy Robespierre115, May 9, 2011 at 11:00 pm Link to this comment
@Chip, Paul wouldn’t let Wall Street run the country? Isn’t he a Libertarian (US brand, in Europe it means something else)? If the guy completely gets rid of government oversight and regulations then wouldn’t Wall Street have even freer reign?
As for Robinson, yes the Republican candidates are all clowns, but your nationalist, macho licking of Obama’s shoes makes one want to gag, especially when you celebrate the man turning into another imperial Rambo with a barbaric attitude. Sir, you and all other boot lickers of the state can go fuck yourselves.
Report thisBy chip, May 9, 2011 at 10:15 pm Link to this comment
Ron Paul gets my vote.
I don’t think he would let wall street run the country.
Obama is bought and sold.
Report thisBy Free Instrumentals, May 9, 2011 at 8:38 pm Link to this comment
as much as I am disappointed by Obama’s first 3 years as president I can’t really see anybody else in office..Obama is still my man
Report this