As expected, Barack Obama was elected and the republicans are now paying for their idiocy in moving to the center (and still receiving no additional votes for it). However, going forward, one has got to realize just how big of shoes Barack has made for himself to fill.
He has, more than any other politician in the world, promised everything to every one. Sociology majors who worked on his campaign will now think that “community organizer” is going to be a $60,000 per year job with benefits. The likes of Peggy Johnson will now think they don’t have to pay for their own gas of their own mortgage. The black community I speculate because of the Messiah-like nature of Obama, is expecting that by July of 2009 they will magically achieve standards of living on par with their white counterparts. The stock market is going to rally, social security and medicare (which I noticed were never mentioned in the campaign) will somehow magically take care of themselves. Guilty white liberals can finally assuage themselves of their misplaced guilt. And everybody will get a pony.
But the problem is all of his promises (or perhaps better stated – people’s expectations of him) are undeliverable as they are outside his control (if not insane to even expect in the first place). Sociology majors will never make $60,000 because the realities of the labor market prevent it. Peggy Johnson will still have to pay for her gas no matter what Obama’s charming eyes and pointless platitudes may have told her. The black community’s success is largely within their control and no matter what Obama says or does, I don’t think he will be able to deliver to them economic equality before their patience with him runs out. White liberals will never be “forgiven” by the likes of the Black Panthers, Rev. Wright and other racists, not to mention race pimps whose careers depend on perpetuating racism. And, perhaps most importantly, the economy is not going to recover as quickly as spoiled-brat Americans are accustomed to. Quite the contrary, it’s going to go into a long and harsh recession, people are going to get laid off and this says absolutely NOTHING about the economic-time-bomb known social security and medicare.
i.e. – It kind of reminds me of my senior prom where I graduated in this small, pathetic, Wisconsin town. Where the prom was the PEAK, the PINNACLE of the majority of these students’ lives. Very few were going to go onto college, very few were going to do anything in their lives. There was no hope. But, there they were, partying it up, as if life was going to continue on like that forever. And they were in for just of a rude awakening as the currently ecstatic Obama supporters are today. Quite frankly, it's all downhill from here.
Ergo, since Obama CAN’T make all these insane people’s dreams come true, and quite the contrary, the economic realities of the nation are going to turn them into nightmares, it is a practical guarantee Obama will have to start blaming other people and things and come up with excuses as to why sociology majors aren’t making $60,000 and not every girl has a pony in the back yard. Therefore, I present to you;
CAPTAIN CAPITALISM’S PREDICTIONS OF OBAMA EXCUSES;
1. I inherited a recessionary economy – This is true. Obama did inherit this economy. This will be his most truthful and honest excuse. However, he will blame it on “Bush” or “Republican” or “capitalist” policies. This is where he will be an outright liar as it was concepts like “not paying back what you owe,” “borrowing more than you can afford,” and ultimately “being irresponsible and letting other people pay for it” which are socialist in nature that are to blame for the current mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. i.e. – he will not have the gall to blame the American people for his mistakes, he will take the politically self-serving route and blame the republicans.
2. Racism still exists and is keeping minorities down. – Racism is not going away folks. The victim mentality and the race pimping industry is too big. Forget this country fought a civil war to free slaves. Forget the fact this is the first western nation to elect a minority to its primo position. And forget that it’s things like teen pregnancy, poor graduation rates/schools, absentee parents, lack of college and a broken down family that oppresses blacks and other minorities more than racism ever could. There’s no money in that. Racism will have to still be around to explain why Obama’s policies have failed to lift the black community out of poverty, and instead of growing some cajones, breaking taboos, and genuinely helping out the black community, Obama will tell them what they want to hear to stay in power…and sadly, the black community will still be no better off.
3. Obstructionist Republicans in congress – Obama is a socialist. Again, let us not try to pathetically argue against this point. The problem is Obama also got elected by what is largely ignorance. I don’t know how many friends I have, after showing them the chart showing US government spending being on par with NORWAY who tell me “Obama isn’t going to make this a socialist nation.” Regardless, inevitably these people will wake up. Not to mention 48% of the population in the US is not ignorant, know simple basic economics and did indeed vote against socialism. They won’t go quietly into the night. So what will happen (I’m predicting) is a similar repeat of the 1994 congress where Clinton and the Republicans were basically at a stand still and nothing got done (THANK GOD!) To the dismay of Pelosi, Reid and Obama, the remaining Republicans are not just going to allow them to ram socialism down the throat of America . Obama supporters will ask “what’s the hold up?” to which Obama will respond “obstructionist Republicans.”
4. Big Oil/Corporate America/Wall Street – Whether gas prices go back up, health care goes up, the economy stays in recession, unemployment skyrockets, it will not be the fact the population is becoming less and less productive thereby necessitating more dollars to buy that same gallon of gas, no, it’s because Corporate America or Big Oil are keeping you down. This will not only rationalize why Obama will increase corporate taxes by 50%, but allow him, again, to avoid putting blame where it is rightly deserved (the lazy American public) and place it on a boogey man everyone loves to hate. Taxes will increase, corporations will invest less or move offshore, jobs will be lost and Obama will again blame corporate America for having the audacity to leave. Ignorant masses too stupid to realize the downward spiral this will create will cheer as Obama increases corporate taxes, but in the very next sentence viscerally scream at corporations for daring to leave for greener pastures.
There will be other excuses, but these are just the ones off the top of my head.
14 comments:
Cap'n said: "And everybody will get a pony."
I will name mine Buttercup.
TBS
The American Public has spoken, and their word is a huge mistake.
Obama won by a landslide, as predicted by the mainstream media, but not for the reasons they predicted. He won by a landslide because almost the entire nation is unified in their hatred for the Bush administration. Plain and simple. No Republican had a realistic chance, because they were guilty by association before they even left the starting gate.
I agree that it will not be long before our esteemed President Elect begins to lose his shine. His promises will not serve to stagnate the economy further if any of them get enacted. Medical costs will not go down for the average family. The stock market will not thrive.
Unfortunately, if any of the entitlement programs that he has proposed ever come to light, it will be near impossible to ever shut them down. Home ownership, health care, cheap energy, etc... they will all become a right, not a privilege to be earned through hard work.
The United States has made a grave mistake, and very soon, we will be waking up with a political hangover that may take 4 years to cure.
To paraphrase a wise blogger; Obama is like Jimmy Carter lite. Nevermind his colour, he has not achieved anything other than to be black.
The US is going to deteriorate into the Canadian style politics of the Trudeau era. After one month in power conservative Joe Clark was brought down in a confidence motion by the Trudeau liberals. Our economy went in to a recession. The official line from the Liberals was that the economy had begun to decline while Joe Clark was in power and was showing the results of this. it didn't matter that Canadians were sick to death of lies and broken promises.
It was all the conservatives' fault. Feel free to substitute GW's name for Joe Clark.
There's got to be a pony somewhere under this pile of manure!
I love your prom analogy. I didn't go to prom which is probably why I succeeded.
Your top Obama excuses are spot on, but you may have noticed he's already lowering the bar, telling people he can't get everything done in four years. All the tax cuts, flowers and rainbows are scheduled for Act II.
When Clinton was elected president, Republicans kept a broken promise calendar. This helped them gain control of congress.
In three years when the next campaign begins, I predict we still won't see any sign of 5 million new jobs, few green cars coming from Detroit, no widespread alternatives to oil, and no viable national healthcare.
Half or more of the charter school kids who were 'inspired' by Obama will have been to prison. Maybe 1 out of the 10 will go to college. Peggy Joseph will be unemployed and bankrupt. None of the white, blue collar voters in Ohio will have found meaningful employment there.
Sociology majors will never make $60,000
Wait for the Bernanke Put, or should I say Flood?
No wonder liberals hate the idea of personal responsibility - they never own up to their own mistakes. It's always the fault of somebody else. My parents always said that was a sign of immaturity. So I say, "grow up liberals" ;)
I don’t think he will be able to deliver to them economic equality before their patience with him runs out.
I don't think they really want equality, they want revenge. Obama will try to deliver "reparations". Leftist rhetoric about Democrats being less divisive than Republicans is a lie, there is nothing more divisive and destructive of national unity than the tribal politics the Democrats are so in love with, and I predict Obama will try to further entrench tribal politics in order to deliver a permanent electoral majority for the Democrats.
Does all this mean I won't be getting my $1000.00 stimulus check as promised?
...say it ain't so!!!
Wow! I am really a Hillary Clinton supporter and always felt there was something artificial and disingenuous about Mr. Obabma. I am sure he is a nice guy, maybe even Prom King material, but not ready to be honest with our fellow and sister citizens that it's going to be really hard to recover the economic and civic power this country once had. I don't wish him ill, but agree that he can never deliver. The problem is, as a pollworker, I saw uninformed voters come in only to vote for him - no other equally important local offices or referenda - because he was going to save us. But he can't save us from ourselves with his promises. This is life, not a made-for-TV-movie.
BTW - I don't want the pony. I already have a horse and I can tell you, they make a bad mortgage look cheap!
What I thought was really interesting during Obama's victory speech was the crowd. Overwhelming majority of the crowd was under 30.
I remember being young and idealistic. No problem in the world could not be solved if you just gave it enough effort. If you are doing the right thing, everyone will support you.
I learned better.
The US will learn better real soon as well.
You forgot one thing. IF things get better, even if Obama does nothing, he gets to claim victory. PR-wise, Obama is in the most blessed position of any person ever to get the Presidency. While he does have some mighty struggles ahead, his PR machine will have a host of ready made excuses, as well as the potential for quick credit-grabs.
I, for one, do not believe the economy will shrink dramatically or for very long. If nothing else, the bouyant optimism of Obamites and the rapid increase in savings rates will fuel a consumer binge in about 6 months. It may not last long, but it will be tagged as the "Obama recovery", regardless of the illegitimacy of such a tag.
I fully agree with your short list of comments. It may be a little more depressing with Russia starting the ball rolling with threats to NATO and Eastern Europe. Every damn idiot who voted for Obama will soon be introduced to the immutable law that you can't get something for nothing, or TANSTAAFL, for Robert Heinlein fans.
Consumption doesn't mean economic recovery. Ultimately, goods are purchased with other goods. Obama's ideas about minimum wage, capital gains taxes, and protectionist trade policies are all a kick in the crotch for productivity.
We are so boned.
Anon said: BTW - I don't want the pony. I already have a horse and I can tell you, they make a bad mortgage look cheap!
But surely the government will be paying for the care and upkeep of Buttercup?!
TBS
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