He's Done Everything Wrong
by Mort Zuckerman
January 19, 2010 | 11:19pm

Obama punted on the economy and reversed the fortunes of the Democrats in 365 days.

He’s misjudged the character of the country in his whole approach. There’s the saying, “It’s the economy, stupid.” He didn’t get it. He was determined somehow or other to adopt a whole new agenda. He didn’t address the main issue.

This health-care plan is going to be a fiscal disaster for the country. Most of the country wanted to deal with costs, not expansion of coverage. This is going to raise costs dramatically.

In the campaign, he said he would change politics as usual. He did change them. It’s now worse than it was. I’ve now seen the kind of buying off of politicians that I’ve never seen before. It’s politically corrupt and it’s starting at the top. It’s revolting.

Five states got deals on health care—one of them was Harry Reid’s. It is disgusting, just disgusting. I’ve never seen anything like it. The unions just got them to drop the tax on Cadillac plans in the health-care bill. It was pure union politics. They just went along with it. It’s a bizarre form of political corruption. It’s bribery. I suppose they could say, that’s the system. He was supposed to change it or try to change it.

Even that is not the worst part. He could have said, “I know. I promised these things, but let me try to do them one at a time.” You want to deal with health care? Fine. Issue No. 1 with health care was the cost. You know I think it was 37 percent or 33 who were worried about coverage. Fine, I wrote an editorial to this effect. Focus on cost-containment first. But he’s trying to boil the ocean, trying to do too much. This is not leadership.

Obama’s ability to connect with voters is what launched him. But what has surprised me is how he has failed to connect with the voters since he’s been in office. He’s had so much overexposure. You have to be selective. He was doing five Sunday shows. How many press conferences? And now people stop listening to him. The fact is he had 49.5 million listeners to first speech on the economy. On Medicare, he had 24 million. He’s lost his audience. He has not rallied public opinion. He has plunged in the polls more than any other political figure since we’ve been using polls. He’s done everything wrong. Well, not everything, but the major things.

I don’t consider it a triumph. I consider it a disaster.

One business leader said to me, “In the Clinton administration, the policy people were at the center, and the political people were on the sideline. In the Obama administration, the political people are at the center, and the policy people are on the sidelines.”

I’m very disappointed. We endorsed him. I voted for him. I supported him publicly and privately.

I hope there are changes. I think he’s already laid in huge problems for the country. The fiscal program was a disaster. You have to get the money as quickly as possible into the economy. They didn’t do that. By end of the first year, only one-third of the money was spent. Why is that?

He should have jammed a stimulus plan into Congress and said, “This is it. No changes. Don’t give me that bullshit. We have a national emergency.” Instead they turned it over to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi who can run circles around him.

It’s very sad. It’s really sad.

He’s improved America’s image in the world. He absolutely did. But you have to translate that into something. Let me tell you what a major leader said to me recently. “We are convinced,” he said, “that he is not strong enough to confront his enemy. We are concerned,” he said “that he is not strong to support his friends.”

The political leadership of the world is very, very dismayed. He better turn it around. The Democrats are going to get killed in this election. Jesus, looks what’s happening in Massachusetts.

It’s really interesting because he had brilliant, brilliant political instincts during the campaign. I don’t know what has happened to them. His appointments present somebody who has a lot to learn about how government works. He better get some very talented businesspeople who know how to implement things. It’s unbelievable. Everybody says so. You can’t believe how dismayed people are. That’s why he’s plunging in the polls.

I can’t predict things two years from now, but if he continues on the downward spiral he is on, he won’t be reelected. In the meantime, the Democrats have recreated the Republican Party. And when I say Democrats, I mean the Obama administration. In the generic vote, the Democrats were ahead something like 52 to 30. They are now behind the Republicans 48 to 44 in the last poll. Nobody has ever seen anything that dramatic.

Mortimer B. Zuckerman is chairman and editor in chief of U.S. News & World Report and publisher of the New York Daily News. He is also the co-founder and chairman of Boston Properties Inc. He is a trustee of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, and the International Institute of Strategic Studies.

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URL: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-19/hes-done-everything-wr...

Posted by: Jumping Jack

One business leader said to me, “In the Clinton administration, the policy people were at the center, and the political people were on the sideline. In the Obama administration, the political people are at the center, and the policy people are on the sidelines.”


Well he did promise change didn't he?

"LJ, you're glad the healthcare reform Hillary Clinton, who you supported, is going down the tubes... that really doesn't make sense...  She spent her life waiting and working for this... REALLY? Sad you you've let others hate for a person, change your beliefs... his is what happens when principles are abonded for personality or in this case.... I'm not even sure... this is a president following after George Bush...  We went a full year without being attacked by terrorists... the bar is so low, it was laid on the ground, and still Democrats are tripping over it... WTF? If you think the rest of the world scratched thier heads when Bush was president, they have completely lost us now... completely... the same people who blamed fags and liberal for september 11th attacks, are now cheering for our own demise and failure... WTF? It's so obviously wrong, that people miss b/c they're blinded by vitriolic hate... and yet they follow Sarah Palin, like she's a genius... go figure. The banks might be to big to fail, but the USA isn't"

I have re-read the above about 10 times and I still scratch my head.

Your stream of consciousness posting leaves much to be desired.

I work in the healthcare field. We need reform; but not a bill that is being rammed down the throats of the country. Not a bill that no one seems to understand, ESPECIALLY those who are its proponents. Not a bill that will add to the already spiraling deficit.

I have mistrusted Barack Obama from DAY 1. The man is a complete fraud, imho. He made promise after promise that has been broken. What happened to the hearings re Health Care being COMPLETELY OPEN to C-SPAN coverage? What happened to the bi-paritsanship HE was going to deliver??? All a bunch of bullshit.

NO ONE changed MY beliefs. I'm quite capable of making up my own mind. And that I did; during PRIMARY SEASON LAST YEAR!!!

LJ.

LadyJane wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2010 at 7:31am:




It was a genius move. Do you wonder why Democrats hate it? It was a stand for 1st Amendment rights issues. It's very easy to play class warfare with this topic, and talk about the evil of "big corporations" with their "big money", but there is so much more to it, and I haven't the time nor inclination to go over all the reasons that the SCOTUS made the right call. Suffice it to say I love it! If Democrats hate, that usually means I like it!


Riffy

This just in............


RASMUSSEN:
Obama Approval Index: -18
Strongly Approve 25%
Strongly Disapprove 43%

Total Approval: 45%





For those of you you claim that you are not drones (you're just smarter than everyone else, right? LOL!) Here's a little test.

This past Wednesday Obama told George Stephanopoulos on CBS News-

"The same thing that swept Scott Brown into office swept me into office.

People are angry, and they're frustrated. Not just because of what's happened in the last year or two years, but what's happened over the last eight years."


So here is your Drone Test. Is President Obama full of shit? A simple yes, or no will suffice.


Did the voters of Massachusetts really vote for Scott Brown because they are still mad at Bush? Or did they vote against the far left leanings of an out of control congress, and the far left ideology emanating from the White House?



Riffy

Every time I see Obama & Stephonopoulos I think softball tournament.
Never a hard question asked.  To compare those two elections is silly.
Brown won in two weeks time.  Obama was going to win, as McCain was weak.
To hear Pelosi with her arrogant "we will get health care passed" shows
me she hasn't a clue.  Wonder what Harry Reid's election will be like
since the Scott Heard Round The World?  

Oh & since when are the banks continuing to be open season?
That tax on banks is not fair to the banks who have paid back
the money with interest.  They were bailed out & they paid back.
Did the automakers pay anything back?  Why aren't the automakers who have
not paid back a penny being treated in the same manner?  They are
the ones who should be gone after.  Obama will never do it, as he's
afraid of pissing off the unions.  I think that ship has sailed since Tuesday....

fuman wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2010 at 10:41am:




Let me ask you a question you detestable bastard. Why is that you continually harp on about the evils of the Christian religion? Why must you proselytize about your complete lack of Christian faith, and hatred of it? Does this make you feel superior? Do you see anyone here preaching to you? No! So why must you persist in slamming everyone else's Christian faith? You may not believe this, in fact I'm sure you don't, but Christianity helps hundreds of millions of people on a daily basis. Why do you so detest that so? Do you think that you know better than the hundreds of millions of practicing Christians worldwide? Are you really that arrogant?!

Here's another question for you to ponder has you continue to slam Christianity. Prior to the terrible earthquake in Haiti, which charitable organizations were doing all the heavy lifting in that very poor nation? Here's your answer you fucking prick! It was Christian relief groups, Catholic Charities, and various other Christian organizations. While you sit here and bitch about something that you know absolutely nothing about, good Christians were over in Haiti providing free schools, free clothes, free food, and yes, even free ministries. They are such corruptible types those Christians.


Let me let you on one more little secret you pompous asshole. My grandfather was a Presbyterian minister, and he preached at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota. He passed away in 1964. There were over 2000 people that showed up at his funeral. Why? Because he was a pillar of society, and he did many great things for thousands of people his entire life through his faith and ministry. He was loved by his community, whcih is more than you will ever be able to say. What the fuck have you done for anyone?!?!?!


While my language may not be very Christian, my disgust at your contemptible slam of all things good about Christianity is enough to make me want to tell you go fuck yourself. So I will. Go fuck yourself!!



Riffy

If your Christianity hasn't given you any peace of mind, what is it exactly that draws you in?
(I mean besides the tax exemption)

These aren't my words (below). These are quotes from some of the founding fathers. I can't answer you, why they feel the way they do. I would expect you can do the google research and find your answers.

I can only present the FACTS. Yeah, that's right, FACTS !!



"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter."  - Thomas Jefferson

"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own. It is easier to acquire wealth and power by this combination than by deserving them, and to effect this, they have perverted the purest religion ever preached to man into mystery and jargon, unintelligible to all mankind, and therefore the safer engine for their purposes."  - Thomas Jefferson

"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must approve the homage of reason rather than of blind-folded fear. Do not be frightened from this inquiry by any fear of its consequences.... If it end in a belief that there is no god, you will find incitements to virtue in the comfort and pleasantness you feel in its exercise and in the love of others it will procure for you."  - Thomas Jefferson

"If we did a good act merely from the love of God and a belief that it is pleasing to Him, whence arises the morality of the Atheist? It is idle to say, as some do, that no such thing exists. We have the same evidence of the fact as of most of those we act on, to wit: their own affirmations, and their reasonings in support of them. I have observed, indeed, generally, that while in Protestant countries the defections from the Platonic Christianity of the priests is to Deism, in Catholic countries they are to Atheism. Diderot, D'Alembert, D'Holbach, Condorcet, are known to have been among the most virtuous of men. Their virtue, then, must have had some other foundation than love of God."  - Thomas Jefferson

"Wither Christianity by ridicule or bludgeon it to death by argument."  - Thomas Paine

"Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon, than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind."  - Thomas Paine

"The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries that have afflicted the human race have had their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion. It has been the most dishonorable belief against the character of the Divinity, the most destructive to morality and the peace and happiness of man, that ever was propagated since man began to exist."  - Thomas Paine

Brainbell Jangler wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2010 at 2:05pm:




Oh how very smug of you to assume that I missed any point. Not at all BJ. The point that you are missing is this. Most Christians, my grandfather included, believed that it was his very core belief in Christ than made him the man he is! It was his Christianity that brought about all good for him. It's called faith, and people that have none need not try and persuade those that do about the wisdom of atheism. You're never gonna sell it. There is nothing to sell.


As for the Founding Fathers' views? In Obamaspeak-"That's a fight that I want to have!"


Let's have a look shall we? Yes, we shall.

"I have carefully examined the evidences of the Christian religion, and if I was sitting as a juror upon its authenticity I would unhesitatingly give my verdict in its favor. I can prove its truth as clearly as any proposition ever submitted to the mind of man." - Alexander Hamilton


“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel”- Benjamin Franklin


This is all the inheritance I can give my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
—The Last Will and Testament of Patrick Henry

“Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus.” - Thomas Jefferson


Oh, and as for Thomas Paine being a non-believer? Not true!


“ It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.”
“ The evil that has resulted from the error of the schools, in teaching natural philosophy as an accomplishment only, has been that of generating in the pupils a species of atheism. Instead of looking through the works of creation to the Creator himself, they stop short, and employ the knowledge they acquire to create doubts of his existence. They labour with studied ingenuity to ascribe every thing they behold to innate properties of matter, and jump over all the rest by saying, that matter is eternal.” - Thomas Paine.


I could go on, and on, and on, infinitum.


Riffy

Brainbell Jangler wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2010 at 2:55pm:



I'm not going to argue the virtues of faith, and certainly not the Christian faith with someone who so openly ridicules me for that very faith! To be so cocksure of yourself about what you perceive as some emotional immaturity is more than a little condescending, and frankly, incredibly arrogant. Whether you like it or not millions of people DO have a personal relationship with Christ, and it sustains them through many difficult times. That you would not understand that fact comes as no surprise to me. You have no faith in anything that you can not prove with science. If that works for you so be it. However, I'd like to ask you a question. Where did the very first atom come from? Kind of a chicken or the egg analogy, huh? That's a question that you can not ever know. Nor will any scientist be able to answer it. God knows though, and He ain't telling the likes of you, or me.


This is more about some asshole that continually gets his rocks off by slamming people's Christian faith. Note that not one Christian here is trying to talk him into anything as radical as going to church or anything. Yet, he harps on, and on, and on......... I am just just curious as to why he won't come on here and say, oh I don't know, something along the lines of, "Jews are big nosed morons that are robbing us blind to feed their Jew greed!" Why won't he say something like that? Why not say, "Muslims are dumbfucks for believing in this so called Allah bastard!" Or how about, "Buddhists?! What's up with those stupid freaks?!"


Do you see my point BJ? He is being a god damned bigot, plain and simple!!! And his bigotry tends to come down squarely on Christians. He equates them as redneck, backwoods, Bible thumping rubes who are too stupid to see the folly of their "immature" belief in some old fashioned religion. He knows nothing of true Christians. He's merely spouting off his insane arrogant "progressive" views of Christians. It's almost laughable, but it's wearing very thin. Like I said, he's a bigot, and he can go fuck himself for all I care.


Riffy

all i's knows is:

if charlie quits, i'm joing the band.

LadyJane wrote on Jan 22^nd, 2010 at 7:31am:


nothing scarier than Unions and Big Oil ect... having no restrictions to throw money into our govt... when did public service end? I've never really known a time when elected officials worked for the people... Ecept for Ron Paul.