March 25, 2009 11:00 AM
Obama Talks Substance, But the Villagers Are Focused On Trivialities Again
President Obama sought to reassure Americans last night that his administration has made progress in reviving the economy and said his $3.6 trillion budget is "inseparable from this recovery." After sprinting through his first months in office, Obama is now facing heightened criticism from Republicans, who have called his blueprint irresponsible, and from skeptical Democrats who have already set about trimming back his top budget priorities. Obama came into office amid lofty expectations and the worst economic crisis in generations, and he succeeded in pushing through a $787 billion stimulus and launching expensive plans to revive the banking system. Last night, against a backdrop of a broad national anxiety that the economy may still be failing, he attempted to recalibrate the high hopes to more closely fit the challenges he said lie ahead. Although he spoke sharply once in response to Republican criticism, Obama struck a tone of common purpose throughout his second prime-time news conference, urging the country to be patient as he works on issues as divergent as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the malign impact of lobbying in Washington. "We haven't immediately eliminated the influence of lobbyists in Washington," he said from the East Room of the White House. "We have not immediately eliminated wasteful pork projects. And we're not immediately going to get Middle East peace. We've been in office now a little over 60 days. "What I am confident about is that we're moving in the right direction." [...] Responding with his most partisan comment of the evening, Obama said his Republican critics should look to their own history with the federal budget, accusing them of having "a short memory" when it comes to deficits. "As I recall, I'm inheriting a $1.3 trillion annual deficit from them," he said.They just hate being reminded of that, don't they?
There's gonna be hell to pay on the DC cocktail circuit. I can just hear the snarky comments from our news repeaters as they try to maintain their clear superiority to the rest of us mortals.
a desperate cry for help from a village media unaccustomed to covering two things at once or understanding anything of substance at once.
"The deal has to be negotiated in the real world, not on some idealized Aristotelian plane. We understand that. A 100-percent deal may be impossible."
Famous "Reality Based" Commentator
So it's going to take more than a month or two for the Villagers to come back up to speed. Then again, more than 8 years ago, they were mired in trivialities then too. You think if President Obama gave each of the Villagers a pet name it would make them all happy again?
point about obama's intelligence and competence well taken and the failings of the villagers chatterings.
otoh:
in u.s.: cic of military...president of u.s. (bush et al liked to conflate cic with super duper war time powers and trample constitutional rights)
It's absolutely amazing. Obama talked for an HOUR on issues and policies. Then, after the press conference was over, the MSM spent the next day talking about 1. The teleprompter, 2. The fact that he didn't call on the usual people, and 3. That he was 'snippy' with Ed Henry. If the press made you puke during the Bush years, you ain't seen nothing yet! Apparently they've learned NOTHING.
So these right wingers must think presidents always delivered their speeches off the tops of their heads..Jesus- ALL modern presidents used teleprompters, and before tv, they relied on a pre written speech.
The Republican's dimwitted heroes GW Bush and Reagan read from teleprompters...
is this the best the right wing vermin can come up with?
Yes. And as silly as it is, it's a good sign. Mainly because, as you pointed out, they're vulnerable to the same criticisms. Not only about stupid teleprompters, but about wasteful spending, incompetence, etc. (That's one of the few presidential perks to following the most incompetent administration in history.)
Obama uses a teleprompter to make speeches, and sounds magnificent. Then when he turns the thing off and answers questions off the top of his head, he STILL sounds magnificent.
Reagan used a teleprompter and sounded good. Then when he turned it off, and tried to answer questions off the top of his head, he sounded like an old cracker-barrel cowboy from a movie. Lots of folksy slogans, and not much detail. Some (silly) people were satisfied with that, and when the press fact-checked him, and called him on the fact that half the time he was quoting from MOVIES instead of actual HISTORY, the public attacked the press. Most of the public mistook Reagan for their favorite old uncle, and didn't like it when the pressed called him on his shit, so they stopped, and just gave him a free pass for eight years. (The carreer in acting definitely helped for the president who was all style and no substance.)
Bush used a telepromter to avoid sounding like a complete ass when he made speeches. Most of the time it just barely worked. Then, when he'd turn it off, and try to talk off the top of his head, it became painfully obvious that he WAS a complete ass. Those debates with Kerry were PAINFUL to watch.
Obama sounds magnificent both with AND without the teleprompter, so they have nothing to call him on. Save that criticism for politicians who are totally useless WITHOUT a teleprompter. Like Sara Palin, where they even had to spell things PHONETICALLY on her teleprompter, so she wouldn't sound like an ass. They used to have to spell NUCLEAR as "NEW-CLEAR" on HER teleprompter, and she STILL couldn't get it right!
The wingnuts still haven't figured out how to criticize Obama. Criticism of presidential candidates and presidents only works when it feeds into an existing narrative or stereotype about the person. So when the wingnuts (followed as always, by the MSM) spent a week screaming that candidate Obama had "played the race card" after Obama stated the obvious about his novelty (funny name, looks different than the guys on the dollar bills), the criticism didn't stick because by then Obama had clearly established himself as someone who did not use racial divisions to advance his political goals, but rather, studiously avoided them.
Likewise, Obama has established himself as a brilliant, thoughtful guy who goes on for many minutes giving detailed answers to questions. Therefore, the criticism that Obama read the beginning part of the conference from a teleprompter goes nowhere, since the only implication of such a criticism is that the President isn't bright enough to express his own thoughts. That was often true with Reagan and George W. Bush, but everyone knows it isn't the case with Obama.
In fact, didn't the wingnuts also criticize Obama for being "boring" with his "long answers"? Oh, I forgot, consistency isn't a hallmark of the wingnuts.
about 80% of the time. Remember when John McCain got in the way of Tom Brokaw's teleprompter at the end of the debate with Obama, and Brokaw wasn't even able to say "good night"?
Amazing.
Yeah, that was pretty amazing. Tom Brokaw without a teleprompter is like The Green Lantern without his super ring. No super powers at all. Just some dumpy guy wearing tacky fetish underwear.
And Brokaw isn't the only news guy who has that problem.
And people wonder how we got into this mess? The msm has their pants in a twist because the President used a telepromter. Is that all they got out of his speech last night? Makes you just shake your head in disgust, doesn't it?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Check this out:
Obama's Teleprompter: Is that all the right has?
Apparently so.
As noted, Reagan and others have used it (see pics in the post above), and also watch the videos and tell me which you would prefer.
The right is morally and intellectually bankrupt. Period.
don't have a proverbial "pot to piss in"! These slugs, like Kroft on sunday, keep trying to find a way to throw Barack off balance.
Yet, Barack keeps even keel and on balance. When was the first time w would state that he wanted to research what he would be talking about?
[LOL]
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common sense matters as much as truth
is that Obama is so even keeled it is driving them nuts. I read RedState daily (so you don't have to and I post about it from time to time if the faux outrage is funny enough), and seeing Erick Erickson post about how bummed he is lately, totally and completely warmed my heart.
I love watching wingnuts twist in the wind they created!
Reagan was notoriously bad with the teleprompter in his televised speeches. You could actually SEE his eyes moving from one side of the screen to the other. Bush was bad for that, too, but not as bad as Reagan.
Still, the obvious solution to this is to have Begala point out EVERY TIME a Republican uses a teleprompter, and see how long the right wing can keep it up. My guess is that, if constantly drawing attention to Obama's teleprompter means THEY can't use one EITHER...they'll fold faster than a $20 hang glider.
...of the American voters, and he knows it...Limbaugh, Fox, Republicans, the media, can't do shit about it.
and that deck is ALWAYS stacked in favor of the house.
Chuck Todd said this morning that it was a one screen teleprompter and that he thought the President had trouble using it. WTF? Todd is supposed to report the news, not give us his personal opinion. I don't care what the President reads or how, just as long as it's informative and intelligent.
After eight years of a president who couldn't even read, funny how now the press becomes critical of the way a speech is given.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
One has to wonder what flawless looks like.
I'm still in shock we have a president that can read from a teleprompter. Did they not also notice no shoes were flying?
..no pretzels were being choked on, no wads of chewing gum were being spat, no heads were bumping on helicopter doors, no German Chancellors were being groped, nobody was flying head first over the handlebars of a mountain bike or a segway, no locked doors were trying to be pried open, no scottish terriers were being spun through the air like rugby balls, no female olympic volleyball players' asses were being smacked...
I swear the right is just brimming with envy. We have a President who puts the last one to shame in a million ways. He also puts to shame the only candidate the right could come up with in the last election. We voted last November for an intelligent adult. They are ripping out their hair because they can't find one of those in their party. Just think about it. McCain was the last man standing because he was the lesser weird of all their candidates and then what does he do? He picks Palin for his running mate. You would almost feel sorry for the republicans if they weren't so damned selfish and mean.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
POP!
POP!
I cheer it con mucho gusto!
Yes, to all of the above. I talk about this all the time. They are RUINING themselves trying to find a way to trip up President Obama instead of acting like adults and working to help save the country, never mind the share of the blame they should shoulder for this mess. Oh, but I suppose that would take thoughtfulness, humility, and maturity, of which they have NONE. No; it is Party before country, clearly!
I would PREFER to feel sorry for them or even better, not have to worry about what they are doing when they are out of my line of sight at all. I, or should I say "we", need to direct our energies in more positive ways; that energy is wasted confronting these endlessly whining, stupid, mean-spirited morons of the right.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
Actually I'd argue that Giulianni was the least weird of all their candidates, but since he's from New York City his life expectancy as a candidate in a party of rural rednecks would be about as long as a doughnut in a police station.
Where did the use of 'The Villagers' come from?
It was Digby who coined that phrase.
is Reid the Indian and Todd the Leather Man...or the other way around?
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
I would put McConnell as the dude in leather (ball in mouth, whips a flyin'), John Boner as the red faced Indian (or Oompa Loompa faced, to be more precise), forget the construction worker, goopers don't work, they are the anti-work crowd, and Bush is a great fake cowboy.
Concern trolls?
I'm having a moment here - just play along
What do I win?
Origins of The Villagers.
What would you like?
Can't promise
nothing- -- oh, I mean much.Hmmm...now that is a good question.
How about you let me slide next time I post something stupid (which I have done many times)?
And it won't cost ya nothin'!
Shucks! I was so sure you were gonna get a pony. Oh well.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Shucks! I was so sure you were gonna get a pony. Oh well.
Mitch McConnell?
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
THIS pony!!!
I would put McConnell as the dude in leather (ball in mouth, whips a flyin')
As you can see above...YOU started it. ;o)
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
Lindsey Graham? I could see a ball in his mouth, too. (wicked evil grin)
He's kinda short but I bet he has a great personality.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
I can't tell you how many times the thought forms and shoots out the mouth before the 'edit' button has come close to engaging.
And - I'm sure the cats are relieved they won't be asked to pose as a pony again.
I'd rather give you the pony.
What'd I ever do to you?
But thanks for the pony! I don't know how the peeps in the UK will feel about it but he has a welcome home with me (cute little bugger he is, eh?)!
because I want to carve this definition in stone:
"the term 'Villagers' refers to the Beltway elite and the kind of small-town insularity, prudishness, clubbiness, status anxiety and addiction to catty gossip that D.C.’s elites are prone to on occasion.
In political terms, the term 'Villagers' denotes a kind of small-minded refusal to think outside an 'acceptable' center-right consensus, and a refusal to acknowledge it when a majority of the American people take a view on a particular issue that is not in line with that center-right consensus. Thus, the 'Villagers' include, in part, Democratic elected officials and consultants who insist that their party can’t succeed unless they ally their party with that center-right consensus; think-tankers who churn out position papers designed to prop up this elite consensus view; and elite pundits who insist that mainstream liberal views are radically leftist and insist on 'bipartisanship' for its own sake, damn the consequences."
(Why do I always hear Brit Hume's voice, and see his flap-jack face whenever I read the words "center-right?")
wouldn't swear to either...
the world of high school newspaper journalism.
"Anyone that makes less than $150K in this country, has no business voting Republican."
to see the "journalists" outsmarted at every turn, regardless of how I feel about each/every one of the CiC's policies.
This Global Corporations is just another word to discribe World Corporate Monopolization to control wealth , Rights , workers , wages , cut pollution standards and give Corporations the power and domination of the world..
We need to go back to having AMERICAN corporations and the citizens of this country controlling our laws , policies and action for the benefit of the citizens and our country..
Greed and power has now taking over our government and the policies which are force on us...
None
are we still footing a monster bill for blackwater/xee?
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common sense matters as much as truth
Blackwater lost its funding under SoS Rice's State Dept.
I doubt the rebranded Xe (which reminds me of AIG now being AIU) picked up any new contracts, which is why both Erik Prince and the president of the former Blackwater left the company.
You can change a baby's diaper but that diaper still stinks like shit.
that 160,000 blackwater people are gone from iraq. I'd like to see the State Department budget.
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common sense matters as much as truth
That I don't know. They may have had a contract in place to last until who knows when. Dynacorp, KBR, all of those assholes need to be gone. We do not need to be funding a single one of them.
an old friend several weeks ago who works for Blackwater. He is in Afghanistan now. He claims that the only thing that changed with them in Iraq were the hats that they wear. He also claims that the Iraqui government wants them there.
The comments in that Politico non-article are confirmation of this post. Do a search for "teleprompter" and you get dozens of comments along the lines of "CHANGE LOL! Obama uses a teleprompter!"
As if that's some sort of substance. I've actually heard rightards growl under their breath about the teleprompter in the same tones and look of disgust as when they talk about their taxes or guns.
I don't know where the teleprompter meme came from but it's amazingly widespread and stunningly stupid.
a party which is completely bereft of ideas, thoughts, plans or anything which resembles running a country. In other words, it is a distraction.
They forget that their Saint Ronnie Reagan used a teleprompter and that Bush was an absolute moron without it (or notecards).
I'm not meaning to blogwhore, but this whole teleprompter bullshit distraction is why I wrote this post.
except that I have a collection of 2008 presidential campaign videos which show Obama speaking extemporaneously without any visual aids at all.
the reich is full of liars.
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common sense matters as much as truth
Check out this article from the UK Telegraph on this whole teleprompter non-issue.
the media began attacking Obama at 12:15AM on November 5, 2008. It will not end while he's in office.
Interestingly enough, their ratings skyrocket when Obama appears on their screens. You'd think they would show more gratitude. [LOL]
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common sense matters as much as truth
"the media began attacking Obama at 12:15AM on November 5, 2008. It will not end while he's in office."
I guess Bill Maher's New Rules about not spending the next four years demanding investigations into Obama over made-up bullshit.
They've already dusted off the old Bill Clinton playbook, but they're getting frustrated because they know they'll never nail Obama on infidelity. My guess is they'll try a few of the old Bill Clinton themes, find they don't stick to Obama, and then just give up and go after Michelle Obama using old material they'd saved up for Hilary Clinton.
In the UK, unlike in the US, even newspapers which are ideologically opposed to the current adminstration still try to get the facts right, still do investigations and still correct the record.
Of course, UK conservatives are not the same as US conservatives. For that you need to compare Le Pen's old followers.
As much as I hate to say it, I don't think you can blame that on the newspapers. Blame it on the American news consumers, who are not interested in facts or policy. Just celebrity gossip and personalities. Looking in the mirror is pretty hard these days.
We definitely bear responsibility and I am fine with that.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
...the now very famous ambush by Joe The Plumber which then-Senator Obama handled with intelligence and respect he affords every citizen (from what I have seen), well before it came out that the moron was neither named Joe, nor was he a plumber and was in all likelihood a GOP plant.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
Cue 15 minutes of fame that turned into 15 hours then 15 days now on several painful months...
Dean smacks down Scarborough: Budget criticism 'total nonsense'
David Edwards
Published: Wednesday March 25, 2009
Smokin Joe... [ http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Dean_smacks_dow... ]
MSNBC's morning moles...
Study the symptoms not the virus...
Ed Henry's gettin all feisty:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/25/henry....
I'm Boycotting NewsCorp! Heres what not to buy: http://www.cjr.org/resources/index.php?c=news...
While driving thru the heartland last night with only AM reception, I happened upon a right wing talk show where the host was lamenting about how unsensitive Obama was by scheduling his press conference in prime time and depriving the networks of advertising revenue. Although entertaining I could only handle it for a few minutes and found a spring training baseball game on another station.
heard Savage Weiner for a couple of minutes the other nite .. wow that guy is seriously deranged
I'm Boycotting NewsCorp! Heres what not to buy: http://www.cjr.org/resources/index.php?c=news...
The other outrage was that The Press Would NEVER Have Given Bush That Time.
Really?
The president wants to speak on PUBLIC AIRWAVES and they wouldn't allow it?
The insanity of these people never ceases to amaze me.
no one would watch. boosh was a ratings killer. cbs ran sitcoms right through a boosh speech and than gave him less than a minute on the 11PM news.
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common sense matters as much as truth
he has to have big shoulders cuz he has to hold up lots of folks who don't or will not understand, what he is saying.
He shrugged?
(Groan...sorry)
the people they have to cover are smarter than they are.
The Prez's reply to Ed Henry is exactly what they hate about smart people: Smart people make them look like maroons for following the orders of their Corporat masters. Because that makes their agendas transparent even to outsiders.
Which is why the press tried to take Obama down during the elections, and why anybody who says "The press was in the tank for Obama" must be laughed at in the face.
Every time I turn around, some Very Serious Person is on the news wondering how long he can toss out that "excuse"..
As far as I'm concerned, he can can keep banging away on that "excuse" for, oh, about the next 4-8 years! The minute he stops saying it, that's when people forget it. Hammer it home, Mr. President!
David
the deficit doubled from 5 3/4 to over 11 trillion.
________________
common sense matters as much as truth
Some have compared this financial crisis to a war, and in times of war past Presidents have called for some form of sacrifice. Some of your programs, whether for Main Street or Wall Street, have actually cushioned the blow for those that were irresponsible during this -- during this economic period of prosperity, or supposed prosperity that you were talking about. Why, given this new era of responsibility that you're asking for, why haven't you asked for something specific that the public should be sacrificing to participate in this economic recovery?
I'm going to start calling Todd "Bubble Boy," because he obviously lives in a Beltway Bubble. Inside this bubble, highly-paid cable talking heads don't lose their jobs (in fact, the worse the crisis, the more secure their jobs) or their health care coverage. Inside the bubble, the cable chatterers stuff their faces with rich food and drinks at expense-paid restaurants and cocktail parties, just as always, while outside the bubble, the economy tanks and people suffer and sacrifice as never before.
didn't w's admin respond to the sacrifice by encouraging people to go shopping?
and now with people losing jobs, homes, healthcare, retirement and college funds not a sacrifice??
bubble and double standard (ioiyar)
with its coordinated UNCONTESTED repetition from 1000 stations.
A new dawn. Keep looking forward. A great nation which will overcome. The American People will rise up and meet the challenge. Pick up your Fema Tent on the way out.
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