The increasingly odd political optics of BHO

[PegLeg45]

And from the LA Times, no less:

The increasingly odd political optics of Barack Obama

In politics, what you're really doing is often much less important than what it looks like you're really doing.

And with only 560 days left until the voters' next verdict, President Obama is rapidly painting himself into a public-relations corner with an ongoing series of possibly accidental gaffes that are accumulating in the public mind.

And the biting humor repertoire of late-night comics: "Donald Trump says he's President Obama's worst nightmare," Jay Leno said last night. "No. Having to make a decision is President Obama's worst nightmare."

The former state senator may, in fact, be slaving away on 18-hour policy days. But much of that is closed out of sight. So the public is left to focus on Obama's frequent vacations, golf outings, celebrity gatherings and proclivity to give a speech at the first whiff of trouble.

With no real opposition, Chicago's Democrat pols care little about how insensitive things look.

Any one of these apparent missteps is inconsequential. However, accumulated over his 118 weeks in office, they create the impression of carelessness at best or, worse, arrogance.

What the White House issues are photos of a tieless, laughing Obama, feet up on the historic Oval Office desk, chatting on the phone system that he complains is so decrepit.

What the public sees, while it frets over stubborn unemployment and soaring gas prices, is a diffident Democrat who takes a 17-vehicle motorcade of SUVs and limos to be seen looking at clean-energy cars.

A pontificating president who suggests that one worried commuter buy a new car instead of complaining.

A guy who spent 745 million donated dollars to get into the White House complaining to visiting editors about losing his anonymity and being locked in the presidential bubble that provides service, luxury, power and security unimaginable to most.

To be sure, other presidents have played golf. Maybe not during three simultaneous wars with the awful accompanying human tolls.

Not likely working the putter the day after a colossal combined earthquake/tsunami natural disaster hit as close an ally as Japan. Or canceling a trip to the funeral of Poland's president and hitting the links.  

It's one thing to urge Americans to vacation on the troubled Gulf coast last summer, while your wife flies off to Spain with a planeload of pals.

It's another to spend much of Earth Day in a 747 jumbo jet flying 2,300 miles cross-country back from a slew of multimillion-dollar West Coast fundraisers, as Obama did last week.

It's one thing to launch a war against Libya while packing up your wife, daughters, mother-in-law and her friend to tour South America.

It's another to wait nine whole days to bother explaining the unexpected combat to a puzzled nation.
-----snip----

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/obama-political-strategy-optics-oprah.html

[CJS3]

He's not looking down his nose at us. He's just flarin dem nostrals and showin dem rocks!

[fightingquaker13]

It does seem odd. BO is a lot like Reagan in that his greatest strenghth on the campaign trail was to connect with the American people and galvinize them through speeches. Yet Reagan managed to continue to do that while in office, while BO seems increasingly tone deaf.  Reagan was always the "Great Communicator". BO seemed like he had that gift, but now its gone. Forget substance, I'm talking about style and talent here. Reagan, for all his faults and virtues, could always hold an audience. BO, not so much. What happened to those inspiring speeches that left a "tingle in the leg"? The author raises a very good point. I don't care how good or bad your program is, if you can't sell it it doesn't matter. In 2008, BO could sell it. What the hell happened? Lets remember that the country was worse off in 1982 than it was in 1980. Still, Reagan was able to sell his agenda. Pretty much the same deal now, yet BO is screwing the pooch.  Two Presidents with similar gifts, in similar circumstances, and one is floundering whereas the other prospered. It does make you wonder. What the hell happened to the guy who ran in '08? Again, this is a a question of tactics, not substance. Although the substnce might make the difference in that BO is cutting against the grain. Still, one does have to wonder where all the stirring speeches went.
FQ13

[kmitch200]

It does seem odd. BO is a lot like Reagan in that his greatest strenghth on the campaign trail was to connect with the American people and galvinize them through speeches.

He has never galvanized through speeches. He could pump up his followers, the libtards, but he alienated half the populace, the part that works for a living, and divided the country even more than it already was. TAXPAYERS ARE FED UP WITH LOSERS.

Reagan was always the "Great Communicator". BO seemed like he had that gift, but now its gone. Forget substance, I'm talking about style and talent here. Reagan, for all his faults and virtues, could always hold an audience. BO, not so much. What happened to those inspiring speeches that left a "tingle in the leg"?

The only thing that "Bwhore the sock puppet" tingled was my nether regions as I felt him creep deeper into them to extract more cash for the ghetto rat freeloaders - His main voting block.

The author raises a very good point. I don't care how good or bad your program is, if you can't sell it it doesn't matter. In 2008, BO could sell it. What the hell happened?

People woke up and found more and more of their cash missing.
Much the same way you wake up after a cat burglar has cleaned out your wallet as you slept.

Two Presidents with similar gifts, in similar circumstances, and one is floundering whereas the other prospered. It does make you wonder. What the hell happened to the guy who ran in '08? Again, this is a a question of tactics, not substance. Although the substnce might make the difference in that BO is cutting against the grain.

I believe the 'tactic' is that Reagan spoke the truth and the sock puppet spews garbage that only appeals to libtards.
Americans can see through a line of crap. One had actual experience running something and the other had none, (and still doesn't!). 
One cared about this country and the other couldn't care less.
The "tactics" might just be the "wet finger in the air to see what the polls say" and spew crap that hard working Americans know is a load of shit.
(the repubs are guilty of this too but I don't think they relied on it on a daily basis for policy, just talking points)

I believe in Bwhore's mind, America was bad, is bad, and should be more socialist to alleviate the "evils" that America has done.
In other words GIVE the ghetto rats everything that other hard working Americans have EARNED - no matter what the cost to those that earned.

Just my opinion and worth everthing you paid to read it...

[tombogan03884]

That's what happens when you vote for some asshole who's only accomplishment is 1/2 a term in the senate.

[Sponsor]

[crusader rabbit]

Kmitch200, while I certainly agree with the essence of your message, I think Odamna has also adopted an affectation in his speechifying that no longer resonates with voters. 

Watch him in any of his speeches (if you can't stand the sound of his voice, hit the mute button).  He is continually looking down his nose at we mere peons. 

When he was running for office (I don't think he's ever really stopped running; it's all he knows how to do) his posture may have indicated to the most shallow voter that here was a man who was proud, who held his head high.  It gave black Americans someone (an educated, professorial type) someone to admire and look up to.  Here he was, a black man with his head held high.  The white libtards found this admirable, too.

Eventually, even the more ignorant began to see this poseur as an empty vessel; the emperor has no clothes. 

It became apparent to nearly everyone (except those in the lame-stream media) that this guy brought nothing to the party and that his haughtiness was born of a n****r-rich attitude that was essentially vapid and unsupported by reality: Odamna golfs when Japan suffers the earthquake/tsunami; he takes a vacation to South America with his fat-bottomed girl as we go to war with Libya; and earlier, he returned to the Brits the bust of Churchill and gave their queen an IPOD with his speeches; he left a 35,000-ton trail of carbon while taking AF-1 around the country on Earth Day.

And still, he talks down to Americans.

But, unlike others, I do not think this man (or his handlers) moves as the result of stupidity.  His intent was to remake our nation into a socialist paradise.  And he seems to be succeeding all too well. His job is just about over, and he is enjoying the fruits of his labor.

[kmitch200]

Kmitch200, while I certainly agree with the essence of your message, I think Odamna has also adopted an affectation in his speechifying that no longer resonates with voters.

Maybe that's what FQ was alluding to. The haughtiness.

As much as I can't stand Clinton, he is a hell of a good speaker. He has a quality that draws you into his statements...much like the snake in the Garden of Eden. For me, it's probably the good ol' boy accent and the ability to speak without a teleprompter. (what he says is complete garbage, but he says it well)
No wonder he gets so much poon.

But, unlike others, I do not think this man (or his handlers) moves as the result of stupidity.  His intent was to remake our nation into a socialist paradise.  And he seems to be succeeding all too well. His job is just about over, and he is enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Very true, the policies don't seem to be a result of stupidity. They are working perfectly well if the desire is to make America a second class welfare state.

Sadly, I wonder if his reign of terror is over.
We really need him to be a one term prez if there is going to be anything left for the grandkids.
As much as people hate polished, career politicians, as long as we have TV that's what people vote for because they look so pretty.

[tombogan03884]

The current REPUBLICAN "leadership" intends 4 more years of OBAMA to show those TEA Party upstarts who's in charge of Republican policy.
Watch who attacks Trump and any one seriously opposed to RINO's like Boner and Romney.

[Rastus]

The current REPUBLICAN "leadership" intends 4 more years of OBAMA to show those TEA Party upstarts who's in charge of Republican policy.
Watch who attacks Trump and any one seriously opposed to RINO's like Boner and Romney.

Agreed.  On both accounts.

The RINO's are well described as being dem-lites who tell you one thing then act like a dem behind closed doors....holding back only to make themselves look different to give some distinguishment to their "club R". 

Bonner, Trent Lott, Lindsey Graham....all lying dogs I would say.  Reid, Pelosi, Schumer, et.al., terrible, terrible legislators....but they generally tell you where they are headed....those other guys...say one thing then cave and follow, to a lesser extent, Reid, Pelosi, Schumer, etc. 


The lesser of two evils is still evil. 

[philw]

accidental gaffes  my arse....   he is just slipping up on the spin he is putting out there