Failure to Communicate or Clueless?

[deacon blues]

In the classic movie "Cool Hand Luke" the warden of the prison offers a reason why the charcter of Luke, played by Paul Newman, keeps trying to escape. In a deep-south Southern drawl the warden says to Luke as they are placing him into the "hot box" one more time, "What we have heeya, is a failya to communicate!"

I couldn't help but think of this line as I read some of President Obama's explanations for the historic mid-term losses of last week.

The day after his "shellacking", the president offered an analysis of the American voters' message. Americans are tired of partisanship and are insecure about the economy. Okay, those are probably logical conclusions. Then he said this, "The third thing they were saying ... is, 'There are things we expect government to do, but we don't think government can solve all the problems. And we don't want the Democrats telling us from Washington that they know what is right about everything.'"

The president's diagnosis is that Nov. 2 happened as a result of voters simply failing to grasp why the administration took the steps it did. His failure was not in communicating those reasons well enough. "What is absolutely true is that with all that stuff coming at folks fast and furious, a recovery package, what we had to do with respect to the banks, what we had to do with respect to the auto companies, I think people started looking at all this and it felt as if government was getting much more intrusive into people's lives than they were accustomed to. We thought it was necessary, but I'm sympathetic to folks who looked at it and said this is looking like potential overreach."

If only we poor peasants had a better grasp! Obama's dismissiveness leaves out the choices he made that weren't emergency actions to help the economy. To press for and muscle through the passage of health care reform in the face of a majority of Americans who were against it and to not get it is revealing. Obama's agenda required a significant expansion of the scope, power, and cost of the federal government at a time of record low trust in government. That's the plain and simple reason for the results of Nov. 2.

Nancy Pelosi said she had "no regrets," She said "Should we have been talking about it more, and working on it less, that's a question. Nine and a half percent unemployment is a very eclipsing event."

Losing 60-plus seats is a very eclipsing event. It would be nice to see the Shellackee-in-Chief and Madam Speaker recognize that what we have here is not only a failure to communicate.

Obama's and Pelosi's remarks remind me of another movie: "Clueless".

[sandie]

I vote "Clueless"...but, on purpose.

[coadie]

Obama said it was a messaging problem. No, we are not gullible. The messaging is propoganda.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

In the classic movie "Cool Hand Luke" the warden of the prison offers a reason why the charcter of Luke, played by Paul Newman, keeps trying to escape. In a deep-south Southern drawl the warden says to Luke as they are placing him into the "hot box" one more time, "What we have heeya, is a failya to communicate!"

I couldn't help but think of this line as I read some of President Obama's explanations for the historic mid-term losses of last week.

The day after his "shellacking", the president offered an analysis of the American voters' message. Americans are tired of partisanship and are insecure about the economy. Okay, those are probably logical conclusions. Then he said this, "The third thing they were saying ... is, 'There are things we expect government to do, but we don't think government can solve all the problems. And we don't want the Democrats telling us from Washington that they know what is right about everything.'"

The president's diagnosis is that Nov. 2 happened as a result of voters simply failing to grasp why the administration took the steps it did. His failure was not in communicating those reasons well enough. "What is absolutely true is that with all that stuff coming at folks fast and furious, a recovery package, what we had to do with respect to the banks, what we had to do with respect to the auto companies, I think people started looking at all this and it felt as if government was getting much more intrusive into people's lives than they were accustomed to. We thought it was necessary, but I'm sympathetic to folks who looked at it and said this is looking like potential overreach."

If only we poor peasants had a better grasp! Obama's dismissiveness leaves out the choices he made that weren't emergency actions to help the economy. To press for and muscle through the passage of health care reform in the face of a majority of Americans who were against it and to not get it is revealing. Obama's agenda required a significant expansion of the scope, power, and cost of the federal government at a time of record low trust in government. That's the plain and simple reason for the results of Nov. 2.

Nancy Pelosi said she had "no regrets," She said "Should we have been talking about it more, and working on it less, that's a question. Nine and a half percent unemployment is a very eclipsing event."

Losing 60-plus seats is a very eclipsing event. It would be nice to see the Shellackee-in-Chief and Madam Speaker recognize that what we have here is not only a failure to communicate.

Obama's and Pelosi's remarks remind me of another movie: "Clueless".

I consider it a combination of arrogance and delusion. BTW JD thinks the only reason conservatives and independents that voted against the democrats did so only over the economy

That's just one reason, another are the democrats calling even their own voter base "idiots".

Thats why I did not vote for Gore when he ran. The guy is incredibly arrogant, smug and thinks he knows better like most Democrats. That's a god complex.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by deacon blues

In the classic movie "Cool Hand Luke" the warden of the prison offers a reason why the charcter of Luke, played by Paul Newman, keeps trying to escape. In a deep-south Southern drawl the warden says to Luke as they are placing him into the "hot box" one more time, "What we have heeya, is a failya to communicate!"
....

I thought that was Sheriff Buford T. Justice from Smokey and Bandit.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I consider it a combination of arrogance and delusion. BTW JD thinks the only reason conservatives and independents that voted against the democrats did so only over the economy

That's just one reason, another are the democrats calling even their own voter base "idiots".

Thats why I did not vote for Gore when he ran. The guy is incredibly arrogant, smug and thinks he knows better like most Democrats. That's a god complex.

I never said that the only reason that conservatives and independents voted against the democrats was over the economy.


I do believe that IF economic conditions were better for everyone across the board that the Democrats would not have taken such a beating in the House.

Everyone knows that no matter what is going on, there will be many conservatives who will not vote for a Democrat.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

I never said that the only reason that conservatives and independents voted against the democrats was over the economy.


I do believe that IF economic conditions were better for everyone across the board that the Democrats would not have taken such a beating in the House.

Everyone knows that no matter what is going on, there will be many conservatives who will not vote for a Democrat.

How notable is that really, JD? That's like saying: IF Bush hadn't declared war on Iraq using faulty intelligence, people wouldn't have been so mad at him. He did, and it's a moot point. Likewise, Obama ran on the premise that he would improve the economy, and the opposite has happened since he took office. Voters illustrated their discontent with their votes, which is how our system is supposed to work.

I disagree that the economy is the main reason for the voting going the way it did. It's shortsighted at best for the Obama administration to simplify voter demonstration in such a way. He's minimizing the response by relegating it to an emotional response on the part of those who have lost jobs or been otherwise negatively affected by the economic downturn. When you minimize in that way, you make people even angrier. It's a bad move. Personally, I don't think Obama can bring himself to admit that people really, truly dislike his policies, and more significantly, they don't appreciate the HUGE spending of tax dollars. Again: something he criticized Bush heavily for, and then went on to emulate in gargantuan proportions.

[sandie]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

How notable is that really, JD? That's like saying: IF Bush hadn't declared war on Iraq using faulty intelligence, people wouldn't have been so mad at him. He did, and it's a moot point. Likewise, Obama ran on the premise that he would improve the economy, and the opposite has happened since he took office. Voters illustrated their discontent with their votes, which is how our system is supposed to work.

I disagree that the economy is the main reason for the voting going the way it did. It's shortsighted at best for the Obama administration to simplify voter demonstration in such a way. He's minimizing the response by relegating it to an emotional response on the part of those who have lost jobs or been otherwise negatively affected by the economic downturn. When you minimize in that way, you make people even angrier. It's a bad move. Personally, I don't think Obama can bring himself to admit that people really, truly dislike his policies, and more significantly, they don't appreciate the HUGE spending of tax dollars. Again: something he criticized Bush heavily for, and then went on to emulate in gargantuan proportions.

I wonder why few people seem to remember the summer of discontent. The backlash experienced at the polls last week encompased many things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUxjBpuwU-o

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

How notable is that really, JD?

I think I have history on my side.

I am reminded of the economic conditions right before the GOP took control of the House in the early 90's: same situation, only this time more dire.

I am not the only one that has noted the correlation between the bad economy and elections.

One of the major reasons that Bush Sr lost his 2nd bid was because of the economy-- after less than 2 years from his super high ratings because of his handling of the first Iraq War.


I've got history on my side-- the ones who don't agree with me are trying to make the drumming more than what it probably is, based on history.

Then, if you repeat somethng enough times, people begin to believe it-- especially if there is a little bit of truth connencted to it.


Sure there are many people who voted out of disdain for some of the President's policies.

However, since trickle down economics has not trickled down far enough to affect the pockets of Joe the Plumber and many other middle class Americans, some of the Democrat supporters did not see the logic in voting for Democrats-- especially if from their view, the only change that has been is from bad to worse.



"Read my lips": if the economy isn't noticeably stronger 18 months from now, Obama will be a one term President, just like Bush Sr.


If the economy is good to go for most Americans by then, it will be very difficult to unseat the incumbent. History supports my opinions in this matter.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by sandie

I wonder why few people seem to remember the summer of discontent. The backlash experienced at the polls last week encompased many things.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUxjBpuwU-o

In my opinion, much of that "backlash" was drummed up by the fiery rhetoric of some conservative talking heads and conservative "plants" purposely turning the discussion of the Health Care Reform Act into something highly emotional.

In those settings, intelligent discourse would have been impossible.

Then again, when the President and others had the opportunity to make things clear, they did not-- which only fanned the flames of fury.