…and he knows it:
Republicans smell blood. There is a pattern in the Obama administration of dismissing Islamist terrorist attacks as regrettable random acts. In his radio address after Major Nidal Hassan’s slaughtered 13 at Fort Hood, Texas, Obama made no mention of terrorism or militant Islam, instead blandly promising that the “ongoing investigation into this terrible tragedy” would “look at the motives of the alleged gunman”.
Hassan was a committed Islamist who had corresponded with the fanatical Yemeni imam Anwar al-Awlaki. In June, Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, a Muslim convert being watched by the FBI and who had previously travelled to Yemen, murdered a US Army recruit in Arkansas. That rated only a tepid statement by Obama about a “senseless act of violence”.
But the violence wasn’t senseless, it had a calculated objective – just as Abdulmutallab was not, as Obama described him, an “isolated extremist”. No wonder many Americans want to grab Obama by the lapels and scream: “It’s the Jihad, stupid.” Dick Cheney, the former vice-president, clearly struck a nerve when he charged last week that Obama was “trying to pretend we are not at war”.
The White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer eagerly descended into the political fray, responding to Cheney with the obligatory jibe about Iraq and also a litany of examples of Obama’s “public statements that explicitly state we are at war”.
It’s a sure sign that you’re losing the argument when you have to research quotes from your boss’s speeches to prove that he gets it that America is at war. The problem for Obama is that people are now judging him by his actions as well as his words.
There were plenty of actions to judge him by before the election, but the media downplayed them.
I think the key problem as seen from Obama’s view is that there’s no viable exit strategy that doesn’t alienate his pacifist support. His best odds are getting the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations to the point that he can drop them prior to the 2012 election without losing face (at least to the people that voted for him in 2008).
In that light, terrorist attacks of any sort undermine the strategy. I wonder, for example, if he’s making deals with Iran (linked comment refers to a prisoner release for a Iranian-backed militia) to reduce terrorist attacks ahead of withdrawing from Iraq.
The White House is upset at Cheney because Cheney keeps lying about what Obama says.
The White House is upset at Cheney because Cheney keeps telling the truth about what Obama says and does.
Chris,
You are entitled to your opinions. You will forgive us if we chose facts over your opinions.
In his inaugural, the President said “our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.” In a recent speech, Assistant to the President for Terrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan said “Instead, as the president has made clear, we are at war with al-Qaida, which attacked us on 9/11 and killed 3,000 people. We are at war with its violent extremist allies who seek to carry on al-Qaida’s murderous agenda. These are the terrorists we will destroy; these are the extremists we will defeat.” At West Point, the President told the nation why it was “in our vital national interest” to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to fight the war in Afghanistan, adding that as Commander in Chief, “I see firsthand the terrible wages of war.” And at Oslo, in accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, the President said, “We are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land.”
Mike Puckett – I have the facts on my side. You do not.
…but the media downplayed them.
Oh really? How about a near-total disconnect? I “treat” myself to a bit of sweet Katie at CBS occasionally and some of the various panel discussions when it seems called for. Total disconnect from reality. After a year of the Obama disaster, there is not one item he has done that benefits the US.
Find one and tell us Chris. I’m curious.
Chris: There you go, reporting The Won’s words as if they were deeds. After all, all the man IS, is words…
Oh, I am sorry Chris.
Apparently, I confused what Obama SAYS and what Obama actually DOES.
“Cheney keeps lying”…
Funny how you can “lie” about a Leftist simply by quoting their own words and citing their own deeds (or lack thereof).
Nice fantasy world you live in there, Chris. Too bad people like the Underbomber are working hard to bring it all crashing down, no matter how much you wish it weren’t so, and all you can get upset about is a little valid criticism.
Even if Obama nuked Yemen and Iran he would still be soft.
Let’s see who did a deal with Iran before… oh yeah! It was Reagan. Now I remember. Nixon withdrew from Vietnam.
Buy Conservative. Because only Republicans aren’t soft.
Godzilla.
It was the Democrat Congress that withdrew from South Vietnam. They cut off all funding for military assistance and air support that ensured the sucess of the 1975 invasion.
“Even if Obama nuked Yemen and Iran he would still be soft.”
It’d be a start. More seriously (unfortunately) “Man-Caused-Disasters”. Bowing to anyone who’ll stand still. A DHS chief whose idea of an effective response to terrorist is writing an op-ed piece in USA-Today. These people have NEVER been serious about terrorism and any words Obama happens to utter to that effect are forgotten as soon as these scroll down off the teleprompter.
Chris: That’s the best you’ve got? A White House press release? One that brags about bringing down troop levels but fails to mention victory?
Do you remember the stirring words Obama spoke in his Inaugural Address? The address where he failed to use the words “terrorist”, “Islam”, “Al Qaeda”, “surge”, “victory”? Where the only thing he said about Iraq is that we are leaving? Is it any wonder that people think he doesn’t realize we’re at war?
You should go find the Inaugural Address and read it again. You will find the detached attitude toward the war that enrages many citizens. To Obama, the war is just one of many “indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.”
How many times has the word “terrorist” come out of Obama’s mouth since 20 January? Has he identified Hasan as a terrorist yet? Has he ordered the interrogation of Abdulmutallab? I’ll believe he understands that we’re at war when he directs the FBI to fly Abdulmutallab to Gitmo for questioning, when he criticizes radical Islam, when he tells the TSA and the FAA to take the terror watch lists seriously, when he admits that Al Qa’eda was defeated in Iraq because of the surge he himself opposed. I’ll believe he understands we’re at war when he starts talking about war not in terms of its effect on our collective psyche but in terms of the threat to our lives. I’ll believe he understands we’re at war when he starts talking about winning, not leaving. I’ll believe he understands we’re at war when he places a higher priority on his duties as commander in chief than on his duties as shepherd of national health insurance.
Here’s the part I can’t wrap my head around. I thought the people and countries of the world were so happy that Bush was gone and so happy that Obama got elected, that we weren’t supposed to be a target anymore.
What happened to ALL the goodwill? Why do they still hate us? Obama apologized, didn’t he? Just when IS enough, enough?
Well, Obama still blames Bush. So I guess that explains everything.
I’d hate to think that I’m agreeing with Chris Gerrib on something, but look: this administration has agreed to send the requested support for Afganistan, they didn’t abandon Iraq on January 21, and we are assisting in Yemen.
Yes, I agree that sending Mr. Flameypants to the civilian justice system is a mistake, but I’m willing to wait and see how that works out, or doesn’t.
Darkstar,
the America haters already blame Bush, according to the DNC and the MSM anyway. If the A H’s bslame Bush, and Obama blames Bush, why can’t we all just get along?
.
.
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Titus,
because we’ve never tried enemy combatants , spies, or arsonists and mad bombers as civilian “law breakers” before. Go back to WWII and before and see how this was handled.
No matter how the liberals try to spin this, THEY, the Islamofascists, declared war on US, non-Muslims, and calling a holy warrior a confused, indoctrinated, mad bomber doesn’t change his status in his mind. Nor will it stop them.
The only way to stop someone who has sworn a death oath against you, is to grant their wish. I’m not suggesting we nuke Yemen, but this guy should have a 15 minute Military trial, and a last cigarette.
Hmmm, I forgot the tag for the ironically-impaired.
“Obama Is Vulnerable On The War” — and yet even Rasmussen shows his approval rating rising since Christmas.
01/04/2010 -15
12/31/2009 -18
12/30/2009 -16
12/29/2009 -15
12/28/2009 -12
12/24/2009 -16
Wow! Look at that Hockey Stick!(tm). [/sarc]
and yet even Rasmussen shows his approval rating rising since Christmas.
No it doesn’t. The poll is still bouncing around the same place as beginning of December.
I’m sure Jim would be happy to produce data to support his claim — if they hadn’t been deleted.
Follow Karl’s link; Obama’s approval was 44% on the 24th, and has been either 46 or 47% every polling day since (through today, 1/4/10):
01/04/2010 47
12/31/2009 46
12/30/2009 47
12/29/2009 46
12/28/2009 47
12/24/2009 44
This is not what you’d expect if he was “vulnerable on the war.”
Dream on, Jim. Even the Antichrist’s approval rating rises, or at least stays level, during Christmas. ‘Tis the season and all that.
I think you’re bound to be disappointed and silent as the new year settles in, the Christmas credit card bills start rolling in — and there are still no jobs — and reg’lar folks read that bit in the newly-arriving Form 1040 instructions how the Alternative Minimum Tax is scheduled to take a huge jump next year — thanks Democrats! — along with the Medicare tax, and a few new taxes to fund Obamacare — and if you’re a doctor or a Medicare patient how Medicare reimbursements are scheduled to drop 20% in March — Good job Democrats! Way to ensure top-quality and accessible Medicare! — and how Queen Nancy and Prince Harry are still lecturing you to just suck it up damn it, because your country needs your money far more than does your daughter’s college tuition fund, since President O needs to jet off to Oslo to pick up a Nobel and give a speech apologizing for your misdeeds over the past four decades…or attend a conference of Third World hacks and drones, like that fathead crook from Venezuela, so that he can decide how many billions of your money he can shovel into their thieving pockets and Swiss bank accounts, to bolster his world image…
Yes, it’s going to be morning in America, and such a hangover from what the Democratic Congress stuffed in our stockings…
This is not what you’d expect if he was “vulnerable on the war.”
That’s an eleven day period. I don’t have expectations over that short a period especially with polling error.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/var/plain/storage/images/media/obama_total_approval_graphics/january_2010/obama_total_approval_january_4_2010/276049-1-eng-US/obama_total_approval_january_4_2010.jpg
Jim, pay attention to the trend and not the noise in a short term sample. The trend is clearly downward.
Jim, I wasn’t accusing, I was offering you an excuse to avoid embarrassing yourself further. I should have known better.
And today Rasmussen has him up to 49, the highest he’s been in nearly a month.
If Obama really was vulnerable on the war, it would show up in polling immediately after an incident like the Christmas bombing attempt (which got saturation news coverage, and personally affected millions of travelers). It hasn’t — in fact, quite the opposite.
“And today Rasmussen has him up to 49, the highest he’s been in nearly a month.”
What are you gonna say lter on when he hits 42 or 39 or 36 on Rasmussen Jim?
Again, the day to day number is far less important than the long-term trend.
Oh Looky! A Rasmussen Poll Jim chose to ignore today! I wonder why?
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/mood_of_america/generic_congressional_ballot
Dems down NINE points in Generic Congressional Ballot.
What are you gonna say lter on when he hits 42 or 39 or 36 on Rasmussen Jim?
If it drops sharply right after a terrorist incident, I’ll say it reflects popular disapproval of his handling of terror threats. That didn’t happen this time.
Now Rasmussen is giving Obama his best “approval index” since mid-November….
And his worst was a few days ago. You got one day of an especially good sample two days ago after an especially bad one a few days prior. It will drop off the average in another day. It is a rolling average Jim, it takes a few days for the sample to work its way out. Do you not understand how Rasmussen polls? He does not take a new poll every day, he just does a third. The first day drops off and the last day is added.
This is why you need to look at the trend line and not obsess with the noise.
Did you have ANY Statistics Classes in College or are you being obtuse or just plain silly?
If it drops sharply right after a terrorist incident
How about if it drops sharply after the report on a terrorist incident comes out?
Having posted this, I’m not clear why the current incident is going to matter that much. Nobody died. Ultimately, the terrorist attacks that will matter to public opinion are the ones where people die.
Hard to believe that it’s been eight years since 9/11 and one of the key needs demonstrated there still isn’t being filled. At least the Obama administration is relatively open about this. That should help them in the long term.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
Ok Jim, your sweet sample has fallen out of the rolling average and the overall trend is re-asserting itself.
How about an: “You were right Mike, I was wrong to obsess with the short-term noise.”
On any given day or even two days you can get an abberant sample but over time ,these tend to average out.
“What are you gonna say lter on when he hits 42 or 39 or 36 on Rasmussen Jim?
If it drops sharply right after a terrorist incident, I’ll say it reflects popular disapproval of his handling of terror threats. That didn’t happen this time.”
..and that is EXACTLY the wrong way to interpret things. What happenss the day after an incident is immaterial. What it is three weeks later is what you need to look for. People are fickle in the short-run.
The American people are slowly waking-up to what we are. We are a Nation that has surrendered our right to determine our own destiny for the promise of a job, a nice home, or healthcare that we can afford. We think that we are still the same people who volunteered to fight a war against an obvious evil because it was the right thing to do, but that is no longer who we are.