And if so, why does a bright guy like Obama have such a hard time fessing up to them?
Does he think the American People are so unconscious, and so mentally asleep that he can trashtalk his way into "Great President" status?
Here's what Mitch McConnell said today:
"As I see it, the White House has a choice," McConnell said in his speech."They can change course, or they can double down on a vision of government that the American people have roundly rejected."
Doubling down did not work for G.W. Bush. After the first 1000 soldiers were killed in Iraq, Bush could either cut his losses, admit his mistakes, and get out, or he could double down, send twice as many soldiers for twice as long. He chose to double down.
After the Battle of Fallujah which showed that the USA controlled no part of Iraq, and was barely even a match in a firefight with ragtag insurgents and street punks, Bush had to decide again, should he pull out, or should he double down again. With the help of McCain, Bush chosse to double down again.
So now about US 5000 soldiers have been killed in Iraq, and when we leave, if we ever leave, the place will be 100% perfect bloodbath every Iraqi shooting at every other Iraqi, pretty much just like we found the place.
My point: Doubling down does not always work. It seems a good strategy if the resources being consumed in the wager are not one's own. One can win big or lose not much more than one is already losing.
But that game theory view does not really apply if one is bound to have successors in interest -- there will still be liberals in the USA after Obama leaves office.
If he stubbornly refuses to admit any policy errors, and puts all his failures down to not communicating his message well enough, or the intransigence of the GOP, or the stupidiy of the People (which arises from their fear), then he will spend the next two years trying to double down on all the bad bets he made in the first two years. Let's have another and bigger stimulus bill -- let's give more of it to the SEIU. Let's add a public option to Obamacare. Let's take the 401 K's and the IRA's and throw that money into the Social Security Trust Fund so the wealth can be shared. Let's promise Karzai that we will stay in Afghanistan as long as it takes to build the nation into a really first class and first world nation.
Doubling down, and doing no 180's on policy will result in the end of Liberalism as a viable political position in USA. Obama will not just ruin himself, he will ruin his party and his idelogly and make his worldview anathema in USA for generations.
What could he possibly hope to gain that is worth that sort of downside risk?
Is a second term worth that to him?
If his policy errors really are errors what is the Expectancy Value that they will be seen as brilliant policy choices by November of 2012?
Would that be a high expectancy value or a low one?
If a low one, why wouldn't Obama really come clean about the mistakes he's made, including cramming Obamacare down America's throat.
Why wouldn't he have a better chance to get a second term by playing the role of Prodigal Son, instead of the role of El Duce the Mussolini of Infallibility?
How would he be harmed by purging the White Housse of each any every one of his old Homies from Southside Chicago, and bringing in a cadre of H. Ross Perot types -- really capable managers and business people -- maybe Carly and Meg -- maybe Bill and Warren -- maybe a few military people like Sestak and McCaffrey, people that have done something, held a job, met a payroll, made a plan, not just community organizing -- people that have created a product, or managed a project -- not just teaching in a lawschool.
If Obama abandoned all his policy ideas, and trusted his well being to people he does not know except that they are extremely capable and competent as managers, he might end up two years from now as a big success. It's hard to argue with success. He would be likely to get a second term -- nobody would want to break up that team (like nobody really wanted to break up the team in Clinton's first or second terms). Americans know what's good for them. Asinine ideas are not good for them, but Federal programs that work really well are.
I give you some food for thought -- maybe now you give me your thoughts -- and the people who don't like this food can get stuffed on something else.|||Obama has done a lot of what he promised in his campaign. Health Care and Financial Legislation passed will stand. The Republicans are blowing smoke as usual. They are just furious that the majority of American voted for reforms they dreaded seeing, come to fruition.
45% of eligible voters, a majority does not make.|||I've been drinking tonight ; I'll get back to this question tomorrow! maybe|||http://news.yahoo.com/s/atlantic/2010110鈥?/a> your question is too much for me to answer but to take one person you asked about, well, I don't want her blowing away my money like that. If she is so good she can do it for a lot less.
Obama has a lot of rich friends who are advising. They don't have to have money for all they get done. Many of these people are rags to riches stories. To understand prosperity is more important than to have a job somewhere %26amp; make a lot of money. The reason I say this is the same reason I have no respect for where Bush was educated at, knowing he did not earn what he recieved. So what are the real stories behind the people you mentioned.
Most republicans will pick apart everything about Obama yet have no idea what religion McCain is or if he came from a wealthy background. His mother is an oil heiress but they deny this.
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