“Doom” rhetoric seen by some as ‘not presidential’
The Washington Times
From crisis to catastrophe. Off a cliff. Dark, darker, darkest. Mortal danger of absolute collapse. Armageddon.
“If we don’t move swiftly to put this plan in motion, our economic crisis could become a national catastrophe. Millions of Americans will lose their jobs, their homes and their health care. Millions more will have to put their dreams on hold,” Mr. Obama said in his weekly radio address.
President Obama and top Democrats on Capitol Hill are deploying these and other stark predictions of doom and gloom to push through their economic-stimulus package. In terms not heard in Washington since the late 1970s under President Jimmy Carter’s watch, the new president has sought to terrify Americans into supporting the $800 billion-plus bailout bill.
~snipet~
Mr. Obama is using ever-heightening hyperbole to hammer home his message. But the strategy brings great risk for the “Yes, We Can” man, who just three weeks ago told America in his inaugural address that despite “a sapping of confidence across our land,” his election meant Americans had “chosen hope over fear.”
“Mr. Hope has to be careful not to become Dr. Doom,” said Frank Luntz, a political consultant and author of the book “Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear.”
“The danger for him is using the Jimmy Carter malaise rhetoric, particularly for Mr. Obama, who was elected because people thought he was the solution. There’s only so much negativity they will tolerate from him before they will feel betrayed,” Mr. Luntz said.
Brad Blakeman, a senior aide to Mr. Bush from 2001 to 2004, said the new president’s language is immature.
“It’s not presidential. An American leader needs to be hopeful and optimistic – and truthful. Everything he says is parsed; everything he says is searched for deep meaning. When he goes to ‘DefCon 5’ on the economy and says that we’re on the brink of catastrophe, it’s absolutely insane.”
With his fiery rhetoric, the new president runs the risk of terrifying consumers and investors, which could depress the economy even further. While the economy is bad, it is a far cry from Great Depression levels, when as many as 30 percent of Americans were unemployed, compared with the 7.6 percent now.
Just Friday, Mr. Obama said a report that 600,000 jobs were lost in January meant “it’s getting worse, not getting better. … Although we had a terrible year with respect to jobs last year, the problem is accelerating, not decelerating.” Last week he said, “A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe.”
But he isn’t the only Democrat ramping up the rhetoric while talking down the economy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said last month that our economy “is dark, darker, darkest.” Rep. David R. Obey of Wisconsin said, “This economy is in mortal danger of absolute collapse.” And Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri said of the economic-stimulus bill, “If we don’t pass this thing, it’s Armageddon.”
Wild Thing’s comment…………
“It’s not presidential.”
LOL Let me count the ways! There is nothing presidential about O-dooma !!
Also…….
“I won.” – childish
“You can’t listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.” – childish
When I saw him speak to the Dems at their retreat last week, and saw him do his little rant, I expected to see him threaten to hold his breath until he turns blue if Congress doesn’t give him his way. The stimulus bill is a catastrophe in itself. It is a leap into the seductive arms of Marxism.
Senator Chuck Schumer caused a run on a bank when he exaggerated, and now President Barack Obama is trying to cause a depression.
Bill Ayer’s book says “need to weaken the UNITED STATES through entitlement plans and a trumped up economic disaster so the USA will not be a superpower. ”
O-Dooma is a fraud and a liar and a castastrophe pimp! Old theories (conservatism) did not bring about the current crisis. Massive spending and government expansion did.
True change would be to embrace conservative principles. Cut taxes, stop wasteful spending, and get rid of Congressional programs and projects which are not Constitutionally prescribed in Article I, Section 8. Leave them to the states.
If Congress would do their job, stop meddling in everything, and get out of our wallets, we would see a tremendous stimulus.
GOD knows about Barackshevik Hussein Obama’s interview with the ARABS on January 22nd … Armageddon? That’s in Obamessiah’s Koran too?
– One pissed off crusading Gentile 2009!
Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”: FDR’s First Inaugural Address
Obama is a FDR wannabe but he sure doesn’t sound like FDR
I wonder how soon Obama will be complaining about our “national malaise”. He is sure trying so far to give us another Carteresque presidency. I just hope he doesn’t decide to top Carter’s Panama Canal giveaway. I can just imagine Obama trying to give the Statue of Liberty back to France or Texas back to Mexico.
He sure don’t look like FDR either. One of Roosevelts finest traits was his positive speeches and ecouragement for the country. At one point he said, “What this country needs is a good 5 cent cigar”. I don’t evn want to speculate what a 1930’s cigar would cost today. Reading about FDR and hearing my Mother rant and rave about him, he was always an uplifting positive type person and conveyed that positiveness to the people. He was extremely popular for that reason.
Today we have a democrat party that has one goal and that is to control every aspect of our lives and burden everyone with confiscatory taxes. When election time comes around throw us a bone and expect us to vote for them, so they won’t have to listen to everyone moaning ….more…more may I have a little more. The whole country’s turning into a bunch of Oliver Twists where the orphanage is run by a black tyranical overseer.
And let us not forget that O’Vomit is having concentration camps built just for people like us. WOLVERINES!
“We have taken from them what wealth they had,” he continued. “I have issued a strict order, which SS-Obergruppenführer Pohl has carried out, that this wealth should, as a matter of course, be handed over to the Reich without reserve.” Heinrich Himmler (1900–1945), German Nazi leader.
During the Great Society surge to the Left we had a nickname for Comunity Organizers…”Poverty Pimps.”
Barack Obama was never a CEO nor did he ever have any executive experience to know what it takes to be a real leader of something as big as the United States with it’s greatness of resources and people. Therefore, it is not surprising to see him remain in “candidate” mode stumbling these first three weeks with tax challenged appointments and a message of fear, doom, and gloom while still trashing the country to the rest of the world.
Barack Obama’s presidential campaign of hope and change without any executive leadership and achievement behind it was just one big Ponzi scheme of words, just words. Now that he is President it is payback time and we are stuck with Barack “Bernie Madoff” Obama.
“It’s not tyranny we desire; it’s a just, limited, federal government.” Alexander Hamilton
He forgets that many republicans won too! It wasn’t just him. That showed it all right then and there–I won. He told me everything I needed to know–he’s a spoiled brat who got away with everything while growing up and has been given every opportunity because he played the race card. He has no idea what it’s like to be poor or try to make ends meet when there’s too much month at the end of the money. The democrats have taken so much from us and no one seems to care except us elephants.
Mark Twain once said “The French are governed by prostitutes…” – Estas Uni Pimps 2009!
Darth, I join you in being ticked off at “Barackshevik Hussein Obama”.
BobF., yes he is a wanna be.
According to Rush today, this pork bill has the beginning of National Health Care in it too. Probably what barry learned from dashle, sneak it in the stimulus bill, and not like Hillary tried to do it.
Guess what the older folks, those of us over 60 are going to get the royal shaft. If for example you come down with some disease, the health bureaucrat will review your case and if the expected amount to fix your problem is too large or exceed the number of years you are expected to live. Then you don’t get any care. As Mark Steyn says, ‘then they ship you off to some place to expire.’ Damn great system these communist have.
Welcome to Socialized Medicine. In my wildest dreams I never thought it would happen this fast.
Tom, grrrrr he better leave thsoe things alone, especially Texas. If Nicholas and I win the lotto he said we could move to Texas. haha Just a dream but a nice one. I told him want to follow President Bush if we win and go to Dallas? He said absolutely. heh heh
Mark, thank you.
I didn’t either, I thought this would be brought up after a year in office and there would be discussions about it at least. I would have preferred to be able to vote the subject of Socialized Medicine like a huge NO way.
Obama is evil.