Like Paul Krugman, Camille Paglia is disappointed (HT: Drudge) with the Obama Administration. In her case, she has yet to lose faith in the man himselfâit's his underlings who are letting him down:
Yes, free the president from his flacks, fixers and goons — his
posse of smirky smart alecks and provincial rubes, who were shrewd
enough to beat the slow, pompous Clintons in the mano-a-mano primaries
but who seem like dazed lost lambs in the brave new world of federal
legislation and global statesmanship.
Heads should be rolling at
the White House for the embarrassing series of flubs that have
overshadowed President Obama's first seven weeks in office and given
the scattered, demoralized Republicans a huge boost toward regrouping
and resurrection. (Michelle, please use those fabulous toned arms to
butt some heads!)
First it was that chaotic pig rut of a stimulus package, which let
House Democrats throw a thousand crazy kitchen sinks into what should
have been a focused blueprint for economic recovery. Then it was the
stunt of unnerving Wall Street by sending out a shrill duo of slick
geeks (Timothy Geithner and Peter Orszag) as the administration's
weirdly adolescent spokesmen on economics. Who could ever have
confidence in that sorry pair?
I think that last question is supposed to be rhetorical. But if we take it straight, the answer, alas, is the President. I suspect that soon enough, Paglia will be wondering if some of the problems are actually coming from the top rather than the bottom or the middle of the Administration.
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In a sense, all these criticisms are directed at Obama, it's just a psychological diversion because they had so much of themselves invested in image of Obama — they're mad at the real Obama, represented by all those around him following his orders, for not fulfilling the liberal savior role. How dare the reality of clay feet and statist incompetence interfere with the ecstasy of utopian vision!
correction: the image of Obama
"If only Comrade Obama knew what the bureaucracy was really doing… if only Comrade Obama really knew what our local tyrants were doing… if only Comrade Obama knew…"
It seems that the irrepresible gadfly has never heard of the doctrine of "respondeat superior". Why does anybody listen to the Camille Paglia's of the world?
So Jesus is still cool. It's the disciples that are f—king up.
I'm thinking if he had and adoring press corps doing the spin for him, he may well have spared himself crucifixion.
O Great Leader, save thyself from thy underlings.
Grown adults in America reduced to being totally and completely enamored and utterly consumed by one man. That's gotta be the beginning of the end.
I feel sick.
I'm thinking if he had and adoring press corps doing the spin for him, he may well have spared himself crucifixion.
Part of me laughed, because the post is pretty funny. The other part — the believer in Jesus-as-The-Messiah part — sees this as an analogy failure. Jesus knew that His fate had been determined by His Father and that it was His mission to be caught/cruxified so that we all, through His teachings to His disciples after His death (and their further teachings), would have the opportunity to come to know of Him and his Good News that He delivered two millenium ago.
So, if Obama is the messiah, when do we get to crucify him?
This hero worship of Obama borders on the worship in totalitarian countries. In the context of the massive growth spurt in government, it's terrifying.
To those who don't read Paglia, the last question is more rhetorical than you think. She has a theme that heros need to look like heros and zeros seem to always look like zeros. When she calls Geithner "strangely adolescent", the picture in your mind is supposed to be him hiding behind his bed reading the articles in Playboy. Ouch.
I think the Branch Obamans have a large Rolodex of rationalizations to go through before they realize he is a flack, fixer, and/or goon, like Republicans prevented him from accomplishing what he really wanted, he wasn't given enough power to do what he wanted, Rush Limbaugh turned people against him, greedy Wall Street executives didn't inspire confidence in him, jealousy of Michelle's fabulously toned arms, etc.
methinks
You'll get to crucify the S.O.B. come november '12.
(Note to Russ, Boudreaux and all other puritans: VOTE dammit!)
Why? Republicans seem to be just as a bad as the Democrats and a Libertarian candidate has a snowball's chance in hell of winning.
I have no faith in either republicans or democrats, but I find it hard to believe that Mccain or Hillary would have signed off on close to a trillion IN THE FIRST MONTH, if for no reason other than that they are more politically prudent than ideological.
Also, they would never get away with that kind of stuff. By the time BHO loses his luster (if he ever does – see FDR), the damage will be huge.
I see no reason to believe they wouldn't have.
Maybe I'm just cynical.
Why? Republicans seem to be just as a bad as the Democrats
After the last administration, I thought so too, but no more. The Republicans ran the deficit up MUCH slower and didn't want to nationalize healthcare. Also, although I am NO FAN of Bush's, he did try to privatize social security. The Democrats are everything that you don't like about Republicans only exponentially worse. Grasping at straws? Yes, I am. Marginally better in some ways is still better.
But the best reason to vote and to vote for the opposite party is to break up the monopoly power of a single political party. Sticking more Republicans in the mix them more power to oppose the Democrat march of Socialism. Stick too many of them in the mix and they take over the march of Socialism. It's a delicate balance keeping the political ecosystem in Washington populated with just enough critters from both parties. And Ron Paul. He is the only member of the Financial Services Committee that doesn't make me ever so slightly homicidal every time they drag someone in to testify before their highnesses.
Yes, well, in addition to esteemed Nobel Prize-winning economist Camille Paglia, a roster of actual economists is giving Obama, Geithner, et al. very low marks:
Such a shame.
Facade.
Paglia is too often a victim of her own optimism when it comes to the Left. She desperately wants them to be everything they claim to be, but deep down she does actually know better. She'll come around to seeing what is obvious: Obama picked all these people, so he is responsible for the clowns around him. In fact, he's head clown. The embarrassing series of flubs are all Obama's.