For some time now, "Captain Ed" Morrisey has been publishing an Obamateurism Of The Day at HotAir.com. Needless to say, he hasn't even come close to running out of material. Captain Ed hasn't blogged about the following story yet, but it certainly merits a place in the "Obamateurism" category.
ON Tuesday, Brad Watson from WFAA in Dallas had the audacity to challenge President Obama during a one-on-"One" TV interview. As we all know, our President tends to become testy in adversarial situations, and this interview was no exception.
But there was one answer given by the President that I found fascinating. When Watson asked President Obama to speculate on why he was so unpopular in Texas, the President replied, "Well, look, Texas has always been a pretty Republican state, you know, for historic reasons."
Say what?
Texas didn't begin its political blue-red shift until 1978, when Bill Clements was elected as the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction (that's a century of Democrat control of Texas state government, for those as ignorant of history as our Law Professor in Chief). Clements' predecessor, Dolph Briscoe, was a conservative Democrat who campaigned as a reformer, and won the governorship in 1972 based largely on his pledges to end corruption within his party and within the Texas state government.
Briscoe's election was the result of the Sharpstown stock scandal, a shining example of the kind of corruption enabled by single-party dominance over state government. Numerous state government officials, including then-lieutenant governor Ben Barnes, were implicated in the scandal. Texas bank tycoon Frank Sharp secretly loaned hundreds of thousands of dollars to Texas politicos, which was used to purchase stock in one of Sharp's insurance companies. Sharp manipulated the company's books in order to artificially inflate its value. Sharp's crony investors then sold their shares at the inflated price, paid back the secret loans, and pocketed a nice profit.
Unfortunately for the Texas Democrats, one of the patsies who got taken to the cleaners as a result of this little scam was the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory school, which lost $6 million after it invested in National Bankers Life at the height of its artificially inflated share value. This proved to be a PR disaster of epic proportions, and the Texas Democratic political machine was dealt a heavy blow, from which it never fully recovered. And even though he wasn't directly involved in the Sharpstown trading scandal, the political career of Ben Barnes, who was considered to be the Democratic party's 'golden boy' and heir-apparent to the governorship, was for all intents and purposes completely destroyed.
Oh, and if his name sounds familiar, it is probably due to his connection with the 2004 presidential campaign of John Kerry. Barnes was one of only a handful of people who personally raised over $500,000 for Kerry. He was also the unofficial "go-between" who hooked the Kerry Campaign up with retired Texas Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Bill Burkett and his dubious "Rathergate" memos. Ben Barnes was also interviewed by CBS News, stating on the record that he was aware of circumstances that led him to believe that President Bush's official TANG service records had been falsified.
On second thought, maybe President Obama simply doesn't want to own up to the sordid history of the Texas Democratic Party, which also includes the massive legacy of corruption surrounding LBJ, and utterly shameful attempts to exclude minority voters from participation in statewide primary elections.
All of that cronyism and corruption probably hits way too close to home. And it doesn't exactly benefit the whole "hope and change" narrative, does it?
Comments (32)
This just demonstrates how ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by jim m | April 21, 2011 11:02 AM | Score: 15 (15 votes cast)
This just demonstrates how simple minded obama is (and his supporters for that matter).
Anyone who disagrees with him it is because they are driven by either racism or partisanship. People never have a disagreement on the issues. Furthermore, he believes that the partisanship must be deep seated and multigenerational so there is no rational reason for people to think differently than he does. That's why he talks about "bitter clingers" etc, because he cannot conceive of people having honest disagreement with him.
He sees the public as being largely ignorant and incapable of making real decisions for themselves which is why he believes that government must run their lives for them. Having viewed the video from the previous post I can see why his own supporters give him that impression.
1. Posted by jim m | April 21, 2011 11:02 AM |
Score: 15 (15 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 11:02
2. Posted by retired military | April 21, 2011 11:36 AM | Score: 14 (14 votes cast)
Barrack
Obama
Ignoramious
Gee we must be playing Synonyms.
We could add Reid, Pelosi, Murtha, Kerry, Kennedy and a bunch of others in there as well.
2. Posted by retired military | April 21, 2011 11:36 AM |
Score: 14 (14 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 11:36
3. Posted by 914 | April 21, 2011 11:56 AM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Barry hates to be called on his ignorance. Just like woop and chico.
3. Posted by 914 | April 21, 2011 11:56 AM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 11:56
4. Posted by Jay Tea
| April 21, 2011 11:58 AM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
You are all fools. Obama is correct.
If you consider history starting with his political career, that is...
J.
4. Posted by Jay Tea
| April 21, 2011 11:58 AM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 11:58
5. Posted by Woop | April 21, 2011 12:02 PM | Score: -41 (43 votes cast)
Oh, so there's only 32 years of history to back up Obama's statement?
Ignormaus is right. Sheesh! But it isn't Obama wearing the dunce cap...
5. Posted by Woop | April 21, 2011 12:02 PM |
Score: -41 (43 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 12:02
6. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | April 21, 2011 12:16 PM | Score: 18 (20 votes cast)
Woop... the dems controlled the legislature in TX until the 90s. Ann Richards lost the governors seat in '94, and when he won again in '98 the republicans swept in most of the statewide races. The repubs took the senate and many statewide offices but the dems still held the house. The dems lost the house in 2002.
Last I checked, none of that was 32 years ago...
6. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | April 21, 2011 12:16 PM |
Score: 18 (20 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 12:16
7. Posted by John | April 21, 2011 12:17 PM | Score: 21 (21 votes cast)
Yes you are absolutely correct when the president says "ALWAYS" and "HISTORICALY" he means 32 years. HA you are a complete dumb ass aren't you Woop? How about the rest of the non sense? Are you satisfied that his response to any challenge always seems to be the same? What happened to post partisan Obama, what happened to no blue states no red states Obama? Where oh where has the healer of the earth gone?
7. Posted by John | April 21, 2011 12:17 PM |
Score: 21 (21 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 12:17
8. Posted by jim m | April 21, 2011 12:19 PM | Score: 18 (18 votes cast)
That's right woop. ONLY 32 years and much of that was without any real dominance of Texas by the GOP.
It may be difficult for you to grasp, but when the idiot in chief says "Texas has always been a pretty Republican state, you know, for historic reasons." always probably implies more than just the last couple of decades.
Implied in his ignorant answer is that Texas has always been republican and that explains Texas' record on civil rights and racial discrimination. Dems like obama and you, who are ignorant of history, assume that because the current fashion is to accuse conservatives of racism and because the South is dominated by Republicans, that the GOP was responsible for slavery and Jim crow and the Klan. However, the facts are the dems ran the slavery south, dems ran the Confederate government, dems built the Klan, dems created Jim crow, dems are the party that filibustered the Civil Rights act.
So what historical reasons is obama referring to? Merely being in power is not a reason for Texas to be Republican. He implies something by it. Something tells me that the reason he's alluding to is not because the GOP is in favor of fiscal responsibility and he's not (although that is abundantly true). Maybe it is because he wants to paint the GOP as beholden to "Big Oil", while he takes the vast majority of political money from BP.
Always implies more than just the current generation. Maybe once you get into high school you will get some history and learn about these things.
8. Posted by jim m | April 21, 2011 12:19 PM |
Score: 18 (18 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 12:19
9. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | April 21, 2011 12:22 PM | Score: 13 (13 votes cast)
Not even 32 years...
9. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | April 21, 2011 12:22 PM |
Score: 13 (13 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 12:22
10. Posted by 914 | April 21, 2011 12:22 PM | Score: 18 (18 votes cast)
Don't argue with an idiot. Woop is not going to get any smarter and you end up looking like you are taking advantage of the handicapped.
10. Posted by 914 | April 21, 2011 12:22 PM |
Score: 18 (18 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 12:22
11. Posted by 914 | April 21, 2011 12:32 PM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Did I say 'handicapped'. Sorry, not politically correct enough. Should have put 'mentally kinetically challenged.
11. Posted by 914 | April 21, 2011 12:32 PM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 12:32
12. Posted by Edward A. Schuster | April 21, 2011 12:56 PM | Score: 12 (12 votes cast)
You spelled your title incorrectly.....Should be spelled IGNORANUS because he is both ignorant and an asshole.
12. Posted by Edward A. Schuster | April 21, 2011 12:56 PM |
Score: 12 (12 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 12:56
13. Posted by JLawson | April 21, 2011 1:18 PM | Score: 12 (12 votes cast)
You know, I'm starting to think that we'd have been a lot better off with Biden as the President, and Obama as VP...
I'll accept that Obama's got his opinions. I'll even understand that he's a really lousy student who made it through his classes based on his personality, not through any native talent for anything on his part. He certainly isn't up on his history, or economics, or apparently damn near anything else.
But how in hell does he expect to run a second time on his charm and charisma when all you've got to do is get him slightly off-message and he self-destructs? He's GOT to know that everyone's going to be examining his every utterance with a microscope - and all something like this does, at least for folks actually paying attention - is show them that he's pretty ignorant of anything but his own opinion.
I can see the bumper sticker now... "Screwed in 2008, Rolled in 2012 - Obama for President!"
Four more years, and we'll be a world-class economy. 3rd world, but hey - it'll still qualify as 'World Class'!
13. Posted by JLawson | April 21, 2011 1:18 PM |
Score: 12 (12 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 13:18
14. Posted by GarandFan | April 21, 2011 1:30 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
woop isn't required to think. Not when you're just an echo chamber for your Obamassiah.
14. Posted by GarandFan | April 21, 2011 1:30 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 13:30
15. Posted by Jay Guevara | April 21, 2011 1:32 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
You know, I'm starting to think that we'd have been a lot better off with Biden as the President, and Obama as VP...
I always thought this. Biden is not a stupid man, despite his numerous gaffes. And at least he's an American.
Hell, at this point I think we'd be better off with Jimmy Carter, for the same reason. He was silly and misguided, but I believe always did what he thought in his heart was best for the country. It's just that his judgment sucked.
15. Posted by Jay Guevara | April 21, 2011 1:32 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 13:32
16. Posted by Jeff | April 21, 2011 1:41 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
can't wait for the debates if Obama is going to be this easy to rattle ...
16. Posted by Jeff | April 21, 2011 1:41 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 13:41
17. Posted by Jay Guevara | April 21, 2011 1:49 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Christie v. Obama. Put that on PPV.
It'll be the forensic equivalent of Mike Tyson v. PeeWee Herman.
17. Posted by Jay Guevara | April 21, 2011 1:49 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 13:49
18. Posted by GarandFan | April 21, 2011 1:50 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
It's amazing what "The Smartest Man in the World" says when he's off script/teleprompter.
I'm hoping that Barry will run on his "record".
How's those gas prices? $4.35 at the corner this morning. And 'summer driving season' isn't here yet.
18. Posted by GarandFan | April 21, 2011 1:50 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 13:50
19. Posted by 914 | April 21, 2011 1:56 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
"can't wait for the debates if Obama is going to be this easy to rattle ..."
Yes, in a perfect world of debate Barry would be sputtering without a prompted response. However, Barry doesn't debate. He pontificates, utters proclamations, averts direct questions and lies.
Problem is there will be no fair and balanced actual debate accept maybe between Trump and Romney.
19. Posted by 914 | April 21, 2011 1:56 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 13:56
20. Posted by LibertyAtStake | April 21, 2011 2:05 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
The decode on Barry's Texas, Republican, Historical comment is this: it is a carefully constructed lie to associate his political opponents with racism, slavery. It's what he, they do.
d(^_^)b
http://libertyatstake.blogspot.com/
"Because the Only Good Progressive is a Failed Progressive"
20. Posted by LibertyAtStake | April 21, 2011 2:05 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 14:05
21. Posted by Hank | April 21, 2011 2:22 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Agree with 914 about upcoming debates.
The "chosen" moderator will make sure the format and questions are controlled enough to prevent Obama from going "off-script", let alone be presented with a hostile question.
We'll need a candidate who can fight through that.
21. Posted by Hank | April 21, 2011 2:22 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 14:22
22. Posted by PBunyan | April 21, 2011 2:40 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
I think in Obama's mind "Republican" means those who love liberty and oppose Communism-- so Obama was right, at least in his own little mind, when he said Texas was historically Republican.
22. Posted by PBunyan | April 21, 2011 2:40 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 14:40
23. Posted by Krushchev was wrong | April 21, 2011 4:39 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
So much ego, so little mind..
Was the determination as the Soviets analyzed the results of the secret Red X experiment..
23. Posted by Krushchev was wrong | April 21, 2011 4:39 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 16:39
24. Posted by Drago | April 21, 2011 6:19 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Maybe one of the other 57 states is also called "Texas", thereby creating the confusion in our "credentialled by not educated" teleprompter in chiefs mind?
24. Posted by Drago | April 21, 2011 6:19 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 18:19
25. Posted by epador | April 21, 2011 6:59 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Watching the response I thought I saw some panic flick across his face as he prepared his answer. Which was weak and typically Obama. It was code for
ITs all Bush's fault
25. Posted by epador | April 21, 2011 6:59 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 18:59
26. Posted by 50 ways to leave your Wookie | April 21, 2011 7:16 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
In a surprise move, Barry is set to answer all future interviewer questions provided they pass a TSA field test
Teleprompter Script Assessment
26. Posted by 50 ways to leave your Wookie | April 21, 2011 7:16 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 19:16
27. Posted by Caesar Augustus | April 21, 2011 7:58 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
History and facts are to a leftist akin to daylight and silver bullets to a vampire.
27. Posted by Caesar Augustus | April 21, 2011 7:58 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 19:58
28. Posted by Oyster | April 21, 2011 9:04 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Sadly, too many people out there who don't know anything about Texas will hear him say that and believe it. And he's counting on it.
28. Posted by Oyster | April 21, 2011 9:04 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 21:04
29. Posted by epador | April 21, 2011 11:51 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
This really brings to mind the saying:
Don't Mess with Texas.
29. Posted by epador | April 21, 2011 11:51 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 21, 2011 23:51
30. Posted by jim m | April 22, 2011 12:13 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
"Don't mess with Texas"
obama would be well advised to stop the condescending attitude and the ignorant and ill-informed remarks about the opposition, whether they be from Texas or any of the 57 states.
30. Posted by jim m | April 22, 2011 12:13 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on April 22, 2011 00:13
31. Posted by TaterSalad | April 22, 2011 4:37 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I wish Obama would sign those 276 drilling permits that have been sitting on his desk for over a year now. I'm getting damn tired of people buying all those greenie type, little bitty cars because when I run over one of them they get tangled up in my trucks drive shaft and rear axle. It has cost me big time because I have to now carry around an oxy-acetylene torch to cut this crap out from under the truck. The sides of the roads are now getting cluttered with this junk.
31. Posted by TaterSalad | April 22, 2011 4:37 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 22, 2011 16:37
32. Posted by StewartIII | April 25, 2011 12:01 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Hot Air: Obamateurism of the Day
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/04/25/obamateurism-of-the-day-499/
32. Posted by StewartIII | April 25, 2011 12:01 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 25, 2011 12:01