Monday, January 21, 2013

Obama's inaugural poem (updated)

On Medicare and benefits
My plan will rob you less than Mitt’s.

I may still favor Goldman Sachs
But I’ll nudge up the fat cat tax.

And when the weather’s weirdly hot
I’ll talk about it. Not a lot.

I will insure that spooks can find
Your texts and emails – datamined.

About your guns: Don’t worry, folks --
You still can give them nice long strokes.

I will insure that all will call us
The butler of Israel ueber alles.

That said, I’ll try for four years more
To dodge that planned Iranian war.

I won’t invade but I like drones
Purchased with those T-bill loans.

I come to bring you peace and love
Don’t get me mad or DEATH FROM ABOVE.

And yet Fox News will tell you that
I am -- get this -- a Democrat!

Update: Okay, the truth is that I didn't watch much of Obama's speech, since the parts I heard seemed like ad copy. Even though he lip-serviced some stuff I liked, there's a difference between liking and believing what that man says.

What bugs me is the media's reaction. Here's a right-wing blogger pretending that he heard Obama deliver an "ode to big government and collectivism," as though the President had come up with a rap version of the Internationale. The Breitbarters think that Obama praised "the collective" and "attempted nothing less than an assault on the timeless notion of liberty itself." Prepare to be assimilated...!

Meanwhile, here's James Fallows pretending that he finally heard the Real Liberal Thing from Obama's lips.
...well, it's almost as if he has won re-election and knows he will never have to run again and hears the clock ticking on his last chance to use the power of the presidency on the causes he cares about. If anyone were wondering whether Obama wanted to lower expectations for his second term ... no, he apparently does not.
And here's Politico proclaiming that there's a new Obama in town -- an old-school New Dealer, this time for sure, no foolin'.

To all of this, Digby wisely retorts:
There was a time when I paid close attention to President Obama's speeches and searched for clues as to how he would tie his policies in with the values stated within it. I have since been schooled by all the smart people of all political and ideological stripes that nothing the president says matters and that the presidency is a largely ceremonial post so I no longer take much time to parse the words.
The bit about the presidency being a ceremonial post is too cynical even for me, but other than that I like what Digby has said. We've done the Lucy-and-the-football thing too often.

Nevertheless, I don't regret asking readers to vote against Romney in 2012. Two reasons: 1. Iran, and 2. The Supreme Court. If you need a third reason -- well, the candidate was Mitt Freakin' Romney, for crying out loud. I may have hated Obama, but I fell in hate with Romney.

A final note. I'm not the only who kept an eye on Joe Biden today. What I love about Biden is the fact that his face has rubberized with age. There's a lot to be said for a politician with a rubber face. The emotions always show -- which means that such a man can't easily lie.

6 comments:

Twilight said...

Brilliant, Joseph! You should send a copy to the White House FAO the Prez. Snail mail though, so the spooks can't getcha.....well, not easily!

Anonymous said...

I managed to catch the address. If I didn't know better I'd say POTUS sounded like a Democratic leader. All the hot button items were mentioned: women's rights, gay rights, SS, Medicare, Medicaid, relief from perpetual war,gun control, inequality, climate change, immigration etc., etc. Was I dreaming or was the word 'poverty' actually in there?

The 'words, just words' phrase sadly came to mind. I had a meeting tonight, so I've been catching up on the hoopla--Michelle's bangs and 'surprising' choice of dress. One of the CNN reporters actually clutched her chest when she reported the designer's name--Jason Wu. "An extraordinary choice!" the reporter said.

Btw, I thought the First Lady looked lovely and I, for one, love her hairdo. Very youthful. But this reporter's reaction was just too, too much.

Of course, the President made a fatal mistake by using the phrase 'collective effort." That will seal the deal with the Marxist/socialist name callers.

I'd say expectations are a lot lower than the first time out. So, maybe by throwing down the gauntlet [even if the man doesn't believe it] is the way to go. Maybe something from that long wish list will get accomplished.

Or maybe, I'm dreaming. We can only hope and keep raising our voices. But yes, the Mittster and Ryan would have been much worse.

Peggysue

Propertius said...

It pains me to say this, Joseph, but you "lesser evil" voters own every reprehensible thing Obama will do for the next four years.

And as for sending "a copy to the White House", you guys have served your purpose so I wouldn't expect him to pay to much attention. It might provide some amusing cocktail chatter with Jamie, Lloyd, and the rest of his real constituents, though.

prowlerzee said...

"ensure" -- I know you like precision.

Digby's response is precisely what the puppet masters wanted. The destruction of the Dem brand and the entrenchment of cynicism. Not a fan.

::nervously eyeballing the word test below...it says type the two words, and I see only one::

Joseph Cannon said...

Prop, that's nonsense. I've been a lesser evil voter most of my life and so have been most people I've known. So have been most people in most elections since, like, Pericles retired.

Joseph Cannon said...

zee, I am enclined to allow some leeway en this enstance.

Or would that spell the ind of my blog?