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Does President Obama understand “how America works”?

Posted: September 27, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: just because |11 Comments

From Politico: POTUS testy in BET interview

President Obama, slipping in the polls among black supporters and under fire from black Democratic leaders for policies they say fail to address black poverty and unemployment, said Monday that targeting programs to help one community “is not how America works.”

Oh really? What is happening when the government bails out banks and investment firms? What about when the government offers tax cuts or loans for businesses–often specific businesses, like oil companies or auto manufacturers? What about Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid? Don’t those programs target particular groups? What about programs to feed needy children or provide them with educational opportunities–like Head Start? Even more to the point, what about Affirmative Action?

What a silly remark!

Obama’s exclusive interview with BET’s Emmett Miller in the Oval Office is the latest in a flurry of outreach that included a private lunch Friday with prominent black radio talk show hosts, and a blistering speech Saturday night at a Congressional Black Caucus dinner.

It seems President Obama is still smarting from the criticism he got from Maxine Waters and Charlie Rangel after his offensive remarks to the Congressional Black Caucus.

The Grio has more detail about the interview:

Obama acknowledged that his administration did not anticipate the depth of the economic crisis he encountered upon entering office, and the need to help Americans understand how long the road to recovery could be. “if I traveled back in time? I would say it’s going to be a long hard slog and the American people are going to feel kind of worn down after this much difficulty,” he said. “But I’d also tell that less gray person to hang in there because the American people are resilient and they have good values and they care about the right stuff, and we’ll get through this.

I’d think if the President could travel back in time, he might choose to focus on jobs and the economy rather than a bloated Republican-style health insurance bill, but that’s just me. I’m not so sure that all of us are going to “get through this.” What he meant by “that less gray person,” I do not know.

Asked by Miller what he would tell a hard-hit African-American single mother on the south side of Chicago who was jobless and concerned that the president “won’t even say, ‘look, I am going to help you,” Obama pushed back on the premise, saying that’s not what people are telling him as he travels the country stumping for his American Jobs Act.

“What people are saying all across the country is we are hurting and we’ve been hurting for a long time,” the president said. “And the question is how can we make sure the economy is working for every single person.”

So why is the focus mostly on helping the wealthy and cutting Medicare and Medicaid then?

Saying targeting one specific group is “not how America works,” Obama emphasized that his policies were aimed at those who are hurting the most, whether because of a lack of healthcare coverage or a lack of a job, adding that because African-Americans are suffering disproportionately on those fronts, his policies were in fact designed to help black communities.

Well, I guess those policies aren’t working then, are they? Jeeze, this guy really doesn’t get it. Please, someone send him the video of LBJ withdrawing from the reelection race.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee did her very best to defend Obama’s remarks to the CDC on Tavis Smiley’s show. I just don’t buy it. Obama has alienated most of his liberal base, and now he’s working on driving away African Americans.

11 Comments on “Does President Obama understand “how America works”?”

  1. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    September 27, 2011 at 1:08 pm

    Boston Globe: Axelrod acknowledges hurdles to president’s reelection.

    With a still-foundering economy and Americans increasingly fed up with the government, President Obama’s top campaign strategist today acknowledged the difficulties the incumbent president will face.

    “We don’t have the wind at our backs this election,” said David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to Obama and a strategist for his 2008 and 2012 campaigns, speaking to around 200 people at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College. “We have the wind in our face because the American people have the wind in their faces. This is going to be a titanic struggle.”

    Talking separately to reporters, Axelrod sought to downplay expectations for Obama’s quarterly fund-raising report, due out next month. While Axelrod said Obama would have a “healthy” quarter, he noted that fund-raising is difficult in the current economy and Obama canceled several events during this summer’s debt-ceiling debate.

    Nationally, Obama’s approval ratings stand at around 43 percent, one of the lowest of his presidency, according to polling data collected by Real Clear Politics. While most surveys show Obama narrowly edging out his nearest Republican rival, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, two recent polls show Obama risks losing when matched against a generic Republican.

  2. Delphyne's avatar Delphyne says:
    September 27, 2011 at 2:06 pm

    If Obama could travel back in time, I wish he would go back to 2008 and drop out of the primaries.

    • bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
      September 27, 2011 at 7:40 pm

      I burst out laughing when I read your comment. I wish he could go back in time and not give that speech at the Kerry convention or even run for the Senate. If only I’d never heard of him!

  3. mjames's avatar mjames says:
    September 27, 2011 at 3:05 pm

    “Obama acknowledged that his administration did not anticipate the depth of the economic crisis he encountered upon entering office, and the need to help Americans understand how long the road to recovery could be.”

    Holy moly. He’s flat out acknowledging he was not prepared for the job. He didn’t understand the problem back then and he doesn’t understand it now. In fact, as far as I can see, he hasn’t been prepared for any job he’s ever had. What’s that you say? What jobs? Part-time state senator who voted consistently present? Law school instructor who was always late grading papers? U.S. senator who started running for President from the git go?

    I still think he’s the CIA’s stooge. All these wars. All this killing all over the world, including assassinations of U.S. citizens. His mother’s CIA connections. His unexplained transfer to Columbia. His heading Law Review without ever publishing a damn thing (another no-show job).

    He’s also Wall Street’s stooge, sure. What he is not is an independent thinker or a fighter for the less fortunate. Or even a hard worker. Or even a worker. No wonder he doesn’t give a damn about us working stiffs.

  4. Allison's avatar Allison says:
    September 27, 2011 at 4:10 pm

    “…what about Affimative Action?” Spot on! That he would essentially tell African Americans that targeting their needs isn’t the American Way (I guess he means democratic?) is unbelievable. They are looking to him for help and he’s giving them excuses for why he hasn’t come through for them. I suspect his support in the AA community is not as healthy as the polls suggest. It’s understandable to have a private opinion at odds with the public one in this situation.

    Oh – and “gray people”?? I think he’s losing it. I’m thinking he could very well drop out if this keeps up.

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