Brian Schweitzer, the former two-term Democratic governor of Montana, is rarely speechless. Once he gets going on a topic, he’s almost impossible to stop. As he builds up steam, he’ll slap his knee to emphasize his points. He’ll slap your knee to emphasize his points. Good luck getting a word in edgewise for that follow-up question.
But at the moment, Schweitzer is rubbing his chin, looking up at the ceiling, searching – unsuccessfully – for just the right words. The question was simple enough: Is there a single thing President Obama has done that you consider a positive achievement?
Finally, he spoke.
“My mother, God rest her soul, told me ‘Brian, if you can’t think of something nice to say about something change the subject,’” he said.
But he couldn’t help himself, slamming Obama’s record on civil liberties (the NSA revelations were “un-effing-believable”), his competency (“They just haven’t been very good at running things”), and above all, Obamacare (“It will collapse on its own weight”).
Eventually, he paused to acknowledge Obama’s historic role as the first black president. But by that standard, Obama’s usefulness ended the day he took the oath of office.
So your plan to win in 2016 is to alienate the Democrats who voted for Barack Obama. Twice.
Please take your Big Sky country boy act back to Helena, bro. We're not interested. If you can't be half-assed to come up with one thing this President did that you liked, I've got a name for you.
Republican.
Steve M makes a similar point about who Schweitzer is playing to:
Jamelle Bouie has more:
Steve M makes a similar point about who Schweitzer is playing to:
But what makes this whole package hard to sell is the fact that Schweitzer is making the attack so personal and ad hominem. Do you know what Barack Obama's job approval rating is among Democrats right now? It's 75% according to a December poll from CNN, 78%according to a December CBS poll. It sure seems as if there's disillusionment among Democratic voters, but a lot of Democrats are clearly still loyal, while others are no worse than ambivalent -- they're frustrated and disappointed, maybe, but they're still essentially on Obama's side, even if a lot of what he does (or fails to do) is maddening.
Jamelle Bouie has more:
If Schweitzer is an unlikely choice for the Democratic nomination, it has less to do with his low national profile, and everything to do with his pronounced Obama-skepticism. Black voters have their concerns with the Obama administration, but the president is held in high esteem. Which is to say that, if you’re going to distance yourself from the administration, you have to do so without without attacking Obama as a figure. Otherwise, you’ve alienated African Americans and crippled your bid for the nomination.
Good luck winning the primaries running as a red state white guy who can't think of one nice thing to say about President Obama. The good news? Watch carefully who backs Schweitzer from the "left". It's a dead giveaway they're no friends of Democrats, liberals, or you. Allahpundit over at Hot Air is hoping Schweitzer can cause as much damage to Democrats as possible, for example.
After all, Ralph Nader has his day in the sun too, and look where that got us.
After all, Ralph Nader has his day in the sun too, and look where that got us.
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7 comments:
Fuck him. That is all
It's been said before, often, but bears repeating here: give people a choice between a Republican and a Republican - and they'll vote for the Republican, every time.
He's running not to win New Hampshire, or Iowa, but Daily Kos.
Is the dream ticket Paul/Schweitzer? Or Schweitzer/Paul?
The pretend radicals over at Democratic Underground are such gibbering monomaniacs about Single Payer Health Care that they are squealing with delight over the idea that Schweizter will run as a Leftist on this issue - while they display a puzzling indifference to the fact that he would run to right on every other issue.
While I have the microphone, let me observe that they are also pumped up on the idea that Warren is the Great Leftist Hope. This brings to mind the wish fulfillment fantasies that a lot of people projected onto candidate Obama, fantasies that no mortal president could fulfill, as state of affairs that resulted in his being rejected as a SELLOUT!!! within a few months of his election. Warren appears to be really smart, smart enough to notice that these people do not constitute a reliable power base for a run at the White House, so I think that she will continue at her post in the Senate where she can get some good work done.
Brilliant!
I dream of Schweizter/Palin with a magic sparkledust pony for Speaker of the House.
Your ad hominem attacks on Schweitzer doesn't invalidate his 100% valid concerns about Candidate Obama's broken promises on civil liberties as President.
"Feeling little pressure to curb the security agencies, Mr. Obama largely left them alone until Mr. Snowden began disclosing secret programs last year. Mr. Obama was angry at the revelations, privately excoriating Mr. Snowden as a self-important narcissist who had not thought through the consequences of his actions."
But your nasty, thuggish ad hominem attacks are par for the course for your feeble intellect, and the irony of Obama thinking Snowden is a narcissist is enough to stop time.
""Feeling little pressure to curb the security agencies..."
That's the real problem. When the people lead, the leaders follow -- and the people are all playing Minecraft.
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