Following Blindly Has Its Pitfalls

Two items caught my attention while reading online headlines.  One, a lot of Democrats are still running from the President.  Two, Chris Christie's "bazaar behavior" may hurt his presidential aspirations.

It strikes me as a no win situation.  One that shouldn't be, no matter your politics.

Both sides are like lemmings following their leadership over the cliff into the sea.  Oh sure, both sides have their rebellious types,  the Tea Party Republicans and the Progressive Democrats.  They are the spoilers and proud of it.  That nothing moves forward means nothing as long as it works out to harm the opposition. Any opposition, even if within their own party.  That's forward thinking!

On the Democratic side, they'd not have to be running from the President if they hadn't blindly voted for Obamacare.  If they had voted the truth of the legislation it probably would not have passed, there was so much not addressed and so much flawed it was just plain bad legislation.   But politics being what they are today, they caved to either bribery or threats from their leadership.  Work with the each other?   Not on your life.

On the other hand, the die hard Republican absolutists will not forgive Chris Christie for the liberal leanings he sometimes has taken to be able to govern his state.

Maybe that's what needs to be scrutinized. How do we get back to the methods that get the most good done?  Certainly not following blindly because you are a member of a particular party.  Those who do are putting party,  ideology and career before country. The result has been a President who ignores the Constitution and cherry picks what will and will not be enforced and gets a pass and Secretaries with far too much "shall" power.

Christie, he probably isn't alone though he gets the press, knows that flexibility gets things done.  Would he be as flexible if he were in a Red state?  I can't say for sure, but I would hope so.  As is, however, he is forced to look at both sides to get things done and he has done just that. If I can assume, which is dangerous, this is his philosophy on effective governance.

I hope sometime between now and the 2014 mid-terms both the politicians and the voters see the light.  How much more of this agony and ecstasy emotional see saw can the country take?

If I want to see glee I'll watch the TV show.  I'm tired of watching it in Congress when one side or the other stumbles.  The problem is there is no one around to pick any one up.  They're too busy cheering the fall and we're too busy trying to patch up the mess. 

McCain And Graham - Past Their Prime

What happens when politicians have outlasted their usefulness?  They meddle.

Jimmy Carter is the champion of meddling even today but two Republicans are running a close second.  How can two be second?  Because you never seem to see one without the other.

Lindsey Graham, the oh so pious yet vague Senator from South Carolina, will at least have to face some challengers in 2014.  Failed presidential candidate and self anointed maverick McCain will be around for awhile yet.  I'm thinking if Graham goes, though, maybe McCain won't be able to find another willing partner.  I've always wondered that if these two are as right about things as they tell us they are, why more of their ilk haven't jumped on their bandwagon.

The administration has them pegged.  They can be used, rolled, whatever you want to call it as long as the reward is face time on camera.  Sometimes it works for them, sometimes not.

I'd say McCain and Graham's recent trip to Egypt to let them know what they must do to retain our favor might not sit well with the Egyptians and might do the administration more harm than good.  They went with the administration's 'blessing' but not at it's request.

Imagine the chutzpah involved in suggesting the release of Morsi and some of their political prisoners might be negotiated in return for concessions from the interim government.  They aren't even part of the administration, thank you very much.  We have a Secretary of State to handle such matters.  And making a joke about what is or isn't a coup.  Talk about abusing political correctness on a grand scale in another country! Let it go, John.  It's right up there with 'bomb, bomb Iran' on your top ten bad joke list.

So the Egyptians have now officially been warned by our twin mavericks that their aid money might be in jeopardy if they don't admit to our terminology then apologize for it and do the bidding of these two. Wow. Never mind what the Egyptian people want. Why are they there again?

I don't think the Egyptians are concerned.  The Saudis have offered them far more in aid than we have.  They have successfully made the administration look weak for having these two appear to be roving ambassadors even though it's another self appointed title.

It's bad enough when the administration makes blunders.  They don't need the help of two from the Republican side making it worse.  So what's the end result of this exercise in narcissism?  I can't believe I've extended the term beyond  the presidential persona, but I have.  In spades.  So, we have a failed trip at tax payer expense and the contempt of the Egyptian people and their interim government for having interfered where it wasn't needed or wanted.

And you wonder why the world looks at us as inept, weak and inconsequential.

The President's Mirror On The Wall

The debt ceiling has been raised.  What that means is the government is now able to spend more money.  Yet the country's unemployment rate still hovers just under 10%.  Future prospects remain dismal.

So what does the President do to empathize with the people he governs?  Throws a birthday bash where it costs ten grand to have a picture taken with him and over thirty five thousand to gain entry to the dinner.  Just one of many celebrations to be held around the country hosted by various insiders.  Of course it's a campaign event.  So why the heck would he want to burden the rich with more taxes?  It would mean less for him.

Him.  Him.  Him.  It's always him.  I used to think he was just uninformed when it comes to matters of protocol.  That he has a tin ear.  Returning the bust of Churchill to the Brits the day he took office.  Giving the Queen an i-Pod filled with his own speeches.  Bowing to every world leader who lacks the stature to deserve it.  Never mind that we bow to no one.

If you love the guy it makes no matter.  But one does at times wonder why he won't release his college transcripts, or the flap over his birth certificate.  If it was by design to add to the aura of mystery.  There has to be some reason why he is referred to as the 'Sun King' or the 'Annoited One' even though it's by his detractors.  It alludes to ego and arrogance.

Then I cam across an article by  Israeli psychologist Sam Vaknin who suggests Obama may have narcissistic tendencies if he isn't an outright narcissist.  Dr. Vaknin is considered an expert on personality disorders  in general and  Narcissistic Personality Disorder in particular.

If you sometimes wonder what makes our President tick, this is an interesting read and explains a lot.  It may also explain the way Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu reacts to him since it is his fellow countryman who has noted the parallels.

Many of you will totally disregard this premise, others might see a glimmer of truth in it. I found the parallels interesting and food for thought.