MSNBC’s Ezra Klein Says Obama Broke Politics
Fresh off his weeks-long stint flacking for Paul Ryan’s poverty plan, Vox publisher and All In fill-in host Ezra Klein further dabbled in Beltway view-from-nowhere dumbshittery Wednesday night when he declared, to MSNBC viewers, that President Obama broke politics. He promised to change politics, but instead, he broke them worse than they already were broken. Just listen:
“The president didn’t do all of this by fixing American politics. He did this by breaking American politics even further.”
It goes on like that, and if you can stand it, check out the whole thing, but everything you need to know about Klein’s flawed, credibility-seeking logic is right there. As you can see, he goes on to say tat it’s not President Obama’s fault, but to be clear, he’s not saying Obama didn’t break politics, he’s saying Obama was forced to break politics. The theory is that despite all of his promises, Republicans were such pricks that Obama had no choice but to become a partisan ramrod, further dividing our country.
Now, even if you accept that narrative, saying Obama broke politics is like saying Jesus sure stained the shit out of that cross. Klein pegs unyielding Republican resistance to the President to 2010, arguably after Obama had done some stuff to piss Republicans off. The truth is, it started within hours of President Obama’s inauguration. President Obama didn’t break politics, politics set out to break him, from Jump Street.
But even if you accept that President Obama should take the blame for Republican dickishness, because he should have just kept reaching out, and kept trying, and compromised with them, well, that’s what he did…READ MORE
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By: Tommy Christopher
Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
24 responses to MSNBC’s Ezra Klein Says Obama Broke Politics
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Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 11:08
I watched Klien’s piece last night and found it actually pretty on the money. I know it’s generally heretical to point this out but the GOP will one day run the executive branch again and Democrats will be in the minority some day. The GOP justifies it’s behavior as a slightly stronger version of Democratic tactics used in Bush’s administration when we were in the minority and bitterly filabustered his nominees in order to “send a message.”
Obama then adopted Bush’s techniques to counteract obstuction under the what’s good for the goose standard of discourse and took them to new heights by taking away even the false civility of inviting congressmen to go bowling.
It was understandable in this new hyper-partisan era. Why pretend to be nice to people who are trying to take your head off?
Obama’s policies are very middle of the road of course but that has more to do with the American people than the obstructionists. Klien doesn’t so much blame Obama as point out that this is the new political reality. It’s no longer about legislating new ideas but slowing down and obstructing the other side’s bad ideas and that is the definition of broken politics.
mea_mark August 7th, 2014 at 11:17
I don’t know if the GOP will ever have a president again. It sure seems to me that there is a chance the GOP may just simply fade away since they can’t seem to rectify some of their poor political decisions. I think a new party may emerge to counter balance the Democrats. To early to say for sure but I do see the possibility.
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 11:25
They said the same thing about us in 1988 and again in 2002.
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 11:08
I watched Klien’s piece last night and found it actually pretty on the money. I know it’s generally heretical to point this out but the GOP will one day run the executive branch again and Democrats will be in the minority some day. The GOP justifies it’s behavior as a slightly stronger version of Democratic tactics used in Bush’s administration when we were in the minority and bitterly filabustered his nominees in order to “send a message.”
Obama then adopted Bush’s techniques to counteract obstruction under the what’s good for the goose standard of discourse and took them to new heights by taking away even the false civility of inviting congressmen to go bowling.
It was understandable in this new hyper-partisan era. Why pretend to be nice to people who are trying to take your head off?
Obama’s policies are very middle of the road of course but that has more to do with the American people than the obstructionists. Klien doesn’t so much blame Obama as point out that this is the new political reality. It’s no longer about legislating new ideas but slowing down and obstructing the other side’s bad ideas and that is the definition of broken politics.
*edit I would also like to point out that the left constantly trying to re-litagate Bush v Gore 13 years later is also a sign of broken politics. It’s time we called all polictians to account for the broken state of Washington, DC.
mea_mark August 7th, 2014 at 11:17
I don’t know if the GOP will ever have a president again. It sure seems to me that there is a chance the GOP may just simply fade away since they can’t seem to rectify some of their poor political decisions. I think a new party may emerge to counter balance the Democrats. To early to say for sure but I do see the possibility.
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 11:25
They said the same thing about us in 1988 and again in 2002.
Suzanne McFly August 7th, 2014 at 11:32
He broke politics because republicans don’t like him? Now that is a stretch.
Suzanne McFly August 7th, 2014 at 11:32
He broke politics because republicans don’t like him? Now that is a stretch.
tiredoftea August 7th, 2014 at 12:31
Tommy missed the point for a morning rant. From Klein’s article at Vox:”One of the more important pivots in the Obama presidency was the administration’s recognition of that fact — and its eventual abandonment of the idea that real bipartisanship was possible on divisive issues.” This, after quoting McConnell on his “one term President” utterance.
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 12:48
He also missed the subtext of things like Clinton’s signing of DOMA and the repeal of Glass-Steagall and the long term harm that kind of bipartisian caused this country. I don’t know if Tommy was just using words like “misguided” for effect here but I think it would be a small minority of readers who would have interpreted what Klien said in this light.
tiredoftea August 7th, 2014 at 13:02
I read it as Klein envy!
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 13:13
Last week it was Chuck Todd. It seems like anyone who who has a more subtle point than “Dems good GOP bad,” is suddenly a DINO and giving aid an comfort to the enemy.
tiredoftea August 7th, 2014 at 13:24
Yes, I suppose that publishing pressure makes for dumb columns sometimes.
tiredoftea August 7th, 2014 at 12:31
Tommy missed the point for a morning rant. From Klein’s article at Vox:”One of the more important pivots in the Obama presidency was the administration’s recognition of that fact — and its eventual abandonment of the idea that real bipartisanship was possible on divisive issues.” This, after quoting McConnell on his “one term President” utterance.
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 12:48
He also missed the subtext of things like Clinton’s signing of DOMA and the repeal of Glass-Steagall and the long term harm that kind of bipartisianship caused this country. I don’t know if Tommy was just using words like “misguided” for effect here but I think it would be a small minority of readers who would have interpreted what Klien said in this light.
tiredoftea August 7th, 2014 at 13:02
I read it as Klein envy!
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 13:13
Last week it was Chuck Todd. It seems like anyone who who has a more subtle point than “Dems good GOP bad,” is suddenly a DINO and giving aid an comfort to the enemy.
tiredoftea August 7th, 2014 at 13:24
Yes, I suppose that publishing pressure makes for dumb columns sometimes.
fahvel August 7th, 2014 at 13:09
from here it seems that he did break politics – a political cronyism that need destruction and rebuilding – sadly the us congress is filled with self aggrandizing money mongers who seem to not have the people’s interests at heart – since maybe eisenhower, the us govt has slowly slithered into a trough where the members believe that they are above the people and are not responsible to anyone except the lobbyists. Maybe Mr.Sanders is an exception and possibly Ms. Warren.
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 13:16
Since it’s a profession that is almost entirely about fundraising and throwing red meat at your base, is it any surprise that what is best for the American people are no longer a part of the conversation?
mmaynard119 August 7th, 2014 at 17:09
She my state’s Senior Senator. Definitely Ms. Warren. Of you get a chance, read her book. It’s a good read.
fahvel August 7th, 2014 at 13:09
from here it seems that he did break politics – a political cronyism that need destruction and rebuilding – sadly the us congress is filled with self aggrandizing money mongers who seem to not have the people’s interests at heart – since maybe eisenhower, the us govt has slowly slithered into a trough where the members believe that they are above the people and are not responsible to anyone except the lobbyists. Maybe Mr.Sanders is an exception and possibly Ms. Warren.
Eric Trommater August 7th, 2014 at 13:16
Since it’s a profession that is almost entirely about fundraising and throwing red meat at your base, is it any surprise that what is best for the American people are no longer a part of the conversation?
mmaynard119 August 7th, 2014 at 17:09
She my state’s Senior Senator. Definitely Ms. Warren. Of you get a chance, read her book. It’s a good read.