‘Lame Duck’ Obama: Formidable, In Charge
At the time in his tenure when most presidents fret over their waning clout, Barack Obama is redefining the concept of the lame duck.
His administration has been energized by his aggressive use of executive power. Some of the most hard-won achievements of his early years in office are beginning to pay off. And his political luck seems to be turning. With a term and a half behind him, Obama’s prospects are brighter than they have been for years.
“We are on offense,” said a White House official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, noting with satisfaction that predictions that the new Republican majority would grab the initiative and quickly make the White House a peripheral player did not pan out.
Though Republicans paint Obama’s glass as half full, and argued that the administration is overstating its record, that hasn’t rattled the man in the Oval Office.
The new sense of serenity in the White House solidified this week with figures showing that more than 16 million people have now signed up for health plans under Obamacare, the president’s top domestic achievement.
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Copyright 2015 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo
David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.
* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.
23 responses to ‘Lame Duck’ Obama: Formidable, In Charge
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Tim Coolio March 18th, 2015 at 07:47
Lame duck? that term only applies to someone who’s
successor has been elected, and for Obama that won’t
happen for almost two years!
Larry Schmitt March 18th, 2015 at 08:28
Depends on your source. This is Webster’s definition: an elected official whose time in an office or position will soon end.
Using that definition, he became a lame duck as soon as he was re-elected.
Jimmy Cahill March 18th, 2015 at 09:49
Yeah a lame duck is somebody who is not going for re-election. People assume that since they don’t have to win the favor of voters they are less likely to actually do their job since they will no longer really be held accountable.
jybarz March 18th, 2015 at 09:41
I think the GOP Congress is becoming more & more the lame duck. Sweet Irony!
Kevin Murphy March 19th, 2015 at 21:33
They are too dysfunctional. Maybe a poisoned meal.
Pilotshark March 18th, 2015 at 10:45
Well the President maybe a lame duck, but ex Rep. Schock is a cooked goose.
anothertoothpick March 18th, 2015 at 12:04
And now is the time for Obama to stop ending his speeches with that “God Bless America” B*ll S**t
John Tarter March 18th, 2015 at 14:07
Yep, it’s full bore dictator time so watch for power play now. He will do everything he can and run out the clock, assured that the Congress will do nothing to the first black President.
tracey marie March 18th, 2015 at 14:15
If he was the dictator you always whine about you and the rest of the teabaggs would be in gitmo. Grow the hell up and do stop with the stupid
William March 18th, 2015 at 14:34
Relax, Tater is just worried about the President running for a third term.
tracey marie March 18th, 2015 at 14:45
lol, I swear the teabaggers have had a collective mental breakdown
William March 18th, 2015 at 15:00
Like I said…..
tracey marie March 18th, 2015 at 16:46
I had 2 college students who registered to vote so they can vote Obama out of office in 2014, Texas… sigh
testam March 18th, 2015 at 15:37
Gas prices were $1.95/gallon when Obama took office. I could borrow $7.5 trillion (72% increase in national debt) and double the stock market, bail out a few companies and put people back to work. How much of the stimulus money was paid to labor unions? The problem with all that is we are living on borrowed time just like most Americans who are in debt up to their ears. And half the population pay no federal income tax and want to suck the entitlements from Uncle Sam for the rest of their lives. Democrats are good at keeping the poor, poor and making the population think government is the answer to their problems. Sad, very sad.
William March 19th, 2015 at 12:05
“And half the population pay no federal income tax and want to suck the entitlements from Uncle Sam for the rest of their lives.”
Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha,Ha.
Thanks for that montage of right wing bumper stickers.
Kevin Murphy March 19th, 2015 at 21:31
“keeping the poor poor”? What have you been smoking? The GOP is working overtime to make sure that the middle class doesn’t have a pay raise & is destroying any safety net.
I guess you are not going to mention how gas prices hit over $ 4 when Bush was in office or how the price of gas has come down?
How about how the wars (started by Bush/Cheney) with a tax cut that benefited the wealthy and a medicare prescription plan that benefited Big Pharma was all unpaid for and put on credit and would therefore have a hell of a lot to do w/ a debt.
You can also add how more money is given to big companies who hide their profits so they can not be taxed than to AMERICAN CITIZENS.
Start listening to something besides FOX because time & time again their audiences rate the lowest in understanding current events. In fact, The Daily Show beats them & they are a comedy show….
Obewon March 19th, 2015 at 21:55
In 2008 U.S. Record $147/Brl $5/Gal gasoline ate your cerebellum, mindwiping any accuracy and leaving you uninformed even for a functional illiterate.
William March 18th, 2015 at 14:31
“Yep, it’s full bore dictator time”
OldLefty March 18th, 2015 at 14:51
Has there EVER been a president that the opposition party DIDN’T say that about???
The left also said that you can rest assured that Congress will do nothing to the first president who was not well (Reagan), and after the last president of his party had to leave in disgrace.
Plus the People were weary.
Then they said, BushCheney were assured that the Congress will do nothing to the first president who was likely to have always been out of the loop.
So, nothing is new under the sun.
Steve Dodson March 19th, 2015 at 07:13
Despite Obama’s delusions of grandeur, he is still incompetent. Under his “leadership” the government is more dysfunctional than it’s ever been. He has not passed any substantial legislation in years, so all this can be undone in the blink of an eye.
The damage he has done to the way our government is supposed to work is frightening.
OldLefty March 19th, 2015 at 07:58
That’s we said about Reagan, Bush and Bush.
The Adams / Jefferson camps said the same things about each other.
So what?
Why do you guys think that the oldest most common, two bit sentiments are suddenly priceless when YOU express them?
Kevin Murphy March 19th, 2015 at 21:19
You could actually blame President Obama for not getting laws passed if he was indeed a king but this is a democracy & we had a House of Rep. whose main job was not to legislate but to obstruct like no other party in history.
They prevented laws to benefit students, Veterans, 911 responders, schools, the elderly, pre-school, and even the infrastructure. Then they failed to pass a bill to pay for their spending and this caused a shut down of our government.
No you can not blame President Obama but if you want to blame someone for the dysfunctional system in place look at the folks at FOX Propaganda Network that spew hate, fear, propaganda & paranoia to keep their sheep brainwashed to follow their commands. Then throw in everyone who worked to stop honest compromises instead of my way or the highway. President Obama compromised way too much.
Steve Dodson March 20th, 2015 at 01:52
Do you really think Obama is the first president to face a hostile congress? But as the leader of the country, it’s his job to work with everyone. Not to blame the opposition for his short comings.
Harry Truman “The buck stops here”
Barrack Obama ” It’s Bush – Boehners fault”…
And how many laws did Reid bury in the Senate? There were plenty of opportunities to negotiate and compromise. Obama and Reid were more to blame than the Republicans in the house.