Obama Learned Nothing from the Healthcare Fiasco

Nothing at all. Here's what I don't get about Obama's proposal to freeze federal workers' salaries: he got nothing in return. Just like he did with healthcare.

Nothing.

And he is out of his fucking skull if he thinks either the Republicans or the Very Serious People are going to give him credit for this. All they will do is say this is a good start, and then demand even more. Oops, we find that this isn't even called a good start, but only a token one.

Is there anyone at the White House who has ever negotiated for anything? I can understand bargaining this away (I wouldn't be happy about it, but I get it), but he gave this away for free. No concessions by Republicans, nothing.

Maybe Obama just doesn't care about jobs or wages, since it's hard to believe that he can be this stupid.

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Maybe Obama just doesn't care about jobs or wages, since it's hard to believe that he can be this stupid.

He went to Harvard. He's not stupid.

'He went to Harvard. He's not stupid.'

And yet, judging by the evidence, he is - sadly.

'He went to Harvard. He's not stupid.'

And yet, judging by the evidence, he is - sadly.

No, the evidence indicates that he isn't stupid; one must therefore conclude malice or ignorance.

I think that we need to accept that the kind of governing, negotiating, and planning, that Obama is doing is the kind of governing, negotiating, and planning, that Obama wants to be doing.

Unfortunately, while Obama is clearly neither a liberal or a progressive 'progressiveism' and 'liberalism' are getting the blame for Obama's pro-status quo ineffectiveness.

By Prof.Pedant (not verified) on 30 Nov 2010 #permalink

The idea that Obama appears to negotiate against himself because he's naive about his opponents is increasingly dubious. It's much more likely at this point that he simply believes in what he's doing and gets the outcome he desires. He's a right-of-center Democrat who supports right-of-center policies.

Maybe Obama just doesn't care about jobs or wages, since it's hard to believe that he can be this stupid.

We have a winner!

BTW, the preferred nomenclature is not "doesn't care about jobs or wages", it's "seeks to enhance labour market flexibility". Please ensure that the offending copy is filed in the nearest memory hole.

I'm going with vanity.

I don't think he can face up to the fact that he seriously goofed both with the stimulus and in his methods for dealing with Congress---and I don't think it's the Republicans he's surrendering to, it's some Republicans, Snowe, Collins, Brown, and now Kirk plus the conservative Democrats. He needs those 60 votes. But he needs them because he's never come up with any plan by which he wouldn't need them. And I think he's never come up with a plan because he's convinced his original schemes will work, eventually. Vanity.