The Moment of His Greatness
Since that bluest of blue-states, Massachusetts, elected a Republican to Ted Kennedy's senate seat last week, President Obama has been ratcheting up the rhetoric, particularly about those "fat-cat" bankers.
But the time for mere talk is passed. As already noted, this is do-or-die time for the Captain of the Washington Generals. Frank Rich noted it too, comparing this moment in Obama's presidency to a similar one in JFK's, when he was publicly dissed by U.S. Steel:
Kennedy didn't settle for the generic populist rhetoric of Obama’s latest threats to “fight” unspecified bankers some indeterminate day. He instead took the strong action of dressing down U.S. Steel by name. As Richard Reeves writes in his book "President Kennedy," reporters were left “literally gasping.” The young president called out big steel for threatening “economic recovery and stability” while Americans risked their lives in Southeast Asia. J.F.K. threatened to sic his brother’s Justice Department on corporate records and then held firm as his opponents likened his flex of muscle to the power grabs of Hitler and Mussolini. (Sound familiar?) U.S. Steel capitulated in two days.
Will Obama allow his moment to flicker? Time will tell, but I'm not optimistic.
Comments
I think this is the first time I've felt this way. Doubtless I'm behind the curve, but I've never voted against a Democrat in my life. Honestly, I don't see how I could vote for Obama again, who aside from all else, is pursuing an anti-union, pro-privatization agenda in education, entirely from the GW Bush playbook.
His wimpy health care program appears to have abandoned the vital public option and is financed by a tax not on the rich, as he promised, but on health benefits, as McCain promised.
And the Governor of New York, who's also lost my vote, appears to be right in step.
I'm not surprised the Democrats lost Massachusetts, if they've managed to lose a lifelong supporter like me. I'm only surprised at how clueless they are as to why, after getting a mandate for change and failing utterly to deliver.
Posted by: NYC Educator | January 24, 2010 12:20 PM
Well said, NYC Educator. There may be more than a dime's worth of difference between the two parties, but not much more.
Posted by: abi | January 24, 2010 02:32 PM
You're right, unfortunately. I've turned that into a post today.
Posted by: NYC Educator | January 25, 2010 06:15 AM