Reviews

Obama Can Win – With Dignity Intact

10/26/2012

In this long and ugly campaign, I am getting tired of the suggestion that President Obama should imitate Lyndon Baines Johnson.

By that theory, Obama should have long ago grabbed his opponents and saboteurs by some vulnerable part of their anatomy and squeezed until they cooperated.

This thoughtful and active president has been catching hell for four years for the crime of PWB – Presiding While Black. We all know that race is the subtext for this campaign. Obama has had to deal with congressional leaders with the smirks of southern sheriffs and South African apartheid enforcers back in the bad old days.

Just the other day, when that great American Colin Powell endorsed Obama, John Sununu made the despicable suggestion that Powell was only doing it for racial reasons. (Piers Morgan, an outsider currently working in American television, did not know the territory well enough to push Sununu on this.)

Obama would only have made it worse by morphing into LBJ. Lately I’ve been talking to veterans who watched their companions die in Vietnam, and when they lived long enough to read memoirs and histories they discovered Johnson and his pals had known the war was not working.

Yes, give credit to Johnson for pushing through civil-rights and anti-poverty legislation, for muscling the southern tier, his own constituency. He was also a bully who could not face his grotesque mistake.

Obama did fine in his second and third debates against a candidate who swerves all over the place, as Colin Powell said. Reason and record -- and dignity -- will win out.

bruce pcken

10/27/2012 02:10:37 am

george,

it's incredible watching romney run head to head with obama during this campaign. however, as nate silver shows in 538 it's unlikely--at this time--that he'll win the electoral college.

don't know if it's racism that allows the great panderer to still be in the race or the stupidity of the 'folks',,,but it is pathetic to see.

i'm not a huge piers morgan fan but he is an improvement on larry king.

i had a different take on morgan and sununu.

i thought morgan knew what sununu said which is why he asked 'what is that' and then sat back and let the great man hang himself.

it was an incredilble moment. for some reason i had a flashback to when dan quayle--unwittingly as usual--endorsed a woman's right to choose on the king show. his wife corrected him the next day, if i recollect correctly.

any good lbj did during his tenure is negated by vietnam. americans loften ament that 58.000 of their people died during that immoral war. we rarely hear how many vietnamese died. multiple times more.

cheers,

bruce

bruce picken

10/27/2012 02:13:55 am

not sure what happened, but the 'l' in lament ended up before the 'o' in often in the last paragraph of my incredibly insightful comment.....

Suzanne

10/27/2012 02:59:33 am

George, I totally agree about PWB. It seems to be the under current that fuels a lot of people's hatred of Obama.

George Vecsey

10/27/2012 03:54:55 am

Suzanne?? It stunned me how quick a segment of Boehner-McConnell-Cantor America decided they hated Obama. Magical. Didn't like the cut of his jib (nautical term) or something.
Scared them to see a modern American male as the smartest man in their room. GV

Brian Savin

10/27/2012 06:29:54 am

I'll leave any remnant hopes and dreams about our current President alone, and simply be disappointed that the Governor does not find the present political climate conducive to serious political discussion. Instead, I'll turn my attention to the past. LBJ impressed me as a consummate politician, with his eye focused completely on ego. That is the only way I, at least, can explain the Civil Right Act and Vietnam can be in the same man. Very different from the now late George McGovern. The man from South Dakota may or may not have made a better President than President Nixon, who I believe on domestic matters was the last true inventive and progressive President we have had, but McGovern was full of honest "Prairie Wisdom." We had terrible problems back then, but at least also a very few public servants who articulated beliefs and positions that actually went to the heart of our problems.

george vecsey

10/27/2012 11:17:24 am

Brian, I totally agree about mcGovern. The tributes to him were touching on Friday. Thanks for your always-thoughtful comments. GV

Brian Savin

10/27/2012 06:33:33 am

edit: "HOW the Civil Rights Act....."

Sam Guttenplan

10/27/2012 07:05:16 am

George, I too agree about PWB, but I think that the reason is more subtle than the overt racism that is, sadly, all too easy to find in the US. The only explanation that I can give for the closeness of this election - given the clear inadequacies (I am being kind) of the Republican candidate - is that some in the electorate who do not consider themselves 'racist' in any ordinary sense, do not realise that they are nonetheless prejudiced. It would take too long to make out the case for this in detail, but the basic point is straightforward. These people simply discount - literally, they count less - much of Obama's character and his accomplishments because of his colour. Difficult to put into words because that might make it seem reasonable, but the idea is that because of an unreflective prejudice that is more widespread than racism, they cannot actually see what Obama has done and how he has brought the kind of dignity of which you wrote to his office. (This inability to see extends to women as well as black people, but that is another story.) If a historical and apolitical narrative of the past four years could be written which didn't mention the colour of the incumbent, and put alongside a narrative of what the current opponent has to offer, I doubt that there would be any contest.
I only hope that the first part of your title proves true: that he will win. His fundamental dignity is not in danger.

Alan Rubin link

10/28/2012 04:15:39 am

Comment deleted

Brian Savin

10/28/2012 04:39:30 am

Oh dear.

Alan Rubin link

10/28/2012 05:04:47 am

Comment deleted

Alan Rubin link

10/28/2012 05:22:14 am

SORRY--FIRST POSTED INCOMPLETE!!

George

Although I agree with your comments, would anything reasonable actually influence anyone’s political opinion or voting decision? Our country is so polarized that each half of the electorate is continually preaching to the choir and not listening to what others have to say. I find it more than amazing how many people unquestioningly vote against their own self-interest.

After my family, my top two passions are soccer and history. There is disappointment when your team loses, but nothing in your life changes dramatically.

However, when politicians ignore history, or try to revise it, serious consequences can occur. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are two recent examples.

My wife had been the executive director of an international organization whose board included many prominent and influential figures in America. One of them had commented that if Bush the second was elected in 2000; the world of our children and grandchildren would be affected forever. I do not know what he knew, but unfortunately he was right.

I’m active in a Democratic political action organization in western MA, The Berkshires, and for the past two years we have discussed what President Obama should focus on in his reelection campaign. Some of us strongly advocated that the emphasis be on what the president had accomplished and what people would lose if the Republicans regained control and reverted back to the old policies. We also felt that President Obama should trust his instincts more and not be so poll and advisor driven.

I was undecided between Obama and Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primaries until he made his first Reverend Wright speech. I was impressed that he went with his “gut” against the recommendations of his advisors.

The recent New Yorker endorsement of President Obama focuses on the accomplishments of his presidency:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2012/10/29/121029taco_talk_editors

The following animation clearly puts things into perspective.

http://front.moveon.org/brilliant-a-simpsons-animator-works-his-magic-on-a-rousing-obama-speech/?rc=email.10262012

Governor Romney continually refers to Massachusetts as “my state” as an example of his leadership skills. Very few state residents share his view.

Marsha Mirkin, a PhD Professor of Psychology at Lasell College in Massachusetts sent the following column to the Denver Post on (Romney in Mass) on October 15, 2012. (Colorado is a swing state and virtually tied),

“Here I am, a resident of Massachusetts listening to my former Governor speak convincingly and with seeming conviction at the Denver debate. I was startled by my Déjà vu experience and by the assumptions held by my out-of-town friends about Mr. Romney’s governorship. So, as an editor and author of articles and texts about social and political contexts, I wanted to reach out to my distant neighbors in Colorado and share my understanding of Mr. Romney’s governorship and the implications for the Presidency. Massachusetts is known as a liberal state, but we often vote for Republican governors, and the three governors who immediately preceded Mr. Romney were Republicans. Mr. Romney was a one term governor who left office with a 31% approval rating, the 3rd lowest in the entire country. What does our experience in Massachusetts say to the country?

Mr. Romney claims to have experience reaching across the aisle. Maybe he did do some reaching, but not much of it went toward the Democrats. In his first two years of office, he vetoed legislation at more than twice the rate of Republican predecessor Governor Weld. Governor
Romney had a record 800 vetoes (most of which were overturned,
sometimes unanimously). One example is when the legislature rovided
a budget amendment to stop contracting with companies that outsource state work to other countries. Governor Romney vetoed the provision. This meant that he supported outsourcing jobs at the expense of U.S. workers. He also started a huge campaign to unseat Democratic legislators, but failed and ended up with even fewer Republican seats than before he took office.

Governor Romney correctly claims that Massachusetts rose to #1 in
education—but it was based on former Governor Weld’s education reform plan. Governor Romney moved in the opposite direction--he vetoed bills that would have strengthened preschool education.

However, the issue is not so much how he voted, but that Mr. Romney
won the governorship by presenting himself in one way, as a social and
fiscal moderate (some saw him as a social progressive), and by the end of his single term, he had acted in an entirely different way. He said
during his campaign that he favored stem cell research and then vetoed
a bill to fund it. He argued for a lower minimum wage than the state
legislature ended up passing (over his veto). He vetoed a bill funding
hate crimes prevention,

Alan Rubin link

10/28/2012 01:52:13 pm

George

Although I agree with your comments, would anything reasonable actually influence anyone’s political opinion or voting decision? Our country is so polarized that each half of the electorate is continually preaching to the choir and not listening to what others have to say. I find it more than amazing how many people unquestioningly vote against their own self-interest.

After my family, my top two passions are soccer and history. There is disappointment when your team loses, but nothing in your life changes dramatically.

However, when politicians ignore history, or try to revise it, serious consequences can occur. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are two recent examples.

My wife had been the executive director of an international organization whose board included many prominent and influential figures in America. One of them had commented that if Bush the second was elected in 2000; the world of our children and grandchildren would be affected forever. I do not know what he knew, but unfortunately he was right.

I’m active in a Democratic political action organization in western MA, The Berkshires, and for the past two years we have discussed what President Obama should focus on in his reelection campaign. Some of us strongly advocated that the emphasis be on what the president had accomplished and what people would lose if the Republicans regained control and reverted back to the old policies. We also felt that President Obama should trust his instincts more and not be so poll and adviser driven.

I was undecided between Obama and Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primaries until he made his first Reverend Wright speech. I was impressed that he went with his “gut” against the recommendations of his advisors.

The recent New Yorker endorsement of President Obama focuses on the accomplishments of his presidency:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2012/10/29/121029taco_talk_editors

The following animation clearly puts things into perspective.

http://front.moveon.org/brilliant-a-simpsons-animator-works-his-magic-on-a-rousing-obama-speech/?rc=email.10262012

Governor Romney continually refers to Massachusetts as “my state” as an example of his leadership skills. Very few state residents share his view.

Marsha Mirkin, a PhD Professor of Psychology at Lasell College in Massachusetts sent the following column to the Denver Post on (Romney in Mass) on October 15, 2012. (Colorado is a swing state and virtually tied),

“Here I am, a resident of Massachusetts listening to my former Governor speak convincingly and with seeming conviction at the Denver debate. I was startled by my Déjà vu experience and by the assumptions held by my out-of-town friends about Mr. Romney’s governorship. So, as an editor and author of articles and texts about social and political contexts, I wanted to reach out to my distant neighbors in Colorado and share my understanding of Mr. Romney’s governorship and the implications for the Presidency. Massachusetts is known as a liberal state, but we often vote for Republican governors, and the three governors who immediately preceded Mr. Romney were Republicans. Mr. Romney was a one term governor who left office with a 31% approval rating, the 3rd lowest in the entire country. What does our experience in Massachusetts say to the country?

Mr. Romney claims to have experience reaching across the aisle. Maybe he did do some reaching, but not much of it went toward the Democrats. In his first two years of office, he vetoed legislation at more than twice the rate of Republican predecessor Governor Weld. Governor Romney had a record 800 vetoes (most of which were overturned, sometimes unanimously). One example is when the legislature provided a budget amendment to stop contracting with companies that outsource state work to other countries. Governor Romney vetoed the provision. This meant that he supported outsourcing jobs at the expense of U.S. workers. He also started a huge campaign to unseat Democratic legislators, but failed and ended up with even fewer Republican seats than before he took office.

Governor Romney correctly claims that Massachusetts rose to #1 in
education—but it was based on former Governor Weld’s education reform plan. Governor Romney moved in the opposite direction--he vetoed bills that would have strengthened preschool education.

However, the issue is not so much how he voted, but that Mr. Romney won the governorship by presenting himself in one way, as a social and fiscal moderate (some saw him as a social rogressive), and by the end of his single term, he had acted in an entirely different way. He said during his campaign that he favored stem cell research and then vetoed a bill to fund it. He argued for a lower minimum wage than the state legislature ended up passing (over his veto). He vetoed a bill funding hate crimes prevention, and took back money approved by a f

Alan Rubin link

10/28/2012 01:58:20 pm

I have been having difficulty posting my complete message. In hope of getting it all in, I've split it into two posts.

However, the issue is not so much how he voted, but that Mr. Romney won the governorship by presenting himself in one way, as a social and fiscal moderate (some saw him as a social progressive), and by the end of his single term, he had acted in an entirely different way. He said during his campaign that he favored stem cell research and then vetoed a bill to fund it. He argued for a lower minimum wage than the state legislature ended up passing (over his veto). He vetoed a bill funding hate crimes prevention, and took back money approved by a former Republican governor for a bullying prevention program. He denied all requests for commutations and pardons, including one from a soldier
serving in Iraq whose was convicted at age 13 for a BB gun incident.
He vetoed emergency contraception. He raised many fees in my
state—even quadrupling the gasoline delivery fees.

Governor Romney certainly approved some pieces of legislation that I did support but that does not change a major problem: Mr. Romney
re-created himself and changed his positions during the first
Presidential debate in your city because he must sound more moderate in order to win the independent vote. After that, all bets are off. We in Massachusetts know all about that. We elected a governor expecting him to be one thing and then he did something totally different and got on the national stage. He entered the governorship with a 61% approval rating and left with an abysmal 31% and with many of us scratching our heads and wondering whom we elected. The difference between then and now is that you have Mr. Romney’s speeches and positions from this past year and the contradictions during the debate. You can get nonpartisan information from factcheck.org. And, you now know what he was like in Massachusetts. So, I hope the country doesn’t have to go through what Massachusetts went through. Regardless of your political beliefs, this constant turning into something we didn’t vote for is no way to run a state, never mind a country”.

Marsha Mirkin,
Wellesley, MA

Hopefully, enough voters will actually consider the consequences of their choice when the pull the lever on November 6th.

Gene Palumbo

11/2/2012 03:15:59 pm

George has a column in tomorrow's Times (i.e. Saturday, Nov. 3, page D3 of the New York edition) on the decision to call off the marathon: "Wisely Stepping Aside in a Bombarded City,"
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/03/sports/george-vecsey-canceling-the-marathon-was-the-right-thing-to-do.html

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Obama Can Win – With Dignity Intact

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