Story Created:
Nov 24, 2009
Story Updated:
Nov 24, 2009
The incomparable Victor Davis Hanson on why voters went for The One last year; and why they won't again. We'll see.
Millions of independents and swing voters went for Obama for five reasons: (1) they believed the media hype that Bush was the “worst” (fill in the blanks); (2) the sudden financial panic of September 2008 and the anger at Wall Street banditry and bail-outs; (3) Obama’s youth, charm, and oratory; (4) the feel-good novelty of voting in our first African-American president; (5) Obama’s centrist campaign message of paying down debt, working with allies, drilling, being tough against Al Qaeda, and being bipartisan.
It’s taken almost 11 months, but voters now know that propositions 1-5 are now refuted or irrelevant...
Tuesday, Dec 1 at 12:21 PM Lew Screws wrote ...
Bush was easy to blame because he is a Caucasian American which is fair game to blame regardless of the facts. Double standards of race and perception make it almost impossible to find fault with the slickstyled elites. Dorothy said it best, "...lyin' and Tiger and Barrack oh my..."
32912611 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 11:57 PM Re: #5 wrote ...
Obama's "bi-partisanship": I had some young Liberal teacher telling me before the election how great Obama was going to be as President because he was the Editor of the Harvard Law Review (!), and had to bring together so many differing groups(!). This young LIB literally said that bringing the different factions of the Harvard Law School together was more difficult than would be bringing the Republicans and Democrats together(!!!) These are the people that voted for Obama.
32696959 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 5:19 PM MADDOG wrote ...
So does everyone else.
32685294 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 5:19 PM MADDOG wrote ...
I wish whoa is him.
32685284 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 5:18 PM MADDOG wrote ...
That should read woe is him.
32685264 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 5:18 PM MADDOG wrote ...
Thats right blame Bush. Poooooooor Barack. Whoa is him. Not his fault.
32685239 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 3:30 PM Anonymous wrote ...
That One:Right,Right,Right.They like to blame Obama for evrything.He did get all this dumped on him.Remember Bush did not raise tax's to pay for the war.This is the first time in history were tax's was not raised to support war.I just thank the good Lord that these nuts were not around when the Japanese attacked Pear,other wise we would be speaking Japanese now.
32681021 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 2:31 PM Tuerqas wrote ...
To 'That one': Let's see, closing GITMO, pulling out of Iraq (Got a peace prize for not doing that.), raising taxes only on people making 250,000 or more, public healthcare for everyone (specifically healthcare that costs less, not trillions more)... Now what has he done? Paladin, you killed it for me. I thought 'rebublicans would have one' was a very clever play on words to mean that if the Republicans had a true conservative, they would have had 'one' cuz most are RINO and/or spenders.
32678076 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 6:45 AM MADDOG wrote ...
Or maybe I should say most conservatives instead of republicans.
32651171 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 6:44 AM MADDOG wrote ...
The only reason democrats even mention bipartisanship is they want the republicans on board with their BAD ideas so they can then BLAME the Republicans also. That in turn is why the Republicans say NO to everything. Most Republicans are NOT stupid, evil or greedy as you Libs would have everyone believe.
32651126 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 6:38 AM ijeff wrote ...
Words of wisdom: Bipartisanship is not defined as following the other side as they walk off the cliff.
32650939 Flag for moderationWednesday, Nov 25 at 6:32 AM ijeff wrote ...
Did "that one" read the VDH piece? It pretty clearly articulates what Obama said he was and what he has proven to be. And don't give me this crap about he tried to be bipartisan. He did not. He and his thugs (i.e. advisors) told the opposition that he won and get out of the way. The stimulus was a 99% package of liberal patronage and government bailouts. Contrast Obama to Bush who truly did seek out and work bispartisanship. Do I need to list examples for you?
32650789 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 10:04 PM That One wrote ...
I implore the Republican'ts on this site to tell me which of Obama's major campaign promises have not been pursued. You will probably say bi-partisanship, but it's not his fault that the Republican't platform is "Just Say No." If Americans are surprised at the Obama agenda, then, yes, they are stupid because he is doing precisely what he ran on.
32640876 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 9:04 PM MADDOG @ Liberal wrote ...
Yeah young articulate and a lying sack of rotten crap. And don't give me any of that BUSH BUSH BUSH BUSH bull. Obama basically told the people what they wanted to hear all the while keeping his fingers crossed behind his back.
32638466 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 8:52 PM ijeff wrote ...
At some point nobody but a hard core liberal is going to buy the "Feed the rich" mantra offered up by "bannedcat". The biggest liberal lie about Bush is the "tax cuts for the rich". In actuality, it was too much tax cuts for non-earners and deadbeats. We need across the board reductions that truly spur growth. I can handle the liberal complaining when the results are so spectacular. The can go back into their holes and sputter about evil Republicans. Its what they do best.
32638014 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 8:52 PM Liberal wrote ...
Voters did not get "fooled" in Nov. 2008. They knew it was conservative policies that put capitalism in a coma. They knew that, for all the talk of market "efficiency," the market theory of conservative economists turned out to be the big lie. They knew McCain was a moderate and Obama a liberal (and Palin a flake)and that Obama was young and articulate (especially compared to Bush) And what they see now is high unemployment and a hard right block of republicans going more and more conservative
32638004 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 8:23 PM News2Use wrote ...
Rasmussen (best pollster- he uses data from most likely voters) has Obama at 45% overall approval, 27% strongly approve, 42% strongly disapprove. Obama is losing on all his policy stands, taken individually. Drudge has linked to the Rasmussen poll(s). Just the facts, Ma'am.
32636839 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 7:26 PM Jugdish wrote ...
That is exactly right.... If healthcare reform passes in it's current state, Obama and the dem's are toast. We will start paying for all of this next year, and will see no return for at least 5 years. Do you think the dems can pile cash that long without finding something else to spend it on?
32634499 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 6:37 PM @bannedcat wrote ...
You sare delusional if you think that passing the health care bills that are in congress is going to garner Obama votes in 2012.
32632259 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 5:08 PM to PALADIN wrote ...
good grief are you kidding me. one typo and you're giving me heck, about one and not won. get a life
32628076 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 5:04 PM JC wrote ...
Let's hope. At least I can feel good for about 24 hours.
32627891 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 4:26 PM Kenny G wrote ...
Obama has a knack for riding in on such opportunity. The Senate seat he capitalized on was available only after a last minute sex scandal involving the incumbent Senator. Kinda makes you wonder HOW the sex scandal came to life and grew into the monster now know as "Obama's Opportunity". (This is the extent of Obama's respect for capitalism.) These opportunities are manufactured, you understand, with the candidate poised to do the bidding of his masters already set up to walk in to the office.
32625809 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 4:01 PM KT wrote ...
Next election, let's remember that friends don't let friends vote stupid.
32624389 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 2:19 PM LD wrote ...
It's an encouraging trend, but liberals like Bill bought this pig in a poke once and there's no sign they have learned anything yet. Rather than admit they made a colossal mistake, their eyes are shut tightly, fingers are deep in their ears and the bleating cries of 'La-La-La...Bush did it' get louder every day.
32617821 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 2:10 PM Shelly wrote ...
No Anonymous. We got the government the liberals deserve.
32617131 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 2:08 PM Paladin wrote ...
Did"The One" sell used cars in a past life? Anonymous-LEARN TO USE PROPER ENGLISH!! It's won,not one!
32616971 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 1:42 PM bannedcat wrote ...
You are making a lot of assumptions about a POTUS who has only a year in office. How many would have guessed GWB would have survived 8 years? If the economy turns, heath care passes, and the stimulus money bears fruit, then the GOP will have some crow to eat. This is not to say that the GOP won't gain some seats in 2010. Almost every opposition party does...this is no mandate, just historical fact. What incentive does the U.S.A. have to return to the GOP "feed the rich" strategy anyway?
32615066 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 1:24 PM Anonymous wrote ...
i agree with bill on # 6 McCain. The rebublicans would have one if we have a true conservative
32613559 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 1:22 PM Anonymous wrote ...
sad thing is there were so many warning signs to how radical President Obama really was, but because of the 5 reasons above the voters put the "blinders" on. Or they the voters weren't paying attention to those radical details that so many Conservative media outlets were presenting. Either way the voters voted, and we get the government we deserve!!!.
32613379 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 1:18 PM Bill wrote ...
He forgot #6 McCain/Palin
32613091 Flag for moderationTuesday, Nov 24 at 12:56 PM Papa Z wrote ...
Victor Davis Hanson has really nailed this one. In any Presidential elections -- even in landslide years like 1932, 1972, and 1984, each side of the aisle can guarantee 40% of the vote for their candidate. The trick is to get the majority of the undecided 20%. President Obama got it last time -- but it is certainly not likely again.
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