Temperamentally Barack Obama is the anti-FDR, and that means no repeat of 1936 as he can't stir the nation like the patriotic New Dealer did to win reelection.
After Barack Obama (the Michael Jackson of American politics) claimed to be the 4th best president ever, the greatest military leader in half a millennia and the Christopher Columbus of green energy technologies saving the world from flat earth carbon polluters many of us wondered what his next big lie would be in trying to deceive America into reelecting him. And now we have the answer: he's attempting to reinvent himself in the most duplicitous and uningenius way as the most fiscally conservative president since Calvin Coolidge. No need to fear national bankruptcy America, the new Cool Cal is here to manage the government's finances and save it from fiscal catastrophe. Coolidge is turning in his grave as the nation heads toward the poor house.
Indeed, the president who's deficit spending is $3.8 billion per day, more than Bush's ($1.1 billion), Clinton's ($770 million) and Reagan's ($827 million) combined (see),-while believing that the $860 billion stimulus was undersized-thinks he deserves a second term and the vote of every deficit hawk and tea partier because he's the truest conservative in the race. What insufferable arrogance! Not only is this Orwelianism on steroids (a radical transformational leftist as conservative) it's hocus pocus fiscal policy: a mirage of smoke and mirrors trickery as the Wall Street Journal demonstrates here. But unfortunately for the most reckless and wasteful spending president in US history there aren't enough voters with their heads up their butt to believe this election year bunk.
With a dirt poor record of accomplishments to run on, and most Americans in an anti-big government mood opposing his statist agenda, many on the left are hoping against hope that Obama's personality will make up for his policy failures, and that bad economy and all he'll beat Romney in the end.
"He's someone you'd like to have beer with," they say. "He connects better with the folks than Romney, etc. etc." This is the nonsense that I heard on Morning Joe last week and read here in the Roger Simon piece "Is Mitt Romney Count Dracula?" so called because he's a savage, mean hearted, blood sucking vulture capitalist praying on laborers, blue collar workers and anyone with a job. They forget what happened in 1968 when Nixon beat amiable, nice guy Hubert Humphrey (the year a Romney was in the race); and what Nixon did to McGovern four years later-of the two who would you rather drink beer with?
The model used to justify this charisma over failure stuff is the 1936 election when FDR landslided into a second term despite the ongoing Depression (with joblessness at 14%) crushing his opponent Alf Landon. History is about to repeat itself, they happily believe, as Obama is the new unbeatable FDR and Romney is loser Landon returned from the dead as a greedy corporate raider. Could it be these guys are giving themselves a false hope to make their lives bearable till Election Day when reality crashes down on them as happened in 2010?
For Obama to be the new reelected FDR he'd have to be a larger than life leader with overwhelming charisma and patriotic fervor; he'd need to have an infectiously amiable and optimistic nature that made you feel like he was your brother, friend or neighbor and inspired you with confidence that things would be grand again. If Obama had these winning traits Romney would be toast and this year 1936 all over again-when it's really more like 32.
Truth is, compared to FDR Obama is a charismatic pipsqueak without patriotic feelings that stir your soul or upbeat, positive, cheery optimism to dispel the fear, uncertainty and gloom engulfing the folks. In fact, though the economy was worse in 1936 there was more optimism and direction then than exists today all because of FDR and his extraordinary temperament and belief in America-not a scintilla of which Obama has. In 1936 the enthusiasm for FDR was at fever pitch as much of the nation felt it was climbing out of a bottomless pit on its way to renewal and recovery. But with most Americans believing this country's best days and glory are past they crave new leadership offering a different path.
After three years of phony hope and change and stimulating the deficit and debt with little economic benefit or gain most Americans don't see a recovery ahead or that the nation is on the right path. Consequently the emotion for Obama's reelection is luke warm at best, not enough to give him a second chance as Romney outmaneuvers him on the chessboard of politics winning over women, independents and moderates.
In short, Obama is no FDR and this isn't 1936. The new New Deal of Hope and Change is a failure with no life left in it. Those who think that Obama's personality and million dollar smile will magically make Americans forget his record, broken promises and lies are being incredibly infantile.
Reread my piece from May 2009
Comparing FDR and Reagan to Obama
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Postscript I:
Landon Vs. FDR, Romney Vs. Obama
1936 wasn't a contest of Conservative Republican vs. Liberal Democrat like it is today. It was one Liberal vs. another with the center left Landon saying that he could do the New Deal better than Roosevelt. Landon was playing on FDR's turf according to his rules and was swept away on Election Day. But today things are reverse with Obama claiming to be more fiscally conservative than the two Bushes, Reagan and Eisenhower. Moreover, Romney like Roosevelt came from the Northeast (Massachusetts & New York); while Obama like Landon came from the Midwest (Illinois & Kansas).
Furthermore (for what it's worth) this reversal shows up symbolically in astrology: Roosevelt was an Aquarian and Landon a Virgo. While Obama is a Leo (opposite Aquarius) and Romney a Pisces (opposite Virgo). Interestingly, McCain* is a Virgo and Romney being his astrological opposite is not going to run McCain's weak and losing campaign. Romney the jaguar will go for the jugular in the nicest way. What we are witnessing is a reversal of fortune for New Deal Liberalism as America's anti-big government mood will sweep Romney into power in what will be the Tea Party's second triumph.
*A Fascinating Coincidence
Republican Virgoian John McCain was born in 1936 when Republican Virgoian Alf Landon lost to FDR.
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Postscript II
A friend sent this email the other day,
"I really hope and pray that you are correct [about Romney winning]. But, I really believe that Obama will be returned to office. This is based on the Money and the national PRESS."
There are many on the right who feel this way. But they forget 2008 when money and the press backed Obama; and inspite of a weak opponent and the economic mess Obama couldn't dupliacte LBJ's landslide over Goldwater of 44 years earlier. With such a God awful record and facing a stronger opponent this time with good reason David Axlerod said "Obama has a titanic struggle ahead." The key word is "TITANIC." For the Obama Administration is a sinking ship using pages from Newt's primary playbook to plug the leaks. Hardly a good sign for success.
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