On today’s front page at LGF, Charles posts this about an article from The Hill:
Romney: Don’t Wish for Obama to Fail
Mitt Romney is obviously a RINO trying to split the GOP and subvert the cause of conservatism.
Yes, that’s sarcasm, based on the copious insults directed against LGF for saying the same things: Romney: Don’t root for Obama to fail.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) said Wednesday that Republicans shouldn’t oppose President Obama as a reflex and should praise him when he succeeds.
Speaking at the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s (NRSC) spring dinner, Romney was thick on criticism of Obama, but also said Republicans shouldn’t root against the man Romney might well face in the 2012 presidential election.
After offering a few choice words for Obama’s early conduct in office, Romney suggested it’s OK to hope things go well under the new president.
Emphasis mine.
Charles. There is a world of difference between “I hope Obama fails” and “I hope things go well under Obama.” The first sentence is about Obama the man. The second sentence is about the country. You are a good enough reader to see the distinction.
Second, this is what Jeff was talking about, in the Hill article you link:
The issue of Republicans rooting for Obama to fail has come to a head as congressional GOPers have resolutely stood against his economic ideas and conservative talker Rush Limbaugh has openly said he hopes Obama fails.
Do you see the sleight-of-hand there? The reporter deftly equates “rooting for Obama to fail” with the congressional GOP not going blithely along with Obama’s agenda, which is such an odd, mean-spirited thing for the opposition party to do. I guess when you oppose Obama’s agenda, which is what voters put you there for, you’re “rooting for Obama to fail.” Obama the man, that is, not his agenda.
Those faulty premises need to be called out—not brushed off, ignored, or worse, accepted.
The reporter paraphrases Romney as saying that “Republicans shouldn’t root against the man Romney might well face in the 2012 presidential election.”
Rooting against the man. Opposing the man’s agenda. Rooting against the country.
One thing, two things, or three?
UPDATE: Charles responds to the comment I left on his site:
Hi Charles! Me again.
My response is here [link to this post], if you’re interested.
Charles responds generally:
If you folks can’t understand why it’s simply bad politics to wish for a President to fail — whether or not you try to qualify it by saying “it’s his policies!” — I don’t know what to tell you.
And then to me, specifically:
Thanks for caring, but it’s pointless to discuss this with people who are determined to marginalize themselves. Good luck with that approach, and I mean that sincerely.
Comment by serr8d on 4/3 @ 1:13 am #
It’s like training a dog. If he does right, doesn’t piss on the carpet, throw him a bone.
But if he humps your leg while trying to claw your wallet out of your back pocket, then hit him on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper (there’s a use for those things after all!).
(Note: the phrase “Here, boy” was purposefully left out of this comment, to avoid any miscoloring of my intent. This comment will self-destruct in 37 seconds.)
DOG TRAINER~!
Pingback by There’s battle lines being drawn on 4/3 @ 1:24 am #
[...] people speakin’ their minds gettin’ so much resistance from behind… * Posted by Jeff G. @ 7:18 pm | [...]
Comment by topsecretk9 on 4/3 @ 1:47 am #
Charles. There is a world of difference between “I hope Obama fails†and “I hope things go well under Obama.â€
Are we sure Firedoglake or Think Progress didn’t take hold of LGF? because that’s the kinda stupid, disingenuous shit those idiots have made a cottage industry out of.
Comment by Mr B on 4/3 @ 1:48 am #
Hey cheer up. Even if Obama does destroy the economy there’s alwaysCoon Meat to be had.
God, the entertainment value in the article image at certain sites. LMFAO!
Oh yeah, well it’s too bad about Romney. I liked him until now. The Republican’s are in a pickle. They want to maintain the staus quo in the middle ground with the name Republican but leave all those icky and cumbersome values behind.
I hope Glenn Beck continues to rally support with the 912 project and we see a principled leader emerge to represent us. But, maybe I am dreaming.
Comment by happyfeet on 4/3 @ 2:31 am #
Romney had his chance. He didn’t resonate. He needs to go away and stop dorking up the Republican Party. Ok I mean stop dorking up the Republican Party marginally more than it is anyway. There’s only room for one dork in 2012 and his name is Bobby. Mr. Jindal if you’re nasty.
Comment by B. Hard on 4/3 @ 3:00 am #
“Do you see the sleight-of-hand there?”
Unfortunately, I keep seeing it… from our side of the aisle.
Comment by dicentra on 4/3 @ 3:08 am #
Romney is the only cat who could possibly unravel the tangle that Obama is making of the economy. And hey, what with all these new executive powers that Obama is creating, that will clear the arena for Romney to do what needs to be done.
Whatever else you say about the man, he knows how to take a messed-up company and turn it around. Of course, having to do that with two houses of congress stabbing you in the back might be too much for anyone.
Comment by happyfeet on 4/3 @ 3:13 am #
I just… I want to do my part to not dissuade other worthy candidates from coming forward, d.
Comment by dicentra on 4/3 @ 3:18 am #
Right ‘feets. I hope you don’t fail.
Comment by B. Hard on 4/3 @ 3:35 am #
dicentra, I wasn’t speaking about Romney with my comment, I don’t think I was clear.
I kinda like the guy. Remember that little video clip where a reporter said to him, “I represent the people”, and he immediately quipped, “No, you represent the press. I represent the people.”?
Comment by happyfeet on 4/3 @ 3:36 am #
oh. That Mitt could have been president.
Comment by B. Hard on 4/3 @ 3:36 am #
10 only makes sense if 7 referred to 6, btw.
Comment by dicentra on 4/3 @ 4:13 am #
I’m confused, apparently, but that’s not unusual for me.
I’ll just do as I always do and ride it out.
And if that fails, I’ll go back to ‘feets’s original comment and notice that he mentioned Bobby Jindal at the end.
*sigh
Comment by George Orwell on 4/3 @ 4:40 am #
Charles is a fool. I love the vanity… “marginalize yourselves.” Yeah, that centrism of McCain really put your faction at the, uh, center of matters last fall, didn’t it?
Comment by B. Hard on 4/3 @ 4:40 am #
Read your update now. The “it’s bad politics” begs the question: how do you know that?
I don’t say that as request for credentials. But, is there any empirical evidence for these theories of good and bad politics I keep hearing about?
It’s simple to me. People can tell when you’re blatantly lying. No one actually believes a conservative hopes for Obama’s success. If no one would believe it, why would it be good politics to assert it?
Comment by George Orwell on 4/3 @ 4:48 am #
No one actually believes a conservative hopes for Obama’s success. If no one would believe it, why would it be good politics to assert it?
For shame! You are applying too much simple logic to a very subtle, arcane syllogism. Ahem.
Comment by George Orwell on 4/3 @ 4:50 am #
The Pragmatic Republican battle cry resounds… “I had to support Obama in order to destroy him!”
Comment by B. Hard on 4/3 @ 4:54 am #
“I had to support Obama in order to destroy him!â€
Heh, lol, lmao, and tee hee.
Comment by geoffb on 4/3 @ 5:27 am #
You have to be into some serious mental difficulties to assert that a leader is the nation they lead. A narcissist, a megalomaniacal one would assert it about themselves. Their most hypnotized followers would also.
Anyone else is just sucking up, looking for favor from, or not to be crushed by, one they see as all powerful. Why is being that fearful/hopeful suck-up a thing to be praised? Brown-nosers are now role models?
Comment by JHoward on 4/3 @ 7:46 am #
One minor correction, dicentra: It’s not Obama. It’s who Obama is beholden to to get someone of his low caliber and standing appointed to ruler.
Meaning that money (in the Fed’s version of it, complete with the attendant greatest fraud against American values, rights, properties, and expectations in its history, if not the world’s) is really Big Money and the US Government is its tool. From this we can immediately conclude that Charles misses the point, today, by degrees.
Charles lacks the perspective to be enraged. This is a matter of time.
If he saw this reality, which he will soon enough, he’d be enraged. For someone with his perspective to think that Obama is himself and more or less alone a mere aberration in a tidy world where “R” always restores full and unfettered constitutional authority to the land is a folly. Likewise any RINO’s, or any non-classical liberals, which is a real winnowing down of the ranks and handily explains where the outrage went.
Comment by Brett on 4/3 @ 11:45 am #
If Obama’s policies fail the country succeeds!
Comment by Brett on 4/3 @ 12:05 pm #
Making a success of Obama’s presidency.
Comment by Lost My Cookies on 4/3 @ 2:03 pm #
Wait, the guy who runs Little Green Footballs thinks we’re marginalizing ourselves?
o-o-okay.
Comment by dicentra on 4/3 @ 8:10 pm #
Don’t be too hard on Charles. He may be wrong on this issue (and others), but he’s one of the good guys. He’s done yeoman’s work highlighting the evils of Islamofascism, and undoubtedly put his own life in danger. He enrages Muslims, yo, some of whom would kill him on sight if they could.
Here at PW, we cheese off snooty, self-styled intellectuals. You don’t get an unlisted number in fear of some Birkenstock-clad tree-hugger.
I found PW through LGF, not to mention a ton of other good blogs. The starboard side owes him some basic respect, though not obeisance (and I doubt he’d want it if offered).
We can argue with Charles about his positions all we want, but there’s no reason to slag on him personally or call his character into question.
Comment by mojo on 4/4 @ 5:51 am #
Fuck him and the whore he rode in on.
Comment by happyfeet on 4/5 @ 4:19 pm #
I will think about what you said about the don’t be too hard.
Comment by serr8d on 4/8 @ 1:56 am #
He’s doing himself in. We don’t have to do a thing except for to sell popcorn and watch.
Comment by dicentra on 4/8 @ 5:01 am #
Charles isn’t a conservative nor does he claim to be. He’s like Hitch, with whom we agree on a huge issue (Iraq, GWOT) but aside from that there’s not much in common.
Politics, bedfellows, etc.
TW: just talking. Srsly.