What Should You Do When Your Leader Falls Flat?

Given that OS has propped up the Obama Administration almost since its regrettable arrival into office, it is somewhat remarkable that a breeze through the cover page of OS in the aftermath of Obama's pep rally last night reveals nary a single article in its support. Instead, there is profusion of intemperate attacks on Perry, Romney, and other Republicans.  So much for the power of positive thinking.

But who can fail to understand the disinclination to defend last night's sad excuse for a presidential address? The speech, which should have never ventured beyond the presidential bathroom, was replete with Obama's devices to becloud the issues that concern Americans:

• Adjusting his vocal reproduction from what he uses at union gatherings, a cadence and sloppiness he learned at the knee of Jeremiah Wright, he resorted to the aspirant technique he employed at Tucson. It worked in Tucson, where he actually had something useful to say; last night, it was laughable.
• The introductory identifications of urgency rang untrue from a speaker who has been delaying these Delphic messages for months, some part of which was spent at Martha's Vineyard.
• The idea that Congress would accept a package deal when critical elements of the package are either non-existent or dependent on Obama's detail-free assurances that "everything will be paid for" is ludicrous.  Does he really believe that Congress is so dim as not to be curious as to whether this "paid for" baloney is grounded in higher taxes or greater borrowings from China? (I intentionally eliminate sources such as welfare, tort, or other reforms that would displease unions, trial lawyers, or other constituencies upon which Obama relies for critical political support.)

The rumors that the word "stimulus" was interdicted were confirmed.  Instead, we had references to "jolting" a "stalled economy," as if there's a difference. A courageous leader that believes in his past policies would say, "Sure it's a further stimulus; and I'm proud of my past stimuli." Instead we have a slave to Madison Avenue advice more than willing to engage in a bit of verbal legerdemain to further obfuscate the issues.

Preliminary indications are that the Republicans are on to Obama's tricks. There is talk of accepting parts, but not the entirely, of Obama's bill. Obama has paved the way for this approach by bifurcating his legislative initiative. Even the most rabid Obama supporter could not possibly fault Republicans in Congress from saying in effect that the pig will not be bought until it's out of the poke.

It seems that at the moment, attacking Obama's speech last night is an example of one hand clapping on OS. The loyal opposition is off concentrating on negative errands.