At the 2009 California Republican Party State Convention in Indian Wells, I had the pleasure of meeting and listening to Fred Barnes.
With Bill Kristol, Fred Barnes is the top guy at the Weekly Standard.
He started out at the luncheon I attended in a lighthearted manner, but beneath his jovial side is a very serious message that Americans would do well to heed.
With that, I present the words of Fred Barnes.
“Abraham Lincoln once said that you can fool some people all of the time. Concetrate on those people.”
“A 50 year old man married to a 50 year old woman wanted to snap his fingers and be married to a woman 30 years younger than him. So he snapped his fingers, and immediately he became 80 years old.”
Mr. Barnes credited those jokes to others, and then began offering some political insights.
“President Obama has had two great misreadings. His first great misreading was the 2008 election results. His base is 30%, not 53%. He moved sharply to the left.”
“President Obama’s second great misreading was in his own ability to persuade. He’s not persuasive. He’s boring.”
“He is losing credibility. When asked if illegal immigrants will be covered in the health care plan, he says no. Only 22% of people believe him. When asked if there will be death panels, if senior citizens will be cut off, he says no. Only 21% of people believe him. That’s less than his base.”
“Barack Obama is trying to govern from the left ina country where a center-right coalition is the majority coalition.”
Mr. Barnes then began remarks that should forever make his speech known as the “no” speech.
“On more than one occasion Barack Obama has said that he will not take no for an answer. If there is anything that most people now realize, it is that Barack Obama will take no for an answer.”
“With the Arab-Israeli conflict, he insisted that takls be started, and then expressed impatience with a 5,000 year old conflict. He demanded that Israel freeze the settlements. Benjamin Netanyahu said no. He demanded that Mahmoud Abbas come to the table either way. Abbas said no.”
“He asked Russia to help witb Iran. Vladimir Putin said no. He asked China for help with North Korea said no. He makes overtures to North Korea, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. They all say no.”
“He asks NATO Allies to commit more troops. They say no. He asked Cuba to open up now that Fidel Castro is out of power. Raoul Castro said no. He asked Mexico and Canada to renegotiate NAFTA. Mexico and Canada said no.”
“He asked Honduras to allow their dictator President back. The people of Honduras said no.”
“He tried to get Scotland, France, and Germany to help more with war costs. They all said no.”
“He asked the world to take in Guantanamo Bay detainees. The world said no.”
“He asked Henry Waxman not to insist on cap and trade before health care was done. Henry Waxman said no.”
“He asked Eric Holder not to pursue charges against CIA personnel. Attorney General Holder said no.”
“He asked Joe Sestak not to challenge Arnold Specter in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary. Sestak said no.”
“He asked New York Governor David Patterson to resign. Governor Patterson said no.”
“He asked former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder to make an endorsement in the Virginia Gubernatorial race. Governor Wilder carries a lot of weight. Governor Wilder said no.”
“I just hope that there is another “no” coming up on healthcare.”
“All of this is called the Tinkerbell Effect. Believing something will happen because you wish it would happen…this is from Tinkerbell.”
“Whether it is Guantanamo Bay or the economy, President Obama believes that the government is more efficient than business.”
“He is nice to our adversaries, tough on our allies, and they all tell him no.”
Mr. Barnes is not the only one to observe this pattern of weakness with Mr. Obama. David Letterman had a remark the other day along the same lines.
“President Obama went to Chicago to personally lobby for the Olympics to come to Chicago. He personally lobbied. Well we know that will work given how well it worked with healthcare.”
When a liberal who worships you can spot the truth, there is no more denying it.
Some will say that Mr. Barnes and other conservatives should stop saying no to the President.
What will he do if we refuse to listen?
Nothing.
So to those who want the President to be above legitimate criticism…I say…
No.
Keep speaking Mr. Barnes.
eric
Tags: ol
There were so many untruths in Mr. Barnes remarks, I don’t even know where to begin. Suffice to say, if there’s one truth Mr. Barnes makes very clear is that Republicans truly are in love with the word “no.”
JMJ
If you don’t know where to begin, let me help. You start with the first remark and work your way down and do your very best to convince yourself and others that the remarks are untruths. You may have some difficulty.
Unless you believe as Gore Vidal, a world renowned air head. Obama is failing because he doesn’t understand a dimwitted and ignorant audience.
Keep believing that Gore, please.
Toma
I am a registered Democrat. I voted for Hillary in the California campaign. I voted for John McCain in the national elections.
Both California and New York, are the bluest of all the blue states, and the states that insured Obama’s election for President.
Joe Biden, remember him, the guy Obama chose for VP?
Sarah Palin was demonized. Jewish audiences in Florida, a key state,
were told anyone who could shoot deer (or bison, or bears, whatever) from a plane, could authorize gas chambers. Get it! Obama won
that election.
I voted for George Bush, even though most of my co-religionists didn’t.
To them, Bush was like the Clintons to the conspiratorial Right.
I spoke to a friend, who lives in Brooklyn prior to the election. She
said “All the Jews are voting for Hillary”. Rather than argue, I dropped
the subject. Hillary did receive money and plenty of it. But in the end
Obama got our gelt. Thanks guys.
Are you aware that the first thing he did was to apologize to the Arab-Muslim world for our mis-deeds. Misdeeds, like kicking the Serbs out of Kosovo ( a Muslim country), and removing Saddam from Iraq (a Muslim country) and giving Pakistan over 5billion dollars to defend against India, a non-Muslim country or temporarily ridding Aghanistan of the Taliban and installing the Karzai governmnet ( a Muslim country).
I’d like to remind people how much trade there is between US and
the Muslim world, not to mention our sales of state of the art weapons
to dicatorships like Arabia, AND recent sales of smaller weapons to
Fatah (West Bank).
Yet Obama goes to Cairo and gives a speech, inspiring the masses in that dicatorship (Mubarak is still the President, his son being groomed to take ver).
I’d like to know exactly how much we buy from OPEC, the source being
the Muslim world.
Obama compared the plight of the so-called Palestinians to those that suffered during the Holocaust. I mean come on. 500,000 Hungarian Jews were murdered in 6 weeks in Auschwitz. Jews never threated Germany with tanks, planes, Sapper and Sagger Missiles or an army exceeding
14m.
Sure, the Palestinians have been through a lot. They were offered a state by the UN in 1947, but invaded, along with 6 Arab countries instead. They have been invading since, even though continually offered an entity of their own (besides the real Palestine-Jordan)
BTW, Jordan was part of the British Mandate for Palestine, taken from Turkey after WW1. It is 7 times the size of Israel. Jordan killed more so-called Palestinians in 1 month (black September) than Israel has in 60 years. Thanks Hussein.
Some wonder why all the to do over East Jerusalem? Well, for starters,
that area was held illegally by the Jordanians after 1948. It was never considered the capital of Palestine. And, in 1967, King Hussein attacked
Israel’s West Jerusalem..he lost the war AND East Jerusalem and the Old City (scene of recent Temple riots).
The Republican editor has it soooo right. I ask, what has Obama accomplished in 9 months? What?
The blog just touches the tip of his failures, and flip-flops.
I ask, why did he agree to close Gitmo? Why not just make any
necessary adjustments to the compound ( if needed )? Why do we
(read D. Feinstein), want these murderers on our shores anyway, or in California?
Why cannot Obama make the decision about a surge in Afghanistan?
What is he waiting for? Either do it, or get out. We cannot depend upon
Afghan soldiers and police to do the job. Let’s not fool ourselves.
And who cares if the Taliban beat up and kill Muslim women for wearing
short shorts. That’s their problem,, not worth one hair on one soldiers head.
In Saudi Arabia, I read that 30 students were flogged (30 lashes each) for
roudy conduct. It was done in a public square.
And some want Sharia (Muslim law)i introduced in the USA.
I thought flogging went out with the Nina..and slavery? Guess not
in the Muslim world.
While back at the ranch, the do-nothing Obama band of thieves
wathes while Iran maintains it’s nuke site at Qom.
Oh I know, it was for peaceful purposes only. Sure!
Folks, North korea announced it may test another atomic device.
Iran has demonstrated it’s Shahab Missile capability while it
introduces better centrifuges to spin gas into elements. Russia
is building a base in Venezuela and Syria..and may have supplied
Iran with S-300 Missiles (can hit multiple targets at once).
In Poland, Obama approved ending any idea of defending against
Iranian missiles, and will use sea based defenses instead. The Poles
are not happy, nor is Eastern Europe.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict goes from bad to worse. Abbas has refused to talk, to engage with the Zionists…unless pre-conditions are met.
He should look to Obama’s take on pre-conditions..maybe emulate?
The stock market is floundering, but is still down from it’s high of 14,200, way down.
Obama bought GM with our money…hey guys the cash for clunkers didn’t help them one iota the Ebay sales tanked..and people are simply not
buying US cars. Maybe Toyota knows something we don’t.
Who will be the loser..you and me.
One last comment. Looks like Obama’s socialized medicine is failing.
There won’t be a single payer (system). Thank God.
Hey anyone see Michael Moore’s latest movie. He hates capitalism.
My question, what does he prefer…socialism or communism.
Maybe Obama’s fascism?
But as I’ve commented before, it’s all about numbers. And neither
Whitman, nor Davis have it.
Dan, George Wallace would have been too liberal a Democrat for you. Give me a break. You are a Democrat only in the sense that you seem to have an appeal for mob rule. That’s not a Democrat. That’s a democrat. There’s a fine line between a small-d democrat and a libertarian, and that line doesn’t involve political maturity at all.
Toma, if you can’t recognize at least one lie propogated by Mr. Barnes above, then there’s no point in me even beginning to list them.
JMJ
No, nada, nae, nyet, nein, non point at all.
Toma
OOPS. I just learned that the IOC said no, nada, nae, nyet, nein, non, and nope to Obama. Probably G.W.’s fault or the vast right wing conspiracy, or they are racist, or unhinged, or silly the dam angry mob anyway.
Toma
Please forgive me eric, is that what they call baiting? I don’t mean to bait, just using some of the terms that the W.H. and Congress use for those that disagree with the President.
Toma