Or another, bigger Oklahoma City.
So says Mark Halperin
The astonishment is palpable in Byron York’s column:
Everyone knows Barack Obama is in a political fix. The coalition that elected him in 2008 has collapsed, and the independents whose support lifted him to the White House have now abandoned him. What to do?
York notes that any effort by Obama to compromise with Republicans will be met by scorn from Obama’s base, and compromise is antithetical to Obama’s core in any case.
What Obama really needs, Halperin says, is a stroke of good luck. “Busy as he’s been, he has not yet experienced a single major moment that has benefited him politically,” Halperin writes. Events like the Gulf oil spill have been harmful, rather than helpful. So what would brighten Obama’s political prospects? Here’s Halperin:
No one wants the country to suffer another catastrophe. But when a struggling Bill Clinton was faced with the Oklahoma City bombing and a floundering George W. Bush was confronted by 9/11, they found their voices and a route to political revival.
So there. Obama needs an American disaster. Anything with a considerable loss of life will suffice. Desperation often causes awkward situations:
Maybe a bin Laden capture or Iranian revolution would help, although it seems highly unlikely that a dramatic technological innovation would revitalize American manufacturing in time for Obama to be re-elected in 2012. But the fact is, presidents have often shown their true mettle in the face of tragic circumstances. And Obama’s partisans appear to be coming very close to hoping for a tragedy to revive the president’s political fortunes.
That’s no exaggeration. Halperin makes it sound as though the Obama Presidency depends on catastrophe.
While he negotiates his way through the lame-duck session of Congress, prepares for his State of the Union address and budget, and braces for the new normals of 2011, the President had better figure out how to react when the moment comes. Without that moment — whatever it is — and strong leadership in its wake, Obama may find his luck has run out.
It’s a curious moment in history when an American President needs a multitide of Americans to die in order to save his own political future. If many Americans die, it would be good luck for Obama. What sort of person even permits himself the luxury of this kind of fantasy?
DrJohn has been a health care professional for more than 30 years. In addition to clinical practice he has done extensive research and has published widely with over 70 original articles and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. DrJohn is well known in his field and has lectured on every continent except for Antarctica. He has been married to the same wonderful lady for over 30 years and has three kids- two sons, both of whom are attorneys and one daughter on her way into the field of education.
DrJohn was brought up with the concept that one can do well if one is prepared to work hard but nothing in life is guaranteed.
Except for liberals being foolish.