Like an aging rocker with plenty of visible gray hair and filled with hope that nostalgia will bring out the crowds, President Obama is on a bus trip. John Dickerson of Slate tweeted, “The president is on a political bus tour which he says isn’t a political where he will tell Republicans to stop behaving politically.” That tell you all you need to know about the bus tour and a lot about how far we’ve come from the media fawn-a-thon that characterized the 2008 campaign.
Mitt Romney’s campaign dubbed Obama’s trip the “Magical Misery Tour.” The RNC came out with its retort, objecting to the “Obama Debt-End Tour” (sorry, not as good as Romney’s) being financed at taxpayers expense.
The bus tour does seem, well, lame. The complaint against Obama these days is that he campaigns but does not govern. His critics say he promises unity but emphasizes partisanship; Republicans argue that he promises a pro-jobs agenda but has nothing left to offer. So what does Obama do? He goes on a tour reinforcing everyone of these digs. Politico reports:
Emerging from the bus, Obama lit into Romney, accusing the former Massachusetts governor of ditching his commitment to health care reform to run in the conservative GOP primary: “You got a governor who is running for president.. . .It’s like [he’s] got amnesia.”
He even mimicked Romney: “Oh, this is terrible! This is going to take away freedoms!”
The audience was largely supportive, but there were murmurs of concern about the jobs crisis and the president’s willingness to accept some changes to entitlements such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry got a barb as well. I suppose this is what the White House imagines will buoy the base. No one there seems to have the nerve to tell the president that insults on parade aren’t becoming of a president, and more to the point, remind everyone he’s done nothing on the jobs front in the areas he is visiting.
But the trip is not a total waste. Obama declared that the term “ObamaCare” is just fine by him. Well, thank you Mr. President!
The stress of the job seems to age people very quickly.
The bus tour is part 2012 campaign and part policy promotion–specifically, he’s going to push for a super committee compromise that will address long-term deficits with both spending cuts and revenue increases. To buck a revenue increase component republicans are going to have to go against the prevailing public opinion favoring high-end tax increases, and do that in the spotlight. If they absolutely refuse to budge, the automatic reductions they agreed to earlier this month will set in.
I half expect that while republicans are trying to wrap their heads around that political problem, Obama will roll out a serious jobs proposal involving federally funded infrastructure projects. The proposed projects will likely involve work in numerous states that’s clearly long overdue, clearly of long-term economic benefit, and that can be started in fairly short order. The House will either have to agree, come up with some alternate proposal of their own, or be seen as blocking the White House’s legitimate efforts to address unemployment. Republican presidential contenders will also be forced to take public positions.
@Greg: Obama has yet to make one real proposal to tax the rich like Soros. Until I hear him propose a tax on what are presently “non-taxable” (government bonds) all his proposals are just taxes on people who want to become rich.
Although you didn’t report it, according to Gallup, the President’s approval rate moved up to 41%
@Liberal1 (objectivity):
Yep. Up to 41 from 40. Still well within the MOE.
Break out the party horns.
@Aye: The most important part of my comment was not that Obama’s rating had reached 41% (it’s been there many times before), but an affirmation of my comment yesterday: Since they do report it when Obama’s figures are at the bottom, why not report them when they rise above bottom rise too–just to be objective?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd0z-nKKoeI&feature=player_embedded
Obama’s Debt-End Bus Tour
Posted by the rnc
No mention of the $1.1 million bus Obama BOUGHT for his ”tour.”
I put ”tour” in scare quotes simply because Obama is not ON the bus most of the time.
He flies into nearby then gets on it for his entrances and exits only.
The idea that he’s out on a ”listening” tour is also funny.
He talks YOU listen.
Did you all see his promise to come out with specifics for jobs creation?
It will happen.
He promises.
Sometime in September.
THEN, he insists the Republicans in the House rubber stamp it…..whatever it is.
Or else.
I guess Obama’s use of the term ”compromise” is sort of like the guy in The Princess Bride‘s use of the term,” inconceivable.”
Me either when it comes to Obama’s use of the word, compromise.
Accept what I say, or else – does not equal compromise.
The worst part of the lame “Magical Misery Tour” is that we taxpayers are paying for it!
@Liberal1 (objectivity):
Once again, your criticisms of what is, or is not reported here are irrelevant.
Reporting on Obie’s numbers being at a record low is newsworthy.
Reporting that Obie’s numbers have bounced one point from their record lows, but are still within the MOE, is NOT newsworthy.
Thanks for playing though.
@ Greg
Sweet! Are these going to be “shovel ready” infrastructure project? Oh…wait. They already did that once. Didn’t work out, something about shovel ready not being quite shovel ready.
Debating Greg, the Video
@Greg:
Whatever your drug dealer sold you must be awsome, greg. Wow. The denial of reality by leftists is just staggering.
@Greg:
Greg, if Obama “rolls out” anything that increases government spending more than it already is, the backlash will be huge. Didn’t we learn already, from the S&P downgrade, that federal spending was too high?
@Greg:
Hey, Greg.
Pay any attention whatsoever to the COST OVER-RUNS on Obama’s pet infrastructure projects?
CA agreed to take ObamaMoney for a high-speed rail.
There hasn’t been one shovel-full of dirt turned over yet.
BUT the cost of the project has already MORE than DOUBLED!
Who else is lining up for more of THAT?
After all, we can’t build dams or bridges or tunnels.
You do know we value fish and frogs too much to ever allow that.
barry not only got one bus, but two at a total price of 2.2 million dollars, and tax dollars I might add. I really didn’t think that it was legal for him to use tax payers money for campaigning (of course he is pretending it is for other reasons but we are not as stupid as he thinks). I wonder how many miles to the gallon this thing gets, and of course we the tax payers are footing the bill. Then there is his entourage, secret service, milk maid and bottle warmer, etc. etc. What a crock. This man is delusional. He has not taken responsibility for anything. Then he says if problems didn’t arise the economy would have been better. come on how long was President Bush in office before 9/11? about 6 months. He didn’t complain, boo-who, or blame others. The man took responsibility.
Those still sucking off that kool need to sit down before they fall and hurt themselves.
Wow a bus tour. I guess he thinks he’s Sarah Palin! The highest form a flattery is imatation.
@disenchanted:
Did you see an American Flag on it?
Me either.
@Nan G:
It is the right color, IMO. Black is, after all, associated with evil.
To the liberals: Yes, I did just say that, and NO, it doesn’t mean anything racist.
So why are House republicans refusing to consider a payroll tax cut extension? Obama has been pushing for an extension as a means of stimulating the economy for months. Isn’t a tax reduction for working consumers completely in line with republican economic thinking? Is it that they don’t want to do anything that might produce positive results?
All evidence indicates republicans don’t want further economic recovery before the 2012 elections. Worsening conditions will benefit them. An improving economy does not. It would benefit Barack Obama, and that they do not want.
This is the one unifying theory that consistently explains everything republicans say and do.
@johngalt, #16:
It’s actually a used bus. Dick Cheney’s former Darth Vadermobile. Obama has brightened up the interior with some new curtains.
@Greg:
Not quite, Greg.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/canucklehead_obama_bus_ted_gyztvw89k5MyKNS4B7Qp7O
There are two of them….built in Canada.