Unforeseen Contingencies

My apologies: I'm still preparing my assessment of the dreadful course the Obama regime is trying to set for the United States. I'll get to it, and will argue that if successful, Obama will effectively introduce totalitarianism. But conditionals being what they are, I'm skeptical that Obama will succeed. Here's why.

Barack Hussein is clearly competent at some things. Some of the law professors on Volokh Conspiracy were his students, and spoke highly of him. I met one of his students myself, and she convinced me he was a reasonably good professor. And clearly he is capable of running, or finding people to run, a strong electoral campaign. And sometimes he can give a good speech.

But beyond this essentially academic stuff, he seems to be utterly incompetent. His bungling of the federal response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is astounding. I find it hard to accept arguments that blame for the disaster rests on the administration, but Obama seems at least as incompetent in organizing a response as Bush was to Katrina. Or consider health care. Despite the unfortunate fact that Obamacare passed into law, he has been defeated on health care reform in an important sense. Well over half the population wants it repealed, the CBO now argues that it actually worsens the national debt, and the health care train wreck has barely begun. This will become a millstone-around-the-neck for democrats. In foreign policy, despite (or perhaps because of) Obama's promise to sit down and talk Iran out of their nuclear weapons program, the program has accelerated, and Iran speaks in more belligerent terms than ever. Meanwhile, North Korea has sunk a South Korean ship and threatens war. Employment growth is effectively zero, expect for the hiring on temporary census takers. The national debt is soaring, and there's no reason to think it will decline. The federal government is exceeding the Bush administration in its suppression of whistle blowers. No wonder Obama's approval ratings are a shambles. His "leadership" is itself a shambles.

At the end of Bush's tenure, the Republicans were ruined. Bush had (almost) singlehandedly entirely discredited the Republican Party and conservatism. Democrats were in the driver's seat. I suggested they had a great opportunity, but guessed they would squander it. Well, President Obama has gone beyond my wildest beliefs in his squandering. In a way, he's the founder of the Tea Party Movement, an awakening to the idea of the importance of Constitutional government (although frankly George W. Bush and Hank Paulson really deserve the credit as founders, with their bailout scheme). In doing so, he's rejuvenated the otherwise dead Republican Party. He's turned the landslide victors of the 2008 elections -- the democrats -- into public enemy number 1, in much of the public's eyes. The republicans are ceasing to act like Bushites, and starting to act as though they actually believe in limited government. Maybe it will even become more than an act. Most importantly, he's awakened a sizeable portion of the public and taught them that liberty must be vigorously defended.

Good heavens! Barack Hussein Obama is singlehandedly discrediting (left) liberalism, progressivism, and socialism? He's inspiring Americans to support Contitutional government and the rule of law? He's awakening people to the crucial importance of fiscal responsibility and free markets? Yes. Hooray for Obama!

But, but, but... Obama as a hero of Unforeseen Contingencies? What???

Just one more unforeseen contingency!