tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post1748942066615898000..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: Ryan and ResentmentJonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-37466644999640495012011-07-19T07:57:27.042-05:002011-07-19T07:57:27.042-05:00Michael Savage referred to them as "Red-diape...Michael Savage referred to them as "Red-diaper doper babies". Years earlier Morton Downey Jr. called them "pablum puking liberals". Sorry to confess those characterizations of whiny babies on the left were occasionally guilty pleasures for me.<br /><br />As Limbaugh replaced Downey on the radio, so has his corporate Republicanism replaced Downey's gut-level rants. One surely doesn't need to listen to the corporate right-wing media to know how far Ryan's "Obama is a mean old meanie!" whine will travel in those channels. Rather depressing.CSHnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-37537617844243802542011-07-19T07:16:15.609-05:002011-07-19T07:16:15.609-05:00Reread Ryan's complaints with the knowledge th...Reread Ryan's complaints with the knowledge that he is thinly revealing aspects of his own pathologies but is too juvenile to come and say so. You'd be surprised how many people on the right do this, out in the open, accusing Democrats of class warfare, playing Mediscare, rigging elections with phony voters, screwing over the middle class, not caring about the troops, and the like.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-63847378618815412802011-07-19T06:41:33.290-05:002011-07-19T06:41:33.290-05:00@Mercer---Obama had two options: invite Ryan or do...@Mercer---Obama had two options: invite Ryan or don't invite Ryan.<br /><br />If he didn't invite Ryan, Ryan and his colleagues could be upset---or pretend to be upset (for our purposes it doesn't much matter)---that Obama had "disrespected" Ryan by not granting him the simple courtesy of an invitation (whether or not Ryan chose to attend).<br /><br />Obama chose Option #1---he invited Ryan and Ryan accepted. Ryan and his colleagues then got upset---or pretended to get upset (again, for our purposes it doesn't much matter)---at what Obama said.<br /><br />Which they have every right to do. It's just annoying (at best) behavior by people who are (or are supposed to be) professionals at what they do.<br /><br />P.S. FWIW, Obama's seeming preference for confronting his opponents face-to-face (e.g., the televised health care "summit" and his appearance at the House Republican "retreat" last year) is consistent with the teachings and practices of the Gamaliel Foundation (where he worked as a community organizer briefly in the 1980s). <br /><br />Gamaliel (and other similar organizing networks) have a preference for "doing public business publicly". Whether it's from his organizing background or from other experiences he's had, Obama seems to have the same preference for (and, I would argue, skill at using) the carefully timed public confrontation as a tool for advancing one's interests.massappealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883213166005005577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-54064864334795833772011-07-19T03:01:44.822-05:002011-07-19T03:01:44.822-05:00It is also how the Republicans keep the pendulum s...It is also how the Republicans keep the pendulum swinging to the right. No matter how far the Democrats move to the right, call it the far left and class warfare. No matter how presidential Obama acts, call it un-presidential. No matter how much Obama tries to compromise, call him "demonizing of the other side." I has worked pretty darn good for them for the last 30 years.Bajsanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-25618934676642512132011-07-18T22:08:47.083-05:002011-07-18T22:08:47.083-05:00I agree on the Republican whining, but it has gott...I agree on the Republican whining, but it has gotten some legs in the msm with Obama being mean (or a d**%) to the poor Republicans. If that is the strategy, maybe it works a bit.Iagnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-50372909036737629752011-07-18T20:53:04.137-05:002011-07-18T20:53:04.137-05:00This is how politics is played today -- that Ryan ...This is how politics is played today -- that Ryan has provoked so much resentment in Jonathan may actually be a sign that he’s doing it right.Couveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00926561539205771774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-75905884721136884202011-07-18T20:07:44.258-05:002011-07-18T20:07:44.258-05:00" upset, that the president attacked his budg..." upset, that the president attacked his budget a few months ago with Ryan present, which is apparently some sort of new ultimate sin against the politeness gods. "<br /><br />What was the point of Obama inviting Ryan to attack his plan in public with Ryan present? I think it was dumb of Obama because it would embitter people who Obama would have to bargain with later in the year. I see nothing wrong with Obama's attack speech by itself. I think it was stupid that he launched his attack at a function with GOP members sitting in the audience with TV cameras rolling. <br /><br />I am not a Ryan fan. I think by having the House GOP vote to cut Medicare and lower taxes on the wealthy he has damaged his party's prospects in the next election.Mercernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-49373006348781500282011-07-18T19:18:44.931-05:002011-07-18T19:18:44.931-05:00"I do think Mr. Ryan is sincere. I think he&#..."I do think Mr. Ryan is sincere. I think he's a patriot. I think he wants to solve a real problem, which is our long-term deficit. But I think that what he and the other Republicans in the House of Representatives also want to do is change our social compact in a pretty fundamental way."<br /><br />President Barack Obama, April, 2011<br /><br />That's the most demonizing I could find.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-55640166626413109942011-07-18T19:18:00.408-05:002011-07-18T19:18:00.408-05:00The man could not field his position. At all. Or g...The man could not field his position. At all. Or get on base.Jonathan Bernsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-78630699915174639982011-07-18T19:11:29.039-05:002011-07-18T19:11:29.039-05:00Wow. I haven't seen you this pissed off since ...Wow. I haven't seen you this pissed off since the Giants were starting Glenallen Hill.Tom Nawrockihttp://www.debris-slide.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com