Obamanation
Robert Waldmann
To obamanate V. To open an argument absurdly excessive concessions to one’s opponents.
Obamanation gerund of To obamanate.
Obamanation present participle of to obamanate.
I offer this definition in defense of Obama. The word will be defined, and he’d better hope my definition is adopted.
I dunno, Robert: Harry Reid and Nancy (“impeachment is off the table”) Pelosi seem to have precedence.
Suggested amendment:
To obamanate V. To open an argument absurdly excessive concessions to one’s opponents without receiving anything in return.
Robert
it’s nice that we can agree about this.
but i am not so sure those are his “opponents.” i think this is all a dance by which we wake up one day and find the banks and the insurance companies own our souls.
Robert,
Obama, lame duck walking.
Cantab,
.
mixed metaphor limping
I meant Republicans and conservatives. I know you are sure that those are his opponents. I wish I were sure that he knows too.
The fact is they aim to destroy him. They have very bad aim, and he is very quick. However, he likes to jump in front of bullets instead of dodging them.
Robert– Don’t you mean, “V to open an argument [WITH] absurdly excessive
concessions.”? Also, Curmudeon’s observation seems apt. Although, it’s possible I suppose that Obama was never negotiating. Maybe he was cutting to the chase–“This is the bottom line, so giddyup, cowboy.” If so, it’s not smart unless you can walk away and not come back. Actually, O could have done just that and turned around and said, “I tried to be nice….But, NOOOOO! Take this, you blatherskites!” Didn’t do it. Mistake. It’s not that we want them to agree, we just want them to shut the Hell up.
Nancy,
Its all about votes, Obama does not have enough of them yet to pass his healthcare bill. Otherwise it would be law by now.
I disagree, Cantab. When the D’s are the majority, the R’s sole goal is to take back lost power by any means. So, the logical thing to do is invent a strategy either to defeat the D’s outright, or to run out the clock on the life of the sitting Congress. Clearly, “the filibuster everything” strategy is working to run out the clock, since outright defeat is impossible.
However, a side-effect of this ploy is to enable otherwise insignificant players every incentive to play to the bleachers. No one ever knows how many members of Congress will vote for a bill until the roll is called; e.g., Cao’s surprise vote for the House bill last July. But, by advertizing their discontents with this or that provision of a bill, people like Snowe, Nelson, Conrad, Bunning, Grassley et al. can plaster their faces all over network and cable news 24 hours a day for days or even weeks.
It’s free campaign coverage. Obscure no more, they would be fools to pass up this opportunity to promote themselves as ideological purists, deficit hawks, or pro-lifer advocates–whatever they need for their consituencies back at home and in their PAC’s.
Which leaves us yet again to ponder the eternal truth: “It’s the election, stupid!” Don’t be so sure the votes aren’t there. These people play poker for a living and they are good at it. Don’t expect them to throw in their hands or show their cards anytime soon.
Its funnier when used on the other guy.
I submit that the real underlying problem with The Chocolate Bumbler is what I have defined as, ‘No father in the Home’. When a child grows up with only the mother present all negotiating strategies the child becomes proficient wiith are going to be aimed at success with Mom. These will, I further submit, not work so well with Dad…
Clinton had the same problem. You excellent defintion of ‘to Obamanate’ captures the essence of my social arguement linguistically.
Nancy,
I don’t think Obama has enough democrat votes. The democrats elected too many conservatives for them to easily push through liberal policy.
Cantab–I disagree. I think it is too soon to say.
Cantab is correct, there are too many in congress owned by either militarists or (insurance or others) monopolists pillaging and owning the US citizens’ body and soul.
That is what Fox News is brainwashing………….
It’s part of the plan to loot the Treasury before the roof falls in. If they thought they could get away with it (without being shot, for example), they’d shut down Social Security and Medicare tomorrow. There is no “there” there with these guys or the Republicans any more. It’s all about 100% corruption and stealing, and since they control the law enforcement agencies, they’re getting away with it.
We now have “total transparency,” all right, but it isn’t what they intended. 🙂 After 44 years of voting solidly Democratic, I’m convinced we’ve already passed a historic watershed coinciding with the unalterable collapse of the present corrupted system, and that there’s no turning back, no “fixing” to be applied. This does NOT mean we’re doomed to dsytopian anarchy, not at all! It just means (for now) that they can’t fool me any more. I am D.O.N.E. and just won’t vote at all, except for local ecological issues and for the purpose of skewering selected incumbents where the alternative isn’t some murdering fiend.
Otherwise, I shall stay at home, where there is no teevee and where I no longer read mainstream political blogs.
An amazing waste of political capital.
The Democratic Party is an immense effort in “herding cats.”
Nancy, Cantab is correct. As are you about the R’s regaining power.
They learned from the Dems for the past years – see how the Dems railed on Bush and the Rs about Iraq, Afghanistan, Patriot Act, FISA, And Gitmo. Yet once the Dems got power they did nothing to change any of these policies and have actively voted for continuing them all.
It was never about the policies, it was all about regaining power. If not we would have been out of Iraq in the spring of 2007. Now, under Obama and the Dem leadership we will be there well past when Obama completes a second term (if he gets one). When are you and Atrios etc marching on the White House to protest the surge? Oops forgot, its a Dem in office so its all cool now. BTW, when are we leaving Kosovo again?
In this case pox on both their houses.
Islam will change
Coberly said,
“….but i am not so sure those are his “opponents.” i think this is all a dance by which we wake up one day and find the banks and the insurance companies own our souls.”
I’d support that thesis. We’re looking at two slightly dissimilar sides of a single coin. I was listning to Michael Hudson the other day on WBAI. He makes a great deal of sense. He basically takes the position that there has been little difference in out comes from Clinton through Bush to Obama. The Clinton and Obama administrations are one and the same. The Treasury has had Gioldman, Sachs graduates consistently across administrations and the cast of characters in banking certainly hasn’t changed. All three administrations have been involved with extensive global warfare. All three have championed global free trade to the very significant disadvantage of the standard of living of the average American. And I haven’t heard any one in any of the three administrations that has raised a significant issue regarding the increasingly disparate income distribution in this country. And in spite of some weak rhetoric, what revision of the Bush tax structure has been addressed? So where’s the “change we can believe in?” I wasn’t surprised, but I was disappointed.
buffpilot,
If not we would have been out of Iraq in the spring of 2007. Now, under Obama and the Dem leadership we will be there well past when Obama completes a second term (if he gets one).
It seems that GEN Odierno disagrees with your assessment. He thinks we’ll be down to 50K by August. And from where I sit the drawdown is going at a breakneck pace.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35760288/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
2slugs,
No argument with the drawdown. Right on schedule with the Bush plan (maybe even a little ahead.). But we will still be there in Nov 2012 – 30-50K for sure. Just not called “combat troops”.
But never doubt we will be there.
Islam wil change
Also like I said. Its Obama that will secure the hard-won victory in Iraq. Heck Biden is already trying to claim credit for it. Obama will make the invasion of Iraq one of Bush’s greatest legacies – bringing freedom and democracy to Iraq.
Which I find totally hilarious…BTW when is the next anti-war protest going to happen?
Islam will change