Obama - "Behind the Mask"

June 15, 2009 - Subject: Dr. Charles Krauthammer

Dr. Charles Krauthammer spoke to the Center for the American Experiment. 

1.  Mr. Obama is a very intellectual, charming individual.  He is not to be underestimated.  He is a ‘cool customer’ who doesn’t show his emotions.  It’s very hard to know what’s ‘behind the mask.’  Taking down the Clinton dynasty from a political neophyte was an amazing accomplishment.  The Clintons still do not understand what hit them.  Obama was in the perfect
place at the perfect time.

2.  Obama has political skills comparable to Reagan and Clinton.  He has a way of making you think he’s on your side, agreeing with your position, while doing the opposite.  Pay no attention to what he SAYS; rather, watch what he DOES!

3.  Obama has a ruthless quest for power.  He did not come to Washington to make something out of himself, but rather to change everything, including dismantling capitalism.  He can’t be straightforward on his ambitions, as the public would not go along.  He has a heavy hand, and wants to ‘level the playing field’ with income redistribution and punishment to the achievers of
society.  He would like to model the USA to Great Britain or Canada .

4.  His three main goals are to control ENERGY, PUBLIC EDUCATION, and NATIONAL HEALTHCARE by the Federal government.  He doesn’t care about the auto or financial services industries, but got them as an early bonus.  The cap and trade will add costs to everything and stifle growth.  Paying for FREE college education is his goal.  Most scary is his healthcare program,
because if you make it FREE and add 46,000,000 people to a Medicare-type, single-payer system, the costs will go through the roof.  The only way to control costs is with massive RATIONING of services, like in Canada .  God forbid.

5.  He’s surrounded himself with mostly far-left academic types.  No one around him has ever even run a candy store.  But, they’re going to try and run the auto, financial, banking, and other industries.  This obviously can’t work in the long run.  Obama’s not a socialist; rather, he’s a far-left secular progressive bent on nothing short of revolution.  He ran as a moderate, but will govern from the hard left.  Again, watch what he does; not what he says.

6.  Obama doesn’t really see himself as President of the United States, but more as a ruler over the world.  He sees himself above it all, trying to orchestrate and coordinate various countries and their agendas.  He sees moral equivalency in all cultures.  His apology tour in Germany and England was a prime example of how he sees America, as an imperialist nation that has been arrogant, rather than a great noble nation that has at times made
errors.  This is the first President ever who has chastised our allies and appeased our enemies!

7.  He’s now handing out goodies.  He hopes that the bill (and pain) will not ‘come due’ until after he’s reelected in 2012.  He’d like to blame all problems on Bush from the past, and hopefully his successor in the future.   He has a huge ego, and Dr. Krauthammer believes he is a narcissist.

8.  Republicans are in the wilderness for a while, but will emerge strong.   We’re ‘pining’ for another Reagan, but there will never be another like him.  Krauthammer believes Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and Bobby Jindahl (except for his terrible speech in February) are the future of the party.  Newt Gingrich is brilliant, but has baggage.  Sarah Palin is sincere and intelligent, but needs to really be seriously boning up on facts and info if she’s to be a serious candidate in the future.  We need to return to the party of lower taxes, smaller government, personal responsibility, strong
national defense, and states’ rights.

9.  The current level of spending is irresponsible and outrageous.  We’re spending trillions that we don’t have.  This could lead to hyper-inflation, depression, or worse.  No country has ever spent themselves into prosperity.  The media are giving Obama, Reid, and Pelosi a pass because they love their agenda.  But, eventually, the bill will come due, and people will realize that the huge bailouts didn’t work, nor will the stimulus package.  These
were trillion-dollar payoffs to Obama’s allies, unions, and the Congress to placate the left, so he can get support for #4, above.

10.  The election was over in mid-September when Lehman brothers failed.  Fear and panic swept in, we had an unpopular President, and the war was grinding on indefinitely without a clear outcome.  The people are in pain, and the mantra of ‘change’ caused people to act emotionally.  Any Dem would have won this election; it was surprising it was as close as it was.

11.  In 2012, if the unemployment rate is over 10%, Republicans will be swept back into power.  If it’s under 8%, the Dems continue to roll.  If it’s between 8-10%, it  will be a dogfight.  It will be about the economy.