Fineman on Hardball last night: Hard to describe

[Doctor_J]

how much DeMint and the other republicans hate the president (said after spending the afternoon with Repukes).

Q1: How does America work around the fact that a significant bloc of the Senate seem to want him dead, figuratively

Q2: Why does he continue to try to "find common ground" with them, given that 2/3 of the citizens want everyone to have health care, and they don't?

[JuniperLea]

1. He's taking the high road...

Trying to do the right thing, that's why he's looking for common ground, something his predecessor never did and one of the many reasons he was elected over a cookie cut Repubbie.

We need to get back to votes from people making the call, instead of votes and dollars from corporations. There's the rub.

[DJ13]

2. The high road only works until the opposition undermines you

Then its time to take a new road.

[JuniperLea]

5. I've always said...

He will do his best to do the right thing. When he has had enough, and I dare say he has a lot more intestinal fortitude than I, he will cut the Mr. Nice Guy deal and do the right thing for the people, instead of the political system.

I think he is playing a mean game of rope-a-dope. Right now, he's giving them enough rope. And you know what they say about giving people enough rope...

[CakeGrrl]

10. I agree. The President has the patience of Job when it comes to

dealing with openly obstructionist, hate-filled opposition in Congress, not to mention the fringe nutjobs who are completely insane over the fact that he resides in the White House.

But I agree. He'll let them spew and hem and haw, then he'll pull it in when it's crunch time.

[JuniperLea]

13. And what a glorious day that will be!

Can you imagine? I expect something along the lines of, look, I tried to get you involved in this process, but since you refuse and I'm POTUS, we're going to do this my way because folks just can't wait for you any longer!

[kenny blankenship]

3. Q2 will be a question historians will ponder without answer or end.

[Thrill]

4. The real question is. We all can see that. Why the hell does Obama

insist on thinking these people want to work with him??

Maybe the dropping in the polls, will make him see, that trying to be nice and working with them is only hurting him.

I agree with Mike Malloy, that he seems to worry about whether everyone likes him or not. He really needs to get over that shit. They don't like you and they never will.

[JuniperLea]

6. What dropping in the polls?

He's up in overall approval!

Malloy also holds out for the rope-a-dope scenario. I'm betting that's the right call.

[Thrill]

12. You have to admit

And I'm one of Obama's biggest defenders. But you have to admit, he does appear to want to make everyone happy or make everyone like him. Instead of just doing the best thing. I use to think it was rope-a-dope, but I'm beginning to agree with Malloy and Hartmann that this 'I don't want to offend anyone' attitude isn't the way to get his agenda through.

Republicans don't like you. Get that through your head. Olympia Snowe is probably the only one who actually has a cozy spot for him. The others would piss on him if he was on fire.

[JuniperLea]

14. I will only admit it in that it's part of the tactic...

And it's only been 6.5 months... for it to truly work, he needs to keep this up a little longer. Patience is a virtue; not one of my strong points, but I'm learning.

[tabatha]

7. Q2

Because if he did not, he would give them more ammunition.

[Spazito]

8. It seems to me it is because the President continues to 'try and find...

common ground' with them, it makes them even more rabid and more careless in revealing their hatred which, ultimately, brings more American citizens to the President's side of the issue and reveals, in ever more stark terms, the irrational hate, bigotry and total lack of concern for the American people that republicans have always had.

I honestly believe the President genuinely would like to find common ground if possible while maintaining the core priorities but I believe he also knows that the very act of 'reaching out' drives the worst of them into a frenzy and reveals them as they truly are. Smart cookie, your President, imo.

[emulatorloo]

11. I think you are right. Most people WANT dems and repubs to work together

And most people see how absolutely awful the Republicans are acting in response to Obama's open hand. At least that is what I think is happening.

[JuniperLea]

16. Like the old saying...

Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves.

The GOP is turning blue... it won't be long now.

[Spazito]

18. It has been fascinating to watch...

the republicans are imploding with the speed of light while the President, by taking the 'high road' seems to excite that implosion to an even greater magnitude!

[Spazito]

22. Yes, the everyday American wants to be able to feed their family,...

improve their lives, strive to purchase or keep a home and feel safe. Congress is low in the polls because those same everyday Americans want the problems solved not 'played with'. It has been interesting to see that, although, polls re Congress are low, the repubs are taking the biggest hit by far and, I suspect, with their recent antics and that of their rabid, racist supporters like Buchanan, those numbers wrt repubs will fall even further.

[JuniperLea]

15. Very well said!!

Bravo!

:applause:

I sincerely believe this to be true! All of it... every last smart cookie crumb!

[Doctor_J]

19. Ow does this translate into

1. Getting health care for Americans, and
2. Getting the rabid wingers out of the government

It's nice that hiss approval is going up, but doesn't help the laid off auto worker get her insulin.

[Spazito]

23. It very much translates into getting healthcare for Americans, imo

The debate is no longer DOES healthcare need to be reformed, it is now HOW to reform it. That is a major shift, imo. The President is coming out loud and strong on this issue and the timing is perfect. He has heard it all, the pros and the cons, voiced in EVERY possible milieu by everyone under the sun.

The President and those who support his position or some variation of it now have the 'ammunition', if you will, to counter the ever-increasingly ridiculous outcries from those who will try and stop it.

As to your 2nd point, it is not up to the President to get the rabid wingers out of government, it is up to the VOTERS. It does seem, however, the President is helping show the repubs up for what they truly are and that, surely can't help but give the voters a greater understanding of those 'rabid right-wingers', imo.

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Figuratively? Pfft, I bet most Republicans want him dead literally.

[Doctor_J]

17. Well, I don't know about most, but the hate radio crowd maybe

and since I guess they are the repukelican part, maybe you're right.

[kjackson227]

20. They hate President Obama, and they couldn't care less about the...

American people. We KNOW this, and I think PO is beginning to recognize this also.

[rasputin1952]

21. I figure it this way...

maybe I'm wrong, but I think the president is playing them for all they are worth. While the president stays pretty well above the fray, he's setting the stage for a massive throat cutting in the GOP. Many of the cretins that are so "against" the president were the same baboons that made such hay out of, "anti-American" because people despised bush.

Point is, people are leaving the GOP in droves, they see nothing there except spite and vitriol, they have been exposed as the "freaks" in the show, and once that ball got rolling, the president just nudges it every once in a while, and the main complainers get even more vitriolic, thereby looking even less sane.

Whether this is by design, or by accident, it plays well for the D's and the future. Now, if the D's just step up to the plate, things will get done for the people of this nation, and we can start carving the headstone for the GOP, as they will go the way of the Whigs...:D

[Phx_Dem]

24. I was absolutely struck by that statement. We all know they

hate him, but to have a mainstreet journalist come right out and say so on television was striking!

Nice job, Howard.

[Doctor_J]

25. that was pretty breathtaking. It was Countdown, BTW

Just imagine if the Dems in the Senate had displayed such loathing for *. They would probably been tried for treason or sent to Gitmo.

DeMint and Inhofe and their ilk are a cancer on the US, and the country won't recover until we're rid of them