Obama Completes the Liberal Hat Trick

by Thomas Del Beccaro

In hockey, rough sport that it is, it is rare that one player scores three goals in one game.  They call that a Hat Trick.  In the game of politics, Obama now has managed the Liberal Hat Trick in the minds of the American Public.  In November, he may just find out how rough politics can be.

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Of course, many people have known for a long time just how liberal Obama is and was.  There were many warning signs in the last election cycle.  The public however, in this slightly Right of Center nation, either was so tired of ineffective Republicans or, with the help of the Media, refused to acknowledge the warning signs.  In doing so they elected Obama with 52.9% of the vote – a victory but not an overwhelming victory.

Large margin or not, since being inaugurated, Obama has run quickly to the Left. In doing so, he fulfilled Reagan’s warning that Democrat Presidential candidates run as moderates but are determined to govern more to the Left, i.e. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.  The Obama Administration’s response to the terrorist bomb attempt in Detroit completed that process in the minds of the American public.

The Liberal Hat Trick, to which I refer, is when a politician firmly establishes himself as (1) for higher taxes while spending out of control, i.e. being anti – prosperity, (2) being socially liberal if not antagonistic to American traditions, and (3) being weak on defense.

1. High Tax/High Spending Obama. During the campaign, Obama warned us that he was anti-capitalist and anti-prosperity when he stated over and over that he was against the Bush tax cuts – tax cuts that brought us out of a recession and produced over 50 consecutive months of job growth.  Obama said over and over again that the rich didn’t ask for the tax cuts and didn’t need them.  Now Americans by a 3 to 1 margin believe that tax cuts would revive the economy more than Obama’s spending.  As for the staggering growth in spending, a plurality now believe that the Stimulus Bill has hurt the economy more than helped it and concerns for the deficit poll far higher than concerns over health care.

2. Socially Liberal/Antagonistic to American Traditions.  Most Americans knew Obama was liberal on social issues when he was elected.  Since his inauguration, he has done nothing to convince people otherwise including (a) his first week in office lifting of the restrictions on funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad, reversing the policy of his Republican predecessor, and (b) extending federal benefits to gay domestic partners.  Beyond that, Obama became the Apologist-in-Chief to the distaste of many Americans by going around the World and bowing to dictators and apologizing for America’s “actions.”  All in all, a year into his Presidency, Americans understand well what they knew at the outset, that Obama’s social views are clearly Left of Center.

3.  Weak on Defense. Few Americans expected Obama to be strong on defense let alone a hawk.  Indeed, the Far Left was motivated by the idea that he would get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan as a matter of course not success.  True to form, since his election, Obama has shown to be tepid at best on foreign policy with regard to such high profile issues as Iran, Israeli security and European missiles.

The Detroit terrorism issue, however, is different by a large order of magnitude.  Whereas Israel may be far away to some and few and have seen a missile – making such issues distant in time and space to most which allows people to ignore the issue  - personal safety in the homeland is anything but far away – geographically or mentally.  In other words, his weakness on defense is now close to home and that should have major political consequences.

Recall that the “security” issue among “soccer moms” was a significant issue during the Bush years that changed the political landscape.   Now consider Obama’s weak response to the Detroit terror attack; combine that with the ludicrous Napolitano and her working system and the understanding that Obama has left vacant the heads of TSA and the Customs and Border Protection agency.  Little wonder voters are questioning his priorities.

Witness also that even the liberal lioness Maureen Dowd is openly questioning whether we are safe under Obama and the astonishing 30% jump to 70% in those that expect another attack.  It is hard now but to conclude that Americans are clearly concerned and focused on their safety and whether Obama is strong enough to protect us.

In sum, along with their view that he is liberal on fiscal and social issues, Obama has firmly completed the Liberal Hat Trick in the minds of the majority of American voters – all to the great peril of his fellow Democrats and to the great opportunity of Republicans in November of 2010.


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Posted Jan 4th 2010 at 6:58 am in Big Labor, Congress, News, Obama, Politics | 104 Comments