The danger of unrealistic expectations

By Tom Quiner

President Obama was set up to fail by his own bloated rhetoric and a fawning press that didn’t do their job.

The video clip below of a supporter of the President’s reveals the problem:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P36x8rTb3jI&feature=player_embedded]

His supporter, Peggy Joseph, gushes that an Obama administration will fill her gas tank and pay her mortgage, a somewhat unrealistic expectation even in light of Mr. Obama’s goal to take money from those who earned and give it to those who didn’t.

As Obamanomics continues to sputter, the time has come to pay the piper for the grandiosity of his hollow eloquence.  The video below lays it on the line:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxov_HkaX08&feature=player_embedded]

His supporter is disappointed:

“… quite frankly, I’m exhausted. I’m exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for, and deeply disappointed with where we are right now. I’ve been told that I voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. I’m one of those people and I’m waiting, sir, I’m waiting. I don’t feel it yet. And I thought while it wouldn’t be a great measure, I would feel it in some small measure. I have two children in private school, and the financial recession has taken an enormous toll on my family. My husband and I joked for years that we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives. But quite frankly, it’s starting to knock on our door and ring true that that might be where we’re headed again.

And quite frankly, Mr. President, I need you to answer this honestly, is this my new reality?”

The President once said in discussions on when life begins, that it was above his pay grade.

The economy is above his pay grade, too. In defense of the President, it’s above everyone’s pay grade in this respect: the free enterprise system revolves around millions of individual economic decisions being made by individuals and businesses on an hourly basis.  Top down economic control doesn’t work.  Ask the Soviet Union. Ask Cuba.

The President’s embrace of the European model of high taxes, big government, and a cradle-to-grave nanny state is a job killer.  Simply look at Europe if you don’t believe it.

To the Obama supporter who asks, “is this our new reality?” The answer is yes unless we get a handle on our runaway spending and scale back the growing nanny state.

Republicans should learn a few lessons from the President. Temper your rhetoric. Present common sense proposals on what you will do differently should you regain some Congressional clout after the midterm elections.

The public is increasingly disappointed with the President. But they like Mr. Obama more than they like the Republican party. Winning the election isn’t the only issue for Republicans. We want some real adults in Congress. Democrats have failed us. Republicans, can you do better?