Posted by
Laura L. Hollis, JD on Sunday, October 25, 2009 3:14:16 PM
As I have said before, Victor Davis Hanson is one of the best political commentators out there.
His column this week in
National Review Online reveals what so many traditional political pundits are saying: "Gee, whiz, Obama's poll numbers are sinking." "What's he gonna do?" "He's going to have to move to the center if he wants to govern effectively."
I've got news for you folks. Obama is never, EVER going to do that. If you think that, you don't know the way his kind operates. Bill Clinton needed to be loved. It isn't about popularity with Obama, or gaining votes, or public support. This is his moment. This is his chance. It will be about ramming as much of his leftist agenda down the country's throat as fast as possible, before the 2010 elections. Universal health care. Cap and trade. A treaty on "climate change." All of which will be intended for the federal government to get their hands on massive amounts of private wealth to redistribute it to the ones they want to give it to. Anyone who gets in the way must be demonized, marginalized, discredited, destroyed.
Hanson speculates that this may be Obama's intentions. Only Congress can stop him, and this depends entirely on the (historically) limp-wristed Republicans holding fast and the Blue Dog Democrats realizing that this isn't just about a few more welfare checks or a little stronger "safety net."
Everyone is calling this "Chicago [i.e., hardball] politics." I don't think so. Rod Blagojevich was "Chicago politics" and that's about bribery and deal-making. Everyone is for sale in the Chicago model. Obama is not for sale. He is a purist. And that is far more dangerous than a mere Chicago politician.