It finally dawned on me..Obama is playing rope-a-dope Version 2.0

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-rope-a-dope.htm

He offered his hand... they bit it ... he offered his other hand .. they bit that too. But he was ok... he expected it. Does anyone seriously think he expected the pubs to play nice? HAHAHAHA

He knows history.

Now ..the new WH admin will run ads against the pubs who denied their constituents new jobs. You got to wonder if republicans can see it.. you cannot play chess with someone who can see several moves ahead of you.

He has also made Oxy Limbaugh their new unofficial spokesman. Brilliant.

They think (pubs) they have a winning strategy of attacking hard first ..like Clinton and Carter... hoping to derail and destroy any positive thing for the American people and destroy Obama's image.

...and continue to destroy the things that help the COMMON GOOD OF ALL.

And this after given every opportunity to have a voice at the table ..literally at his inauguration. They chose to spit in his face fighting the very first bill without a pub in the house voting for it..even after they got concessions in the bill they never deserved.

And everyone has heard by now about how much Obama has tried so hard to reach out to them. It's pissed all of us off. But wait... do not pass judgment yet. There is a well thought out method to his approach.

He is setting them up to take their well deserved fall.. and they will because they are by nature stupid and only motivated by greed. He is exposing them... forcing them to show their true colors.

Making them use up all their energy and expose their crappy ideas .. then go in for the knockout blow. Ali style.

And I'd be quite shocked if Rahm hadn't already read the House tea leaves. He knows those guys, and knows how they work. And Obama and his team have demonstrated over and over that they're one step ahead of whoever they're up against. Heck, I wouldn't even try to play checkers with they guy, forget about chess.

This is like a good Trek episode: Set em up, watch em fall.

These guys are always the same, completely predictable: cut my taxes, yamer yammer yammer. Of course he new what they'd do, right down to the script.

GOP needs some new talent. It's just sad.

We have one smart President.

The American people have to see what Republicans are really like.

My plan is to watch and learn.

He does bring back memories of Muhammed Ali.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8146004&mesg_id=8146100

out-chess President Obama. He was taught by masters. He's a very patient and methodical man. Rush is starting to get that deer in the headlight look already. He likes to be in charge and control the media spotlight on himself. The President has bestowed upon him the de-facto head of the pub party. When it all comes crashing down and they have won nothing..well, it won't end well.

edit to ad link

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/01/jessica-alba-wa.html

The Repubs had that doofus Bush for so long they got soft.

Oh. Wait. They are soft country club first from way back and the only innovative thing they have done is to persuade their unenlightened wage earning sucker supporters to vote against their own best interests.

of this great strategy (and I do think he's doing a masterful job), is the main street media.

Mr. Obama has a way around it.

:evilgrin:

Has replaced the sorry sorry state of the old M$M.

They thought that giving us all entertainment all the time would divert us from figuring out how poorly the Ship of State was sailing.

But we only decided that if the news was all Britney all the time, we'd be better off getting our news off blogs, and off Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

such ad. I'm lovin' it.

Like in this video: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=265292&mesg_id=265292

thx for the vid

And you're welcome; it's a great movie catch it if you can.

He's leaving the Repubs scratching their heads and wondering why Obama's raking in pot after pot...

I believe he was sincere about it. He genuinely hoped to win some of them over.

playing the political game. And like it or not, it is a game. I think he is doing a brilliant job at shoeing the Pubs for what they really are. Don't worry about the media. We finally have several moderators who swat back at the flies of the rw.

just totally realistic about his expectations. The odds were they would do what they have just done. He can't change who they are -- he can only work with who they are.

It's win/win for him. If they work with him, he is shown to be bipartisan. They get a small share of *his* success and an equal share if he fails. But they are 2nd tier players and out of power, which they can't stand.

They refuse to work with him and he owns any success and they are partisan hacks, has-beens, never weres and never-will-be. But if he fails, they can say "told you so" and try to regain power. Which is the *only* thing they care about.

Rethugs would rather be captain of the titanic the a crew member of the enterprise.

Work with them. If they let him down, then Plan B is already in place. And Plan B involves making them look foolish.
GAC

They'll inevitably have some republi-CON on (WAY WAY WAY too much of that going on these days! The Dems won. Shouldn't THEY have the most say now?) and the question will be phrased: "President Obama has reached out SO MANY TIMES to the GOP and listens to them and invites them for cocktails (giving them more attention than bush EVER offered the Dems) and gives them concessions, AND THEY STILL DON'T VOTE FOR IT. NOT ONE OF THEM voted for it, even after he gave them their way."

This is VERY good. VERY good!!! Because that will start soaking in, in the public mindset, that Obama's making nice and being cooperative and they're being assholes and spitting in his face. PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING!!!!! They're being perceived in a VERY bad light.

All the more reason to call some republi-CON's office and further drive this point home. "You guys are looking REALLY bad. He's reaching out to you and you're spitting in his face. That's pretty shitty. And it's there for the whole country to see!"

Shit - I don't know how he does it. I wouldn't have near the patience he does.

He's a chess player, alright.

Dare I say republican defections soon? Then tend to go with the wind...

And all they can come up with is tax cuts.

Well, he gave them bloody tax cuts and they still didn't vote for it.

It's so obvious that they have nothing to bring to the table.

a table. They're only there to smash the table to splinters and then leave the wreckage all over the room (for someone else to clean up).

people used the tax cuts to pay their bills, or they put the money into savings to weather the storm. We didn't see a big uptick in durable goods purchases, did we? How much economic stimulus DID we see? How many Americans benefitted?

The best predictive tool is an understanding of human nature**. People who know a hard winter is coming will stockpile food.

People who know economic winter is coming will stop "spending" what they need to survive, and stockpile whatever it takes to get them through it.

**Obviously, Republicans don't have a very wide understanding of human nature. And don't even get me started on the craven slime who take taxpayer bailout money and spend it on executive bonuses and $50 million corporate jets. The only thing they understand is how to exploit the law to its legal limits--it's all they can do since they have no ethics or sense of propriety.

It's just like that old Willie Nelson song says: "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Wall Street pricks"

something I really hadnt expected. So they can keep their stimulus checks from now on. We need jobs!

I had a great job in China which I quit because I was sick of living in China and because I was offered a job in New Zealand. The job in New Zealand fell through because the economy collapsed and I wasn't able to get a work permit so I had to move back to the US and live with my parents. Absolutely no one is hiring and I can't afford to go back to college and get a degree in a totally different field. And since I'm essentially homeless, I'm not going to run out an buy a big screen TV with my $400. I'm going to throw it in the bank and when it grows to $15,000 I'm going to get another Masters degree.

I need a job that pays a living wage in the US with enough extra that I can afford to go back to college a get a more relevant degree. $400 is a slap in the face, especially when I'm basically being forced to borrow from myself and the bill will come due next year whether I wanted the "loan" or not.

I do not think the man has any illusions, and still, he is willing to take the high road. I love him for it, but as I wrote to him today, I hope he will reconsider his continuing to throw pearls before swine. He could do what he did to a very difficult Illinois Senator and start body bumping Bohner into submission, LOL. I'm all for that.

Boxer gets it!

Her video with Mika is proof, check it out if you have not seen it yet and get back to me.

It's here at DU

The rest of the Dems are looking bought & paid for these days, though. I'm afraid the days of the "new deal" are a no deal. Business/corporations are getting everything they want. They own us. Just wait until the new health care shit starts hitting the corporate fan.

It is a thing of beauty!

:bounce:

Why Boxer is not the Speaker I don't know.

President Obama has set it up perfectly.
They do not even realize what happened to them.

Kung-fu or aikido or jiu-jitsu -- you use the opponent's force against him. And the chess and rope a dope analogies are also apt.

I think you're on to something, wroberts.

--imm

Then ..like seeing how your going to suddenly fix a complicated problem after thinking about it all night ...it suddenly dawned on me.

Daily news of the day helped :)


He takes them ..lets them spout their talking points... then destroys them by pointing out their points are stupid... they are left to defend against their own attack.

Has the audacity of telling the senate pubs ... go on Fox , complain about me , and I'll be sure to feel bad about myself... paraphrased but he really said that...HAHA , this is coded message people..

He does not give a f what they think.

Reaching across the isle? I would rather stick my arm in a tank of piranhas.

I would imagine Obama knows the score.

I believe he was sincere, but he knew that most pubs ..if not all, were snakes. And it certainly did not take them long to attack a man who had made an honest and good faith effort to bridge the divide..

There is something special about this man I cannot put a psychic finger on. Its like he was A.Lincoln and M.King reincarnate. These symbols I have seen others express... across the world. Even the cartoonists.

My prediction for history: He will be considered the greatest of presidents.

I'm thinking back to H2O Man's great posts during the primaries. He compared Obama to Muhammad Ali. Tools, skills, strategy. It's all there.

--imm

And it seems to be working.

If you watch bohner closely, you can see the man literally twitching.
You can hear the tightness and tremulousness in his voice.
I expect him to explode at any moment.

I keep waiting for the entire party to implode with a cable snap.

the whole party is nothing but tax cuts for rich, salve labor, and biblical law.

It just does not cut it anymore.

He'll give the benefit of the doubt, but if someone tries to take advantage of him, he'll knock them out!

Loved it!

without seeing that, its exactly how I perceived him.

please join the CALL A REPUBLICAN SENATOR DAY Drive.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

you can search by state if you are in a blue state

Texas and Georgia made total fools of themselves in the last two days, so you may want to call them:-) or have your pick.

no anyway."

time.

will hold a lot more weight with the American public. I see it more as a joint effort--they are working together, not separately.

know Kerry is expressing the sentiments of most democrats.

:evilgrin:

He is so much smarter than they ever imagined.

a Fowl Trial yet?

Obama is going to learn ..which I think he has already. That its not just a difference in opinion with pubs ..or ideology... or whatever.

..its choosing between the correct answer and the wrong one.

Pubs always pick the wrong answer. History speaks for itself.

Team.

and those fools don't even know how they're being played. :applause:

meanwhile, Democrats continue looking weak- and lacking political fortitude, while passing bills full of right wing policies.

Cause me and Greg Palast have.

http://www.gregpalast.com/obama-is-a-two-faced-liar-aw-right/#more-2181

things done. He's not out to "get" republicans. He would much prefer that most legislators get on the same page, offering the best, most effective ideas and getting stuff passed. If they don't, then bad on them.

He can walk and chew gum at the same time, that's for sure.

after all manner of trying to come to an accord on things. The pubs will sink themselves.

One parent exudes reasonableness, a true compassion for the best interests of the child. That parent tries to find a middle ground, tries to reach out to the other and find accommodation. The other parent is bitter, spiteful, and puts their own interests above the child's.

Judges and jurors typically find the best interests of the child dictate awarding primary custody to the reasonable parent, not the one who lacks empathy or reasonableness.

I see Obama's actions and those of this GOP detractors as similar. The public sees that Obama is not simply using his majority to pass what he wants. They see him reaching, trying to accommodate, trying to find a middle ground.

He is winning this battle, and the rope a dope analogy is a sound one. So is his making Rush the focal point of his derision. He has labeled Rush the buffoon he is, and made those who attack him seem Rush like.

The man is a friggin genius.

I'd be more assured of its value. As it is, inflaming the paranoia of the Left is the only measurable result of such subtlety to date. Obama already got the swing voters, and they're going to stay.

Excerpts from Andrew Sullivan in Times Online:

McCain never seemed to learn from the Clintons’ misjudgment of their rival. A key element of Obama’s strategy is classic rope-a-dope. He gets his opponents to splutter with irritation as “that one”, as McCain contemptuously described Obama in last Tuesday’s debate, glides towards them in the polls. He does his thing, raises masses of money, keeps his staff in perfect order and focuses on issues and themes. He can segue from the inspirational agent of change of the spring to the reassuring conventional pol of the autumn without anyone really noticing the seams. That takes political skill. You’ve either got it or you haven’t.

Obama rarely directly attacks. He subtly baits. His most brilliant rope-a-dope of the entire campaign was against Bill Clinton in the spring. In a newspaper interview, Obama cited Ronald Reagan as the last transformational president. He didn’t mention Clinton. The former president was offended by being implicitly dissed, took the bait and unleashed a series of unwise public scoffs at the young Democrat, culminating in a dismissal of Obama as another Jesse Jackson. Suddenly, black Democrats abandoned Clinton’s wife, and the Clintons’ base collapsed. Obama merely stepped out of the way as the Clintons self-destructed. He didn’t just end their campaign; he helped to bury their reputation.

I would love to see the pukes get their already old, withering, shriveled and impotent balls stomped on by O size 11's. Yes, that kind of things would make me happy. So please go fuck yourself if it displeases you.

Don't harsh my mellow brah.

for a K-R-A-Z-Y thread

in a little something called the State of the Union

First Kerry and now Helen...

HAHA ...Obama is being attacked for being too nice ... this is too perfect.

Now he can go in a clobber them without being called "partisan"

And President Obama is playing Settlers of Catan.

"Is the GOP relevant?"

I'd say obstructionism = FAIL in this case.

capable enough and fall completely for it.

We need to marginalize this wing of their party, not emphasize it. I live in an area where Limbaugh and Hannity are gods. Trust me, you don't want these people to be to be running the show.

If the Republican Party is defined by Limpballs this would appear to marginalize their party. It would be at best a party of 20 million, if they could count on all of Limpballs ditto-heads. Who is going to be their spokesman, Limpballs the drug addict or O'Reilly the sexual pervert who called up his young female assistant and described in revolting detail how he was masturbating and shoving things up his fat ass. The stupid jerk didn't consider that he was being taped. FOX and O'Reilly settled out of court with her for a rumored five or six million. These are really some classy guys.

Love the chess analogy. I think that is exactly what it going on.

Obama plans his moves seeing what is ahead, while the GOP is greedy, obtuse and petulant and that will not even come close to winning the chess game. Once Obama says "check mate" it will be over for the GOP for years and years to come. Obama is so much smarter than anyone has figured out yet...

Where's the popcorn? This should be fun.

or maybe they're lucky...

But I do believe Obama has probably spent a lot of time studying the Human Animal and what makes it tick.


He aims to get this country back on track, and I think he's willing to look like he's giving in (but really not) in order to do it.

Sting like a Bee.

why Pugs have two perfectly good feet, but have never been able, or do not want to walk forward.

Truman took office after FDR's death, just as the war in Europe was coming to a close. ...


“I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell.” (hehe)

http://thinkexist.com/quotation/i_never_give_them_hell-i_just_tell_the_truth_and/7781.html



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman

thank you very much

Republicans in high-stakes challenge to Obama

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE50S6UT20090129

Dems To Leadership: Cut GOP Loose

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/29/dems-to-leadership-cut-go_n_162266.html

Obama Allies Use Limbaugh To Hammer GOP On Stimulus

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/29/obama-allies-use-limbaugh_n_162390.html

GOP House Member To Rush Limbaugh: Back Off (HAHAHA too late..)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/27/gop-house-member-to-rush_n_161484.html

Where Did All the Republicans Go? (back under their rocks?)

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/where-did-all-the-republicans-go/

Republicans seeking relevance. (computer says no)

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13024657


HAHAHAHAHA......

in their minds they can not allow Obama to be successful no matter what the outcome is for the country. It has never been about country to them. It is ALL about POWER and that means keeping the few moneyed elite in control of everything.
It's why they push racism
It's why they push the anti-abortion button. Even though they controlled the Presidency, the Congress, and the Courts they never really made an attempt to stop abortion. Why? Because it was not in their best interest to stop it.
It's why they push fear.
All they have is the ability to use the division of the populace to keep them in power

BTW nice pic.

The most elegant way is to induce the cat to jump out of its own skin.

It skins itself. How satisfying can that be?

The cat participates and induces its own skinning by refusing to participate in it. OR it participates and skins itself with its own rules and the way it was always played.

Imagine this: President Obama calls a football play against a hulking, head down, charge and hit em harder again team. His players are smart and nimble. Actually they are basketball players in football uniforms. The ball is hiked and the Hulks charge. They never make contact with Obama's team. Some fall down because there was nothing there to hit. Others just ran past their intended tackle. Some just did not know what was going on because the ball was hiked on 2 instead of 3. Some really big hulk cries cheat because his opponent pointed one way but went another.

Some football fan spectator shouts out: Hey, Obama put the Globe Trotters in football uniforms! Everybody cheers. Then they laugh.

Nobody on Obama's team was touched and a TD was scored. The hulks were laying all over the field wondering what happened.

Can't ya just see the play on the field? Should be a super bowl ad for something on Sunday. Give some money to Move On, maybe it is not to late if somebody had to give up their ad time because they don't have the money for it.

On MSNBC just now some reporter was talking about all those billionaires coming to the super bowl (some not now) in their private jets to attend their private parties in private boxes. Maybe that will be the subject of half time commentary. Do those private boxes have one way glass. Nice viewing for all without a job. Wedge issue?

The president will speak now about how the former administration failed the middle class.

Skin that cat!

... I understand the philosophy of 'keeping your enemies close' and 'bipartisanship' but some of the corporate lobbyist hacks that now have his ear ... just doesn't sit right with me.


:shrug:

bailout version 2 is currently being considered by the senate. oh, then there's the house-senate reconciliation. we can judge obama's gamesmanship by what eventually gets passed.

The compromises he's making along the way may be painful, but I believe that they are at least intended to produce a greater good. I'll take rope-a-dope over Just Plain Dope any day.

I fear that even Obama isn't smart enough to pull us through the current crises, but he still gives me hope.

But if enough people see and approve .. his ideas will sweep the nation and and consumer confidence will skyrocket.



(I hope)

he has letting them expose their selves as a consequence of them rebuking it. It is a win-win strategy.

And Chimpy would lose if he played hopscotch against a 5 years old. :evilgrin:

It's like the last 8 years were a long episode of The Twilight Zone.

So many horrible an twisted weird things happened that I became chronically

cynical.And I'm not alone in this case.A lot of DUers are reluctant to trust

Obama because of that nightmarish and evil administration.

That's how he got to where he is today, and these America-hating Republicans will have their voting record shown to all.

He is too fluent in his speeches ...he resonates with people. Like you said.


and now we got the Internets :)

all the way.....OUR PRESIDENT (feels good,don't it) and his crew are all about results. This was demonstrated time and again during the campaign. They are playing Boehner, McConnell, Vitter and Rushbo like Pearlman plays his Stradivarius (when it's not too cold to stay in tune). Obama's gonna expose these neoCon punks for who they are, and the results will be a further fall for the Grand Old Perverts. To quote Flounder "This is gonna be great!"

Exactly.

I tell ya the man is smarter then we think.

he's brilliant, articulate, savvy. At last, an adult in the WH!
and rahm is no fool to mess with either. heh heh (my evil laugh)

I was for Hillary at first, I just was desperate to win the election.
I didn't really know obama. I was a bit worried about him. Wow, I feel lucky now.
Thanks to all you early Obama whacks, for working your flippin butts off!

and now I'm beginning to see something else,
If Obama fails its not going be his fault, it will be our fault.

So crank up DUers, We got a country to repair! Our own.

after hearing all that garbage from Rove about "the adults being in charge now" when bush came in.

I don't think he's trying to create a Dem hegemony. Rather, I think he hopes GOP voters will elect a new team who are capable of compromise so that his "postpartisan" approach can actually work. If he keeps it up, and is genuine about it and not just using it as a tactic, he'll put a pressure on Republican officeholders that will select for ability to get along and compromise. Which could actually save them as a viable party, rather than crushing them.

The current obstreperous group will end up self-destructing not because Obama is doing something sneaky or underhanded to outfox them, but precisely because he really is taking the high road, and they can't follow him up there. Which come to think of it is just the same way that MLK succeeded. That's what's so awesome about Obama compared to other Dems in my eyes: he can win nasty fights with tactics that consist of genuinely doing the right thing. This is also why I've said that he's someone that represents both the left and the center without undercutting either; he can lead from both positions at once, by being idealistic but never dogmatic.

Republicans. We don't need to compromise at all. :-)