Obama Needs To Be "Captain Kirk" going forward and not "Mr. Spock."

The 2010 election cycle may seem like a "disaster," but one must always see the bright side. In some ways, it is a blessing in disguise IF Obama/Dems play their cards right this time.

The R's are convinced the electorate gave them a mandate to return to Bush/Cheney economics: massive tax cuts for the rich, massive deregulation,repealing Wall St. reform, and repealing healthcare reform.

Therefore, over the next two years, Obama/Dems have a GREAT chance to gain ground by LOUDLY, BOLDLY, and CLEARLY advancing their MADE IN AMERICA and REBUILDING THE MIDDLE CLASS agenda in STARK CONTRAST to the GOP plan to go right back to Bush/Cheney economics.

The 2010 election was NOT a massive repudation of Obama/Dem policies, many of which haven't even had time to go into effect and work yet. It was mainly typical midterm cycling compounded by frustration over the recession. When the issues are polled, Dem/Moderate positions win. On the healthcare law for example, most of its individual components poll high, and most people don't want it repealed. Tweaked maybe, but not entirely repealed. I think the R's are overstating their sense of a "national right wing mandate."

I think the next two years is going to see economic improvement, and the GOP doesn't have the votes to repeal the HUGE amount of Dem legislation passed in the last two years. If the Dems play their cards right and MESSAGE right, they can show the R's to be teabagger anti-middle class extremists who simply want to go backwards to the failed past.

What Obama needs to do this time is FRAME and THEME the next two years as the NEW ERA OF MADE IN AMERICA and REBUILDING THE MIDDLE CLASS. He needs to get LOUD, get EMOTIONAL, get POPULIST, and GO PUBLIC bigtime all over the country to town halls etc. Where he went wrong in his first two years was NOT on getting a lot of GOOD legislation passed but on his MESSAGING and STYLE. America needs a BOLD, STRONG, POPULIST, INSPIRING, TRANSFORMATIONAL leader during a recession who can capture the imagination and endearment of the nation, not merely a policy wonk technocrat. Not that Obama didn't get out some during his first two years, but he should have THEMED his presidency better and kept the YES WE CAN and HOPE AND CHANGE theme from his campaign going full steam. Much as was said in a recent OP ED, he instead hunkered down in transactional mode. America elected and NEEDED a CAPTAIN KIRK leader to take us BOLDY FORWARD and all too often we have instead gotten a reserved Mr. Spock negotiator. Keep "Mr. Spock" in the back rooms. Put "Captain Kirk" out in public OFTEN.
(Yes, I love that Star Trek analogy. :-)

Also, there will be divisions among the R's as they struggle to appease their teaparty wing. The GOP will continue to shrink demographically and appear too extreme for the American electorate, and Dems need to exploit this. They are too white and too far to the right for the electorate of the future.

In short, we have a great opportunity to make the R's appear as the Borg while we stand for the great ideals of the federation.

<http://projectsanctuary.com/the_complete_ferengi_rules_of_acquisition.htm>

128. Ferengi are not responsible for the stupidity of other races

Did anyone bother reading the whole thing?

this is over the top and not just by a bit.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_%28character%29>

You guys are funny.

:)

Mr. Spock has demonstrated on many many occasions his ability to command and inspire. I could spend hours listing them all but not today. ;)

c'mon, Spock just ain't that inspiring. THAT is why they have Kirk at the helm.

I like your suggestion, I am just playing with you. Absolutely I agree, and it shouldn't be too hard for Obama to switch gears here, in fact it will come naturally as he fences with the republicans. I think he will have plenty of opportunities to do more inspiring over the next couple years.

:evilgrin:

Give me Commander Adama any day.

We need a Picard. Too bad Worf left to run for mayor of Chicago.

I would say Rahm was more of a Quark than a Worf. Rahm has no honor and would sell out all his allies for a price. Worf would fall on his sword before compromising his beliefs.

Here's one I'm trying to figure out: Who in the current situation is Q?

:puke:

Kirk was a failcaptain.

*staring intently into camera*
Yes....
We....

KHHHHAAAAAAAAAN!

BTW, Avatar is playing on HBO right now. :D

The green ones, too!

The Klingons didn't talk things out, nor did they take prisoners ("Search for Spock" was WRONG).

The Congress has been taken over by Klingons. You've got to go down to the planet surface and FIGHT them.

They're weaselly liars, none of which Klingons are.

Republicans are more Romulan than Klingon.

Klingons are all about honor and dying in battle.

They're really Ferengi - fearful, cowardly and obsessed with profit.

Boehner, Cantor and Mitch McConnell are closer to Borg: Lockstep, devoid of human logic, willing to destroy others (and themselves) in service to the collective ideals of the hive.

Did you notice?

When he retreated back to Washington's bubble the RW public relations machine always managed to take him back down in a matter of days.

During the first part of his Presidency he went with a strategy. He played the technocrat who tried working the levers power and relying on his skill to craft legislation. The result was watered down "reform", compromise, detachment and the eventual loss of faith among rank and file voters.

I love your analogy of Kirk going into public and bending them to build public consensus while the policy wonks are left behind in Washington to worry about the details.

One more thing to add; Kirk always beat Spock at dimensional chess. ;)

Unfortunately, Obama is just the opposite.

The White House hasn't had a good "Empath" on the bridge...er on staff, since the swearing-in.

:evilgrin:

Or Captain Kirk with amnesia, in love with some hot alien chick after being hit on the head.

Does that mean goateed Parallel Universe Rahm would be a nice guy and a Democrat?

It would have been pure Hell to work under him.