Yesterday, the President officially began his second term, but only after committing another mistake in reciting the oath of office. Four years ago, the culprit was Chief Justice John Roberts, who flubbed the wording of the oath. This time, Roberts recited the correct words, but the President was unable to properly enunciate the phrase “United States.”While these mistakes are minor matters, they are symbolic. Four years ago, the botched oath was a foreshadowing for a miserable four year term, marked by failed policies that produced horrible results for millions of Americans. It is likely that another flubbed oath will be followed by another failed four year term.
A review of the President’s second inaugural address shows he has learned nothing from the mistakes of his first term. He continues to pursue a hard core leftist agenda that produced in his first term stagnant economic growth, spiraling deficits, millions of new food stamp recipients and a horrific job market.
In his 19 minute speech yesterday, the President addressed a litany of liberal causes: gun control, gay marriage, immigration reform, and climate change to name a few. In the speech, he indicated no willingness to deal with Republicans and reach across the political aisle to find common ground on our tough problems. Former adviser to Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, Pat Buchanan, lampooned Obama’s speech as “pedestrian” and “deeply partisan.”
While Republicans in attendance at the inaugural politely clapped during the President’s “ode to liberalism,” the audience treated conservatives in a much different manner. Sadly, liberal partisans at the inaugural booed former GOP vice presidential candidate U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI). This shabby treatment is no different from how the President treats his GOP counterparts in Congress or how the First Lady treats House Speaker John Boehner. In a remarkable video, Mrs. Obama was shown rolling her eyes at Boehner as he was talking to the President at the inaugural luncheon.
Republicans should be accustomed to such hostility after the first four years, but the President’s intransigent attitude has poisoned the political atmosphere and led to more gridlock and no solutions to our ever growing problems. Even Democrats like presidential advisor David Plouffe and former Louisiana U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnston admit that the President needs to do a “better job” of working with Republicans in his second term. However, if his speech is any indication, the President totally rejected that sensible advice.
His goal seems to be to divide the Republican Party and try to help Democrats win the mid-term elections of 2014, thereby giving him the legislative majority he needs to enact a far left agenda.
The liberal causes he outlined are politically impractical, but very popular with his fan base in the media. For example, the latest Newsweek Magazine cover features Obama with the title “The Second Coming,” basically comparing the President to Jesus Christ. After the President’s speech, Chris Matthews of MSNBC gushed uncontrollably and compared it to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Such comparisons are nonsense and pathetic, but show how biased the mainstream news media has become regarding Obama. There is a media love and admiration for Obama that borders on unhealthy devotion. The media watchdogs of yesteryear have become the media lapdogs of today.
Overall, it was a very disappointing start to the second term. There was no display of genuine desire to solve our serious fiscal problems or deal with the real problems that we face abroad. While the President did not resurrect the idea of minting a phony trillion dollar coin to solve our debt ceiling crisis, he did present a constant stream of phony straw man arguments to bolster his liberal talking points.
The phoniness extended to the performances at the inaugural. It was quite fitting to learn that pop singer Beyonce lip synced the National Anthem and even the Marine Corps Band faked it, only pretending to play their instruments.
It was a phony performance for a phony agenda, outlined by a President who has relied on fakery throughout his first term.
The second presidential term of Barack Obama has now formally commenced. Hold on as we fake, rattle and roll our way through another four years.
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Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m.weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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