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April 9, 2010 12:00pm by David Farrar

Johansson on Obama

For those interested in US politics.

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United States
Barack Obama
Jon Johansson

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david

Frightening that Johansson would see “fundamental constitutional change” as the solution to Obama’s apparent inability to govern. Unfortunately I suspect he is not alone.
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April 9, 2010 12:13pm
arian23

I used to have major crush on Johansson at uni. Would have eaten own arm in a lecture if it would have got his attention. I’m older now – wouldn’t be so dignified at Fulbright.
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April 9, 2010 12:15pm
krazykiwi

“He will explore what type of crisis might lead to fundamental constitutional change to better facilitate presedential leadership”

Having 19 (and counting..) states joining together in suing the federal government for passing unconstitutional legislation could be seen as a crisis. And just wait until Obama tries to ram through a national sales tax. I’m trying to find some angles on how NZ can benefit from the increasing turmoil stateside. There must be a few.
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April 9, 2010 12:51pm
Bob R

Wasn’t Obama’s first year problematic because he focussed on the health care issue which the majority of voters didn’t want? Also, the massive stimulus bill. Interesting post here by David Friedman about the power of names.

“For a more recent example, consider Obama’s economic policy. Everyone—including Obama, back when he was running for President—is against deficit spending. Relabel it “stimulus” and everyone is for it. The label neatly evades the question of whether having the government borrow money and spend it is actually a way of getting out of a recession—a claim for which evidence is distinctly thin. It is stimulus, so obviously it must stimulate.”

http://daviddfriedman.blogspot.com/2009/01/stimulus-power-of-names.html
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April 9, 2010 2:01pm
side show bob

Ask the good doctor if he has seen the Kenyan’s birth certificate yet.
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April 9, 2010 3:24pm
unaha-closp

Ask if the extra-judicial killing of American citizens favored by this administration is going to require constitutional reform.
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April 9, 2010 3:39pm
kiwi in america

“how the passage of the health care bill might shift his political dynamic”. I’m assuming from that little intro and hearing Johansson pontificate in the NZ media in the past that he is a lefty who has drunk the Democrat’s kool aid that passing the health care boondoggle would improve their chances.

So since that cram down Obama’s own poll ratings continue to plummet. CBS has him at their lowest rating (45%), Fox at theirs (44%), Gallup has the Dems at a 17 year low and has anti-incumbent sentiment (always the most dangerous for the party in power) at well below the depths plumbed after Hillarycare in 1994, Rasmussen has the generic ballow with an unprecedented 9% Republican lead (the same time in 1994 before the GOP takeover of the House and Senate the two parties were level pegging in this poll). Polling on Obama’s handling of all the major issues are now all in the GOP’s favour and on Obamacare in particular he is significantly upside down in all polls especially with the crucial independent voters that were his margin of victory.

I wonder how Johansson will explain all this away.
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April 9, 2010 4:53pm
Bob R

***I’m assuming from that little intro and hearing Johansson pontificate in the NZ media in the past that he is a lefty who has drunk the Democrat’s kool aid that passing the health care boondoggle would improve their chances.***

Johansson is an example of an intelligent liberal who has internalised considerable guilt for being white. He fretted that Don Brash might win in 2005 and thought his Orewa speech was “desperate”. His article in the Listener recently about US Politics was interesting though, so maybe I’ll head along.
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April 9, 2010 5:44pm
Scott

Johansson is a leftist of the first order and has written at least 2 articles in the Listener about the intelligence and foresight of the wonderfully gifted leader of the USA. The tone was something reminiscent of North Korea’s praising of their glorious leader and about as objective.

I expect hagiography of the first order and would be a great night’s entertainment for you leftists out there.

Everyone else-you have been warned.
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April 9, 2010 7:54pm
Hurf Durf

Bugger issues and implications, I’ll respond to events with poems.

Sounds like every other other soft-in-the-head academic.
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April 9, 2010 8:18pm
Poliwatch

Even if he is a leftist liberal, Johannson raises some interesting questions for both left and right politics in the US. The system has more checks and balances than my bank account – and a bigger overdraft balance as well (due to Bush and Obama). It is so difficult to push forward reforming legislation.

The problem is that the founding fathers did not really trust democracy.
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April 9, 2010 8:19pm
kiwi in america

Perhaps Dr Johansson can comment on the implications of the announced retirement of Democrat Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan. Rep Stupak led a block of a dozen so-called conservative pro-life Democrats whose votes were vital in the House finally passing the Senate version of the healthcare bill – itself a requirement for the Senate to amend that Bill via the much discredited reconciliation method (a filibuster avoiding measure previously used only in the passing of budgetary laws such as tax increases or decreases).

Stupak’s bloc was needed by Pelosi to pass the original House version of Obamacare but the price of that victory was an amendment legislatively upholding the Hyde Amendment banning any and all federal funding of abortion. The Senate version of the healthcare bill watered down the Stupak amendment leaving a loophole through which federal funding of abortion was possible via mandates and subsidies for the uninsured that were provided for in the bill. Stupak’s bloc held out to the end on this issue and in the end their votes were needed to pass the Senate Bill as Pelosi fell about 5 votes short. The fig leaf was an Executive Order banning the federal funding of abortion – an order the pro-life movement knew could 1- be easily overturned by Obama or 2 – be overturned by court rulings.

Stupak’s decision reflects the electoral reality of the Democrats ramming through Obamacare – poll numbers for the Democrats, the President and Obamacare in any permutation and from any polling organisation are all dropping since the passage of the Bill. Perhaps this is the shifting dynamic Dr Johansson wishes to elighten his audience about. I invite any Wellington residents who read this blog to ask Dr Johansson if he would care to comment on the polling and resignation trends since the bill passed and what kind of shifting dynamic that might be underway.
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April 10, 2010 6:34am

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