This Shellacking Will Save the Obama Presidency

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“You don’t like a particular policy or a particular president? Then argue for your position. Go out there and win an election.”
-President Obama a year ago.

President Obama’s failing presidency just found salvation: A GOP controlled Congress for his last two years in office. They will salvage some of his legacy.

Just a few years ago:

In Obama’s first meeting with Democratic and Republican House and Senate leaders, just two weeks after his inauguration, he told the group that he wanted to hear everyone’s ideas and come to a bipartisan solution—words he had run his presidential platform on. He told those assembled, “If it works, we don’t care whose idea it is.” But the next day his tune changed when Rep. Eric Cantor, then House minority whip, passed out a draft of a potential economic recovery plan that essentially met only the Republican demands. After reading the one-page spread, the president responded: “I can go it alone but I want to come together. Look at the polls. The polls are pretty good for me right now.” He then told Cantor, “Elections have consequences and Eric, I won.”

Well, Mr. President, elections do indeed have consequences. As of 11:30pm tonight, America won:

Stunning Republican victories came in reliably Democratic states, including those won overwhelmingly by Obama in 2012. Illinois ousted Democrat Pat Quinn in favor of Republican Bruce Rauner, while Maryland voters opted for Republican Larry Hogan over Democrat Anthony Brown. Republican Charlie Baker won a Massachusetts match-up against Martha Coakley, the state attorney general who lost a special Senate election to Scott Brown in 2010.

Begala: GOP ran better candidates

Republicans also continued their dominance of governors’ mansions when a number of GOP leaders fought off stiff challenges from Democrats.

Republican Rick Scott defeated Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist in a very tight and hotly contested race.

Wisconsin’s Scott Walker and Georgia’s Nathan Deal both narrowly won re-election in the face of well-financed Democratic challenges, according to CNN projections. Ohio’s John Kasich, Iowa’s Terry Branstad and New Mexico’s Susana Martinez also dispatched weaker Democratic challengers. And bombastic Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage survived a stiff challenge from Rep. Michael Michaud to win a second term.

It appears Tom Foley has lost his gubernatorial bid for Connecticut.

Tom Corbett lost to Democrat Tom Wolf in Pennsylvania.

A close race in Virginia saw Democrat Mark Warner win re-election against Republican challenger, Ed Gillespie.

At the moment, Colorado is still too early to call:

colorado 2014 gov

Republican Rep. Cory Gardner won the race for Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat, defeating incumbent Sen. Mark Udall. Colorado voted for President Obama in 2008 and 2012.

Iowa is another state that voted for President Obama in both presidential election years; yet Republican Joni Ernst won the race for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, defeating Democratic challenger Bruce Braley.

Kansas conservatives weren’t fooled by Greg Orman’s “independent” status and “got out the vote” for Pat Roberts. Vice President Joe Biden probably didn’t do Orman any favors by suggesting he’d caucus with the Democrats. And speaking of Uncle Joe, you’d think the Obama Administration would have kept him under lock-and-key rather than sending him out there to speak in public. Remember it was only a couple of months ago when Joe Biden suggested that we would chase ISIS to the Gates of Hell? Only to say a month later that ISIS and Islamic terrorism poses no “existential threat” to the United States? He reiterated that point on Monday, interviewing on CNN with Gloria Borger (also predicting that Democrats would hang on to their Senate majority):

There is no existential threat to the United States right now. There are fewer than five cases of Ebola in the entire United States of America. The American public gains confidence in the fact of the way this is being handled; that science does matter.”

He went on: “You look at what’s happening with ISIS. ISIS is not an existential threat to something happening to someone in the United States of America. It’s a serious problem overseas but it’s confusing and frightening.

Yet he says they’re so not an existential threat to us that we should follow them to the gates of hell? Ok. Thanks for the gifting.

Republican Thom Tillis wins North Carolina Senate race.

In South Carolina, Republican Tim Scott becomes the first African-American senator to win election in the South since Reconstruction.

Along with Senate seat victories that rids of Harry Reid’s Senate “leadership”, Republicans also expanded their majority in the House from Tuesday’s election results (taking 11 seats from Democrats, as of this post’s writing).

All in all, how is this election not a repudiation and referendum on President Obama and his policies?

midtermdebacle

One bright spot for the President is that a GOP-controlled Congress may just save President Obama from himself. For the past few years, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been a source of the gridlock and “nothing done” in Congress.

It has also been President Obama who has been the uncompromising one (“I won.”), wanting bipartisanship to amount to “Go along with my agenda and we have bipartisanship”.

President Obama’s policies and “leadership” have been a disaster for this country. The legacy of which, may find its silver lining in the next two years if the GOP Congressional leadership can get its bills signed by the President.

With one eye on his legacy and another on the 2016 elections, President Obama will not dare veto or block every conservative proposal.

Today, because of American ingenuity and technological skill, the United States has become the world’s leading oil and natural gas producer. A top priority of the new Congress should be to secure the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline to ensure our No.1 standing.

The tax code has become so cumbersome and complicated that even Ernst and Young is not sure what is in it. A congressional priority should be a reformed code with a flat, fair rate for all. A corollary reform would be to lower the corporate tax—now the highest in the industrialized world–so that U.S. corporations will stop moving overseas and stay home.

It is unacceptable that we now have a national debt of nearly $18 trillion, about $300,000 per American family. Federal spending must come down, starting with what might be called “Operation Just Say No.” In its oversight role, Congress should push to combine and eliminate the 80 different education programs aimed at improving teacher quality, the 80 different transportation programs that serve disadvantaged individuals, the 80 different welfare programs, the 45 different job training programs.

Under the Constitution, a primary obligation of the federal government is to provide for the common defense. But according to Heritage Foundation research, the Army is on a dismal track to 50 percent of the size needed to meet national security demands. Similarly, the Navy is scheduled to be downsized to 250 ships, far below what is needs to help protect our security. In contrast, President Reagan knew that we must have a strong military and a strong foreign policy to deter threats before they materialize.

Congress should propose common-sense solutions for the problems of immigration—beginning with secure borders, welcoming high-skilled workers and simplifying the process for legal immigrants. We should be more concerned with treating fairly the 4.4 million people waiting for a green card rather than the 11 million illegal immigrants already here.

Other possible reforms include the elimination of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Transportation Empowerment Act by which states can set their own transportation policy, rejection of Common Core standards, education savings accounts, the prohibition of federal discrimination against individuals and organizations on the basis of their religious beliefs, market-driven health care–not government-approved and taxpayer-subsidized health plans.

And then there is what could be most important issue of all—the Senate confirmation of a Supreme Court nomination. We do not know if one of the present justices will retire or become so ill as to be obliged to resign, but history suggests it could happen sometime in the next two years. Facing a conservative Senate, the president will necessarily be circumscribed in his choices and his goal of enshrining a “living” Constitution.

So, what difference can a conservative Congress make? Literally, all the difference in the world.

House Speaker Boehner has taken a lot of heat from hardcore conservatives and little credit for what he has done right:

Congress cut spending from 2011 to 2013. It was reduced from $3.60 trillion in 2011 to $3.54 trillion in 2012 to $3.45 trillion in 2013. The reductions are far from earth-shattering, but, for the federal government, this is pretty much an earthquake.

This is the first time since 1953-55 that spending was cut in consecutive years. Yet, Congress doesn’t seem to be getting much credit. When I listen to conservative talk-radio or converse with Republicans or read conservative websites, they constantly bash their own leaders in Congress as little better than President Obama and the Democrats.

They eviscerate House Speaker John Boehner as a wimp and a stooge. They demand that Reagan conservatives be elected to Congress. Well, I have news for them: Ronald Reagan never saw a reduction in federal spending — not once in eight years. Neither did George W. Bush. Even the Bill Clinton-Newt Gingrich partnership, which eliminated the deficit, never cut spending. Only the current Congress has done that.

The record deficit that threatened to bury this nation four years ago, after the Democrats’ disastrous stimulus plan, has been cut by more than half to $500 billion in 2014. That’s still high, but it’s a remarkable improvement. Think about that when you think about this Congress.

When the GOP doesn’t control the presidency and one house of Congress, there’s only so much that Republican lawmakers can do. Now that they will have control of both Houses, there should be less gridlock and obstructionism.

Just as former President Bill Clinton can claim successes such as welfare reform and a supposed budget surplus, so too will President Obama benefit and be able to take credit for positive successes that come out of a GOP-led Congress. If he and the next Congress are able to work together, it will be the salvation of his presidential legacy.

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This election is a message for Obama- America doesn’t like what he’s doing. We’ll see if he cares to listen.

There is something to save?

Enjoy the victory, but we CANNOT let the RINOS go squishy. Keep reminding them they were elected because we do not like nor want Obama’s marxist policies.

You include some terrific points, Word…..

Begala: GOP ran better candidates.

Better than two years ago.
Yes.
But why?
Because the National Republican Party came into each state and district and PICKED the Republican candidates.
There were not going to be ”rape rape” candidates and such.

Biden’s flip-flop on ISIS.

People know how they feel about an American man getting beheaded.
Obama’s reaction was inexcusable.
He was grinning like a Cheshire cat within moments of pretending he cared.
Biden’s flip-flops might have gone over the heads of most low-to-middling info voters, but Obama’s phony moment of sadness did not.

But I think your most important point is one you personally made:

Just as former President Bill Clinton can claim successes such as welfare reform and a supposed budget surplus, so too will President Obama benefit and be able to take credit for positive successes that come out of a GOP-led Congress. If he and the next Congress are able to work together, it will be the salvation of his presidential legacy.

Obama has always taken credit for things he did not do, but which happened on his watch:
Killing bin Laden.
The Arab Spring.
Any improvement in our economy.
Any improvement in jobs.
And on and on.
Obama also is quick to blame others for everything bad that happens EVEN when he personally was responsible for it:
Blamed Bush for ISIS.
Blamed Bush for Iraq withdrawal.
Blamed the Sequester for ebola cuts.
Blames Israel for Islamic warring.
Blames Social Media….
Blames Consititution….
Blames, blames, blames…
Obama will naturally take credit IF anything he MUST sign into law under a Republican Congress (House and Senate) works out OK.
I just hope, by legacy time, everybody has Obama’s number.

Elections have consequences; one of those is that now, suddenly, you got what you asked for; you are in charge.

It’s up to you now, Republicans. Fix it.

@Wordsmith:

Ah, yes: Ending the Iraq War and “bringing the troops home”….until it became politically inconvenient to any long do so.

Unfortunately for him, a thing called a video was invented some time ago.

As for him salvaging his presidency by working with the new GOP majority and actually fixing some of our problems as opposed to creating them, I wouldn’t hold my breath because he is no Clinton. As a matter of fact, between now and the swearing in of the new Congress he could become more overreaching knowing full well he only has Reid’s cover for so long. First up will probably be some sort of back door amnesty for the illegals. There is also no telling what is going to come out of those Fast and Furious documents that were conveniently not released until the day of the election so they would have no impact. If there is evidence that incriminates him in wrongdoing or a cover-up, things may get very ugly.

@Wordsmith:

Now that they will have control of both Houses, there should be less gridlock and obstructionism.

There may not be much gridlock in Congress, however without Harry Reid to run interference, Obama will be fully willing to be the Obstructor in Chief.

If Mitch McConnell gets the lead position (which seems likely,) he should not be too quick to reverse Harry Reid’s “nuclear option” policy (after all as Obama and the Democrats reminded everyone “elections have consequences”). There should be at least a short term “punishment” phase for the Democrats to sweat through while the Republican Senate leadership “contemplates” whether to put the previous rules bank in place, or perhaps a compromise between the old rules and Harry’s.

If the GOP leadership stupidly allows Obama to get away with his arrogant and unconstitutional executive amnesty scheme, they will have allowed this despot to destroy forever the political balance, which will lead to the end of the GOP and our constitutional republic in 2016, (unless the individual states counter Obama with a massive anti-vote fraud solution requiring the purging of illegal, dead and criminal alias voters and proof of citizenship eligibility.) Democrats don’t want voter ID? Fine. An even more secure alternative is to require verification via a thumb-print, retinal scan or facial recognition, by which such software should be employed by each states registrar of voters to ensure that everyone who votes is bot heligible, and whom they claim to be. You simply require all voters to re-register to be kept in the system, and purge all the old records. (many drivers license branches have already forced drivers to renew so as to be added to the facial recognition databases,) Once the election department has their unique biometric signatures there would be no need for photo ID. Using law enforcement databases, it should make it easy to weed out criminals and those who illegally registered or vote multiple times under different names.

Regarding the title Wordsmith chose: This Shellacking Will Save the Obama Presidency

I think not. With Republicans in charge of both houses, investigations into the abuses of the federal agencies under his tyrannical executive leadership are now free to plow full steam ahead. Certainly the MSM may try to run interference for Obama by either silence or claims of Republican witch-hunting, but by their protecting of the administration, the leftist news media have made themselves less relevant and have lost much their market share. Consider:

Election eve surprise: DOJ belatedly releases Fast & Furious documents

The Justice Department sent Congress 64,280 pages of documents it had previously withheld from the botched Fast and Furious gun-walking operation on Tuesday, in a move Republicans said was an admission by President Obama that he overstepped his legal bounds.

Investigators had sought the documents for years, with the House even suing in federal court to force their release. Mr. Obama had asserted executive privilege, claiming the documents were part of the “deliberative process” of White House decision-making and therefore didn’t need to be divulged, but the court rejected those claims.

‘Election Eve Dump:’ Eric Holder Releases Fast and Furious Documents That Got Him Cited for Contempt

“This production is nonetheless a victory for the legislative branch, a victory for transparency, and a victory for efforts to check Executive Branch power,” Issa said of the release.

DOJ handed over the documents pursuant to a court order. “When Eric Holder wants to know why he was the first Attorney General held in criminal contempt of Congress, he can read the judge’s order that compelled the production of 64,280 pages that he and President Obama illegitimately and illegally withheld from Congress,” Issa said. “Since these pages still do not represent the entire universe of the documents the House of Representatives is seeking related to the Justice Department’s cover-up of the botched gun-walking scandal that contributed to the death of a Border Patrol agent, our court case will continue.”

Sharyl Attkisson Just Released a Creepy Video of Her Computer That Will Likely Send Chills Down Your Spine

“That very night, with [White House spokesman Eric] Schultz, [White House Press Secretary Jay] Carney and company freshly steaming over my Benghazi reporting, I’m home doing final research and crafting questions for the next day’s interview with [Thomas] Pickering. Suddenly data in my computer file begins wiping at hyperspeed before my very eyes. Deleted line by line in a split second: it’s gone, gone, gone,”

Attkisson: Hacking Software Was from FBI, CIA, DIA or NSA

She contacted a computer forensics expert, who concluded that sophisticated intrusions had taken place, and the proprietary software on her computers was a type used by either the FBI, CIA, DIA or NSA, four government agencies.

Other experts and even a consultant hired by CBS later confirmed both the extent and sophistication of the hacking.

Former CBS News Reporter Sharyl Attkisson Claims Existence of Obama Enemies’ List

No, Wordmith. I think that Obama’s iceberg is dead ahead, and the extent of his narcissistic arrogance and misuse of government agencies as political weapons is looming large just underneath the surface. If he forces a war with Congress, his ship of state is in dire danger of being sunk from his own hubris, much like Nixon’s much more minor misuse of agencies tarnished and corroded his legacy. The more that is exposed on the IRS, JD gun-running, Benghazi, etc. the more it will hurt Democrat chances in 2016.

The Mandate is to STOP President Obola’s destruction of America!!