ODS

Although I created a tag on NRR for my Obama Derangement Syndrome posts, I do not think I have been truly afflicted. At least not yet. As evidence of my mental health, I have made all these points, either here or in the meat world:

Presidents really don't have that much to do with the economy. Constitutionally, their scope for action independent of Congress is extremely limited. For we citizens, that means presidential utility in such matters is largely to focus public opinion on Congress when Congress is failing to act, or acting inappropriately (such as looking after their own butts or catering to special interests), rather than taking care of the broader public interest.

Therefore, blaming presidents for things that they do not control is incredibly foolish. People (and especially the press) loved playing the Bush blame game, but after eight years of it I'm afraid it's a bad habit that's ingrained in people's minds and hearts.

Presidents don't control GDP. They don't independently control bank regulation, lending policies, spending policies, or any of that jazz. They can suggest fiscal responsibility, but Congress passes the budget. They can suggest policies but they can't make them legal or give themselves authority to act. The way our government is structured, presidents almost never have much control over the economy. To the extent they exert much influence, it is almost always by exerting pressure on Congress.

I do believe Barry is a Marxist, having learned it from his parents and grandparents, and sought out like minds when creating his “Barack” identity in college. My concern is that his economic philosophy fits too well with the current crop of legislators. No checks, no balance.

And I would love to see his birth certificate before I acknowledge him as President. But any President’s area of greatest influence is in foreign policy, where Barry has already muted himself with his picks for State and Defense Secretaries.

My derangement, as it exists, is not so much about Obama himself, but all the goofy faith so many have put in him as a transformational messiah. He’s still human. Just like everyone else, he has to light his cigarets one at a time. At least until Congress criminalizes smoking…