Buckley Stays the Course

Last October, Christopher Buckley famously endorsed Barack Obama for president based on his 'centrist' campaign. Given Obama's lurch to the left since taking office, one would think that Buckley and the other conservative Obama-endorsers would reconsider.

One would be wrong.

It’s funny: When you endorse (to use a too-fancy term in my case) a presidential candidate, as I did Barack Obama in this space last October, he sort of becomes your responsibility. Back to that in a moment.

Needless to say, Buckley is not that person.

Meanwhile, I am delighted, overall, with our president’s first 100 days. I think he has struck a fine tone overseas (trans: the U.S. is less detested than it has been in recent years). He has exhibited the “first-class temperament” that persuaded me he was the man for the job. He is, as I called him last October, “one cool cat.” (The only time he seems to have gotten “furious” was yesterday, over that idiotic Air Force One photo-op-from-hell over Manhattan.)

Unless, of course, he truly believes apologizing to everyone for America's 'sins' constitutes a 'fine tone.' Or perhaps Buckley is thinking of this little embarrassment.

Buckley's praise of Obama's 'first class temperament' (translation: Harvard, baby!) is even more absurd. Obama may be one 'cool cat,' but where some see 'cool,' others might see...oh...a raving narcissist who has little regard for the status of his office when he does things that irritate our oldest ally. Twice. The U.S. may be less detested in some parts of the world, but London doesn't seem all that happy at the moment. Personally, I don't find people who say things like "I won" to settle a political debate or threaten bankers to have a 'first-class temperament.' That's not coolness, Buckley, that's indifference.

Let's be fair, though, Buckley does have his disagreements with The One.

On the minus side, I think his waffling over prosecuting Bush Justice Department officials for approving the enhanced interrogation methods (trans: “torture”) is detrimental and even dangerous. I thought Mr. Obama was initially on the right track with his “let’s move forward” approach (I applaud him, for among other things, retreating on renegotiating NAFTA) and hope that Attorney General Eric Holder, who did exactly the right thing in castigating the Ted Stevens prosecutors, will decide in the end against proceeding against the Bush-era officials.

Mr. Obama’s spending worries me greatly. If every president who comes into office doubles the national debt, then we are finished. We are burying future generations (trans: our children) under crushing debt.

Well, can we really blame the guy? I suppose intellectual honesty is a small price to pay when you're looking for praise from all of the 'right people.'

(h/t: Hot Air)

posted by Slublog at 08:54 AM

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