Second Take: Schumer's Merely Attempting a Trial Balloon Tactic of Distancing Democrats From Obamacare, While Continuing to Support and Defend It

I thought the Schumer statement -- in which he criticized Obama for pushing Obamacare in 2010, instead of addressing the needs of the And The Middle Class -- was important.

But now I think it's just so much positioning. With Elizabeth Warren now endorsing his statement (!!!), it seems obvious to me that this does not represent a true schism in the Democrat Party, but rather a way to snooker the voters again, to Gruber them anew.

The public has turned against government "solutions," starting with its longheld opposition to Obamacare. And Obama is more personally unpopular than ever.

As John Ekdahl is always saying, at some point the 2016 elections will require Democrats to separate themselves from Obama, at least rhetorically, if not in reality.

Thus Charles Schumer's attempt at what he thinks is a cagey fillip -- he will not actually come out against Obamacare, but attempt to channel the frustration of the voters ("They spent all their time trying to pass this bill which only helps 5% of the population, instead of us, the bruised and battered And The Middle Class") without actually giving an inch on Obamacare.

They did the same thing with Clinton during Impeachment, of course. They would not vote for impeachment (just as they will not vote to repeal Obamacare or alleviate the punishing effects on the And The Middle Class) but they came up with a series of rhetorical posturings -- Clinton's behavior is "simply indefensible," for example -- intended to mimic the public's emotional response to the scandal without actually giving an inch on it in policy terms.

So now Charles Schumer, and Elizabeth Warren (!!!), are complaining that Obama spent too much time and capital and money addressing the concerns of the lower classes without sufficiently addressing the needs of the And The Middle Class.

But will they attempt to actually unburden the And The Middle Class by ending Obamacare's punishing wealth-redistributing taxes on the And The Middle Class?

Of course not.

But Schumer (and Warren, and Hillary too) hope that the And The Middle Class is enough of a cheap date to just accept some emotional grousing, rather than demanding specific action to alleviate their burdens.

posted by Ace at 01:55 PM

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