Banter Voices

Obama’s Never Had A Lex Luthor

By Oliver Willis · October 02,2012

| 938 Views | Politics

All the great, iconic superheroes have an equally iconic nemesis. Superman has Lex Luthor. Batman has The Joker. The X-Men have Magneto. Spider-Man has The Green Goblin. And so forth.

The same rule often appears to apply to politics. Reagan had Tip O’Neil, Bush I had Clinton, Clinton had Gingrich, Bush had… well, you could say Pelosi but I’d argue that the American people eventually became Bush’s greatest nemesis.

Barack Obama, on the other hand, is one of American history’s more skillful politicians but with the exception of Hillary Clinton’s campaign I would argue that he’s never had a straightforward nemesis to go toe-to-toe with. When he ran for Senate, the best the GOP could eventually come up with was Alan Keyes, who turned out to be even crazier than we thought he was in the ‘90s (he abandoned the GOP and is now some kind of birther). Then Obama faced McCain and Palin who turned out to be more like characters from the Super Villain Alternate Squad than members of the Legion of Doom.

I would argue that the Tea Party was more effective against Obama than actual leaders like McConnell and Boehner, but we’re already beginning to see that 2010 may have been more of a perfect alignment than an actual movement.

And now we see the alliance of Fox News, The Drudge Report and the Romney campaign (along with their lackies at Breitbart.com) who seem to repeatedly believe that innocuous videos of Obama hugging a guy or making a speech in clear view of the public (in a video that’s been on YouTube for years, no less) are devastating truth bombs to launch from their conservacannons.

Obama’s supposed to be having a showdown with the Joker, but instead he’s got the Riddler on a bad day.

In addition to your own actions, your nemeses and the way you deal with them are what defines you. Obama has been given several gifts by that measurement, having only once been challenged by a worthy foe who nearly defeated him.

The rest have been strictly amateur hour.

SaveFarris

When he ran for Senate, the best the GOP could eventually come up with was Alan Keyes

That’s not entirely true. Jack Ryan would have been quite the formidable opponent right up until a Democratic judge unsealed his divorce records.

Now we know why Oliver wrote this post. 8 years on the national stage not being challenged served Obama poorly tonight. He was totally unprepared for someone being able to defend a competing viewpoint.
- Plunket
  
  I think Oliver would have to agree, Obama has his Lex Luthor now.
  - M2
    
    So you admit, Mitt is a horrible villan?
    
    i tease but – Lex sucks.
- M2
  
  Oh I agree that Ryan was an opponent but don’t pretend Jerri Ryan didn’t make sure a certainly Family Values GOP candidate didn’t end his own career.
Plunket

CNN Poll: Romney wins debate by big margin

(CNN) – Sixty-seven percent of registered voters who watched the debate said GOP nominee Mitt Romney won the debate, while 25% said President Barack Obama came out as the winner, according to a CNN/ORC International Poll released late Wednesday night.

Republicans NEVER win these polls immediately after presidential debates. Especially CNN ones.
- M2
  
  See, it saddens me but it is true.
  
  Where was the fight tonight?
  
  Wasn’t on that stage.
  - Christopher Foxx
    
    See, it saddens me but it is true.
    
    No matter what happened, Dennis and Frank and their ilk would declare Romney the winner. OTOH, M2 and others on the left have acknowledged that Obama gave a losing performance last night.
    
    Remind me, which side is blinded by bias?
Justanotherrighty

Michelle (leaving the auditorium) : When I get you back to the White House, I am going to whip your bony ass, letting that white man beat you like that !
He beat you like you owed him money !!
- M2
  
  But he left has racial issues.
- oi ly
  
  Frank, it’s a good idea to keep your sexual fantasies to yourself. They have no place on a political blog.
- oi ly
  
  A small little window opens into Frank’s personal life.
  - enlightened liberal
    
    Believe me, that’s a window you want to shut. Never know what kind of stench could waft in.
oi ly

Death Panel redux!
- Plunket
  
  Oily, were you on Obama’s debate prep team?
Plunket

“I am now asking where the f…ck was Obama debate training team?” Katrina vandenHeuvel

Bill Maher ‏@billmaher
i can’t believe i’m saying this, but Obama looks like he DOES need a teleprompter

Andrew Sullivan ‏@sullydish
I know debating, am good at it, and I can see a wipe-out when it’s, well, in front of one’s nose…..Romney is even sounding Reagan-like and compassionate right now. The Etch-A-Sketch is shaking, and the old Romney is back, with coded appeals to his base. And then he adds onto that a litany of woes currently experienced. Again, even after Obama’s eloquent answer, Romney is better.

Wow.
- M2
  
  I agree with Dennis, here. This should have been a shut out. The first debate was Mitt’s best chance and he really did the best with it.
  
  As per usual, Democrats love to let their opponent do what they will instead of shutting it down. We hate being seen too nasty when fighting policy that is one-hundred times nastier is the best way to go.
  
  Mitt won tonight because he was ready for a fight. He fought. The President almost seemed ready to yield because there are two (3, really) more debates.
  
  We saw this with his DNC acceptance speech. He needs to get his fighting spirit back and he needs to remember his fight is the good fight. Not Mitt’s.
Plunket

Does anybody know if Obama was raised in the southern part of Hawaii?
- Christopher Foxx
  
  Oh, I can’t wait to find out why where in Hawaii he was raised could possibly be relevant.
  
  Nope I’m wrong. I can.
  - Plunket
    
    Where else did he develop the deep southern drawl with the black dialect that Harry Reid said it would be great to use when he wanted to, Christopher?
    
    Punahou High?
    
    Chicago?
    
    The guy’s a phony. Just like you when you said you were thinking you’d vote for McCain instead of Obama four years ago till he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate.
    - oi ly
      
      You’re a gross human being, Dennis. I still can’t believe you’re allowed here.
    - Christopher Foxx
      
      Just like you when you said you were thinking you’d vote for McCain instead of Obama four years ago till he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate.
      
      Nope. Not what I said at all. Although it doesn’t surprise me at all that that’s the way you read it. Being as things, no matter what the really are, have to fit into your close-minded, black/white absolute biased world view.
oi ly

“And the fact that you were obviously patrolling FOX, Drudge and the Daily Caller yesterday afternoon and uncharacteristically (for you) not posting here, that’s a pretty clear indication of just who it was soiling their pants, Marco.”

You’re doing it again! Someone calls out your BS and you blame the observer for said BS. You’re lost, Dennis.
- M2
  
  What’s also great about that Dennis’ quote is that indeed, yesterday afternoon, Drudge began hyping the Daily Caller’s latest scandal. Now, Dennis claims that I was patrolling yesterday afternoon as a negative when he obviously damn well knew the time when the DC was going to unveil their big get.
  
  So, I am an asshole for knowing when the scandal was going to break (because Drudge announced it) but Dennis obviously knowing the exact same info I do = awesome.
  
  Someone needs to explain that there is no protective password to Winguttia. Anyone can visit and bathe afterwards.
  - Plunket
    
    Hahaa. Back and fill, Marco.
    
    You sound like Stepanie Cutter trying to explain away Biden’s “The middle class has been buried that last four years” comment…..when he was being ‘deadly earnest…..deadly earnest, folks’.
    - M2
      
      Everybody sing!!!!
      
      “O-ver there, o-ver there, send a look, send a look, o-ver there,”
      
      Or perhaps you prefer this classic:
      
      “Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?
      Hey Joe, I said where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?
      I need to follow you around all day, see I fucked up my argument again.”
      - Christopher Foxx
        
        Don’t even need to resort to the “over there” dodge, M2. Note Plunket hasn’t given any given any reason why Biden’s comment was wrong. He’s just declared it to be so.
        
        Dennis sinks a boat to the bottom of the ocean and it a while for the rescuers to bring folks back up to the surface. Dennis would have you believe it isn’t his fault folks are wet.
db

DA,

I don’t think WMR will prove his incompetency for the Presidentcy. He’ll stay on target, deliver the talking points, use some canned zingers, and have Farris & Dennis here tomorrow telling us what a great job he did.

The rest of us will wonder why his sons look so much like him.

Marco,

You reference Sherrod. Is the current scandal video also edited? I haven’t bothered to look at it.

I’m still laughting over Dennis’, “I didn’t say that you didn’t post, Marco. I said you had nothing to say”
- M2
  
  “I’m still laughting over Dennis’, “I didn’t say that you didn’t post, Marco. I said you had nothing to say”
  
  Isn’t that awesome? Classic wingnuttery.
  
  I don’t know if they’ve edited the 2007 video or not. Nor do I care, really, as they covered the same ground in 2008 but now are pretending it’s a new scandal. I only mention the Sherrod video because it was a favorite of Dennis and his buds.
  - Plunket
    
    Isn’t that awesome? Classic wingnuttery.
    
    Good lord, Marco. I know you posted on that thread because I told you then that you had nothing to say, that you were phoning it in and throwing in the towel, and that that was a good indication of why neither candidate was paying much attention to the issue. Because even you don’t really give a shit enough to say much about it, nor does anyone in the white liberal base who comments here. Not one thoughtful or mildly interesting comment. And so db is too dumb to go back and read that thread to understand that point, instead playing his usual big brother role trying to make you feel better. And you’re like “yeah, db, can you believe this guy, what a wingnut”.
    
    The way you guys cover for each other’s inability to express yourselves effectively here is just high schoolish-ly creepy.
    - M2
      
      Lordy.
      
      For the third time now Dennis, I posted before you in that thread and I said all I needed to say there.
      
      (Again, easily readable)
      
      Mitt does not give a shit about LGBT Americans. Not one iota. How do I know this? Your party’s platform is a fuck off to the LGBT community. Really, Dennis. I can’t repeat this all day long. I won’t. I’m sorry you don’t like the message but don’t pretend it isn’t there.
      
      “Not one thoughtful or mildly interesting comment.”
      
      And yet here you are commenting again, incapable of a response regarding the right’s disgusting stance on the LGBT community.
      
      As for your db remarks, your creepy “big brother role” fascinations are not shared by all here, Coach Sandusky.
      
      Now if you’re able to gather the courage and actually speak of Mitt and your party’s stance on issues of importance to the gay community and somehow can refute that he doesn’t actually care about us, go back a thread and tell me all about there. If you can’t, just sit and wait for the next Drudge-hyped scandal or such pass thru, complain that we’re aware of it, and move on.
      - db
        
        Marco,
        
        I’d like to think I can follow Dennis’ links. The fact that I choose not to waste my time doing so; is a different issue.
        
        To my mind there is a difference in having a video edited to make an individual look bad or foolish. It’s something else when the person manages to look foolish all on his own. Thus the 47% video makes WMR look insensitive. Dennis’ video makes President Obama look Black?
        
        But apparently it’s the accent that Dennis asserts is contrived. My (late) Mother was nororious for picking up accents during conversations. Nothing she did intentionally but put her in a group of Scotsmen & pretty soon she’d be indistinguishable. I remember one night in my High School days. She came home sounding like she came right out of “Darby O’Gill & the Little People”. She’d worked with an Irishman that day. For me, when I’m tired or angry, my West Texas twang comes through. Accents prove nothing.
        
        I think I’ve said before, I’m not as certain that WMR doesn’t care about the LGBT community as much as there’s no way to get any advantage out of the issue. But this was the last thread’s conversaition.
      - M2
        
        They elected a fake cowboy but the right wets their beds over affected accents. As for Mitt and the gay community, I am sure he thinks we can breathe the same air he and Ann enjoy. For this I am to be grateful, it seems.
Justanotherrighty

2007? 2007?
What is that supposed to mean? That it’s too old to be significant? You mean like 10 year old tax returns? Or 45 year old high school stories ?
Nah, you couldn’t mean that.
Maybe you mean this was already reported five years ago?
Nope. It wasn’t.
The transcript did not include much of what he said, and the taped segments did not include some of the more recriminating remarks.
This is not a story about Obama making racially tinged remarks – that would be old news. This is a story about Obama pretending to be something he is not – a soul brother.
This is a story about the press covering up for their “American Idol.”

And you’re talking like it’s no big deal for a reason – it’s called whistling past the graveyard. It’ll make a great excuse, among the many others you’re going to need, for how His Majestyness got beat.
- M2
  
  Ugh, your clowns covered already last election cycle. Perhaps you missed that in your underground bunker.
- Christopher Foxx
  
  You mean like 10 year old tax returns?
  
  No, like 3 year old tax returns. The contemporary significance the break with tradition where candidates have been forthcoming about their financial status. Romney wants us to trust him, to have faith in him, but refuses to be open with us.
  
  Or 45 year old high school stories ?
  
  The contemporary relevance being the complete lack of character Romney showed whenever asked about it. If he’d said “Yeah, I was wrong.” or even tried to pass it off as the proverbial youthful indiscretion (I certainly wouldn’t want to be judged now by my behavior as a teen) I’d be be all for dropping it.
  
  But he’s claimed he didn’t remember it, which suggests he’s either lying or that ganging up on someone and forcibly cutting his hair was an insignificant incident to him. Neither of which speaks well to his character.
- enlightened liberal
  
  We get it, he’s black.
Christopher Foxx

Plunket: Then you get a fawning, ‘Obama is Superman’ post from Oliver

Actually it’s a “the republicans are pathetic and present no real challenge” post. But to realize that you’d have to actually read the article, not just look at the pictures.
db

DA,

I’d have had Farris as “Awkward Man” as he consistently links to articles that don’t say what he claims for them.

So who gets to be “The Blimp”?
M2

I am loving Obama’s videogate 2012 (circa 2007). Gotta love it when the right wing holds hands and jumps off an hilarious cliff together. Obviously, this shocking tape of comments they’ve already drooled over for fodder was to destroy the President before taking the podium tonight. Have they started blaming the liberal media for not taking their fake outrage seriously yet?
- db
  
  Marco,
  
  Give Dennis some time.
  
  I’ve also seen ads where you can apparently see Barry Obama get high in High School. Haven’t gone there but I’d imagine the hair would be the funniest thing. You remember when I said the Republicans will fling anything in the hopes that some of it sticks? We discussed this a week or so ago but it’s holding true. The republicans find (invent) somethingtrival, boring, irrelevant, or all of the above. We ignore it. They get twisted out of shape for refusing to debate the “scandal du jour”.
  
  Mr. Brown,
  
  Yes I remember. Oliver’s too young to do so. My favorite is when the 5 go to Valhalla.
  - M2
    
    They fling shit all the time without thought as to how fucking ridiculous it is, then their flunky CHUDS come here to spread the shit and expect to be taken seriously.
    
    You’d think after their Sherrod video shenanigans, they’d think twice, but since they were able to muddy the water with that, their fine with pushing more shit. Their whole goal isn’t to win on facts because, but if they can confuse and cloud the truth to rile up their base = awesome!
- Plunket
  
  Listen to Gawker-boi.
  
  Bain tax files! Gonna be an interesting afternoon! Yaaaaargh!!!!”
  
  Hahahahaha. Moran.
  
  I guess this shows why Harry Reid was so jazzed about Obama being ‘a light-skinned African-American with no Negro dialect….except when he wanted to have one’. You’re correct, though, Obama lying, summoning up a manufactured dialect for the occasion just like Hillary, Al Gore, Joe Biden and John Edwards all did when addressing predominately black audiences, using racial divisiveness and gushing about Reverend Wright before he completely disavowed him really isn’t all that big a deal to people who already long ago considered Barack Obama both their savior and their Superman.
  - M2
    
    Aw, what a sad little “Dennis’ Greatest Hits” post of all your old nonsense – just in time for your “new” video scandal!
    
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ_R-G_i4Xk
    - Plunket
      
      You get a same-sex marriage thread and you can’t think of anything to say, Marco. Zip. You had nothing at all intelligent ore even interesting to say. Then you get a fawning, ‘Obama is Superman’ post from Oliver with a passing reference to a video showing Obama to be racially divisive before Axelrod informed him that that wasn’t going to play in Peoria, and you come alive again, preening and strutting like a peacock.
      
      It’s more than an obsession with racism for the white liberal base here, you guys are dependent on it.
      - M2
        
        Bwaahaa!
        
        First off, the gay marriage thread is not mine, you bigot. Atop that, I am the second poster in that thread.
        
        I am really not convinced you understand that anyone can read anyone else’s comments when they hit Post Now. Anyone here can step back a thread and see that for themselves. I am not sure what dimension you’re posting from, but the rest of us are able to read threads rather clearly and easily.
        
        I am strutting like a peacock? After The Daily Caller and Drudge and Fox News has soiled their pants with glaring headlines and breathless pronouncements of how devastating this 5 year-old tape is, I am the one strutting like a peacock?
        
        And of course, the right releases a tape from 2007 attacking the President over race issues, but it’s the left who is obsessed with race.
        
        You’re fucking hysterical in more ways than one.
      - Plunket
        
        I didn’t say that you didn’t post, Marco. I said you had nothing to say. And you’re right, anybody can go back to that thread for the verification of that and see your Kanye ‘George Bush doesn’t like black people’ nothing-burger offering to the thread topic.
        
        And the fact that you were obviously patrolling FOX, Drudge and the Daily Caller yesterday afternoon and uncharacteristically (for you) not posting here, that’s a pretty clear indication of just who it was soiling their pants, Marco.
      - M2
        
        More hilarity.
        
        “I didn’t say that you didn’t post, Marco. I said you had nothing to say.” Dennis
        
        No, I did, and you still can’t offer anything to the contrary regarding Mitt and gays and lesbians. Your party platform pretty much says it all where your man stands on gay marriage. He doesn’t give a fuck about LGBT people and you and your party doesn’t either.
        
        And again, I am so sorry I bother to read and inform myself of what your lunatic echo chamber is spewing today. I know it gives you extreme butthurt when your side gets busted on their bullshit – or quoted for the matter.
        
        “How dare you know the path of my clown car!”
        
        Dennis, feel free to offer anything steeped in reality this morning at anytime or run back under your bridge.
      - Christopher Foxx
        
        ““How dare you know the path of my clown car!”
        
        Heh. Zing!
db

Yeah, but President Obama ain’t faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.

The Republican Congress seems to have him all webbed up. (okay wrong universe)

And Mitt Romney is running close in the polls.

Luthor would eat the guy for lunch.

More seriously is the old phrase, “It is better to be lucky than good”.

Banter Voices

Obama’s Never Had A Lex Luthor

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