President Obama Speaks at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast

………………….., i guess, i have to say, it blew my breath away………..tears………and be humble……..

i guess, my search for an…….. almost perfect humanbeing………….stops here, feeling less alone in this planet……….., but feeling more alone in this planet, but trying to live in my small real world…………but shaken, striken.

Thoughts, Assessment of the Changing Public Opinion on the Current Politics

A few weeks ago, i thought that the president may have to struggle for the next full year of 2012 in order to win the White House again. But it seems, since that thought, it took just a few weeks or a few month for him and the public to get into a right track. It’s going too easy, isn’t it? There are a few thinkgs about the changing public opinion about US politics to take a note at this point.

(A) The initially low number of public job approval rating of President may have been overratedly interpreted by media; it may have been the general downward movement of public ratings because of bad economy and continuously high unemployment. Because, despite the bottomward movement of ratings, the rank, relationship between the ratings of President and Congress haven’t changed: the public rating of President has been consistently higher than that of Congresss (GoP dominated), implying that the public increasingly disliked the national politics because of the bad economic situation, but not necessarily increasingly disliked the President in relation to Congress/GOP for that matter either.

(B) EU Crisis may soften the US public’s grumbling about the bad US economy / unemployment; while the US has been doing bad with the economy, the public is increasingly aware that Europe (the only comparable, industrialized world power to the US for now) is even doing worse. So, the public may/will increasingly think that the bad US economy is the symptom of globally bad economic condition, not particulary that of the US or President only.

(C) Apparently increasing public awareness of the US problems of “Middle Class Crisis / Income Inequality” “Structural Imbalance of US Economy/Society,” and “the Obstructionism of Congress”, with the assistance of “Operation Wall Street”, seems to have gradually softened, shifted away from, and been replacing the public anger toward the bad economy.

update:Oh my! I didn’t realize that this blog post went up so high in internet search lists of ”opinion on current politics.”! It was listed right below cnn.com and usnews.com sites in yahoo, bing, duckduckgo, dogfile (Google’s listing of my information is always different from those of other search engines. why?) In a marginal minimalistic way, i’m internetly anonymously famous!

 update: Oh my. still it’s high.

Source of the above thoughts – from the excerpts of yesterday’s post: “Operation Wall Street, income inequality, Republicans in Congress killing the jobs bill piece by piece…People have started to care about class issues….think: The Republican Party isn’t representing them …. In the new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 76 percent agreed that “the current economic structure of the country is out of balance and favors a small proportion of the rich over the rest of the country.”

“You may have seen the Ohio poll in which, despite his low approval rating, Obama beats all the Republicans handily—Mitt Romney by nine points, 50 to 41, and the others by double digits. ” (Goliath and small figurines)

“If the White House plays its cards right, 2012 could be about inequality. The Democrat can’t possibly lose an election about inequality. (Oh G-, please! i’m a political fortuneteller (humor))

“Obama cut personal checks to regular Americans”

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/president-obama-wrote-checks-to-struggling-americans-according-to-washington-post-book/2011/10/21/gIQAa9Kp3L_blog.html?wprss=election-2012

http://news.yahoo.com/book-details-american-letters-obama-white-house-224033921.html;_ylt=AjxlL4PZneNGZW2RoBN.5VybCMZ_;_ylu=X3oDMTMyM21nYTRlBG1pdANBcnRpY2xlIFJlbGF0ZWQgSUIEcGtnA2U3MzM2NzM1LWY0N2ItMzdlMi05OWZjLTQ0YjQ0MDhkYjRiYgRwb3MDNARzZWMDTWVkaWFJbmZpbml0ZUJyb3dzZQR2ZXID;_ylg=X3oDMTM2ZGhwdWZlBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDNzkxNmRjYTktN2Q2MC0zYmViLTg1ZDMtYzBjZTE0MDRiOWVlBHBzdGNhdANvcmlnaW5hbHN8dGhldGlja2V0BHB0A3N0b3J5cGFnZQ–;_ylv=3

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-cut-personal-checks-regular-americans-185608423.html

Full Text: “Imagine you wrote a letter to the White House to share your personal struggle and instead of receiving a form letter in return, President Obama cut you a check.

It’s happened, and more than once, according to Washington Post reporter Eli Saslow’s new book “Ten Letters: The Stories Americans Tell Their President.” Fellow Post reporter Nia-Malika Henderson writes Friday on a surprising excerpt from Saslow’s book:

A few times during his presidency, Obama admitted, he had written a personal check or made a phone call on the writer’s behalf, believing that it was his only way to ensure a fast result. “It’s not something I should advertise, but it has happened,” he told [Saslow]. Many other times, he had forwarded letters to government agencies or Cabinet secretaries after attaching a standard, handwritten note that read: “Can you please take care of this?”

while going through many unbelievable immigration situations due to the insane / crackhead Ex, i felt in this way many times, though was never able to express gratitude. Two years ago, he/family was almost going to be deported from this country, because that crazy jerk forgot all the deadlines for proper paperwork to extend his workvisa (I assume that it was because of his distraction with the affair with this grizzly bear woman in the night building along with others) but was amazingly saved at the last minute after petitions. He continued denying the possibility of how he could have been saved up to now. Because he had to boast to other people how his petition worked miracle for him and in that way he was important, etc., hiding the fact. The jerk never appreciates what others do to him but only pay back with betrayals. To his boss, it’s the same.

“Supply vs. Demand Side of American Economy”: which one to choose?

I have to remind that the “previous economic recovery package”, which had faced so much oppositions because of the “seemingly perceived” large size of it and had had to be compromised into a smaller size has become the partial source of the current anemic, not strong enough economic recovery, becoming a major roadblock for the next election. (at that time, it seemed to be a pragmatic, only solution to make it realize rather than disappear; I learned about pragmatism at that time) The Lesson from this experience seems to be: Following popular policies may be helpful, look good at the moment. But the time-tested consequences after sometime may not be pretty if the policies were not the right remedies / cure for the sicknesses, or not at right doses.

This time, there is a news about “U.S. Commerce Department Urges More Hiring Of American Workers By Foreign Companies” The news report says that:

“the Commerce Department urged the government to encourage more foreign companies to hire American workers — especially companies based in countries such as China that export to the United States more than they import. Economists at the Commerce Department said more investment by foreign companies could help revitalize the American economy by creating jobs and by producing more U.S. exports. If there’s a foreign-based car company, we would rather make their cars here than import their cars abroad ” ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/15/foreign-investment-jobs_n_877212.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=061511&utm_medium=email&utm_content=NewsEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief )

Probably, this business encouragement may help creating job of foreign sources, “But With Limitations” – The Sluggish Demand, Empty Consumer Pockets.”

Dr. Reigh’s below blog post may explain why:

Robert Reich, “Why the President Must Come Up With Demand-Side Solutions, And Not Go Over to the Supply Side, “  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/why-the-president-must-co_b_873973.html

“The problem isn’t on the supply side. It’s on the demand side. Businesses are reluctant to spend more and create more jobs because there aren’t enough consumers out there able and willing to buy what businesses have to sell.”

“businesses are already spending as much as they can justify economically. Almost two-thirds of the measly growth in the economy so far this year has come from businesses rebuilding their inventories. But without more consumer spending, there’s they won’t spend more. A robust economy can’t be built on inventory replacements.” “The reason consumers aren’t buying is because consumers’ paychecks are dropping, adjusted for inflation. And job losses are mounting. “

“consumer credit outstanding rose in April — mostly from record-high levels of student-loan debt and an up-tick in credit-card borrowing due to food and gas price increases outpacing wage gains. All this translates into a continuing crisis on the demand side. ” “How to get jobs back, then? By reigniting demand. Put more money in consumers’ pockets and help them renegotiate their mortgage loans.”

But more desirable policies would not necessarity gurantee their physical successes if they were not favored by public or became barriers for successful campaings or campaign fund raisings to get to the point of actually implementing them. Therefore, real life pictures become more complicate and there are this challenge of where to put the priority on.

Obama Primary Challenge

I remember, sometime ago, Adriana Huffington criticized President for having too much respect to established people or institutions.

I wish President to take himself as the center of universe under God and don’t take any other human beings or institutions as authority figures to blind-mindly listen and comply. There is no absolute, perfect human being in the world. Everybody has their own imperfection, desire, and demons, along with some good qualities. Everybody succeds in some and fail in others. Don’t let anybody else interfere with his own work. He should take himself as the authority of his own business and carefully judge others’ advises with severe scrutiny.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Earlier Comments:

“This post is basically saying that, considering the previous presidents’ mid-term ratings, president Obama’s current rating for the prospect of 2012 re-election is optimistic in a sense. Then it is good news, considering all gloomy predictions of mid-term election, and also serves as a good warning sign for President to steer his post-election strategies.
Along with almost insurmountable opposition from GOP, his own first economic team took a lukewarm steps to economic recovery to produce few progress, in other words, few/weak economic growth and high unemployment, while tarnishing President’s public image with a suspicion that he may be one of bureaucrats, as a commentator mentioned below. All of these sums up to current mumbling and bumbling of mid-term election. This post seems to suggest some ideas on President’s post-election strategies toward better.”

Earlier Earlier Comments:

“Regarding “What we may see as plodding, he considers getting it done right within the context of an unhealthy Washington…”,

I agree with him. Please imagine a man who is walking or swimming against the direction of stream of river. What speed or distance can we expect for the man to achieve? What determines them?
It’s not just about the swimmer’s strength and swimming ability. It’s also, or more about the speed and strength of currents of river. The same things apply to the president and Washington, I believe. how stubborn all oppositions have been to virtually every policies unfolded by either President or democrats”

(Source: Obama vs. Stewart: The Pace of Change, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-reardon/obama-vs-stewart-the-pace_b_776017.html)

Progressive Canaries in a Political Mine

Regarding Mr. Norman Solomon’s statement, “the president has empowered, not countered, the right wing by moving in its direction on a wide range of basic policies and governance formulatio­ns….Rath­er than staking out decent, progressive, populist positions and defending them with moral fervor, “

The statement, “the president empowering the right wing,” seems to be incorrect. The blind objections of the opposite political party against whatever the president’s agendas, opposition for the sake of opposition seem to have resulted in empowering itself. it sounds almost nonsense to state that it is the president who empowered the opposition party.

I believe liberals are people that are well informed, well educated of politics with passion for better society. But they also need to learn how to take in different contributing factors in judging policy outcomes. Also, sometimes, even the outcome may not agree to what they really wished for, for the sake of country, maybe sometimes sacrifice what they believe to certain extent and support their leader if there are still value on him. Choose Big One at the costs of small ones. It wouldn’t make things better if they let down their leader to let the opponents win.

In Asia, there’s a saying that if too many people row a boat, the boat will climb a mountain (instead of sailing water.) If there are too many voices and nobody know when to be silent, or give in, nothing works.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Election Countdown (in progress): Messaging Problem of White House?

Having the long to-do list and exploding head with all bunch of thinking, it is not easy to follow all news about politics and midterm-election facts by facts. But as the fate of this country and economy affect our lives in most tremendous ways, it seems almost personal obligation to try understand what’s going on in this country.

Current dominant news seems to be (a) President losing his support base that he had during his 2008 presidential election, including college students and others who became lethargic toward Democratic party (it seems to be impractical to expect that all old supporting base will be there like a sunflower, no matter what; they were supposed to erode sometime anyway to some extents); (b) the WH failure of messaging public.

Paul Krugman in NY times points out the WH’s mistake of wrong messaging to public. Other news point our Dem’s shifts of message to message for the last one year haven’t worked out to change public opinion.

At this point, as all political tactics don’t seem to work, wouldn’t it be time for the WH to come frank?, as Prof Krugman suggested:

-The WH has been in right track in terms of putting “Economic Recovery Package” to resusitate recession and unemployment.

-But the recovery package was too small, not strong/bold enough to promote economic recovery and job creation that resulted in current sluggish economic recovery and meager job creation (and explain what have been the major contributing / destructive factors to the current situation? the misguidance of the WH economic team, the stubborn opposition from other political party, the disarray of president’s own party);

-Address “we tried, but it was not strong enough; we need your help, we need to unite, not disassemble, to make it work better” for our own sake as “We”.”

-Get help from “FRESHIER FACES” (if Elizabeth Warren was not enough): Although I heard that the relationship b/ the WH and Prof. Krugman (and others) is not really friendly, for the sake of  country, ask his (and others’) help, their public appearances on TV, other mass media, or political rally to correct, educate wrong public understanding of the myth of economic recovery package, spending cuts, and big/expanded current government (correct the wrong message given out by the opposing party)(maybe “Emphasize/Repeat until public get it” the comparison of current economic recession/recovery and that of Roosebelt’s Depression, New Deal, and how Roosevelt’s later adoption of “Spending Cut” hurt the economic and drove into another recession) compare the current ). Educate public into right direction. As I am a very straightfoward thinker, I am not good at twisting facts or gics. The onlything I can think of is, just go straight. don’t twist. If old gics haven’t worked, why continue?

“If Political Strateging/Tactics Haven’t Worked to the Last Minutes, What else Left? Except “Straight Talk?” That’s what I think.

Arianna: Sarah Palin Has Demeaned Herself With Rush Limbaugh Hypocrisy (VIDEO)

“Arianna argued that Palin’s decision to go after Emanuel, but not Limbaugh is all part of Palin’s “cost-benefit analysis” operating procedure”

I guess it’s Ms. Palin’s and/or her advisor’s survival instinct (or did they really go into more complicate, thinking-required cost/benefit analysis?).

Ms. Palin found a good job in TV and can maintain her “Foxy” look with million dollar income. She should stay there happily ever after !
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

“What should Chris Dodd Do?” – Response to Huffpost’s “Volcker Rule Dead? Lawmakers Say Key Reform To Shrink Banks Is Unlikely To Pass Senate”"

Regarding the remark, “”Chris is retiring so he wants to end his career with an important regulatory reform bill and he wants to make the bill bipartisan,” the staffer said. “He is not going to risk bipartisan support to make the White House happy.”

I believe, Mr Dodd should worry about how not to further anger “The Public” with a toothless financial reform bill, not “the White House.” The White House has been flexible and willing to compromise to certain level to pass bills. Actually, this very attitude of White House being willing to compromise, giving up some important features of health care bill and being too soft to financial sector/big banks, along with others, have been one of major causes of public anger and making them perceive the White House not being tough enough to do the job.

I am not sure the major issue here is supposed to be “bipartisanship,” which nobody believes that it will work, after seeing both parties’ political attitude and “opposition for the sake of opposition for whatever” political strategy. Rather Mr. Dodd should be careful not too much compromise to come up with a toothless financial reform bill, which may end up furthering public anger toward financial reform and disgrace his retirement. Though the effect of Scott Brown’s winning of senate seat will be further devastating on Senate’s functioning.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

A Nation of “Two Heads”: The Government vs. The Multi-Headed Medusa of Powerful Industries

As we have witnessed the endless twists of health care and financial reforms this year, my impression on this country’s politics is, this country is not “One-Headed.”

The United States of America is more like a nation of “Two Heads”: the “Government” and the “Industrial Medusa” that consists of many small heads of powerful industries and their bands of lobbyists, including financial, pharmaceutical, health care, oil industries. The Government has the role of policing the nation; the Industrial Medusa manipulates the Government, media, and the public to set the social structure in their favor, in ways to minimize the nation’s regulations on them and maximize their money earning, profits at any costs, even at the destruction of their country and economy which nurture, feed them with money.

Over the last decades, it has been this “Industrial Medusa” that has won the game with the Government by manipulating, bribing, dominating it to structure this country’s social, economic structure best for their benefits. Taking undeserved money from the public through malicious business practices means that the public is losing money and becoming poorer. Loose or few government regulations on this Industrial Medusa has caused the misallocation of money resources in this society that has been drained from middle and poor classes’ pocket money for living necessities and poured into industrial riches’ pockets to support their unprecedented luxurious lifestyle. The outcomes of Industrial Medusa’s social misconducts have been not only the current short/mid-term recession but also disappearing middle class, deepening poverty of low-income class, and the weakening US industrial structure and competitiveness in world markets. This is exactly what has happened in this country and will continue so if the Obama administration’s reform efforts fail in vain.

Now, there is this fierce battle (and sometimes compromising) game of obtaining the dominance between President Obama/Government (which have been scarred by the endless dissonance and betrayal among their own folks, Democrats) and the Industrial Medusa. It has never been this close for the Government to take this dominance from the Medusa. Despite many current problems and flaws, the nation should remember that it has been only the current President who came this close to the reversal of chronically ill-designed US power game. Productive, healthy criticism will help the Government win the battle. But, just criticizing for the sake of criticizing will unnerve, deprive the energy and passion out of the President /Government and empower, help the Industrial Medusa win the game and maintain their dominance in US politics again. We should understand that the current troubles with financial and health care reforms are rather the indication of how tough, powerful the industries’ influence on US politics than the weakness, flaws of the President’s political skills and unfolding policy agendas. Politics, as usual, is a complicate game.

Below are the blogs of how these industrial interests are twisting the current reforms.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/waffling-democrats-health_b_376578.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/how-a-few-private-health_b_388788.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/11/house-passes-financial-re_n_389267.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/11/pharma-deal-shuts-down-se_n_388895.html