Reply #14: I don't think anybody has "ruled it out" [View All]

If you ask me, Obama is just putting on a show here:

Unfortunately, much as some on this board and elsewhere don't like to admit it, Obama (and the Democrats) have no choice but to play to a bigger audience than just self-described "Progressives". Sadly enough, there *is* a sizable element of the populace stupid enough to go against tehir own best interests, by supporting reductions in domestic spending. It's abysmally stupid, yes, but it's what will "Play in Peoria", as they say.
What this means, is that if DEMOCRATS don't attempt to placate that -- no matter how stupid and unfounded it may be -- somebody ELSE (the Teabaggers and their ReTHUGlican allies) WILL.
Let's observe some past history for a moment, here:

1. Teabaggers come up with something abominably stupid (the "Birther" idiocy, the "Death Panels" lie, the New Red Scare over "socialism", etc.) They immediately start training their idiotic minions to regurgitate the new talking-points/slogans on command.
2. Obama let's this play out for a while, failing to even acknowledge that it's happening. (This isn't him "ignoring" it, so much as giving the impression that he can't be bothered with that kind of stupidity).
3. Republicans/Tea-baggers misunderstand this as "weakness" on Obama's part, and keep ratcheting up the FUD (Fear, uncertainty,and doubt) among their ever-shrinking core demographic of older White males (who are most likely the same guys who were involved in the John Birch society, the Militia movement in the 1990s, etc, remember). It is VERY critical that this be allowed to boil up to JUST the right level of crazy, before:

4. He then does his "I'm a reasonable adult who is all about Bipartisanship and compromise" shtick. This makes HIM look like a reasonable person, and -- more importantly -- makes the opponents look like the psychopathic cretins they really are.

At this point, Obama has basically offered them damn near everything, and Bo(eh)ner is STILL trapped by the recalcitrant and psychopathology of the Teabagger clown-car caucus. Reid would *like* to do something, but there's a good chance his deal will fail, too.

If Obama is the politically-savvy person I think he is, he will simply wait until both "deals" (Faustian bargains?) have conclusively died, and then step in, and save the US (and world) economy -- ensuring his re-election in the bargain.

Remember, folks: the "business" class is NOT happy with how the Teabaggers are handling this. Moreover, a significant number of them stand to lose BIG, if the United States were to default (which damages their investment portfolio, since a lot of them are holding the "debt" we're all whining about).
(Funny how nobody whines about the "debt crisis" inherent in issuance of corporate stock, hmm?)

Anybody remember the Chamber of commerce guy who "joked" about stopping the Teabaggers? Trust me: the Plutocrats aren't stupid enough to think that (say) President Bachmann would be anywhere near viable even as a puppet: The Teabaggers (and the demographic they represent) is simply too delusional to be controllable.

It may get to the point where Obama simply has "no choice" (tee hee). What's that you say? Obama comes out of that looking like a Bush-style "decider" president? Newsflash: the Teabagger demographic already hates his "Kenyan Usurper" ass, and most of them STILL don't believe his birth certificate is legit. Plus, if they DO try to impeach him over it (like some of them have been threatening to do), that simply serves as publicity for just how psychopathic the "Right" actually is.
Remember, folks: this wouldn't be Clinton being impeached for getting a BJ (with the impeachment done under a wafer-thin cover story about "perjury" or suchlike). This would be a gaggle of OVERWHELMINGLY WHITE, Right-wingers representing an OVERTLY RACIST demographic, impeaching the first Black president of the United States FOR DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THAT THE PRESIDENT DO, IN JUST THIS SITUATION.

You think Non-whites hate the Teabaggers NOW?

And rest assured: if Obama does end up going that route, the more sane "pro-business" folks will back his play.

Most probable end result: hat-tip to "fiscal responsibility" nonsense, but no REALLY SUBSTANTIVE changes to what Howard Zinn would have described as "The Consensus".

Just a theory.