In his inaugural address President Obama spoke of “hard choices” on the deficit. But specifics? “Almost entirely absent.” Obama instead offered up “a list of liberal solutions.” Pundit after pundit heard Obama as hectoring America.
This leftist onslaught appeared because Obama believes his re-election campaign showed that making Americans angry at other Americans works. The methodology: search for “anger points,” voters’ fear-laden negative reactions to concerns. Once identified, statistical analysis linked them to specific subgroups of voters to push anger points to the fore in vote decision-making.
Attack the rich since few Americans think themselves rich. Reproductive issues can inflame some. Add the anti-fracking, anti-energy campaign. With just three anger points, Obama’s team built emotional resonance with working-class Americans, women (especially singles) and environmentalists.
Add in “pleasure points” that mostly involve spending government money for some special interest. Since Obama’s win, the billions for special interest goodies in the fiscal cliff and Sandy bills are obvious. With more, much more to come.
Obama’s anger-driven victory told Democrats they should use this method to transform government into a permanent, ever angry political campaign apparatus.
Hickenlooper Hews the Democrats’ Line
Reading Hickenlooper’s State of the State speech, despite the guns and same sex spouses, showed him less wrathful than Obama but as inclined to roll out the pork barrel. His zest for spending, after the state’s cash drought, is nearly porkalicious.
Hick’s cash items included:
- payback to teacher’s unions by adding 1/5th of a billion new state dollars for their salaries;
- Construction unions get $300 million in projects;
- Health exchange insurance coverage demands $25 million; expanding Medicaid hits $858 million, with both benefiting health worker unions.
- New water storage costs would be huge since skeptics of Gross Reservoir expansion allege half a billion dollars in costs – but would help construction unions.
- Regulations for water quality run at $15 million (standards lacking adequate science or rationale).
At some point we run out of money, a point Sen. David Balmer makes through his SB 13-006 that disallows use of state money for Medicaid expansions IF they means less money for public schools .
Enraging Americans – via Obama’s billion dollar campaign – may have weakened our American spirit. American’s are more downbeat about our nation’s future than ever, according to Gallup.
Coloradans should recognize the ugliness of governing through special interest giveaways and scaring people about improbable dystopic futures… and seek instead a more loving, successful vision than this scarecrow set of giveaway tactics.