The Republican primaries are upon us. And while we’re asking if it will be Newt, Santorum, Perry, or Romney, we have to remember that no matter which Republican finally comes out on top, the cold hard truth is that there’s a fast pitch down the middle waiting on him. All that’s needed is for someone to take a homerun swing and knock it out of the park. What am I talking about? I’m talking about Obama’s dismal record and languishing approval numbers, his literal war on the Constitution, and the fact that hope and change has become “better luck next time.”
Seriously folks, could there be a more beatable incumbent than Barack Obama has proven to be?
Just think it: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since Obama took office 1.7 million jobs have been lost, “the unemployment rate has remained above 8 percent for 35 months, and the average duration of unemployment has increased from 19.9 weeks to 40.8 weeks.” (Keep in mind that Obama sold his more than $800 billion stimulus package with the promise that passing it would keep unemployment at 7% or below.)
And if such economic incompetence isn’t enough to convince you Obama is beatable, you’re in the minority. Recent Gallup polls have shown that when given a choice between the type of policies that Obama has implemented and “pro-growth” policies (i.e., policies built upon less regulation and lower taxes), voters prefer the “pro-growth” policies by a margin of 52 to 40.
Consider his approach to the military. There he has cut so much funding that we suddenly find ourselves in a position where we can no longer fight two ground wars simultaneously. He has thrust a Carter-like weakness upon our men and women in uniform, and to be sure they comply has initiated a downsizing of the military that will result in cutting 50,000 troops by 2015.
Or consider his approach to the Constitution, which he trampled upon last week when he decided to make a recess appointment although the Congress wasn’t in recess. To put it another way, Obama appointed a new head for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as if the Senate and Congress had adjourned, but Congress had not yet officially adjourned.
Here’s Andrew McCarthy’s take on the immediate ramifications of riding roughshod on the Constitution in this fashion:
In sum, Obama dissolved the separation of powers, the framers’ ingenious bulwark against any government branch’s seizure of supreme power — and thus the Constitution’s bulwark against tyranny. The president claims the power to appoint federal officers without the Senate’s constitutionally mandated advice and consent. He does so by claiming unilateral powers to dictate when the Senate is in session, a power the Constitution assigns to Congress, and to decree that an ongoing session is actually a recess.
All this, and I haven’t even mentioned Obamacare, Fast and Furious, Obama’s heavy handed DOJ-led raids on Gibson guitars, or the tax hikes that went into force at the beginning of this year.
These are the things Republicans need to mention again and again. And while Obama tries to defray attention by running against a “do-nothing congress,” we have to keep pointing the finger back at him. As Obama said regarding turning the economy around in early 2009: “If I don’t have this done in three years…it’s going to be a one term proposition.”
Don’t doubt it folks, Obama is beatable. All that’s needed is for one of the Republicans to take advantage of the opportunity to hit a grand slam.
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