Obama eats Republicans' lunch (Guardian UK)

[Jackeens]

For an hour on live television, Obama danced around the Republicans, landing blows and coming out ahead on points...When the Republicans invited President Obama to address their congressional House delegation in Baltimore today, they had no idea how badly it would turn out for them.

Presumably the Republicans thought they'd get a high-profile chance to grill the president on live television. But instead, Obama – following on from his state of the union address on Wednesday night – turned the tables by highlighting the Republicans who opposed his policies and refused to bend, yet were prepared to "turn up and cut ribbons" when their constituents reaped the rewards.

Obama also displayed a rare grasp of policy and legislation, wrong-footing his questioners to their face with some stern rebuttal and in some instances quoting their own positions back to them to highlight the contradictions. He mocked the GOP for presenting healthcare reforms as a "Bolshevik plot" – and got a laugh, even from the Republican audience – and suggested that their approach was counterproductive...

I think we can confidently predict this is the last time the Republicans invite the president to a similar format. Indeed, because the hall the Republicans are holding their event seemed to have just a single TV camera, Obama literally took the spotlight away. Republican questioners showed up as shadowy figures, and when caucus leader Mike Pence kicked off the Republican questions at first he couldn't be heard at all.

At the end, shaking hands with the president, Pence's face looked as if he'd sucked a lemon for an hour – and in a way he had....A sign of how compelling the footage was: the US cable networks, always so trigger-happy and ready to move on if an event is looking boring, stuck with the live feed, although Fox did cut away first for analysis.

The net effect is that Obama looked serious, reasonable and intelligent. The Republicans got to sound like whiners, complaining about various pet peeves and chewing over their old laundry list of tax cuts and opposition.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2010/jan/29/barack-obama-republicans

[Patsy Stone]

1. Love it!

:toast:

[HuckleB]

2. Simply AWESOME!

:woohoo:

[gateley]

3. It's nice to get an "outside" viewpoint. Great article -- thanks!! nt

[mikekohr]

4. Facts, Sober, Mature, Rebuttal is the Political Equivalent of Bloodying a School Yard Bully's Nose

The Republicans left the hall holding their bleeding noses and crying for Mommy. What a bunch of entitled, spoiled punks.

[Arkana]

5. He didn't eat their lunch.

He came in, beat them up, gave them a swirly, ate their lunch, then pissed in their chocolate milk.

Then he walked away like a pimp.

[NavyMom]

6. Dang I had to clean my laptop of wine after your comment, my nephew stationed in England

said they were AMAZED at their CIC rope a dope, no matter WHAT they asked or tried to throw at him he gave an INFORMED rebuttal.

[MadMaddie]

16. NavyMom that is an important thing to hear. The men and

women of the military see that the CIC is a very smart man who will not be bullied and will defend himself. This is a very important event.

Thanks for sharing.

[tilsammans]

7. K & R!!!

:applause: :bounce: :patriot: :yourock:

:bounce: :patriot: :yourock: :applause:

:patriot: :yourock: :applause: :bounce:

[Politicub]

8. He really handed the GOP's ass to them. Love him!

Yes we can!

:fistbump:

[ellie]

9. I prefer the term:

He drank their milkshake, but to each his own.

[inna]

10. very cool! KR+53

[dkf]

11. Obama is scary smart.

[malletgirl02]

12. GOP Believe their own Talking Point

This happened, because the GOP believed their own talking point about Obama, that he couldn't speak without a telepromter. They Republicans have no one to blame but themselves.

[Hansel]

20. Yep, they drank their own koolaid.

They really started to believe he was the caricature they tried to make him into.

[JoePhilly]

13. He ROPE-A-DOPED the GOP!

He let them go on and on with endless talking point laced, non-question, questions ... and then after each nonsensical word-salad barrage they threw at him, he calmly landed repeated solid jabs to their face.

It was so bad that by the end, the orange had drained from John Bohener's face.

[HopeOverFear]

14. He drank their milkshake

[JoePhilly]

15. After taking their lunch money

[lob1]

18. And doing their moms.

[Beartracks]

17. Think it made a difference in the GOP camp?

Do you think any of the Republican legislators in attendance might have had their OWN minds changed about things -- perhaps coming to the conclusion that in fact their party is a party of NO that espouses the wrong positions and the wrong solutions and spends WAY too much and energy trying to belittle and beat up on Democrats rather than governing?

[Hansel]

21. I think if the American people get behind Obama that they will.

I think some of them are already deeply embarrassed by their "leadership". If Obama can sway the public into his way of thinking, I think that some of the lesser known Republicans will come around. It really depends upon how successful Obama is at persuading the public to get behind him.

[elleng]

22. Depends on to what extent he's able to avoid the msm filter.

If things are to change, he must speak directly to the people, early and often, imo.

[jaysunb]

26. You're right, but

have you noticed how many times Obama has taken a swipe at "pundits" here lately.

There seems to be a multi aimed, frontal, "Corleone" stlye assualt going down. :evilgrin:

[Kingofalldems]

19. When Fox cut away you knew it was going bad for the repubs

Even the cheeto munching freepers knew it.

[Beartracks]

23. Sadly, many cheeto munching freepers who...

... acknowledge that things went badly for Republicans are still gonna be more likely to a) renew their determination to find a way to beat Obama and Democrats, rather than b) engage in self-reflection to understand exactly WHY their party comes across as pathetic blowhards. To them, this really is a game, like football or Survivor, rather than a nearly 234-year-old experiment in self-governance "by the people."

[jaysunb]

25. self delete

[mecherosegarden]

24. K&R

:kick:

[graywarrior]

27. !!

:thumbsup: :applause: