The Endless Stupidity Redux...

Just when you thought the super-genius and his team couldn't get more clueless:

White House officials are retooling the administration's communications strategy to produce faster responses to political adversaries, a more disciplined focus on President Obama's call for "change" in Washington and an increasingly selective use of the president's time.

The messaging adjustments are the result of an end-of-the-year analysis in which White House advisers said the president's communications team had not taken the initiative often enough and had allowed drawn-out debates in Congress, and relentless criticism by Republicans, to drown out his message.

This is a matter to be resolved by "messaging adjustments" ? Can these people really be this stupid?

I got news for the White House: When you cede the initiative on policy to Congress on everything from the stimulus package to health care reform to cap-and-trade, you also cede the initiative on "messaging". If you want to retain control of the message, you need to retain control of the policy.

That's so fucking simple that even a non-Harvard edjamacated CPA from Ohio can figure it out.

Once again, Barack Obama does not learn because he's too busy passing the buck: Every setback is either God's Will or somebody else's fault. Last week it was Rahm. This week it's the Chinless Wonder and the dweebs in the White House "communications team".

At what point does someone look Obama in the eye and speak truth to power: Mr. President, "drawn-out debates" in Congress don't happen when you lose control of the message, they happen when you lose control of the policy. Probably no time soon. After all, Barack Obama would have to grow a spine to understand that message, and nobody's suggesting that will occur anytime soon.

Comments

[richard mcenroe]

"Where is Reid? Where is Pelosi? Where is Wenk? Where is Kennedy? Where is Steiner? Where is Bayh?!"

"The American people have failed me. They do not deserve to exist."

[bandit]

I agree they need to change their communications strategy - just not the way they think. They need 1 less Gibbs and Jarrett not more of them. The "you don't agree with us because you're stupid" schtick is not working.

[JeffS]

Don't forget Rahm Emanuel, Bandit. He's the author of that schtick. Or at least the ghost writer.

[Mike Myers]

If you are inclined to vote "present" instead of getting down in the legislative mud and mixing it up, you will NEVER have control of the policy--or the message.

[Randy Rager]

Telling your opponents they're stupid is no way to get anything done when you're in politics. Oh sure, it gives your base a huge frisson of pleasure every time you do it, which might be worth it if you ignored the fact that even your base has enough diversity of thought to shrink due to offense every single time you indulged. The fact that every time you indulged you also grew your opponent's base just a bit is also a deterrent for a wise leader.

These idiots think that just because they used the Internet in new, exciting and unprecedented ways that they can behave like forum trolls and get away with it.

[clodius]

We'd fall in line if the WH-media machine reminded us how the Swedes hold Obama in the highest regard, for merely having assumed office. Laurel leaves on official communiques would be nice.

[clodius]

Norwegians

[mojo]

"No,no - that deck chair goes over there..."

[Jim Ryan]

A guy asked me if he could kick my ass, f$%& my wife, and steal my car. I said no. He was disappointed at this and concluded that his messaging was insufficient.

[Ken]

"Every setback is either God's Will or somebody else's fault."

Inshallah? ;-)

[Progressive White Liberal with Communication Arts Degree]

Ken -- Nope. Major Frank Burns.

[LP Steve]

Not to mention that it appears to have taken these geniuses a full month-and-a-half to adjust the messaging based on their "end-of-the-year analysis." That's one long wank session.

[just passin by]

Nobody is gonna be able to look The Messiah in the eye because his nose is permanently up in the air...as if he was gonna give G*d one his pompous lectures.

[CJ]

A guy asked me if he could kick my ass, f$%& my wife, and steal my car. I said no.

You turned down facial rearrangement services, marital support, and an emissions reduction program???

[Dennis The Peasant]

Major Frank Burns.

Good catch.

[Progressive White Liberal with Communication Arts Degree]

Hey, anybody who got to grope Sally Kellerman is aces in my book...

[Occam's Razor]

Isn't Obama wonderful??!! He's my dad!

[aelfheld]

Mayhap his hapless 'communications strategy' is another thing he inherited from the previous administration.