Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Bad instincts for Obama (Update)
Assuming everyone knows the Blago details, here's my two cents:
1) It looks like Obama is squeaky clean on the corruption (if Blago is taped cursing you for not playing ball, it's pretty likely you didn't play ball). If there's a failure to report, that'll blow over.
2) What'll be a bad long term narrative (besides the associations, but everyone knew he had atrocious associations before he got elected) is his proclivity for unnecessary lies when there's the potential he'll look bad.
Case in point his assertion that he's had no contact with Blago since resigning. That's just BS (1, see Axelrod and 2, it doesn't seem plausible as he had proposed a replacement) and it's unneccessary BS since he didn't do anything wrong in this case.
Since he's lied badly when unbecoming things have come to light (Wright, Ayers, NAFTA / Goolsbee), I think it's reflexive for him.
It's not that Obama lies. All politicians lie. A good politican gives believable lies that aren't contradicted in a recorded medium. And since I don't think he's used to the scrutiny he gets now, I don't think he takes adequate care with his lies (when to and how to), so I think this is going to be a continuing problem for Obama.
Update
Example of how dumb the lie is:
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1) It looks like Obama is squeaky clean on the corruption (if Blago is taped cursing you for not playing ball, it's pretty likely you didn't play ball). If there's a failure to report, that'll blow over.
2) What'll be a bad long term narrative (besides the associations, but everyone knew he had atrocious associations before he got elected) is his proclivity for unnecessary lies when there's the potential he'll look bad.
Case in point his assertion that he's had no contact with Blago since resigning. That's just BS (1, see Axelrod and 2, it doesn't seem plausible as he had proposed a replacement) and it's unneccessary BS since he didn't do anything wrong in this case.
Since he's lied badly when unbecoming things have come to light (Wright, Ayers, NAFTA / Goolsbee), I think it's reflexive for him.
It's not that Obama lies. All politicians lie. A good politican gives believable lies that aren't contradicted in a recorded medium. And since I don't think he's used to the scrutiny he gets now, I don't think he takes adequate care with his lies (when to and how to), so I think this is going to be a continuing problem for Obama.
Update
Example of how dumb the lie is:
Now that Barack Obama will be moving to the White House, his seat in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois will have to be filled.
That's one of Obama's first priorities today.
He's meeting with Governor Rod Blagojevich this afternoon in Chicago to discuss it.
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