It is unlikely that Barack Obama expected to end up riding a bronco. That’s what he may have after November.
There are stories that came out of the old Soviet Union, and from Mao’s China about how their Fearless Leader would, on occasion, make pronouncements in front of the people about how utopia was just around the corner if everyone would just work a little harder and tighten their belt another notch. One must presume that for a while the people would do so, until nothing happened that was any different from before. Life went on, the poverty continued, the ruling class got what they wanted and the working people got to fight among themselves for what was left over.
Does anyone else see the parallels with the recent speech in which Barack Obama demanded that his supporters “buck up” and help him to continue with his program? If not, consider the present situation. An economy in a continuing recession despite pronouncements to the contrary; ineffective government programs that were supposed to put people back to work; businesses waiting in fear for the next regulatory shoe to drop, creating another burden on their already over-weighted shoulders, while in DC the party goes on for those in the right positions and / or the right connections. It’s no wonder that so many former supporters are finally falling off the bandwagon.
What the developments of the past two years tell us is one simple thing. Barack Obama came into politics with a political agenda, but no knowledge of how things actually work. His political agenda was based on a false doctrine, which claimed to have all the answers when it actually had none. However, what mattered to Mr. Obama was not so much whether his plans worked for everyone else, but that they worked for him. And work for him, they did. He obtained money, position, power, personal protection and la dolce vita. And at bottom line, that was what he really wanted. What happens to the rest of the people doesn’t matter. That woman who expected him to pay for her gas and mortgage can go homeless and he will never bat an eye, as long as he retains public office. After all, people are only tools; a means to an end. Is Barack Obama a heartless monster? Well, perhaps no more so than Stalin or Mao. He hasn’t engaged in mass murder yet, but would probably get around to trying it if he thought it necessary and believed that he could get away with it. Every other political strongman who tried the same methods he has got around to it eventually. After all, they were the enlightened leadership. And he is even more enlightened. Stalin and Mao didn’t have law degrees from Harvard.
Meanwhile, an important American symbol for many people is the Old West. It was never quite what we see in the movies, but it certainly was a place where people could live with a minimum of interference from government and do what worked best for them, given who they were and what they were capable of. No Ivy League experts were to be found among the farmers and ranchers, or getting in their way. And the people liked it living that way, which was often why they had moved west where they could experience personal independence and maximum liberty.
The wild horses that are part of the legacy of the Old West still roam the plains in some areas. Their spirit is commemorated in the mascots of schools such as Boise State, Southern Methodist University, and the NFL Denver Broncos. And when someone tries to ride one of these wild horses it is extremely likely that he will be bucked off in short order. These animals are proud, strong, and unwilling to be broken. They are just like most Americans.
It is more than likely that the Obama who made such as success of portraying himself as an intelligent, educated, compassionate man who could solve the world’s problems and especially America’s difficulties will not be able to make a significant success of asking the people to “buck up.” They are already tired of is class warfare approach to politics and economics. They understand that he doesn’t know anywhere as much as he claimed to two years ago. Instead they now see the ambitious, greedy, uncaring mind that was always lurking behind the smile and the affected humanitarianism and post partisanship. Like the bronco, when it feels the rider on its back, the American people began bucking in April 2009. They haven’t given up, and it is likely that no amount of pleas to stay with the program will be effective. If the legislative election of 2010 turns out as expected and the new legislature does its job he will end up trying to ride a wild horse for the remaining two years, after which he will be bucked off.
If justice were served, the bronco would stick around to kick its former rider after he hits the ground, just has he has been kicking them ever since January 2009. It is unlikely to happen here. The people will probably be simply glad to get rid of the charlatan who worked so hard to get their favor for his fraudulent purposes. With any luck they will once again have the opportunity to run off into the sunset, as do the good guys at the end of all the best western pictures. And the good guy isn’t always a cowboy in a white hat.
