Now it's David Ignatius' turn

David Ignatius of the Washington Post is one of the most reliably Liberal reporters in the media, a charter member of the Washington Progressive Media Caucus. Okay, so there is no organization called the Washington progressive Media Caucus, but if there were, Ignatius would be a charter member. His column today is yet another illustration of the panic and self delusion of the liberals in DC. Ignatius starts by telling us that an unnamed Republican source is certain that Obama will be re-eleceted. As Gomer Pyle used to say, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" There never seems to be a shortage of unnamed Republicans in DC to say those things that the liberals all want to hear. But this is not just the regular delusional report that all is well in Obamaland. No, Ignatius then analyzes why it is that Obama is having problems. And Ignatius comes to a startling conclusion: Obama's problem is that he is not communicating well to the American people. Now this is not a new storyline for the liberal media. We heard the same thing when the Democrats in Congress were ramming through Obamacare over the clear objection of a majority of the American people. Oh, if only they knew what was in the bill (that the Democrats had kept hidden for months), all would be well, or so the storyline went. Now, if only the American people knew Obama's true plans for cutting the deficit, all will be sweetness and light.

Ignatius' argument is hilarious, and unintentionally so. Obama, after all, was supposed to be the greatest orator since Cicero. He could go to Cairo and give a speech and change the Middle East forever (or so the story went). He could speak about the results of the Stimulus and all would be so dazzled as to be amazed at how good the results were (even if the facts said otherwise.) He could stop the seas from rising just with a few words. Indeed, I often expect him to start a news conference by saying, "I am Ob, the great and powerful!"

Now that reality has hit Obama and his speechifying is making no difference, Ignatius cannot accept that the American people are rejecting what Obama is saying. No, that cannot be! It must be that Obama is not explaining his position properly. Yeah, that's the ticket! It must be a communications problem. Americans could never oppose raising the debt ceiling in order just to keep on spending money we do not have; Americans must just not understand why it is so important not to cut free pensions and health insurance for public workers. They must not have heard why needles research grants to academics who support the Democrats are necessary parts of the future of our republic. Then must not have heard how we will cut spending but never once actually cut any program of any sort. Indeed, Americans must not yet have realized that all problems in the country are the fault of the greedy rich. Obama just has to get better at putting forward his positions.

The truth is breaking through more often these days, almost everywhere except in DC. Ignatius is still living in his bubble where insipid nonsense like his column can get by as the received wisdom of the ages. The parameters of that bubble, however, are shrinking. In truth, outside of DC, Manhattan, parts of Los Angeles and a few neighborhoods around the country, the bubble burst long ago. People out here marvel at the sheer stupidity and self delusion of those still living in the bubble. But those inside do not seem ever to get it.

Look, it may well be that Obama will get re-elected. I hope not; indeed, I dread the thought. Nevertheless, if Obama wins, it will not be the result of better communications. Or maybe I should say to Obama that the fault lies not in his words, but in himself and what he believes.