Conservative pundits might like Obama more if he really were a caudillo

[ksen]

http://www.vox.com/2014/11/24/7270847/caudillo-obama

The Obama-is-now-a-Spanish-speaking-dictator meme is so popular that National Review editor Rich Lowry borrowed it for his Politico column, cleverly titled "Barack Obama, American Caudillo."

There are many things one could say about this comparison, starting with the fact that unlike a proper caudillo such as Augusto Pinochet, Obama hasn't had thousands of people detained and tortured without trial. Or, indeed, that it was actually Obama's predecessor who was having people detained and tortured without trial. But perhaps the strangest thing about it is that when American conservatives analogize Obama to a Hispanophone military dictator, we are meant to understand this a criticism when the historical reality is that American conservatives have generally been quite enthusiastic about caudillos.

I guess like the PPACA, caudilloism is only bad when Obama does it.

Hahaha, remember this old stick the conservatives used to like to bash Dukakis with, "I was for it before I was against it"?

:ironicat:

 

[untermensche]

I think the last sentence says a lot.

But it looks an awful lot like throwing Spanish words around for no real reason.

This is an appeal to anti-Spanish speaking constituents.

Ted Cruz knows his base, white xenophobes.

 

[ksen]

Hahaha, remember this old stick the conservatives used to like to bash Dukakis with, "I was for it before I was against it"?

Whoops, I forgot to add the new conservative version:

"I was for it before Obama was for it so now I'm against it."

 

[jonatha]

Hahaha, remember this old stick the conservatives used to like to bash Dukakis Kerry with, "I was for it before I was against it"?

:ironicat:

FTFY

 

[ksen]

Thanks man.