Bob Schieffer concluded Sunday's "Face the Nation" with a weather metaphor-filled comment about today's politics.
With his final observation, the viewer was left with the impression the long-time host feels everything that's happened to President Obama is just bad luck (video follows with transcript and commentary):
BOB SCHIEFFER: Finally today, the people on the sidelines, including me used weather metaphors so often before the election they became a collective cliche. “The winds were blowing the Republican way,” we kept saying. The only question would it be a tropical storm or a hurricane? Well, for sure it was a big blow. And for the Republic-- for the President, I should say, the ill wind just kept on blowing.
His trip to Asia turned out as badly as the election. How long has it been that a President went to a foreign capital to put the finishing touches on a trade agreement, only to come away with nothing? Did no one in the White House staff see that coming? How can that be? And when the President tried to lecture China on their monetary policy, he was politely told to mind his own business. That’s not a great signal to send to the rest of the world.
If that were not bad enough, look at another storm coming when Congress reconvenes this week. Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi is already baulking at any kind of compromise to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. Republicans say without that, all deals are off. So the tax cuts for everyone may expire at year’s end. And that’s just the half of it.
The middle has fallen out of our politics. Democrats elected to next year’s new Congress are more liberal than those in the current Congress, and the Republicans more conservative. So the partisan divide is bound to grow wider. I hate to keep using these weather metaphors, but for this President when it rains it just seems to pour. And keep on pouring.
To be sure, this wasn't how Schieffer likely felt during the campaign of 2008 or even last year when most media members were still caught up in the Hope and Change thing.
But with unemployment stuck around ten percent, a devastating loss in the midterms, and the sense by some in Washington that the current White House resident really is way over his head, the once smitten press are clearly as dazed and confused as the man they hitched their wagons to.
In keeping with Schieffer's theme, Obama was the sunshine of their life. These folks collectively thought his election would bring clear skies from now on.
Unfortunately, their hero and his Party badly misread the winds of change and began implementing policies that received a very cold reception causing businesses to suffer a longer dry-spell than anyone anticipated.
This made the President become a lightning rod for Party criticism which gusted in from all sides culminating in them being totally blown away on Election Day.
Yet, despite all the missteps and miscalculations by the man at the helm as well as his team below deck, Schieffer sees Obama's current condition as an example of into each life some rain must fall.
Makes you wonder how many others in the media are trying to put on a happy face in the hopes that grey skies are gonna clear up in time to save their hero from prematurely entering into his sunset years in 2012.
(H/T HotAirPundit)
