As anyone should expect, liberal talk-radio hosts were not happy with the election returns, but they turned their anger on President Obama for his perfunctory pledges to work together with Republicans in the next two years. On Wednesday afternoon, Ed Schultz attacked him as “Mister Vanilla”:
Well, just what I thought. Mr. Vanilla, Barack Obama, flat and lame, olive branches coming out all over the place, can't we all just get along, I'm ready to work with you...This is Jimmy Carter on steroids! And then some! Generic. Vanilla. Non-combatant. No lines in the sand. I think it lacks leadership. I really, really do.
Schultz doesn't seem to have enough of a grasp of modern history to recall that President Carter couldn't even work with congressional Democrats, which is why he faced a primary challenge from Ted Kennedy in 1980. Schultz seems worried that Obama will be so agreeable he won't be re-electable:
The next question is, President Obama, are you going to run again? I mean, I'm just being selfish right now. I'm asking that question. This is Ed. I'd like to know. And if you're going to run, how are you going to run?
A caller to Schultz's show agreed, claiming he was a Republican and knew the GOP wanted to destroy Social Security:
President Obama, you know, OK, he made his little peace speech today. But tomorrow he's, like you said, I'm going to put the boots on. He better put the boots on and he better be able to know how to march with those boots. Because these people, their aim is to destroy Social Security first and foremost. I am a registered Republican, I canvassed for Republicans, I know what they think. They're no good.
I wonder if this “Republican” shares this opinion at local party gatherings.
Schultz wasn't half as unglued as radio host Mike Malloy on Wednesday night, who claimed Obama should declare (a la Lyndon Johnson in 1968) that he's not running for re-election because it would force him to be nice to Republicans:
I have a solution, I have a solution...Barack Obama ought to call a press conference later on this week, another one, ought to be prime time on at night. And he ought to come out after channeling Lyndon Baines Johnson from March 31,1968, and uh - and I'll share what LBJ said with you back then. Obama should come out and say to the American public, 'OK, I get it. Now let me tell you something - everybody - I made the history books!
I'm the first African-American, real African-American - father African, mother American - eh eh! I am the first African American President! I understand that that has really irritated an awful lot of people in this country, because so many people in this country still can't get over the fact that a black man is leading them. So I tell you what I am going to do, here's what I'm going to do - I'm going to tell you right now, I'm in the history books, you cannot take that away. But I willl NOT seek nor will I accept the nomination of the Democratic Party for a second term! I'm finished! I understand the President should say what's going to happen in the next two years. I understand that the Presidential sweepstakes started last night, as soon as the returns were in, and everybody was SURE of what the balance of power was going to be. I understand, because I've listened to BONER...I've listened to McConnell... I've listened to Pence...I've listened to uh, uh Cornyn.... I've listened to all of these guys and they are NOT going to work with me! OK! You got it!
I am not going to seek and I will not ACCEPT the nomination of my party for a second term. But here is what I am going to do....I am going to kick all of your asses! I am going to tell the TRUTH about what these right-wing capitalists are doing! I'm going to tell the truth about how the media is screwing you people to the ground! I'm going to tell the truth about every single one of these filthy Republicans that are destroying the country! In other words, Mr. and Mrs. America, I'm going to give you something you haven't had in a long ass time - the TRUTH! And you can't handle the truth! That's all Mr. Obama has to do. And then after making an announcement like that...and after uh, uh Chris...who's the guy on MSNBC....Chris Matthews and uh all the people over at the Fox sewer hole and uh uh David Gergen and Wolf Blitzer and - and-and- and -(laughs) go right down the list! After all of them pick their asses up off the floor and go OH MY GOD! All of a sudden, their whole reason for existing, these media thugs and punks, for the next two years, is GONE! GONE! No more contest! No more who's going to - uh - Obama is going to fight against! No more speculation! It's gone! And then Obama can work as a progressive, a real liberal, to continue the efforts that were started 80 years ago to make this a just society and he can tell the Republicans to kiss his black ass!
Malloy wanted the Two-Year Truth tour against apparently Obama-hating Chris Matthews and the rest of Washington to begin immediately: “Take this lame-duck session after you make your announcement, and jam everything home that you possibly can....they are not going to re-elect you, they are not going to respect you..they are not going to work with you....for Christ's sake! Stop pretending that they will! Stop begging! Be a man! Stand up! You are dealing with midgets, racists, and pigs. Why -why are you getting down to their level after they kicked your ass? Even now, after they kicked your ass? For two years! Fight back, Mr. President, the only way you can. KILL THEM! KILL THEM!"
Apparently, Republicans want to kill Obama: "And you talking about, oh, you're sure that you can sit down with BONER? With Mitch McConnell? And find common ground? I'll tell you where they consider common ground for you...in the Hudson River with cement tied to your feet! That's where they consider common ground!"
