You know the vague, haunting feeling that you’ve been through something before? The nagging sense that everything going on around you is a re-play of some hazy memory, experience, or premonition?
I..... I.... I’m having trouble putting my finger on it, but I’m getting an eerie feeling that in some weird way, I’ve been through this Health Care Reform legislation crisis before. I’m hearing voices.... Familiar voices.... Ah.... It’s coming to me now.....
"Obama is done. He should have answered the Rev. Wright controversy much sooner."
"He can't win a national election."
"He's too naïve—too inexperienced."
"How much do we REALLY know about him?"
"He might deliver a good speech, but he can't think on his feet. He's never been really tested."
"He's an empty suit."
"He's nothing more than a celebrity."
"If Obama wins the Democratic nomination, it’s going to be YOUR fault when he loses."
"He's only flowery language and nothing more."
"He gave Hillary a good run, but he wasn't ready to overcome her experience and connections."
"He's too liberal... He's too conservative... He's too Black... He's not Black enough..."
"He hates White people."
"He underestimates his opposition."
"He won't be able to answer the phone at 3 a.m."
"Why doesn't he fight back? What’s wrong with him? He’s getting killed! We’re going to lose!"
"He's a Secret Muslim-Nazi-Socialist-Terrorist-Communist born in Kenya."
"The stimulus package is going to fail!!"
"He's failed. He’s given up. Oh well, we'll lose to Palin/Romney/Huckabee/Santorum in three and a half years."
"I hope he fails!"
"The stimulus isn't working."
"Trying to be bi-partisan is a fool's errand."
"He made a HUGE mistake by nominating Sotomayor/hiring Rahm Emmanuel/reaching out to Republicans."
"He can only speak from a Teleprompter!"
"The Somali pirates/North Koreans/Blue Dogs/Congressional Republicans have beaten him."
"The stock market is cratering."
"The banking system is about to collapse."
"The FDIC is broke!!!!"
"Why are we throwing away money trying to save the American automotive industry?"
"The Cash for Clunkers program isn’t working!"
"The Cash for Clunkers program is working TOO well!"
"He’s trying to take on too much at one time!!!"
"He has destroyed his presidency by siding with the Black Harvard Professor arrested on his own porch!!!"
"I don’t trust him!"
"ACORN!!!"
"Why can’t he produce his birth certificate in the exact form that I demand this week?"
"He wants to destroy capitalism!!"
"I want my America back!"
"He’s caved to the corporate interests!!"
"I’m done.... The Democratic Party won’t receive another cent from me, ever!!"
"He wants to kill my grandmother!"
"Treason!! Tyranny!! Socialism!!"
"He’s blown Health Care Reform!"
"Soylent Green is people!!"
"He’s not up to the task."
"Dijon mustard?!!? Elitist!!!"
"I don’t want Guantanamo suspected terrorists in the maximum security prison in my state!"
"Why doesn’t he just shove through the complete Progressive agenda now that he has 60 Democrats in the Senate?"
"Obama is a sellout!"
"He’s a Capitalist tool!"
"He’s a Communist!"
"He wants to take away my arsenal of high-powered firearms!"
"He wants to raise my taxes!"
"He wants to kill seniors and puree them into a delicious pate to be consumed on water crackers with watercress."
"We’re all doomed!"
Yes... I seem to remember now.... I’ve heard these things before, constantly, relentlessly, and for the past two and a half years. And I expect, sadly, for the next seven and a half years.