Dear Maureen and Margaret: You saw the Potemkin village in 2008

(My new American Thinker post)

It is amusing to watch liberals explain President Obama's troubles, dilemmas and contradictions.  This is even more entertaining now that his administration is going after reporters, "outdoing Nixon" with the IRS and sticking with so many of the Bush policies that they hated so much.

Back in 2008, he was cool, thoughtful, and just the kind of man that the US needed after 8 years of "Cowboy Bush" and "Meanie Cheney".

He was the man who would make us popular again.  After all, didn't he draw large crowds in Europe when he made a "rock star" tour that summer of "hope and change" and "yes we can" chants? 

I remember one lady supporter of Obama in Dallas say to me:  "They were crying in Europe when he spoke!.  How impressive!" 

We've come a long way from those days of Obamania. We are now in what women would call the "my guy does not lift the toilet seat when he goes to the bathroom" stage.

Yes, the dream is over. 

Maureen Dowd wrote today that Obama could be the President of Scandinavia.  I guess that she means that Obama is not very comfortable with getting involved in the dirty work of politics, such as "deal making" with the GOP or asking a Democrat in a red state for his opinions about gun control.   He does not have time for that!

Margaret Carlson, another one of those ladies who really fell for the cool & aloof man of 2008, is now telling President Obama to "start sweating the small stuff."  Margaret's "small stuff" includes using the IRS to attack conservatives and going after reporters.  By the way, would she be calling that "small stuff" if Bush was doing it?  Probably not!

The problem is beyond personality style ("too cool to sweat") or what other region of the world (Scandinavia) would have been better suited for Obama. 

The real problem is that he is "in over his head", as many Democrats used to say in 2008.  Remember President Clinton calling it a "fairy tale'? 

President Obama's #1 problem is that he was not ready for this very difficult job called the presidency.  He was not ready.   He had never been a 'boss."   He also does not seem very interested in surrounding himself with people who could help him be the "boss." He'd rather have Valerie Jarett be the "gate keeper" and let "preppy yes we can screamers" shower him with accolades.

Wonder if Valerie even lets his senior staff come in and talk to him?   We have now learned that the senior staff did not tell him about the IRS scandal, the AP or the James Rosen story.  Also, let's not forget that nobody told him about those 2,000 high powered weapons that crossed an international border and ended up with Mexican cartels.

My advice to the liberals is simple:  Gulp and say it!   It was always a Potemkin village, or "something that appears elaborate and impressive but in actual fact lacks substance."

Sorry but he was too good to be true in 2008!  Sorry that you had to find out this way! 

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Can "Peatonito" turn into "Petrolito" and save Mexico from PEMEX?

Fausta Wertz brought the story of "Peatonito" to my attention.  

It is the kind of story that makes you laugh and confirms the power of Twitter:

"If you ever get stuck in gridlock at an intersection in this crowded capital city, you can't expect help from a street cop. But you might try "Peatónito," the protector of pedestrians who dresses as a Mexican wrestler.
When a car blocks a crosswalk, from out of nowhere appears Peatónito ("little pedestrian" in Spanish), in a cape and wrestler's mask. He stands directly in front of the car and tries to push it back with his bare hands—often to the astonishment of the drivers. If a motorbike is parked on the sidewalk blocking the way, Peatónito lifts it up and puts it on the curb where it belongs.
No crosswalk at an intersection? No problem: Peatónito travels with a can of white paint and a few official-looking stencils, ready to paint the crosshatches where they might be needed. It is a pity he can't be everywhere at once.""

My question is this:  Can "Peatonito" turn into "Petrolito" and save Mexico from that monstrosity named PEMEX? Can he convince his countrymen that PEMEX is the #1 reason keeping Mexico as a 3rd world country?  Open up PEMEX and there won't be enough hotel rooms in Mexico for investors willing to invest in the country's energy fields!

Click here for Wednesday's show. We spoke about "Peatonito" in the last segment:

Listen to internet radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

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Tags: "Peatonito" in Mexico City  To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!

US-Latin America free trade agreements have been good for all concerned

We spoke with James Roberts of The Heritage Foundation.  We were also joined by Fausta Wertz (Fausta's Blog) and Michael Prada.

Our topic was free trade agreements, from NAFTA in '93 to the Colombia FTA that was recently implemented.  These agreements have been good for US companies and have contributed to raise living standards in Mexico and other countries.

For example, NAFTA has boosted trade between Canada, the US & Mexico:

"Trade between the NAFTA signatories more than quadrupled, from $297 billion in 1993 to $1.6 trillion in 2009 (latest data available). Exports from the U.S. to Canada and Mexico grew from $142 billion to $452 billion in 2007, then declined to $397 billion in 2009, thanks to the 2008 financial crisis. Exports from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. increased from $151 billion to $568 billion in 2007, then down to $438 billion in 2009. (Source: Office of the US Trade Representative, NAFTA)

It has also been good for US farmers.  They are now exporting more and more to Mexico and Canada.

The bottom line is that free trade works.  It does not mean that everything turns out rosy.  However, there is more good than bad and that's pretty good.

Click here for Wednesday's show:

Listen to internet radio with Silvio Canto Jr on BlogTalkRadio

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Tags: US-Latin America free trade agreements To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!