Osawatomie, oh Osawatomie

By now you've probably heard about Obama's speech in Osawatomie Kansas, the other day.

Perhaps you've even heard about comparisons, fully intentional, to Theodore Roosevelt's "New Nationalism" speech.

Some of you more informed readers may have heard, or know, that the New Nationalism speech was the speech that Teddy gave to announce his break from the Republican Party, and the formation of the Progressive Party, that great stain on American History.

If you are truly an historian, you'll also know that the uniform understanding of Roosevelt's New Nationalism program was that it was an American Socialism.

And if you are exceptionally well informed, you may have even read some pundits referring to the editorial that was printed in the NY Times at that time describing Roosevelt's plans as "Super Socialism", and not favorably.

But let me give you some more information. In fact, here is how the NY Times editorial titled "Roosevelt's Super Socialism" concludes that day (September 30, 1913)

"Mr. Roosevelt's reconstitution of society would leave it inert by destroying individual initiative, hope, and ambition, which are the foundations of progress. It is a sterile system, yet being sterile, why has he constructed it? Because he knew that with his great skill, he could make this utopian dream attractive to that very considerable part of society which is the material with which agitators work- the discontented, the unsuccessful, the envious. And upon a Progressive Party thus assembled and fortified with delusions, he would rise again to power. It is as the basis of his ambition that he has formulated his plan. The fatal defect of it is that the American People are far too intelligent, they have too much common sense to be deluded by the shallow sophistries of the Roosevelt socialism. But the Colonel had to do something. His party is going to pieces."

Reread that paragraph. Does it sound like Obama and his ever decreasing poll numbers? Does it sound like the cynical way that the Obamites have tried to use the Occupy Wall Street movement?

Most interesting, does Obama think that Americans are too ignorant of their own history to know that he is now openly declaring himself a socialist in the later TR tradition?

What is fascinating about Obama is that even among the most egocentric, arrogant individuals in American society, those that run for or are elected President, he stands out.

Has there ever been a President who has compared himself so regularly to previous Presidents with delusions of grandeur? Wilson, Teddy AND Franklin Roosevelt, and most offensively, Lincoln?

Frankly, I don't know which I find more disgusting, Obama's now unabashed (although to me it was always so) embracing of socialism, or his assumption that we are all too stupid to see what he is doing.

Might we say now, once and for all, that Emperor Obama has no clothes?