Balls, Swagger, Toyota, and Obama

The Morning Joe Rebuttal for March 10th, 2010


Observations:


1) The Israel story was mishandled today by incomplete research. As important a story as it was, and the amount of time devoted to it, it’s an unfortunate circumstance that the crucial element of the story was missing from your description and thus all analysis void of that element seems misled.


Netanyahu was not even informed of the settlement decision or announcement to add 1600 East Jerusalem homes. He has a problem in Israel and it’s a all parties in power at once style of government. His Minister of the Interior is an ultra right wing pro settlement activist, and he ambushed the Biden visit not just to embarrass the VP but also the Israeli Prime Minister.


Most characterization I saw on your show depicted the entire Israeli government of ambushing Biden, and that is simply not accurate. Likely, this is a learning moment for the program, that even if you’re going in a different direction on a day's focus or programming, your staff should really be able to get one of your longtime trustworthy sources to analyze a fast moving situation so that you can maintain a leading analysis.


I attained my version of events the previous day from BBC World News, so there is no timeline challenge available explaining why these crucial details weren’t openly available.


2) Oh, Bill Bennett. I have so many friends that are just like you. You are trapped. Your great analytical mind is trapped by a sheer absence of humanity. Drug Czar, Education Secretary, and now Liz Cheney defender. At least that third part only victimizes a few lawyers who can defend themselves, rather than those first two where you victimize whole segments of the population.


Who on earth thinks that Bennett is at heart a ‘father knows best’ type of guy? If you ever wanted to picture what it would look like to have Rush Limbaugh actually in government, at least there is a living example. To have trusted this guy with the drug war or education is a Katrina level mismanagement.


Yea, he puts books out. But I don’t think even amongst the ultras out there anyone is going to trade in their Buckley tomes for this individual’s cynical mantra of detached hypocrisy.


3) This is not an easy connection, so there is no reasonable way to expect it from anyone, but the parallel between Toyota and Obama struck me today. Toyota has one of the best brands ever. They still do. Mika still wants to keep her cars. Erin Burnett thinks this is some conspiracy by domestic automakers to level the playing field and finds no numerical merit to the Toyota story.


But Donny Deutsch hits the nail on the head in that they have shown as little spine as possible in the face of crisis, and thus the public will always hold the brand in context of an inability to really lead. This is unexpected from this company. That it happened, that it wasn’t quietly fixed forever in 2007, that there was a real ‘Autogate’ not seen since the Ford Explorer or the Ford Pinto. This could have been solved and weakness at the helm with some questionable loyalty to it’s customers has made for an unnecessary meltdown.


Sound familiar?


We have long said that Obama has caused a vacuum of leadership throughout his first year that has made solvable situations blow up beyond anyone’s comprehension. Additionally, he had made deals out of the public eye but known the country over that bring into question his loyalty for the people who voted him into office. The results in the health care and financial reform debates are questionable in their people versus corporations effectiveness.


It’s a problem that no one saw coming a year ago, and the voter will always have this lack of manning up in crisis as a contextual part of all future votes. Take your pick from Toyota or Obama.


That’s all for today, see you tomorrow.