He Probably Cheats at Mini-Golf, Too

Over at the Weekly Standard, Matt Continetti notes the President's lack of anything resembling a substantive second-term agenda...

The Republicans are now the ones offering ideas of progress or reform, while the Democrats fiercely fight to protect the established order of entitlements, tax hikes, and obeisance to unions, greens, and feminists. Even when Obama and Biden have been highly caffeinated, they have not stated their plans and goals for a second term. They are too busy painting a socialist-realist mural of Romney and Ryan as maniacal reactionaries. They are too preoccupied with protecting subsidies for Big Bird, Planned Parenthood, and windmills.

Four years ago, President Obama and Vice President Biden were bursting with plans. Obama said he would cut the deficit, middle-class taxes, and health care premiums, while also creating a new entitlement to health insurance. He said he’d revamp America’s energy, education, and immigration policies for the 21st century. He delivered a speech in the early months of his term saying he’d put America on a “new foundation.” His 2011 State of the Union address was devoted to “winning the future.”

But all of these big dreams have crashed against the granite wall of reality. The deficit is up, the price of fuel and health care premiums has increased, incomes are down, and tax increases loom. Obama is exhausted. His political capital is spent. The boldest proposal he’s put forward recently is hiring another 100,000 teachers. That doesn’t even rise to the level of small-ball. It’s mini-golf.

I think the strangest part of the campaign has been the media's obsession with trying to figure out the details of Romney's plan, while simply forgetting to ask Obama what in the world he might do with four more years. There is an answer, since he did tell Vlad Putin he would have more "flexibility" after the election.  We're just not good enough to hear it, and the media doesn't want to ask, since it might be inconvenient to get the answer and have the pesky voters decide they want someone else in charge. But hey, it's not like it's the mainstream media's job is to do something useful. Bottom line? Obama's an empty chair.

You know, someone might have said that at some point.