This is from the Wall Street Journal and is probably behind the pay wall for today. But here is part of it:
The Beltway’s Favorite Tax Metaphor
Why is it that a president who is described as ‘the adult in the room’ never asks the government to live within its means?In a Washington deadlocked over taxes and spending, there is nothing more cherished than its favorite metaphor—and nothing more revealing about the way our Beltway establishment thinks.
Look at the ongoing negotiations over raising the debt ceiling. Almost from the beginning, President Obama has been described as being, or hoping to position himself as, “the adult in the room.” This has become the received metaphor, operating as a sort of Gresham’s law of political dialogue: Once introduced, it drives out most any other possible language.
Here are just a handful of examples from the past few weeks:
The medicine will knock at the door in some days. order cialis The Nutritional Content of Acai is absolutely amazing; it’s packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids and natural moisturizers, can go a long way toward improving the overall reproductive health in men, thereby addressing all sorts of sexual issues in them. tadalafil 20mg uk Their exclusive approach to medicine focuses primarily for the underlying root brings about of wellness issues, order viagra rather then basically treating the symptoms, to aid prevent disease and enhance the patients total wellbeing. “Dr. Deep tissue helps in relieving severe tension and this technique focuses deeper muscles. free sample of viagra
“Leading off: The adult in the room? That’s how President Obama is trying to portray himself, the calm daddy trying to discipline the group of unruly children on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue.” (Chuck Todd, “Hardball”). “[I]f you are playing the responsible adult in the room and the other guy is willing to blow up the room if he doesn’t get exactly what he wants, that puts you in a bad negotiating position” (Paul Krugman, “This Week with Christiane Amanpour”). “At his press conference on June 29, [President Obama] threatened to cancel lawmakers’ recess until an agreement was reached. As before, Obama cast himself as the adult in the room” (Politico).There’s more. “Heading into Monday’s meeting, Obama tried yet again to elevate himself above the Congressional fray, projecting an image of the ‘adult in the room’ and saying it’s time to ‘eat our peas’ and come to a compromise to avoid a default” (Roll Call). “The American people who are up for grabs on Election Day are mostly independents. Obama’s allies hope they see the president as the adult in the room in the debt ceiling confrontation” (Associated Press).
[….]
Then as now, Democrats entered the talks with one goal in mind: Force their Republican opponents to discredit themselves politically by abandoning their tax pledge. Then as now, Democrats were abetted by a press corps that embraced the same context for the debate—i.e., the idea that raising taxes was the “responsible” thing to do. (all emphasis mine)
More there if you can get to it. I tried to get the most salient points, but there are more, many more.
