Saturday, February 14, 2009

A Cat's Eye View



Baxter here. My Female Human and a lot of other People have been Dithering a lot about President Obama's recent Actions or lack thereof. There was the Rendition thing, and the Problems with his Cabinet Appointees who didn't pay their Taxes, and various other Kerfluffles.

I say Chill Out, Everybody. I have been watching this Obama Human since the very Beginning; way before my Humans decided to support him, I was on his Side. You know why? Because we Cats can recognize Cat-ness in others. The Obama Human has always been very Catlike.

He is kind of a Loner, likes to kind of watch things from a Distance, and takes it all in before making any Big Decisions. This is what we Cats do. You never see a Cat rush in and chase a bunch of Birds like a Dog would. They stalk them. Quietly. Keeping their Cool. Until at the last Moment, they Pounce.

The Obama Human is very similar. He managed to play all his Cards right and get Elected; kept his Cool all along. I am not giving up on him. I say that his Delays on things like Don't Ask, Don't Tell and eliminating Rendition are just another Example of his Cautious, Catlike way of dealing with Things. Give him some Time, it hasn't even been a Month yet.

Now admittedly, there have been some Bumps in the Road - mainly because he's been trying to be Nice to the Republicans and make them Feel Welcome. This was his one Mistake. He put in all those Tax Breaks into that Stimulus thing, hoping to win over the Republicans. But it was No Dice. And when it finally passed, not one of those Republicans in the House voted for it, and only three in the Senate did. Lesson learned.

I think the President will now understand that his bi-partisan Efforts are in Vain and he may as well just do what he Wants without trying to Compromise. I know that's the Lesson a Cat would learn, and this Human seems to be good at learning Lessons. If a Cat is Treated Poorly by someone, the Cat will not deal with that Person again if they can Help It.

I think what he was doing Wrong was trying to be too much like a Dog. Dogs can have Packs that are "Teams of Rivals" but it takes a lot of Fighting first in order to establish Who is in Charge. And by that time too much Blood can be shed and it's just not Worth it. And the Head Dog always has to watch his Back or one of the Underlings will Challenge him when he least expects it.

Cats want Nothing to do with their Rivals. Sure, a couple of TomCats can come along and sometimes be forced into a Fight, but in general Cats go by the adage, "He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day." We look out for Ourselves and make sure we Get what We Want.

Looking Ahead, it's time for the President to make sure he gets what he Wants from now on without worrying about whether those stubborn Republicans are going to vote for it. In the Coming Weeks he has a lot on his List. He plans to address the Foreclosure Crisis, appoint a Health & Human Services and a Commerce Secretary (if all goes Well - Fingers Crossed) and deal with Medicare and Social Security while unveiling the new Budget. Let's hope this all goes more Smoothly than the Stimulus Bill did.

In other News, I was Happy when Stump the Sussex Spaniel won Best in Show at Westminster at age 10. It was a great Comeback for this Dog and even though I am not usually Fond of Dogs, as you Know, I couldn't help but have a Warm Feeling when I heard of it. I am no Spring Chicken myself, as I am over Seven Years Old, so it is Nice to know that being Older doesn't keep anybody Down!

A lot of People have been making a Big Deal out of the Woman in California who gave birth to Octuplets recently. The Woman, who is Single, had 6 other Kids; all 14 of her Brood were conceived with In Vitro Fertilization. Now People are questioning why the Fertility Clinic would Allow this to Happen and wondering if she could possibly care for Them All. I can't help but wonder too; that's more than most Cats have in their Litters! Sometimes not all the Kittens make it if there isn't enough Food. I hope this doesn't happen for this Woman's Children.

There was also a lot of fuss in Great Britain recently when a 13-year-old boy became a Dad; the Mom is 15. According to this Article, the boy was 12 when the Baby was conceived and he said,

"'I didn't think about how we would afford it. I don't really get pocket money. My dad sometimes gives me £10. When my mum found out I thought I was going to get in trouble. We wanted to have the baby but were worried about how people would react. I didn't know what it would be like to be a dad. I will be good, though, and care for it.'"

Well, we'll see. In Honor of this Young Couple, here is Puppy Love, performed by Paul Anka, featuring Real Puppies:



With that I will wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day. I hope I will receive some Catnip for the Occasion!

17 comments:

Fran said...

Baxter~ you have wisdom of the ages. I know when you talk about being cat like, you mean nimble of mind & on your feet- not claws & fangs- or what humans call being "catty"- like finding fault with everything and starting fights- kind of like what the republicans are doing.
Funny those guys never denied one dime Decider Bush asked for- suddenly they are all fiscally responsible tightwads. Reaching across the aisle appears to be one of those wise strategy moves. He continues to reach & get burned by people like Judd, and everyone who votes against the plan to get some jobs & cash flowing.
These naysayers will continue to make themselves look bad because the trickle down theory, is now trickling up to republican businesses who are hurting/failing. Their party affiliation is fading because their own people are not helping them in their time of need. In a sense if the dems can pass these bills without the repubs, that may help promote a healthy *throw the bums out* fervor in the next round of elections. Obama can stan tall & say he tried repeatedly to get these elephants to cooperate.
Maybe... these people are shooting themselves in the foot-- which is even more stupid if you are a two-legged one, then you only have one leg to stand on!

This is all a lot to ponder & by now you are contemplating a nap. Sweet dreams, Baxter.

Fran said...

P.S. Cute vid!

themom said...

Baxter...another well written piece. You are so astute and keep your little ears right to the buzz of the moment. That deserves a nice scratch under the chin and behind the ears. Keep on doin what you're doin...I'm proud of ya!

Nelson said...

Nice cats vs. dogs analogy, Baxter.

Ingrid said...

Baxter, my poor asthma/allergic son just discoverd 'cats'(which he's allergic too ehem) in the 'Warrior' series..I know it's fiction but perhaps not for you. The thoughtful observations here make me think that, there must be another dimension us humans are missing..you might know the author, Erin Hunter. Ha..get it? Hunter? hmm..probably a human channeling a feline. hmmm..

Ingrid

D.K. Raed said...

as usual, Baxter has his head screwed on right! Catlike Obama may be waiting to pounce. We shall see. I'm afraid those 3 senate repubs are in control for now, though, because without them, nothing makes it out of congress alive.

oh Ingrid, your son might be able to handle one of those hairless sphinx cats?!? They are odd-looking but are still all-cat!

Happy V-Day to the Maui Clan!

Christopher said...

To tell the truth, Baxter, problems filling cabinet positions isn’t unique to President Obama.

Remember George H.W. Bush and Linda Chavez, who hired illegals to work in her home and failed to pay FICA taxes on them? George W. Bush and ridiculously embarrassing and disturbing choice of Bernard Kerik to run Homeland Security? Or, Bill Clinton and Zoƫ Baird?

The issue isn't the candidate or even so much the political party: it's the fact that 99% of the time, the president is culling from men and women inside the Beltway.

I've always been in favor of new presidents turning their back on Washington and looking to business and academia for cabinet people.

Fran said...

Oh Baxter, I come here and find you and it is possible to try to make sense of some of the nonsense in the world.

Thank you for your wisdom.

Plus you are so cute,I love to see your face, it makes me feel better. Even though it makes BooBoo jealous!

Suzi Riot said...

Baxter, I never really thought about it but you are quite right about President Obama being cat-like. Cats know how to keep their cool and patiently wait for the right time to make their move.

And my own puppy Valentines and I enjoyed the video!

Jill said...

Amen, Baxter. You are a smart kitty. This Obama guy is just getting started. Plus he just moved and everybody knows how unorganized things are after a move. Give him a few months, and everything should settle down nicely.

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

Baxter, what an astute analysis. I'm so impressed by your political acumen. I'll bet you were a pharaoh's advisor in one of your previous 9 lives.

Anonymous said...

Hey Baxter...first let me say, that photo of you is stunning. It makes you look wise beyond your years. As for you thoughts on politics, now I know why you and your kin like to hang out by windows and appear as though you're staring into space. You're silently pondering the world. But, Chester read this post, and relay a message: "we can't help being who we are. But we love our humans all the same."

Comrade Kevin said...

Patience is a virtue in politics. I hate to say it, but if you want swift action in government, opt for Fascism.

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Mauigirl said...

Baxter here. Fran, thanks for your Comment. I agree, they are Shooting Themselves in the Foot.

TheMom, thanks for your Compliments and the Scratch behind the Ears.

Nelson, Thank you. This Analogy is often very Apt.

Ingrid, my Female Human's friend's daughter LOVES those books! However, I have not yet Read them.

DK, I hope I am Right. And Happy V Day back to You.

Christopher, I think that is the Problem - Washington Insiders. However, you need a Few of them or you can't get things Done. My Female Human says that the Carter Administration had too many Outsiders. Guess you need a Happy Medium.

FranIam, I'm glad you Enjoy my Words and Picture (it's a new one, my Humans just took it recently). Regards to Boo-Boo.

Suzi, thank you for your Comment. I am glad you and your Puppies enjoyed the Video.

Jill, you have a Good Point. I'm sure he hasn't even unpacked all his Boxes yet.

Ruth, as a very Modest Cat I don't like to talk about my Previous Lives, but you are Close to the Truth there.

Spartacus, Regards to Chester. He is Correct.

Comrade Kevin, great Comment. Very true.

Paul C, my Humans thank you for all the Interesting Information but will keep on drinking caffeinated Coffee anyway!

Reamus said...

Oh Good, I get Pest control with my coffee!

lisahgolden said...

I think it's wise to give change some time to happen. I hope everyone in Mauiville had a wonderful Valentine's Day.I hope you got a little heart full of catnip, Baxter.