Yesterday, I sent out a massive mailer that included part of “The Obama Brand Implodes,” which also invited people to tell me how they were feeling as Pres. Obama starts his second year. It was ugly. I’ve not even been able to read them all yet, but I’ve posted a few responses below. Most of the emails so far amount to what Rep. Capuano told Dems after he lost to Coakley: “You’re screwed.” That still sizes it up. Especially on health care, with the Senate and House now at ramming speed.
But for the first time in the yearlong push, Democratic aides — and even some members — finally acknowledged privately that the fear of failure was real. And Congress recessed for the weekend without an obvious path forward as rank-and-file Democrats started splintering in different directions. – Dem health care talks collapsing
I’ve also heard from people about this post yesterday, “An Old Problem Resurfaces,” which focuses on Obama’s empathy gap. It rang true to almost everyone who wrote me. The Politico has a story today that points to an issue that will hurt us if his staff doesn’t get over it. Don’t make the Al Gore mistake and not taking the best of what Bill Clinton offered. This is political triage, folks.
WWCD: What Would Clinton Do?
That’s not a question that President Barack Obama and his team of loyalists from the 2008 campaign are prone to ask, because they don’t much care about the answer.
It is an irony of the Obama administration — given that it is staffed with so many people with high-level experience during Bill Clinton’s presidency, including one Cabinet member named Clinton — that its basic attitude toward Clinton-style governance is hostile. …
Being hostile towards Bill Clinton is just stupid, especially where knowing how to fight is concerned, though I would say Obama needs a little of Hillary at her best, during the Pennsylvania primary days, than Bill. Going right is the wrong recipe. So is giving up on health care, something Hillary wouldn’t even consider.
Anyway, on to the emails.
The funniest one is from Ron:
Ahh, if only Hilary were in power. I’m guessing it would not have taken her more than a month to have the fincial crisis fixed and the debt totally eliminated, poverty gone and a cure for cancer discovered in her spare time. Gosh, how wonderful life would be. – Ron
It teaches what it costs when you get involved in primary partisan battles, and I’ve not even covered the “c” word slur I got yesterday on Twitter, or the hate mail that continues to come in. It doesn’t make a dent. I just keep on movin’. But as I’ve said before, my hyper partisan days are over. I’m back to doing what I do best; just telling it like it is.
The majority of responses I received to my newsletter request were deeply felt. By the way, there are also more and more independents around here:
Hi Taylor, My personal feeling is that health care is finished, unfortunately, but I do not see any newspapers or blog proclaim it as such. Do you really think there is any chance for it to become law? Listening to the analysis on the blogs and TV, it seems that people are still trying to figure what the underlying message was from the Massachusetts elections? As an independent I think the basic fact is that President Obama’s every move appears to be politically calculated and not about good policy. I just read your most recent post, ‘an old problem resurfaces’, i think more than the lack of empathy, the main problem with the President’s words are that they don’t feel honest. As a citizen, I get the feeling that he and his team ( esp. Robert Gibbs and Axelrod) think that we are dumb and cannot find the truth behind their words and actions. With the internet and 24 hours cable, I think every citizen who keeps up on current events is a political analyst and is capable of making up his or her own mind. … Thanks for your analysis. Yours is a must read site for me. – S
With emails like that one coming in, it’s clear that people are having a real problem relating to Pres. Obama. He’s not getting through, which is the only way he and the Democrats can succeed. As for health care being “finished,” I think it is on life support, no question. There isn’t a leader to show us the way through yet, who believes passionately and can make the case without hesitation. The best way to get any health care through with the least blow back is through incremental measures like what Rep. Grijalva said, “insurance cost controls, portability between jobs, ending the use of preexisting conditions to deny coverage, prohibiting lifetime and annual limits on benefits, prohibiting age and gender discrimination, establishing essential benefit standards, and ending the practice of rescission.”
That said, David Waldman, the best around on the machinations of Congress, writes a must read post on how this can all work out, beyond Grijalva’s suggestions (which I think is the way to go).
See, as I’ve always seen it, Republicans are refusing to sign on to health care because they can’t afford Democrats to add to the New Deal legacy. So, at a weak point, Dems have to turn the tables and show strength by challenging them to vote against wildly popular health care fixes, then hang them around their necks if they walk away.
Another one:
What do you suggest? We all know you are a Hillary supporter and never liked Obama. As you remember Bill and Hill could not get Health Care Passed. The Republican Party the Party of NO* code for NO* help for the American People…. Taylor please tell the President and the Democratic Party how to bypass the FOX News run GOP Party and the MSM whom all want President Obama to fail. [...] So please Taylor I love your site… God Bless Taylor and keep up the good work… Also HOWARD DEAN should be the DNC Chairman or the head of HHC. Under Howard Dean, we would never have lost Mass to Brown. or the other two races.- MN
First, I supported Barack Obama, pushed back on the nutty Puma crowd, even had anti Puma guest posters, and took a lot of heat, then I happily voted for him. That’s all Obama cares about. “Liking” a politician is dangerous stuff, because we never know them. Secondly, I never believed we should “bypass” Fox News, and have said so many times. The network has the biggest ratings on cable, so Dems can’t afford to. As for Howard Dean, anybody is better than Tim Kaine, who was Obama’s pick and a very costly one. I was not a Deaniac, but he’s more than won my ear. Lastly, on this one, we’re in it now, MN. Things are very bad. The first thing we can do is for everyone to write and call the politicians who represent you, then tell them not to pass the Senate bill. That’s job one. We’re in danger of losing the House, so any headlines about pushing health care through, which would put vulnerable Democratic Senate seats in further jeopardy, is a bad idea. So, job one is to stop the Senate bill as it currently exists.
Some other emails are printed in part below:
You know I wrote and called and faxed my Colorado senators every week telling them I didn’t want government health care. I told them that I’m 43 years old just bought my first home 2 years ago, have a family of 5. I didn’t think I would ever be able to own a home. I have insurance for me from work but can’t afford insurance for me family. I tried Colorado state but they said I made to much money which I don’t or I wouldn’t have asked for help. Bottom line is I don’t government telling me I have to buy insurance when I can’t afford it. I would lose my house if I had to buy that. Senator Udall and Bennet kept on sending me the same line of they voted yes for the health care bill to help all Coloradans. Udall, Bennet, Obama, Reid, Pelosi need to go. They ignored the public to advance there views. I’m sick of it. I will be beyond involved in future elections, weather that volunteer, money, calling, door to door, talking to people. What ever it takes. Government works for me, I don’t work for the government. Thanks for taking the time listen. Take Care, Mike
One year in, weak, indecisive, refuses to fight or lead. panders to those who are trying to destroy him all in name of a bipartisanship that does not exist. – Bill
This is very well said and EXACTLY why I was for Hillary. Say what you will, the broad has balls! I always knew Mr. Kumbaya was a bad choice. I wanted to believe and even drank the Kool-Aid. Now we’re screwed. Thanks for always telling it like it is. – JM
I think he is doing ss well as he can under the current political climate that has been ongoing for years now. There are corrupt politicians on both sides of the fence, but President Obama is not one of them. I really LISTENED to President Obama and read his books to give me a better understanding of the person who was then candidate Obama running for office. People thought he would change the landscape in his first year? I think not. [...] But I believe we have the best man on the job that could possibly turn that around if at all possible. Really our President is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. Respectfully. – WW
The problem was Obama’s campaign promises of change which he did not keep. transparancy, (c-span) lobbiest, change. He did not deliver. [...] Obama is just disconnected with the people. [...] I am now leaving the Dem Party and becomming an independent. – JB
I would like to see some positive steps that progressives can take. e.g. I am not giving to the DSCC, DNC, or DCCC because they enable conservative democrats but I am giving to individual progressive candidates. What would you suggest ? – MS
And I’ve saved this one for last, because it represents a lot of people (at least from the emails I’ve already read):
Dear Taylor, Maybe you feel that I am still crying over spilled milk but I still call myself a Clinton Democrat. I didn’t vote for McCain but I really had a hard time voting for Obama because I KNEW what would happen and it is happening. It is like Jimmy Carter all over again. I was brought up in a Republican working class family and became a Democrat after going to college and realizing my parents had been voting against themselves all those years. I miss the Democratic brand that stood up for the working guy, little guy, and middle class values. I don’t like this elite brand “We know what’s best for all of you even if you don’t know yourself yet” of Democrat that I feel Obama, Pelosi and Reid stand for. I feel like our party has lost it’s working class roots even to the point of loosing respect for it’s own working class constituency.
Contact me if you want to get the newsletter. …and you lurkers, keep writing, or better yet, jump into the comment section. If you have trouble with registering write us.
The floor is yours. …and I’d really like to know what’s on your mind too. Including: how do you feel as Pres. Obama starts his second year? How do you feel about Democrats in Congress?
Mark Penn, Hillary’s chief campaign strategist, is advising that Obama move to the right. Why are all of the Clinton political strategists (Penn, Davis, ect) calling for Obama to become less Liberal? Is that even possible? Just how conservative are these people? Why do they all sound like right wing Republicans? Obama should jettison every ex-employee of the Clinton’s and every Clinton in his administration immediately. That’s how I feel. Peace
Mark Penn..sighhh….not him again
Well, if Mark Penn said it then I would suggest doing the exact opposite. Doesn’t get any simplier than that. We know how right MARK PENN was during the primaries….I’m sure President HILARRY CLINTON owes a great debt to MARK PENN for his wisdom in guiding her to victory during the primaries especially after SUPER TUESDAY……oh wait a minute.
What Barack Obama has to do is put his inner republican back in the closet…you know just like the gays who are in the military now have to do. Barack Obama has to come to the relization that people voted for him because he was a DEMOCRATE and we expected him to do what DEMOCRATES do best…which is to look out for the little guy and stick it to those mega bankers and fat cat insurance comglomarates. He had a MANDATE…..HE HAD THE MEDIA and in November of 2010 we will be saying HE HAD THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE…..Coakley didn’t lose because she wasn’t progressive enough….she lost because people got a sense that she felt she was entitled to their vote…she lost because she hanneled Rahm (The Democrates have no place else to go) Emmanuel. She did not go out and ask for their vote. Say what you want about Scott Brown…and oh…I CAN SAY PLENTY…but he asked for their vote. Thats the Simplicity that is missing with Barack Obama…..instead of LECTURING the Democrates about Bipartisanship…he never asked us to commit to bipartisanship—in which we would have responded…hell no we sent you there to tap dance on thier republican graves not make “Nice” with the same jackasses who got us in the mess we are in now.
By now, I think the “empathy gap” is too wide to be bridged with a speech, though I’d bet that SOTU will be crafted with that in mind. Along with a “populist” spin.
In less than a year, Obama and Dems in Congress, managed to widen the gap, deepen the hole, implode and be oblivious to and/or uncaring of any voices outside their elite circle. Or maybe they just managed to make it even more visible. I don’t see anything happening that makes me think they’ve learned to a thing.
I’m thinking we may have entered a period when the congressional majority, and maybe the presidency, will continue flipping back and forth between the two legacy parties, but even more quickly. A lost / squandered first year of an administration, especially with a congressional majority, provides a big impetus for the beginning of the next flip.
The Clinton Focus — looking back and learning is good. But there isn’t a Clinton in the WH. This is the Obama administration’s, and this is the current Democratic majority’s, responsibility. Of course, it’s also the responsibility of the obstructionist Republican minority.
I think it’s time to be honest and say this President has no idea what he is doing. Surprised? No. He HAD NO EXPERIENCE and we are now paying the price. In addition to no experience he has nothing he believes in, nothing. Add those two together and we have this mess that I don’t see ending anytime soon.
Look at the rush about breaking up the big banks. Talk about a 180. He knows nothing of economics and banking, lending, etc. Regardless of how one feels about Geithner and Summers, I think they were blindsided by the whole thing yesterday. The stock market sinking the last three days reflects ZERO confidence in this President by the business/economic community.
The other issue that has gotten little attention since the Brown win is the report issued on the Ft. Hood shooter and the hearings into what happened with the Christmas underpants bomber. Go read about both and you will wonder, I hope, about what the hell is happening.
I have been railing about Pelosi and Reid for two years now. They absolutely must go. There is nothing positive in the way they have governed. Ramming crap bills through Congress, typically on a Friday or Saturday in the middle of the night, while suspending House/Senate procedures to do so, has been as damaging as the Presidents ineptitude.
No optimism to be found from me. It’s going to be a very long three years.
That the Senate seat cared for by Teddy Kennedy for fifty years could go to a sexist bigot like Scott Brown – nude centerfold is a statement, imo, that Ma was sending a big message to national Democrats….anyone but the feckless and spineless.
Hell, this guy’s wife is apparently in some less than squeaky clean videos and he’s offering up his daughters as “available ” in his acceptance speech.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/20/glenn-beck-slams-scott-br_n_429939.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/21/scott-browns-wife-music-v_n_431632.html
Morning Joyce Arnold says:
I think people look to clinton era because thats when things worked…thats what they remember….I was in a bad place in New Orleans 5 years ago…damn near homeless and that was before Katrina…I ran to my safe place…when I was successfull and looking forward…my safe place…believe it or not is Las Vegas…and I am slowly but surely getting back on track. The Clinton era was a safe place for most. Thats why people refer to that era so longingly.
kris
Apparently we didn’t understand what the POTUS was saying:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/22/geithner-obama-proposal-t_n_432558.html
Geithner: Obama Proposal To Limit Banks Doesn’t Mean Breaking Them Up
dafederalist
And we also knew that we had fighters for the people – not just a string of popularity contests.
Someone said on an earlier thread that the average voter doesn’t do complex. As a result we have Obama as POTUS. No complexity there – just a slick dog and pony show.
As LL says, I AM PISSED.
Yeah djjl. That’s part of the problem isn’t it? He comes out in some reactionary mode, gives a speech (sort of), then sends out the minions to explain what he just said. Sickening.
And in addtion, any regulartory proposals have to be approved by Congress and would most likely take years. Good luck on that one.
He has turned into Max Headroom the robotic talking machine. We are living through an absurdist time in history. When I was a kid I thought it would be fun, to walk with Alice through the looking glass, never dreaming as an adult I would get the chnace to do it!
chance
I have to wonder where are all those OBAMA supporters who used to come here and tell us that we were wrong or RACIST……what say you Betsy and HUmanist….where are they…..
One large obstacle to HCR has been to fund it, because expanding coverage to will cost somebody money, about $1tn over ten years. Obama proclaimed that HCR had to be revenue-neutral over ten years, so (lacking money anywhere else) the solution they came up with included increasing taxes and raiding Medicare immediately (about $500bn each) and delaying benefits for three or four years. This pissed off a lot of people.
There has been an entirely different solution to some of us, and that is to cut ‘way back on Pentagon spending over ten years, and there’s your HCR money without raising taxes or raiding Medicare. We no longer need nor can afford a huge cold-war era military force. Ten nuclear carrier groups are not needed when the US is not threatened by any military in the world, nor will it be any time soon.
But that wasn’t even considered. The regular Pentagon corporate welfare pork-laden $700bn budget (not including war costs – another great source of funds) was passed with nary a whisper, and we’re stuck with a funding impasse over health care reform when we needn’t be.
There is also HUGE savings to be had in real health care reform and insurance reform.
Don, the military budget won’t be able to be touched until a LEADER is willing to say “We just can’t afford to be the world’s policeman, and it isn’t in our national interest to do so anymore”. I can’t see how such a person could ever get elected by the American “Rah Rah” electorate, but perhaps $1 trillion dollar deficits for a couple of years might bring some back to reality.
LL
I’m also with you and TaosJohn on an earlier thread – I’m doing everything I can to avoid purchasing that sends money to big business. Part is fun – going to the twice weekly farmer’s market. Part is a bit of work – we’re putting in fruit and veggies along with our long time herb gardening. Part is inconvenient – like making cleansers, etc. (Baking soda is my favorite miracle worker). I shop at Whole Foods as infrequently as possible and never leave without letting a worker know that I shop less there because of their CEO’s denial of global warming. I’m pleased that they always tell me they’ve heard it before.
It is little – but it helps me feel freer and is my tiny part against big money.
I think Bernanke is getting ready to pay for Geithner:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/21/bernanke-vote-opposition_n_431315.html
Good Morning Taylor.
As I see you have sent a massive email out to readers which I some how did not get I will send my email here, but I will make it an open letter to my President. Next time you send out another email, please consider putting my link http://www.democratz.org in it
Dear President Obama
I want to tell you a true story which just happened a few days ago. I came into this world 4 years after World War II. When I grew up partly in New York City and Partly in Nassau Country New York, as a young boy I would watch Meet the Press. I watched this show as a boy of 6 or 7. I watched the people of the era talk about the issues. I also watched Mike Wallace’s You are there as well. I recall seeing other programs about famous people. I saw newsreels of a man who wore a white sheet. NO! not that kind of white sheet! Mohandas Gandhi, wore a white sheet of cotton. Why did Gandhi wear white sheets? He wanted to set an example for his people to make their own cloth and not buy goods from his oppressors who occupied his country.
He appeared a modern day Moses, but of another religion. I have a number of heroes like Gandhi. Most of them died, except for Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu. Considering myself a Jewish person, I find that good that people from other religions and other people’s can serve as examples for heroes as it tends to unite people of different backgrounds. Each of these heroes, Moses, Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Tutu eventually brought their oppressors down by not cooperating with their oppressors.
The other day, I spoke to the great grandson of Mohandas Gandhi. I had sought to speak to his father, the grandson of Mohandas Gandhi. I never expected to ever speak to anyone in this family of Gandhi. I told him that I thanked his great grandfather for his work and that he inspired me as I used to see newsreels of his great grandfather during the 1950′s and 1960′s and especially using boycotts to eventually uniting his people of India to eject their oppressors out of their country. I told Gandhi’s great grandson of my electronic PAMPHLET on the web and again thanked him and said good day.
Now, I say to you Mr. President, that I want a real populist President similar to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and I and other people will make you do it, just like FDR told his supporters to make him do what they wanted him to do.
So in the tradition and inspiration of Moses and Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu and their people I say to you again we will make you do it.
How? By boycotting the products of those of your friends in corporations who donated money to you, and donated money to Republicans and to conservatives in the Democratic party who have led this country down a path to the second great depression. The only reason that we have not descended further appears that we had citizens back about 77 years ago who made FDR do it and had good regulations in place today that the conservatives in both parties want to repeal. So from now on I will no longer donate money to the Democratic party although I remain a member. Again I will not buy products from major companies that donate money to conservatives in both parties and I will demand progressive legislation that really helps the poor and middle class people instead of the undeserving wealthy at this point of crisis in our country, of the CEOs that run those companies and until that happens they will lose business from me and many other people such that we will put pressure on those CEOs to help get us the legislation that we want.
I agreed with the bailout of the banks and the partial nationalization of GM and Ford but now it appears OUR turn suc that we get a $10 an hour minimum wage, a passage of the employee free choice act, a passage of the women’s freedom of choice act, a passage of a compromise SINGLE PAYER PUBLIC OPTION which will allow private health insurance but in which those who choose this new single payer public option will have no premiums, no copayments, no yearly deductibles, no recisions, no rejection for preexisting conditions and cover everything: doctors visits, surgery, hospital stays, abortion, nursing home and hospice care and home care and it will serve as a health insurance EXODUS so that the private health insurance companies will let our people go. We also need to end the war in Iraq and a way to end the war in Afghanistan but we need to help build Afghanistan up so the Taliban and Al Qaeda will no longer get the favor of some people in Afghanistan. We need other legislation that helps those less fortunate in our country.
Republicans only talk about freedom but they offer us no real solutions. These Republican corporate masters only offer us FIEFDOM and wage slavery and a kind of slavery to insurers where they exploit the economic conditions of those who don’t have enough money to pay for their insurance and not freedom. These Republican corporate masters offer their middle class and even poor supporters FREEDUMB organizing them in a rabble of misnamed fake populist Tea partiers for which those Boston patriots of a few centuries ago would probably say, hey these Republican FREEDUMB lovers HAVE REPRESENTATION, so what excuse do they have for disrupting government town halls that we helped to establish?
Really Mr. President, those present day so called tea partiers appear a perversion of those real patriots that helped liberate our country a few centuries ago. Do these false tea partiers stand for a living wage? No. Do these false tea partiers stand for unions? No. Do these false tea partiers stand for helping those less fortunate in our country? No.
These Recruited Republican FREEDUMB lovers claim that they appear PATRIOTs.
I say NAY, those Recruited Republican rabble appear as
stand PAT RIOTers
disrupting government who attempt to help the less fortunate in our country. How many times have I seen or heard this Republican rabble express their contempt for the poor and less fortuante in the middle class? I have seen and heard such contempt by these conservatives for decades blaming most of the poor and less fotunate middle class for their own problems as an excuse to shift blame away from many corporations who disadvantage such people and also as an excuse to have government dissolve in the area of social justice.
These Republican rabble stand PAT RIOTers want us to stand pat for their corporate masters to continue to profit on the suffering of people in many areas and not just health care. They want us to stand pat and yell no more higher taxes deliberately wanting the American people to not see the way corporate governors want to PRIVATELY TAX people with low pay aka Cheap labor ak wage theft not giving workers in many cases the worth of their work that they do and suppressing the organization of people in unions. These corporate governors also tax people privately with high prices in a cartel working with other corporate governors in fixing prices so even though you have a few companies in a sector of products you really have a polyopoly keeping PRIVATE TAXES high in a lot of product sectors. Yes high pricces and low wages function as a PRIVATE TAXATION system run by private government which the Republicans support and come from and they have their stooges in the stand PAT RIOT movement to pose as as populists. NAY!
So next time Republicans criticize our party for taxation in their miscommunications at election time we Democrats will remind the people that the Republicans continue to tax us PRIVATELY and raise these PRIVATE TAXES through POLYOPOLY, DUOPOLY, MONOPOLY, cheap labor and high prices and that Republicans nee dto get relieved of their power in government which they deliberately sabotage social programs through deliberate deficit creation through oil wars, unjust tax breaks for the wealthy and cutting of socail programs. This deliberate deficit creation has gone on for 30 years now started by Ronald Reagan the miscommunicator and it has to stop. The Republicans create a huge deficit so when they get relieved of power then the Democrat has to clean up the mess and cannot or will not continue on the path of social justice or water it down such that supporters of Democrats get angry as they did in Bill Clinton’s time and now yours!
So Mr. President, we will make you promote real social justice and not catering to corporations in the quest for social justice and eliminate these so called public private partnerships that these corporations take too much money from the poor and less fortunate that the Republicans have dome in the past years and until this day and create regular government programs that do not allow these corporations to leech upon the public and profit to the detriment of middle class and poor people.
I have seen this in Medicare Part D and Miedcare Disadvantage and now thanks to conservative Democrats we face this in the new health insurance and Pharmceutical company enrichment act of 2010.
No more Mr. President. No More.
help the middle class and the poor and until then, the Democratic party gets no money from me and in 2010 and 2012 I will go to the polls and only vote on referenda, meaning I will not vote for anyone for representative, senator and President. I will stay in the Democratic party and do what I can to rid us these conservatives in OUR party from power by peaceful means through boycotts of consumers products of their contributors that give them money and convince other Democrats to also boycott these contrbutors to conservatives in both parties and force these CEOs to go to congressional leaders and tell the leaders that hundreds of thousands of people will no longer buy from the CEOs companies until congress passes real progressive legislation that citizens want and have petitioned the CEOs for.
In the end, Mr. President we will get this done peacefully and we will do everything peaceful to make you help us.
In the tradition of Moses, Gandhi, Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, we will get this done for social Justice for the less fortunate in our country. I encourage other people reading this open letter to the President to organize and petition the government and the CEOs of corporations that aid meanspirited conservatives in both parties to go to my electric pamphlet at http://www.democratz.org and sign those petitions that you see best to accomplish social justice for the less fortunate in our country. Once you sign them, electronic letters will go out right away to congressional leaders and the Corporations that aid meanspirited conservatives. Do this for the less fortunate! Let our people grow and to meanspirited conservatives, let our people GO from your greed, high prices and wage slavery and private taxes and your religious oppression.
So let it get written so let it get done.
Sincerely,
http://www.democratz.org
dafederalist says:
22 January 2010 at 11:02 am
I’m with you on looking back longingly
We had some good times back then. But you can’t run an economy on fortunately timed tech/real estate bubbles forever. And it may make you feel better to shriek and point at the guy who happens to be in office when those happy bubbles pop. But what will actually make things better in the long run is to stop waiting for the economic fairy to make everything go back to 1995 and to start thinking about the shitty financial regulation that made things totally rad temporarily but swung around and bit us in the ass (and Clinton AND Bush were completely against regulating the risky, irresponsible behavior that they KNEW insurance companies and banks were engaged in). Also, we should commit as a nation to never ever ever put so much faith in anyone as we did in Alan Greenspan. He was either incredibly stupid or a liar. But probably both.
I guess my point is that even if Obama magically aquires the personality of John F. Kennedy, the eloquence of Thomas Jefferson, and asskickingness Lyndon B. Johnson overnight – we will still have to accept responsibility for our part in the mess we either participated in (those of us who were flipping houses and having a merry old time) or apathetically ignored because those people warning of coming disaster were totally boring losers. We will also have to buck up and deal with the coming years of sacrifice: Less entitlements and more taxes. Yes, we got screwed. Yes, we were also stupid, lazy, and complicit. No, it is not going to go away because we “throw the bums out” and wield pitchforks and whatever.
I think Dr Phil’s advice to Oprah when she was being sued by the Texas Cattlemen’s Association would be good advice for President Obama:
“Oprah, President Obama, look at me, right now. … You’d better get over it and get in the game, or these good ol’ boys are going to hand you your ass on a platter.”
Oprah
Well I tried to strike thru Oprah – but obviously don’t know how – back to html
weezie
Are you suggesting leadership has nothing to do with success in governance – it’s all just a fluke? If so, no action really matters.
I used to be one who decried the “sheeple”, but no more.
Contrary to what Weezie charges, it’s not the people’s fault that many of their representatives, their “public servants”, become criminalized in so many ways, and allow — nay, abet — the people to become propagandized and robbed. We the people were not, generally speaking, either flipping houses nor stupid, lazy, and complicit. We democrats really had no way to (1) get the truth or (2) communicate and mutually support with others like us. Now we do.
So what I think is that good people like Josh Marshall, Taylor Marsh and us (we?) are absolutely essential for any solution to this mess, and I betcha the pols, some anyhow, who are currently waist deep in the Big Muddy, are starting to realize that too.
kris says:
22 January 2010 at 11:00 am
The stock market sinking the last three days reflects ZERO confidence in this President by the business/economic community.
__________________
kris, I don’t think this is accurate. The Dow was at 7,000+ a year ago. Before yesterday, it was almost at 11,000. What explains the over 50% increase? The fundamentals haven’t changed that much; Main Street is still hurting. The only thing that has changed is that financial institutions are making money hand over fist, gambling vast sums of our money on a “heads I win, tails you lose” strategy. Which was creating another investment bubble. The retreat in the Dow is a necessary, and much overdue, market correction.
All the criticms of Obama are true-lack of experience, empathy, ability etc. The only real solution I see is for Obama to step down. He just is incapable of doing the job at hand. Either he can step down or we can let the country become worse and worse off. At least Joe Biden has tons of experience and probably wouldn’t make as many mistakes as Obama has. While you might not agree with his values, at least Biden has them.
I don’t think too many – anywhere – have much confidence any longer in this President. I think he’s at his “last chance.” We’ll see what he’s made of now and just what really interests him about being President.
I’m still hoping – but beginning to think like Krugmann.
No I am saying that we should be holding their feet to the fire responsibly. We need to realize that we are NOT GETTING all the good times back (plus a pony)any time soon. They CANT make this mess go away without us having to sacrifice some of the shit we feel we are entitled to – so we might as well stop whinging about it. But they CAN craft laws and regulations that ensure that we don’t find ourselves here again. We need to be pressuring them on stuff that matters not “Give me my free stuff NOW! And balance the budget NOW! But remember to give me my free stuff. Oh and make this icky recession thingie go away. Plus cut taxes. Thanks! xoxo!”
I think the retreat in the Dow is not so much a lack of confidence by the business/economic community, but of a slight worry by the stock traders and investment banks that they may not make QUITE as much money as they have been if they are reigned in even a little bit.
I can’t stand when the stock market is used as a measure of the economy. It is a measure of the stock market! What is bad for the Dow is not necessarily bad of the economy as a whole. And not necessarily bad for regular working folk.
Ga6thDem yeah that would really make the country stable, quitting is straight out of the Sarah Palin Book of Governorating.
Troll.
Exactly JoBeets.
Many times, what makes us happy is inversely related to what makes Wall Street happy.
We have internalized the proletarian idea that if our corporate masters are happy, we should be happy.
Speaking of our corporate masters. The Supreme Court officially turned the United States into Fascist state yesterday and very few seem to have any problem with that. What’s up with that??? Peace
dafederalist says:
22 January 2010 at 11:31 am
———
HA HA! I was wondering the very same thing! Who knows. Maybe the hope and change is working for them and now they sit back fat and happy.
Well, weezie what do you suggest? Obama has shown he’s not able. Do you think the country should consider to drown under his lack of abilty to govern or move on? I vote for moving on. Others, like you, it seems would rather continue to get dragged down the river.
Oh, and don’t you think it worked out better for the citizens of Alaska that Palin did quit?
I think it is a case of the SCOTUS finally putting the brain-dead American political process out of its misery. No one actually thinks that the process works as it is anyway. Still, it is sad that something momentous doesn’t even merit a pause.
U.S. Democratic Republic – May 14, 1787 – January 21, 2010. Passed away quietly after a long and debilitating illness.
re: very few seem to have any problem with that
The Supremes Have Opened the Floodgates
By Sen. RUSSELL FEINGOLD
http://www.counterpunch.org/
If Corporations Were Human
by Scott Klinger
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/22
Corporate Personhood Should Be Banned, Once and For All
by Ralph Nader
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/21-10
DB, it’s funny to see the citizens take it right up the old poop shut with a big broad smile on their stupid “you can’t tell me nothing” faces isn’t it? Peace
“complete lack of ability to govern” is ridiculous. Is he disappointingly cautious? Yes. Does his pragmatism make him come off as weak? Yes. Has he fucked up a few times? Yes.
Did Clinton fuck up ROYALLY several times in his first 18 months? Hell yes. Did he waffle around and throw half of his nominees under the bus? Yes. Did he sign the WORST PIECE OF LEGISLATION EVER (DATD)? Yes. Did he turn out to be COMPLETELY FUCKING AWESOME?! Yes.
So chill out. If he continues to suck, he will be voted out. Shit, if the Bush Crime Syndicate didnt take us down after 8 years of gutting and perverting everything they touched, then Obama’s “inexperience” is no big deal.
Imhotep: Are you a non-U.S. citizen? Cause if you are a U.S. citizen, you might want to reframe as “we citizens taking it up the poop chute”.
Typing ironic shit about it on the internets does not make you a subversive. You are just bending over with the rest of us.
Well weezie you explain why he’s had such a disastrous first year and his brand has imploded when he has had everything handed to him? He has had the advantages of having 60 senators and a dem house to work with and what has he done? Nothing for the middle class in this country. Yes, the bankers and all have gotten what they wanted but the rest have been left out in the cold. People obvioulsy don’t have confidence in his ability to do the job. Even his own voters have abandoned him.
You’re whining about DADT? LOL. Do you really think it was better when people could get thrown out of the military for just being gay? Your post certainly implies that.
Well, you’re obviously not worried about how Obama is destroying the party. Do you want someone even worse than Bush? That’s what Obama is setting the country up to do.
Can the country wait three more years? He’s effectively a lame duck now. The message from MA is that he’s political poison. I wish he was but Obama is NO Bill Clinton. He doesnt’ have the instincts and skills. Are you old enough to remember Carter? Obama is Carter the 2nd.
Ga6Dem is no troll.
Obama is not disappointingly cautious nor is he particularly pragmatic. Is a man without any core values of import to the nation.
Can he turn it around – I think so. But it’s going to take some stuff he’s shown none of so far.
djjl is correct. We all know people who are a tremendous value to their communities because they have core values and act on them, and we also know others who just show up every day. But I really question if Obama can suddenly acquire core values.
Hey everyone, and thanks to all of you who are sending emails my way. I appreciate it.
Weezie2008 says:
22 January 2010 at 3:10 pm
Everyone gets to say their piece. Disagree, but name calling isn’t cool.
Issues are the thing around here, let’s stick to them please.
Imhotep says:
22 January 2010 at 3:19 pm
Speaking of our corporate masters. The Supreme Court officially turned the United States into Fascist state yesterday and very few seem to have any problem with that. What’s up with that???
________________________________
I think A LOT of people have a problem with it. Arlen Spector wants to pass a Constitutional Amendment defining “person”. Although it will probably be sidetracked by people wanting to include fetuses!
The Dems need to attack the supposedly “strict Constitutionalists” on the SC for legislating from the bench and run with the populist backlash against calling Corporations people. The Dems need to brassify themselves and start being real politician (read that: playing dirty).
djjl says:
22 January 2010 at 2:21 pm
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This is some good advice for the President. I really don’t think he’s really engaged. Seems like he’s still running for office. *NEWSFLASH* Mr. President, YOU WON!!!
In his Ohio speech (jobs, economy focused) today, Obama said “I won’t stop fighting.” This reminds me of his “fierce urgency of now” assurances to the LGBT communities.
Sometimes the wingers get it right.
“On Jan. 14, five days before the Massachusetts special election, President Obama was in full bring-it-on mode as he rallied House Democrats behind his health care reform. ‘If Republicans want to campaign against what we’ve done by standing up for the status quo and for insurance companies over American families and businesses, that is a fight I want to have.’”
“The bravado lasted three days. When Obama campaigned in Boston on Jan.17 for Obamacare supporter Martha Coakley, not once did he mention the health care bill. When your candidate is sinking, you don’t throw her a millstone.”–Charles Krauthammer
Obama seems nothing more than a tool of the wealthy and entitled. That’s why nobody will listen.
One little thing the Congressional Democrats could do is insist on correcting the Republicans when they refer to the Democrat Party – IT IS NOT THE NAME – THE NAME IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
It may seem little, but if you won’t require your opponent to refer to you by your actual name, what will you stand for?
ONDON — Britain’s government has raised the nation’s terror threat level from “substantial” to “severe,” meaning such an attack is considered highly likely.
A “substantial” threat level means there is a strong possibility of an attack. “Severe” is the second highest level of alert in Britain.
In announcing the change Friday, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “This means that a terrorist attack is highly likely, but I should stress that there is no intelligence to suggest than an attack is imminent.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/22/uk-terror-threat-level-ra_n_433519.html
Well, then does that mean an attack is likely in the next year or what?
It’s a simple principle.
For Obama: Over Estimating and Under Delivering.
For the Party: They are out of touch with every day folk. And, we keep trying to tell them, and they just do not care to listen.
Simple as that.
So many groups tossed under the bus. So, the people figure, the best place to start a revolution is from the underside of a bus.
No one could deliver on all of Obama’s promises. It was his naivete. And it feels like he is beginning to realize that. But, he even seems apologetic now, which makes his leadership seem soft. It’s going to take more than blaming Bush. The people elected him because he said he could turn the page. But, in scramble mode, they’re busy pointing fingers now.
Saw Nagin on TV last night about how the US might not be prepped for disaster. It was news worthy, I guess. But, it just came off as theater. The reporters asking the right questions so that Nagin could come to the conclusion that Obama has done well down there to fix Bush’s mistakes.
Also, so much tone of “disaster” over losing the filibuster majority. As if he was doing much with it anyway. The partisanship is still in place and the party is panicking. Biden needs to get a handle on what is going on with the partisanship.
People love to idol topple. They love the fight of the underdog. Obama machine knows this. The most important thing the Obama campaign did was make it seem like Hillary was inevitable — which is ridiculous because no woman has ever come close to sitting in that office.
Did Clinton fuck up ROYALLY several times in his first 18 months? Hell yes. Did he waffle around and throw half of his nominees under the bus? Yes. Did he sign the WORST PIECE OF LEGISLATION EVER (DATD)? Yes. Did he turn out to be COMPLETELY FUCKING AWESOME?! Yes
Their was never a DADT bill to sign, Congress added a rider to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 H.R. 2401 passing a law codifying and confirming the pre-Clinton policy. That statute, technically named Section 654, Title 10, P.L. 103-160, “Military Personnel Eligibility Act of 1993.”, The statute, clearly states that homosexuals are not eligible for military service.
Clinton defied congresses and established the DADT policy through Executive Order and congressional compromise. It was congress that set the DADT parameters with the threat if Clinton did anything more aggressive with Executive Order, they would just override it with veto proof majority.
If it were not for DADT, you would have seen a gay witch hunt and purge in every branch of the military after the 10 months of intense debate.
It cost Clinton a lot of political capital trying to lift the gay ban in military and in his willingness to do it by an Executive Order, it was the democrats in congress that said NO you don’t.
The message sent by these attacks on Clinton and DADT tell every politician, don’t touch this with a ten foot poll, Obama can change DADT today, just like it was created, by Executive Order and without the threat of congressional override, Will Obama sign an exertive order getting rid of DADT and lifting the gay ban in military, hell NO, he just is not willing to spend the political capital to do what is right, instead he hides behind and wait for congress to act.
H.R. 2401 passed the senate veto proof 77 to 22 http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=103&session=1&vote=00380
Sorry Ga6thDem and Taylor: I am ridiculously immature and that kind of thing is WAY out of character for this blog.
That said:
Ga6thDem – Destroying the party?! For sure he is doing nothing to inspire or rally us, but we have been racing to the bottom for a long time. If he stays as lackluster and careful as he has been will I vote for him again? Nope. Do I want him to resign because I am all hysterical and “he is worse than BUSH!!!1!!!”? No. I strongly believe that you and a whole bunch of people just like you (typing identical hysterical screeds) would like to create the perception that this administration is over and we need to “do something about it”. But most people are reasonable and though they are disappointed at the first fourth of the Obama admins first term, they are willing to let the process run its course. So whatever it is you are trying to do, maybe try a different tactic. I am sure that you will get the “message” out eventually. You are very good that that kind of thing, alas.
“attacks on Clinton”
Um NO. I am just offering a critique. That is one of the big things wrong with our public discourse. You know how crazy the sycophants get if you critique the Obama Administration. They see it as “an attack”. Saying that Clinton made some gargantuan errors at the beginning of his term but turned out to be a completely fantastic president is not “an attack”. DADT was hideous. It was the worst solution to a horrible problem. Like a case where the chemo weakens then ends up killing the cancer patient. I don’t doubt that his heart was in the right place. But when you try to compromise on human rights, that is generally what you get. There is no “middle road” on whether people have inalienable rights. Unfortunately I dont think OBama has learned that lesson. He still thinks you can make the bigots happy somehow.
Weezie,
The party may stand to lose over 100 seats because of Obama. Do you not think that’s bad? I never said he was worse than Bush. He’s better than Bush but my gosh, Bush was the worst president in the history of the nation. Being “better than Bush” is still pretty horrible. Look, as of right now it is over for Obama. He’s had a year and done nothing. He has lost the complete confidence of the country. No one believes a word he says anymore. When you have double digit unemployment you cannot sit around and “wait for the process to run its course”. You have to keep working to find a solution. Obama can’t do the job. Next person in line Biden. Put him in there and put him to work. Keep going. You don’t keep hanging onto a dud product.
They stand to lose 100 seats because of Obama?! LMAO, he is definitely a factor, because he is pretty lame. But congress sabotaged himself. And our own fickleness and short attention spans also contributed to our demise. Republicans stay focused. From leadership on down to the guy on the street. They are always on message all the time. We are not. That is a good and a bad thing. The economy sucks, and Obama was unimaginative and timid in his response. He made a series of very expensive blunders and ill-conceived choices. The list of reasons why we are fucked is endless though.
There are two things possibly going on with you:
You have an intense desire to find a simple solution to our endemic problem which is sweetly and charmingly childlike in its simplicity: All of our electoral and legislative problems will magicallly go away if Obama goes away. This way you dont have to examine the fundamental problems with our party and indeed our entire electoral system. It is a very elegant denial system as well: As long as it is “If we could just get rid of THAT guy, we would be alright!” there will always be a ready supply of schmucks to “disappoint/betray” you and you will be able to stay in denial into perpetuity.
Or you are doing something else far less nice.
I will take a pause in flagellating President Obama if he agrees to fire every person in his administration who once worked for, or was married to, the Clinton administartion. You all know who I think he should begin with. Peace
Ain’t it funny how they try to hide their CDS? Doesn’t fool anyone. If you want to play here, you have to be ready to play with the ones who are knowledgeable and not just drinking the swill.
LOL Imhotep. Does the name start with an R and rhyme with flahm (ok I made that word up).
What are CDS?
weezie,
The reason dems are not on message is because of a lack of leadership. The problem with congress and the senate is that they need a leader not a concilatator like Obama.
If Obama goes away then maybe we can get somebody who can lead. Why should they hold on to a dud product?
Weezie2008 says:
22 January 2010 at 5:06 pm
Appreciate that.