The problem began when the Right began squealing “Socialist!,” and Pres. Obama and those in the Democratic Party he leads today decided to go into a defensive crouch to prove they are all moderate, sensible, centrist, something that Obama made clear from the start. Back in July I wrote about Pres. Obama’s seduction to the Right at a time of a Democratic majority, others have now begun to write about how the Republicans and their Tea Party wing have further eroded what should have been Democratic gains. Instead what has happened is that Barack Obama and today’s Democrats have willingly and without flinching moved the party to the right, because our own Democratic President and Congress cannot and will not make a case for the progressive Left. Coupled with the Tea Party’s over the cliff rightward lurch, what has resulted is a country moving solidly away from what voters elected in 2008, all because Barack Obama never had any core ideological identity, only his political ego as his guide.
Now the country is stuck with a Democratic Party kowtowing to conservatives to prove they can be just as Right at a moment where Democrats hold the power of government. It’s the antithesis of how the Republicans act when in power, but yet Obama has caved to conservatism at every level. A health care bill that sucked up to insurance interests, while sticking Americans with an un-democratic mandate; women’s freedoms marginalized and a gift handed to the Right they couldn’t win on their own. A financial reform bill that leaves loopholes for the lofty. A stimulus that went one-quarter of the way while leaving the country and the unemployed out on half-sawed off limb. Adding insult to injury, the once anti Iraq war candidate, Pres. Obama, went down the memory hole on Iraq, letting Bush-Cheney off the hook for the most horrendous mistake in U.S. foreign policy history, not even using their blunder to once again explain his mission in Afghanistan.
In the midst of this Markos Moulitsas has released “American Taliban,” a polemic in the tradition of the rabid Right, which is obviously meant as a taunt to the collapsing Left. I have not read the book, but given the reaction to it by some Very Sober Democrats, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that today’s Left’s self-loathing is so deep that they don’t understand the importance of pummeling the Right’s self-righteous extremism. The usual suspects are sitting in clueless judgment forgetting recent history.
This stuff doesn’t win votes anyone because, after all, it’s a form of preaching to the choir. Which is fine—the choir needs some sermons. But there’s no real upside in lying to the choir. Political movements need to adapt to the actual situation, and that means having an accurate understanding of your foes. You need to see them as they actually are so that you know the right way to respond. Either underestimating or overestimating their level of viciousness and evil can lead to serious miscalculations. Which is just to say that getting this stuff right is more important than coming up with funny put-downs.
Good grief. Getting this stuff right? Did Mr. Yglesias miss the Clinton years? The hunting of President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton? Being “right” has nothing to do with the Right’s attacks. Look how they’ve dragged Pres. Obama to their side of the political spectrum. The “Socialist!” attacks have cowed an anti ideological President into moving in their direction so he might get more done, regardless of whether Obama’s helping the Right by being anti Left.
Markos aggressively pushes back on the early reviews:
Conservatives will hate it, for obvious reasons. Weenie liberals will hate it, for obvious reasons. A bunch of “serious people” will tsk tsk the lack of civility in our discourse — now that a liberal is throwing the punches. And some people will appreciate that I’m throwing those punches.
Because look, this book, ultimately, is a big “fuck you” to every conservative who has ever accused us of wanting the terrorists to win. Why would we? The reasons I hate the crazy Right is the same reason I hate Jihadists — their fetishization of violence, their theocratic tendencies, their disrespect for women, their hatred of gays, their fear of the “other”, their defiance of scientific progress and education, and their attempts to hijack popular culture.
Daily Beast’s Ben Clair said Markos’s book is “a liberal’s attempt at a conservative bestseller.”
What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with giving the Right a little of their own medicine at a time when Democrats are seen not to have a spine?
Simple. In the age of Obama, Democratic self-loathing is at an all time high. The squishy Left wants everyone to be reasonable. Don’t take on the Republicans, beat them at their own game: You think Republicans are conservative? Wait until you see the 2010 Democrats! We can go Right with the best of them.
Kevin Drum is amazed that a bad review came out of American Prospect, “America’s premier mainstream liberal publications.” Drum is a good writer, but he’s dense as a post on the effectiveness of Republicans scorched earth tactics, which has been incredibly successful on right-wing radio, now on Fox News, too.
Can these Very Sober Democrats explain why so many people believe Obama is a Muslim?
This is the problem with today’s insider Democratic writers. In the age of Obama they think they can reason with an electorate that’s on fire against Obama and the Democrats by using reason to object to their rabid fanaticism, then co-opt a rightward move to prove Democrats can be as conservative as Republicans, which illustrates a self-loathing for being liberal, something that began when Democrats decided the word “progressive” would inoculate them against that ugly “l” word. All it did was make politicians squishier, a trait that’s become a virus in the age of Obama.
The title “American Taliban” is an assault on the senses, but since books inhabit the times in which they are published how can it not be seen as a battle cry?
Trying to wake up the Left, however, will be a thankless task for Markos, which can be witnessed by these reviews. The progressive Left is asleep and unwilling to meet Tea Party extremism with a campaign that shames them.
In the Democratic age of Obama, milquetoast is the mantra.
It’s no wonder die hard movement progressive activists are screaming mad. They’ve witnessed not only the lurching right of the Democratic Party at a time of historic Democratic majorities, but an indifference by the insider Democratic writing class, who actually believes that meeting the Right’s extremism with quiet tolerance and reason will work, refusing to take a rallying cry for the Left and run with it.
I’ve read Hannity and Coulter’s books, as well as many other right-wing rants. The instant I read the title “American Taliban” I knew its purpose. I also expected the exhaled whine that has come as a reaction. But considering the Democratic self-loathing in play today, coupled with the inability to meet the Right’s extremism with a little of their own medicine, not literally intended, simply won’t be indulged, no matter how purgative it might be for a party that’s back on its heels and thinking mimicking Republicans is the answer.
The Democratic Party and their propagandists have bought into Obama’s drivel about walking away from “the ideological battles that we fought during the ’90s that were really extensions of battles we fought since the ’60s.” They’re handing a victory to the Right in the process that will scorch the Left’s political possibilities. How deep the burn is yet to be determined.
I consider myself a liberal. However most liberals and progressives act like wimps. Why? Because they refuse to pressure donors to conservatives with consumer boycotts in order to get progressive legislation passed by congress. If you do not consider yourself a wimp then go to http://www.democratz.org/ or to http://www.hoflink.com/~dbaer/help-me-change-america.htm
The Democratic Party and their propagandists have bought into Obama’s drivel about walking away from “the ideological battles that we fought during the ’90s that were really extensions of battles we fought since the ’60s.” — TM
In that same 2007 Washington Post interview, Obama said: “Experience can be a proxy for good judgment, but it isn’t always.” That kind of framing can be an effect campaign tool, but of course, good leadership relies on both experience and good judgment (among other things). The Obama administration has some experience of its own by now, and the Democratic majority a bit more yet. So far, neither the experience or the good judgment seem to be evident toward a developing good leadership.
The move to the right, as you consistently discuss, Taylor, has been obvious for more than a decade. I think the move of “center” or “pragmatism” further and further rightward is even more evident now, and at this point, I see no reason to think this movement won’t continue, almost certainly from the Dem Elites.
From the same interview, another Obama statement: “I don’t think there is anybody in this race who’s able to bring new people into the process and break out of some of the ideological gridlock that we have as effectively as I can.” He did, indeed, bring in new people. And it appears to me that he’s well on his way to “break out of some of the ideological gridlock,” by the the process of that rightward movement, with the concurrent abandonment of those pesky and outdated “liberals.”
It is easy to break gridlock if you completely surrender to the other side and let them walk all over you.
Liberals need to walk away from the Democratic Party and put their energy in a new movement…a justice movement; economic justice,social justice and environmental justice.We have to stop dreaming of a savior in the form of Hillary or anybody else rising from the Democratic ranks. It simply is not going to happen.
Time is a wasting for us old guys to get into the action. We have had enough shocks crisis and disappointments to show us that the Dems in their current state have an incapacity to deal with the issues.
BTW …great writing Taylor!
The walking away isn’t quite as lonely as it used to be
The idea of Obama’s man being on a mission to wake up the Left is beyond laughable. I get your point, but I don’t really consider the Left’s opinionators(including Markos) to be all that Left. Like I said, they are more lifestyle liberals, than FDR liberals, IMO, so this comes as no surprise from me, and after all Obama, a President for whom Daily Kos displays almost no criticism at all, is the one setting the tone. He’s the one who believes he will ignite a revolution of Obamacans. He is the one who campaigned against the “tired fights of the 60′s”. So, while I understand and agree entirely with Kos’ point, and abhor the opinions of the lifestyle liberals who have become so much the voice of the Party, it’s hard for me to take Kos seriously. Further, after the open misogny hurled at Hillary at Daily Kos, and from so much of the Democrtatic leadership and key opinionators, Kos reacting to the rights sexism is a hard pill to swallow.
No joke masslib regarding sexism and Kos.
You see sexism everywhere, you are a bitter old cougar who cant get over Hillary defeat to Obama. You can still vote for Palin in 2012 if that makes you happy or better yet, vote for Hillary in 2016. Just relax, have a cup of warm tea, put on a red tong and Bill will be right over. I know you have a love jone’s for the Clinton’s.I mean (paula-Jone’s)
Are you here trying to actively turn disaffected voters off Obama forever? You’re not helping Obama at all with this kind of trash talk, nor are you making him a better president.
Hillary and her husband did not act very much like liberals but rather libertarians. They socially supported getting government off the backs of people but they also supported corporate power.
I would like to clarify my the wimp term. I wish to refer to most liberals as POLITICAL WIMPS.
Hillary Clinton is no libertarian and both she and Bill are to the left of Obama on nearly every domestic issue.
I have never known Hillary and Bill Clinton to be libertarian. Hillary Rodham Clinton has always let her views be known and never hide from them. President Obama was put in office to help forward some progressive and moderate positions. I still don’t know why he hires the people he does, look at some in his administration and including Alan Simpson, he seems to get by with saying anything and Obama just brushes it off. Is no wonder the base is so ticked. I watched his speech in the oval office about the Iraq war, and it seemed like a speech a conserative speech writer wrote for him. Look whos in charge in th democratic party starting from DNC chairman Tim Kaine, who has been a disaster, majority leader Harry Reid, who is in a tough fight with tea party candidate Sharon Angle, even for it to be so close tells you how people feel about him, and you have House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is actually the best one out of the group, which for right now is not saying much. She has more meeting with church officals, you would think she built a church in her office. Has she heard of seperation of church and state !! It showed when she invited them to meetings during the health care bill to tell the church officals about pushing womens rights aside !! This is the democratic party, yes the republicans are worse, but I honestly thought democrats were different, but I have been proved wrong. At least republicans have a backbone and fight, unlike the democrats who want to join hands with the republicans and rejoice is laughable.
This talk about the Clinton’s being progressives is BS. Under Clinton he gave us Nafta and over turned the Glass-Steagall act. Obama has signed a bill for equal play for women,healthcare bill and put more women on the Supreme Court then any other President in less than 2 years. Gibbs is right about the professional-left all you do is bitch and moan if you dont get every-thing you want right away.You libs wont be happy until Palin’s President and young girls will be having abortion’s in back yard’s with clothes hangers.
Oh please…Bill Clinton signed the family medical leave act, he passed the biggest tax cut on the wealthy in a generation, he put many women, blacks and gays in high profile administration appointments for the first time in history. As for Glass-Steagall act, did you know it was passed by a veto proof majority? I bet you didn’t. The final bill resolving the differences was passed in the Senate 90–8 (one not voting) and in the House: 362–57 (15 not voting). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass%E2%80%93Steagall_Act
And, FYI, ObamaCare was the Republican alternative to ClintonCare. You Obama supporters are about as progressive as Ben Nelson.
You dont know what you are talking about, He supported the end Glass-Steagall. Name the high profile women please. I love how he respected his wife by getting blow-jobs in the White house,I guess that’s what mean by high profile positions.
Oh blow jobs…Eh, sorry, lots of US Presidents had affairs. It’s not exactly a Bill Clinton issue. Further, my point was, as you can see, by you know the factual voting record, practically the entire Congress supported repealing Glass Steagal, it was hardly the brainchild of Clinton. And, finally, did I miss something? Do tell, when did Obama propose reinstating Glass-Steagall?
Oh, and Madeline Albright, first female Secretary of State, Janet Reno, first female Attorney General, Ruth Ginsberg Second female supreme court nominee, Donna Shalala, the longest serving secretary of health and human services in U.S. history, etc., etc.. And, FYI, Sotomayer and Kagen cut their teeth as Clinton appointees.
Go masslib!
That took Clinton 8years did he give you libs everything you guys wanted,No In less then 2years Obama gave you Hillary,Sotomayer,Kagen and more.I can see this forum is for a bunch of bitter old cougars.Get over it, Hillary lost!.May you old-Ass long in the tooth cougars get what you want.Bow down and give old Bill the Lewinsky. XD
janquinn says:
05 September 2010 at 7:49 pm
Hillary and her 18 million made it impossible for Obama to leave Hillary behind. Hillary and her 18 million gave us SecState Hillary.
you forgot to mention Michelle Obama, Lilly Ledbetter, and Ann Dunham. Yes, we’ve all heard all the talking points before… so what? Obama is a feminist in Stupakistan the way Bush was all about having a gay person his campaign and the father of a gay woman on his ticket while using gay marriage to bring out the homophobe vote.
I’ll take the Clinton years over the Bush-Obama years any day, thanks. But go on telling yourself that the most prosperity and relative peace this country has seen is the decade to keep on being the most resentful and suspicious of. The corporate media trained you well.
forgot a word…
gay person *managing* his campaign
Blow-jobs in the WH, I doubt very seriously that Bill was the first to get one there and I doubt he was the last one to get one there.
How is this blowjob that Bill got blamed on Hillary, as I said before she wasn’t the one getting the blowjob in the WH, Bill was, yet some folks like to blame her for it. I even had one say on here last week that Hillary shouldn’t of outsourced that job…so now we blame the wife for the husband’s caniving around…what are you a Bible thumping Conservative? No feminist I know would ever blame the wife for the husbands failings. You all certainly blamed Hillary for Bill’s sins, didn’t you??
No not Hillary just Bill.
The Family Medical Leave Act was huge. There’s been nothing like it since. I wish it would be expanded.
Way to go, Masslib.
Heya lynnette. Wanted to reply on the other thread, but comments were closed. You too LL. I hope you guys are enjoying the weekend.
Well hello to you too, Ogenec. I always think about what you (and others) have to say. Haven’t been commenting too much (I tend to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt for various reasons), but I still read. There’s been some good discussion lately. I hope you and your adorable family have had a good summer.
I was convinced the same “elite group of people” who put Reagan and the Bush’s in office planned the “election” of Obama. I am more convinced of this every day. We had one chance and it was Hillary. The Super Delegates? Texas Caucuses? Didn’t anyone remeember what happened in Florida?
I guess you wanted Bush 4years,Clinton 8years, Bush 8years,Clinton another 8years. New World Order hear we come!
Gee, I wonder how people ever lived through those four FDR terms. LOL.
Ha! Another point to Masslib.
That is exactly what many of us wanted. New World Order ………ha ha ha…do you think Obama gives a hot damn any you in his New Wrold order? Ha! Sucker! One born every minute…ha ha ha!
There are actual living human beings that have been helped by the Clintons name one whose life has been improved by OPrecious?
I have always believed that.
correction…about you in his New World Order….think again bubbie.
American Taliban is a great title, and yes, Kos may fool quite a few people with his arguments but in my view he is just as spineless as every other Democrat.
Early members of Daily Kos of which I am one were harassed to no end for saying the very things that Taylor is now saying. This is nothing new. It is Democratic spinelessness that allowed Clinton’s impeachment. They were the most pernicious enablers and still are.
It was just a few short months ago Marcos was threatening to use what little power he thought he had to “destroy” a Democrat — Dennis Kucinich — who was pretending to have guts. Kucinich wanted to vote against HCR because it did not contain the public option. In the end Kucinich caved as Kos wanted him to. Precedent has also shown that like most bloggers he takes strong stands on issues but once graced with the Obamasmile or a conference phone call all opposition evaporates. Where is the will? Where is the conviction? American Taliban/American Enablers.
Ramsgate~ I stopped giving clicks to that creep when he started running women bloggers off his site he and Josh Marshall. I still refuse to give them any traffic at all.
I recently saw a profile of the Kos regular; older than 50 ,white, male,college educated, well off. Cutting edge they are NOT. Does that profile sound familar? Kinda the flip side of the Tea party gang. Neo Democrats,lifesyle liberals.
LOL. Exactly & well said.
I should have said “was one” referring to early members of Daily Kos.
Do you think Poof is paying defenders of Obama to surf the blogs again?
Some infrequent poster states that Bill Clinton repealed Glass Steagal and passed NAFTA, which is true, regardless of how we got there – and you’re back to the ‘my president is better than yours’ stuff. its always about the Clintons isn’t it?
why yes… yes it is always about the Clintons. The movement progressives and the vast right wing can keep on enjoying their unholy union in Clinton Derangement, but the Clintons have mass voter appeal with most Americans. They know how to FIGHT and that engenders respect.
It’s a damn shame that President Obama has more respect for Hillary then her own husband,I mean whore after whore Bill put in Hiilary’s face. It was Obama who cleaned her off and gave her a home at Sec of State with her 18 milliom sore losers.
It’s a shame that so many of Obama’s “supporters” have no respect for Hillary or for women or for Clinton Democrats. Obama’s supporters do him a huge disservice as always.
Whores are more honest, noble, and provide more value than the current Democratic leadership.
I never said i was and Obama supporter you lib’s are a eazy target allways crying all the time. You truly overstate your power.If you had your choice who would you want for President in 2012,
I put supporters in quotes for a reason. You sure as hell don’t seem to be trying to do anything good for Obama or the Democratic brand. I would have Shirley Sherrod for president if it were up to me, go chew on that you shit-stirrer.
Shirley Sherrod! another black. that’s why you dem’s cant keep power. Your nastiness is turning me on.you shit-stirrer.
Shirley Sherrod has more savvy and integrity than Rove, Bush, Axelrod, and Obama combined. That’s the content of her character.
And, I’m not a Democrat.
No Clinton Derangement here at all-quite the contrary. Just trying to analyze what’s going on without the Clinton comparison (or any other president) as its not really productive at all and gets a little tedious.
I find you kind of sexy, will you meet me at a tea party rally and we can hold hands and listen to Beck and Palin talking how we can take our country back.I know Cougars need love too.
… don’t forget your Viagra.
the republican party(generally) will say the most outlandish and ridiculous things about democrats, yet the democrats are afraid to even tell the truth about them. it’s nauseating.
my goodness taylor you sure can nail-it-down!
Dems, and yes the left, have long had a tendency to engage in self-defeating circular firing squads.
The GOP is very good at staying on message and going on the offense to define the issues – the Dems are absolutely terrible at this.
Not long after Obama was elected the Dems should have gone on the offense (during HCR) when it became crystal clear that the Republicans had no intention of playing Obama’s “post-partisan” game. But they didn’t. They let Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and others define them as socialists, murders of old people (death panels), anti-Israel and on and on. The current nonsense about Obama being a Muslim would be laughable if it weren’t so pervasive and if it didn’t have rather ugly political implications. But no, the dems and the left spend more time fighting each other than they/we do the GOP.
The Obama administration, through Robert Gibbs (and of course the anti-progressive Rahm Emanuel) made their contempt for the left absolutely clear. They also have made it clear that they have no intention of doing anything other than using and abusing us- Remember not long ago when Robert Gibbs was asked if he was worried about a backlash from the left in 2012 and he arrogantly responded something to the effect of “oh no, they’ll vote for us because the alternative is worse” (I’m paraphrasing). In other words, they don’t give a damn if we are angry- they will lie during campaigns to get us to vote and then turn their backs knowing that we’ll come crawling back to them because “the GOP are worse, blah, blah, blah.”
Well, it’s time for that to change. If we don’t vote Democrat, we will be told we are “throwing our vote away” and helping the GOP, just like some accused liberals of doingd in the 2000 election when many voted for Nader instead of Gore. But the Dems don’t have a God-given right to my vote or your vote or anyone’s vote. They have to earn it.
secyclintonblog says:
05 September 2010 at 8:31 pm
@SCB: The GOP is very good at staying on message and going on the offense to define the issues – the Dems are absolutely terrible at this.
Not long after Obama was elected the Dems should have gone on the offense (during HCR) when it became crystal clear that the Republicans had no intention of playing Obama’s “post-partisan” game. But they didn’t.”
I would go further. Obama and the Democrats should treat the Republicans the way Ronald Reagan initially treated the Russians. Today’s Republicans are no longer the “loyal opposition”, indeed they are un-American. As far as the Democrats are concerned they are an evil enemy who would have no qualms about destroying the country if it would put power in their hands and they should be treated as such.
The Democrats seem unable to acknowledge this grim reality and to behave accordingly. This is why at some point we will need a third party.
They may be successful as long as they BAN all previous Democratic Party members from ever joining.
janquinn says:
05 September 2010 at 7:49 pm
That took Clinton 8years did he give you libs everything you guys wanted,No In less then 2years Obama gave you Hillary,Sotomayer,Kagen and more.I can see this forum is for a bunch of bitter old cougars.Get over it, Hillary lost!.May you old-Ass long in the tooth cougars get what you want.Bow down and give old Bill the Lewinsky. XD
——
Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy in his first budget. He signed the FMLA in 1993. He appointed Reno and Shalala in 1993, and Albright in ’96. That’s hardly eight years. I don’t bow down to Bill Clinton and certainly not Monica Lewinsky(what an odd thing to say). I wonder how young you are to assume I’m a “cougar”. Learn you history.
Okay maybe not a cougar but definitely a sea- hag. Get used to 6 more years of President Obama. Hillary & Kucinich 2016
Don’t know if you will catch this ogenec but back at ya. It’s been beautiful here mid 70s in the day 50s at night. Welcome reprive after a brutal summer. I have been in the garden for two days straight…lovely
Hope you and all your girls are having a great holiday too
Same to you lynnette and pilgrim and scb and joyce and ramsgate
Same to all you others except the twirp
thanx, lake lady
ThX LL.
Same to you, LL.
oh I forgot masslib and ladywalker…glad to see you drop in again ladywalker
See what two days in the garden can do for an ole bitter knitter
That sounds nice LL !! I have been enjoying these nice days also. Its has been a horrible summer. You guys have a nice labor day !!
Hey Taylor and Gang:
Great blog, Taylor and I totally agree…
I watched Tony Blair, yesterday morning, being interviewed by Christiane Amanpour (who is always great!). Having watched 10 minutes of this man, I wish he could be our president. He actually gets it. History will be fond of that man.
My question is: HOW do we get Hillary to leave Obama’s administration and run in 2012??? We cannot afford to wait until 2016. She is not getting any younger and I want her to be our first woman president. NOT Palin.
I also agree with Lake Lady and SCB. Nothing wrong with being a liberal/Progressive and these buffoons we got elected now do NOT represent us and have NOT earned our loyalty or votes. In fact, I feel like we are being mocked by Obama, Rahm, Gibbs and Axelrod. That hurts the most and requires action, immediately *triple sigh*
P.S. I so want to send Obama a “steep” bill for all my hard work while volunteering for his lying ass!!!
Great post Taylor!
BAC