It’s good to be Josh Marshall today. Ground zero in the blogosphere for Pres. Obama’s relaunch will be his site. That’s nothing new and just because you have advertising from a company doesn’t mean you represent their views, though in this case it does and this is one hell of an ad buy, which any company would be thrilled to have.
Huffington Post was the big site in ’08 for Obama, but though it remains a juggernaut it simply isn’t what it used to be, with great reporters like Amanda Terkel, Ryan Grimm and others still churning out good reporting, but the overall mix being far more “no labels” than pro-Obama.
Not even DailyKos garnered the big blanket kick-off ad that graces TPM.
Web advertising is as competitive as it gets and in the world of Obama the ones who have the traffic and back the boss get the booty.
It will be interesting to watch progressive sites as the campaign expands, because when you look at Obama’s accomplishments, the one thing he’s done that is unquestionable is set the progressive movement back with his rightward lurch. Will Democrats and progressives hold him accountable or will they simply come home with their nose held to vote for the lesser of the paltry choices?
However, when looking at possible candidates on the Right, whose ideas are really awful, it’s understandable why Democrats and progressives eventually suck it up to vote Democratic no matter how bad the choice of Pres. Obama is for their interests.
Sarah Palin, the reigning heroine of many social conservatives, has given few signals that she will make a presidential bid. Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 on the strength of his appeal to evangelicals and other constituencies, has mostly offered reasons for not joining the race. – A Tea Party Star Stirs Iowans, and She Isn’t Palin
No matter who gets elected in ’12, Social Security will likely be altered from its current form. Pres. Obama will do this, as he was reportedly talked into backing away because of his reelection, and you can bet a Republican, especially with a Republican House and possibly even a Senate majority, would too. Of course, no one can predict the future, but the likelihood of Social Security remaining untouched seems remote at this point, with Pres. Obama having nothing to lose after he’s reelected, though a Republican would do worse.
With Pres. Obama’s lackluster Democratic principles, his anti-progressive leadership, but with a formidable campaign team and fan base, it’s clear part of the battle will be Obama versus Obama; we’ll watch the die hards telling tall tales of leadership while disaffected Democrats and progressives push back against what Obama has done to the progressive agenda, all the while these same people know the Republicans would be far worse.
“There is nobody saying that Medicare can stay in its current path,” Mr. Ryan said on Fox News Sunday. “We should not be measuring ourselves against some mythical future of Medicare that isn’t sustainable.” The proposal would also convert Medicaid, the health program for the poor, into a series of block grants to give states more flexibility. And it is expected to suggest significant cuts in Social Security, while proposing fewer details on how to achieve them. – GOP Aim: Cut $4 Trillion
However, you don’t change the system by going along with a Democrat who has made the Republicans’ job easier for them by touting Bush tax cut extensions, gutting civil liberties, and launching a war of choice in Libya where our interests are not being served.
Who will end up running on the Republican side will be fascinating to watch as ’12 unfolds.
But the equally interesting story will be watching progressives figure out how they support Obama while keeping their integrity, because there can be no doubt that Pres. Obama has undermined the progressive movement at every turn.
The unknown may be how many progressive Democrats simply choose to sit 2012 out.
Taylor,
This LIBERAL will be sitting out in 2012. I have made every example I can think of, as how a President Palin doesn’t scare me in the least.
Now a Republican pretending to be a Democrat is scary!
As far as Josh Marshall, I don’t read him. His Muckrakers perform a great service and they are NOT on their knees with golden kneepads for Obama, like Josh. I don’t read Daily Kos, although I admire its Founder. Markos is trying to take the Democratic party back to the Left.
Personally, I think Twitter is the place to be to watch the unfolding circus AKA the presidential election of 2012.
What I find despicable is that he chose to announce his reelection bid on the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, subliminally linking his personal ambition to the reverence that’s held for Dr. King by his and the traditional Democratic voter base, blacks, the poor, and the working class, all the while working to weaken their safeguards and safety nets, in exchange for his corporate funding base’s higher profit margins.
This is also a cynical dare to the Left to challenge him in the primary. The 2010 US Census reported that there are now 309 million Americans. Are we as a nation so mentally infirm or spineless that we can only contemplate voting for one Democrat or seven Republicans for 2012?
Pres. Obama meant no disrespect.
Today symbolizes 4.4 for #44, it’s that simple.
TM, you miss the point. Obama deliberately chose this date. It’s much worse than being disrespectful; he is conflating the civil rights movement of the 1960′s with his personal ambition. Disrespect is stating Dr. King’s message and morality was wrong and to oppose them. Benefiting from Dr. King’s legacy while actively working against economic inequality and social justice hypocrisy at its highest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUUw9daYDi0&feature=related
As in 2008, I’ll vote third party.
I know my third party vote won’t be for the “winner” (and unless something very dramatic occurs, that will be Obama, of course), but it won’t be “wasted,” or “just a vote for” whoever the Rep nominee is. It will be an honest expression of my refusal to play the two party corporate, i.e., The Oligarchy, game. I’m sure they won’t care, but I have some sliver of hope that more and more people will reject marketing, so that maybe, some day / year / decade, we have more than the “Lesser of Two Evils” option.
Taylor,
How do you know PERSONALLY he meant no disrespect to MLK? You do NOT know that, so stop pretending you do!!!
dem activists locally like here in tx, wi, oh etc will vote demcorat as well as a maj of indies a of today- just look at the polling. but for obama- might jsut skip that part fo the abllot. to be honest does obama, the gop nom or some 3rd party candidate have the real leadership qualities needed? im thinking vote straight ticket d- but skip potus. skipping a vote for potus to me is a vote nonetheless. a vote of no confidence
well put.
T4H,
Well said. I shall vote NO for president as vote of *no confidence* and then cast my votes down ticket. Thank you!
I plan to write in “Bernie Sanders.” I know it’s just a fruitless gesture, but it will make me feel better. I am an FDR Democrat and I am not voting for a Republican posing as a Democrat.
progressives are not going to sit out this campaign. and obama has been the most progressive president in decades. there’s no argument. also the Obama advertisement is on Kos’ site.
President Obama is politically to the right of Richard Nixon.
and where was bill clinton
Bill Clinton is between Nixon and Obama. Clinton gave us the repeal of Glass-Gteagall, the reformed of welfare, The Telecommunications Act of 1996, NAFTA, and a healthcare reform bill that was to the right of the employer mandatory plan Nixon offered to Ted Kennedy. Bill Clinton did care more about civil rights than Obama does, however, and he refused to take the bate to militarize the 1993 WTC bombing, instead, making it a law enforcement event.
What’s your point?
Juan.thompson1985,
Take your PAID hackery for Obama and shove it up your *ss! I knew it wouldn’t be long for the ObamaBots to come back out in full force. We have rotten eggs to pummel you with this time around and we shall enjoy using them!!!
sweet