Dan Ellsberg: "Defeat Romney Without Illusions about Obama!" (Advice to Swing State Progressives)

[KoKo]

Last edited Thu Oct 18, 2012, 08:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Defeat Romney, Without Illusions about Obama
Advice to progressives in swing states, vote for reelection
by Daniel Ellsberg

It is urgently important to prevent a Republican administration under Romney/Ryan from taking office in January 2013.

The election is now just weeks away, and I want to urge those whose values are generally in line with mine -- progressives, especially activists -- to make this goal one of your priorities during this period.

Romney and Obama exchange fingers in Tuesday night's debate. (Reuters)An activist colleague recently said to me: “I hear you’re supporting Obama.”

I was startled, and took offense. “Supporting Obama? Me?!”

“I lose no opportunity publicly,” I told him angrily, to identify Obama as a tool of Wall Street, a man who’s decriminalized torture and is still complicit in it, a drone assassin, someone who’s launched an unconstitutional war, supports kidnapping and indefinite detention without trial, and has prosecuted more whistleblowers like myself than all previous presidents put together. “Would you call that support?”

My friend said, “But on Democracy Now you urged people in swing states to vote for him! How could you say that? I don’t live in a swing state, but I will not and could not vote for Obama under any circumstances.”

My answer was: a Romney/Ryan administration would be no better -- no different -- on any of the serious offenses I just mentioned or anything else, and it would be much worse, even catastrophically worse, on a number of other important issues: attacking Iran, Supreme Court appointments, the economy, women’s reproductive rights, health coverage, safety net, climate change, green energy, the environment.

I told him: “I don’t ‘support Obama.’ I oppose the current Republican Party. This is not a contest between Barack Obama and a progressive candidate. The voters in a handful or a dozen close-fought swing states are going to determine whether Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are going to wield great political power for four, maybe eight years, or not.”

As Noam Chomsky said recently, “The Republican organization today is extremely dangerous, not just to this country, but to the world. It’s worth expending some effort to prevent their rise to power, without sowing illusions about the Democratic alternatives.”

Much More of an inspiring article at:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/10/18

[Dawson Leery]

1. kick

[Vincardog]

2. k

[loves_dulcinea]

3. kick n/t

[bluestate10]

4. Some Progressives have a single issue with Obama.

Like Obama's slow support for gays, or bank bailouts, or Pot, or Drones. Yet they will fuck their causes for the next 100 years to vote their "principles". How fucking insane is that? Ellsberg has it fucking right.

[KoKo]

5. I think there are many Lurkers here who used to be on DU and are Left of what's going on

these days.

I thought Dan Ellsberg's article was addressed to those...Like DU "Occupy Wall Street" and other Activists who fight out there for Democratic causes that go back to FDR.

There is a split in the Dem Party and that Dan Ellsberg who is still fighting for Whistle Blower Rights and the Rights of all Americans to be free from the Bush/Cheney Fascist leaning doctrine is asking those of us in "Swing States" to cough down principles once again...because the alternative is so dreadful is worth folks reading.

And...Thank You...for bothering to read a post about it.

[Mz Pip]

6. Ellsberg spoke a couple of times

where I take night classes. He was very clear about this in his talks. He's no fan of Obama but considers the alternative "horrible,"

He was very well received and I do hope people get the difference

[KoKo]

9. I thought he was courageous in putting this article out there. He's both a Manning and Assange

Supporter....so he has big creds with those who feel Obama has failed them.

[Aerows]

7. He's damn right

No matter how you might feel about some of President Obama's policies, Mitt Romney is so much worse, I can't see how anyone with two brain cells to rub together and a conscience could vote for Romney.

Note that I added a conscience, because I think many Republicans are completely without one.

[KoKo]

8. What you miss though, is that many on the LEFT have consciences also...and it's those that Ellsberg

is speaking to.

I think in many cases the consciences on the Left being trashed early on in Obama's administration by Rahm Emmanuel and others on his Campaign staff and whom he appointed to his administration supported Rahm's cut down of those who had worked hard for Dem Causes since Watergate.

So...there are definitely disillusioned Dems who needed a boost from someone like Dan Ellsberg who will encourage us to do one last try to be heard.

So...that's what I think about it.

[ibegurpard]

10. He's right but

Obama's also been very good on some issues..that's why it's not the lesser of two evils for me but the better of two choices.

[KoKo]

11. True what you say...

To be positive it's the "better of two choices" which are the only ones we have since "Third Party Candidates" are not allowed into debates or to get coverage because of the "Citizens United" big drop of Billions into our MSM.

So...it is what it is.

But, this will not go on much longer where folks are being asked to vote for "the Better of Only Two Chosen Choices" that are put up and where others aren't given free/fair chance to be heard.

[KoKo]

12. Kick...because Obama will need the votes of many who are torn in swing states

to vote this year after being trashed by Rahm Emmanuel and others.

This is too important in the Swing States to let the bashing that went on against Dems to the Left to allow Romney and his Corporate Crew put us back into the Bush II years and worse!

I think Daniel Ellsberg was courageous for putting this out there. I think that Obama will need the votes of those he's speaking to who have been culled out of the Dem Party after working so hard for years to restore Democracy to America.

[louis c]

13. Never make the perfect the enemy of the good

Obama has been lacking in many areas. He has disappointed me on labor issues. He compromised too much.

But he is head and shoulders above the alternative. I'd rather take the chance of being disappointed then be assured of being destroyed.

[KoKo]

14. A kick...for those who may be undecided or have given up. Swing States Matter...

and four or eight years of Bain Capital running the country would probably finish off what Reagan/Bush started.

[porphyrian]

15. Put the screws to Obama as soon as he's reelected, but don't help Romney win. n/t

[99Forever]

16. Ellsberg makes a very strong argument.

I wish he would have included some thoughts about the down ticket races also. But in that the alternative to Obama is unthinkable, he is spot on.

[KoKo]

17. another kick..