2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: ZOGBY: The Biden Watch Begins [View all]Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)that they fail to redefine the terms of the debate. Democrats, in general, have allowed the Republicans to move the goal posts; to move the argument to the right. Now the political middle is really a rightwing policy position. And now you have Democrats screaming about deficit cutting and supporting--even enthusiastically promoting--supply-side rhetoric. Both Biden and Obama do it, but Obama has an excuse: he's a neophyte when it comes to politics (I mean at the federal level, not in IL). Biden should know better. He's been around for far too long not to. Though he is one of the least wealthy people serving in politics today, he comes from a corporate state: Delaware. I used to jokingly refer to him as "Mr. MBNA". Biden has done some great things throughout his career, but he and the rest of the Democratic Party need to stop being afraid to embrace classic Smith-sonian economics. Yes, I understand that the Corporate Media propagates the narrative set by the political right. And yes, it is difficult to penetrate that wall, but the Democrats should take the blame, too, for tragically surrendering this issue to the right. Tom Frank's "What's the Matter with White People" and "The Wrecking Crew," along with Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" and Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the U.S.," ought to be required reading for all.
I hear what you're saying, loud and clear!