Why Criticisms from the left are important.

[Mass]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com /

Bill Clinton sums up the dynamic:

"I recently heard an interesting anecdote about the 1993 budget fight. While it is probably the most progressive piece of sizable legislation to pass into law in two decades, it was a grueling fight--passing both branches of Congress by a single vote--and it still could have been better. At the signing ceremony, President Clinton found then Representative Bernie Sanders, and told Sanders that he, Sanders, should have made a much bigger public display of how he, Clinton, wasn't giving enough to liberals in the new budget. Such a public display would have provided Clinton more room to maneuver on the left."

The moral of the story is that if no one is criticizing a Democratic administration from the left, then there is no rationale or political space for that Democratic administration to operate on the left. Such criticism is thus even useful to, and desired by, a Democratic administration. If the left stays quiet, it will not be relevant.

No comment. It should have been self-evident, but some here seem to have problems with this basic notion.

[babylonsister]

1. What a concept. Thanks. Maybe there is a method to their

'madness'?

[rucky]

2. Exactly! When you negotiate...

you ask for what you want, and go from there. If you start the dialog with the Right with a compromise, they've already won. Dems make this same mistake time and time again, to the point where we question their motives.

[Captain Hilts]

10. Right don't START by taking single payer off the table. Use it to pull the debate left. nt

[Laelth]

3. Absolutely reasonable and true.

We have to give Obama cover by making a lot of noise.



-Laelth

[ProSense]

4. This is absolutely true, and it has been used often, but there is the flip side:

the Clinton health care plan.

Let's weigh both.

[Captain Hilts]

11. The insurance companies had a HUGE campaign against it. I know the guy who invented

Harry and Louise.

When an Annenberg study asked people to choose from four healthcare plans, the "Clinton" plan won - but only if you took the name 'Clinton' off it. People were trained to hate it.

[ProSense]

17. And what does that say

When an Annenberg study asked people to choose from four healthcare plans, the "Clinton" plan won - but only if you took the name 'Clinton' off it. People were trained to hate it.

Single-payer is definitely a more palpable debate to have now, but don't assume that just because people want health care reform or are split evenly on an issue, maybe even leaning left, the fight will be easy or successful. Republican took over Congress for years as a result of the 1993 battle.

Sure, pulling the debate to the left is desirable, and criticism from the left serves that purpose. Still, the declaration that pulling the debate to the left means it moves to accepting single-payer cannot be made with certainty. I've seen polls thrown up about single-payer and I've seen people on the left still wanting options.

The last thing anyone wants is to fight any battle for something we desperately need now, reform, and lose. That is not to declare this a losing battle before it's attempted, but the reality is that winning is not guaranteed. It's still important to fight smart and debate realistically.

[Captain Hilts]

19. Ins. Co. PR had trained people to dislike the "Clinton" plan, even tho they liked the plan itself.

It's a PR battle.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Frankly this is exactly what the President has asked for

and I am happy to serve him in that way. He pointedly asked the GLBT community to lead our own movement, to expect him to expedite our goals, not to expect him to do it for us.
The right wing, the religionists (which is not the religious by the way), business interests and all the rest of the status quo will not even think about being quiet. They will be making demands like mad. And if 'our side' does not do that, the 'other side' wins, for they have advocated and promoted their position, while we sat around saying 'whatever happens is good'. To be silent during negotiations is to give in to the other side.
I will also say this: I am not of the opinion that constant praise and echoed support is helpful to this President or to anyone in the public eye. Not only does he ask for the people's opinions, I say he needs that in order to flourish and to grow. To be what he can be, we have to speak out at every turn. Those that post the demands for utter agrement with all he says are doing harm to the President. Yes. Criticism is far more valuable than praise. When we as individuals really want to know how good our work is, do we ask our best friend and our Mom, or do we seek peers and superiors? Do we wish our work to be reviewed in a way that makes us feel good, or in a way that makes us better? I know what I want. And I do unto others as I'd have them do to me.
Praise as a constant is the most poisonous thing to any person in the public eye. Also if we simply nod along with Obama, we are not giving him what he needs, according to him.
So those that think they support the best are in fact harmful to the President and to the discourse, although they think it is all the opposite.

[AllentownJake]

6. Some people don't understand how sausage is made

This is all part of the political process. They are also fulfilling a role by being backers of the President no matter what.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. A wonderful point

I see a political Party as an ensemble. Some folks play the trumpet, some the violin, and they are all doing the part they need to do, the part they can do.

[Captain Hilts]

12. Some people play offensive line, defensive line, others tight end, others wide receivers. nt

[Bluenorthwest]

13. Thaks for the sports analogy

those are outside my realm, and they are very popular!

[Captain Hilts]

14. The orchestral one is brilliant. I was talking to a friend - a muscian -

on how orchestras are run and managed just like football teams. The different instruments/positions attract very different phyla of people.

The parallels are very strong.

ps. I know about all the viola-player jokes.

[slipslidingaway]

8. K&R.... "If the left stays quiet, it will not be relevant." n/t

[Captain Hilts]

9. YES!!!! ALL the pressures on Clinton were from the RIGHT. nt

[indimuse]

15. knr!

makes sense...and seems to (in the long run) help him!

t4tp

[geek tragedy]

16. Criticism on POLICY yes.

But, it's one thing to criticize the policy, it's another to say "Obama is like Bush, pro-war, pro-corporation sellout" blah blah blah.

[Captain Hilts]

20. Exactly. Someone here expressed some reservations about a policy and a response

asked if they "preferred the way John Ashcroft did it." This was not a helpful comment: If you doubt an Obama Admin approach, you MUST prefer the way Bush did it!

[geek tragedy]

21. My favorites are the people who level heaps of degrading insults at him

and then claim it's all about policy.

Fucknutz.

[BlooInBloo]

18. blahblahblah... dissent is patriotic... Except when the whiners get criticized...

In THAT care, dissent is censorship.

[Mass]

22. Sure, if you criticize them on the fact they criticize, it is censorship, If you criticize them on

their ideas, it is debate. I know for some here, the difference is hard to make.

[BlooInBloo]

23. Wow. You really don't know what "censorship" means, do you?

And here I thought you people were just lying. In fact it turns out you're just illiterate.

My apologies for the error - it won't happen again.

[Mass]

24. Thanks for making my point.

I have no clue where I am lying or what kind of people I am (aside from having supporting Obama since early 2007 and continuing to supporting him strongly and not thinking he is a god), but you made my point very efficiently, so thanks.

[GeorgeGist]

25. Wisdom looks back ...

and clears the path ahead.

[FlyingSquirrel]

26. Dang, this should be pinned to the top of GDP for easy reference.

Then again, it would probably just ruin the fun.

[ms liberty]

27. K&R n/t