I have given this whole 'Professional Left' thing a little thought

[The Straight Story]

I am 44 and have lived through more than a few presidents (and just a note about that. Back in the days of Clinton the Dems were all for OBE - Outcome Based Education - and the right was against it. Then bush got in, renamed it NCLB and the right was for it and the left against it...and that is just one topic....)

I am tired of 'professional politicians' who don't represent me, or you, or even the folks on the right - we elect people to represent us but both sides are constantly let down because those they elect seldom represent their views.

Instead they represent the views of those with money - whether they be investors from foreign countries or those here.

My brother-in-law, a RW fundie most his life, voted for Obama. And that was a shock to me.

The base was energized. I remember being a security guard at a hotel for a few days around halloween and there were people here from Canada supporting Obama (there was a get together here in town around that time).

Were those people the 'professional left'? Were they paid to be here? Did they make a living out of electing Obama?

No. They came by the thousands on their own dime, on their own time. They worked the phones. They went door to door. They got out the vote because they wanted not just a change from bush but a progressive direction. They bought into the ideals espoused by Obama and his team.

The only 'professionals' we see are those in politics who use people to get elected and then forget them.

Don't tell me 'Well, if we don't elect a Dem we will be worse off, so choose the lesser of two evils' because what I am seeing now is that we elect professionals into office who are at the beck and call of the wealthy and ignore, at their own peril, those who put them into office.

I voted for change, and in some ways I got that, but in many other ways I got the same thing - those in power who ignore their base and spend their time licking the boots of the few while ignoring the wishes of the very people who busted their asses putting them there.

You promised something, used the sweat and money of many to get into power, and then you bitch about those same people when they don't agree with you and your policies? What in the hell did you expect when you accepted our votes and help to get into office? What did you expect when you courted someone and then you threw them under the bus the moment you got what you wanted?

You have no right to bitch about it. We do. We hired you, and you have not done the job we hired you to do. YOU work for US, period. And if you cannot handle the heat - then get the hell out and we will hire someone else.

But don't you dare sit there and bitch about the people who put you in office - because we will be more than happy to throw your asses out and put someone else in there.

[DJ13]

1. An excellent post

K&R

[Old Codger]

2. AMEN N/T

[glitch]

3. K & R, nothing more to add. nt

[5X]

4. Right the hell on. k and r. n/t

[roguevalley]

5. awesome post. I am no end astonished about the people who don't

get it that they are public servants and therefore are open to the criticism of the people what pay them.

[TheKentuckian]

6. Fuckin A

[boppers]

7. I am tired of self-created pundits claiming to be foot soldiers.

I am also tired of those pundits trying to use foot soldiers to magnify themselves.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[hfojvt]

8. shoulda given it more thought

First, Gibbs made a distinction between "progressives" or the "people who helped elect Obama" and the "professional left" that he was bashing - people like Cenk, Michael Moore (although he seems to be kinda quiet lately), Greenwald, Ed Schulz, Olberman, etc.

Second, even people on DU seem to be looking for things to complain about, no matter how hard they have to reach or twist things. Such as here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

and here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

both of which seem to be looking very very hard to find a cloud in any silver lining so they can put on sackclothes and ashes and gnash their teeth.

Third, WE elected Obama. That is, some 60 million of us. Now some several hundred on DU seem to be in the permanently dissatisfied brigade, and trying their darndest to spread the anger, and looking forward to Republican rule in 2010 and 2012 but you all certainly do not speak for the entire 60 million of us.

[Whisp]

9. good post. ty.

[eridani]

11. Peopl who get paid as left commentators do so because they have followings

They represent me more than Gibbs, who just wants people my age to fuck off and die.

[inna]

21. fail and a disgusting smear directed at "some several hundred" DUers.

low and pathetic.

ETA: not to mention, highly divisive and explicitly against the rules.

[LAGC]

10. Well said.

I can't help but wonder if this Administration is purposefully trying to suppress the Democratic vote. Maybe they really do want a Republican congress so they can blame them for all the nation's troubles come 2012.

[emsimon33]

12. Agreed. We need a real Democrat to run against Obama in 2012!!!!!

[MissDeeds]

17. Indeed we do...

[BrklynLiberal]

13. Great post.

[superduperfarleft]

14. Hell has truly frozen over. I agree with you 100%

Especially this part: "You have no right to bitch about it. We do. We hired you, and you have not done the job we hired you to do. YOU work for US, period. And if you cannot handle the heat - then get the hell out and we will hire someone else."

It really made Gibbs look petty and unprofessional, and only gives fodder to the "Obama is an elitist" crowd.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

15. K&R great point N/T

[bobburgster]

16. Not true for all....

I think they are doing a pretty damn good job....not perfect by far, but a hell of a lot better then i expected considering the opposition.

[Octafish]

18. Thank you for an excellent essay, The Straight Story.

Somedays it seems that "We the People" are the enemy of our own government. And they are supposed to be "Us."

[MissDeeds]

19. Excellent post, Straight Story

There is nothing to add but a heartfelt K & R!

[Why Syzygy]

20. Music

But don't you dare sit there and bitch about the people who put you in office - because we will be more than happy to throw your asses out and put someone else in there.

[ibegurpard]

22. k & r

[TBF]

23. K&R nt