RE: Obama's Speech: My take on all Presidential Politics is always driven by results

[Tom Rinaldo]

I know it's a jungle out there with many powerful interests roaming among the trees. I know that any President climbs a pyramid of compromises to make it to that post. I know there are coalitions, I know there are tactics to employ. And I know we can't always win no matter how effective a President who we support may be.

Do I support the job President Obama is doing? As in more than as a "lesser of two evils" voter? That answer is still blowing in the wind. I can't get a final fix on it yet. I was starting to lean heavily negative, and I know I had my reasons for that. Today Barack Obama showed me his ability to speak to the heart of the matters that matter to me most. And he vowed to protect much that is quite dear to me.

Perhaps the last 18 months have been a gathering storm and now Obama is ready to make his stand. How Obama leads the Democratic Party now is for all the money. In hindsight the first 18 months of his Administration may end up looking like a warm up to the real event. Obama's legacy and our future are on the line now. Soon it will be moot how optimistic or pessimistic any of us have been about Obama up until now. The stakes are so high that all of us will know if we win or lose the fight now in front of us.

The Republicans and the corporate interests who own them have pulled out their heavy artillery and declared war on all who impede their greed and wealthy aspirations. There are few nuances to hide behind during an all out war. Either Obama picks up the Democratic banner once held by FDR, or he'll become our Neville Chamberlain.

I stand ready to support our President regardless of any past doubts I might have felt. But if Obama fails to effectively lead us now much more than my trust will be lost. It will be the America we believe in.

[MercuryRepeater]

1. think hard before you turn on the one man who can help us most.

[leftstreet]

2. Who?

[Brickbat]

7. Is it Jesus?

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Does it sound like I am turning on him?

And you can believe that I do think hard on this. No one is owed our trust, but those who earn it are owed our support.

[gratuitous]

4. You will be told not to complain pre-emptively

Apparently, once we've plunged off the cliff, you can then criticize the course taken, but not until it actually happens. At least, that's what I'm hearing. For now, just clutch the dashboard, stare saucer-eyed at the abyss, and grit your teeth until they crack. The screaming part will be allowed once it's too late. At which point you will be blamed for not speaking up sooner.

[Tom Rinaldo]

8. That's a really important point

On the one hand all of us in the "netroots" and many of us outside it hold strongly to the view that our voices matter, and that media promoted "talking heads" don't have a monopoly on valid insights. All of us watch and read accounts of pressure building on Republicans or Democrats to do this or that or risk this or that. That is how politics happens. We are not meant to be bystanders. What we feel, what we beleive, what we write, all goes into the mix from which political priorities emerge. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a politician is a wake up call from natural allies calling for a course correction. Washington DC is an artificial world peopled by people claiming to represtnt the people. Sometimes it is important for direct voices to break through.

[mmonk]

5. I don't see how he will lead when he can't after when he could lead, he didn't.

In other words, a lot is out of his hands now.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. If he can pound the themes he hit on today, while standing firm

Obaqma can still carry the larger argument with the majorityh of the American people - and expose the cruel and selfish hoax that Republicans are pushing. We are headed into a major confrontation, if Obama has the stomach for it. In my opinion he has veered away from it before. If he doesn't now then the true debate about America's future can happen. The drama will be high for very real reasons and people will increasingly be paying attention to both Obama's words and actions, and that of his opponents.

And all of this sets the stage and tone fo4r the next congressional elections and the Presidential campaign that comes with it. This can be a chance to regain the reigns.

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Without fixing blame (I could try but it would be needlessly divisive)

Ever since the latter end of the fight for a health care public option, the leader of the Democratic Party - President Obama, and a major portion of the Democratic Party activist base (a lot of us here included) have been unable to strongly articulate powerful Democratic themes in (near) unison.

I believe that inability to passionately voice the same themes and messages has made it easier for Republicans to drive home theirs. Ever since I became active in the netroots in 2003 I have been impressed by how powerful a voice it can have (unfortunately that even extends to activists on the far right.)

Once a political objective game plan is agreed upon by Democrats, we down here in the rhetorical trenches are able hone the bite of every talaking point, assuming we all feel some ownership of it. We dig up the examples that make a case for any proposed policy. We find holes in our adversaries weaknesses that party leaders and our media supporters can use. We keep the spotlight bright on a situation that the main stream media Republican allies want forgotten and ignored. We help create and drama when we can work together, and create a sense of momentum that bends obsticals in our course.

I trace the key past breaking point to the loss of the public option, because we in the trenches believed we were actively backing the compromise that Democratic leadership promised they could deliver if we would support it. That was when we still had a head of steam from the 2008 elections. That was when we would have turned out in huge numbers for a national rally. That was when we deluged congress with our phone calls and emails and fazes backing the stated Democratic position.

That type of coordinated fighting campaign, bringing the leader of the Democratic Party and it's base together in a full court coordinated press hasn't happened since then. It's my hope that we can turn over a new leaf now and fight together with our President against those who seek to lead this nation astray. We haven't seen what we can do together in a long time. But if Obama will stand up and fight for core Democratic values and priorities in the upcoming budget battles, if he can articulate the message of economic justice, I think we can all stand together and bring that message home.