It is painful to face the reality that we have a center-right President with only a far right altern

[Douglas Carpenter]

alternative.

In fact far right are very mild words to describe the only available alternative. Most likely the Republican nominee will be an apocalyptic extremist that would make George W. Bush look like a liberal. Most likely the alternative is someone who is determined to completely undo what little remains of the New Deal. Most likely the only actual alternative will be someone who subscribes to a foreign policy that would put America into a level of permanent war and conflict never before seen in our history leading to genuinely chilling consequences and further breaking the budget and making future progressive initiatives completely out of reach and perhaps even impossible for at least a generation to come.

It is also painful to face that reality that not only is Obama no progressive - the political situation is configured in such a way that it is not even plausible to see any progressive elected now or at any time in the near future. Yes it probably is true that Obama is about as good as it gets - at least for now and in the foreseeable future. This is why I'm certainly not someone to advocate primarying the President. Because I'm reasonably certain that the results of such an effort will not produce a more progressive alternative and may very likely only set the stage for a Rick Perry presidency or some other tea-party, right-wing fundamentalist approved reactionary. This is something with perhaps even more dire consequences that how a Ted Kennedy primary campaign weakened President Carter and set the stage for the dark and sinister forces of Reaganism to not only win the Presidency but to dominate the political scene for at least a generation – even pushing the Democratic Party way to the right. I would not want to risk repeating any error of judgment that might have even more desperate long term consequences.

I'm not terribly disappointed in President Obama because it is pretty much what I expected. Wall Street interest and the corporate-controlled mainstream media would never, never, never have talked Obama up so much if they were not certain that he would have their backs. Then again, Wall Street interest and the corporate-controlled mainstream media would never, never, never have refrained from marginalizing any candidate or potential candidate even a shade more economically progressive than Obama. But I knew this at the time and feel sorry for all of those who actually believed all this "Hope and Change" nonsense.

Yes I know the Obama Administration has done this and that and this and that progressive sounding actions that are things that no Republican President of these days would do. But this does not a progressive make. This is not the New Deal or the Great Society nor is it in any way shape or form a step in that direction. On economic matters these are positions that pre-Reagan Republicans would have simply viewed as being reasonable and responsible. To represent this as proof of a progressive administration simply demonstrates just how far to the right the paradigm has shifted.

Yes it is true that there are no progressive alternatives to Obama. Yes it is true that the only actual alternative capable of winning and running a government are forces so reactionary that they are truly chilling to the bone. I absolutely agree without the slightest reservation that we must all do everything we can to block these dark forces from having any chance of gaining control of the White House. No one has to convince me that the alternative to Obama is worse – much, much worse. The stakes are simply too high.

But President Obama DID have the opportunity in the wake of the 2008 Wall Street meltdown and in the wake of an overwhelming election mandate for change to move the country in a genuinely more progressive direction and shift the paradigm and broaden the range of alternatives rather than simply to accept a less reactionary direction. Ronald Reagan didn’t even need a Republican controlled Congress to redefine the political directions of the country for a whole generation to come. He seized the moment for the forces of reaction and did so boldly and without apologies. Got to give it to Reagan, even with a Democratic controlled Congress he went on the limb for his agenda attacking the Democrats for causing the economic problems and openly accused them of thwarting the will of the people. But that was a President who actually believed in something. Even if what he believed in was terribly wrong. President Obama had an opportunity not too differently that the opportunity Ronald Reagan had on the other end of the spectrum – an opportunity that may not come again for another thirty years. Here it was - a chance to seize the day and change the course of history offered to him on a silver platter. He could have done it. But he didn't do it. He didn't even try to do it. He didn't want to do it.


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