Barack Obama is placing all his chips on the American people.

[kentuck]

He is betting that the common sense of Democrats and Republicans will prevail over the propaganda and lies of his opposition. He is betting that they will see him as a centrist Democrat, doing his very best to put this country back on course after the disastrous Bush Administration.

He is betting that the voters will see him as a different person than what the right-wing and the mainstream media are attempting to portray. In the end, he is betting on Republicans. He is going all in, with all his chips, that they will not be fooled by the right-wing propagandists in their Party.

Will he win or will he lose?

[still_one]

1. If the polls are any indication, it doesn't look good /nt

[ShamelessHussy]

2. If I were a betting man, I'd bet he will be disappointed

Since I am not, I would advise him to stop gambling.

[ChiciB1]

3. Wrong Strategy! And If HE Hasn't Figured It Out By Now... Well I Feel

we are in FOR MORE TROUBLE! Repukes AREN'T going to help! What he sees that I don't is a mystery to me!

My money is on... NO WAY... WRONG TRACK!!

[another saigon]

4. it ain't pretty out here

I just sent 'the letter' from obama pleading for money, time, and understanding (*that corporations rule, we do not) right back with a reality from the little people response. Besides, I am a member of the prof. Left so I do not count. I need to save my money for my drug tests.

:eyes:

[northernlights]

40. I did the same last week

got the email begging for money. They got an "eyeful" back from me. Also unsubscribed.

[EFerrari]

5. It's worse than that. He seems to be placing his chips with the DLC

and I can't remember the last time they won an election.

[QC]

16. Bingo! n/t

[Ishoutandscream2]

25. Yep!

nt

[Bluerthanblue]

6. and what would be the better alternative? what would

you have him do?

He can't control the media, and we aren't able to out fox fox.

It was grass roots that elected him, and it is only the grass roots that can restore the power to the people who rightly 'own' it. imo
If we don't fight with what we have we stand to lose everything.
:shrug:

[derby378]

34. Moral: Don't disappoint the grass roots

We were clearly expecting some real change and a radical departure from the policies of the Bush administration.

[Riley18]

7. He is gambling with our lives and our future. His future is secure already.

I would prefer a more direct approach like Grayson's. We need a more direct and aggressive approach because "good" guys finish last.

[Morning Dew]

8. That will be a loser.

America does the right thing... but only after a long period of doing the wrong thing.

Examples: WWI, WWII, Civil Rights, etc.

Traditionally, IMO, it takes some years for our shame to kick in and we do what's right... eventually.


Betting on the public and especially Republicans to not be fooled is foolish.

Unless, of course, he's playing multi-dimensional blackjack. That's a whole other thing.

[jaxx]

9. He'll win.

Creating chaos is fun for some, but he'll win anyway.

Thanks. :fistbump:

[metapunditedgy]

10. So... why did he change from the 2008 strategy that worked so well? n/t

[Diane R]

11. Reality? Read Jonathan Alter's book 'The Promise'.

[metapunditedgy]

18. Can you give a short (two-sentence) summary? n/t

[Radical Activist]

29. His message is just as liberal as it ever was.

He hasn't presented himself as a centrist unless you think anyone who isn't Marxist is a centrist.

[paulk]

33. too bad his "message" and his actions often differ

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/89731-obama-health-law-is-a-centrist-measure

amongst many examples of Obama presenting legislation he supports as centrist.

but, hey! - he never said HE was a centrist, right?

[Radical Activist]

35. Is the law he signed the law he introduced? No, it's more centrist.

What Obama introduced was more progressive. You're displacing blame for things the Senate did.

[paulk]

36. he introduced a bill?

I thought the biggest complaint on HCR was that Obama was so detached from the process?

[Radical Activist]

37. Oh there are so many complaints.

Only members of Congress can introduce a bill. Obama proposed a plan with the public option and spent months campaigning for it.

Did Obama introduce a plan to the left of what Congress passed? Yes. It's not realistic to call Obama centrist because the Senate forced Obama's plan to be watered down. If anything, it proves that Obama is to the left of Congress.

[riderinthestorm]

12. Obama needs to begin holding his own version of the "fireside chat"

FDR used them extremely successfully during the Depression and the war (and arguably our times are just as fraught with anxiety and tension). He held a few dozen if I can recall, and used them to leverage his positions with "the people" to get them on his side.

Obama appears to me, now, to be too aloof. He isn't directly addressing people, often enough. His advisers appear to be speaking for him and they just aren't him. He's very compelling if he would break out of these "big" speeches from the stiff Oval Office. It feels too remote and "heavy". I believe he has his own gravitas - he doesn't need to look presidential anymore - we know he's the president. He needs NOW to be seen as someone who understands us. I would advise him to begin a series of 10 - 15 minute addresses about the issues of the day. Lay it out a single issue at a time. Explain his position and the actions they are/did/will be taking on that issue. Invite people to FLOOD the White House and Congress with reaction and suggestions (which is what FDR did). It will engage more of the populace to be involved, and hopefully more people will hear and truly see him rather than the Saturday morning speech on radio (which is buried in the weekend when most people aren't tuned in at that time).

I would keep him casual and sitting on the sofa facing the camera, instead of being behind a desk. Do it on a weekday early evening so it's in time to catch the evening news and when most people may be either watching the news, listening to it on the radio coming home from work, or at their computers (just got home and checking online or still at work with access to a computer). I would announce this was going to be a regular event - every other week, something like that so nobody feels as though their "pet" issue isn't going to be addressed.

[Catshrink]

14. He can't do that - it might piss off Mitch McConnell and destroy any hope of bipartisanship.

[L0oniX]

17. LOL ...sad but true.

[HuckleB]

22. He should have gone with a US version of "The Prime Minister's Questions."

When he did this last winter, he kicked the GOPers down without breaking a sweat. If he had done that, he could have gotten any change he wanted.

[jpak]

13. They got fooled on weapons of mass destruction, billionaire tax cuts and terror warnings

what make him think that the sheeple are any different now?

[L0oniX]

15. They don't have a song called "American Idiot" for nothing.

[applegrove]

19. I think Obama can do it. He just needs to start. I can wait until labour day but not much later

than that for the democratic campaign to start.

[Stinky The Clown]

20. "The people" are powerless

[HuckleB]

21. He doesn't stand a chance.

[Rex]

23. Day late and a dollar short.

His corporate lovefest was just to much for me. We shall see if Congress cares enough to fix a few problems or just switch to another lobby client list.

[paulk]

24. if he was a better communicator

maybe he could pull it off - but as it is, he mostly seems to be only impressing those that already are convinced.

He hasn't used his bully pulpit well at all.

--------------

[readmoreoften]

26. He ran as a progressive and won big. So why would moving to the right win votes?

He won by a landslide on a liberal platform. He never had any reason to move to the right. I think the DLC/Democrats might win. And if they do, they'll gloat monstrously and alienate everyone even further.

[readmoreoften]

27. Since my gay-ass vote is so much less important than a straight rightwinger's vote

I expect the rightwingers they were trying to appease by playing with my life will vote for Democrats in my stead.

[Radical Activist]

28. No, he's betting on Democrats. Will you organize or keep pushing contrived narratives?

[Diane R]

39. Yay.

[deacon]

30. and if the American people can't see by now how useless the GOP is, they are going to deserve what

they get. A bunch of lunatics running the show again.

[Richard Steele]

31. That's some delusional, fairy-tale BULLSHIT. He's done everything he can to IGNORE the people.

His lips say nice hopey-changey things,
but his ears only recieve CORPORATE frequencies.

[smalll]

32. He'll win in 2012. 2010? Not so much. /nt

[AlinPA]

38. I can't believe that he is betting on republicans that they will not be fooled by the right-wing;

essentially, that is the republican party. I don't think there are anything other than right-wing republicans anymore, except for a tiny fraction of them. They have gone full teabagger and Limbaugh, Palin, and Beck totally control their party now.