I really think Wuerker reads DU.....

[n2doc]

[kentuck]

1. Great capture of the spirit of many Democrats...

Not all, but many.

[YOY]

2. I think that base is just being contrarian!

Totally! Absolutely! Completely!

[DJ13]

3. Perfect

:thumbsup:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Clever synopsis. Unfortunately right on the money...

[Radical Activist]

5. As if Obama just gave up on climate change, the public option or closing Gitmo?

Once again, the Democratic base is demotivated by misleading portrayals that pretend Obama is the only elected official in America. This is the Republican strategy: obstruct and hope Democrats get the blame.

[n2doc]

7. But has Obama said that the was unable to do these things because of Congress?

He can by executive fiat end the state of emergency, end domestic spying, reduce the war effort, etc., etc. He shows no signs of wanting to do so.

You insult our intelligence by suggesting that Obama is powerless and the Republicans/blue dogs are omnipotent

[Radical Activist]

11. He cannot pass a climate change bill, or the public option by executive order.

And he can't complete his order to close Gitmo as long as Congress blocks funding to do so. You're switching issues. Yes, there are things Obama should be doing differently, but I don't see how that justifies misleading people about the issues named in the cartoon.

[n2doc]

12. Sure, some things he "cannot" do

You too are cherry-picking issues. Isn't war mentioned in the cartoon? I, for one, would be much happier if he made more of a show of fighting the Republicans instead of always, every time, looking for "bipartisan" support among a few token Republicans. Frankly his enthusiasm for the worst of Bushco's constitutional abuses is frightening. And there are a hell of a lot of things the Executive branch can do. Or have you forgotten about executive orders?

[Radical Activist]

14. It's not cherry picking when I'm responding directly to what's in the cartoon.

Yes, Obama needs to do better on civil liberties. That isn't a justification for making misleading attacks on other issues.

The cartoon mentioned wars. I'm not happy about Afghanistan but Obama is doing exactly what he campaigned on. The Iraq war is ending.

And why should I be disappointed that Obama saved the American auto industry and made money on TARP? This cartoon is a good example of creating a narrative of defeat in the midst of victories.

And yes, I remember executive orders, such as Obama's orders ending torture and introducing more oversight and transparency to extraordinary renditions.

You and I may not like it but the political reality is that Obama has to get support from a few token Republican Senators as long as we've got Democrats like Lincoln, Nelson, and Feingold voting against us in the Senate. Once again, you're misplacing blame.

[mzmolly]

17. Exactly. The rhetoric in the OP is ironic given Wuerkers recent cartoon on media misinformation.

He's buying the mass media meme hook, line and sinker.



And, now he's contributing to the problem.

[Radical Activist]

19. Wow. Very ironic.

One of my biggest disappointments over the last two years is how many bloggers and pundits have chosen to follow the corporate media's lead instead of challenging it.

[mzmolly]

22. I agree

fully. To say that Faux News is misleading, while buying their contrary talking points is the ultimate irony.

Thanks for advocating for the truth, and doing it well. :hi:

[mzmolly]

16. Whatever he does, will not be enough

according to a certain segment of the population.

You insult our intelligence by suggesting that Obama is omnipotent, and we don't live in a democracy unless we have a Republican President.

[n2doc]

20. How do you know? Are you God?

And a "certain segment" could be one person. You have no clue do you about why those of us who are dissatisfied with Obama feel that way.


And to pre-empt another straw person argument, yes I do plan on voting Democratic across the board in 10 and 12. But I also plan on voting for the more progressive candidate in ALL primaries.

[mzmolly]

24. I know why some are dissatisfied.

It's because reality will never be satisfactory for the "segment" I speak of. There will always be "one more thing" Obama could have, should have done. Or, something he should have done better, in spite of having to deal with a record high rate of republican obstruction.

I'm glad you're voting D. But I feel your advocating against doing so, with this kind of rhetoric.

I'm amazed that our secret, "Nazi, Muslim, Terrorist, Kenyan born, ACORN lovin" President was able to get anything though this nutty congress, let alone comprehensive health care reform.

[kenfrequed]

8. Uh yeah...

But why didn't they actually call out the republicans on this a bit more? This minority party is one of the most bitterly partisan obstructionist parties in American history and the Democrats are acting as if the media is just going to accidentally report on this. Where is the communication savvy?

Oh and why did we spend a year courting Olympia Snowe and water down our own health care legislation to death and dying just so that we would have to pass it without ANY republican support at all during budget reconciliation? Which, by the way, is what us public option people wanted to do in the first place but were told that it couldn't be done that way?

Why didn't mr tough guy Emmanuel Rahm bring down the hammer of the White House on the blue dogs right after inaugeration in 2009 and arm twist Them into getting on board with the White House? Why is it that the progressives, single payer sorts, and public option people are the ones that get called F-ing retarded?

And Why did thet entire establishment bend over to put Blanche-friggin-Lincoln in as the primary pick when her more progressive opposition was polling within low single digits of the Republican challenger? Was this good strategy? Or was it an establishment refutation of a move towards the very progressive change we voted for?

[kenfrequed]

9. That said...

Of course I am going to vote nearly a straight Democratic ticket (save for a local election or two where the contest is between a Democrat and a Green and the repuke is polling in single digits and hiding the fact they are a republican).

Bit I digress...

Much of the strategy of my party and my White House has been absolutely uninspiring, bordering on terrible. The policy has been subordinated to the bad DLC happy strategy. But to be honest I blame Evan Bayh more than I blame even Rahm Emmanuel. His forming a 'Blue Dog Senate Caucus' in December was taking a hatchet to our hamstrings. The Senate is (theoretically) a more deliberate body and it is unusual for it to form its on caucuses. This caucus ended up siding with the corporations over the people that got them elected almost every time and was the very definition of 'Republican Lite' in my opinion.

[Radical Activist]

13. Obama has pointed out Republican obstructionism repeatedly.

The press ignores it. When the press ignores conservative talking points then Fox News and talk radio step in to force coverage of the issue. That could be the role of the progressive netroots. But, when Obama does or says something progressive, most left pundits just move on to find something new to complain about. That's not a very smart way to push for a progressive agenda.

You're repeating three parts of a narrative that I guess is supposed to show how Obama is secretly working against the agenda he spent months pushing for. The public option wasn't taken out for Snowe. It was taken out for Nelson, Lincoln, and Lieberman who still had to be pressured to vote for the bill that passed. This idea that it wasn't a huge fight and Obama just caved to avoid a battle doesn't sound anything like what I saw happen. It didn't pass with any extra votes to spare.

[mzmolly]

18. Yes

indeed.

Well said, once again.

[kenfrequed]

28. Hmmm...

Boldness of word and Specific policy statements are harder to ignore than glittering generalities and even more than a press secretary that takes up more time bitching about the "professional left.

Spending a year talking about bipartisanship with the Re-thuglican weasels also accomplished nothing and did even less to inspire confidence from progressives. As time went on his language, which should have inspired the base to action, moved the American people, and whipped the legislature into going progressive, became increasingly stilted, guarded, and cautious.

I think I actually mentioned Lincoln by name as one of our parties problems and you have yet to answer why this party could not enforce just a smidge of discipline on a Senator that so badly needed so much outside party help to pin down her state party's endorsement.

As far as Nelson goes, I have no idea why the DNC would throw money at someone that was so far off message and off the party platform. And why, in their infinite wisdom, would the DNC pay for ads that seemed the political equivalent of hari-kari.

Your characterization of my relatively nuanced post seems odd considering my post was in response to such an absolutely absurd cartoon that ignores about two years of events to somehow pretend as though it is the fault of the lefts misreading of the republican opposition. The irony of this is stunning.

[disillusioned73]

6. OMG, what a perfect toon

thanks
:dem:

[COLGATE4]

10. K&R X 1000! It's perfect!

[mzmolly]

15. I think he reads FireDogLake.

A brief rebuttal.

-- Bush dumped billions on Wallstreet. Obama was told the economy would collapse if he didn't follow suit, and he made sure there were new regulations in place.

-- Obama saved the US auto industry, including thousands of UNION jobs, why is that a bad thing?

-- Republicans refuse to support closing Gitmo ala funding.

-- No one has forgotten climate change other than Republicans who promised to support new legislation and later backed away.

-- The public option was killed by a few in the Senate.

-- The Iraq war has essentially ended. Obama always said the real fight was in Afghanistan. And according to the new Woodward book, Obama is intent on getting us out of that war, as well.


I think some here are like an abusive partner, nothing is ever quite good enough.

[n2doc]

21. Rose colored glasses much? n/t

[mzmolly]

26. No, they're reality coated

glasses. I see the big picture. ;)

[Parker CA]

23. Terrific post. nt

[mzmolly]

25. Thanks.

:hi:

[nashville_brook]

27. solid.

[jannyk]

29. Thanks n2doc - you are a DU Treasure! big k&r nt.

:yourock:

[DirkGently]

30. Excellent.