(Posted here in comments).
What's the old saw about locking the barn door after the horse is gone?
Look, he's got the gig. He won it fair and square, with a corporatist, neo-liberal agenda (sans the "liberal" part) and rhetoric that constantly throws progressives under the bus and gives wide berth to Reagan's "party of ideas." He gamed the caucuses, the superdelegates, the rules committee, and -- lest we forget -- what used to be the progressive blogosphere. And he demonized his intraparty opponent, trivializing the vital issue of race in the bargain (and leveraging misogyny and Drudgian talking points). A progressive hero like that comes only once in a generation, so why quibble?
He's not even elected yet, and he's already gutted the 1st Amendment (promising expanded faith-based initiatives and creating an atmosphere where uttering "fairy tale," "LBJ," or "RFK" is tantamount to being a racist and/or assassin) and the 4th Amendment (championing the FISA bill) and handed a big chunk of the treasury to Wall Street insiders (championing Paulson's three-page Monte deal). Plus, he's made a mockery of public financing of campaigns (and his promise to use same).
This year we could have had real change, but the progressive blogosphere swooned for a hopey self-help huckster who's in the pocket of Big Younameit. If the alternatives were imperfect, they weren't put on a pedestal and plumped up on "Best and Brightest" exceptionalism. That stuff kills people, for anyone who remembers what Obama recalls as the "bickering" 1960s.
Honestly, I do appreciate the sentiment behind this, if not the timing or the prospects. But what are we going to do but send Strongly Worded Telegrams to the next drunk-on-hubris unitary executive?
In this essential election, those who could have held Obama's feet to the fire or gotten us an alternative who gives a damn about progressive issues were either Kool-Aid besotted or too timorous to buck the Kewl-Kidz trend. The deed is done.
What is that charming phrase Obama supporters keep uttering, like Bush supporters before them? Oh, yeah, "get over it." To the extent that's possible, that's likely to be the only thing we -- progressives and those who rely on progressive policies -- are likely to get from this next administration, based on every action we've seen from the presumptive 44th president.
What leverage do we have once he's elected? Please explain how that answer is >0.
* * *
Je répète, the theory seems to be:
1. Vote for Obama
2. ?
3. Progressive future
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Two questions I keep asking that never get answered
1. How can you build a progressive movement based on misogyny and false charges of racism?
2. May I please have an example of how Obama has been pushed toward progressive policies by pressure from progressives?
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Easy
By redefining "progressive."
Compare...
Nixon rules: if the president does it, it's legal
Obama rules: if the Lightbringer does it, it's progressive.
Oh, and notice anyone missing?
Check who the mail's going to:
Under the bus, as usual. Although it is nice to see that one "top Democrat" who's also a Senator from New York is included.
[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi
If I may so boldy suggest? Shutting the barn door after the pony
is gone. But not before he destroys the barn and makes the old mare clean up after him. Kinda like they way I destroyed that adage.
I love this job!
I love this job!
From my own comment there
"Bold Progressive Action" = Howard Dean as DNC chair? Mr. "I didn't see any sexism, I don't get cable."? That guy? Is that the only specific example you can come up with for "Bold Progressive Action"? (answer=yes).
In the vast history of the Sternly Worded Letter
, this weak tea is very weak indeed.
How about this instead:
Dear Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Dean, et. al.;
We know you aren't progressives, or liberals or really have any principles at all except for re-election and filling campaign ocffers. If you were (or did) you wouldn't continually have caved to, and even carried the water of, President Worst Ever and Lowest Approval Rating Ever at every opportunity and especially on an ill-conceived $700 billion give away to Wall Street Fat Cats. We know the only thing you care about are campaign contributions and that is where we plan to hurt you.
And we are doing it starting now.
Now.
Not next December, or January, or next year or 4 years from now.
Now.
We will call for the following, NOW:
No more campaign contributions. To anyone. No more fund drives. For anyone. No more calls to donate. No more calls to volunteer. We will remove your links, we will not accept political advertising. We will tell people to "vote their conscience", and trust that they will do just that.
And we will do it starting NOW.
We are confident of three things, that Barack Obama is certain to win the presidency, that a sizeable Democratic Party majority will be returned to the house and a clear majority to the senate, and that none of you will do anything progressive or liberal unless forced to by painful withholding of support.
We may not be able to do much, but we will start our own little portion of pain NOW.
Sincerely,
your dear friend in the blogosphere
herb the verb
Write your own "Sternly Worded Letter
"! It's therapeutic!
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Around these parts we call cucumber slices circle bites
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I'm not such a bad guy once you get to know me.
Herb, are you crazy!?
The only way to pressure politicians is to give them your votes, and then... (?).
"Anyone with common sense" would do that.
What herb the verb said!
I'm printing it out and sending it back to the DNC in all the little envelopes they've sent me asking for money.
I will, however, continue to support my junior Senator in whatever way I can. See Anglachel. Hey, "Democrats", why not listen to her? Why not get behind her plan?
Nemmind, I guess I know the answer to that.
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We can't afford not to have single-payer!