Why Obama isn't reaching out to progressives

[gravity]

He doesn't need to. You will already support his positions.

Obama is reaching out to people who are more reluctant to support him, so he can build his political capital and accomplish more in office. It's smart politics.

[rolleitreks]

1. We don't want smart politics. We want change. n/t

[gravity]

4. You have to play politics to get change

[Demi_Babe]

6. yes you do and Obama is the master

[IsItJustMe]

2. Or could it be that he is avoiding the perception that he is in any way, shape, or form a liberal.

I think that could be closer to the truth, but then again, I can't get inside of his head.

[Autonomy]

9. What would be his motivation to avoid the liberal label?

He has already been elected in a landslide when his opponents painted him as a liberal. There is NO reason for him to avoid the label. His motivation must be otherwise. I would speculate that he sees "change" as the end to divisive politics.

Hmm, then again, that's not speculation.

HE SAID IT EVERY DAY, SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, FOR OVER A YEAR.

Not shouting at you. No offense.

[Zenlitened]

14. How does this decision help end divisive politics?

Don't liberals, progressives, people of conscience get to be included in the inclusiveness?

Why snub a friend to reach out to an enemy?

:shrug:

[Autonomy]

17. Because the change is GOING to happen inevitably

Obama just wants to make sure some 25% of the country feels like it's being heard. This so-called enemy is American. It's us. Obama sees the chance to avoid the mistakes of Pierce and Buchanan.

If they feel like they are being heard, and have the chance to hold on to SOME of their values, then the republic will smoothly transition. If not, there will be bloodshed, or some similar undesirable consequence.

[Zenlitened]

19. But, again, is it necessary to alienate friends...

... in order to reach out to opponents?

Why not keep the friends you have, while making new ones?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. I don't support many of his positions. But I knew that from the beginning when I finally came

around to supporting Obama that it was going to be this way. I knew that he would try everything in his power to distance himself from liberals. Liberals are a prejorative and a nasty, despicable thing to be (:sarcasm:), so he must do what he needs to do to be accepted by the syncophantic Blue Dogs and DLC who were largely responsible for giving Bush everything he wanted and allowing this criminal administration to literally get away with murder and despicable crimes against humanity.

I don't know why so many liberals are surprised. They should have known that it would be like this.

[mtnsnake]

5. If thats the case then what you are really saying is that Obama is taking for granted

the people who trusted him the most. Great.

[FormerDittoHead]

7. Bush seems to gotten just about every fucking thing he asks for except Social Security 'reform'.

The 'theme' for the past 7 years 11 months has been, Bush wants this, Bush get it.

Even now, in his 11th hour, we're hearing about unilateral (ie: without the Congress) (de)regulations which Obama won't be able to quickly reverse. (I know the issues of review, blaw, blaw, but stay with my main point, please).

Bush gets everything done even with a Democratic Congress.

So the point is that Obama doesn't need the support of those who oppose him, because they will continue to oppose him on anything except those very, exact things which they want, which is what we DON'T want. There is NO middle ground with our loyal opposition, there's only WINNING.

Bush was the most unpopular President in my lifetime, but he got things done while pissing people off from the left AND the right. Who likes BUSH? When the hell did HE ever "reach out" and make even the MIDDLE happy?

Unless Obama starts talking about Gay marriage bans and banning abortion and closing public schools and government financing of Sunday school and elimination of taxes for the wealthy will Evangelicals and the right not continue to fight him and his administration tooth and nail for every foot on the political gridiron.

[gravity]

10. And what happened to his political power?

It's down to zero. He spent his time spending political capital than building it, and the only reason he had so much to begin with was because of 9/11.

And the reason why Bush was able to get his votes close enough to get selected was because he appealed to the center during 2000 with compassionate conservatism. He was a uniter, not a divider. The difference is that Obama is a man of his word.

Obama is thinking long term with his political plans and is always 3 steps ahead of the opposition. He knows what he is doing.

[FormerDittoHead]

13. Good points. *I* AM willing to give it a try, but I wonder if THEY are willing. n/t

[gravity]

16. Some will, others won't

But none will if we treat the opposition as enemies

[uponit7771]

20. NO!!! I think the mistake on Obama's part is thinking there are ANY moderates lef in the GOP!

[Johonny]

18. I slightly disagree with this

I think it's clear the Republican congress has gotten everything they've wanted. They are amazingly coherent lock and step group. When Cheney had them under his thumb, the Bush whitehouse basically bullied their way to everything they wanted. Now having lost favor they are in their 11th hour basically getting snubbed by the Republicans in congress. The thing is there doesn't appear to be any sign the Republicans in congress are interested in change, bipartisanship etc... I look for more non-stop fake filibusters the next two years.

[earthside]

8. After Eight Years of Bush ...

... my tolerance level for 'politics as usual' and 'playing it safe' and 'keeping your powder dry' is very, very low.

So far Obama's cabinet picks have been quite bland and uninspiring -- I'm not seeing much change, of any sort, except party label.

Of course, we will have to see what Obama's governing priorities are on inauguration day, but thus far his personnel decisions are not giving me much confidence that we are going to see the bold change in direction for this country that we desperately need.

[Zenlitened]

11. Alienating the very people who supported him is SQUANDERING political capital.

That's DUMB politics. That's not BUILDING support to accomplish his goals, that's TRADING one source of support for another.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7994933

Obama is smarter than that, he knows what's what. And that's why this latest embrace of bigotry so troubling: People who have felt the sting of that bigotry, or witnessed its effect, feel betrayed yet again.

This was all so unnecessary. There is plenty of time for President Obama to "build bridges" to the right-wing, if he feels such an effort will produce worthwhile results.

But there was no need to do so in a way that inevitably demeans and alienates people who helped get him where he is.

[Captain Hilts]

12. There is a world of conservative clerics who aren't banishing major groups of people to hell. nt

[BlooInBloo]

15. Actually, I thought that's what the phrase "conservative cleric" *meant*.