Obama should say if he is reelected, he will do only a simple inauguration

[davidpdx]

On the White House grounds to show he is serious about deficit reduction.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/16/news/economy/inauguration_costs/index.htm

[FSogol]

1. Unrec. Nothing more than a RW meme that Obama's personal spending habits are responsible for the

deficit.

[davidpdx]

2. Who says it's a RW meme

It shows up GW and the Republicans by saying we can cut unnecessary spending. Also it would set a precedent for future two term presidents.

[JTFrog]

3. The RW made it a meme

before his first inauguration.

[ClassWarrior]

27. Yup. And then when he doesn't take their "advice," they'll slam him for it. Why not...

...perform political jujitsu and turn it back on them instead? Would you rather the RW be allowed to play out their script, word-for-word?

NGU.

[JTFrog]

28. Would you rather everything be done to satisfy the RW?

He'll be damned by them no matter what he does.

So why pay any attention to what they say?

[ClassWarrior]

29. Because what they're suggesting could be rather easily and powerfully spun against them.

Go back and check my previous posts. You'll see I've NEVER been an advocate for taking the Radical RW's bait. But when we can turn it into a major smackdown against them, you'd better believe I'm going to advocate it.

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

30. Look at it this way. You're exactly right: "He'll be damned by them no matter what he does." So...

...doesn't that free us to choose the best option in the minds of the American people and spin it endlessly to our advantage? Why choose the worse of the two evils? Just to spite the RW? Why not choose the better of the two evils and make it an advantage over the RW?

Problem is, this Administration misses way too many of those opportunities.

NGU.

[Avant Guardian]

14. He doesnt need to put on a show for the republicans

Republicans are interested in dismantling everything the Democrats have ever done for this country. They couldn't give a shit one way or the other about unnecessary spending.

[ClassWarrior]

17. No he doesn't. He needs to put on a show for those swing voters that his supporters...

...think they already have in their pocket.

NGU.

[Travelman]

107. Both sides do it

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=687239&mesg_id=687757">post 106.

It's been happening for decades.

[JoePhilly]

4. He also needs to give up all vacations. Stop having State dinners

Discontinue the use of air force one.

No more overseas trips.

I could go on.

The RW has demanded he do all of these at one time or another.

All part of ensuring that the black guy doesn't get the same privileges that every White President has had.

[bettyellen]

6. yep yep yep

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. You already know we're on the same page. +1,000,000!!!! n/t

[CakeGrrl]

13. Exactly. Unrec for op buying into what the RW would love to see. n/t

[ClassWarrior]

22. Frankly, I think it's what a lot of people would love to see. Dems acting like Dems, not elitists.

NGU.

[JoePhilly]

32. What's your evidence that "lots of people" want Obama to

skip an inauguration?

Or evidence that "lots of people" think that the inauguration ceremony for ANY US President, is "elitist"?

[ClassWarrior]

33. Where's your evidence that this thread has anything to do with "skipping" anything?

Nice try.

NGU.

[bettyellen]

42. Obama shouldn't have went to SA earlier this year, his wife and kids shouldn;t have gone to Spain...

then there was Britain recently, with allegations of elitism and being a rube for not following protocall exactly- all RW originating memes that were picked up in the MSM in the past ten months. I don;t even pay attention to this crap and I have noticed it. There is not much the RWers do not begrudge him.

[ClassWarrior]

50. Where does the OP address any of that? Reading comprehension is your friend.

NGU.

[bettyellen]

53. so, you can't see this is part of a pattern- and think I have comprehensions problems, LOL

[ClassWarrior]

56. Who cares if it's "part of a pattern," if we can turn it back on the RW and shove it down their...

...pasty white throats? :shrug:

Maybe that'll break the pattern. Or don't you want to do that?

NGU.

[Name removed]

60. Deleted message

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[ClassWarrior]

67. They'll never admit they're wrong about anything. But the key lesson I learned at Camp Wellstone...

...is the Radical RW isn't our audience. The swing voters are. Why are you so afraid that the swing voters might see Dems do a smackdown on the Rape-Publicans?

NGU.

[bettyellen]

74. An empty gesture does not a smackdown make. The media would not give this one to Obama on a silver

platter. Why do you imagine that your little pet idea is something that would capture the national imagination- when we both know the media will portray it as a stunt. And they would be right about that too. He would be accomplishing nothing that would help the poor more than what he has already been trying to do. It would be a publicity stunt, nothing more.

[Name removed]

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[bettyellen]

5. RW meme

[ClassWarrior]

19. Link please?

Please show me the right wing sources pushing this meme.

And if it is a RW meme, it's one he could use to do political jujitsu. I think many of his independent and progressive followers like me, who are kind of disgusted by the spectacle and excess of inaugurations, Super Bowls, etc., would be impressed - thus it would backfire on the Radical RW.

NGU.

[bettyellen]

41. Oh please, the same RWers pushing this never said a single word about Bush as he ran us into debt

it's total bullshit designed to trick him into looking like a low rent pretender to the throne, who stays hidden in the White House instead of taking his place on the international stage that has so very heartily welcomed him. They hate seeeing him so popular and being treated like an equal (instead of an embarrassment) by the other leaders of the free world. and no- I have not been making notes for you everytime I have seen O Reilly, Coulter or Hannity on TV suggesting that Obama shld not be doing one thing or another or accusing him of nickle and diming the USA when his expenses have NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR DEBT. You missed the brouhaha over every single trip he's taken out of this country, how they resent his wife and kids going to Spain- and what their rooms and security cost? Well, most of us did not. Sorry you are falling for the BS and suggesting he go for the faux folksy stuff that only works on idiot RWers who will hate him anyway. He is not going to save this country by hobbling himself in this way.
He deserves the honor more than any president we have had for more than thirty years, and he has already done a lot for the economy and his people and still gets little enough credit. Idiots go around thinking he raised their taxes. They are not going to respect him more for staying home and pretending to be poor. It would be an empty gesture. You want to save the country some real money? Help us get solid majorities in both houses next year, because that is the only thing that is going to help.

[ClassWarrior]

51. He'll be "hobbling himself" by having a different kind of party?

:rofl:

NGU.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Travelman]

106. Not at all limited to the RW - both sides do it

PLENTY of complaints about the cost of the '05 Bush inaugural, right here at DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2875168

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x193620

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x92570

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2874002

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2881265

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1498638

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4880509

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1098307

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2965964

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=186x4503

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1111108

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x18240

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2951126


And that's just the first few I found.

Both sides sound off about the cost of the other side's inaugural. It's been going on for decades.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. That would be fine with me.

All this high profile ceremonial stuff by either party could be scaled back, especially a re-election, which I hope President Obama wins.

I've believed this for years.

[frazzled]

8. Only law enforcement, Secret Service, etc. are paid for through public funds

Street cleaning, etc. The bulk of the costs for an inauguration come from private donations. Plus a small appropriation (as the article states) from the Congress--nothing that would even make a flea-size dent in the deficit.

So even if a president--Obama or any other--were to have a freaking bring-your-own picnic, it wouldn't change a thing about the costs to the taxpayers/government. Unless of course, only 25 people come instead of several hundred thousand.

[bettyellen]

43. exactly= the inaugural festivities cost nothing and employ thousand of people- it's faux-folksy to

even suggest it shld be scaled back- if we are talking about scaling back it should be Wall St and the wars, and why that cannot happen right now-period.
After 8 years of that phony Bush pretneding to be a regular guy, it;s sick to suggest this. Obama is not a regular guy, I don;t need empty gestures to make me feel better. Keep the focus of why our ecomomy was actually driven off a cliff for fucks sake.

[msongs]

9. ending all US wars would actually save more money...and don't start any new ones as well

[ClassWarrior]

23. (psssttttt... Duh. This is about symbolism...)

:eyes:

NGU.

[bettyellen]

44. And it would seem as phony as when Bush tried to look like a regular guy.

I am glad he is reaching out internationally and repairing the image of the US abroad, even though it bothers others.
But, I am not one to give credit to anyone for empty gestures, It cheapens the discourse, and shifts the focus where it does not beong.

[ClassWarrior]

54. It's an "empty gesture" to say, for instance, we dedicate this inauguration to public service?

Why not a series of Inaugural Balls with unemployed and poor people only? Would that be an "empty gesture?"

NGU.

[bettyellen]

61. the costs have to do with security and clean up- should we forego those because they're poor?

Obama has already tied in promoting MLK day every year (immediately after the celebration) as a day of national service. I'm sure if you were aware of that, you wouldn;t be suggesting he scrap it three years out of four, would you?

[ClassWarrior]

65. What on earth are you talking about? Your posts are becoming more and more incoherent.

Why on earth would we "forego security and clean-up?" When did I ever say anything about "costs?" I, in fact, said upthread that it's NOT about costs; it'd be about seizing the narrative.

NGU.

[namahage]

66. It'd be called a "photo op" and "pandering."

But enough of what you'd see on DU. Imagine what Republicans would do with it.

[ClassWarrior]

69. Doesn't matter what the pundits call it, as long as the public sees it for what it is.

We saw that in Obama's first campaign.

NGU.

[bettyellen]

71. you are totally contradicting yourself- let's put on a symbolic show- no matter if people pan it.

becasue that always works with symbolic gestures.

[ClassWarrior]

79. So the media and the public are the same? So by that logic, the people elected President...

...Obama in a landslide because the media went easy on him.

:eyes:

I thought that was a RW meme.

NGU.

[bettyellen]

76. Because it would be a "photo op" and not somethng the media would give him a pass for, either.

What a quaint idea, that the nation would somehow celebrate him for such a purely symbolic act. Naive.

[ClassWarrior]

81. Ahhh, so helping the poor and unemployed is "purely a symbolic act?" Do you think the MLK Day...

...of Service is "purely a symbolic act?"

NGU.

[bettyellen]

84. It would be a symbolic act becasue it would not help the poor. DERP!

I guess you forgot that part.

[ClassWarrior]

86. Why wouldn't helping the poor help the poor? DERP!

NGU.

[bettyellen]

95. because it would take away from the genuine day of service that already exists.

Unless your new bright idea is for him to declare a monthly day of service, therefore rendering your other idea all that much less special. Weren't you saying this was a symbolic thing to woo swing voters anyway? Make up your mind.

[Name removed]

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[ClassWarrior]

87. And do you consider the MLK Day of Service "purely symbolic?" You didn't answer that.

I guess you forgot that part.

NGU.

[bettyellen]

88. I know better than to think that- see I was aware the program actually existed...

as I am sure you did not otheriwse why would you suggest undercutting it by holding an identical event 3 weeks earlier? or do you not understand how doing it 2x in 5 weeks would hurt the original intitiative.

[ClassWarrior]

91. If it's an "identical event," how can one be "purely symbolic" and the other not??

:crazy:

And who said it has to be "an identical event?" I threw out some ideas off the top of my head.

For what it's worth, the first National Day of Service WAS held on the Prez's first Inauguration Day. But I'm sure you weren't aware of that, since you never brought it up.

:rofl:

NGU.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[awoke_in_2003]

46. off-topic

what the heck is NGU? I did a google search, but there was too much irrelevant stuff to find the answer.

[ClassWarrior]

55. Never Give Up...

A personal motto. Thanks for asking. :hi:

NGU.

[Greybnk48]

10. Right wing bullshit? n/t

[DavidDvorkin]

12. No fucking invocation, at any rate.

[Hutzpa]

15. He should also give up his motorcade

his flying rights and all other perks that comes with being a President.

Unrec for wasting my time and energy on this madness.

:wtf:


:boring:

[ClassWarrior]

16. That would be some powerful messaging. K&R.

Good idea. :thumbsup:

NGU.

[scheming daemons]

18. Inaugurations are not paid by taxpayer dollars... unrec for massive FAIL

Inaugurations are paid for by private donations.

[AtomicKitten]

20. Thank you.

[ClassWarrior]

21. Oh, so that makes an opulent and expensive show of excess okay? Infinite FAIL.

NGU.

[Drunken Irishman]

38. That opulent and expensive show is massive for the D.C. economy...

Think of how many people found their way to D.C. in 2009 to watch Obama's inauguration and the economic impact that had during the days leading up to, and subsequent days after, the inauguration?

So basically, you're saying to D.C., one of America's poorest cities, tough luck.

Yeah, that's really classy.

[ClassWarrior]

58. So would an inauguration dedicated to, for instance, public service and feeding the unemployed.

But you'd rather have drunken, overdressed lobbyist partys.

Yeah, that's really classy.

NGU.

[Drunken Irishman]

78. You're mixing two points...

There is a difference between scalding down the inauguration and having it dedicated to a certain cause.

Why should Pres. Obama forego something every reelected president has done since George Washington? It should be treated as a party. It is a party. It's a celebration of all the work done to get that candidate elected. You know, not everything has to be depressing, moody and blah.

I should note that in 2009, the Bidens and Obamas took part in activities around Washington D.C. geared toward the underclass.

But that's lost on you.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[ClassWarrior]

24. K&R

NGU.

[Peacetrain]

25. When the President is re-elected.. I want parades, bells , whistles and the full

inauguration festivities.

Jimmy Carter tried the austerity inauguration and it depressed people..

[ClassWarrior]

26. Can you show some evidence that "it depressed people?"

A link? A study?

NGU.

[JoePhilly]

31. Let's go by the number of people attending Carter's 2nd inauguration.

[ClassWarrior]

34. Okay, let's go. Show me the numbers!

NGU.

[JoePhilly]

35. There were ZERO people at Carter's 2nd inaguration. I thought that was obvious.

Given that he only won one term.

[ClassWarrior]

36. So you're saying Carter didn't get reelected because he had a depressing inauguration?

Hoo-boy!!

:rofl:

Or are you slamming one of the most compassionate, most intelligent Presidents of the 20th Century?

NGU.

[bettyellen]

45. I loved Carter, but doing exactly as you suggested- focusing on austerity did help cost him the WH

But how would you know that, you didn;t even realize he was a one termer.

[ClassWarrior]

47. No, a RW media that has turned us against ourselves for more than 40 years cost us the Carter WH.

And now you defend those tactics. And attack my misreading of a post because you have NOTHING else.

NGU.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[bettyellen]

62. and that happened 40 years before Carter? Ha. You funny!

Everyone already knows the 70's were the start of the media takeover. Why the heck were you talkng about 40 years prior is what I want to know. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

[ClassWarrior]

64. Who said it was "40 years before Carter?" Again, reading comprehension is your friend.

I said it's been turning us against one another and ourselves for 40 years. Why is that so hard to understand? :shrug:

NGU.

[Name removed]

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[ClassWarrior]

73. Okay, let me phrase it simply, so you won't be so confused. President Carter was one of the...

...first victims of the the same, RW media establishment that continues to torment us today, 40 years later. Except the deception was almost total back then because we've only had a progressive media less than a decade. (That's less than a decade before today, not before Carter, in case you're all confused again.)

:eyes:

And I don't doubt that you've worked on many campaigns. I never said you didn't. I just said I did more to elect Dems than you.

NGU.

[Name removed]

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[ClassWarrior]

85. I did, in post #47.

I said, and I quote, "my misreading of a post."

You can't even understand what's right in front of you: you didn't understand the infinitive, "has turned us;" you confused me with the OP, even though our names are right in front of your face; and you skipped right over where I "admitted I fucked up," to use your pleasant, responsible formulation.

Yet you call me stupid.

:rofl:

NGU.

[Name removed]

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[ClassWarrior]

94. How about admitting you fucked up instead? You don't understand the meaning of the word...

..."has."

:shrug:

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

96. And you claim there WAS NO PERVASIVE RW MEDIA in Carter's day.

:rofl:

Edited to accurately reflect the words from your own mouth.

NGU.

[Name removed]

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[ClassWarrior]

104. I don't think it was comparable. I worked in it the 70s and 80s, and I KNOW it was WORSE for Dems.

NGU.

[bettyellen]

105. Well, I was an astronaut back then. And a ballerina.

[Tarheel_Dem]

83. +1

:thumbsup:

[Peacetrain]

39. That is just absolute bullhockey that gets pulled out every time a Democrat wins anything

They pulled that out from the right and it got echoed in here by a few that Obama should not have the inauguration all the other Presidents have.

They did the same thing with Clinton.. Carter fell for it hook line and sinker.

What he got for the gesture was total derision (this is also a huge moneymaker for DC the people who live there).

FORGET IT.

Democrats pay for it.. it pumps money into the community and the nation gets to share in a really spectacular thing.. the changing of power in a peaceful manner.

[ClassWarrior]

48. So you're planning on "the changing of power?"

:crazy:

NGU.

[Peacetrain]

72. Are you truly that "literal"

It is an often used compliment about Democracies.. American and otherwise..that they vote with the ballot not the bullet.

And an inauguration is a celebration of the change (or staying with the same party in power) of a leader that people elected by ballot.

I can't believe I am here having to explain that.

[Drunken Irishman]

37. Do you honestly believe a simple inauguration is going to seriously impact the deficit?

Pres. Obama deserves the same respect we gave other presidents who won reelection.

If Bush could have a massive inauguration after he fucking STOLE a goddamn election, Pres. Obama can have this.

Yeesh.

[ClassWarrior]

49. Of course not. It could affect perceptions if played the right way. But let's just dutifully play...

...our role in this kabuki theatre rather than trying to seize the narrative for once.

NGU.

[bettyellen]

70. he thinks the RW media takeover started in the 30s and hurt Carter, LOLz.

So it woudn;t be a shock if he thought this made a cost difference- or that the $$ actually was going to parties and not security, etc.

[Name removed]

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[namahage]

40. Haven't we already been through this once?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8087394&mesg_id=8087394

[LynneSin]

89. Why? Taxpayers do not pay for it

Most 2nd termers keep it simple but donations pay for the bulk of these things.

[Tarheel_Dem]

90. Unrec for buying into RW & Naderite memes, which are indistinguishable. Sad....

:-(

[Bobbie Jo]

93. +1000

Unrec for same.

[Name removed]

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