Obama the progressive?

[demokatgurrl]

I'd be interested in DUers' thoughts about this. I'm not too familiar with this site but found this article interesting.

One thing I am skeptical about- was Lieberman really Obama's mentor in the Senate? I thought it was Kennedy.


http://zmagsite.zmag.org/Feb2007/street0207.html

Some excerpts:

THE OBAMA ILLUSION
Presidential ambitions from the start


Long before any formal announcement (I’m writing this in early January), it was obvious that overnight sensation Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) wanted to be the U.S.’s next chief executive. The “charismatic” Obama was campaigning by at least November 2005, less than a year out of the Illinois state legislature. During 2006, Obama gave grave and “realistic” foreign policy speeches and made appearances on the “Tonight Show,” “Meet the Press,” “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” the covers and/or pages of Time, Men’s Vogue, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, and Washington Life. He appeared at the early political proving grounds of Iowa and New Hampshire. He reached across political and cultural lines—making a special point of talking to the religious right. He released a self-promotional book (deceptively titled The Audacity of Hope) that screamed presidential ambition beneath false humility and ponderous, power-worshipping prose. ... The significance of his ambition and ever-rising stature is enhanced by the fact that the Democrats’ presumed frontrunner, Hilary Clinton, is seen by many election experts and brokers as unelectable.
If the Democrats’ candidate in 2008 is Obama, we can be sure that the right-wing Republican noise machine will denounce the nation’s potential first non-white male president as a dangerous “leftist.” The charge will be absurd, something that will hardly stop numerous people on the portside of the narrow U.S. political spectrum from claiming Obama as a fellow “progressive.” Certain to be encouraged by Obama and his handlers, this confusion will reflect the desperation and myopia that shaky thinking and the limited choices of the U.S. electoral system regularly instill in liberals and some squishy near leftists.
So what sorts of policies and values could one expect from an imagined Obama presidency? ...

[Laurab]

1. Lieberman was his ASSIGNED mentor .

He didn't have a choice.

[Algorem]

2. joke,right?

[demokatgurrl]

4. No, not a joke- at least I didn't read it as a joke

it's kind of a long article but definitely interesting.
Not that I buy all of it, but I don think he's being painted as more left-leaning than he really is. Not the prototypical MoveOn candidate.

[jackson_dem]

3. Yes and Obama endorsed, campaigned for, and raised money for Lieberman against Ned

[Blue-Jay]

5. from nedlamont.com...

"Why I'm Supporting Barack Obama"

When I decided to run for Senate, I did so because I deeply believed that the citizens of Connecticut were yearning to see fundamental changes in our politics – changes that would make government work for them again.

Today, with our Presidential primary in Connecticut less than a month away, I am announcing my support of Barack Obama for President because I am convinced that his forward-looking, progressive vision provides the best chance to enact meaningful reforms in the way Washington works.

Sen. Obama has the tone and temperament to bring out the best in our people and our nation, and to bring new coalitions together in support of the progressive policies we all want to see enacted. His campaign has already reflected this, not only by bringing hundreds of thousands of new voters of all ages to the polls, but by inspiring so many who are new to politics to become activists as well.

more... http://nedlamont.com/news/2256/why-im-supporting-barack-obama

[jackson_dem]

6. Obamites can never say: "Obama was wrong."

[Blue-Jay]

7. hahaha!

:rofl:

You might want to do some research before you post bullshit.

[jackson_dem]

8. I have. I know more about Barack's record than most of his supporters

;)

Lamont joining the Obama bandwagon in 2008 doesn't change Obama's record in 2006.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Then why didn't you mention Obama endorsed Lamont over Lieberman?

Did you know that and decide intentionally to be dishonest?

[Blue-Jay]

11. My money is on "ignorance".

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. Really?

I'm betting dishonesty.

The whole "Lieberman was Obama's mentor" thing is so ridiculously dishonest it's worth a laugh.

[Blue-Jay]

16. I like to give idiots the benefit of the doubt.

[jackson_dem]

13. When it counted he was with Lieberman

His "endorsement" of Lamont was not worth the paper it was written on. Barack campaigned hard for Lieberman but didn't for Lamont.

[Blue-Jay]

15. Did anyone else support Lieberman in the primary?

You know.... before he went "independent"?

[jackson_dem]

20. The Clintons

Edwards didn't.

[demokatgurrl]

12. I'd appreciate some links or other info....

I am trying to learn as much as I can. Truth be told, I am all about electability (sorry to those that offends)- I want the candidate most likely to beat the Repug, and I will support whoever is the Dem nominee. But still, I don't like being fooled.

[TheWraith]

17. As did Hillary Clinton. And Kerry. And a lot of other people. And they did so wisely.

Because endorsing a primary challenge with no hope of final victory would only push Lieberman farther from the Dem party. Which is exactly what has happened.

I've hated Joe Lieberman's guts since LONG before it became fashionable, but it's just silly to complain about elected Dems trying to do some politicking to keep the Senate in our hands. Our majority there depends solely on the goodwill of Joe Lieberman.

[demokatgurrl]

18. If we depend on the goodwill of Lieberman

we are in deep doo-doo. He'd sell us out in a minute.

[TheWraith]

19. And yet, it's the case.

All he'd need to do to switch the Senate back to Republican control is caucus with them, instead of with us. Bang: 50/50 split, with Cheney casting the deciding vote.

[mitchtv]

10. Obama , the PRO NUCLEAR progressive

Right