Obama's Unity Schtick is precisely what the DLC and Joe Lieberman have been preaching for decades

[Karmadillo]

Another excellent Big Tent Democrat post from Talk Left. The post is also discussed by eriposte at http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/012025.php

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/2/23/12655/5195

NOTE- The DLC does not support either candidate officially. My post was not intended to state that, but to discuss why many DLC-type figure do support Obama. Sorry for any confusion.

There is something both sad and hilarious about Kagro X's outrage that that the DLC and Lieber-types like Dan Gerstein are on the Obama bandwagon:

Please, God, don't let Harold Ford clamber onto the back of this bandwagon now. . . . Allowing them suckerfish themselves onto what Obama's managed to build for himself would be an unimaginable tragedy. Allowing them to do it while they're also endorsing Republicans for Congress is a recipe for disaster.

UPDATE: Lord help us, it's a trend:

2 . Friday February 15, 2008

. . . Bill Bennett discussed the political landscape with Democratic strategist and Obama supporter Dan Gerstein . . .

This is sad and hilarious because not for one moment can Kagro imagine WHY the DLC and Dan Gerstein might support Barack Obama. He can not imagine that Obama's Unity Schtick is precisely what the DLC and Joe Lieberman have been preaching for decades and that the progressive blogs were supposed to be fighting AGAINST.

Excuse me, but has anyone in the progressive blogs actually been paying attention to what Obama has been saying? Probably not, too busy slamming Hillary Clinton.

[emilyg]

1. TY

[polichick]

2. One big difference:

The DLC moves toward the right ~ Obama invites others to move toward us.

[thunder rising]

3. The DLC moves toward the right ~ Obama invites others to move toward us.

it needed to be in a title line.

[polichick]

5. Thanks for taking care of that! :)

[thunder rising]

10. It was a good line. Hate to see it passed by.

[RBInMaine]

23. Obama wants "Obama Republicans" rather than "Reagan Dems"

And this is a GOOD thing. Convince R's and I's why they should come over to OUR side to form a new working coalition. AWESOME. There are ways to attract a good number of moderate and working class R's to our side. MANY of them will respond to a populist economic message, for example. Nothing wrong with that. We need a big tent and a new coalition for change. It's not about abandoning our ideas, but rather showing some R's why they should also be THEIR ideas and values.

[polichick]

25. Just posted about our PA "Obamacans" in #20! nt

[BootinUp]

8. I just don't see it your way at all.

Barack has written a book that touts many policies the progressive blogs have railed against. His economic and social positions in this race are subtly shaded to the right of Hillary. His rhetoric suggests moving his policy positions as necessary to gain more acceptance from the right.

[polichick]

14. Well, he sure didn't move right to support this war...

...and doesn't have any qualms about going against the right-wing (and Lieberman's) foreign policies.

[msongs]

15. as in, he supports the war (wholeheartedly) without moving right nt

[polichick]

17. Haha - as in, he spoke out against it from the beginning. nt

[sandnsea]

4. Hillary is on the DLC leadership team

I don't understand why Hillary's supporters continue to ignore what is right in front of their face.

[skipos]

6. You have really convinced me to vote for triangulating Hil, the only cardcarrying DLCer running! nt

[tabatha]

7. So if the DLC and Lieberman are for unity, then no-one else can be.

"Strength through unity" - just Google that phrase and see how many people believe in it.
That thought has been around for a long long time.

[CTLawGuy]

9. here's the difference

DLC =

(1) take republican positions
(2) call yourself bipartisan

Obama =

(1) take progressive positions
(2) work with others to create laws that can be enacted (bring people to you)

[gravity]

11. Lieberman is not a leader

He caves into the opposition.

Obama is a true leader offering the invitation to the opposing side

[amborin]

12. lieberman is more right wing than many right wing republicans

and he and obama have authored bills together....

obama's unity schtick means pulling the entire dem party even closer to the right

[ErnestoG]

13. What a pantload!

Fake Dem Lieberman and anti-war Obama are about as great a lesson in opposites as you can get.

This is a really stupid thread. Among many other stupid threads today.

[msongs]

16. obama consistently votes to support and fund the iraq occupation and

if che were here, obama would be one of the first che would put against the wall for execution. he was that way.

Msongs

[NastyRiffraff]

18. This is what bothers me about Obama's "unity" message

The Reublicans have never forgiven Bill Clinton for winning in '92, and especially in '96 when they did all the could to get him out of office. They're still angry over the 2006 elections. They don't think Democrats have a right to public office. That goes for any Democrat. (I don't count Lieberman as a Democrat; he isn't.)

They have tried to block every single Democratic legislation, and they will continue to do so. That's not speculation; that's history. Compromise, to them, means "everybody should agree to do it our way."

And these are the people Obama wants to "reach out" to. Maybe he honestly thinks it'll magically work; I don't know. But he's wrong if he believes any Republican in Congress will suddenly capitulate into true compromise. We know this in our bones, and we know it historically. Obama has never told us just how he plans on accomplishing this sleight-of-hand.

It's alarming that DANGERStein, Lieberman's campaign manager in the CT races, is supporting Obama. Remember him, with the "unity" message that resulted in Lieberman's thumbing his nose at the Democratic Party and its voters in the Connecticut primary?

[AX10]

19. I live in CT so I know exactly how that shitbag LIEberman works.

:puke:
:argh:

This "unity" nonsense has to stop. The right wing is looking to push the Dems over, yet again.

[polichick]

20. Even here in PA, "Obamacans" (they actually like that name)...

...are changing party affiliation to vote in the primary. If he is swept into office by Dems, indies and Reps. together ~ and his coattails are long enough for us to capture lots of open seats ~ things in DC will have to change.

[NastyRiffraff]

28. Whose coattails?

Obama's? Seems to me he's depending on riding on the coattails of Indy and Rep. voters, who will also vote for Democrats for Congress, too. Unproven. And unlikely, in the case of the Republicans. Personally, I'd love for that to happen, but there's no evidence of it being true.

Republicans vote for Obama because a) either they genuinely like him and believe in his "unity" message; b) they hate McCain, and at least Obama SAYS he'll work with Republicans; c) They hate the war AND hate McCain, and hope Obama can keep his promises to get us out of Iraq.

There's no evidence that these Republicans will continue to be Democrats, in name or in philosophy. I'd guess at best, 50-50. Many of them will vote for Obama in the GE and vote as they usually do down-ticket.

The bottom line, though, is that all of them will expect something in exchange for their vote, as all voters should. One-issue Republicans (McCain haters, war haters) won't like or support Democratic domestic programs. And those will feel betrayed, even though it's their own fault for not learning about Obama's complete platform. Well, maybe not all their fault, because Obama's emphasis, in his speeches, is "Hope and Change" and of course, the red meat to wavering Republicans, "Unity" and "Reaching Out." You know what a betrayed voter looks like? He or she will turn on a successful candidate like a rabid dog. That is, of course, unless Obama fulfills their complete expectations. Either way, Republicans in Congress will be grinning.

[DinahMoeHum]

21. Lieberman has no loyalty to anything or any party except himself.

And he's no longer officially a Democrat - he's an "Independent".

G*d willing, we get a greater majority in the Senate - he gets kicked out of all leadership positions in committees and gets regulated to "shit" positions.

:kick:

[rocktivity]

22. Obama is more interested in uniting the VOTERS than the party leadership

And it doesn't mean too much that the DLC has not endorsed a candidate when Hillary is a DLC officer--bad news, of course, for her.

:headbang:
rocknation

[polichick]

26. Yep - uniting the American PEOPLE. What a concept! nt

[still_one]

24. I tell you what, I will be proud to support whoever our nominee is, be it Barrack or Hillary /nt

[smalll]

27. The Clintons triangulate. Obama triangulates with a vengence.

Clintonian triangulation tended to be a shift rightwards to make moderate-Dem (rather than left-Dem) legislation possible. It was a way to position oneself so that mod Dem things could be done, some Repubs, and more importantly, the bulk of the public, could be roped in for support, so that the Clintons and the Dems could claim credit.

Obaman triangulation creates such a much more titanic triangle -- he stands above us mortals as a god and clearly condemns both parties. He condems the fights of the 60s and the 70s. And he offers us a divine Third Way -- Obamaism -- that will bring us into the promised land. How many times have we heard this from his supporters? How many clueless 17-year-old sons have pledged alleigance because he somehow "moves beyond right and left?"

Sure he may win. He may win big (or lose big.) But what the hell will he DO?
Put not your trust in princes!