Gibbs Just Did His Job... Told America What the White House Thinks of Progressives; So here's what w

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Gibbs-Just-Did-His-Job---by-Rob-Kall-100811-447.html

Gibbs Just Did His Job... Told America What the White House Thinks of Progressives; So here's what we have to do...

The other day Robert Gibbs made some comments on the "professional left"-- that they're on drugs, crazy-- then backed off a bit, then made some weak excuses and explanations. Here's my take.

Gibbs reflected the conversations he's hearing inside the White House. He reflected what Obama, Emanuel and the other DINO lying corporatist, bankster-suck-ups are saying behind closed doors. We got a brief glimpse into how they truly think. With the defeat of Colorado's Romanoff, the White House's attitude that the progressives are un-necessary may have been reinforced.

Progressives and liberals and Democrats have always been reputed to be disorganized-- "like trying to herd cats." It's part of our nature as independent souls. But we need to find a way to get organized, find discipline-- at least along enough lines to work together to demonstrate, manifest and take charge of our power-- enough so we become a force to be reckoned with.

One thing we can start doing is reacting, as a unified progressive echo chamber, as stridently as Fox News does. The White House, Pelosi and the Dem leadership are terrified of being skewered by Fox News. We need them to be just as, if not more terrified of being lambasted and criticized by their base. That would be a big change from their current contemptuous attitude.

Bottom-line, Gibbs confirmed what we've generally believed and been saying. The White House attitude is totally unacceptable. We have to take more powerful, more dramatice steps to show them that they can't get away with it, that the price will be far too high.



More at the link ---

[dmallind]

1. Actually he told what the WH thinks of nuts who believe Obama=Bush

That and Progressives are two parts of a Venn diagram that barely touch each other.

[Vincardog]

2. Some real progressives believe that Obama= TOO many of Bush POLICES. I am one of them

[zipplewrath]

4. Or Canandian health care

Or getting rid of the DoD.

No one one can really tell who the heck he was talking about.

He even mentioned Kucinich.

But I notice you only focused on one part of his target. Why is that?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. FISA, PATRIOT, WAR CRIMES, CONTRACTOR FRAUD

AFGHANISTAN

pray tell, how is Obama different on those issues?

Or how about health care reform? he caved in on every issue in hopes of getting one, just one, GOP vote. once he dropped all the good stuff, they STILL refused to vote for it. so, why didn't he put that stuff back?

[jgraz]

6. Only problem: those people don't exist

I defy you to find ONE SINGLE PERSON who thinks Obama is equivalent to George W. Bush. Not someone who throws around "new boss same as the old" snark in response to specific policies, but someone who actually thinks that there is no difference between the two.

This is a straw man cooked up by people like Gibbsy who don't want their boss held accountable for his weak-sauce policy retreats -- and repeated on internet forums where people want to avoid actual debate.

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Obama certainly does not equal Bush

Bush could never have gotten half of the Democrats to line up in favor of the war in Afghanistan.

[Solomon]

21. No he got ALL of them standing on the capitol steps saying the

pledge of allegiance as he blasted Iraq to oblivion.

[FiveGoodMen]

22. Really? All of us?

I'm not talking about the creeps in DC.

I'm talking about the people who came here to post their rage at Bush's wars.

Half of them are defending the same wars now.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. Not true.

He stuck real health-care reform, Dennis Kucinich (representing strong libersl, but hardly far left, positions) and 'shut down the Pentagon' bullshit in the same circle as Obama=Bush. That is NOT a Venn diagram. That is classic guilt by accused association. He might as well have been waving a sheet of paper with the names of '200 communists in the State Department'.

You can't pretend he didn't say what he DID say.

[EFerrari]

12. Nope, that's just the smear. But thanks for so diligently repeating it.

[moksha]

17. That wasn't all he said. You are focusing on one part.

He was talking about liberals, make no mistake. Only part of whom think Obama is like bush.

[HereSince1628]

3. I'll assume that the folks in the WH are human and are stung

by the reality that there is a disjunction in perceptions between them and the left.
Leaders want to be followed. It hurts their feelings when their leadership is criticized.

I suspect that if you print the above, hold it in a mirror and read it, you will have the 'complete' story, because the opinions of professional leftists are easily seen as suggestions for good judgement and leadership, and a professional leftist's perception of him/rself and reaction to criticism is much the same.

[JoePhilly]

8. Too many litmus tests for you to be able to "organize" ...

From what I see on DU, there is a laundry list of positions that one must hold ... and each of those is the "top priority". Each has to be addressed first ... or faster. And when addressed, the outcome can include no compromises, no concessions.

We're tying ourselves in knots.

[geek tragedy]

10. We should prove that Gibbs is wrong when he treats us like an enemy

by actually becoming the enemy.

Brilliant work. Coordinate with Fox to undermine a Democratic administration so that it can be replaced by Republicans.

[EFerrari]

13. You're not suggesting that an informed and active electorate threatens this admiistration

are you? Or maybe you're suggesting that we should just be quiet and good like the right wing and read our faxes? What are you saying? Why would voters advocating for their position be a threat to this White House in any way?

[geek tragedy]

14. No, but the author (1) wants progressives to behave like Faux News

and (2) clearly despises the current President and his administration, as witnessed by language like "He reflected what Obama, Emanuel and the other DINO lying corporatist, bankster-suck-ups are saying behind closed doors."

[EFerrari]

15. Rob is calling for a stronger progressive lobby.

And he's right.

The rest is your interpretation.

[geek tragedy]

16. No, you're interpreting. I'm quoting.

"One thing we can start doing is reacting, as a unified progressive echo chamber, as stridently as Fox News does."

Will that include the race-baiting, lies, smears et al?

[philly_bob]

19. Who is Rob? Rob Gibbs is calling for a stronger progressive lobby? (nt)

[philly_bob]

20. Never mind. Rob is author of article linked in OP. Sorry.

[CakeGrrl]

11. Unrec because Op-Ed writer got it wrong

But it's what a lot of people on this site want to believe, so up it goes!

:eyes:

[LoZoccolo]

18. He says all this stuff about how they've got to do something and never says what.

That's leadership.