“Why the f*** is President Obama getting this much s*** from his own team?”

[impik]

A truly must read from John Cole:

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2010/10/07/you-are-blind-as-a-bat-and-i-have-sight/

[krispos42]

1. Why the fuck are the Republicans getting so much from President Obama?

:shrug:

There's a relationship there somewhere.

[27inCali]

14. what has he given the Republicans pray tell?

list it out for me where the Repigs got anything they wanted out of him.

[JamesA1102]

20. Don't confuse the demagogues with facts. nt

[krispos42]

24. Public option killed in the cradle.

Reduced stimulus spending, increased "stimulus" tax cuts, Medicare Part D has not been addressed, Van Jones got canned, Gitmo is still open, the people that ordered torture like Cheney are effectively immune, and enablers like John Yoo have effectively been granted a pardon. And how about letting the wealthy's tax cuts expire as intended when they were passed?

[Radical Activist]

39. In your opinion

when Obama supports something, actively works for it, and Congress doesn't do it, does that qualify as Obama giving something to the Republicans?

[krispos42]

42. In this hypothetical, I would answer "no".

The Gitmo thing was Congress being all weak-kneed. Obama, however, didn't fight for the public option or against the "stimulus" tax cuts, for example.

[Milo_Bloom]

41. +1

[treestar]

2. It ticks me off that he gets so much crap from his own team

That never happens to Republicans.

[Winston Wolf]

10. Yes, That Never Happens to Republicans...

...For two main reasons that come to mind.

REASON I. Republicans and their supporters don't question anything. Ever. They just accept the shit sandwich we've been given and say, "This is as good as it gets, 'Merica, love it or leave it." Just like a true, lock-step fascist would do.

REASON II. Republicans don't attack their base openly, if ever. They use their bases inherent fears and ignorance by courting them, and then never deliver.

EXAMPLE FOR REASON II: How long have those right wing bastards been pushing for an overturning of Roe v. Wade, and they still haven't gotten it, even with Reagan, Bush Senior, and Shrub?

Unlike Republicans, we love this country and our President in a different way. We want him to succeed, and instead of blindly following him, we try to criticize him in a constructive manner.

Some just do it with a little more venom than needed. But hey, I don't expect/demand the most positive of attitudes from people who are/have been getting fucked for a while now by...

Unemployment
Horrible Health Insurance Companies
Horrible Banksters
Horrible Military Industrial Complex
Horrible Discrimination
(INSERT CONSISTENT ISSUE LIBERALS HAVE TAKEN ISSUE WITH THAT HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED HERE)

(edited for spelling/grammer)

[27inCali]

17. I think that's a pretty solid breakdown

hey,I'm unhappy about some stuff -there are plenty of places where Democratic leaders have got it wrong and need to be told. But a lot of things I hear Obama being accused of here on a supposedly Democrat site are just fucking nuts and have no basis in facts and overtime it gets irritating because I am a Liberal and love to use logic and facts and there is soooo little of any of that in what they are saying - It's just pissed off people looking for an easy scapegoat.

[treestar]

21. Amen. Most of the crap we read here is just irrational.

[treestar]

22. So being unemployed makes people so upset, they shoot themselves in the foot

By blaming the party that tries to help them to the aid of the party that would leave them out in the cold.

I don't think so lowly of most unemployed people.

[Winston Wolf]

34. Either You...

...did not take the time to carefully read what I posted, or you are intentionally mis-characterizing what I posted. It doesn't look good either way.

I never said I think low of the unemployed. Those were your words, not mine.

That was just one of many reasons I listed as to why one could be upset, and not use the most civil of terms in their discourse. People that are upset/frustrated with someone/something are perhaps not the most civil.

You know, like the way you attacked me by insinuating that I think lowly of the unemployed, something I never said, nor thought.

I myself, am unemployed. I can understand being frustrated trying to find a job, because I have experienced those frustrations. I do not direct my frustrations at the current administration, because I sincerely believe President Obama would do more to get the economy back on its feet if he could.

However, when one is constantly trying to find a job in an economy that doesn't want to hire, one might just start to get frustrated. And, at times, those frustrations can be directed at the party in power, especially if one sees the current party in power as doing little to nothing to better their situation.

Not everyone sees the current state of affairs in such binary terms.

I personally know many who are so disillusioned with what happened under the Bush Administration, and are so horribly misinformed, that they direct their anger at the current administration instead of focusing that frustration against the true enemy - REPUBLICAN BRAND FASCISM.

Please, if you would like to have a discussion, and not talk past one another, either take the time to think about what you're posting in response, or do not intentionally mis-characterize what I posted. Snarky remarks are not helpful concerning our fight against Tea-Partying Fascists.

[dionysus]

23. just because you are a character, doesnt mean you have character.

[Winston Wolf]

35. It's your future...

...I see a, cab ride. Lots of luck gentlemen.

[Kweli4Real]

29. Sure they do ...

"REASON II. Republicans don't attack their base openly, if ever."

I'm sure you have read the many, many instances reported and discussion on this and other left-leaning sites, where republican bigwigs refer to the base as unsophisticated "rubes" and act completely dismissively toward them. (Refer to Luntz's strategy memos).

The difference is: 1) the republican base doesn't react as the left "base" does ... the right, for reasons that your mention in your Reason I, ignores, doesn't hear/understand, or doesn't care about the republican leadership's characterization of them; whereas, the left's feeling get hurt ... and we can't wait to tell any and everyone who will listen, especially the media, that our feelings are hurt. And 2) the left's criticisms of its "leadership" is amplified by the media; whereas, the right's criticisms are squelched.

[Winston Wolf]

38. That Was My Point...

...when Republicans attack their base, they do it in private, and if its ever recorded, it's not put out there for all to see in the MSM.

And no Republican press secretary I know of openly calls for their base to be drug tested.

And no Republican Chief of Staff I know of openly calls their base "fucking retarded".

Those types of remarks don't build coalitions of the willing.

If you don't believe your bases concerns to be legitimate, or find them to be unfounded, you definitely don't use venomous remarks to explain why you believe their concerns to be illegitimate or unfounded, and you DEFINITELY don't use remarks that could be taken easily out of context and used against you by a corporate owned media who would love to see you fail.

The MSM will take any concerns, legitimate or otherwise, and distort them to fit their narrative. It seems to be a sad fact of our current political reality.

[stray cat]

3. You are blind as a bat and I have sight -yes that is the level of discourse of "progressives"

[golfguru]

4. Frustration due to

Unemployment
HCR without public option.

[27inCali]

16. I'm frustrated by these things too

but let's remember: Obama worked out a deal to get Snowe's vote for a Public Option on a trigger. WE HAD THE VOTES FOR IT. But the Uber-Progressive shat all over that, demanding that it's a full loaf of bread or everyone starves. To me, it's the Progressive's fault we don't have a PO in the works right now.

and Unemployment is ALL on the banks and elite rich that crashed the economy on purpose and refuse to invest because they are fucking Fascist pieces of shit that hate freedom. Obama is like one man against an army on that one and I can't really fault him personally for not having done more to change that situation by now, I do know that things could have been a lot worse and the main reason it isn't is his policies.

[VMI Dem]

5. "A guy who on a good day is slightly to the left of Olympia Snowe"

:rofl:

Very slightly, if at all.

[jefferson_dem]

7. Actually, you're probably closer to Olympia Snowe than Obama...

in terms of recent signature policy preferences. Let's see, she opposed Obama/Dem's health care reform. She opposed Obama/Dem's financial reform. What was your position on those?

[VMI Dem]

8. Well, they both don't think the gays should be getting married. There's a win.

:hi:

[jefferson_dem]

9. Can't argue with that.

I hate Obama's position on GLBT issues. Unforgivable. Seriously.

[Exilednight]

37. Here's the left vs right "position" ..........

A right-winger opposes Obama's health-care plan because they believe they are government out of control.

Those of us on the left that oppose Obama's health-care plan believe it doesn't go far enough.

We both might oppose the plan "as-is", but we do it because we have different positions.

[depakid]

6. Maybe because his administration's been dishing it out?

:shrug:

[demwing]

11. “Why the FUCK is President Obama GIVING this much SHIT to his own team?”

A truly MUST read, but no one has written it.


BTW, when Obama told us all we had to hold him accountable, what the hell did everyone think he meant? Blind obedience, or just a little near sightedness?

See, because I thought he was being honest, and speaking candidly. Stupid me, I should have realized it was campaign rhetoric.

[27inCali]

15. I think he expected fair criticism and activism on the issues

not the childish, illogical crap we've been hearing from the Brain Griffin Liberals.

[demwing]

19. LOL. I had to stop for a second and try to figure out what kind of an insult

"Brain Griffin" was intended as. I thought it might be related to "Brain Dead" with the word "dead" replaced by a mythological animal, perhaps as some sort of commentary on the so called impracticality of liberalism. Thank goodness it was only a typo!

But it was an insult, or at least intended as one - even though Brian Griffin is the most reasonable character on the show.

So thank you for that insult. You absolutely underscore my message, and give proof to my complaint, which is this: To those caught up in partisan fervor, ANY criticism of their team is considered rash and illogical. That's because the partisan don't care about wrong and right, they just care about short term wins and losses for the team.

I'm tired of voting AGAINST Republicans. I'm tired of short term strategies. I'm tired of playing the same damn game every four years.

I want to vote FOR something. I want a long term strategy for progressive economics and social well-being (with a little anti-corporate populism tossed into the salad), which we will NEVER get by co-opting the dead philosophies of those who are opposed to my stated goals, or by closing our eyes, plugging our ears, pointing our fingers, and insulting our allies.

And I am not alone.

You, however, think this desire is childish and illogical, and you express that frustration by comparing us to the most rational character in a cartoon full of childish and immature clowns?

Really?

I will vote Dem this year and in 2012, but not enthusiastically. I expect more from this party, and am not willing to shut up about it...

[treestar]

26. No, it's not any criticism that is rash and illogical, it's the type we

see here or on other blogs, that assume the Presidency is some kind of dictatorship or one issue podium for every single voter somehow, or can't deal with the fact Congress has power, call people cowards for working with the system as it is, etc.

[demwing]

30. You say potato

And Quayle says potatoe..

I don't see anyone here saying that Obama is a dictator, and though it's obvious that there are some people who are focused on a single issue, that doesn't HAVE to be a bad thing. Some will say that all politics are local politics. Taken to the next step, all politics are personal as well. If you are a part of the LGBT community, I can see why marriage rights and DADT might be the only damn things you ccare about right now. If others are unable to get proper healthcare, I can see why HCR reform might be the only damn thing THEY think about.

Is that wrong?

Yeah Congress has power, but so does the President. If you can't understand why working within that system is frowned upon by some of us, then you haven't been listening to our complaints that Obama ran and reneged on a promise to change to that kind of politics. You haven't heard our compliants that Obama had an ENORMOUS mandate with which to leverage Congress, and he tossed it without many tears lost, apparently.

If you don't understand why some of us are angry, then you haven't been listening to Obama and his team talk down to us, and suck up to Republicans.

I see Teabaggers acting in such a way to move their party to the right, and whether they win races or not, they are succeeding in their ultimate goal.

When will we see Dems work in a similar way, and drag our party to the left? All we've done lately is follow the Republicas and shuffle further toward the right, with the lame excuse that the right is really the center.

Do you consider the migration to the right a solid presentation of Democratic Party leadership?

Really?

[joe black]

27. What you said.

[demwing]

31. And BTW, just to show I can be reasonable by your terms

I am considering my choice between Meeks and Crist for Florida Senate.

While my heart wants to vote FOR Meeks, my head tells me to vote AGAINST Rubio - which in this race means allowing my progressive sensibilities to drop, and vote for the Moderate Conservative - Crist.

I've yet to make up my mind, and am trying to determine whether Crist is a short term win, or a long term damn against the Republican tide.

[Number23]

33. "Brain Griffin Liberals"

Could you explain, please?

[boppers]

36. It's a Family Guy episode (and a typo).

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/10/04/rush-limbaugh-family-guy/

[Number23]

43. The stupid video won't play for residents outside of the US

But the write up was helpful. Thanks for that!

[treestar]

25. Well, it is campaign rhetoric

But I'm sure he didn't mean that every single decision must be examined to see if we could find something wrong with it.

And if he supported what he said he would, then he's not accountable in a negative light - if the HCR bill had a public option and he vetoed it, that would be one thing. It's another to avoid the reality that the Congress did not pass a bill with it.

[angee_is_mad]

12. cosign 100%

the truth hurts!

[old mark]

13. Why indeed. nt

[DFLforever]

18. John Cole: the very best of the ex-Republicans

who make up the progressive blog sphere.

[Jakes Progress]

28. He keeps bunting when he needs to swing.

He keeps pat on first when he needs to steal second.

He keeps running out the clock when we are behind.

He keeps missing the free throws.

He keeps calling time out when we are on a roll.

He is not a team player. He fusses about others not supporting the team, but he is thinking of the wrong team.

[butterfly77]

32. Because a lot of them..

are bluedogs/republicons were they there through the healthcare debate,stimulus,financial reform,unemployment bill,unemployment extension bills what they did was get on tv and say "The President needs to get out there and speak more forcefully".

They would say he needs to do it this way or.. say it this way or that way. Meanwhile,I was saying "WHERE IN THE HELL ARE THE DEMOCRATS"!

The so called Dems were really republiCONS like Nelson,Nelson,Baucas,Byah,Conrad and others who held townhall meetings talking against the President and any of his policies,they ensured the teabaggers at these meetings that they would vote against him and his agenda.

[Radical Activist]

40. Yes, there is a double standard for Obama.

And yes, race is one of the reasons why.

Another is the enduring damage Bill Clinton did to divide the party. He so badly betrayed the left that many have looked for nothing but the same from Obama from day one. And some are determined to relive the Clinton betrayal even when significant progress is being made.