Robert Creamer: How Obama Seized the Political High Ground in Budget War (our progressive values)

[highplainsdem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/how-obama-seized-the-poli_b_849122.html

Robert Creamer
How Obama Seized the Political High Ground in Budget War
Posted: 04/14/11 10:36 AM ET

-snip-

First, Obama changed the frame of debate from the realm of policies, programs and green eye-shades into a contest between the progressive values that have always defined what is best in America and the radical conservative values of the Gilded Age.

The right always goes to political war armed with a full complement of value-based arguments and symbols. They are very good at clothing the self-interest of Wall Street/CEO class in talk about freedom and individualism and self-reliance.

We lose when we talk about policies and programs and they talk about right and wrong.

But the moment we transform the debate into a contest between progressive and radical conservative values -- between the progressive and conservative visions of the future -- we completely change the political equation.

-snip-

Brilliant analysis of the speech and President Obama's strategy, which included waiting "to seriously join the debate until after the Republican budget chair, Paul Ryan, had unveiled the details of their budget plan that lays bare the real contours of the right-wing vision for everyone to see. That allowed him to clearly contrast a progressive vision with a fully articulated Republican blueprint."

[Uncle Joe]

1. Self-delete due to technical error. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

2. I agree re: the framing, but the proof will be in the pudding.

Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, highplainsdem.

[The Magistrate]

3. Seized It He May Have Done, Sir, But He Will Have To Fight Like The 20th Maine To Hold It....

[highplainsdem]

4. Yes, he will. But at least he has seized it, with a much better speech than I expected.