David Sirota - the man who single-handedly makes me infinitely less interested in reading the Seattle Times's now shrunken Monday editorial page - discusses the lament of his fellow progressives that Barack Obama isn't the great beacon on change of which they had convinced themselves. Pity that.
Sirota's encouragements to his fellow left-of-center ideologues aside, Obama really never stood for all that much in hard policy on the campaign trail. And super-ambitious people have a habit of adapting quickly to the current lay of the political land (see Clinton, Bill...well, minus the insatiable lust for other women). This is how Obama could surround himself with crazy people while enmeshed in Chicago politics, yet is now filling key leadership positions with Democratic pragmatists galore.
So, is it really any surprise that a Democratic candidate for President who fits the above profile AND who campaigned on the promise of a tax cut for a laughable "95% of Americans" really turns out to be less left-of-center than some progressives hoped?
Rich maybe, but not exactly stunning.
Posted by Eric Earling at December 01, 2008 07:56 AM | Email ThisFDR nearly wrecked our econ if it hadn't been for WWII. (the end of WWII)
Does Obama really want to follow FDR's idea's?
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 1, 2008 08:16 AMObama's own political history and background, and the actual practice of the Carter and Clinton administrations, should lead us to expect battles and challenges on a series of key issues. Those who delude themselves into believing Obama will govern from the center will be be unprepared for the battles ahead.
The new administration - Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Tom Daschle, Joe Biden - will definitely represent change - change in a left direction to be sure, but change nonetheless.
The far left may have its quibbles, but don't misread them, don't exaggerate them, and don't be in denial. The far left and the mainstream media will be cheerleaders as Obama pushes expanded government, increased taxes and spending, government-run health care, "card check" for labor union bosses, weak border security, steps toward amnesty for illegal immigrants, and the nomination of activist judges who will thwart the will of the American people.
Two points above all:
As with Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the Obama administration will harm our foreign policy, retreat before our enemies, and weaken the military.
And regarding Obama's campaign promise to cut taxes: It was bad enough I had to listen to his lies throughout the campaign. It was bad enough that McCain was ineffective in countering this lying pledge. And it was bad enough that, in the end, on the issue of taxes, Obama lied better than McCain told the truth.
Why add insult to injury? Why give credit where none is due?
Eric, you ask "is it really any surprise that a Democratic candidate for President ... who campaigned on the promise of a tax cut for a laughable '95% of Americans' really turns out to be less left-of-center than some progressives hoped?"
He hasn't even taken office yet, and you say he "turns out" to be less less-of-center?
Whatever the grumblings of some on the far left, they will like the far left agenda agenda of change - yes, change - that Obama will seek to promote.
Obama will push for government-run health care, cap and trade, an auto bailout, and environmental policies that will harm the economy. He will have the support and enthusiasm of the mainstream media, the liberal elites, and yes even the far left of the Democratic Party.
Obama will expand government and RAISE taxes.
Let's not disarm ourselves with false optimism and head-in-the-sand denial about Obama governing pragmatically, realistically, and from the center.
Posted by: Steve Beren on December 1, 2008 08:17 AMClinton moved to the right, not because of his people he brought into office. He moved when the Reps took over and they changed his direction. So Bill followed them so he could stay in office.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 1, 2008 08:37 AMThe GOP is so screwed. They are hoping beyond hope that Obama can clean up their failed trickle down policies, Reaganomics, and Bush's mess/nightmare. Even the most "outspoken" wingnut cheerleaders in the press seem to give Obama "high marks" so far. They are praying their asses off he can "save" America, and it's not too late.
The GOP's only strategy for years had been to trash Democrats, and lie about everything under the sun, while their cronies were looting our treasury, and trying to form a "Permanent Republicon Majority", and destroying our way of life in the process. They can't do that now, and it is up to the Dems to stop the carnage on Main Street. The Republicons have to "go along" with anything that Obama does now, and are scared to death to get in his way, because deep down they all know he is going to try to repair the damage THEY caused.
Their problem is made worse because America has pretty much rejected all their 6th grade level think tank tested talking points, and their fake "ideals", and their fake "family values" fraud. Every action they take HURTS families. They have NOTHING to offer. Get that. NOTHING (except hate, and division of course)
Get that. They have nothing to offer. ZERO
I don't feel sorry for the Republicons, considering all the damage their ideology of lies, and greed of the well off, has done to our country, and our standing in the world.
This pretty much sums up the comments above, but Beren's comment that Clinton "harmed" our foreign policy would make any reality based American blow coffee through their nose. I suggest Beren stays in the background, and milks money from the ruling elite, instead of making statements that are so idiotic, they are truly comical. It's not like Carter installed the Shah, and trained his minions to kill, and torture thousands a year to stay in power either.
The best hope for the GOP now is Obama cleaning up their trickle down, outsourcing is good, free trade instead of fair trade, help the rich, and screw the rest mess they have made.
You can cry all you want, but you know it's true. You just aren't willing to admit it.
All Facts Support My Positions
Posted by: All Facts Support My Positions on December 1, 2008 08:48 AMRichard Miniter, author of the book "Losing bin Laden," concurred, saying Rice played a key role in scuttling the deal that could have prevented the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.
Just remember C.H.A.N.G.E LOL
George Steponallofus is even saying the five or so day stock market increase is all Obama's doing.
He is being compared to Reagan, Lincoln, FDR and all the other dead presidents even before he assumes office.
Just because his appointees are better than rational people could have expected, let's not play dumb. We are in for it.
Take Clinton, for example. While she is SOS, Obama has a special liason between Clinton and himself. It is one of his staffers who had to quit the campaign because she called Clinton a monster. She is also antiIsrael and supports troops in Israel to counter Israelis.
And Obama warned us last week that it is he would be making decisions- not his people. Gates is a dodge till Obama's antimilitary guy is up to speed and then will takeover.
Posted by: swatter on December 1, 2008 09:06 AMThe leftist morons got hosed.... again.... because you got sold a Ferrari that you were too damned dumb to realize was a Yugo.
You would have thought that the 06 elections, where you got snookered into supporting a leftist takeover in Congress that has accomplished damned little they promised (How's that ended war in Iraq goin', eh?)but hell, no... getting idiots like you to vote for Carter-lite is like trolling a $20 through a trailer park.
You people are so conditioned that even when you do acknowledge how badly you've been screwed, you STILL won't do anything about it, because your only political persuasion is hate.
Good luck with that. And when the empty-suited, anti-American racist bigot that you morons so lovingly supported (even though no one knows anything about this clown) doesn't quite turn out to be the Lenin you were looking for... or the Stalin that he wants to be... well, maybe, finally, you will have learned something.
Gee, factless, if you only had a job that wasn't at a burger counter, you'd be worrying about "income redistribution" like the rest of us.
Or, if you'd ever set foot in uniform or have a child serving, then you'd worry about that empty suit selling us out.
But you don't... and as a leftist, you wouldn't give a rat's ass anyway.
Posted by: hinton on December 1, 2008 09:16 AMThey were way too busy looting, and giving rebates to the big corporations.
We can both agree Clinton could have done more. He, Mr. Clinton even admits he should have done more.
What has Bush admitted? It's ok. We all know he didn't lift a finger to stop a "Pearl Harbor Like Event" now don't we?
Remember the "Bin Laden Determined To...." PDB that was also ignored?
Hillary is anti Israel? Really? Wow, that's news!
Speaking of anti military guys taking over, do you know anyone more anti military (I mean troops not defense contractors) than Bush?
Posted by: All Facts Support My Positions on December 1, 2008 09:22 AMFactless. Where in the heck do you get this bull... from KOS?
I just gave you info on a woman who, when she had the info on osama she did what????????? zip.
Yes we know how bad you guys wish to forget Billy C major mistakes, but we won't.
But hey, keep trying.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 1, 2008 09:54 AMAt least Rossi got Gregoire to promise she won't raise taxes - let's see how that goes.
Posted by: ajday on December 1, 2008 10:11 AMWant to bet, say 20 bucks she well. (-:
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 1, 2008 10:14 AMHow long Emmanuel will run things is anyone's guess, but when you consider that Obama has never had to make any hard decisions, I would say several years.
Posted by: swatter on December 1, 2008 10:20 AMPicking the lady from AZ for homeland security. I would say is a bad move. Plus Susan Rice was not a good pick either.
If anything should happen here, these two ladies past well haunt Obama!
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 1, 2008 10:31 AMHow, pray, does Mr. Stephanopoulos explain today's Dow-Jones plummet of 400 points before noon? Isn't that Obama's doing too?
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on December 1, 2008 10:56 AMThere is no way that one can punish business and growth, which is what cap and trade really does, without consequnces. There will be a massive contraction.
Further, there is no way to create baseload energy supply from windmills and solar panels. And Obama wants to agressively pursue these energy sources that can't even supply electricity 24/7. What power will even left leaning companies like Google and Costco use when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing?
The US economy is based on energy. And no Obama magic can change that fact. So without abundant and low price energy, again, there will be a contraction.
Factor all of this in with the Islamic Terror that is still not going away, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which still must be dealt with, millions of Baby Boomers retiring and burdening Social Security, growing Medicare costs, and Obama's dreams of 250 Million government funded jobs and Free Healthcare for all, and you've got one HUGE imbalance that can't be solved with Hope and Change.
But let him try. There's nothing that will help the electorate wake up like a good economic flogging.
Posted by: Jeff B. on December 1, 2008 10:57 AMHe now has nominated foreign policy "hawks" I say hawks in the traditional sense (see George HW Bush not the Rumsfield and Cheney). Gates, Clinton and Jim Jones are all pragmatic hawks. Clinton voted for the patriot act (twice), the Iraq invasion and the surge and Gates helped to author the surge.
It is funny how much Obama used the hard left to win the election and how quickly he has now abandoned them. Have you heard him talk about repealing any provision of the Patriot Act? How about that "evil" wire tapping? No, in fact he now has three very high ranking cabinet members who strongly favor those provisions. He has seen the intelligence and knows that we have not allowed an attack on this country over the past 8 years because we subscribed to Jimmy Carter foreign policy.
How will he govern? remains to be seen but if his cabinet is any indication, he looks more like a pragmatist in the mold of President Clinton and not an extremist.
Posted by: JK on December 1, 2008 11:01 AMDon't forget that in Clinton's early days he was way left. Health care blow up and gays in the mill caused him to move into the center. Plus when the REP's took over he went to the right.
What Obama is going to do???? got me. The best part KOS & Huff and puff are going nuts, because of obama center move.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 1, 2008 11:41 AMTo quote AMV: "Pass the popcorn!"
Now, some FACTS for the factLESS:
Clinton (DEMOCRAT) went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.In the years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and, North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. And the Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking.
It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno (DEMOCRAT) to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation.
Fewer people died in Abu Ghraib Prison than in Ted Kennedy's Oldsmobile.
It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.
It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida !!!
Ready... set... GO Factless! do that espresso maker imitation you do so well: FROTH AND SPUTTER.
Posted by: Ragnar Danneskjold on December 1, 2008 12:04 PM
But even though I very much share many of the concerns laid out by Steve and Jeff B., I will also mount at least a minor defense of Eric's comment, where he said ''... turns out to be less left-of-center than some progressives hoped''; i.e.:
Even though Obama has not as Steve pointed out even taken office yet, he HAS now made a number of major cabinet appointments. That in itself is no guarantee of the direction and policies an Obama Administration will end up adopting over the next couple years (I'm still big-time worried), but I think it is fair to say that keeping Gates @ DOD (for awhile, at least) and appointing Retired USMC General Jim Jones as National Security advisor is considerably better than I expected so far.
But please note that the key operative phrase in my last is ''so far'': This is barely starting.
I think JK @ #19 put it pretty well (except I'm guessing the wording of the ''Jimmy Carter sentance'' didn't come out quite right).
Speaking of Gen. Jim Jones:
He has been CEO of the ''Institute for 21st Century Energy'' (affiliated with US Chamber of Commerce). See:
www.energyxxi.org/
Then especially click on the ''Policy & Resource Center'' link on the top menu bar. There is a large volume of very good, important information on this website. I've downloaded and read pretty much all of it, and the only major gripe I've got is that it still gives too much of a nod to ''climage change''. But given the radical policies being pushed by the progressives / eco-extremists and supported by the MSM, the info on this website is conservative by comparision.
If Gen. Jones can sell even a significant portion of the policies advocated by his energywwi.org website to Obama, he will (again) have served his country very well.
Anyway: My summary on this thread:
Obama's cabinet-level appointments so far are better than expected, but the jury is still out.... WAY out; and likely to stay out for some time.