The Third Way is "concerned" about all this populist talk

[marmar]

MIAMI (AP) — When former GOP Gov. Charlie Crist announced he'd run as a Democrat for his old job in 2014, Democratic leaders rejoiced at the prospect of a pragmatic candidate who could win back centrist Republicans and independent voters who had soured on incumbent Rick Scott.

But Crist is taking a hard turn left as his campaign begins to take shape.

He has embraced President Barack Obama's health care law even as many Democrats distancing themselves from it. He supports efforts to legalize medical marijuana and to overturn the gay marriage ban he initially backed. He has called for an increase in the minimum wage, something he once voted against.

"Tallahassee is out of control," he told hundreds of supporters in declaring his candidacy. "The voice of the people has been silenced by the financial bullies and the special interests."

.....(more).....

Matt Bennett, a co-founder of the centrist Democratic group Third Way, warned that "us-versus-them, people-versus-powerful rhetoric" could hurt Democrats in the most contested states. .....................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/08/charlie-crist-campaign_n_4751598.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037

[MADem]

1. Good grief--I thought people were accusing Obama of being "Third Way."

I don't understand all this parsing. I have never heard of this Matt Bennett guy, either--I guess he thinks his opinions count more than they perhaps do.

I think Charlie Crist simply knows what sells in his own state. He's not a carpetbagger from elsewhere. He knows what goes, and he's been around the track on both sides of the aisle, so he is wired into the scene better than most.

He's plainly a guy with enough experience in the public arena to understand the power and utility of polling on the issues, certainly. His platform is no doubt crafted around the results of those efforts.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. That's what I thought to MADem

If embracing Obama's ACA and supporting the equal rights of the GLBT communitys is a hard turn left - where does that leave us political keyboard warriors at DU? I've been convinced that the end of DADT was a third way effort - per DU.

[TheKentuckian]

4. I don't go to California every time the GPS says that I'm going west.

It doesn't even have to mean Crist is left at all, just that he has made a pivot from some previous positions. Duh...He has to draw somewhat of a different crowd to the polls now, no matter how wonderful his MiddleMan cred is.

[Enthusiast]

92. If he was at all reasonable he would have secretly held those views all along.

Not on the ACA, of course, but on the other issues. Not defending Crist here. But just add one letter and you have Christ.

[marble falls]

6. If it does, please call me turned hard left.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Matt Bennett is the Sr VP for Public Affairs at Third Way

http://www.thirdway.org/staff/3

About Us
"Third Way represents Americans in the “vital center” — those who believe in pragmatic solutions and principled compromise, but who too often are ignored in Washington.

Our mission is to advance moderate policy and political ideas. Our agenda includes: a series of grand economic bargains...etc'
http://www.thirdway.org/about_us

[Oilwellian]

12. Yes, grand bargains like cutting Social Security and Medicare

It's so centristy and moderate these days.

Crist has run as a Republican, Independent and now a Democrat. I smell an opportunist who will say anything to regain power. It's what the Third Way does.

[sabrina 1]

78. And War, they LOVE war and Wall St. They think they fool people by not being

overly concerned about what they view as 'left' issues, women's issues and Gay Rights. But when necessary, depending on how those issues affect their views on war and money, they can be 'flexible'.

They need to take a look at what has happened to the 'vital middle' since they infiltrated the Dem Party and demonstrated to the average working class person the results of their Right Wing policies when both parties are pushing them.

Because things have changed since they surfaced several years ago with their Heritage Foundation policies we have now been victimized by.

[Jackpine Radical]

111. You're exactly right…errr, Correct, that is.

(One of the great logical flaws of the English language is that "right" and "correct" are synonyms. How gauche. Or should I say "sinister?&quot

Anyway, my little language rant aside, issues like abortion, guns, gay rights, Jesus Freakery, etc. are irrelevant to the corporations. They are useful only insofar as they have value in helping some wingnut somewhere beat out a true progressive, or (flipped on their head) help a Turd Wayer appear "liberal." They are sops thrown to the masses to convince them that the politicians are "On Their Side" even though they are really only on the side of the people who bought them.

[paleotn]

22. Their purpose....

...is to kill government benefits softly and quietly, not making nearly as much fuss as those rascally Rethuglicans, but the goals are the same. In the end, grandma and grandpa still end up existing on cat food due to a lack of retirement savings, caused by economic issues beyond their control. It's the same reich wing horse shit dressed up in a softer, prettier package.

[Laelth]

61. +1. n/t

-Laelth

[suffragette]

65. + 1,000

And here in Washington state, we've had some of these changelings call themselves Democrats long enough to get elected, using money the state Democrats gave them, then turn around and help the state Republicans stage a coup to take over state government.
Under any name, their main goal is doing just what you noted in your post.
It's beyond disgusting.

[closeupready]

70. That is absolutely spot-on.

+100000.

[sulphurdunn]

27. "Radical centrists?"

[Bluenorthwest]

34. That's what they claim. I posted a link because so many on DU pretend Third Way

is a made up insult and not an actual organization. They are in essence Reagan Republicans 2014.
Third Way language is rife on DU, where folks think saying 'pragmatic' excuses all manner of wrongs. It was 'pragmatic' until recently to oppose marriage equality in favor of civil unions 'for at least a few decades, it is all that is possible' they'd say 'that's just pragmatic realism'.

[closeupready]

72. Christine Quinn was a 'pragmatic' Dem, and lost to populist DiBlasio big time.

I think Quinn is probably a good Democrat most of the time, but I confess I enjoyed seeing the unabashedly left-wing candidate win resoundingly, putting paid to the truth that liberals can win big by turning left.

And frankly, I think DiBlasio's election (from basically nowhere) is encouraging others with left-leaning sympathies.

[RC]

53. Yes, when you claim a Democratic center, that is to right of main stream Republicans, it sure is.

When you have people (here on DU even) claiming Hillary Clinton is to the Left of Barack Obama and both are Left wing Liberals, you know the 3rd Way, New Democrats, have succeeded at totally mucking up the political landscape.

[VanillaRhapsody]

79. SHE is! You don't have to believe it....go see for yourself

Barack Obama..

http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm

Hillary Clinton..

http://www.ontheissues.org/hillary_clinton.htm

[RC]

83. Out of 212,084 DU user registrations, you are the only one so far that seems to think so.

It they are Liberal, Where does Alan Grayson stand on the political landscape? How about Bernard Sanders? Elizabeth Warren? Or even my own congress critter, Emanuel Cleaver, for that matter.
If Obama and Hillary are Liberal, those others must be way off the left side of the map.

Both Obama and Hillary are corporatist. That does not make them liberal. That makes them 3rd Way, "Centralist" The problem is that too many people consider the center as being the dividing line between the Democrats and the Republicans. There is no real dividing line. It is a mushy grey area, where you can't tell the (D)'s from the (R)'s without a score card. The real political center in this country has been all but abandoned by the Democratic leadership. That ain't where the money is. Out Democratic leadership is on the Right side of Center, where the money is.
My graphic is much more accurate than the two you put up.

[VanillaRhapsody]

84. well sorry...I have proof to back me up....

On the issues she IS. The issues are all there for you to peruse yourself and after that only the truly myopic could possible see it that way if they don't look at the proverbial Big Picture.

I did support Hillary first BECAUSE she was more Liberal.....but then Obama got the Primary and I supported him in the election.

[RC]

85. Does this sound like a liberal?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024470502

[VanillaRhapsody]

86. THAT is a perfect example of MYOPATHY....thanks for proving my point!

[RC]

87. What point?

That Obama is for Trans-Pacific Partnership, so that makes it something we want and need?

[VanillaRhapsody]

100. the point? Myopathy!

That is NOT the only issue is it?

[RC]

103. "Myopathy" A disease of muscle or muscle tissue???

What? You are making even less sense than you usually do.

[VanillaRhapsody]

104. Myopia....bad vision...

: a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye resulting especially in defective vision of distant objects
2
: a lack of foresight or discernment : a narrow view of something
— my·o·pic adjective
— my·o·pi·cal·ly adverb

Now who is not making sense?

Guess I often make more sense then you give me credit for huh?

[RC]

105. I copied and pasted the word you used, from your post, into my America Heritage Dictionary.

And came up with that definition.
That was your word, that you used several times.


myopically is not related to Myopathy

[VanillaRhapsody]

107. But when you are using it to describe a disease that multiple people have contracted..

That's a pathology...thus myopathy...

[RC]

109. You are not seeing the "ic' in one word and not the other?

Obviously. It makes a difference.
As you seem to be selective in seeing certain other facts too.

[VanillaRhapsody]

110. Okay ...Myopic"pathy"....does that work for ya?

[Lasher]

95. What he doesn't sound like is a populist.

OnTheIssues uses four quadrants in their graphic: liberal, conservative, populist, and libertarian. According to them Obama is a centrist liberal. On average, the Democratic party consists of populist leaning liberals.

[VanillaRhapsody]

101. Because if you actually looked at the graph....you could answer your own question...

[Lasher]

113. I'm not sure OnTheIssues properly accounts for populist views.

Consider this definition at their website:

Populist or progressive view: typically focusing on local solutions instead of federal action, on decentralizing power, and on religion as the basis for societal good.

http://www.ontheissues.org/Background_Principles_+_Values.htm

This is so far off base, I wonder if they meant this description to go somewhere else. Populism is a philosophy of supporting the people against the wealthy elite.

[pampango]

96. Interesting results for Rand Paul, Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush and Sarah Palin.

...........................Rand Paul:


...........................Paul Ryan:


...........................Jeb Bush:


...........................Sarah Palin:

[VanillaRhapsody]

102. Seems to have them pretty much covered.

[Romulox]

25. "Third Way" is both a concept and a brand name.

It's like saying he's "middle-of-the-road", and you getting outraged because there's a cafe that goes by the same name. Both uses are still valid.

[MADem]

69. There are some people here who can't distinguish the difference.

Or if they can, they pretend they can't, and they stir the pot with phony accusations and insinuations.

[TheMathieu]

48. President Obama has never aligned himself with Third Way.

It's a dishonest and ridiculous meme meant to divide Democrats.

That’s why it was so surprising that the day before Obama’s speech hosted by the Center for American Progress, Third Way’s Jon Cowan and Jim Kessler declared economic populism “a dead end for Democrats.” They argue that messages about income inequality are overly idealistic and claim that the progressive economic agenda doesn’t excite voters outside of midnight blue districts. Of course, they ignore that it was a populist message about reducing inequality that won Obama reelection just over a year ago.

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115941/washington-centrists-dont-want-focus-inequality-theyre-wrong

[socialist_n_TN]

57. "It's a dishonest and ridiculous meme meant to divide Democrats"..........

Expound on this if you please. Is there or is there not a "Third Way" organization that claims to be part of the Democratic Party? Does Barack Obama find himself in agreement with the Third Way Dems on issues? Seems to me like the Democrats are already divided. Just like the Republicans BTW. Not a call out, just want to know where you stand on the issues that do divide the Dems.

Welcome to DU BTW.

[Laelth]

62. I second this request for clarification. n/t

-Laelth

[Walk away]

99. I agree with you on many issues and I am not a Socialist.

Apparently, that's not pragmatic enough for some people.

[MADem]

68. Well, I am not sure if you're speaking to "the crowd" or me.

If you're speaking to me, my petit-snark apparently wooshed right over your head. My remarks were directed at the people here who insist that Obama is a corporate-Third Way-sellout who eats babies for breakfast, cackles with glee at the prospect of war, beds down with Kochs while kneeling at the feet of "banksters," and conspires with Boehner to fuck over hard working Americans as a matter of routine.

Of course it's not true, but that doesn't stop people from making shit up.


If you're educating the audience, fair point. Bill Clinton, as your article notes, also understood that issues like jobs and paychecks and opportunity cross party lines.

[Oilwellian]

81. That's interesting

Considering he told the New Democrat Coalition he was a New Democrat.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19862.html

It's quite obvious to anyone who's been paying attention that Obama campaigned with a populist message, but has lead with a neoliberal agenda. No populist would have ever supported cutting Social Security and Medicare.

[Phlem]

93. C'mon with the history and facts.

We just make stuff up don't cha know.



-p

[cantbeserious]

3. The Oligarchs, Corporations And Banks Own And Control The Parties That Own And Control Politics

eom

[jtuck004]

7. Too bad they aren't concerned about the 50 million families on food stamps they just

took food away from, the ten million foreclosed on and thrown in the street by their bankster buddies, the 100 million being denied opportunity while the wealthier are made wealthier.

It's so much more pragmatic to throw people under the bus than help them aboard.

[xchrom]

8. Fuck their Concern. nt

[Alkene]

13. +1 n/t

[arthritisR_US]

97. +2. nt

[monmouth3]

9. I look forward to voting for Charlie..n/t

[bemildred]

10. Yeah, "I can feel their pain."

They better get used to it, there is no political room on the right, and the left is wide open and begging to be exploited.

[RC]

54. Time for this again:

[on point]

66. This is the literal graphic truth. The center to moderate left not represented

The right powers that be had better come back to the center (right direction) instead of moving to and supporting the far right ( wrong direction) before the country blows up on them and they end up even worse off,.

This means restoring taxes on wealthy to pay down their acts of theft such as supply side tax cuts for wealthy

[bvar22]

88. DURec for this graphic.

A perfect representation of the current political spectrum in America,
and the Democratic party's ever to the Conservative Right drift over the last 30 years.

Why should I embrace the same policies I worked to defeat back in the 80s?

[libdem4life]

106. Spot on. Kudos for Crist. Maybe it's just DU, but seems there's a lot more coming out of the

Center Left...Sanders, Warren, Grayson, Crist, DiBlasio, Booker. Also LGBT rights are gaining some ground. For once there is Some encouragement. We have to celebrate every little gain.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. I'm concerned about bias in AP reporting

The language used in that piece seems to constantly denigrate anything vaguely left of centre, and praise the centre or right:

"Crist is taking a hard turn left " (which consists of supporting the centrist, Heritage Foundation-originated Obamacare healthcare compromise, and popular medical marijuana and gay marriage - but that's 'hard')

"He has embraced President Barack Obama's health care law even as many Democrats distancing themselves from it." - Are many Democrats distancing themselves from Obamacare? Which ones? I think this is actually a lie.

"He has called for an increase in the minimum wage, something he once voted against" - the 'flip-flopper' argument

"In seizing on the issues and rhetoric animating activists" 'seizing' is a negative word. 'Rhetoric' tends to be negative these days too.

"whether his new party's ascendant liberal wing is gaining momentum or overreaching" - 'overreaching' is negative too.

"His appeals to economic populism could be particularly potent, with Florida voters identifying the economy as their chief concern this year." - OK, that's positive ...

"Still, Crist's approach concerns some Democrats." ... but it's immediately torn down with the concern trolling the OP highlights.

"""us-versus-them, people-versus-powerful rhetoric" could hurt Democrats in the most contested states. "That will work with a slice of the base, but that will not resonate with the kind of swing voters " - but 'us' is always identified as a sizeable majority - up to 99%. Swing voters are always in the 'us' category. Here we see that 'rhetoric' is considered bad.

"Liberals such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren favor an aggressive populist approach over the centrist economic strategy that President Bill Clinton used to revive a moribund party two decades ago." - 'aggressive' is negative, but centrism 'revives'.

"Republicans say such moves jeopardize economic gains in a fragile recovery. They would streamline regulations and provide training and education initiatives benefiting the private sector." - what Republicans say is not disputed. 'Streamlining' is positive; the writer did not use a word like 'cut'. He asserts, not in quotes, that their initiatives would have benefit.

Then we get 4 paragraphs laying out Scott's policies in positive terms, but saying that the voters are apparently ungrateful.

"unaffiliated voter. "I don't believe in handouts, but the divide is getting bigger between the haves and have-nots."" - so an unaffiliated voter would seem to support a higher minimum wage - it's not a 'handout', because it goes to people working, and it's a move to make employers pay their basic employees enough to actually live - if they want a functioning human to work for them, then they need to pay for that. But, although this proves the Third Way "that will not resonate with swing voters" claim is BS, this hasn't been put near that in the article, where the refutation would be more obvious.

"Crist's platform also helps him boost his standing with skeptical activists in his new party and endears him to wealthy Democratic donors. But some voters aren't as sold on that kind of economic populism."

'Activists' and 'wealthy donors' are the baddies here, and Crist is said to appeal to them. But 'voters aren't sold'. No mention at all in this article that "Crist Tops Florida's Scott On Almost Every Measure, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Voters See Crist Better On Top Priority - Economy", or "UF poll: Floridians interested in governor’s race; Crist leads Scott by seven points". Seems those swing voters like Crist, including on the economy - not just gay marriage and medical marijuana.

Then we have a quote from a small-business owner, apparently to represent the 'not sold' view. But again, it says "You want people to have a drive and not hang on to the free stuff they get. But I would also like to see some options for the poor." A minimum wage rise is not 'free stuff'. Crist is not proposing 'free stuff'.

The final 3 paragraphs grudgingly acknowledge a minimum wage rise is popular with everyone (even a majority of Republicans, the Quinnipac poll shows). But they've run with the 'concern' headline, and pushed that to the front, while the wishes of the Florida voters appear several paragraphs after quoting Scott saying it's a 'lie' to say it would help people. There's no quote from any Democrat to say that a rise would help people.

[jsr]

14. ^ This should be an OP.

[Armstead]

16. Its a badly written article

The second half undercuts the first half and headline.

It seems the writer was trying to do too much in a very little space, and oversimplified a lot of things to become distortions.

[Eleanors38]

21. MSM is no friend of popular change or of progressive policies.

[sulphurdunn]

31. Estute observations

AP reporting is a synonym for bias.

[socialist_n_TN]

36. I didn't expect anything else muriel.........

Establishment rags will always slant articles to favor the 1% OR write in such a way in an attempt to dissipate anger generated by the people because of the class war being waged against them. And these establishment venues are DEATHLY afraid of left populism because, by it's very nature, left populism calls into doubt the entire neo-liberal economic edifice that's been built up since Reagan.

And this goes for Internet based establishment media outlets too. This type of slant is par for the course.

[L0oniX]

42. Seen enough of their reframing language to not take them at their word anymore.

[pa28]

63. The writer also casts economic populism as being about handouts and "free stuff".

Not economic justice and a level playing field. That's a common misconception conservatives make whether accidental or deliberate.

[closeupready]

73. AP's DC bureau was run by Bushbot Ron Fournier until recently.

That should tell most people all they need to know about AP.

[arthritisR_US]

98. Excellent points, every single one of them!

[DeSwiss]

15. ....

Matt Bennett, a co-founder of the centrist Democratic group Third Way, warned that "us-versus-them, people-versus-powerful rhetoric" the truth could hurt Democrats in the most contested states.............

- /fixed

[Armstead]

17. bingo

[Scuba]

18. This reminds me of Wisconsin. A far, far-right Governor running against a "moderate" ...

Does anyone trust Christ? What's to stop him from turning back to his roots once elected?

[Eleanors38]

24. Not much trust, but it's a pig-f______ contest in Tally.'

[L0oniX]

46. TPTB plan A. Far right candidate vs a moderate (centrist 3rd way sell out)

[jsr]

19. GOP Donors and K Street Fuel Third Way’s Advice for the Democratic Party

http://www.thenation.com/blog/177437/gop-donors-and-k-street-fuel-third-ways-advice-democratic-party

GOP Donors and K Street Fuel Third Way’s Advice for the Democratic Party
Lee Fang on December 3, 2013 - 4:25 PM ET

Buried inside the annual report for Third Way is a revelation that the group relies on a peculiar DC consulting firm to raise half a million a year: Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart. Peck Madigan is no ordinary nonprofit buckraiser. The group is, in fact, a corporate lobbying firm that represents Deutsche Bank, Intel, the Business Roundtable, Amgen, AT&T, the International Swaps & Derivatives Association, MasterCard, New York Life Insurance, PhRMA and the US Chamber of Commerce, among others.

The two organizations complement each other well. Peck Madigan signs as a lobbyist for the government of New Zealand on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal; Third Way aggressively promotes the deal. Peck Madigan clients push for entitlement cuts, and so does Third Way.

Notice that Humana, a major health insurance company, lists its $50,000 donation to Third Way not as a donation to a think tank but as part of its yearly budget spent on lobbying activity, up there with the Florida Chamber and other trade associations. The company views financial gifts to Third Way as part of its strategy for increasing its profit-making political influence.

What’s more, Third Way’s leadership has tenuous connections to the Democratic Party it hopes to shape. Daniel Loeb, a hedge fund manager listed as a trustee on Third Way’s 2012 annual disclosure, bundled $556,031 for Mitt Romney last year. Third Way board member Derek Kaufman, another hedge fund executive, also gave to Romney.

[socialist_n_TN]

37. Anyone surprised? eom

nm

[cprise]

38. +100

Rec'ing this thread because of these good responses...

[dreamnightwind]

51. +1, thanks for that! eom

[sulphurdunn]

20. I congratulate Mr. Bennett

of Third Way for declaring unequivocally that minimum health care reform, civil rights and living wages are "us-versus-them, people-versus-powerful rhetoric" because that's exactly what they are, and clarifies exactly with whom Mr. Bennett and other so-called centrist democrats stand. Thank you Mr. Bennett.

[L0oniX]

47. Sounds like push back against OWS.

[ctsnowman]

23. It's hard

for me to get excited about a Democrat who was a republican two years ago. Anyone who was a republican after seeing what Bush did... just f'n great.

[Eleanors38]

26. Fla is just one example of the burned-out shell of Democratic Party

state organizations which make it EASY for ANYONE to just quit-claim party membership & run for office. There ain't nuttin' else!

[L0oniX]

49. Florida political demographics are city = Dem and country = repuke...

That's why you have Dems looking to the I-4 corridor although Miami is rather swing IMO and I think today it is more Dem than repuke.

[Bluenorthwest]

35. Not just a Republican, but a Republican who said Palin was more qualified to be

President than Obama or Biden. He also stood on stages with her shouting 'drill here, drill now'.

[ctsnowman]

82. Stop.

It's even worse than I thought.

Peace to you.

[PowerToThePeople]

28. third way is gop. fuck them. n/t

[Coyotl]

74. Divisiveness, the sure-fired formula for election failure.

Thanks a heap for working their formula on us.

[PowerToThePeople]

75. We need to purge them before the election cycle.

Now is the time.

[Coyotl]

76. No, we need to purge your attitude, and accept diversity. Open your eyes

[PowerToThePeople]

77. Accept diversity = Accept GOP ideas

No thank you.

[jwirr]

29. Like the rethugs they are afraid of democracy = the rule of the people.

[The Wizard]

30. It is us against them

and the sooner we treat the bigots and crooks as bigots and crooks the more successful we become. Anyone thinking they can find common ground with the radical fringe hasn't been paying attention. The Republican Party has been seized by a band of bigoted lunatics who disdain reason and science. It must be destroyed, not coddled. We fought, and won the Civil War because of these pricks. We thought we defeated them in 1945.
The Republican Party is a toxic stew that does not deserve to be on equal footing with normal Americans.

[another_liberal]

32. Third Way is a shill for the GOP.

We finally look likely to start returning to our progressive roots as as the Party of Labor, Education and Equal Rights, only to have those sell-outs try to take us to the middle-right of American politics (calling it middle of the road, of course).

Screw Bennett and the elephant he rode in on.

[brooklynite]

40. So, which Republicans shouldd we drum out of the Democratic Party?

James Clyburn

John Dingell

Ron Kind

Joseph Crowley

Jared Polis

Thomas Carper

Claire McCaskill

Mark Udall

Jeanne Shaheen

Kay Hagan

Chris Coons

This kind of ideological intolerance is why the Republican Party is doing so well...

[another_liberal]

43. The Republican Party is doing well?

What alternate universe is that happening in? Have you not looked at the national polls in the last year?

If the Republican Party is currently "doing well," let's hope they do even better, and disappear from the national scene entirely.

[brooklynite]

45. um...that was my sarcastic point.

[another_liberal]

52. That sarcasm still escapes me.

Last edited Sun Feb 9, 2014, 03:17 PM - Edit history (2)

I reread your post several times. Where, exactly, is the sarcasm?

[L0oniX]

50. LMFAO "Republican Party is doing so well" in the Twilight Zone

This kind of ideological intolerance is why the Republican Party is doing so well...

[RC]

55. You can add Heidi Heitkamp

Sellout North Dakota

[stillwaiting]

33. k&r for 3rd way kochroaches being exposed to the light. nt

[socialist_n_TN]

39. This is interesting to me because I've been advocating.......

for left populist campaigns for Democrats in Tennessee for 3 or 4 years now, so this should be a test case to see how well it works in a centerish type of state. In Tennessee or Kansas, IMO, it would make even more sense because you have less to lose. You're ALREADY marked down for defeat, so you might as well try something different. But this is Florida which, in spite of it's local idiocy at times, trends more left than other southern states.

We'll see how it goes. Oh yeah, watch the voter suppression and election stealing brigades of the RW. If Crist looks like he going to be getting a lot of traction out of the left populist rhetoric, they'll get even MORE desperate to discredit that message and pull out all the stops legal and illegal.

Not that I think any of this will really work. I am a revolutionary socialist after all. You can't vote in a massive systemic change in a system that's hard wired to do what it's doing. The best you can do is nibble around the edges with electoral politics. But left reformism is a step in the consciousness raising that's needed to be able to bring about the necessary transformation.

[SHRED]

41. "President Barack Obama's health care law" is now "hard left"? WTF?

[TheMathieu]

44. Earth to Matt Bennett, Earth to Matt Bennett...

Democrats only needed you when they couldn't win on the populist message.

The times are changing.

You can fuck right off.

[sendero]

60. Exactly..

..... this doofus doesn't like populism, BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO PUT HIM AND HIS JACKASS CRONIES OUT OF WORK.

It's not an "if" any more, it is a "when". The right and all of their apologists have FAILED, the entire economic malaise we are in is on THEIR HEADS, they got their damned deregulation and their tax cuts and most Americans got screwed, and what is scary to them is that hungry people don't BUY THE LIES any more.

The proof is in the pudding as they say - the results speak for themselves. Reaganomics is an ABYSMAL FAILURE.

[Coyotl]

56. Divisiveness is the real concern in my view. Embrace the Big Tent if you want your voice heard too.

Or, be divisive and have no influence, not to mention aiding the other party's goals.

[socialist_n_TN]

59. Yeah, how'd that "Big Tent" work out for single payer advocates?.........

I don't even recall getting a hearing from the PTBs of BOTH parties on that little item. Quite frankly, left voices DO NOT get "heard" on issues of policy. It's hard to win an issue if nobody in power even talks about it.

[Coyotl]

64. Really well for many who are now insured and were not before.

[liberal_at_heart]

67. and what are you going to tell all those people once they start filing for

bankruptcy because they couldn't afford the 20% of their medical bills which can add up to thousands and thousands of dollars? Are you going to tell them to shut up and just be grateful to have insurance?

[NuclearDem]

58. "as his campaign begins to take shape."

Pretty much all you need to know there. Populist in the campaign, Third Way in office.

[jsr]

71. Winning formula.

Populist in the campaign, corporatist in office.

[1000words]

80. Is Hillary getting concerned?

Good.

[bvar22]

89. In order to defeat Republicans, we must become Republicans!!!

The 3rd Way/"New Democrats"/ Pragmatic Centrists have it ALL figured out.

[font size=3]3rd Way Centrism.... because it is so damned EASY!
You don't have to actually STAND for ANYTHING,
and get to insult those who DO![/font]

[Douglas Carpenter]

90. the whole idea that wildly popular policies would harm Democrats and unpopular policies would win

over swing voters is just downright nutty

[Rex]

91. I love watching Obamacare spread and help people by the millions.

It is disgusting watching anyone disparage a system that will now separate the worker and employee relationship from health. I've always hated how the boss held an insurance policy over my head. Hated and resented it.

Socialism works. Fuck those that hate a system that helps the working poor.

[frwrfpos]

94. kicking and reccing

much more important post than mine

[woo me with science]

108. K&R

[Progressive dog]

112. The headline made me think that this was an attempt to portray

the President as third way. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it's about how supporting the ACA and increases to the minimum wage are too far left for states like Florida.

[mmonk]

114. I don't give a frack about their concern.

I've been too busy marching in the streets of Raleigh last year and this year because chickencrats won't take the GOP on in any real way.