It Is Time to Get on Board, Progressives!

[riversedge]

Come about--next stop--the Oval office.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-herbst/get-on-board-progressives_b_8303646.html

Bob Herbst

It Is Time to Get on Board, Progressives!


Posted: 10/19/2015 10:58 am EDT Updated: 3 hours ago


There can be no debate about the debate. Hillary Clinton completely outshined her opponents. She did her homework. She was honed and razor-sharp. And surprisingly warm, too! .........................

We progressives have had our concerns about Hillary. ........................

But after Hillary's stellar debate performance, I doubt we will hear a Presidential announcement from the VP. And it is time for some straight talk with my friends on the left side of the Democratic Party.

With the Republicans controlling the other two branches of the government, the 2016 presidential election is shaping up to be a watershed. With the entire country disgusted by the miserable state of our politics and the depth of our governmental dysfunction, the Republicans have hoisted to the top of their list three complete neophytes with no government experience at all. That may be fine for a party that hates government as an alien force, but for sensible folk who believe that government is an instrument of the people for the common good, learning to play that instrument is a professional endeavor that requires at least 10,000 hours to do well. (Thank you Malcolm Gladwell.)

After electing three Presidents with little or no Washington experience, paying them to learn and make their mistakes, we now have in Hillary Clinton a long-time Washington hand with substantial executive and legislative experience and the proven capacity to work with the increasingly endangered species of Republican actually interested in using government to accomplish something.

I know that many of our progressive hearts are with Bernie. I love his authenticity, his laser focus on the terrible inequality that besets our oligarchy today, and his ability at age 74 to get out on the stump and motivate huge numbers of Americans, young and old, to support the populist causes so dear to us. ..................





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Hillary Clinton speaks during the CNN Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday, in Las Vegas. (John Locher/Associated Press)

[whatchamacallit]

1. Buns up everyone!

FU Bob. Lol.

[Vinca]

2. Sorry, I don't view Hillary as a progressive.

If she's the nominee I'll vote for her, but my heart is still with Bernie.

[riversedge]

6. we can disagree but happy to hear

you will be at the polls come next NOV. I will also be there--whoever the Dem candidate is.

[JRLeft]

28. She's not a progressive, she's corporate, but I would vote for her to keep the cons out.

[stillwaiting]

3. BOHICA Progressives! Unrec. nt

[Armstead]

4. Different year. Same old shit.

[Hortensis]

30. :) I wish I had been here then for perspective.

What were their counterparts in the 2008/2012 calling themselves? "Progressive" seems to be a new thing. ??

[Romulox]

5. Hillary's "experience" is pandering to the powerful at the expense of the powerless. nt

[99Forever]

7. Bullshit. Hillary is a neoliberal not a progressive.

Eat a rock Bob.

[YabaDabaNoDinoNo]

8. Meh, I will pass

[peacebird]

9. Progressives ARE onboard with the true progressive in the race - Bernie Sanders!

[RiverLover]

50. +1!! /nt

[bigwillq]

10. No, thanks (nt)

[WillyT]

11. Thanks, But No Thanks...

[Fumesucker]

12. Photo caption: HRC indicates how much she cares for the vanishing middle class

[beerandjesus]

25. Hahahahaha!!

[Motown_Johnny]

42. Oh man, that was a good one.

Cruel, but directly on target.

[Art_from_Ark]

54. LOL

[djean111]

13. Borowitz? The Onion?

Manny, is that you?

[Fred Sanders]

14. One one issue, foreign affairs, Madame Secretary has earned the reputational respect of the

world, having spent four years cleaning up the mess left by Bush and Co.

The diplomatic field was as littered with corpses as the battlefields when the new-cons were done playing world police.

That, and the Big Dog back in the WH, and their world-wide Clinton Foundation, make Hillary as formidable a Presidential candidate on foreign affairs as has ever existed.

No other candidate is even in the same ballpark, as the first debate made clear.

[TheKentuckian]

48. Experience and reputation doesn't help that this is probably her worst area where her world view and

instincts are most dangerous from Iraq to Libya to Honduras to Syria to Iran she is both wrong headed and wrong as much or more than the average TeaPubliKlan.

Time after time she demonstrates poor judgment and dangerous inclinations. No she isn't ready day one and worse won't be ready in day 1,000 or any other day either because she is ideologically an interventionist, American exceptionalism believer, and instinctively reactionary in martial matters and seemingly a born loose lipped saber rattler.

No way, no how.

[Fred Sanders]

56. Clinton is like "the average Tea-publican" on foreign affairs...made me laugh!

Your average Tea-publican could not even name a tenth of the countries on a map, countries Clinton has visited as SOS and as a private citizen!

[TheKentuckian]

60. So what? I didn't say she was ignorant but rather wrong headed dangerous.

[INdemo]

15. Please list 10 reasons and/or examples why you think Hillary Clinton is a Progressive

If you can do that I will change my support to Hillary.

But the fact is saying she is a progressive doesn't make her a progressive politician.

She admitted to being moderate on a campaign swing through Ohio and one does not change to a progressive while in flight to another campaign stop.
Maybe because Hillary told the story about when she was a Senator and she went to Wall St about thier questionable dealings and she told them to "cut it out" ...Is that what qualifies her to claim her progressive stance"'

10 reasons...We're waiting

[pinebox]

16. LOL No way

Not going to happen.

[Maedhros]

17. "It's time to sell out your ideals, Progressives."

Sorry, no sale.

[Motown_Johnny]

43. "Railroaded" came to mind for me.

We are being railroaded anyways, so may as well jump on board!!!

Just what the hell are they thinking?

[Maedhros]

45. They are thinking the way Authoritarians think: everyone must submit to the Leader. [n/t]

[sadoldgirl]

18. Bob, how much access are you trying to buy

with this garbage? Even Obama refused her crazy
idea of a no-fly zone over Syria.

[McCamy Taylor]

19. NO, no. Do not ask us to "get on board." This is not the GOP. Ask us to fight for Clinton.

Clinton is at her finest when she is the object of a right wing conspiracy, fighting back with all her heart. Ask us to fight alongside Clinton. That is how you will win votes.

[TheKentuckian]

51. She is at her best when fighting for herself and protecting her access to power?

True enough but I'm not interest in an 8 year wagon circle to protect her as she feathers the nests of the vulture class and the MIC because it does jack apple shit to address the needs of poor and working class Americans.

Fight for her? When the fuck is she going to fight for us against her sponsors and patrons?

[restorefreedom]

20. shove it, bob

this is not a progressive train by any stretch, and I have no plans to board it. and cut the shit with the Bernie condescension, it's disgustingly transparent.

[kenfrequed]

21. Feel the Bern!

This is the primary season. We haven't even had a single state yet.


I do extend a welcome for you to support the most progressive candidate in a generation. Bernie Sanders represents moving back from the cliff of plutocracy and oligarchy and back towards legitimate Democracy. He represents standing up to Wallstreet.


I am sorry, but your candidate is just not strong enough in these matters.

[CharlotteVale]

22. What condescending crap. Hillary did well in a debate, so I'm

just supposed to overlook her whole record?

I don't think so.

[winter is coming]

23. Why would a progressive want to get on board with a neoliberal months before the first primary? n/t

[whatchamacallit]

24. Don't you get it?

It's all over thanks to Hillary's stellar debate performance... and that fabulous hair!!1!

[Art_from_Ark]

49. Yeah, the hair's what did it for me

When it comes to presidential politics, nothing is too superficial for me!

[HERVEPA]

26. Why don't you just cut out this crap.

[riversedge]

27. Nearly 90 Texas Democrats Throw Support [endorse] Behind Clinton

Here you go--Hillary is on a roll

Nearly 90 Texas Democrats Throw Support [endorse] Behind Clinton http://trib.it/1W1j3to #p2 #LatinosforHillary #uniteblue

[HERVEPA]

32. Doesn't mean shit. I think the voters are the ones that decide this.

Please correct me if I am incorrect.

[riversedge]

44. You are correct. But some voters are influenced if their Senator or Rep endorses

a certain candidate.

[HERVEPA]

46. very few.

[jfern]

29. Hillary is no progressive

She pled guilty to being a moderate, and will drop her phony progressive positions once she wins the nomination.

[Blue_In_AK]

31. Uh...no.

Much too soon for this " falling in line" bullshit.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

33. No.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

34. ...

[aidbo]

35. The author of this article is also wrong about the 10,000 hours thing.

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-study-destroys-malcolm-gladwells-10000-rule-2014-7

[BainsBane]

36. They should vote for whomever they want in the primary

and then support the nominee, regardless of whether she is their first choice.

[FlatBaroque]

37. Never. Never, ever.

Not in a million years.

[dreamnightwind]

39. John Paul Jones has somethign to say to you

"I have not yet begun to fight!"

Dig his keyboard playing here (ya I know):

No Quarter!

[Autumn]

40. This progressive is not about to get on that train. No way.

I have absolutely no interest in a self proclaimed moderate. That writer may think she did great but it was a no sale with me.

[Motown_Johnny]

41. Not gonna happen.

I will vote for every (D) on the ticket in 2016, just as I always do. My vote will count exactly the same as anyone else's. That is the best I can do.

She is nowhere near progressive enough for me to "get on board".

[neverforget]

47. Sideshow Bob?

[quickesst]

52. I will vote for the Democratic nominee...

...... because to do otherwise would be a betrayal of my grandchildren's future, as well as that of our country.

[Kilgore]

53. Bite Me Bob

I will never vote for anyone in whom I have no trust, and is for sale to the highest bidder.

Bottom line, Hillary makes me vomit.

Kilgore

[catnhatnh]

55. Wait Bob...

In the debate, right there on national television, she declared she is an outsider. Now you say "Hillary Clinton (is) a long-time Washington hand with substantial executive and legislative experience. Is that woman fucking LYING again???

[840high]

57. No. Thanks.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

58. Who the hell is Bob Herbst and why should I care? (n/t)

[Todays_Illusion]

59. I know what a traditional U.S. liberal Where is this offiial dictionairy definition of a progressive

To me progressive the name the lefty libertarians dreamed up as they began the take over of liberal and democratic organizations and the dialog is so full of bs and "market solutions," I wonder how they convince anyone they are anything near a liberal Democratic.


Kind of like the old Dixiecrat, bigoted, racist, xenophobic and socialism for me but not for you if you are not the right religion or race.