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thesquanderer

(12,913 posts)

67. I can think of a few more things

Thu Mar 17, 2016, 07:41 AM

Mar 2016

There are some other important things he got through despite some strong opposition, i.e.

Iran nuclear deal
economic stimulus
ending DADT
arguably some important movement on climate change

but your point is well taken, he has not really fought for much, he seems to have picked his battles carefully and sparingly.

With the Congress he has, I'm not sure what more could have been done (and he never tried Sanders' emphasis on trying to mobilize voters).

Certainly what influence he had is now ebbing away, so getting back to the court...

From one report I read, the theory is that he put forth a nominee who would at least be confirmed after the election (if a Dem were to win in November), so he is nearly assured of adding one more SC appointment to his legacy. Assuming the next president is Hillary, how sure are we that we'd get anyone better anyway?

All that being the case, what would he really have accomplished by putting forth a more progressive name?

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Highlight:

Cheering on a moderate SCOTUS choice [View all] SHRED Mar 2016 OP

Because he believes it is the best chance to get someone confirmed democrattotheend Mar 2016 #1

I'm sick of the half-a-loaf (if that) way Obama treats Progressives SHRED Mar 2016 #4

It's not just you. Le Taz Hot Mar 2016 #33

It's not just you. n/t Contrary1 Mar 2016 #35

Ring of Fire agrees with you on this SCOTUS choice earthshine Mar 2016 #49

Tell it !!!!!!!!!!!!!! SamKnause Mar 2016 #78

no guts Skittles Mar 2016 #50

yep nt grasswire Mar 2016 #53

Exactly. SamKnause Mar 2016 #77

Not just you 2pooped2pop Mar 2016 #52

It's not just you !!! SamKnause Mar 2016 #76

Replacing the most far right person with a moderate moves the court to the left. pnwmom Mar 2016 #83

With a hard-core right winger like Scalia who Hortensis Mar 2016 #87

I'm irritated at childish fussing from people who Hortensis Mar 2016 #86

Because Garland is so f'ing far to the left of Scalia they're not in the same universe. CincyDem Mar 2016 #7

"Because Garland is so f'ing far to the left of Scalia they're not in the same universe." PragmaticLiberal Mar 2016 #13

Half a loaf for the peons again. 2pooped2pop Mar 2016 #54

It's better than starving to death. n/t pnwmom Mar 2016 #84

Not while the rich have it all 2pooped2pop Mar 2016 #88

The bottom line is we're going to have a much more progressive court with Scalia -- pnwmom Mar 2016 #89

That's ~20-30 years of chewing. nt revbones Mar 2016 #57

But easier to digest Matrosov Mar 2016 #70

Guess that's why we have a Democratic president revbones Mar 2016 #71

I blame the system Matrosov Mar 2016 #72

Meh, I blame the person making the nomination revbones Mar 2016 #73

So Orrin Hatch is now dictating Obama's SCOTUS choices? tularetom Mar 2016 #9

My thoughts also SHRED Mar 2016 #14

In eight years, I've seen Obama fight for exactly four things: earthshine Mar 2016 #48

Wow good point 2pooped2pop Mar 2016 #56

K&R. Obama's legacy stated clearly. nt COLGATE4 Mar 2016 #58

I can think of a few more things thesquanderer Mar 2016 #67

I distinguish between things he accomplished and things he fought for. earthshine Mar 2016 #75

Excellent video. SamKnause Mar 2016 #79

"He nominated the guy Orrin Hatch asked for" isn't exactly a confidence-booster. arcane1 Mar 2016 #34

Sheesus... 24 years of this ideology has left us happy that we didn't step in the dog shit wearing WhaTHellsgoingonhere Mar 2016 #36

Excellent analogy !!!!!!!!!!!! SamKnause Mar 2016 #80

^^^ This is why we are fucked, people settle for the god damn crumbs instead of demanding the bread onecaliberal Mar 2016 #61

Go Team Donkey! TransitJohn Mar 2016 #2

If they don't give him a hearing then choosing a "moderate" helps make the PoliticAverse Mar 2016 #3

Yeah...It's all about Repukes... SHRED Mar 2016 #6

Last I checked Republicans control the Senate. They cannot really be ignored... PoliticAverse Mar 2016 #8

With that in mind... SHRED Mar 2016 #11

Hurrah to the third way Kittycat Mar 2016 #5

In other words, waste everyone's time but be ideologically pure. FLPanhandle Mar 2016 #10

He's not getting anyone through SHRED Mar 2016 #12

Maybe not, but this is the nominee with the best chance. FLPanhandle Mar 2016 #16

I don't see how this improves voter turnout... SHRED Mar 2016 #20

Explain how nominating a guaranteed-to-fail lefty judge would help voter turnout Orrex Mar 2016 #40

That's the whole point. NYC Liberal Mar 2016 #62

I have been meaning to tell you that I saw your post the other day that was locked... Lochloosa Mar 2016 #15

Thanks! FLPanhandle Mar 2016 #17

That was my playground growing up. Raised in Tallahassee. Lived in Pensacola and Mobile. Lochloosa Mar 2016 #23

Great place to grow up. FLPanhandle Mar 2016 #32

Oh man..that makes me homesick. I used to camp on the beach at Ft. Pickens. Nothing like the Gulf. Lochloosa Mar 2016 #37

The "real world" defines that we are a corrupt nation who doesn't hold up to Baitball Blogger Mar 2016 #18

When was this ideal yesteryear? FLPanhandle Mar 2016 #25

I can't buy into your skepticism. Baitball Blogger Mar 2016 #41

He had other candidates who were as if not more COLGATE4 Mar 2016 #59

It doesn't matter who President Obamam nominated whistler162 Mar 2016 #66

+1 I'm shocked at these demands treestar Mar 2016 #92

"the edge of its corporate right wing cliff. " oioioi Mar 2016 #19

Both. gcomeau Mar 2016 #27

Orrin Hatch is a despicable bigot. 'Let's take his council, he called LGBT Nazis!!!' Bluenorthwest Mar 2016 #21

Preach it! SHRED Mar 2016 #22

I agree with you 100%. +1 Meldread Mar 2016 #24

Compromising with himself zipplewrath Mar 2016 #31

Obama is an expert at negotiating COLGATE4 Mar 2016 #60

Settling for what the right gives us... gcomeau Mar 2016 #26

Well, it's an improvement, I guess. HassleCat Mar 2016 #28

The Democratic Party is now firmly to the right of center. djean111 Mar 2016 #29

I guess that the best answer that I have is that PBO R. Daneel Olivaw Mar 2016 #30

i see this as "the offer they cannot refuse" 0rganism Mar 2016 #38

the most popular reason for rejecting him en toto seems to be Hatch's tactical endorsement LanternWaste Mar 2016 #39

Be ideologically pure ... get nothing ... great strategy. JoePhilly Mar 2016 #42

Not only get nothing, but perhaps let the GOP keep the Senate Democat Mar 2016 #65

"Why couldn't Obama have picked a true Progressive minded judge?" Waldorf Mar 2016 #43

Oh like they are now? SHRED Mar 2016 #44

Should have just nominated the unicorn Action_Patrol Mar 2016 #45

Some people still haven't learned from the ACA debacle. Odin2005 Mar 2016 #46

We won on the "ACA debacle." It got passed and almost 20 million more have insurance. nt pnwmom Mar 2016 #85

The Healthcare industry "won", not the American people. Odin2005 Mar 2016 #90

Tell that to the millions of single people now eligible for Medicaid pnwmom Mar 2016 #91

Because it's to replace a uber conservative justice One_Life_To_Give Mar 2016 #47

I'm not cheering, but I know it's not obama's final answer Scootaloo Mar 2016 #51

Ah, would that the world were so one dimensional, black and white, so simple Stinky The Clown Mar 2016 #55

Obama has been a very good president for progressives, whether we all realize it or not. Zynx Mar 2016 #63

Milk Toast... ever have milk toast? Kip Humphrey Mar 2016 #64

Keep in mind, DU is only uniformly Progressive when there's a R in office WhaTHellsgoingonhere Mar 2016 #68

The Democratic party doesn't exist in a vacuum Matrosov Mar 2016 #69

Sotomayor is a moderate... Blue_Tires Mar 2016 #74

I think it was a good and smart choice ... 1StrongBlackMan Mar 2016 #81

Does the judge have a history? immoderate Mar 2016 #82