Are We Witnessing Rope a Dope?

[gulliver]

I'm not sure if the anti-health care rhetorical freak show has any steam left. I think they are just standing there waiting for Obama to treat them to a view of the ceiling from the ring floor.

[underpants]

1. He rope-a-dope'd the hell out of Hillary and McCain

good point

[DefenseLawyer]

2. We've certainly seen it before.

Stay tuned.

[Laelth]

3. Hope springs eternal. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[Old Codger]

4. I sure

Hope so I have been holding my breath to see the knockout punch

[rocktivity]

5. It's always darkest before the dawn.

As for the story about White house "officials" telling "progressive groups" not to to "waste" money on pro-public option commercials--that can be taken two ways.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[BlueCaliDem]

10. That's exactly what I'm thinking too. eom

:evilgrin:

[DJ13]

6. Maybe.... but who owns the rope and who's the dopes?

[burning rain]

7. NO! It's chess. Everything Obama does is chess.

If he plays checkers with his daughters, it's chess. CHESS CHESS CHESS CHESS CHESS! Scuse me while I go lobotomize myself.

[rwheeler31]

8. yup

[rwheeler31]

9. Who would want to hang out with the dopes on the right?

They have played all their cards.

[ProSense]

11. Definitely witnessing a lot of dopes. n/t

[Proud Liberal Dem]

12. I think there is some strategery going on

IMHO a lot of people seem to have forgotten how he won the election just last year and I can recall how a lot of us (myself included) were running around hysterically with our hair on fire right around this time convinced that Obama wasn't doing enough, fighting back enough, that we might've chosen the wrong person for the job, and that we were, in fact, going to be kicked to the curb by McCain/Palin (:rofl:) on election day. We all know what happened in the end, however, and after I reviewed the final PV and EV tallies, I wondered to myself exactly why I had gotten so worked up and anxious that Obama might really lose. Ever since then, I've come to trust Obama's judgement and strategy on getting things done and I have no reason to believe that he won't get a good HCR bill on his desk at the end of all of this.

Here are some of my thoughts on the subject: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8623363&mesg_id=8623363

Oh, and K & R for your contribution towards ensuring that some DUers don't keep drinking the spiked "kool-aide" the corporate mediawhores have been shoving down our throats during this whole "debate".

[Odin2005]

13. IMO the crap being spewed by the Blue Dogs is proof that they are losing.

The House Dems have put their feet down and the Conservadem senators with big egos are throwing hissy fits over it.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. Sounds like the Pubs are getting desperate too

I think that they are moving through Kubler-Ross' five stages of loss. I think that the Pubs went through their "denial" phase during the August Recess thinking that they could whip up enough anger to, in Senator Jim DeMint's words, "break" Obama and force him and the Dems to pull the plug on HCR and/or severely water it down.
When that didn't kill HCR or completely force Obama into submission, they moved into the "anger" phase by threatening to repeal anything passed if and when they ever regain control of Congress and threatening a flurry of procedural obstacles to passage.
I think that they might be in the "bargaining" phase right now since they are now desperately claiming to want a *real* debate over HCR because Obama and the Dems are gearing up to pass something WITHOUT them but every Republican but Snowe it seems has dropped out of or will likely be dropping out of the negotiations.
I have a feeling that it won't be too long before the Pubs reach the "depression" and "acceptance" stages of loss. At least, we can only hope.

[Odin2005]

16. OOH, nice observation!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

19. Thanks!!

:hi:

[Beetwasher]

15. I Think There's An Underlying Strategy, And Obama Is Using His Political Capital

He's taking lumps in order to accomplish his ultimate goal; passing meaningful reform. He can afford to let himself get beat up a bit. And look how good he's making Pelosi and the congressional progressive caucus look! In the end it will look like he was made to back a strong public option (which he's wanted all along), but a lot of the credit will go to the progressives and give them MORE power than they've had in a long time.

The Repubs blew their wad EARLY in this debate, during August, now they have nothing and our progressive base is totally riled up and fighting mad and have all the momentum. It's all building up to his big speech next week where I expect he's going to lay it down and bring it home.

People who think Obama doesn't use tactics like this have not been paying attention and are quite frankly naive. He's a master politician/tactician.

[greenbird]

17. I sure hope you're right.

I can't wait for this to be over. My nerves are shot.

[KansasVoter]

18. No!!! We are just getting our ass kicked!

[cliffordu]

20. Could be. He has ALWAYS let the common wisdom count him out....

He has watched his opponents flummox themselves into a state of apoplexy.(Man, that sentence fucking RAWKS!!!!)

And then he stands and delivers.

They said he lost the narrative at one point during the primary...and then again during the election...and both times he has waited until the opponents have had all their fun, then kerblooey. Game set and match.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

21. I don't think so, unfortunately.

[Life Long Dem]

22. We haven't even started yet right?

:boring: