TDPS: David Pakman confronts progressive strategist on how progressives can win - TRANSCRIPT

[celtics23]

Run time: 06:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cG42fyTtaA   Posted on YouTube: March 15, 2011 By YouTube Member: MidweekPolitics Views on YouTube: 389   Posted on DU: March 17, 2011 By DU Member: celtics23 Views on DU: 668

 
PLEASE vote for fellow DUer David Pakamn to get a scholarship to broadcast from Netroots Nation 2011, voting ends in a couple of days and he's in 3rd place: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/netroots_nation_scholarships/1167-david-pakman

Announcer: The David Pakman Show at www.DavidPakman.com.

David: Vice chairman of Core Strategy Group, founder and CEO of DMG, he's advised 12 winning global presidential campaigns including Barack Obama's, also the author of the book "The Underdog Advantage". David, I want to go through this list from you of five points, five strategies Democrats and progressives should use to lead and use to win elections, and I want to start with using truth as propaganda, which is something that I believe Republicans do well even when it's not true. Maybe Democrats can actually do it with facts.

David Morey: Well, I-- listen, I, you know, it always depends on how we define "truth". What I mean by truth is the hardcore, real-life, not always easy to swallow facts. And you know, you look at the most popular governors today, in New Jersey, for example, Andrew Cuomo in New York, the governor of Florida, even Jerry Brown in California, they tend to be giving hard truths to the people. The people know that we're in a tough situation. They understand that government is not sustainable the way we're running it today. The trajectory of government will run out against itself. So, you know, they're looking for tough answers.

I'll give you a quick example. Rudy Giuliani, whatever you think of Rudy, you know, he did a good job after 9/11 as mayor, he was asked right after September 11th all kinds of, you know, reporters screaming how many people have died, how many people have died? Finally, he turned to the camera, probably channeling Churchill, you know, and said we don't know, but the number... we will know in a few days, and the number will be too much for any of us to bear. And everybody stopped, because that's the truth. You know, hard truths are needed today when we have big, big problems in front of us of the kind that we have with our government.

David: Yeah, but see, the thing that I think that Democrats are going to be up against is Republicans will take an idea and they will make it very, very simple. For example, they will say, they will coin the term "tax relief", which, by its very-- inherently means less taxes mean you are being relieved, that is positive. And then Democrats are in the position to have to say well, historically, did you know... and explain marginal tax rates, and then say actually, then John F. Kennedy said this, and if we look at this report... It's hard sometimes to boil down truth into those quick, pithy types of statements even when there is reality there, and Republicans have done it so well.

Morey: Well, I think you're right. We have to out-Frank Luntz the Republicans.

David: Right.

Morey: You know, we have to... you know, we have to simplify our truth as well as the Republicans simplify their truth. You know, look, the truth was in those debt commissions, you know? I mean, the $4 trillion of savings over a long period of time, you know, the Simpson-Bowles, whatever commission you want to look at, that's the truth, you know? And part of what has to happen here is both sides have to stop negotiating waiting for the other side to go first, someone's got to lead. Someone's got to jump in here and begin to lead, the problems are too serious.

David: Well, then you go into raise solutions above politics. And when I read the paragraph on that, and you say Democrats must go high into the middle to find solutions that rise above petty politics, I could not disagree with you more on that. I think we saw during the first two years of the Obama presidency talk about bipartisanship and talk about working together, and Republicans said no, no, no, no, and Obama was barely able to get anything passed. The things he did get passed Republicans tried to repeal. I wrote an op-ed in my national newspaper column just after the midterm election saying bipartisanship did not work, it's over, it's time for Democrats to lead without Republicans. What do you think?

Morey: You know, we disagree on it. Let me give you my argument. My argument is this: it did work in the lame-duck session. And I do admit it didn't work in the first two years of the Obama administration, we can talk about why that is, but it did work very well over the last six, seven weeks following the midterm elections.

And you know, it has to work again. We don't have a choice but to find it to work again in terms of governing the nation. I think, you know, the president's approval ratings which continue to be high in the face of historically high unemployment is proof that, you know, the American people are giving him credit, a majority of voters, for trying to get to that center, trying to get to solutions. You know, I mean, I think pox on both-- all your houses isn't going to work in terms of dealing with some of the serious problems that we have today that are in front of us today.

Pakman: Yeah, you know, as we go through the rest of the list here, negotiate negotiations and make change real, managing Libya from afar, you know what I see getting in the way of most of these more than anything else? The fact that everything can and has been bought and sold in government. I can't think of anything from the Supreme Court to the net neutrality hearings that we've had, and that that is beyond all else. Beyond wanting to work together and wanting solutions, people are in this that they've been manipulated by the money. Tell me where I'm wrong.

Morey: Well, I mean, you're partly right, and let's hope you're partly wrong for the sake of the country. You know, lobbying has a powerful role in the form of government, and some of the, you know, some of the responsible issues that have to be taken on on behalf of children, children don't really have a lobbyist, if you think of it, in Washington. The next generation doesn't, you know, pay retainers to people to make their case. You know, we're going to have to get out there, you know, ahead of special interests, we're going to have to make hard choices, and I do think the president's going to have to lead more aggressively. He's going to have to lean forward. This can't be a you-go-first negotiating strategy. That's great negotiating strategy in business, but it doesn't work when we're facing problems of the kind we're facing today.

David: Well, you're much more optimistic than me. I think the money is going to take out... money is driving everything at this point. I do appreciate you coming on. David Morey, Vice Chairman of Core Strategy Group, founder and CEO of DMG, he's advised Barack Obama, and the book is "The Underdog Advantage". I'm glad we at least found something to agree on, David.

Morey: Yeah, and I bet we got a little optimism inside of you.

David: You're not wrong, you're not wrong.

Morey: We're going to find that and move forward.

David: Thanks again, we'll talk to you soon.

Morey: Take care, David.

David: Bye.

So thanks to David Morey for, what's the right, the polite way, Louis? Thank you for participating I think is the wording I'm looking for.

Louis: Sure, yeah.



Transcript provided by Alex Wickersham and www.Subscriptorium.com. For transcripts, translations, captions, and subtitles, or for more information, visit www.Subscriptorium.com, or contact Alex at [e-mail].

[aliciaabs19]

1. I have to agree with David the host, the "strategist" had all the wrong ideas

[tins0404]

2. Glad that so called experts aren't allowed to get away with nonsense

[JDPriestly]

3. I wonder how much Wall Street pays this strategist.

I favor Jan Schakowsky's bill to tax those who earn more than a million dollars a year. That is the solution to our nation's problems. It's simple. It's effective. People earning a million or more can afford to pay higher taxes. They are not investing in job creation in the US anyway. Give that money to the US government and see what good will be done with it.

If we adopt Schakowsky's tax plan, we will be able to switch our entire energy base away from poisons. That will not only result in a healthier populace. It will also save the US a lot of money in the long run.

[ProfessorPlum]

4. tell this guy to shove his "hard solutions" right where it belongs`

Here's a hard solution: the rich pay their fair share.

[HootieMcBoob]

5. progressive?

In what way is this strategist progressive? He says "it worked in the lame duck session" when Obama capitulated to everything the republicans wanted? when he extended the bush tax cuts for the wealthy? with friends like this guys who needs republicans. Christ, we are totally fucked if these are the "idea" people.