NYT Political Memo: Obama Strains to Get Liberals Back Into Fold

[Zenlitened]

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/us/politics/06obama.html?_r=1&hp

By PETER BAKER
Published: October 5, 2010

WASHINGTON — With four weeks until Congressional elections that will shape the remainder of his term, President Obama is increasingly focused on generating enthusiasm within the base that helped put him in the White House two years ago, from college students to African-Americans.

But Mr. Obama has aimed much of his prodding — and not a small amount of personal pique — at the liberals most deflated by the first two years of his presidency. Assuming that many independents are out of reach, White House strategists are counting on Mr. Obama to energize, cajole, wheedle and even shame the left into matching the Tea Party momentum that has propelled Republicans this year.

As he holds rallies aimed at college students and minority groups, sends e-mail to his old list of campaign supporters and prepares to host a town hall-style meeting on MTV, the president essentially is appealing to his liberal base to put aside its disappointment in him. Without offering regrets for policy choices that have angered liberals, Mr. Obama argues that the Republican alternative is far worse...

(Extensive quotes from Axelrod at link):
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/us/politics/06obama.html?_r=1&hp

Kind of boggles the mind that this is seen as the Dem's main argument: "consider the alternative." They were in charge at what might have been a rare inflection point in history, fraught with peril, yes, but also filled with opportunities. And yet they're reduced to campaigning on "We don't suck as bad as they do"? :(

[denimgirly]

1. Bingo!

I remember Obama saying that we should challenge him when he got into office but he clearly did not want to hear Liberals at all. So this new meme of "We dont suck as bad" is just not motivating enough. The only democrats i respect and will ever vote for are the true progressives (Feingold, Grayson, and Weiner...i am sure there are a few more but)...other than that i just see my time being wasted to go out and vote seeing as how nothing changes.

[ProSense]

2. "We don't suck as bad as they do"? That is

not what Democrats are campaigning on. The GOP sucks. Period.

Also, working to GOTV has nothing to do with the media's BS spin that the President has lost the base. He hasn't.

Trumka from the OP article:

“I see the enthusiasm,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “I’m out there. I’m doing door knocks. They are focused on things. They understand the importance of this election.”

[Zenlitened]

10. Read Axelrod's comments re GOTV.

[Nite Owl]

3. The sad thing is

I doubt that they will really learn anything from this at all. They will continue to think that real liberals who wanted him to succeed more than anyone should continue to accept centrist crap and just be happy that it could have been worse.

[msongs]

4. oh come on, get a grip, he's "not john mcCain" lol nt

[Ken Burch]

5. We do need to vote, if for no other reason than to stick it to our own BELTWAY insiders

But it's pretty clear what's going on here:

Obama is reaching out to progressives NOW, with only a month before the election, because he thinks its too late for such an appeal to actually gain the party many seats, or even help it hold on to that many, yet just in time for him to blame us if the party actually DOES badly(I can just see the "we'd have kicked ass if it wasn't for the damn liberals/tinfoilers/puppywanters/punched-out hippies" meme starting sometime early on the morning of Wednesday, November 3rd if things go as to the Beltway's and the DLC's plan).

The leadership doesn't WANT to win, so we have to fight like hell to make sure we win in SPITE of them!

[MannyGoldstein]

6. "We suck less" has been the DLC rallying cry for 18 years

Clinton pioneered the practice of mooning traditional Democrats while screaming "who the fuck else ya gonna vote for, chumps!!!". Which is why we lost Congress in 1994, and it stayed lost until Dean wrested control of the DNC in 2006: triangulation (which is what this is) just pisses off the left and the right, and forces the right to move further to the right to differentiate themselves.

Obama totally embraced The Way of Clinton - he even re-hired most of Clinton's posse. And, surprise!: the left and the right are both pissed again.

NB: yes, of course I'll vote for Democrats in November. But I sure as hell will work to primary DINOs in 2012.

[Me.]

8. The Old "Where Else Are You Gonna Go" Meme.

[Me.]

7. Personal Pique

Yeah, that's the ticket.

[yourout]

9. The health care fiasco was his biggest blunder to date. A decent public option might.....

have prevented the huge rate hikes that the Pukes are bludgeoning our candidates with right now.

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. I notice you're from WI. Didn't the "liberal" Russ Feingold vote for HCR?

[yourout]

20. Yep and Johnsin is beating him over the head with it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

29. Well of course he is. He's a f***n teabagger. Russ would have been

beaten over the head with HCR, had it contained a public option, or if it were single payer. The teabaggers hate health care reform. That's not news. Russ should be doing better with "his liberal base". Why is he not doing better with "his base"?

[displacedvermoter]

38. If the damn bill had actually benefited most people now

and not in 2014. And if the thing was not rigged to benefit the insurance companies, and if you didn't need to be a lawyer (or a lobbyist) to figure it out, then nobody could be beaten over the head with anything except those who opposed it.

But that didn't happen, did it.

And I thought there was no "base" anyway, or so I am led to believe by some here.

[Tarheel_Dem]

48. What does this have to do with Russ' poor showing? WI either wants him..

to continue to represent them, or they've lost confidence in him? You can assign blame to whomever, or whatever piece of legislation you like, but Russ should have been able to bring WI onboard, liberal icon that he is. ;-)

You guys can't blame the WH for Russ' troubles. Like John McCain, Russ has been touted as a maverick type who goes his own way. If he & his WI supporters can't explain his vote for HCR, then there's no one to blame but Russ.

[27inCali]

53. I am one of the many people who have already benefitted

from the bill.

I know other's who have personally benefitted.

I know that a handful of fuck-face corporate servants in the Senate managed to do a lot to make the bill shittier than what it had to be. But BILLS HAVE TO PASS THE FUCKING SENATE. How the Shenanigans in the Senate are all Obama's fault. Not so sure.

But then again, who am I to take away everyone's convenient little scapegoat/short-cut to thinking?

[zipplewrath]

39. Russ is doing fine with his liberal base

He's having trouble the same place the rest of the democratic party is having trouble, with the centrists and moderate independents. They don't like it when you say one thing, and accomplish another. When you say that stimulus will keep unemployment under 8% and then it goes to 10%, they notice. When you say that HCR will include a PO, and then doesn't. They notice. When you say you'll be transparent, and then cut secret deals with major industries to get legislation passed, they notice.

Axelrod said it, the independents TEND to vote against the majority. They do so because they expect what is promised, and blame you when they don't get it.

[yurbud]

58. the more relevant question is why didn't Obama pressure Blue Dogs & DLCers to back public option?

[impik]

11. "Offering regret"??? WTF?? He has nothing to apologize for

He is one of the most progressives presidents ever. The professional left should apologize to him for killing him from day one.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[27inCali]

51. wow, that's a lot of hatred for a fellow Democrat

"craven corporatist coward"?

you don't think that's over the top?


If those are your feelings towards the man who is basically the leader of the Democratic party, why are you at DemocraticUnderground?

isn't there a good solid Green site where you can find like-minded Brian Griffin super-Progressives to shit all over the Democrats with?

[ThomCat]

12. After kicking the left over and over,

now he wants us back, and all he can say is "I'm not as bad as the republicans."

But we didn't vote for him because we wanted him to be "not as bad as the republicans." Or because "I suck less." We voted for him because he was going to deliver "Change You Can Believe In."

Even HE knows that he hasn't delivered that change. He has spent his entire term so far reaching out to republicans trying for bipartisanship, and reaching out to corporations "bringing them to the table."

But he hasn't once, Not Even Once, brought US to the table. He has ignored the progressive caucus. He has ignored the progressive left in the party as if we don't exist, except when he wants people to insult.

So now, after working hard with everyone EXCEPT US, now we get "I'm not as bad as the republicans, so you might as well vote for me." :(

Were could we be right now if he had actually worked with the left?
Left wing economists instead of Summers and Geithner and the Goldman Sachs choir!
Left wing trade negotiators instead of republican free trade holdovers from Bush's team.
Lefty lawyer in the DoJ instead of keeping all the people Bush brought in to stack the department after Purging all the democrats!
The progressive Caucus at the table negotiating Health Care Reform instead of the insurance company lobbyists writing the legislation!
Left wing education advocates instead of NCLB holdovers from the Bush Administration.

Can you imagine how different this term could have been if Obama has really been willing to work with Progressives, instead of so many conservatives?

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. This hitpiece could've been written and posted at FDL. The M$M & PUMA's

never give up. Thanks Peter Baker. :rofl:

[dionysus]

22. yup, and look at who in this thread eats it up and goes back for thirds!!

"bluh bluh bluh, he hates me, bluh bluh bluh :cry:"

:hi:

[Tarheel_Dem]

30. As usual, you nailed it. The victimhood that has replaced rational thought..

on the left is just astounding. Obama was mean to me....:cry:

[Dinger]

15. Shame Us Into Submission, Yeah, That's The Ticket

brilliant

[BlueIris]

16. The liberals are long gone.

And so are most of the rest.

[Tarheel_Dem]

17. Well, that's just a lie.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4565728

[dionysus]

24. no, you see. if you don't loathe Obama, you can't be a True Liberal(tm), see? you're just punching

hippies...

wait... did i just say punching?

PUT UP YER DUKES!!11!!

[Tarheel_Dem]

31. Well, I never.....

:rofl:

[27inCali]

54. you can't like who's in power and be a good Liberal too

All Liberals HATE ALL figures of authority -even if that means hating the leaders of their own party.

[impik]

37. Naaa, only Obama haters are allowed to be called "Liberals". If you want to be called

"progressive", well, you need to impeach him now.

[dionysus]

23. yup, he'll get zero votes next time.

[harun]

18. Put Grayson's Medicare Buy-in bill up for a vote and pass it. That would

get me to go knock on some doors.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

19. HUH?!??! Not true! Nearly 90% of liberals still support the president, according

to Gallup and other polls. What is NYT talking about??!??!

[LWolf]

21. Hopefully, good Democratic candidates aren't running

on Obama's "achievements," nor on his excellent record of marginalizing the left wing of his own party, allowing his own administration to publicly attack and blame them, and then scolding them for not supporting his center-right, neoliberal "achievements."

[dionysus]

25. what a load of bullcrap.

:rofl:

[LWolf]

33. If it helps you to think so.

:eyes:

[27inCali]

52. please roll your eyes at the other 90% of us

who just don't see what you are seeing. Popularity doesn't always make something or someone right. But when you hold an incredibly unpopular view, rolling your eyes at the other 90% who disagree with you is just beyond arrogance. beyond arrogance.

[LWolf]

59. If you insist.

:eyes:

[woo me with science]

61. Yep, no problems here!

We're A-OK on top of the world!

Everything is going swimmingly!

We're winning by a landslide, I tells ya!

:woohoo:

[AtomicKitten]

27. I salute your dramatic rendering of truthiness.

[dionysus]

28. help me get to the fainting couch, and please get the smelling salts....

[AtomicKitten]

32. *

[displacedvermoter]

40. Again, what does this kinda stuff do to further

your position? I am seriously asking, does the fainting couch thing actually convince someone who disagrees with you to change their
views, or is it merely to make fun of strangers on the Internets?

[AtomicKitten]

45. since you asked --

The poster to whom I responded asked for help getting to the fainting couch.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[dionysus]

50. i just get so demoralized sometimes.... i just.. i just .. love my country so much...

:hi:

[AtomicKitten]

60. 4vaporz

[dionysus]

63. .

:rofl:

[27inCali]

55. you aren't going to change your view

even if valid facts were provide that absolutely contradicted the viewpoint you are pushing, because really, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary of what you are saying.

You don't like Obama, you don't like the Democratic party. Fine, whatever.

But the vast majority of people here are Democrats, support the Democratic party and it's leaders and come here to converse with other Democrats.

But really, if that's how you feel -that you just can't stand the Democrats...., why are you here trolling these people with your rampant hatred of Democrats and the Democratic Party?

No one here wants to hear that shit but a handful of malcontents who would find a way to malcontented if Russ Feingold were President.

[LWolf]

34. If it makes you feel better.

:eyes:

[great white snark]

43. So much crap in a short post.

Well done.

[treestar]

26. They always say consider the alternative

Republicans do that too, scaring voters with soft on terrorism Democrats and tax hikes and Obama is a Muslin.

It is too. There are basically two alternatives. I do not get the refusal to deal with this - it's as out of reality as teabaggers are.

[27inCali]

56. these people aren't here for REAL actual change

they are here to strike a pose and irritate people for fun and I'm sure a few are paid ratfuckers.

[Beacool]

35. The problem is that people are realizing that both alternatives stink.

How I wish we had a viable third party in this country!!!!

:-(

[dionysus]

41. you better be voting dem young lady, or NO MORE BANKIES!

:grr:

[Beacool]

42. Frankly, there's no one running for much of anything in my area.

No reelection of governor, senator or mayor. We got some council people and the sheriff. Not enough to motivate anyone to go to the polls.

:D



:hi:

[dionysus]

46. fine. here;

;)

[Beacool]

49. Banky!!!!

:woohoo:



:hug:

[depakid]

36. And looky, looky- there's the so called "centrist" Third Way citing the bogus Gallup poll

Screaming pander to the right, pander to the right!

[27inCali]

57. no one here wants to pander to the right

that's just totally divorced from reality. Some people -me included- are saying that we can't expect to win the things we want without a lot of fighting and unsavory compromise because that's just how Democracy works, most of what we want flies in the face of corporate power, it's gonna be a tough fight. I don't here anyone saying go to the right. If you think you hear that, than it seems you are making giants out of windmills for your own personal reasons.

[WeekendWarrior]

44. Honestly, I think it's only the fringe who won't vote. nt

[old mark]

62. I don't know many people planning to sit this one out - even the real anti-Obama people

and the both parties are the same people seem to be voting, mostly...they are blowing this way out of proportion for "controversey", which sells advertising...It's media bullshit.

mark