Our Poisoned Democratic Message

[woo me with science]

We have a much more serious problem than this particular manufactured crisis. Our Democratic President has publicly validated for the American people the Republican framing of our economic problems.

The impact of doing that cannot be overstated.

He stood up there and actually told Americans that cutting spending instead of focusing on jobs first will give us the "solid fiscal situation" we need before we focus on jobs.

It is a vicious and damaging lie for our country. Three hundred economists have weighed in warning this President that he needs to focus on jobs first and not starve the economy even more with spending cuts. But he gets up there and spews Republican talking points about slashing spending first.

For years, Republicans have drummed lies into the heads of the American people about the source of our economic problems and how to fix them. President Obama had from Day One of this Presidency to change the narrative and the national conversation about the economy, in order to build support for Democratic policies that could actually help us.

Instead, he stands up in front of the country to proclaim with the Republicans that now is the time to cut spending, "trim" benefits, and "eat our peas." It does not matter if some believe it is a clever tricky lie, and a "rope-a-dope." Presidents with cheap, tricky rhetoric will never lead a hurting nation in a fundamentally new direction. Cheap tricks do not substitute for desperately needed passion, leadership, and vision.

He had from day one to actually lead. To be a Democrat.

Instead, he has cemented the Republican narrative and made it a "bipartisan" narrative in a way that will not be undone anytime soon.


________________________________________________________

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/11/press-conference-president

I mean, the infrastructure bank that we’ve proposed is relatively small. But could we imagine a project where we’re rebuilding roads and bridges and ports and schools and broadband lines and smart grids, and taking all those construction workers and putting them to work right now? I can imagine a very aggressive program like that that I think the American people would rally around and would be good for the economy not just next year or the year after, but for the next 20 or 30 years.

But we can’t even have that conversation if people feel as if we don't have our fiscal house in order. So the idea here is let’s act now. Let’s get this problem off the table. And then with some firm footing, with a solid fiscal situation, we will then be in a position to make the kind of investments that I think are going to be necessary to win the future.



.

[girl gone mad]

1. k & r

My biggest concern is that he may genuinely believe in voodoo economics.

[cui bono]

11. I think he does. Or will behave as though he does to serve TPTB.

He is not on the people's side.

[woo me with science]

24. I tend to agree with you.

Either that, or he went to unfathomable lengths in advance planning for this particular "rope-a-dope" when he chose his economic team.

[The Big Vetolski]

47. "May?" nt

[joeybee12]

2. But, but, but...Obama won...he got those increases in revenue we need to bring down

the debt, didn't he?

[emulatorloo]

5. There's no deal yet.

Yes I understand you are being sarcastic, but like much at DU your sarcasm is fueled by specualation and innuendo about events in the future that haven't happened yet.

Specualtive Op-Eds are designed to Sensationalize, so take them with a grain of salt.

The job of those writers/pundits/bloggers is to create controversy. The main goal is to increase hits/ratings in order to CHARGE MORE $$$$$$ for ADVERTISEMENTS.

[joeybee12]

7. That's my point...I thought the sarcasm would be obvious...

Pundits are saying Obama won...won what exactly?

[emulatorloo]

13. Sorry, I hit post too soon (just added content in edit) - I did recognize the sarcasm.

and wrote more about pundits.

[emulatorloo]

3. Quote where Obama says he want to "trim" benefits?

As to the rest of your post, you miss the part where he says taxes must be raised on Rich and corp loopholes closed or no deal.

As to message, I am not getting the same message you are.

[EFerrari]

8. It was posted over and over yesterday. It's in the transcript of his remarks.

And the OP is right, he's validating their fake narrative. Or as LaughingLiberal said this morning, cutting Social Security to solve the deficit is like invading Iraq to get Bin Laden.

[emulatorloo]

25. What Obama is "validating" is that Republicans are not serious about debt/deficit reduction

The Republicans talk a good game, but they are neither serious about deficit reduction. Nor are they serious about improving the US economy, or they would not be threatening to DESTROY it.

Lipless Mitch's Debt Ceiling FATWA: "I refuse to help Barack Obama get reelected"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1482417

I think there is far too much apocalyptic rhetoric around here based on word parsing, speculative op-eds, and rumors.

[woo me with science]

9. Right here:

And so, yeah, we’re going to have a sales job; this is not pleasant. It is hard to persuade people to do hard stuff that entails trimming benefits and increasing revenues. But the reason we’ve got a problem right now is people keep on avoiding hard things, and I think now is the time for us to go ahead and take it on.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/07/11/press-conference-president

[emulatorloo]

14. Thanks!

reading it

[dionysus]

4. then do your very best to defeat him if you feel that way.

[KoKo]

18. The point of speaking up now...is to hopefully get the President's Campaign handlers ear

so that Obama knows that he has many unhappy and unenthusiastic former supporters out there who really want to see him elected ...but NOT if he continues using Republican Framing on Democratic Issues. Also, he's so chummy with the Repugs he doesn't seem to see or care that they stab him in the back at every handshake he gives them.

There may be some trolls here..but the people I see who are the most upset with Obama are people who give links to his speeches who have You Tubes of his statements and later contradictions.

The trolls just snark and don't back up with facts. And, there are many who wouldn't believe an official Govt. Transcript or Video ...no matter if Obama himself phoned them up personally and said.. "Yes, I really said those things and I can understand why some of my Democratic supporters are angry."

[kenfrequed]

21. That isn't the bloody point

The point is that he is messing with the Democratic brand by not giving a solid message and a solid record to back that message. Futzing about with 'bipartisan' is not the way to energize voters. Most of the republicans aren't going to stand up and say "oh wait... he's being bipartisan" any more than they are likely to realize their politics are not fact based. The repukes will keep pumping out disinformation and they will be solid bits of absolute PR crap.

[Marr]

6. Very similar to Clinton in that respect.

Clinton campaigned on the idea that he was more of an "economic conservative" than his opponent, Bush Sr., implicitly casting liberal economic views in a negative light.

So he scored a few points with the crowd he wanted to target, but he eviscerated the whole message that his allies needed to maintain. He served his own immediate political interests at the cost of the everyone else on the left.

[woo me with science]

42. You make a good point.

This is going to affect many elections downstream.

[somone]

10. If I want to hear RW nonsense, I'll turn on Rush Limbaugh

It's shameful that Obama has adopted the language of the trickle-down/neocon crowd.

[tridim]

12. "Cutting spending instead of focusing on jobs first will give us the "solid fiscal situation"..

we need before we focus on jobs"

You posted a quote on Monday that placed that thought in the context of "winning the future" and rebuilding our "infrastructure", but it doesn't say what you said it says today.

If something else was said, I'd like to see a link.

[woo me with science]

29. The excerpt is attached to the OP. Just scroll down. nt

[tridim]

32. Right, the excerpt doesn't say what you posted in your OP.

[woo me with science]

33. Ah, more tricky rhetoric. nt

[tridim]

35. It's not rhetoric, it's a fact.

Your OP is claiming the WH said something they didn't say.

"Clever" rhetoric is quoting three words and surrounding that quote on both sides with made-up bullshit.

[woo me with science]

38. So explain what you mean.

He called for spending cuts.

He called for trimming benefits.

He claimed that all this deficit reduction must precede jobs and infrastructure programs.

What did I get wrong?

[xchrom]

15. recommend

[damntexdem]

16. No matter what else happens, he has done this damage.

And it will be difficult for congressional Democrats to mend this damage in defending or vying for seats in congress next year.

And it will be that much more difficult to defend SS and Medicare in future.

[woo me with science]

22. +1000 What an important point this is. nt

[dana_b]

27. agreed

now they are going to have to constantly defend their positions to their constituents and SS/Medicare will be easier to throw out on the table. Sigh....

[bvar22]

50. That is true.

Obama has Crossed the Rubicon where "entitlements" are concerned
by adopting the Republican Framing.

What once was sacred, and the foundation of the Democratic Party,
is sacred no more.



Who will STAND and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

[Bluenorthwest]

17. He's always been too right wing for me, McClurkin made that

clear as a bell.

[Zenlitened]

19. That's been my concern for quite a while, too:

For years, Republicans have drummed lies into the heads of the American people about the source of our economic problems and how to fix them. President Obama had from Day One of this Presidency to change the narrative and the national conversation about the economy, in order to build support for Democratic policies that could actually help us.

...Instead, he has cemented the Republican narrative and made it a "bipartisan" narrative in a way that will not be undone anytime soon.

:(

[emulatorloo]

26. Let's see: "A Dem President left the country with a Surplus"

"Republicans are the ones who create huge deficits."

Those two statements have been part of our narrative for a while now.

That's nothing new.

[Zenlitened]

43. A part of our narrative, yes. But I don't think it has been a part of his narrative...

...not in any significant way.

I believe it was a huge tactical error to put "bipartisanship" on such a pedestal at the outset of his presidency:

Bipartisanship is NOT the goal, folks. The goal is to serve the interests of the American people in a time of dire crisis... a crisis largely created by the other party, no less.

President Obama needs to use the momentum he himself created to win the election... plus the vast support of tens of millions of Americans who KNOW we need bold action NOW... to propel himself to policy successes.

And once the successes start to mount, the bipartisanship will come. It will coalesce around him on its own.

In other words, stop putting the cart before the horse, President Obama. Be bold. Be firm. Use the bully pulpit you've earned, and the support of the American people that has already been demonstrated. Reach out to us. Reach out for us, on behalf of us. Make us your top priority, not the mythology of bipartisanship. You'll be amazed at what you can get done.

Link from February 2009:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8194414&mesg_id=8194457

and

The whole quest for "bipartisanship" was... if not a strategic blunder in and of itself... carried out in such a way that practically ensured gridlock, watered-down legislation, bickering over failed ideas while ignoring new opportunities.

January 2009 was the time to drive a stake through the heart of the GOP... all the while wearing a smile and saying sweet words, if that's the way one prefers to operate.

Instead these people who brought America to the brink of destruction were helped to their feet and given seats at the head of the table.

Link from June 2010:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=354165&mesg_id=354421

[Ikonoklast]

20. Unrec.

[Tesha]

23. It's the Turd Way and it stinks. (NT)

[BlueIris]

28. Oh, good luck.

Goooood luck.

[leveymg]

30. He damaged the brand. That is one of the worst things a Prez can do to the Democrats

He's whirled his peas, and that will confuse enough folks so that we can no longer be the party that protects SS and Medicare/aid.

Screw him and his tactics, He just squandered a great strategic advantage and moral Democrats have had up until now.

[woo me with science]

31. "Damaged the brand."

I think that is an excellent way of putting it succinctly. People don't know what he stands for.

[Pooka Fey]

52. + 1

[spanone]

34. he led. you ARE overstating the impact. no vicious damaging lie...othewise, i agree

[Safetykitten]

36. This is the MOST important reason he has failed. It will be felt for years.

[jtown1123]

37. WELL SAID. THere is no crisis. That is a GOP meme. We need jobs.

[somone]

40. Yes. We desperately need jobs.

There is no higher priority.

[woo me with science]

41. That was the most stunning part of the conference for me,

apart from his blatant validation of Republican memes.

Even if only for political reasons, I did not think he would state so clearly in front of voters that jobs need to come second.

[ProSense]

39. What

"He stood up there and actually told Americans that cutting spending instead of focusing on jobs first will give us the "solid fiscal situation" we need before we focus on jobs."

...utter nonsense. That has nothing to do with what the President said.

He is trying to raise the debt ceiling. The government needs money to fund initiatives. Do you actually believe that the government can default and then fund infrastructure projects?


"Instead, he has cemented the Republican narrative and made it a 'bipartisan' narrative in a way that will not be undone anytime soon. "

He did this I tell you!!! He did it!!!

He's destroying the Democratic Party. Please believe me!!!!

What garbage!

[KittyWampus]

44. Obama is attacking them from the Right ON PURPOSE> That's why he's winning.

[leveymg]

46. What evidence can you offer that he's "winning"?

What exactly do you mean? What would be an absolute victory in this and what would be a devastating loss?

[blindpig]

45. He is a Democrat.

The Democratic Party fully embraces Capitalism. The New Deal, implemented to save Capitalism from the Reds, is apparently history. All of the propaganda and promises of 75 years are dispelled.

The Capitalists play a long game.

The People have only themselves to look to.

There is clarity now, there is no 'middle way', it's the capitalists or us, it's time to choose sides.

[The Big Vetolski]

48. Sadly, I think you are correct. So...

:yourock:

[amborin]

49. K&R

[chill_wind]

51. Jobs? Unemployment ? Pfffft. Ask Plouffe.

No big deal.

Unemployment Rate Won’t Hobble Re-Election, David Plouffe Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-07/unemployment-rate-won-t-hobble-re-election-david-plouffe-says.html

They aren't getting it.

[woo me with science]

53. Wait 'til they cut Medicare and SS. nt

[TheKentuckian]

54. This is the entire game. There is no Democratic brand with this kind of "leadership"

post-partisan apparently means declaring victory for the opposition's ideology and moving on to doing it better than they can.

We may as well have a glass of room temperature milk with a piece of white toast soaking in it to represent us, except that would be an upgrade since the milk toast would be unable to parrot Reich wing nonsense while getting it labeled as "Marxism", which has moved the debate exclusively to the right.