The most effective tools the GOP uses to hurt Obama...

[Sheepshank]

Is not yelling "you Lie", or putting cross-hairs on Democrats, or even calling people "treasonous". That only causes that individual to garner long term derision...even from their own.

Nope, their most effective tool is a consistent and concerted effort to thwart all of Obama's attempt at positive governing...without screaming, ranting and public name calling. By effective use of policy and the political process.

It IS their most powerful tool that is most difficult to re-direct.


Yet, here on DU, on a daily basis, I read people who want Obama to create something that doesn't work. They want Obama to publicly bully, name call, threaten the GOP into something they have the political clout to ignore. Obama would end up looking like a raging, black, fool and will have gained nothing in the process.

[MineralMan]

1. What does black have to do with it. The same situation could

easily happen with any Democratic President right now. I agree with your main points, but can't see why you brought his skin color into it.

[Broderick]

3. Every obstacle and every disagreement

is not due to the nature of politics, even within his own party, but rather because of his skin color. I learned that here.

[MineralMan]

4. There sure seems to be a lot of people who believe that, for sure.

I'm often surprised by what I read on DU.

[WingDinger]

5. And yet, Pat Caddell on Fox said that the reason noone will primary Obama is

they are all afraid of being called racists for it. Pat functioning as a concern troll and false democratic balance.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. Bullshit! Pure bullshit!!!

[Broderick]

12. Well there is a ring of truth to it in some cases

but overuse of the race card is not going to win friends and influence people. Parties disagree, and within parties there is disagreement. The divide is not unseen in American history, and it was likely worse if you go back to other times of change in our country.

[Sheepshank]

14. I mentioned black, because I do believe this plays into T.E.A. thinking.

In addition, on a previous thread I'd read someone posing the scenario of an angry Obama coming across as an "angry black man" to the Reps, and it is something he seems to taking great pains to avoid. I apparently agree with the idea that it's not the type of 'image' Obama cultivates.

[mitchtv]

2. and what does he look like now?

a weak prevaricating feckless capitulator?

[MineralMan]

8. Depends who's doing the looking, it seems.

Personally, I see a President who is attempting to deal with a Congress that doesn't want to do anything at all. Not a spot I'd like to be in. American Presidents have very little real power in such a situation. It's how the system was designed. There was so much fear of an individual having too much control that they engineered a system that gave the executive a very limited role.

We're seeing one of the results that arrangement can cause. Too bad. We can, however, correct the problem if we have the will and persistence to do so. I'm not optimistic, though, based on what I'm reading here since 2009. Not optimistic at all. That won't stop me from trying, but...

[Solomon]

47. what people dont seem to get is that its precisely

the road he's taken, that is setting the republicans up for annihilation by the masses of people.
The only way to do that is to document that they are assholes.
The only way to make the record for all to see that they are assholes, is to continually offer to include them, to try for bi-partisanship. If the masses of people want to ignore it because of their individual ponies, and I'm talking about both sides, left and right, then we have no one but ourselves to blame.

I mean, really, Obama is doing the best job I've ever seen, of documenting how traitorous the right wing is. It's out there plain as day for everybody to see.

The moment he starts fighting the way people here want him to do, he loses the whole argument.

The whole world gets it, except us Americans.

If the American people choose to elect the gop in the face

of such exposure, I don't see how Obama or democrats can be blamed.

It's the people . At least Obama has given the entire range of nonrich classes, the same ground to coalesce on, no matter what their color, religion, political orientation, etc. If the nonrich glasses realized that under the present political climate, the only way to get anything done, is to try giving all the power to democrats, then we'll see the change everybody is claiming Is a fraud.

I think he's doing things the right way under the circumstances. That's what I expected when I voted for him. And that's why I'm voting for him again.
ay under the

[Whisp]

52. not at all. He is not what you see, you are very wrong.

He is a President with good character, for one thing. Which was the last one with that? I'd say Jimmy Carter, he was a mature grown up too.

He is a calm person - I know some of you want theatrics and jumping up and down with froth spilling out of his mouth but that is not going to happen, ever.

He is dealing with some of the worst possible situations and is doing a better job at handling it than anyone else possibly could in that situation - I think any of the others that he primaried with would have run off in tears and frustration by now.

He is a hard worker, a good husband, a great dad, a wonderfull friend and brother and the best President we could possibly have in these strange and dangerous times we are in.

So with all those bad and angry feelings you have toward him, those feelings of blame, that need to tear him down rather than help him up

- there are many many more of us than of you. And he knows.

[WingDinger]

6. On Fox, that desire to have Obama get pugilistic is said to be universal

of democrats. I thought it was just us here. But everyone but baggers wants Obama to toughen and coursen his political inputs. As noted in polls.

[JNinWB]

11. They are breathlessly awaiting that piece of video of Obama, the Angry Black Man

They can play it on a loop from now until the election---scaring the crap out of fence-sitting white voters.

By all means, keep encouraging Obama to get mad and threaten---pound his bully pulpit.

It will make great TeeVee.

[emulatorloo]

48. Agreed. n/t

[ixion]

7. Standing up for what's right is not being a 'bully'

just the opposite. I haven't seen anyone saying that Obama should be a bully, only that he should NOT allow himself to be steamrolled by GOP idiocy.

[blogslut]

10. Come look here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1855990

[ixion]

17. Okay, however, one poster does not constitute DU

it is one poster speaking his mind.

[Sheepshank]

20. a little more pervasive than you have noticed, maybe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x758672
Several posts from several posters.

[ixion]

27. 'several' still doesn't make any kind of statistical consensus whatsoever

especially on an internet forum.

[blogslut]

30. Two posters

You said:

"I haven't seen anyone..."

I showed you two.

[ixion]

37. And I acknowledged that

it still isn't a movement.

[blogslut]

39. You didn't bring up the "movement" argument

...until you were shown evidence that there are, indeed, posters here who want Obama to be a bully.

[ixion]

42. you're not really making any points

but whatever. You've obviously got an axe to grind with people who want Obama to stand up to the GOP. So, what you're saying is, you'd rather have him continue to be milquetoast, rather than play their game on a level field. Yeah, gee, that will work out well.

And there was no 'movement' argument.

[blogslut]

43. Well, if you had read thread thoroughly, then you would know

I was making the point that LBJ was a vindictive bully. Yes, he got some of the best social programs passed but price of that bargain was the escalation of the war in Vietnam.

[ixion]

44. well, Obama's already got his wars, and has escalated them

so we might as well get the side benefits for living with that nightmare.

Incidentally, I was no big fan of LBJ.

[blogslut]

45. Again, with the innacurracy

He escalated one war - the one that the W. administration blew off for one waged on a lie. Obama is ending the lie war.

[ixion]

46. no, he escalated Afghanistan and started bombing Pakistan and Yemen

whatever. You seem to have issues, and I'm not really in the mood to deal with them. Good day.

[Lionessa]

13. The MOST effective tool they have against Obama is ... Obama. Sorry,

but if he wasn't up to the job of being president with a supermajority in both houses to start with, then he shouldn't have run and shouldn't be running again.

Obama is the one who continues to allow himself to be treated this way and apparently entirely unable to lead.

[Sheepshank]

15. groundless post

when during the 49 days that Obama had a majority was it a supermajority? A filibuster proof majority of anything? When did he ever have 100% of the blue dogs voting with the rest of the Dems to pass a policy?

Thanks in advance for your attempt at that research tid bit.

[Lionessa]

19. Right, he's not weak, it's just that everyone can overpower him. I get it.

[Sheepshank]

21. New people tend to move the goal posts a lot. They think is makes them clever

and addressing the topic at hand. It doesn't.

[Lionessa]

23. Then why do you do it?

[Sheepshank]

25. Have you found somethig tangible to support your assinine assumption yet? n/t

[Lionessa]

33. Of course I have, and I have no doubt Obama will offer more soon.

[Sheepshank]

38. well........I don't see anything.

seems like a bunch of empty rhetoric otherwise.

you said: "but if he wasn't up to the job of being president with a supermajority in both houses to start with, then he shouldn't have run and shouldn't be running again."

cough up the info, back up this statement. I'd really like to see it.

[ThomWV]

40. Who can argue with that? Not me.

[TheKentuckian]

16. Then take it away from them and go after their evil asses hammer and tongs.

Indict their failed ideology in the court of public opinion, investigate their abuses, paint the picture bright and clear, tell the truth about the bastards, cease and desist with assimilating their counter-productive policies, and get a wallet that says "Bad Motherfucker" on it and be done with the Mister Rodgers routine because that bullshit only works in the Neighborhood of Make Believe.

King Friday has no jurisdiction over the traitorous terrorists nor will Obama's farcical strategy cajole them or motivate voters to replace them.

[Sheepshank]

24. Yes! Some great ideas in that first paragraph..

Can this be implemented by only Obama, or does it take a concerted and consistent effort from Dems as a whole. Because, just judging by this thread, that concerted effort cannot happen.

[TheKentuckian]

50. It would help beyond greatly if others joined him in the fight but it does require he

participate or at the least drop his ideological "bipartisanship" and certainly not to counter the campaign.

[dtexdem]

18. The most effective tool the GOP has in its war on Obama: Obama.

Obama has been the Rethugs' enabler.

[Sheepshank]

22. you newbies have very unoriginal posts.

and your friend on a previous post has already not been able to prove his/her point.

You aren't doing a whole lot better.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

26. He's not helpless or powerless. He should be introduced to the veto pen and told how to use it.

The executive has plenty of power to squelch the legislative branch when it runs amok. Rather than caving he could start vetoing their initiatives and keep doing so until they cave.

But, being a centrist running a reelection campaign he'd rather play the "reasonable" wilting lily.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

35. Are you serious!?!? Did you fail Government 101? The president *CAN'T* use a veto

pen unless the legislation gets through Congress first!

Welcome to DU. You'll fit in nicely here! *waving*

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

41. He's presented with legislation all the time. Bills require siging by the executive.

The Democrats introduce the bills then cave to the Republicans and water them down. Obama then signs them and declares victory. He should try vetoing the watered down bills instead of caving...as usual.

Government 101.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

49. Lecturing me about Government 101 while acting like ALL Democrats

are alike. Who needs to go back to school? Perhaps wake up to reality? Certainly not me, my friend!

But thanks for playing anyway. :)

[hifiguy]

28. I do not want the president to bully or name call.

I want him to take a stand for the principles his party has long stood for and point out, without name-calling, just who the obstructionists are and what their motives are. And to do so as often as possible. One can be very pointed and critical while remaining civil.

[Sheepshank]

32. yes I agree...but that does become a judgement call though, don't you think?

I've seem Obama make the pointed statement that puts Boehner and the GOP in their place. Still grin at the "car in the ditch, and they want the keys back" analogy. The GOP hated that one. We've seen congratulatory threads on DU before, on that very same topic. But inevitably DU gets the "he didn't yell loud enough, he's not showing enough anger, he's not pounding the pulpit"" crowd, crowing for all it's worth.

[hifiguy]

34. He has to NAME names

without CALLING anyone names. That would be a start.

[sudopod]

29. " publicly bully, name call, threaten the GOP"

Ah, that's what they call the 'telling the truth' these days. Must have missed the memo!

Working for the department of time travel sure is taxing some days.

[lpbk2713]

31. Their most effective tool that has done well for them over many years ...

Repeat a lie loud enough and often enough and sooner or later it becomes accepted as the truth.


Just look around. It has always worked remarkably well for them.

[hifiguy]

36. They learned it all from this guy

the father of the modern Repiglican party:



And it works every time, especially when the media are all at your disposal to catapult the propaganda.

[Gormy Cuss]

51. So where are the effective tools of the Democratic party?

Why can't they gain traction with a consistent, concerted effort to thwart the GOP's toddler tantrum approach to governance? Does the GOP have a lock of the effective use of policy and the political process?