Obama's team seeks new ways to fire up his base

[Cali_Democrat]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g9naM1e9iqHKnlU9hXfbWtyOUW-A?docId=bec9ea92688f450c81df873903de2833

Obama's team seeks new ways to fire up his base

(AP) – 10 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama rode a wave of voter passion in 2008 fed largely by intense dislike of President George W. Bush and the Iraq war, plus excitement among young and minority voters at the notion of electing the nation's first black president.

Now, as Obama cranks up his re-election campaign, all those factors are absent.

The president has many tools, of course, for inspiring and exciting potential voters. But he faces a different landscape, one in which key supporters are disappointed by concessions he has made to Republicans, and discouraged by huge Democratic losses last fall.

Obama acknowledged the challenge last week in Boston. "Somebody asked me, how do we reinvigorate the population, the voter, after two very tough years?" he told Democratic donors. "How do we recapture that magic that got so many young people involved for the very first time in 2008?"

Read more...http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g9naM1e9iqHKnlU9hXfbWtyOUW-A?docId=bec9ea92688f450c81df873903de2833

Want to fire up the base, Obama? How about:

- completely ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
- stopping extrajudicial killings in Pakistan
- Fighting for tax increases on the wealthy (even if it doesn't pass congress, at least fight for it fer chrissakes!)
- Rescind your executive order creating a system of indefinite detention in Gitmo
- Stop caving into the rethugs on important issues!
- Stick your neck out there for organized labor

[villager]

1. Good list. I would definitely think "not holding their ideals in contempt" would be a start...

n/t

[Poboy]

56. Yeah. How about he stop shitting on us first?

[RussBLib]

95. Forget it

He won't endorse any of those items listed. Obama is the emptiest suit I've ever seen on the political scene. I have never felt so betrayed by a politician until Obama. To be filled with such hope and then to be dropped like a rock is the unkindest cut. If he's the Democratic candidate, he won't get my vote. Period. Unless .... he makes a 180 from now to election day. Fat chance.

[StarsInHerHair]

120. he is likely to pretend to do a 180

I can't believe him though, actions........you know?

[JDPriestly]

227. And he never stops to apologize. That is the worst.

We send him e-mails. He does not answer. He pretends to read a few of them a day. I can just imagine what the e-mails that are put on his desk look like. Mine never made it, I assure you. He is shielded from the awful truth which is that even those Americans who still give lip service to liking what he is doing are leading miserable lives.

Those who are working are being worked to a frazzle and live in constant fear of losing everything. Those who have lost their jobs and homes are still suffering miserably. Those who are retired fear for our futures.

And Obama has done NOTHING, NOTHING AT ALL to punish those who caused this mess or to take back the money that belonged to the rest of us and that they stole and gambled in derivatives and on the stock market. The people who are to blame for this mess, the mess Obama and we are in, are out their raking in their millions and enjoying life. Nobody else is happy.

Obama, if you can't do anything else, bring us JUSTICE. Punish the liars in the banks. Ask those who lost their homes how it happened, who lied to them. Many of them still don't realize how much fraud mortgage brokers committed in their names. Most of them don't understand the scam about delaying the registering of a payment in order to impose a late fee. Obama, focus on justice for the American people.

Justice is more important than winning wars. Justice is more important than winning elections. And you don't need a single vote in Congress to bring justice. Just present the facts to a judge and a jury.

[toppertwot]

231. Yes he can - forget it!

Obama is the same old shit as Bush, and now we have two piles of Bush shit. If Obama is the Democratic candidate, this life long yeller dog Democrat will go fishing instead of voting. Obama is a flim flam man, and that ain`t no good!

[SpiralHawk]

2. Can the Monsanto (R) moles in the USDA

And stop subsidizing the huge corporate agriconglomerates with Republicon Corporate-Socialism Welfare handouts -- and give real farmers a real chance.

[glinda]

150. And if he doesn't make serious changes, I want a challenger.

[joeunderdog]

3. Obama's base seeks new ways of firing up Obama.

Quick. Someone remind him he ran as a Democrat.

[Deep13]

4. +1

[DJ13]

5. Wait

Obama's a Democrat?!

When did that happen?

:rofl:

[Lucky 13]

21. We exhausted all ideas on that months ago. It will take an election to get him "fired up"

[Melissa G]

131. Good one.

Wish we could find something that worked to jog Obama's memory!
Obama ran as a Dem, but acts to the right of many previous Republicans. Current Republicans are mostly acting like fascists. I wonder what Lincoln, Nixon, Hoover and Teddy Roosevelt would think of their current party leaders?

[rhett o rick]

142. He has a new base now. Instead of the left, it includes the right of center. nm

[Amonester]

235. Which is, as I read often here, 85% of liberal Democrats.

These 85% will always vote for the Democratic nominee, but the point he 'lost' is that the other 14.9% made the difference in getting him elected President: 99.9% of liberal Democrats resulted in Obama becoming President, but only 85% of them would have made him remain Senator Obama, and he knows it (apparently), now...

[Angry Dragon]

6. One has to have fire in the belly to do those things

I would add

-charge bank execs for fraud
-moratorium on foreclosures
-arrest bush and his friends for war crimes
-get rid of his corporate cabinet
-stop the two tier justice system
-etc

[floriduck]

216. And go back

and push the single payer healthcare legislation through.

[myrna minx]

7. LOL

[undeterred]

8. Tell him to grow a spine.

[Plucketeer]

192. And a brain to go with it! nt

[Webster Green]

9. Well, he should keep fucking with pot dispensaries.

Keep sending in DEA thugs to steal medicine from patients and providers.

That will surely fire up the base. (Not the way he wants though).

3-dimensional chess, my ass. Obama is fucking clueless! :banghead:

[slay]

103. Yeah that has me pissed off to no end

This is MEDICINE to cancer and AIDS patients and others! Obama doesn't give a shit about us - unless it's near election time. And even then he's just going to lie to us again like he did in 08. I agree with the partial list of things the OP said Obama should do - but it's too little too late for me. He'd have to REALLY do a 180, stop representing corporations, end the wars, tax the rich, and start standing up for the American people and keeping jobs HERE before I could vote for him again. At this point my vote will go to whoever promises to legalize marijuana. I hate to be a one issue voter but if these assholes are going to keep fucking us and people are too stupid to see it, then I at least want to be able to smoke some weed as we destroy the world. Ugh. What great options we have. :banghead:

[Deep13]

10. Don't let the right define issues...

Don't accept that the idea that government is the problem. To the extent it is, don't punish the destitute or eat our seed corn to deal with it.

And for chrissake, find those comfortable shoes.

[Cleita]

11. How about having him embrace the principles

Paul Wellstone stood for if FDR and LBJ are too dated for him?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

42. He called Paul Wellstone a "gadfly" --

look it up, he had nothing but contempt for Wellstone. :puke:

[Cleita]

47. I'm not surprised. It's too bad. He had a chance

of having a historic Presidency and he's blown it for Wall Street.

[truebrit71]

65. [phone] Yup...

..at this point it sure looks that way..

[geardaddy]

81. Methinks the prez is projecting.

Wellstone was anything but a gadfly.

[CoffeeCat]

155. Seriously? I've never heard that, but I'm not...

suprised. I guess that speaks volumes, doesn't it?

I'll have to google and read more about that.

I've always wondered...was Obama faking "change" the entire campaign or did dark
forces turn him?

At this point though--does it really matter? Our country is taking the fast road
to some really scary places.

[Brickbat]

250. Here's the link, to an article in the Nation, by Dave Sirota.

http://www.thenation.com/article/mr-obama-goes-washington

It's on the third page:

Obama's deference to these boundaries was hammered home to me when our discussion touched on the late Senator Paul Wellstone. Obama said the progressive champion was "magnificent." He also gently but dismissively labeled Wellstone as merely a "gadfly," in a tone laced with contempt for the senator who, for instance, almost single-handedly prevented passage of the bankruptcy bill for years over the objections of both parties. This clarified Obama's support for the Hamilton Project, an organization formed by Citigroup chair Robert Rubin and other Wall Street Democrats to fight back against growing populist outrage within the party. And I understood why Beltway publications and think tanks have heaped praise on Obama and want him to run for President. It's because he has shown a rare ability to mix charisma and deference to the establishment.

[guruoo]

180. Gadfly: One that acts as a provocative stimulus. nt

[RedCloud]

12. Fire most of your staff and hire your base!

[Courtesy Flush]

262. Their severance packages would bankrupt us

:sarcasm:

[MadHound]

13. Good luck with that,

Obama has shit on the base for the past two years, but now that he needs our votes he's going to try the old "inspire and excite" trick.

Mr. President, you will be judged on your results, which are pretty piss poor.

[rurallib]

14. Stand up to keep the rat fuckers from stealing Social Security

Stand up for internet neutrality
hold some investigations on the financial collapse.
quit letting people lose their houses.
Stand up to fucking McConnell.

[Autumn]

15. Step one, Quit compromising and

reaching across to the republicans on our important issues. We are here. Waiting for you.

[MrTriumph]

16. President Obama is easily beatable. We need to replace him.

Otherwise, in mid-Nov of 2012, all the pundits will be pontificating about how we all should have seen how weak Obama's standing was.

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

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

[killbotfactory]

115. seems that way

[Lastactiongyro]

48. OOooOh Noow were important...Nope I am voting 3rd party now.

[Lucky 13]

225. There's this little matter of a primary.

The poster didn't say THIRD party.

[spedtr90]

17. Dear Mr. President

You don't need to fire up the base. We are fired up. We're ready. If you support us, we'll support you. You've made great speeches about supporting unions, ending war, protecting Social Security, regulating Wall Street and corporations, protecting consumers, and health care for all. We supported you because those are our beliefs. It was a great relationship. Then you dumped us.
We're still here. We still want the same things. We have no idea what you want. We need to see YOU get fired up and cook up some elephant before we come too close. We don't intend to get burned again.

Hopefully yours,

The "professional left" (your base)

[CoffeeCat]

156. Most excellent!!

and so true...we are fired up (and dare I say, "ready to go!?"). Sorry.

Seriously. He left us. He wooed us, then he dumped us. We were like the unsuspecting prom
date who was ditched.

Now, he wants something from us--or else he doesn't get to go to the next dance.

How stupid do they think we are?

Frankly, I'm just not interested in this bullshit anymore.

I think most of us have figured out that the prom is lame anyway...

[xxqqqzme]

218. We didn't get ditched.

We were stood up. We got all dressed up, ready to go but never got out the front door.

[tomg]

197. Spot on.

and welcome to DU.

[droidamus2]

18. The biggest question

Is, who does Obama think are his base. If he thinks centrists and conciliators are his base and will get out and do the hard work for him he is sadly mistaken. The young people and activists that did all the hard work for Obama to get elected in the first place, in my opinion, were liberals/progressives and he has done very little to repay their hard work. I think Obama is going to have a very hard time putting together a coalition of workers as he did in 2008. I as a liberal was looking for Obama to be a champion of the left wing of the political spectrum. Don't get me wrong I am not saying the extreme-left but the left wing that has been waiting years if not decades for a champion of our cause. In that sense Obama has been a disappointment. Unless he is willing to show that he is willing to not only listen but act substantively on liberal/progressive ideas I feel he is going to be very surprised at how hard it is to garner and organize the support of his so called base.

[demwing]

154. +1 (followed by a billion zeroes)

with the following noted:

"Unless he is willing to show that he is willing to not only listen but act substantively on liberal/progressive ideas I feel he is going to be very surprised at how hard it is to garner and organize the support of his so called base."

Don't you think Obama HAS shown his willingness, in the sense that he HAS NO willingness?

[Mimosa]

158. I was early on Obama's bandwagon.

Worked my fingers to the bone, contributed money I didn't really have. All I wanted was a national health care plan which is affordable.

[NC_Nurse]

19. He will probably win, but not because of the base being "fired up". He just

Doesn't have much credible competition. I see no reason for enthusiasm at this point. I will vote for him to keep the lesser of evils. That is all.

[abelenkpe]

40. +1 nt

[NoTimeToulouse]

61. The lesser of two evils. You can either be kicked

in the privates or less harshly kicked in them.

[HughBeaumont]

79. "Rule by Old Testuhment Jeeeesus" vs. "Slightly Less Puritanical Social Agenda".

Pretty much what it comes down to, since economically, we're screwn either way thanks to corporations buying both parties.

[ldf]

129. and that is EXACTLY what "they" are counting on

the democratic power brokers never had any intention of being anything other than what they are. they spun their stands just enough to get our votes. that was all that was important.

now we have no choice but to vote, once again, for the lesser of two evils.

methinks they may be delusional.

i have been doing that every election since my first, in 1972. i have done that for the last time.

[CoffeeCat]

160. You want to know why he doesn't have credible competition?

Because the corporations are perfectly happy snappy with Obama. The Republicans
don't need to challenge Obama and threaten him with a good Republican candidate,
because the powers that be have determined that Obama will climb in bed with them
and allow them to have their way. Any way they like it.

Wall Street, big Pharma, the health insurance conglomerates, big oil, those who
want to "drown government in a bathtub"--and the rest of the Fascist neocons
who want perennial war--are in love with Obama.

The Republicans could easily pull any number of names out of a hat--and market
that person as the next big thing. And they could destroy Obama. Look what
they did to John Kerry. They'll destroy anyone with their destructive lies
and personal attacks.

Obama convinced them that there was no need.

I'm sure they were all titillated and amused when Obama called us "the professional left"
and when he didn't close Guantanamo, and when he ignored the recent anti-union struggles
in Wisconsin. Major points from the neocons, the Koch Bros and the rest of the
corporatists--with ALL of those things.

:mad:

[KoKo]

194. I've been thinking what you say for awhile now. ...Thanks for the post..+1

[BobbyBoring]

198. I wish that wasn't true

but it is. Our candidates are preselected long before the primaries. The media then points the way to the selected ones. pretty slick

[coalition_unwilling]

211. I'm not even going to waste the time to vote for him this time around.

Won't get fooled again.

[Lucky 13]

20. Act like you believe in stuff your "base" believes in.

And by "act" I don't mean pretend, I mean ACT as in DO SOMETHING

[orleans]

22. he wants to know how to recapture that "magic?" HA! good luck with that. n/t

[monmouth]

32. I had an ex-husband say that once...I gave him your reply..LOL....n/t

[earthside]

23. Really???!!! n/t

[old mark]

24. K&R- Must be an election coming up- is he talking to the Left again?

I guess he thinks we should be flattered he is even thinking about us and that if he throws us a bone, we will all be back in 2008 again...

Fired Up?

Fuck no, Mr. Obama...


mark

[NoTimeToulouse]

64. Fed up? F-ed up?

[dennis4868]

25. yes....

I am not voting for another 2 years of this crap --------> www.whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com

[krawhitham]

26. If the base needs fired up at this point we are a lost cause

[leveymg]

27. There really is no real answer to Obama's question. It was rhetorical, and

I don't much think he's still in a position to come up with answers between now and Election Day.

[meow mix]

29. oh he finally needs us again, perfect timing there...

fucking hell

[grahamhgreen]

30. If he wanted to fire us up - HE SHOULDN'T HAVE FIRED US!!!

[joeybee12]

31. Hell, I'm not disappointed in his concessions...

It's his capitulations that tick me off.

[socialist_n_TN]

112. Fucking PERFECT response Joey. PERFECT!........

You don't know what you need to concede until you actually STAND UP FOR SOMETHING! At least fight for it before you concede.

[dkofos]

33. QUIT LISTENING TO YOUR TEAM AND LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE.

[dennis4868]

34. you guys need to understand...

that you are a very small base of the dem party....a GREAT majority of dems approve of Obama and we will be fired up and ready to go....you are probably less than 2% of all dems....it's the 2% who wants change by yesterday.....Change happends in baby steps in Washington...always has, always will....

The following is from Obama's election night victory speech:

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there."

[Xithras]

43. Well, then, I guess he can get re-elected without us then.

Nothing like a "Shut up, you guys don't matter anyway" post to get that base all fired up, eh?

[walldude]

98. Funny how today we are just 20% and don't mean anything

but on election day it was all our fault that the house was lost to Republicans. :crazy:

[gkhouston]

138. Booster math--it's what you get when you sniff rocket fuel. n/t

[abelenkpe]

44. you are deluding yourself if you think only 2% of dems are

disillusioned with the president.

[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

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

[BuelahWitch]

58. If that is so, why is firing up the base even an issue?

It must be, or else they wouldn't be worrying about it.

[truebrit71]

62. ..yeah well, that too was total bullshit..

..change in DC may very well happen in baby steps, but it helps if you start in the right direction...

"you guys"...??

[NoTimeToulouse]

67. Then if that is the case then he really doesn't need to ask. Right?

[demmiblue]

71. Fail...

[Melissa G]

259. LOL!!! You gotta wonder how many of these posts are Actually Obama Consultants?

Who else comes to DU and talks about us as a separate group? (okay, besides freepers.)

DU is an activist lounge. This is where we come to talk issues and politics with others who are as obsessed with them as we are. I wonder how many of the hard core workers hang out here? I'm betting way more than 2%.

But nice insult to us, anyway.... That seems to be the Obama approach to firing up the base. Insult us first. :eyes:

[tpsbmam]

77. Bull. His policies have been to continue some of Bush's worst policies,

side with the bankers & lobbyists & corporations & wealthy and screwing the rest of us. For someone who was going to protect whistleblowers, he has the worst record of all recent presidents. And on and on. I hate to think about how fucked up this country will be if we get a Republican in 2012.....and I hate to think how fucked up it'll be if we get Obama for another 4.

We don't want everything by yesterday and we don't want fucking ponies. We want him to be even a modicum of the man he said he was. So far, he isn't even close to the candidate Obama -- we've been incredibly lied to.

And I know MANY Dems outside of DU who are as pissed as I am. MANY! As a matter of fact, all of the Dems I know outside of DU are furious with him.

[CrispyQ]

121. This liberal is terribly pissed off at the Prez's constant capitulation to the right,

which begin even before negotiations start! That said, if he were to do one thing - one thing! - have the DOJ go after Cheney/Bush & Co., I would vote for him again. And I would vote for him & not against the batshit crazy candidate the repubs will put up.

But alas . . . I am dreaming.

[deutsey]

240. My mom is not a leftwing idealogue and not one to do political discussion boards

She was a big Obama supporter, though, even when I was grumbling about how I felt he was kowtowing to the right and Wall Street.

The last time we talked about it (a couple weeks ago), she said she was growing very disappointed in Obama.

That, to me, was a bad sign of weakening support among Democrats like my mom.

PS: I don't take any delight in that disillusionment. It's really sad...also for my kids who were so happy when Obama won. I voted for Obama although I was very leery of the Wall Street fuckheads he was pulling onto his team. After 8 disastrous years of Bush, all of us (my mom, stepfather--who's a working class Navy vet--my wife, kids, me)...we were so damn happy and hopeful.

It's just sad. :evilfrown:

[HughBeaumont]

80. The creeping fascism is a LIFE issue, not a left/right one.

[frylock]

93. i'm sure you'll be front and center scapegoating the useless 2%..

if things go sideways in 2012. so get fired up and ready to go work your ass off to get him reelected, because a lot of folks who did that in 2008 aren't going to be there to do your heavy lifting.

[JoeyT]

101. Oh good grief, can we stop with this stupid "Change is slow" meme already?

No one is objecting that he's changing things too slowly. Pretty much everyone understands that real change is a gradual thing that you have to fight for every step of the way.

What they're pissed off about is that Obama is perfectly happy to go in entirely the wrong direction and fight us every step of the way.

[StarsInHerHair]

133. yes & compare his actions to the shocking changes introduced by several

Republican Governors........why not do the same but in the opposite direction?

[_ed_]

106. Heard and understood

My wallet will be closed in 2012, and he won't get my vote. We'll see if he needs us or not.

[hulka38]

132. We've lost ground on so many major fronts

under Obama as many here have listed. We don't even have our guns pointed in the right direction. The GOP is emboldened.

[fascisthunter]

134. ok...lol

[Lyric]

171. ROFL.

Keep telling yourself that.

[obxhead]

187. We are not seeing baby steps forward.

We are seeing leaps and bounds in the GOP direction.

We got change, just not the change that was promised. The GOP agenda has been advanced faster than any previous Republican has been able to do.

[davidthegnome]

203. If we're only 2%

then you have nothing to worry about. The GREAT majority makes us irrelevant in any event and you will have your second term for President Obama.

If, however, our numbers are significantly higher than you think - among them being many great political organizers and campaigners, then you may have an issue. I suppose it depends on how you define your base. If the more liberal no longer need apply, then you have lost a significant portion of it that will ultimately hurt your cause. They most likely won't turn to the right either. They'll vote third party or look for progressive challengers, democrats they think they can believe in - as we believed in Obama at one point. They'll be the ones that get the hatred formerly (and even presently) reserved for Nader voters. They'll get it simply because they follow their principles and tried to do what they believe is right. It is time for change - and I no longer believe our two party system capable of creating that change... nonetheless...

Voting is one thing - getting OUT the vote is quite another, you'll need our "2%" if you want to do so effectively.

I will vote for Obama in 2012, most likely, because the alternative is almost certain to be a republican. I will not, however, do so with enthusiasm or passion, he has eliminated that through his actions and his inaction. Few things in my life have moved me so much as his election, candidate Obama was a man I was extremely proud to have as President. Now I am simply disappointed and somewhat ashamed. Overall apathetic, hope and change are not simple words, you create them through your words and your actions. He has failed to do so.

Nonetheless... lacking a progressive challenger with any capability, I'll vote for the lesser of two evils because the alternative is far worse. He'll get his vote from me, but he sure as hell isn't going to fire me up without dramatic changes.

I am well aware that he has no magic wand, that congress is in republican hands. That does not negate either his ability or his obligation to stand up for what he campaigned on, to speak the truth and to act as the man we all voted for. Frankly, I think he lacks courage and has turned his back on a great number of us among the "2% fringe nuts" as we're so often referred to.

All that said - I think you're mistaken about our number and our ability. We shall see - but keep in mind that we played a significant role in electing him.

[sulphurdunn]

209. "A journey of a thousand miles

begins with a single step." Obama hasn't taken that step yet, and he is not likely to now although he will talk about doing it again.

[coalition_unwilling]

213. Good! I've got way better things to do with my time than vote for,

volunteer and donate to someone who opposes my interests.

Won't get fooled again.

[fasttense]

230. Washington change only happens in baby steps? Well, then they need to grow up

and learn how to walk like adults.

The closing of the banks and stopping foreclosures by FDR was NOT a baby step.

Starting a JOb Corps was not a baby step.

Instituting Social Security (despite what some people claim) was NOT a baby step.

The FDR administration faced the same ignorant clowns the RepubliCONS represent today. He was called a socialist, communist and a traitor to his class. He stood up and said I welcome their hatred. FDR stood up and took huge steps forward but for some reason Obama and DC can't today.

But the truth is the Obama administration does take some grown up steps and big leaps. Just look at how he finished implementing the bush bail out plan for banksters. Look at how no one from the bush administration was prosecuted for torture and murder even though the perpetrators admitted to torture in public. Look at how no one has gone to jail for killing our economy. Look at how Obama claims he can murders anyone he feels like anywhere in the world. Washington and the Obama administration do take adult steps just not for liberal policies and programs.

[Missy Vixen]

248. Thanks for letting me know my vote is unimportant

Obama is about to find out how "small" we are, and how effective we can be when we do things like withhold campaign donations, find something else to do besides phone banking and other GOTV items, etcetera.

Really. We're 2%. We don't matter. I'm sure the independents and Republicans he's been pandering to for the past two years will be more than happy to vote for him, won't they?

:woohoo:

[xphile]

263. Well if there aren't that many of us and we don't matter

why waste your time telling us how we need to toe the line?

There's a shitload of change going on. The problem is it's in the wrong bloody direction and no amount of condescending cheering is going to change that.

I didn't expect immediate change overnight. I did expect Obama to actually fight to push things in the wrong direction rather than give away the progressive position before negotiations even begin or worse actively push Republican policy and pretend that the problem lies with those of us who object to is utter and complete capitulation.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

35. Maybe if he expends as much energy firing it up as he has alienating it.

Naw...That wouldn't conform the "practical" politics that produced such great results in 2010.

[notadmblnd]

36. Try putting up a fight.. just one.. pick an issue.. any issue. and mean it.

I for one am tired of the roll over and expose the throat method he uses as a way of dealing with the right.

[CrispyQ]

122. Yes. I don't mind that characteristic in my dog, but in not my president.

Thought we could all use a sad little laugh:

[hulka38]

147. Perfect - thanks.

[obxhead]

188. The real problem in a nutshell.

yoink!

[MessiahRp]

233. Spot fucking on.

And disappointing as all hell, I must say.

[abelenkpe]

37. Could honestly be too late

A year after the stimulus package which saved and created jobs we're facing a republican house and republican state governors bent on slashing budgets and cutting jobs.

I am baffled as to why democrats are not out actively explaining why cutting jobs (any jobs: union or non-union) will not be good for ANYONE. Cut jobs and benefits and that just adds more people to the growing number of unemployed. Unemployed people and their families require assistance (unemployment insurance, medicaid, food stamps, school lunches, etc.) These programs require funding in order to work. That funding comes from higher taxes on those lucky enough to remain employed or in business. Businesses will continue to suffer with fewer patrons due to unemployment and in turn will lay off more people continuing the downward spiral. Fewer people with secure jobs, fewer people with the ability to retire...ever... means more people unable to pay taxes, mortgages, bills leading to increased taxes, lower home values, etc etc etc.

Everything the republicans are actively pursuing: cutting jobs and cutting social services will hurt everyone not in the top 1%. Everyone. No one and no business will be exempt from the pain of the downward spiral republican policies promise to bring about.

[AngryAmish]

38. I suppose they could start by not fucking us over all the time...

[hifiguy]

41. Amen to that! nt

[creon]

39. Do it yourself.

Inspire yourself.
What needs to be done, and you do not need Obama to tell you what needs to be done:
Organize.
Recruit competent and honest progressives to run for HoR and Senate. They are there in state legislatures and city and county govt.
Get them nominated
After nomination get them elected.

If you actually want - and saying that you want is not actually wanting - progressive legislation passed, a progressive majority in Congress is necessary.
Obama does not pass laws - Congress passes laws.

[obxhead]

189. Obama signs bills into law.

He also has the power of veto.

He also has the great power of the bully pulpit, yet fails to use it.

Stop shifting the blame. Obama PROMISED to fight for us and with us. He has yet to begin to fulfill that PROMISE.

[creon]

237. If

If a Democratic majority passes progressive legislation, Obama will sign it into law.

I am not shifting any blame. Obama is head of one branch of Govt. Congress pases laws, not the president.

[obxhead]

245. You are either shifting blame or minimizing the impact of the

Presidency at minimum.

Obama and his admin have the ability to shape the laws that Congress passes. He can also veto those bills and send them back to be made more progressive, hell closer to center would be an improvement. The stance of this admin is clear after 2 years. No sacrifice by the many is too much of a burden to support the few elite.

[creon]

249. whatever

believe whatever you please.

[obxhead]

254. I will believe reality and place blame where it lies.

Obama could force a more progressive agenda, instead he chooses belly rubs from the GOP.

[katsy]

255. And bush with a Democratic majority was what?

Bush with a gop majority was a one-man miracle for their side. With a Democratic majority he still feared his base. He didn't shift or wiggle or compromise. He was a well-defined crook.

The first thing our President did in office was bail out the criminal banksters.

That's what his base saw. That too big to fail thingy. Do you think that if we capture (for arguments sake) a serial killer that killed 100 people we should let them free? That # is just too big to be called "failure". Let's stick to executing the under-5 person killer, okay. Let's reward the kings of corruption and jail the loaf of bread thieves. Yeah, I get that just fine.

The 2nd thing he did was mandate insurance instead of single-payor. You think maybe Americans really wanted this? It did nothing for me, a member of the middle class working fool that couldn't USE their insurance before because I couldn't handle the deductible. I still can't. I'm afraid to use it because I'll never be able to pay.

We lost congress. He takes giant steps to the right.

Way to go el Presidente! Wiggle and squirm and suck up to your corporate thieves. Thanks!

[creon]

258. nice rant

Again:
Congress passes laws, not the President.

[zalinda]

45. This how Obama sees the left.

"One answer, the president said, is to persuade hardcore liberals to swallow their anger over political compromises the administration reached with Republicans, even when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress." Quote from OP article.

In other words, shut the fuck up and vote for me, I'm all you've got.

zlainda

[Autumn]

53. Glad I'm not the only one who thought that.

I am one hardcore liberal he is never going to be able to persuade to to swallow my anger over that shit. As fucked up as things are I believe we need Democratic values to correct things. We are drowning here and I don't want a life saver built by republicans, odds are very high it would be filled with cement.

[NoTimeToulouse]

68. Asbestos-tainted cement at that.

[Missy Vixen]

252. Obama and his team knew this a long time ago

He believes that the Republicans will run their usual batshit crazy Presidential candidate, he can pretend to be concerned with what his base wants (if he tries really, really hard,) for a couple of months, and he waltzes back into the White House. He will be crowing about the "mandate" for even more "centrism" (turning even further to the right,) and gosh, it'll be sunshine and puppies for everyone.

"Swallow their anger"? That tells me everything about Barack Obama, as a candidate and as a person, I needed to know.

[Larkspur]

49. Obama should watch how the 14 WI Dem state senators were treated by the base

Course fighting for core Democratic principles is the last thing Obama and his Wall Street huckster aides will think of. Maybe he should have that inane DNC logo changed. It looks like a blue version of the Target logo.

[meow mix]

50. stop rolling the bus back and forth over our mangled corpses

might be a nice start

[Umbral]

51. Speech! Speech!

That's the ticket.

[kath]

83. Oh, YEAH! Give us more of those pretty, pretty speeches!

The power of your beautiful words will make us forget how much you're fucking us over.

[FiveGoodMen]

52. Perhaps if we slap them in the face...no?

Okay, let's kick them in the shins...no good, either, huh?

What about stepping on their toes...boy, nothing seems to make them happy...

[Kennah]

54. I'm concerned that Obama is a Gen-X Nomad and we need a Baby Boom Prophet

He was born in 1961, so, maybe, he's on the "cusp" and he's really more Prophet than Nomad. However, thus far, I don't see it.

I'm a Gen-Xer.

[ProSense]

55. He could scrap NCLB

details here.

[earthside]

109. Nice try, but ...

... Pres. Obama and Arne Duncan don't have any credibility on the education issue.

Indeed, his and Arne's teacher bashing and charter/privatization mantra helped embolden the likes of Scott Walker to go after public employee collective bargaining.

[MannyGoldstein]

212. Is there anything that Obama should have done differently?

Anything at all?

[Pholus]

215. I would actually support him scrapping it instead of "fixing" it, which is what your link describes.

Plus, that link is infuratingly vague considering how focused the president's people are on precise meanings of phrases. You know, I've been burned by slights twists of phrases changing from "does not support tax cut extension" to "does not permanently support tax cut extension" And they WONDER why some of us aren't fired up?

Example from the link:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NCLB Status Quo: Teachers and principals don’t get credit for improving student scores.

The Obama Plan: Replace the current pass-fail school grading system with a system that rewards teachers, principals and schools for showing they’ve helped students improve and doesn’t just judge them for how students did on one test on one day.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now pardon my cynicism here, but that is not a "plan" but instead a statement of goals. Sadly the press release linked by the link doesn't say too much more. How about some specifics instead of vague platitudes? But a couple other places where I will have to seek pardon again from the link from the link (which is from a whitehouse.gov press release):

Example from the link in the link:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Great Teacher In Every Classroom and A Great Principal In Every School:

The President’s ESEA plan will support a new effort to build the teaching profession through reforms that will help states create better systems to recruit, prepare, develop, reward, advance and retain effective educators. By focusing on teacher effectiveness and driving reforms based in part on evidence of student learning and achievement, this plan will place a greater focus on helping a greater share of teachers excel while rewarding those that are most successful in the classroom. The President’s plan provides resources to back the development of teacher evaluation systems that use student learning and other measures to support and identify good teaching.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now it's pretty plain that "retain" actually means the opposite in that unions and tenure are generally held to blame to be the whole of the problem. To "retain" the teachers you want implies that you are going to remove the ones you don't. Additionally, while the bullet point says that they want a "Great Principal" in every school I note that the text seems to have nothing held over the heads of administrators, despite their disproportionate power (which will be only increased when tenure is gone and you don't dare cross them) and LARGE fraction of the salary budget from our district at least.

I saw it summarized very nicely on another post:

The current system does not PUNISH collaboration between teachers. A system which rewards "effective" teachers also creates a strong disincentive for them sharing their techniques or mentoring their peers.

But I guess that's how "charter schools for all" keeps the teachers from organizing once the unions are busted again. :P

[Rambis]

57. WPA- Build something here not destroy something abroad

wasn't that easy now?:eyes:

[Proud Liberal Dem]

59. Considering that his approval among Democrats is hovering around +/-80%

It's hard for me to see him as "weak". As far as inspiring the rest of us, well, does he need to even do anything other than run against the overreach of the Republican Tea Party in the House and in states like Wisconsin (and their ghoulish plans for the future) and remind everybody that, despite not being everything we hoped for, he has followed through with achieving some important initiatives during his first two years in office such as improving the regulation of the health insurance and financial markets and getting rid of DADT? He certainly has more to run on in 2012 in terms of achievements than Clinton did in 1996 and he won re-election in spite of some significant failures during his first two years in office and doing some things that probably pissed progressives off even worse (i.e. DOMA, Welfare Reform).

As it seems unlikely that President Obama will be facing a primary challenge (a futile gesture in any event), along with organizing for President Obama in 2012, we also need to organize and work to (re-)elect more Democrats to Congress, as well as state legislatures in states with current Republican Governors, particularly those like Walker, Kasich, Christie, Snyder whom are trying to ram a lot of anti-union, anti-teacher, and, frankly anti-democratic initiatives through their Republican-controlled legislatures.

[creon]

66. yes

got it in one

[walldude]

69. I keep seeing that number right next to posts

that complain about the base not voting and costing us control of the house. Elections have consequences, I believe is the phrase...

So we're not important at all, right up until election day then it's our fault that you lost... Got it.

[Lyric]

177. About that 80% number?

If someone called me tomorrow and asked me if I approved of the job Obama is doing, I'd say yes--even though I don't. Why? Because those tend to be binary polls meant to determine the amount of political support that each SIDE has--or at least, that's how people see them. Poll numbers are like a popularity contest in the media.

People tend to answer national polls differently than they might answer a personal question from a friend, because people perceive polls as "nationally important". Their answers are given with the larger perspective in mind. For example: back in 2006, a Future-Teabagger might have answered that he thought Bush was a "Very Good" President (even if he didn't really think that) because even though he despised Bush, Bush was still the representative of "their team". Republicans would rather pretend to approve of him than to risk seeing poll numbers come out that make it look like overall support for Democrats is going up. They care more about beating US than about being fully truthful with pollsters, and more than anything--they don't want to look STUPID for picking him in the first place. They don't want to be seen as people who made a stupid mistake. They'd rather have other people believe that they're stubborn and extreme than to have others believe that they're dumb.

And you know what? We're the same way. I have no doubt that there are plenty of Democrats who are royally pissed with Obama. I also have no doubt that quite a few of them, if given the binary choice between "approve and "disapprove", would probably choose "approve"...because he's the guy we elected. He's the choice we made. Admitting to a pollster that we think we made a mistake is damned embarrassing, and also potentially bad for "our side". We don't want "the left" to lose ground in the media's popularity contest, and right now, Obama is the representative of "the left". So yeah, I'd say "approve" even though I don't...because I know damned well that the Republicans are going to lie in lockstep in order to give THEIR side every media advantage. I'd do it to try and neutralize that effect.

I suspect that if you ran an intra-party poll in which part of the intro "spiel" was informing the respondent that they are one of 100,000 people chosen for this poll, and that their answers would remain confidential to the Democratic National Committee, you'd see far smaller "approval" numbers. But I don't think it would matter. When politics and governing are reduced to binary team sports, the "good guys" and the "bad guys", voting behavior is pretty much the same as polling behavior. We might despise the person we elect, but goddammit, we'll elect him anyway, because it's better than seeing those Other Assholes gloating over a win.

[myrna minx]

205. I agree - if I was polled, I would say that I supported the President

even though I no longer trust him and I'm horribly disappointed in his Presidency. I won't talk out of school to any pollster because I see this as internal Democratic business and not data to be poured over and "interpreted" by the mouth breathers at FOX nooz.

[katsy]

257. You know you can quote that poll all day.

I genuinely believe the poll.

That does not make President Obama a working class hero.

It doesn't make him principled.

He's popular. The gop is toxic.

Let's see the polls after the next couple of "give jobs away" trade deals that kick more of the middle class into poverty.

The only people left with phone lines to take these stupid polls will be the uber-rich.

[truebrit71]

60. Even easier than your list....one simple thing...stop acting like a fucking republican...

..that would be one helluva start..

Or how about coming to the realisation that YOUR definition of bi-partisan is NOT the same as the opposition's?

Or not STARTING your negotiations from the furthest of your fall-back points..

Or actually defending the Constitution...

You know, little shit like that..

[Name removed]

84. Deleted message

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

[Lucinda]

63. Oh, I am already fired up

Just not in the way they would like me to be fired up

[highplainsdem]

70. Article says he's planning "showy spectacles" in stadiums. Could we have bread & circuses with that?

Beyond that, Obama eventually plans large rallies similar to those in 2008. They create showy spectacles that excite young voters, but they also serve a fundraising role. People who enter the stadiums or buy Obama T-shirts are asked to provide their names and contact information, which are used later to request donations and volunteer activities.

I thought what was quoted in the OP sounded cynical and manipulative, but this is worse.

He needs to deliver on more of what he campaigned on in 2008. Not plan on big stadium rallies so they can sell T-shirts and get contact info to ask for donations. If he'd been doing what we elected him to do, he wouldn't have to worry now about firing up the Democratic base.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

74. Putting on "showy spectacles".

[Autumn]

82. I put myself out to go see him once

I won't bother with that again.:shrug: Been there done that.

[zalinda]

99. They think the dem voters are stupid

and so they treat them that way.

zalinda

[CrispyQ]

128. I don't think they think we're stupid,

they're just counting on the fact that we have nowhere else to go.

And for some, that is true. But Palin no longer scares me. Maybe a gaze into the abyss will inspire the mis-directed repub voters & the millions & millions of non-voters, to fight to get our government back.

I've been voting below my standards for years. In 2012, I'm writing in Bernie Sanders.

My one caveat: If Obama were to direct the DOJ to go after Cheney/Bush, I would enthusiastically vote for him, send him money & knock on doors for him. This one action would clear the slate for him. For all the other crap, if he would do this one thing, I would vote for him.

Oops, I just woke up. ~sigh.

[NCarolinawoman]

102. "Cynical" is the first word that came to mind.

He must think the base, particularly the young, are stupid. All you need is Madison Avenue (or Chicago in this case) props and fancy speeches to deliver the voters. "Fired up and ready to go" and greek columns--will he have the greek columns again?

I did not support him in the primaries--not after I saw Chris Wallace interview him on April 27th when he said he thought "Republicans often had better ideas than Democrats". He cited environmental regulations as an example--he thought that "businesses should have more say".

I did vote for him in the General Election and talked some other people into doing likewise. I have no idea what I will do this time.

x(

[CrispyQ]

130. "...will he have the greek columns again?"

No, Jon Stewart bought them for his set, remember? 1 minute, 25 secs in:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-27-2010/barack-obama-pt--1

:rofl:

:hi:

[deutsey]

242. God, they just don't get it.

Or maybe they do...maybe there are enough people who will get all jazzed up by such spectacles and distracted from how the GOP and Wall Street (with Democratic complicity) are fucking us all over in the real world.

[tpsbmam]

72. Do a better job of sucking up to a different base. There's nothing you can do for

me at this point EXCEPT for reversing half the policies and decisions you've made in the last two years, canning pretty much all of your economic advisers....what you say no longer means anything to me. You can make your fancy speeches, send emails, do whatever....I'll not be participating in any of it. It's all bullshit anyway -- I don't believe much of what you say anymore, at least when you spout the stuff we progressives want to hear. IF I have to, I'll vote for you in the election. ONLY if I have to....I'm damn well voting for a good progressive opponent if you have one in the primaries. And I'll work for and contribute to THAT candidate, never again for Obama.

[blindpig]

73. Well, this should be interesting.

Never seen anybody make two years disappear before.

[KoKo]

219. delete--wrong reply

[Matariki]

75. I think any of the douchbags the Republicans run will fire up the base for Obama.

Thus maintaining the status quo. ;(

[gkhouston]

97. Not so much. n/t

[frebrd]

76. Who the hell are his "base"? Are there any left?

I'm pretty sure those "young people" are older and wiser by now.

[Xicano]

78. Sorry, but, he's lost my trust

and the job is too important for me to vote for someone who I can't trust. And spare me the non vote is a Repub vote rhetoric. A non vote is a non endorsement of either candidate. If the Repub wins because of low Dem votes, that's Obama's fault for going back on so much he campaigned for and losing people's trust.

n/t

[meow mix]

85. send DEA thugs to attack state MMJ programs.. great start.

[slay]

104. He needs to answer for this

SERIOUSLY. He PROMISED this shit would end. Not that he hasn't broken lots of promises already - but this one is personal. I have a friend with AIDS and she NEEDS marijuana. I want Obama to address what the fuck the DEA is doing cause it will cost him my vote if this shit does not stop. Even so - I want an explanation. Does Obama approve? Has the DEA gone rogue? Why the hell is marijuana illegal in the year 2011 when the far worse cigarettes and alcohol can be bought cheap and legally on just about every corner?!?! I've had it with Obama honestly. :mad:

[Starry Messenger]

86. The new logo didn't do the trick eh?

[KoKo]

221. I new when they revealed that "little D" in the target range...we were screwed...

from :kick: to little pale blue generic "D"... It sure fired up the voters last November. And, Tim Kaine is still the genius in charge.

[kentuck]

87. We shall not be taken for granted.

We are the New Tea Party. :-)

[4_TN_TITANS]

88. He dumped us right after the inauguration...

If you don't dance with the one that brought you, don't expect nookie later on...

[whatchamacallit]

89. Oh man...

One answer, the president said, is to persuade hardcore liberals to swallow their anger over political compromises the administration reached with Republicans, even when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress.

How is he gonna do that, more "retard" talk? How 'bout you swallow this!

[chill_wind]

123. Wrong answer Mr. President.

Elections have consequences, ESPECIALLY when you were given a sweeping mandate and both chambers of Congress, and then flushed so much of it away.

[Little Star]

238. That's the sad part.

[DeSwiss]

90. Well he's sure got me fired up.

- Just not in the way he wanted.

[Downtown Hound]

91. End the wars, close Guantanamo, eliminate the Patriot Act

pass another stimulus that actually benefits working people, stop job outsourcing, and do something about global warming.

That would get me fired up. Since it's unlikely to happen, I don't see myself getting fired up anytime soon.

[CreekDog]

92. How about surrounding yourself with people who will give you more diverse advice

...than you've been getting thus far?

and no, i don't mean Republican, i mean *imaginative*, *unconventional* and *creative* rather than stale, status-quo trending that current advisors (mostly economic) continue to give.

[LiberalEsto]

94. He could join the Democratic Party

The real one, I mean.

[xchrom]

96. obama who? nt

[slay]

105. Ouch

+1

[frylock]

100. how about trying some old ways to fire up the base?

you know, fucking FDR style?

[readmoreoften]

107. Oh great. Now he's going to set us on fire.

And I thought Rahm saying we are "retarded" was bad.

[gkhouston]

140. It's one way to make up for no heating oil. n/t

[FLAprogressive]

108. He'll play good cop bad cop.

[Pale Blue Dot]

110. He could listen to us.

Nah, too crazy.

[girl gone mad]

111. Let someone else get the nomination.

That's the only way I see Democrats winning in '12.

[27inCali]

113. start sounding more Liberal, tell the Cons where to stick it

seems pretty much like what the base has been asking for.

[progressoid]

114. Haaaahahaha!

I love these comedy threads. :rofl:

[Modern_Matthew]

116. Implement the Second Bill of Rights. nt

[gkhouston]

136. RE-implement the first Bill of Rights. n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

117. Sometimes the jokes just write themselves

I'll keep my mouth shut.

[BlueIris]

118. Just admit you don't want this job, Sir.

Then get out of the way for someone who does. That would be more than enough for me.

[Riverman]

206. He might not like the job, but he sure seems to enjoys the trappings of the Job

Free rent, excellent food (He and Michelle big foodies in Chicago) limos, big ass airplane to take them and the kids to Hawaii. All better than that apartment he grew up in Honolulu, right? Face it folks, he went to private schools, Harvard Law, initially funded by Wall Street, before we knew about him (look at his staff and the minions in the Treasury-duh). There are no apparent core values there, he likes those guys, fun to golf and play some hoops with, and the martini's are fab, I must say. What's not to like over there? And Tony Resko got him a nice place near the U of Chicago - gotta keep that Southside vibe alive! The Obamas are nice, good people. Maybe he should say, hey I got elected President of the United States of America after a horrible period of incompetent, immoral leadership, wars, and a crashing economy as they depleted the Treasury on the way out. No small feat, major accomplishment that history will report as "transformational." Ok, we did that, now lets go back to the mansion in Chicago, live off the income from the future books and speeches and get the library build, start a foundation, you know like Bill. Let's let somebody who really wants this job and knows what to do with it have a shot. Hillary?

[Zorra]

119. Let me guess - hmmm - Sacre Bleu! I've got it!...

"Let them eat cake!"
.:woohoo:
It's a total winner, guaranteed to fire up the base.
:headbang:

[fascisthunter]

124. oh my

completely disconnected.

[pa28]

125. The article refers to the "base". Obama carefully avoids the term.

His actual base will pony up the 1+ billion for his campaign and he'll serve their interests for the next four years.

As for the former Democratic Party base; Unions, liberals, minorities and young voters, they'll have to be content with replacing the idea of "hope" and "change" with "Obama/Biden: less evil than the other guys".

They won't be fired up and they won't be filling up a football stadium to see Obama accept the nomination.

[Fuddnik]

I didn't even know that he was playing at the Improv.

I went to see Lewis Black instead.

[scarletwoman]

126. Well, since I've been assured over and over that I'm not really part of "the base",

he's obviously not referring to me.

Obama has already made it clear that he's just not that into me. Back atcha, man.

sw

[Overseas]

127. Does that mean we won't get dissed anymore for wanting help for the 90% ?

Or does it mean those inspiring speeches about standing up for unions in those comfy shoes that got me to vote for him

but then compromising with the party that wants to crush all Democrats?

[cui bono]

135. You mean capitulating to whacko Republicans and Tea Partiers didn't work? n/t

[WillyT]

137. I Bet They Do...

:kick: & Rec !!!

[ClarkUSA]

139. A huge majority of the Democratic base has been behind you since Day One, Pres. Obama.

In 2012, you'll win in a landslide, despite the efforts of your opponents to suppress the vote.

[rhett o rick]

141. I dont disagree. Problem is the "Democratic base" is now full of ex-Republicans that dont give a

shit about Democratic values. Pres Obama threw the left under the bus to gain support from the New-Democrats. A tactical move that will probably win him the election. The bad news is that we can kiss our Democratic values good bye. Good bye any chance of prosecuting war criminals.

[ClarkUSA]

143. Wrong. A very large majority of self-identified liberals approve of Pres. Obama's performance.

This is a fact supported by every single Gallup poll taken since Pres. Obama's inauguration.

[rhett o rick]

144. Sure, sure. So we will get to see war criminals prosecuted? What does your gallup say about that?

[ClarkUSA]

145. Yawn.

:boring:

[rhett o rick]

149. Once again you provided no proof. I am guessing you dont care if war criminals are prosecuted.

That's my problem with you "New-Democrats". You are ok with no single payer, ok with the Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act, ok with letting Republican war criminals go free, ok with the bloated Homeland Security, ok with Gitmo and rendition and torture, ok with domestic spying.

[Jakes Progress]

210. We have "new" Democrats and "nouveau" Democrats.

There were a ton of newbies coming on board for the star factor and American Idol concept of our candidate. I feel like their unabashedly uncritical acceptance and support only does our party and Obama himself harm. They are like enablers who convince candidates that they can do no wrong. Think of the frat brothers surrounding Charlie Sheen in his little "winning" videos. Hangers on and star suckers who shield their object of affection from reality.

In this case we have Democrats without a context. As you say, nothing is sacred except the man. I've yet to have one say where they draw the line on any issue. Issues aren't important to them. They may have helped during the last election. (I could get them to do any kind of work if they thought they might get to see Barack.) But this election, their numbers have thinned, and they only provide cover for the president to keep sidling right. The belief that that will help him get elected is based on beltway common "wisdom". Besides. There is the candidate's soul to consider.

[rhett o rick]

260. There is a new problem. I think Pres Obama has thrown the left under the bus in order to woo the

center right. If he is successful he will squeeze out the republiCons leaving them with only their wacko-doodle right wing.

HOWEVER, the current Rekindle the American Dream movement is non-party. And they are the middle American voters. Who wins them wins the election. Pres Obama needs to get aboard.

[gkhouston]

151. So you're deeply invested in the President's re-election and unconcerned about war crimes?

Suddenly, it feels like 2004.

[BuelahWitch]

163. Then why do they need to be "fired up"?

If his approval is so high this should be a moot point.

[no limit]

184. And as we all know thats all that ever matters. That your guy wins in 2012

doesnt matter how that win takes place, just that it happens.

[deutsey]

243. Yes sir...this is the dawning of the age of Charlie Sheen

"Winning!"

That about sums it up.

:puke:

[Pholus]

217. Man, I remember when I was that optimistic. Thanks for bumming me out again.

"Obama/Biden 2012: The other guys will suck even worse."

[Ramulux]

146. Too late

Sorry but the last two years actually happened and liberals aren't going to forget. The 2012 elections are going to be a fantastic parade of pathetic walk-backs and revisionist history from the dems as they start to realize that their base has actually been paying attention to what they have been doing and aren't too happy about it.

Its gonna be a sad sight watching Obama come groveling back to us, begging forgiveness for all the things he was "forced" to do.

[demwing]

157. He won't

his team will just pretend the good stuff is right around the corner, and he's been setting it up all along. Just give him another 4 years, and all your dreams will come true...

Just look at the rhetoric of his supporters on DU. They've been on that message through the entire term.

[glinda]

148. Fire 99% of his staff and get unbought Dems in there.

[CoffeeCat]

152. "The President has many tools..."

Uh yeah. He must surround himself with tools--to run the kind of Presidency he has thus far--practically
scoffing at the people who worked damn hard to elect him.

We got told to sit down and quit whining, as the healthcare legislation worked its way through
Congress. The bill ended up containing NO cost controls and left the health-insurance companies
in control of everything.

Progressives have been references numerous times in derogatory terms and even called names by this
administration.

Obama has remained quiet as unions are threatened--when he promised to stand with them during the campaign.
Unions did so much to elect Obama and his silence has been duly noted.

Allowing BP to remain unaccountable for their disaster has been painful. Obama's EPA allowed BP to
dump horrendous amounts of Corexit into the Gulf, and where is the help for people along the Gulf
who are sick, and also the fishermen, boaters and business owners who lost everything?

What about the mortgage crisis--people were going to be helped. They weren't. The greedy banks
are still running roughshod over all of us.

And where's Habeas Corpus? Obama said he would reinstate what Bush took away. Obama never did.

What about closing Guantanamo and ending torture? Both still happening after Obama promised differently.

The base isn't stupid. We're not Glenn Beck listeners. Do they really think that they can just
fire up the marketing machine and that we'll all fall in line?

[Mimosa]

159. " Do they really think that they can just fire up the marketing machine and that we'll all fall in "

Maybe. But the recent strategy seems to be to scare us with the 'bad cop' Republicans. Our party represent the 'good cops.' ;)

[U4ikLefty]

153. Put on those comfortable shoes. nt

[Rex]

161. Yeah to very tough years for the working class.

That trailer hitch just ain't as shiny as it once was. Somewhat scuffed up and dented. I'm sure they will run him on a the platform of seasoned candidate. What else do they have besides what everyone has been waiting for?

[ProfessionalLeftist]

162. Well. He's been sneering and jeering at us "professional leftists"

for two years. I'd advise him not to expect much.

[Major Hogwash]

164. Have Obama Girl make more YouTube videos!!

With less clothes!

Or even wearing a bikini.
Make the video in Hawaii.

Yeah, baby!!

Go swimming in Hawaii and show off your bod, man!!
Hell, have Michelle wear a bikini and show off her bod!

Instead of holding a beer summit, have a barbequed fried chicken picnic lunch on the White House lawn this summer for the 4th of July.
And eat watermelon for dessert.
Have the girls participate in a watermelon seed spitting contest with you.

Rub it in their racist faces, Obama!!
Rub it in until they cry!!!

No one will ever get to me about you, Obama.
No one.
Hell, I'm gong to get a tattoo that says "Obama" on my arm this summer!!
You're the greatest freakin' President this country has had since JFK!

[tomp]

165. prosecution of bush/cheney, inc, and wall street might do it. nt

[Pooka Fey]

166. Fool me once, shame on you, President Obama. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Obama won't get my vote in 2012. I'll be voting for someone whose politics fall left of center - a progressive/liberal candidate like Dennis Kucinich.

Truth be told, I think democracy and representative government on the national level is dying/being killed in the USA. We had a good run, 200 years plus; but the country is owned by the top 1% and they are sucking out all the wealth. After there is no more to steal they will hide out in their mansions or their overseas hide-aways and ride out Armageddon. What the rich douchebags have forgotten is that with over 200 years of experience in a democracy, it is not that easy to kill the idea here in the USA. Who knows, but I have a hard time seeing Washington keep ignoring Americans and then still expecting Americans to buy into national politics. The problem is (as usual) the money - the money pollutes the system.

I DO have massive optimism for democracy and representative government on the regional and local level, however. My heart sings with joy over the union and workers movement in Wisconsin. For example, I believe that a single-payer health care plan WILL happen, but on the state or regional level. It's just too smart; the drug and insurance companies won't be able to block it forever - not everywhere.

But, I must admit the Repugs/Blue Dogs/Bought Politicians, Media/Industrial Complex have done their best to keep Americans too dumb to act in their own best interests. The media blackout on the Wisconsin strikes is so typical. If they control the Internet, like they are trying, it will be really tough to organize.

[katsy]

167. The President asked:

<<< "Somebody asked me, how do we reinvigorate the population, the voter, after two very tough years?" he told Democratic donors. "How do we recapture that magic that got so many young people involved for the very first time in 2008?" >>>


President Obama is asking the wrong question. What he should examine is how he lost that in the first place? He wanted progressive votes then ignored and insulted progressive agendas. Okay, he didn't campaign as a progressive. But why would progressives not have any seat at any table? He went on to win toxic, no-win compromise legislation that serves NO ONE except the rich and richer. Even the gop, no matter how much the President compromised away, will compromise nothing.

You lost that magic feeling long ago Mr. President. Now you sound just like every other politician who ever sold out their base as soon as the votes were counted. You gave us nothing and the gop wants nothing of what you gave them. And to add insult to injury, the bankers don't care who feeds them. I believe strongly that people would have stood by you even in defeat had you stood up for us or taken a principled stand without moving the goalposts further to the gop agenda. If you had principled stands instead of wavering compromises, you wouldn't have the need to scramble for votes now. People can smell the stink of Democratic corruption just as well as the stink of gop corruption Mr. President.

Two tough years? You wouldn't know that by the joy on gop faces Mr. President. You wouldn't know that by the joy on banker's faces Mr. President. You wouldn't know that by the obscene profits in the oil/military conglomerates Mr. President. Your agenda was no different than the agenda shared by your predecessors for the past 30+ years. Enrich the rich and help them consume the international markets as well. Maybe you wanted to lay a softer landing for the newly working poor... but we end up with no representation anyway. Whether one prefers a slow or quick death matters not. In the end, we find ourselves valuable so long as we have disposable income. When that's picked clean, we pray for a merciful and quick, painless death.

I don't care anymore. The middle class is finished. My children can be as smart as whips, work as hard as humanly possible and still stand in place if not (and most likely) loose ground for their entire lives because they weren't born into wealth Mr. President. The world is NOT a better place because of you Mr. President. You didn't stand for economic justice or even try to deliver justice to the real perpetrators of this economic fraud upon the American people MR. President. You aren't going to stand up for seniors or the poor or labor or the defrauded or the sick and infirm. You demonize socialist countries that at least try to improve the lot of working people and embrace communist and fascist regimes. You had no interest in bringing war criminals to justice MR. President.

WTF do you expect now? A COOKIE? Maybe I'm just really really hurting today and that is making me more angry than I normally am. But I respectfully request you fuck off with that incessant "I don't feel the love" attitude MR. President.

on edit: That fucking word "magic" just sets me off. Bloody metaphysical voodoo fucking crap words. I hate it that a supposedly intelligent human uses words like that. Magic has no place here when a democracy was in peril MR. President.

[deutsey]

244. Well said. n/t

[Enthusiast]

168. Obama had better get moving, and quickly.

Hard as I try, I simply can no longer believe in Obama. And I do try.

This is no longer a "left" issue. A huge majority of Americans want out of Afghanistan. A huge majority of Americans want to increase taxes on the wealthy. A huge majority of Americans want to preserve collective bargaining. A huge majority wanted a viable public option and foreign competition for lower drug prices. A huge majority of Americans want to "slash" military spending. A huge majority of Americans want prosecutions for Wall Street malfeasance. A huge majority of Americans want to preserve social security and medicare. And, finally, and I don't care how their argument is framed, the American people do not want any more of these damned destructive free trade agreements.

What does this tell us? It tells us that Obama policies are not only going against the wishes of the "left", they are against the wishes of the American people in general. Labeling the above as a leftist agenda is just part of the massive smoke screen they are engaging in.

Obama might fool you, but he no longer fools me. I can see through the ruse. "I won't be fooled again."

[ladyVet]

169. too little, too late

At this point, Obama is lost to me. There is nothing he can speechify about that will change my mind, since his actions have been clear. I'd rather get fucked from the front by the R that's in my face, that up the ass by the D that "had my back".

I have no intention what-so-ever voting for him. I will write in a candidate, or not vote for a presidential candidate. I will still vote for local/state offices, as I did in 2010.

Oh, and I didn't "get my pony" on my ninth birthday, so that crap-ass comeback won't work on me.

[lumberjack_jeff]

170. "Maybe a new logo, boss?" n/t

[CanonRay]

172. Hint: Show up at a Madison or Lansing rally

What a bunch of dufuses. Or is it dufusi?

[formercia]

173. I put a Dollar in the Change Machne Today

and nothing happened.

Nothing changed.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

174. I with you

[orbitalman]

175. The ONLY way to fire up the base...

is to do the RIGHT things by his base:applause:

[OwnedByFerrets]

176. How about helping your base instead of helping the rich and powerful?

[Name removed]

178. Deleted message

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

[indepat]

179. BHO can fire up this progressive by stamping out all RW vestiges of junior's reign

:patriot:

[Ganja Ninja]

181. If you want to fire me up drop out of the race.

Announce you're not running for re-election.

[obxhead]

182. FIGHT for the fix it later, get a PO added to HCR.

Want the base fired up? Act like a DEMOCRAT!

[Jester Messiah]

183. Ooh, I've got one!

"Show some effin' leadership."
That might be a good first step.

[Marr]

185. No doubt he'll pick a couple of traditional wedge issues that Wall Street finds acceptable.

Something that doesn't cost the top .5% a penny.

My guess would be and abortion and something about guns. But he might do a tightly-defined gay rights issue instead. Nothing sweeping, of course.

[MilesColtrane]

186. Yeah, good luck with all that, chief,

[Fearless]

190. I'd settle for actually being a liberal and standing up for liberal points of view.

I'd add actually ending DADT now and getting corporatist agenda out of our children's education.

[on point]

191. Deliver change, not more marketing BS. Or just grow a spine at least.

[Shagbark Hickory]

193. Put an end to pimping out our oil and moratorium on nuke plants. Public option- expand the medicaide

programs most states have for kids to people of all ages.

End the war on marijuana would also be a good start.

Throw walker out on his ass.

Since he's not going to do any of these things, I think the best shot he has is to go on a cross country tour of evangelical churches and promise them the change he was really talking about was making abortion illegal and punishable by death.

[Tom Rinaldo]

195. The way he's going the only way he will fire up his base...

... is if he uses us as an alternative fuel source.

[Daemonaquila]

196. Sounds about right to me.

Note to Obama's team: NOTHING will fire up his now-decimated base if he doesn't start delivering on something more than "At least I'm not Dubya, and you should be scared of the prospect of a Palin/Bachman ticket."

[democrank]

199. His base IS fired up.

You know... A little torture is okay, unions are SOOOOOOOOO 1960`s, we`ll leave Iraq and Afghanistan when we`re damned good and ready, BP did their best, Howard Dean screamed, teachers are worse than bankers, hire mercenaries not Americorps workers, never meet with Progressives, etc., etc., etc.

There is not one, single thing President Obama can do to get my vote again. Let him get the help he needs from the middle this time, the folks that now support all these policies they were against under George W. Bush.

[mistertrickster]

222. hehe, good one. His "moderate" base is fired up . . . moderately. nt

[jwirr]

200. Add raise the cap on social security and work for green jobs.

[thereismore]

201. Mr. President, stop devising gimmicks and do what's right. nt

[BobbyBoring]

202. I'm starting to wonder

if our houses and the presidency aren't like the WWF or any other pro wrestling organization. All Fake! How could republicans remain constantly outraged about Obama when he does every thing they want?

[peace frog]

204. 'Obama's base' (us) would already be fired up IF

he had been doing all of these things from Day One of his presidency. To suddenly show interest "in firing up the base" is a glaring indication that he has not been acting in the best interests of We the People. Color me unimpressed.

[deutsey]

208. Yeah, it just proves my suspicion that everything a is damn marketing campaign to them

What winning formula can we come up with this time to manipulate these suckers again? :puke:

[katsy]

251. That's it.

That's what I was thinking and couldn't get my thoughts together. It's a marketing campaign and no truth in advertising any more.

[deutsey]

207. My, that must be quite a daunting mystery for them solve...

Whatever could be the solution?

:sarcasm:

[MannyGoldstein]

214. Chill Out - He's Got This

"The Republicans are even further to the right than I am. Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin Sarah Palin "

[mistertrickster]

220. Bring back "Candidate Obama" from wherever he's been held hostage?

Follow through on what Candidate Obama said: ending Bush tax breaks, fighting for Employee Free Choice card check law, single-payer option etc. etc.

[mochajava666]

247. I liked "Candidate Obama", too. He would set a great example

for President Obama to follow.

It would help if he could just show some backbone every once and a while.

Also, he should save his anger and contempt for the opposition, not his liberal, activist base. He needs their energy.

[JDPriestly]

223. I would add: prosecute war crimes including torture.

[gauguin57]

224. ... and say you no longer support the expansion of nuke power, and ...

... try to resurrect some form of the public option.

[closeupready]

226. LOL

:rofl:

[blackspade]

228. Good luck with that Mr President.

The base is fired up. Frankly we're pissed as hell and you have made yourself part of the problem

[Frisbee]

229. As far as I'm concerned, that ship has already sailed...

Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see him begin acting like a Democrat again, but at this point, anything he does will be to help him get reelected as far as I'm concerned. I think most of us have seen enough in the past 2 years to have a pretty good idea of where Obama stands, and it's not with the average DU member. I am resigned to the fact that he will probably be our best option in the general election, but that doesn't mean I will be excited about it.

[louis-t]

232. God, has the guy been asleep?

Speak out against the repuke governor's selling their states to the highest bidder!

[Mr. Sparkle]

234. I think the republicans are doing that all by themselves, by going after unions. n/t

[Tx4obama]

261. [phone] n/t

[LoisB]

236. Obama's Base

Isn't his "base" already fired up? Any day now I expect to see a Tea Party rally with 'Obama 2012' signs or the Koch Brothers contributing to his campaign. Primary his be-hind. He forgot that "at some point, you have to dance with the one that brung 'ya."

[Romulox]

239. Vacation in RIO! nt

[Amerigo Vespucci]

241. More than a few DUers got pissed off over posting his 2007 campaign speech quote...

...and that's a fucking shame, because he said it, and didn't do it, and I don't give a fuck if campaign "promises" ARE meant to be broken.

So, President Obama..."How do we recapture that magic?" Try putting on your comfy fucking shoes, get on Air Force One, fly to Madison, and stand in solidarity with the people you said you'd stand with, for starters.

Then stop hugging the "Have Mores." They have enough. You've done enough for them.

:rant:

Flashback from candidate Obama: ‘I’ll walk the picket line with you’

Posted on 02.24.11
By David Edwards

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/02/flashback-from-candidate-obama-ill-walk-the-picket-line-with-you/

During a 2007 campaign speech in Spartanburg, South Carolina, then-Senator Obama told supporters he would fight for collective bargaining rights if he was elected president.

“And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I’m in the White House, I’ll put on a put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself. I’ll walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States.”

This video was uploaded to YouTube Nov. 3, 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q5voSHCn6NE

[Pryderi]

246. Appoint Howard Dean to head the DNC

[WiffenPoof]

253. For Me, There Could Not...

...have been a clearer path to correcting this ship of state. It did not take a brain surgeon to figure this out. I do believe that this is the most extreme example of an opportunity missed.

It started with this administration's inability to control the message. How they squandered such a perfect start off the blocks is baffling to me. It is almost as if we saw two different people...the person during the campaign and the person now sitting in the Oval Office.

This country is hungry for leadership.

This administration is probably the most disappointing group of people since I have been following politics.

-PLA

[droidamus2]

256. Another problem

I not only think Obama will have a hard time firing up the activist part of his base, as I believe they are primarily the progressive/liberal part of the party, but he has not done enough for those people to invest a lot of time, money or emotions in getting him reelected. Another problem is that Obama in running for a 2nd term should be working hard to get Representatives and Senators of his party elected. If he chooses to support more moderate or centrist legislators that could further turn off his activist base. Also, if he sees that his activist base is not coming to his aid, he may very well pull back and only focus on his own reelection and leave the party and those running for Congress on their own.

[davidthegnome]

264. As a young voter...

I was 22 or 23 when when the last (Presidential) campaign began. I was determined to be behind the right candidate - that is, one who stood for things I could believe in and support, one whom I believed would lead the Country forward and out of the mess that former administrations (the Bush far more than the Clinton - nafta aside) had gotten us into.

Obama's criticism of the war in Iraq was what initially drew me to him. Then, as I watched the primary bickering and debates, I did what I could to educate myself in regards to his policies of the past (as Senator, though only for a brief time) and what he intended for the future. There were things I didn't like much, but others that I felt more than made up for it. The talk of getting affordable health care for everyone. The talk of a full withdrawal from Iraq - the talk of a willingness to meet and negotiate with our enemies, who ever they might be. He was a great speaker, an inspiring figure, intelligent, eloquent - and he certainly wasn't Bush or McCain.

I was young then, but old enough to know that campaign promises are rarely kept and often no real effort is made. Nonetheless, I believed him to be in a person who would stand for the right things and lead us in the right direction. My parents were Clinton supporters - much of my family was, but I convinced them to read the Audacity of Hope, to learn what they could about Obama and at least consider supporting what I felt was his more progressive agenda.

Now I wonder... how can the President we have today be that same man? The man who wrote, or at least dictated the Audacity of hope? The one who spoke so passionately about ending a terrible war, stopping the inhumane treatment of prisoners (TORTURE) and even doing everything possible to ensure that health care be available for every American? How it can be the same man that inspired so many of us to get out the vote - to get out and work for change we felt we could believe in? How could this be the same man that inspired such hope?

The conclusion I come to in the end is that either the candidate wore a mask to hide the real human underneath - or that becoming President changed him so dramatically as to not even be recognizable anymore. I suspect corruption, or threats, or bribery, or any number of things. I know nothing for certain except that this is not the man I voted for - and I want that guy to come back.