All you need to know to understand President Obama
By Daniel Becker
I watched then read President Obama’s interview on 60 Minutes. The following is the most telling quote:
PRESIDENT OBAMA: …And, you know, I can make some really good arguments defending the Democratic position, and there are gonna be some people who just don’t agree with me. And that’s okay. And then we’ve got to figure out a way to compromise.
Respectfully sir…Your job is not Debate Club. I can make “good arguments” also. But, I’m not the person with the pen. You are.
This is the second most telling quote:
PRESIDENT OBAMA: …leadership isn’t just legislation. That it’s a matter of persuading people. And giving them confidence and bringing them together. And setting a tone. And making an argument that people can understand.
Respectfully sir… You had 52.9% of the popular vote in 2008 along with 53.18% popular vote for the House and 51.3% for the Senate. This latest election shows that people got the “tone”.
Frankly sir, you need to legislate like you actually mean the “really good arguments defending the Democratic position…” Otherwise sir, it’s just rhetoric. It’s just Debate Club.
“You know…” you do actually hold as your convictions the “really good arguments defending the Democratic position…”?
I could not agree with you more. We never really got a liberal/socialist/Keynesian alternative to Dumbya’s 8 years–all we got was Dumbya light. For all the good it did the Dems
Obama doesn’t seem to understand that the people don’t want a conciliator. They want a President with the “courage of his convictions.” They want those convictions to be clearly deliniated and to be effectively implemented. We didn’t elect a tight rope walker. Obama was elected to be a leadership President. Evey time he makes use of the words compromise and conciliate he is likely to lose yet more supporters. And who is he compromising with? Given that concililation is a two way process, he is not gooiing to get that from the Republican leadershhip or individuals. He can only compromise with his own principles. Then he is lost.
Compromise has earned the Democrats and the President the ire of the vast majority of the voters. The health care bill is hard right to industry standards. The stimulus efforts are a little too little a little too late. Only the financial industry bail out seems to have worked well and who benefits from that? The wars in the middle east aren’t even a talking point though they soak up the wealth of the nation. If Obama stays this course he may make McConnell’s goal come to pass and that will surely keep the people out on a weak economic limb. The soon to come report of the CatFood Commission is likely to seal the deal. Are there any genuine populist progressives around any more?
Obama came to public attention with a message of, not exactly compromise, but common values. at least i thought he meant he was going to give us FDR economics without scaring the christians to death.
before the election i thought i saw that he didn’t have a clue about economic issues as fundamental as social security. but i don’t hear any other politican who does, either.
i’d like to think he has been hurt by the rabid republican opposition, but i can’t say i have heard anything from him that sounds like he has a real grasp of what needs to be done.
Russ Feingold and Alan Grayson are both out of work. Neither received any significant support from the DNC.