Daily Kos: "Do you miss Edwards yet?"

[Catchawave]

Do you miss Edwards yet?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/15/121750/007/362/466451

[spooky3]

1. The Wall Street execs are having a great week.

Edwards has been effectively banished from the scene; the remaining candidates are cozy with them; and big bad Spitzer who was the only regulator who would go after them when they produced phony "research" reports bilking buyers out of $$$ will never hurt them again.

Now if the dollar would just go back up a little to make that French champagne a bit less pricey...

[Two Americas]

6. the dollar

The wealthy and powerful few got out of the dollar a long time ago.

There are even some here who responded to articles about the declining value of the dollar with remarks such as "no problem, I put my savings into Euros a while back." Working people here, and people on retirement or SS are living check to check and are paid in dollars, and week after week the real value of those dollars is declining.

A significant, and quite dominant, faction of the "liberals" and "progressives" around here are actually reactionary and libertarian ruling class shills and are antagonistic to the peons and unsympathetic to the suffering of most of the people in this country. A household income of $80,000 and up or so puts a person on the upper 10% in the country. Half of the households today are struggling down under $35,000 and for millions of people $35,000 is an unattainable dream. Yet these reactionaries-in-liberal-clothing think they are the "middle class" and that anyone below them has "made the wrong choices" or is mentally ill or otherwise defective or stupid.

[LiveLiberally]

2. I never stopped. Thanks for the link nt

[sandyd921]

3. Thanks. Good diary.

Very much reflects my thoughts on the whole mess:

1. With Edwards' departure, we don't hear a peep from either Clinton or Obama on the corporate issues that are at the root of our problems and that are taking this economy and the country down.

2. There's in actuality not an iota of difference between the two of them. A pox on both their houses! I flirted briefly with Clinton, but that's over for me! I'll vote for whoever emerges from this messed up primary season, but not with any real enthusiasm.

[MissDeeds]

4. Since he "suspended" his campaign

I miss John Edwards and the hope (not hype) that he offered this country every single day. The fools that are playing the race and gender cards and are talking about anything but issues of importance make me heart sick. If ever this country needed a strong leader, it is now.


:cry:

[adnelson60087]

5. Indeed, we do need a strong leader, but

I fear the US populace is so star-struck and irrational and so ill-informed that even when a strong, principled leader arises, he/she will likely be ignored in favor of the flashy and stylish. I've heard people say that we need a new "New Deal"...but would Franklin Roosevelt himself get elected today? I bet not.

[Two Americas]

7. strong followers

We need to become strong followers, and mid-level leaders. The weakest link in the chain is us - everyday political people who have immense power to influence the national political discussion, if only we would recognize and use that power; then the politicians; then the general public. That link - us - is the easiest link to repair, but it does require a degree of critical self-analysis that most of us are unwilling to do.

We cannot expect leaders who are stronger than us. We don't have their back. How can they lead? We are like whiny children, complaining about mom and dad.

Blaming the people, and then the politicians, and never looking at ourselves, is exactly why we are in the mess we are in. We are the ones missing in action. The people are ready, and politicians will emerge to represent the people. But we are paralyzed and ineffective, confused and without direction, determination, or commitment.

[adnelson60087]

8. Two Americas, I think you've got a point

about those of us (collectively) in the middle, but I don't agree that the "people are ready". These are the folks who will continue to vote against their economic interests as long as they can discriminate against the group of the week...women, minorities, etc. All of the self-analysis of our group won't change that dynamic easily or quickly. Still, strong followers is needed as you say, and we can help influence those people.

[Two Americas]

9. not really

I don't think that the people are asleep, nor that they are voting against their interests. I know that my view of this is unusual and radical.

The people are being divided and conquered. White folks who vote Republican are voting against the ruling class as they see it - upscale liberals - and are being driven by fear to do that.

Just as we need a carpenter or a mechanic - people from the working class with certain valuable skills and contributions to make - so too, they need us, and we are just another group of working class people with our own particular skills and contribution to make - we are the intellectuals in the working class: readers, writers, analysts, speakers, thinkers, organizers. We are the ones missing in action. Our skills are in the service of the wealthy and powerful few, and not in the service of our fellow working class brothers and sisters. We have difficulty seeing this for a variety of reasons. We are the ones asleep, we are the ones confused, we are the ones who don't know who we are or what our role is.

We can see this played out among the (white) supporters of Obama. They trash out reverend Wright's comments - they obviously have not been in very many Black churches and are woefully oblivious to the experience of being Black in America - then say that Wright's remarks are not a challenge in the general election. Such confusion. They are trying to simultaneously think they are on the left and in opposition to the right wing, while promoting and reinforcing all of the right wing, reactionary, and racist misconceptions and false assumptions and premises that keep the right wingers in power.

Most liberals are trying to go two opposing directions at once. It can’t be done. This creates a tremendous amount of confusion and paralysis, and the working people are left with no leaders, no spokespersons, no advocates. By trying to please both sides—the poor and working people, and the wealthy and successful people—we decapitate the working class. We advocate compliance and when we do that we demoralize and confuse people. We can see it played out everyday right here at DU.