I believe the opportunity with Obama isn't to fix the broken system, but to expose it

[debbierlus]

For what it truly is....

If you look at the actions, and not the words..if you ignore the style and look at the substance, the whole of the democratic party doesn't much represent the peoples' party.

When you look at health care crafted around the premise of DELIBERATELY maintaining the for profit insurance companies, at the expense of the American citizens health care needs...

When you look at the policies around the economic crisis, and face the wet, cold, hard slap in the face of our government basically thieving from our children & grandchildren to borrow money to maintain the wealth of the thieves who brought us to our knees...

When you see not a finger lifted to roll back Nafta....and the administration and the democrats looking to expand 'free trade' agreements at the expense of American jobs and the enslavement of the world's poor...

When you watch the democrats not even TRY to fight for the rights of women and the utilization of women's wombs, by the party, as a political bargaining chip to be slowly sacrificed at the alter of 'compromise'....

When you see the executive branch expand the executive powers against the Constitution further then his disgraceful predecessors...

When the Patriot Act is championed silently in the background by the President...

When the crimes against international law and humanity go unpunished to ensure the maintenance of the status quo and international treaties mean nothing...

When illegal, immoral, unethical, & financially unsustainable wars are expanded by leaders who turn a deaf ear to the nation and the lessons of the past....

...when all this happens...isn't it time to admit that the illusion of hope is not the reality of the world? Isn't it time to understand that maintaining a delusion of a fallacy is precisely what allows this political betrayal, greed, war, and suffering to continue?

We have to stop being a nation of enablers. Before the democratic party can regain its soul, we must first. And, that means regaining our principles and standing for them above all else.

Above a party...

Above a politician


Maybe the country needed to see the betrayal of the great hope from the democratic party to shatter the illusion. Until we admit the truth and elect leaders who represent the principles we say we believe in, not a thing is going to change. If we take that lesson from what has occurred with Obama, it is the opportunity for our redemption as a people.

"The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded."..............
D.L. Montesquieu

[debbierlus]

1. (Just corrected the post, long day, forgive the chopped words and cut off sentences)!

[waiting for hope]

2. K&R

Nicely done.

[debbierlus]

3. Thanks, it is how I have been feeling for a long time...

Tonight, with the announcement about Afghanistan, it felt like it was time to share...

[inna]

4. AWESOME post.

definitely the top 10 I've ever read on this site.


:applause:

[debbierlus]

5. That is very humbling Inna, ty

[jgraz]

18. Agreed. You said what a lot of us have been thinking.

I doubt the pompon squad will have the stones to show up on this thread.

[Luciferous]

6. Great post! nt

[debbierlus]

7. TY

:)

[burning rain]

8. Good post.

Looks like it's time for someone to retort by reposting one of the monster lists of the administration's accomplishments, heavily larded with good visuals, declarations, and expressions of intent.

[debbierlus]

9. They have pretty much stopped replying to my posts

[burning rain]

10. I meant a retort in the form of an OP.

Should've made that clear.

[debbierlus]

11. Well, they seem to be basically just talking about Michelle's pretty dress & how Obama is cool

I have to admit. Michelle does look stunning tonight.

[Jim Sagle]

26. Remember, folks...announcements = accomplishments.

;)

[waiting for hope]

31. You are a psychic ...

I think I counted two between last night and today .. :)

[jonathon]

12. I agree. Kick & Recommend.

Thanks!

[Kablooie]

13. But if he doesn't fix it, and soon, next fall the opportunity will be gone.

If he doesn't succeed in his goals, next fall Republicans will gain seats in Congress and all law making will halt for at least the next two years.

[Vincardog]

15. What exactly are Obama's goals? If you go by his ACTIONS they are just the Corporatist and imperial

presidential BS that got us in this mess.

[Deja Q]

52. If Obama was 100% white, would he have an easier time with single payer and other "commie" ideals?

Pity the teabaggers who don't want government care say, often on the same picket, "don't touch my medicare", which just goes to show how damn stupid they truly are.

[debbierlus]

16. The entire point of the post is that we have to break this insane circle

What does in MATTER if we elect democrats, if they govern as Republicans?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again, and expecting different results.

There is nothing left to compromise.

[Nay]

35. It doesn't matter if we elect Dems if they act like Pubs...in fact, it's preferable

that we actually elect Pubs if that's the case. That way the blame is more likely to be correctly placed at the feet of the correct assholes. Unfortunately, 4 years of Obama acting like a Pub will only mean that the Dems will be blamed for everything Bush brought about. This was my greatest fear, and it has played out in exactly the fashion I thought it would.

We're toast, folks.

[pundaint]

45. Well there's our self-respect if we vote for any incumbent after this year's display

We have a collection of stupid, dishonest, arrogant and inept elected officials in Washington. I can't name 5 who I wouldn't fire out of the whole lot. We're the boss, they're fired! Not firing Democrats, not firing Republicans, firing non-performing, or mis-behaving employees and nothing more. If we assert our ownership of the country we might not have to fire the next batch right away...or not.

The important thing is to identify as many Democratic primary challengers with a progressive commitment as we can, and real soon to make this work optimally.




corrected a spelling error

[glitch]

14. That's a very positive way to look at the situation. Thanks for that.

Although I did use to say that was the only bright side of the Bush administration, the fact that they were forced on us (twice) showed us just how broken our system truly is.

I guess there can be no more rationalizing away the depth of our dysfunction. At some point we have to stop hoping to be saved and get to work saving ourselves, or as a really great slogan (I forget the Spanish) from Argentina during their sacking said:

Save Despair for Better Times

[debbierlus]

20. I think this is much harder for people to accept then the reality of Bush...

The Republicans...Bush...THEM...they are supposed to be the bad guys.

But, the democrats...

They are supposed to be the peoples' party.

It is a little over a year since the country celebrated the election night win of Obama, filled with hope and promise and the real belief that things would change. And, it could have. Obama had an unprecedented opportunity to LEAD the country in the right direction and call on the mass hope and goodwill towards him for confronting the root causes of America's problems. Instead, he vested himself in maintaining the status quo.

It isn't just Obama, of course. It is Congress. It is US.

I like your slogan, btw.

[bvar22]

32. The WORST thing that has happened to "The Democrats"....

...is that The People gave them clear majorities in The Senate, The House, The White House.

There ARE no more excuses.
No more Republicans to blame.
The Democratic Party IS what is happening.

It is NOT the Democratic Party of my parents and grandparents.


"I am a New Democrat!"---Barack Obama
http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=254931&kaid=85&subid=900184


The DLC New Team
Republican Lite ONLY
Progressives Need NOT Apply

(Screen Capped from the DLC Website)

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

43. Great point, bvar

:thumbsup:

[debbierlus]

48. Judge a person by the company they keep....

[NoUsername]

57. As usual bvar22, you nailed it.

The Dems getting a majority in both Houses and taking control of the White House has exposed them for what they truly are.

And that doesn't sit well with most people.

Some of us, however, knew what they were like long ago.

[earth mom]

34. Obama, is likable, smart, attractive, well spoken. I can see how people have been so easily

swept up by him, Michelle, his cute girls and even that cute dog.

Obama on the surface is the anti-Bush.

But what's happening to this country is way too serious to be ignored.

And way to serious for us to be distracted by bright and shiny images, empty words and empty promises.

I find it really sad that Obama has not seized upon such a golden opportunity to make himself into the greatest, most revered and honorable president this country has ever seen. :(

[debbierlus]

47. He is a great marketing image. Unfortunately, we don't need a marketing image

I agree with you.

Until people learn to judge a politician by his policies and appointments, and stop giving support for looks, height, and 'feel good quality', we are in trouble.

He is advancing policies that would have been unteneable to DU, under a Republican president.

[bertman]

50. Excellent points, earth mom. President Obama is smart, savvy, and knows the score.

He knows that if he ever tried to be the "greatest, most revered and honorable president this country has ever seen" as we Progressive Dems would like him to be, he would be taken out. As in assassinated.

Franklin Roosevelt was able to do what he did because a very brave, courageous, and selfless man, Gen. Smedley Butler, revealed the plot to overthrow the Presidency and thus saved FDR's Presidency and his legacy.

In 1963 another likable, smart, attractive, well-spoken, war hero President attempted to change the way business was done in America. John F. Kennedy died for his efforts. The Powers That Be had learned their lesson from their failure during FDR's Presidency. Since then, they have only strengthened their stranglehold on our nation.

President Obama and NO AMERICAN PRESIDENT can do what needs to be done. Only the American people can do that and I'm not sure we are up to the task or that we could be energized to do it by anything short of another Great Depression.

[butterfly77]

17. That is what he is doing...

exposing the fake Dems and the fake system for many who really have believed all of the bull that has been spouted for years about America.

Sarah Palin has also expose a lot for a lot of people who now know that they aren't looked at as REAL AMERICANS..

[Kermitt Gribble]

28. I though was a possibility that for a while, too,

until he repeatedly stated that a public option is not important to HCR.

[dbonds]

19. Great post.

[Louisiana1976]

21. Good post--

although I'd add:

When much of New Orleans is still unrebuilt four years after the manmade disaster that flooded her, and many of her evacuated people want to return, but can't because there's a shortage of affordable housing.

[debbierlus]

25. There were many worthy items of note not included, feel free to keep expanding the list

Sadly, there seem to be endless examples...

[Mithreal]

22. K&R

[defendandprotect]

23. Agree . . . and this thoughtful thread -- and at least one other like it ...

need to make it past Thanksgiving -- too little attention to anything right now.

[debbierlus]

24. I think there is going to be a LOT of discussion

About how we proceed from here over the coming months and years...

Howard Dean had the right strategy. I think that is why the powers that be wanted him knocked out. He was empowering the people, and the establishment swooped in, took his method and ran their candidate.

But, we can still utilize his fifty state approach and support people who will provide real representation.

We just need to realize that we CAN.

[defendandprotect]

33. I hope you're right . . .

:)

[AdHocSolver]

41. Progressives have to start at the local level to take back the Democratic Party.

The state political leaders look to the national leaders to keep themselves in power, and reciprocate by keeping true progressives out of office, who would question the national leadership.

Whatever President Obama's personal convictions, he is a "captive" of political cliques like the DLC, which in turn, controls a lot of the politicians at the local and state level.

Cliques like the DLC maintain party discipline, not to promote progressive causes for the American people, but to keep themselves in power, and if that means selling out the country's interests for campaign funds from wealthy corporations, they will do it.

We can learn what we have to do by looking what happened to the Republican Party. They were taken over by the "radical right", because the radical right worked from the bottom up to take over their party's state and local politics. Howard Dean's fifty state strategy is a local, grass roots strategy. That is why it works. It takes longer to achieve success, but that is the only way progressives can take over leadership of the Democratic Party.

[bertman]

51. Even if we energize the Democratic base as was done last year--or even better,

it means nothing as long as we are in the grip of the Republican voting machine cabal. They were caught off guard by the Obama phenomenon and couldn't steal this election. Sadly, no one seems to care about unverifiable ballots since we elected President Obama and Democratic majorities. Without the support of our Democratic Congress--the same Congress who don't even acknowledge this as a problem--nothing will change, and it may get worse with more states using those damned machines.

P.S. Don't forget that ACORN has now been marginalized and criminalized and our Dems stood by like toad stools and watched it happen.

[Gman]

27. I'm constantly amazed at how certain people think the Democratic Party

will not survive without them and their friends. Don't like the party, leave.

[debbierlus]

29. The democratic party has not survived, it has transformed into a ghost of itself

And, in response to your comment....

If you don't like the party, leave?

I was hoping to help transform it.

[conscious evolution]

30. And the walls came tumbleing down

Great post D.
Recc'ed

[Political Heretic]

36. Keep fighting the good fight. K&R.

[varelse]

37. K&R

[earcandle]

38. Yo go girl!@ Peeps need to get their integrity and authenticity back intact and

know the distinctions that exists in all opportunities and
opportunities lost.

You go girl!  Thanks for the post.  I am posting it to my
noodlebrain site.

"Alternatives" by Alternative TV now playing on Ear
Candle Radio... 

[bigtree]

39. wait, wait . . . let me check what he said on that during the campaign

. . . oh hell, nevermind. K&R!

[BeFree]

40. Heh

Welcome to the nightmare. Where ya been? You just now getting the hang of it?

The system has been messed up for years, and years.

We need representation. We need something like 1,000 5,000 congresscritters.
And a million state reps, along with 10 million county commissioners and city council folks. That way we dilute the bad guys.

Dilution is the solution when it comes to pollution.

[hay rick]

42. Democratic Party as the lesser evil.

"Lesser evil" is the kindest description I can find for the Democratic Party under the current leadership. Obama is quickly becoming a bitter disappointment.

One of the things that really disturbs me is the American people's passive acceptance of a political environment that has led to a declining standard of living for the majority of Americans, a debilitating pursuit of fruitless and immoral military adventures, and a sham competition between two pro-corporate political parties. We should be better than this. Much better.

You're right when you say our "opportunity" is to expose the broken system, rather than fix it. You have to crawl before you can walk. Until some critical mass of people understand that our political system is broken, there is no hope of fixing it. The current media/political superstructure is corrupt and job one is sounding the alarm.

Great post.

[pundaint]

46. Sometimes you need to form unnatural alliances to fight a common enemy.

Perhaps while we are searching out a progressive slate of challengers, we could also ally with the tea baggers to "fire Government." Clearly with them the right meme and some folksy sounding advocacy will win them over. We really do have a common enemy, the just haven't figured that out yet.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

44. thanks debbierlus

Much better than I could have said.

:)

[parasearchers]

49. Let them regain their soul while the Repuke gut the country, meaning

I am voting a straight repuke ticket, let their version of Caligulia destroy the country. Maybe it will wake people up after 2-3 generations of Famine.

[bertman]

53. Too late to rec, but definitely worth a kick. Thank you Debbielrus.

[Bluesbreaker]

54. The past 10 months have been an eye-opener

Good post. I've gone from wildly optimistic to despondent. There are many other disappointments, broken promises and sell-outs that could have been added. By now, it's become pretty clear who the Obama adminstration is working for . . . and it's not us.

[man4allcats]

55. "...the opportunity with Obama isn't to fix the broken system, but to expose it"

As always, your post squarely hits the mark. I would only add that with Obama we weren't looking for nor at that point should we have been in need of an expose'. After eight long years of Junior and Wicked Dick, it should have been abundantly clear to anyone with one eye and half a brain that the system was and indeed still is badly broken. What we were given by candidate Obama was the real hope of a remedy. We are, of course, still waiting.

[Prometheuspan]

56. the democratic party...

"I believe the opportunity with Obama isn't to fix the broken system, but to expose it"

sounds good, how do we do that?






"If you look at the actions, and not the words..if you ignore the style and look at the substance, the whole of the democratic party doesn't much represent the peoples' party."

I think it should be fairly clear by now that its luxocrat corporate oligarchs whether its dems or repubs.


"When you look at health care crafted around the premise of DELIBERATELY maintaining the for profit insurance companies, at the expense of the American citizens health care needs..."

Terrible, just like the bailouts, propping up the vampires and shafting we the people.

My own answer to this is that the only way out is an information revolution,
and the dismantling of the two party system, probably the destruction of both parties.

[showpan]

58. This is a great post

The democrats are slowly being taken over just as the Republicans were. It's to the point that the neocons can get almost anything they want even though the Democrats are in control. They need to be exposed as much as possible or pretty soon, the take over will be complete, just as the Republicans. If we don't start to organize now, like they have been, we won't have a chance. There are many Dems who are starting to sound like them, spewing party line no matter how wrong and deceitful it is. They are ignoring the facts and using the same tactics they have used.
It doesn't matter if it's wrong...it's what he said he would do.
What a bunch of crap.
We need to take our government back, before it's too late.
....but who is leading the charge?

[Prometheuspan]

60. .".but who is leading the charge?"

me...? you/
?

[Orsino]

59. It is a miniscule opportunity, but I agree.

It's unfortunate that even this president can't come right out and say what most of us here realize. The problem is the influence that money is permitted to buy, and money's opposition to the change we need.