The President scores a major victory, thanks to progressives.

[ClassWarrior]

While others have kveched and fretted that the President has been doing just fine all along, the solid left has been steadfast in calling for President Obama to stand up for Democratic values. Finally, with last week's announcement of the jobs bill and Monday's announcement of the Buffet Rule, it's apparent that the President and his advisers have seen the wisdom of that strategy.

And it's paid off. According to one article...

Obama isn’t just “playing to his base” with this economic agenda. National polls show the American mainstream — including plenty of moderates and independents — support the ideas in the American Jobs Act and support higher taxes on the wealthy as part of a debt-reduction plan. Indeed, it’s not even close.

I mention this because these “Obama makes liberals happy” stories are accurate, but incomplete. It’s true that progressives feel good about the president’s direction, but as Greg Sargent explained very well yesterday, if the media misses the fact that the White House’s approach enjoys broad national support, it’s missing the context that matters. The agenda that Obama has proposed, Andrew Sullivan added, “is simply where the American people are at.”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=776689&mesg_id=776689

So congratulations, lefties. You did right by your fellow Americans. I'm proud of you.

NGU.

[ProSense]

1. Wait

"The President scores a major victory, thanks to progressives."

...a proposal is a "major victory"?

Should I add it to the list?

[SwampG8r]

41. you will anyways

[flpoljunkie]

50. Reminder: Bill Clinton won in '92 promising to cut spending and raise taxes on the rich

Mark Penn could obviously use that reminder, as well.

[treestar]

56. Oh no, it's the Progressives who did this, not Obama

Obama only does bad things. Good things are because the progressives forced him too. See how that works.

[Solomon]

73. yep. here we go. lol. Taking credit

like progressives caused him to do this.

Some of us predicted this kind of bullshit was going to be flung whenever he does something that meets with their approval. Akin to the "he's finally learned his lesson" brand of bullshit.

[Supersedeas]

75. it's akin to a brand of it alright.

[Whisp]

77. why don't you know that if you berate and scold

and call names and shit, that makes anyone perform better!

:rofl:

would hate to be any of those 'progressive's' children!

[ClassWarrior]

80. That may be your strategy, but it's not mine. I call and write and...

...volunteer. How much of that have you done?

NGU.

[yardwork]

91. Don't you think that this is an accomplishment?

[CakeGrrl]

2. I agree, except

...for those sitting on the sidelines throwing bombs like "fucking quisling" and "caver-in-chief".

Sorry, that just doesn't rise to the level of the old chestnut 'holding his feet to the fire'. And I don't care who gripes about my pointing that out.

[Pab Sungenis]

3. If he fights for the bill, then it's a victory.

If he lets them break it apart and negotiates away everything that's going to do any good like what happened with health care "reform," the stimulus, and the debt ceiling bill, then he would be a "fucking quisling" and "caver in chief."

He looks like he's found his backbone. Let's hope it stays.

[CakeGrrl]

7. 'Let's hope it stays'

Yes, because otherwise, some of the blogosphere will be forced to "hold his feet to the fire" with even more profanity and epithets and threats to stay home than ever before.

:eyes:

[Pab Sungenis]

19. No, because otherwise

he will go down in flames in the next election.

[Chan790]

82. When do threats become promises?

I hope it's before he loses and you and he realize we were not kidding.
When we say compromise and bipartisan are dirty words, that's no joke.
When we say "adult in the room" is a fucking insult to anybody who disagrees with him, we're not laughing.

He needs to check himself before he wrecks himself. I've get better things to do than back a traitor just because he's wearing the right label.

[Pisces]

18. Oh yes, standing by and doing nothing is better than getting some of you agenda passed. Hmmm not in

my book. There are sayings like " a bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush" " 100% of nothing is still nothing" If they President were able to do everything he wanted like a wizard, I guess we wouldn't have anything to argue about.

[Exilednight]

43. Well, let's take a look at those birds.

900,000 more people WITHOUT health insurance.

Unemployment holding steady at just under 10%.

An INCREASE in the poverty rate with 1 out of every 6 citizens now living in poverty.

Having no progress is better than going backwards.

[Pisces]

52. It''s difficult to argue with someone who takes right wing data and spews it as if this were fact.

I am sure this data never entered your stream of conscious:


Parents may have one less reason to worry about their kids. The number of young adults, ages 18 to 25, with health insurance has jumped by about 1 million over the past year, defying the trend of almost every other demographic group. President Obama's health-care law, which allows young people to use their parents' health-insurance plan until age 26, is presumably behind this increase. Such expanded coverage may be short-lived, though, as House Republicans aim to repeal Obama's law.

And let us not imagine what would have happened if Obama had not intervened with GM etc. It is useless to try when someone is entrenched in rightwing bullshit and Obama bashing.

[Exilednight]

64. So now the census bureau is right-wing? n/t

[Exilednight]

42. This has been my argument all along. The jobs bill he proposed is still too small, in my opinion,

but I can live with it if he gets it passed. If he collapses, like he did with HCR, and we all end up with is more tax cuts with no spending, then it's just a repeated process that we have seen many times before.

I'm holding hope on this bill, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Mr Deltoid]

92. If he caves again, it's over

It would be the straw that broke the camels back.

[Skittles]

5. what are you talking about?

WE WANT HIM TO BE A BETTER PRESIDENT

[CakeGrrl]

13. Yeah, and if I want an employee to do better, it's a really good idea

to say he's a weak piece of shit who'll probably fail again. That'll motivate him! On what fuckin' planet will THAT work?

I love the irony. Some people here keep warning others that it's not nice to insult them, because that's no way to unify people.

But apparently, calling the President all sorts of names is the best way to encourage him to do more for the American people.

:rofl:

[ClassWarrior]

11. Ever hear of the "Alert" button?

Or would you rather have an excuse to pick a fight?

NGU.

[CakeGrrl]

15. What fight? You bored?

When someone sits around on a message board and says that kind of stuff, I don't think it earns an attaboy. Maybe you do, but that's your opinion and I'm entitled to mine.

It's only a fight if you feel the need to make it one.

[ClassWarrior]

17. No, it doesn't deserve an attaboy. It deserves the "Alert" button.

Reading comprehension is your friend.

:eyes:

NGU.

[CakeGrrl]

20. Oh, I agree. I definitely alert on that stuff.

But that really doesn't have much to do with the point I made. But I won't belabor it. I've said my piece.

[ClassWarrior]

23. Then you shouldn't drag it into every thread that encourages unity among Obama supporters and...

...try your hardest to smear the vast majority of innocent progressives with it. That kind of behavior is enough to make one wonder if you actually relish seeing those kinds of disrespectful comments made against the President.

NGU.

[ClarkUSA]

24. This thread isn't encouraging "unity". Your potshots at Obama supporters in the OP are not subtle.

[CakeGrrl]

25. Bingo.

The call for unity always devolves into lambasting Obama supporters for causing the rift. It's pretty obvious.

[ClassWarrior]

28. I've never assigned blame. I've only said that we Obama supporters have the most to lose from...

...disunity. Which is patently obvious.

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

39. No answer? Do you believe that Democratic disunity is a win for the President?

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

59. ?

NGU.

[CakeGrrl]

60. Democratic disunity is a loss for the American people at large. Period.

As long as people think that they need to stick it to President Obama and his supporters because they feel they've been picked on on the internet, those people have lost their way and have lost sight of the big picture.

[ClassWarrior]

66. Then why do you take the bait of those who want to stick it the Prez?

If they want to stick it to the President, they WANT us divided. Why do you go out of your way to assist the mission of these people who you claim you so despise?? What motive could anyone who claims to be an Obama supporter have for that??

:shrug:

This isn't a rhetorical question, by the way. I'd like a serious answer.

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

31. I never claimed this one was. This one celebrates the great job our fellow Dems did.

Reading comprehension is your friend.

:hi:

NGU.

[SwampG8r]

44. yeah we need unity

and solid democratic support for democratically elected candidates who win their primaries
otherwise we will end up with a bunch of pampered over polished turds telling us how we need to support former republicans over democrats who actually win their primaries
this would be terrible to allow a hypocrite to say such things like they believed them when we should all know they are part of the right wing agenda
screw all the hypocrites who back 3rd party turds over Dem's
past
present
and future
they are no friend to democracy and should all jump into a septic tank where such liquid offal belongs

[ClarkUSA]

4. ... thanks to progressives who supported him all the way in his efforts despite 24/7 attacks.

[Skittles]

6. he's listening to THE CRITICISM

not the people who swoon no matter WHAT he does or says

[ClarkUSA]

8. LOL! Pres. Obama & VP Biden have made it clear what they think of 24/7 vitriolic whiners. QUOTES->

At a fundraiser in Manchester, NH, today, Vice President Biden urged Democrats to "remind our base constituency to stop whining and get out there and look at the alternatives. This President has done an incredible job. He’s kept his promises."

The remarks, made to roughly 200 top Democratic activists and donors, recall comments President Obama made last week to “griping and groaning Democrats…Folks: wake up. This is not some academic exercise. As Joe Biden put it, Don’t compare us to the Almighty, compare us to the alternative.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/09/vice-president-biden-to-democratic-base-stop-whining/

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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

[ClarkUSA]

12. No, are you?

That would explain your personal attacks on this subthread.

[SwampG8r]

46. all about pretending to back a democrat

par for the course

[ClassWarrior]

10. That's okay. We forgive you for that. After all...

...we're all on the same side, right?

:hi:

NGU.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SwampG8r]

45. rubio sends YOU his personal thanks

youdid so much to help him in the past i am sure you will line up for him again

[Cali_Democrat]

16. The folks on the left speak for the VAST majority of Americans

Especially when it comes to things like wars, tax cuts and economic policy. The "lefties" have been pretty much right about everything :)

Obama would be wise to listen to us more often.

[ClarkUSA]

21. Pres. Obama supported liberal policies from Day One. Congress stood in his way.

To give credit to those who did nothing but complain 24/7 about Pres. Obama is ridiculous.

President Obama and the Democrats who have stood by him in his efforts (and yes, that includes liberal interest groups like HRC and union leadership) are the ones who deserve most of the credit.

[OhioBlue]

69. exactly! n/t

[CakeGrrl]

22. Why should he listen to

a corner of the blogosphere that has expressed the following notions:

**thinks he's a Manchurian Trojan Horse stealth Republican sent to destroy the Democratic Party from within

**thinks he has a psychological disorder that causes him to yearn for Republican approval

**wonders if he's clinically depressed

**is so disturbed by him and the literal sound of his voice they turn the channel when he comes on to speak

**thinks he's cold and unfeeling toward the plight of the poor and the elderly


Sorry, not everything merits the rapt attention of the President.

[ClassWarrior]

29. He can ignore whomever he wants. But if he ignores folks who speak for the vast majority...

...of American citizens (which was the poster's point - reading comprehension is your friend), he does so at his own political peril. As we've seen.

:shrug:

NGU.

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

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

[Whisp]

26. ha! scolding and berating always gets great results, doesn't it?

*shakes head and laughs.

[CakeGrrl]

27. If you do it to the POTUS, YES! But

don't do it to any of your fellow message board members, 'cause that's bad and divisive and they might stay home on election night 2012.

:crazy:

[ClassWarrior]

70. Apparently so, because some people just can't seem to resist taking the bait.

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

35. You tell me.

:shrug:

NGU.

[Whisp]

49. ok, ....

when anyone in your circle (say a niece or nephew) has some really tough homework to do and ask for his help, good ole unc comes at them like this:

why you little balless caving weaklings, get to work you little shits or I will be voting you don't get dinner tonight. And you better do Exactly What I Say, you lousy brats, or else there will be more of this! So when they do their homework correctly, which uncle helped shitall with, Uncie tries to take the credit. Everyone laughs at crazy uncle.

or when a close friend has to work triple shifts because some financial disaster has struck his family:

Ned, get the fuck to work you useless whiney do nothing. Yah Yah, cry me a fucking river you work hard, well I Work Hard TOO. What do you think, you are special or something you little Manchurian. I've forgotten more than you will ever know you useless twit.

great stuff, I'm sure it works wonders this method you have. There are tons of people that suffer from abuse like this, in many families.

[ClassWarrior]

53. That's not my method. As an Obama supporter, I know we have to speak to others...

...with respect, like the President does.

Unless of course our goal is to promote division. But no one's been able to tell me how that helps the President.

:shrug:

NGU.

[pnorman]

30. Consider the possibility that such was his game plan all along!

But HE, more than the Chorus of Doom here at DU, knew the BEST time and manner to get it in motion.

[CakeGrrl]

33. +1000

[ClassWarrior]

40. Do you believe he's omniscient and almighty?

NGU.

[pnorman]

48. Do I think he's God himself (herself ?).

No, but I don't believe that he's a spineless tool of his Corporate Masters. Considerable space between those two points of view, don't you think?

[ClassWarrior]

67. Neither do I. In either case. I do, however, think he's a man who decided to finally...

...listen to those who worked to get him elected. And who's learning that can pay off big.

NGU.

[pnorman]

71. Aesop: "Some (near) Blind Men and the Elephant"

(My own "perception" involves absolutely minimal Amour propre)

[Whisp]

51. yes, but you know, there are so many much better strategists

here on DU.

:rofl:

But excellent point. I don't believe for a minute that Obama just stumbles around not knowing which direction to go (yes, there will be suprises no doubt, and changes).

He takes the long view and has said that on a number of occasions. He will take the flack today for what he hopes will be good results in the future. He said that too.
He also said if it means him being only a one termer to get things done that will not be popular, even if it means that he will still go ahead.

I'm sure you know all this pnorman, I'm just repeating for the ones here that have poor memory retention for all things Obama but will scream out Curklin Curklin! in their sleep.

[pnorman]

54. Many here on DU compare Obama (pejoratively) to FDR

But they don't seem to have the slightest idea of what a fistful of high cards FDR held on taking office in 1932!

[ClassWarrior]

68. So what year did you graduate from Camp Wellstone? They're the strategists...

...whose expertise I'm trying to relate.

NGU.

[Whisp]

76. bwahahahaha! love it.

and that is certainly closer to a real truth.

:rofl:

[AtomicKitten]

32. LOL.

[ClassWarrior]

83. Thank you for sharing my happiness.

That's very kind of you.

:hi:

NGU.

[whistler162]

34. Yup and the Giants have their couch potato fans to thank for

their victory over the Rams.

[ClassWarrior]

37. Really? Letters, phone calls and office visits with the coach can make a difference in football?

(Don't tell the Vikings...)

:rofl:

NGU.

[ProSense]

36. Here's a

good article since we're celebrating!

[ClassWarrior]

38. Nice. Thanks. Saving to read in full later.

NGU.

[SwampG8r]

47. i find it amusing that

even when given the "credit" they demand this was still turned into a flameout by the "supporters"
you guys are going to "support" him into an early freaking retirement the way you address people
DU is not the vacuum you imagine

[Scurrilous]

55. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Phx_Dem]

57. Progressives are always trying to grab credit they didn't earn. Kinda like the Bushies.

[ClassWarrior]

61. So YOU were calling and writing him and meeting with your party leaders to encourage him to do this?

If the credit belongs with you, great! :woohoo: Thanks for doing it!

NGU.

[CakeGrrl]

63. Do you have a list of callers and writers?

I want it matched up against the people who sit on this board and constantly say they're hard-pressed with a reason to vote for this President in 2012.

Never mind. They won't match.

Specificity is YOUR friend.

[ClassWarrior]

65. Why do you waste your time on people who say they won't vote for the Prez??

If they say they're not going to vote for him now, you'll NEVER convince, charm or bully them into voting for him.

Ignore them... use your time more productively for the President... and quit taking the hate-bait.

Unless of course you have a good reason to promote a divided Dem electorate.

NGU.

[ClassWarrior]

72. ?

[ClassWarrior]

74. ?

[ClassWarrior]

87. ?

[ClassWarrior]

88. ?

[BklnDem75]

58. Solid left?

:rofl:

What a solid load!

[totodeinhere]

78. It won't be a victory until those proposals are passed into law. Obama

or any other president can propose anything they want to, but a mere proposal won't accomplish anything until it is translated into a real law.

[ClassWarrior]

86. You don't think it's a victory to have a President who is out there...

...speaking forcefully and passionately for Dem values, regardless of whether or not the proposals are passed, just because it's the right thing to do?

I do. This is how we start turning back the tide of Radical RW sewage.

NGU.

[totodeinhere]

89. The right wing is making proposals too such as Paul Ryan's regressive budget.

Do you also consider his proposals a "victory?" After all, I am sure that there are those who think that Ryan was "speaking forcefully and passionately for Republican values."

No, it's all well and good to speak forcefully. But nothing will substitute for getting some good progressive laws on the books.

[ClassWarrior]

95. Of course that's a victory for them. I'm sure they'll fundraise on that...

...all the way to next November. Though it'll never pass, it fires up their troops. That's how they win even when they lose. Neat trick, huh?

We could do that, but better. We have the best of American values on our side, values supported by the vast majority of Americans. Imagine if we had fired-up troops too.

:shrug:

NGU.

[frazzled]

79. What a laughably vain interpretation of the situation

Obama has been advocating higher taxes on the wealthy (in the form of the "Buffet Rule") since he began campaigning, and already included many of the provisions in the Job Act in his first stimulus bill--from infrastructure spending to aid to states to retain and hire teachers and other public servants. If he could have gotten this earlier (and he probably won't, thanks to Republicans), he would have done so.

But go ahead, believe you thought all this up and made him do it. Whatever it takes.

[ClassWarrior]

81. So you believe that the President doesn't listen and respond to his...

...constituents, much less his supporters and campaign volunteers?

NGU.

[kentuck]

84. Why are people pissed off??

If the President is doing what the progressives wanted? If it is a successful strategy, shouldn't we all be appreciative of the fact? It's difficult to argue that he has not changed his strategy in the last couple of weeks and it appears to be a more effective strategy.

[SwampG8r]

85. and here is the actual crux

we have 2 fronts
one says it is supportive yet when any news goes up that links the "left" getting some tiny piece of the pie they cannot accept the earned gratitude of the left because their political contempt for the left wont allow it
the other group has been calling congress and making noise like you are supposed to to get what you want done,and an attempt ,by them, to send goodwill to those they have been in disaccord with for a long time is instantly attacked and shat upon
somehow the supportive group feels this is helpful to whatever their agenda is
i have to look at the results of such actions and try to guess what their agenda actually is
it does not appear to be an agenda of unity

[Mimosa]

90. I believe Obama has heard 'sme of us' are very discontented, according to Obama's words

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-tells-blacks-stop-complainin-fight-015928905.html

Excerpt:

Obama's speech to the annual awards dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus was his answer to increasingly vocal griping from black leaders that he's been giving away too much in talks with Republicans -- and not doing enough to fight black unemployment, which is nearly double the national average at 16.7 percent.

"It gets folks discouraged. I know. I listen to some of y'all," Obama told an audience of some 3,000 in a darkened Washington convention center.

But he said blacks need to have faith in the future -- and understand that the fight won't be won if they don't rally to his side.

"I need your help," Obama said.

The president will need black turnout to match its historic 2008 levels if he's to have a shot at winning a second term, and Saturday's speech was a chance to speak directly to inner-city concerns.

He acknowledged blacks have suffered mightily because of the recession, and are frustrated that the downturn is taking so long to reverse. "So many people are still hurting. So many people are barely hanging on," he said, then added: "And so many people in this city are fighting us every step of the way."

[ClarkUSA]

93. He did not say "us"; he said "y'all" & directed his comments to black leaders at the CBC dinner.

He certainly was not referring to DU's self-congratulatory "progressives".

[Mr Deltoid]

94. Thank you progressives!

For holding Obama's feet to the fire

[Douglas Carpenter]

96. there would have never been a New Deal without the progressives especially the socialist & militant

unions and the Communist Party holding FDR's Administration's feet to the fire and making it happen. However, progressives in that era were a bit more clever. They were able to both push their agenda within the the internal political mechanism while publicly giving the appearance of very loyal support for Roosevelt. I suppose a more recent parallel is the way the radical right-wing working under Nixon - an administration that supported many things the far right completely disagreed with - were able to build their strength - give the appearance of loyalty to Nixon while they incubated their positions of power and advanced their far right agenda even during an administration that did not by any means see eye to eye with them.

I fear that current progressive politics is now in a nonproductive and perhaps even somewhat self-destructive mode of "either - or". Yes the Obama Administration may had missed a historic opportunity when they were swept to power with their mandate for change coming on the heels of the financial meltdown of 2008 - But perhaps progressives also missed and are missing a historic opportunity to incubate and develop their position and advance the progressive agenda - the way progressives did during the 1930's and the far right did during the Nixon years.