I honestly don't know what the hell is going on. Am I the only one?

[DonRedwood]

I'm admitting I'm pretty confused about the current fiscal cliff. But, here is what I do know:

1. The Republicans are losing.
2. The Republicans war amongst themselves is careening out of control and is starting to leak into the press.
3. The Republicans are eating themselves.
4. Obama is partway through a chess match that I have not been able to figure out.
5. Obama seems to be following out a well-planned strategy the results of which continue to push the Republicans farther and farther out on a limb just as they are busily sawing away at the limb they are sitting on.
6. Obama is winning...I just don't know what he is winning.
7. The DU is swarming with very-thinly veiled hate towards the president.
8. Those right wing moles only come out in force like this on DU when they are trying like hell to undermine the President.

Oh...lastly, I do know that the Democrats may take some hits over all this but overall they are kicking ass. Boner is about to go down in flames, the Republicans are at each other's throats, Obama is continuing is constant courting of the independent voter (um...which is why he is still President) and while he pulls in more centrists, he is branding the Republicans as so vile that their image is going to be majorly messed up for a generation and, as a reminder, it is the president and his message vs. the money and power of the richest of Americans and their puppet corporations as they try to steal power away from the people.

So, yeah, I don't understand the chess game that is going on, but we have voted in a man who has nerves of steel and a brain that works like a trap. He is smarter than I am (and I'm pretty smart) and smarter than most of you and smarter than all the brain power of all the Republicans who have been fighting so hard against him...or he'd be a lame duck.

I mean, seriously, you think Yurtle the Turtle and Boner are smarter than Obama?

?w=690

[randome]

1. When it's too complicated to figure out, it's time for a road trip!

[DonRedwood]

4. A New Year's Eve Road Trip Sounds Fantastic!!

It has been crazy at work, crazy at home, crazy in the world....

it is time to take a break!!! hmmmmmmmm....but where to go?

[Divine Discontent]

2. I made this just for you! I feel the same!

[DonRedwood]

5. :0) when i see boner squirming it makes me smile

otherwise, yeah, just a blank smile during a lot of this latest fiasco.

My inner sense is that Obama has laid a very nice trap that took a year to spring...

[spanone]

3. k&r...

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. The first thing I've been able to find on DU that was informative is this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251269647

linking to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/31/why-the-white-house-thinks-its-winning-the-fiscal-cliff/

Hope that helps. I agree there's an undercurrent of "he sold us out", but those implying that haven't bothered to say what's happening.

[DonRedwood]

19. Thank you!!

Every time I think I've figured it out, there is a new layer.

And Obama has been playing this chess game for :0)a year!! I have no doubt there are so many layers that I have no understanding of.

[jberryhill]

7. Plenty of Turkey Lurkey

[HiPointDem]

8. why do you style disagreement with policies as personal 'hate' for the president? it's a propaganda

tactic, is that your intent?

[Divine Discontent]

11. it is true that the true trolls are easy to spot, and actual dissent on policy looks nothing like it

[DonRedwood]

20. Yes, two very different things. I'm very capable of seeing "dissent" and "hatefullness" as two

different types of communication with two totally different purposes.

[Bobbie Jo]

14. .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2103557

[DonRedwood]

17. shhhh...you'll be accused of propaganda if you point out we aren't all mad at Obama.

[DonRedwood]

16. Mine is not a blanket statement about everyone who disagrees with the President

I disagree with him all the time. But it seems there some really negative anti-Obama posts right now and lots and lots of new members with a small number of posts.

I have no problem disagreeing with the President or DU. But if you are so good at finding propaganda in my post, surely you must see it in others? Or is the propaganda only from people who are supporting the President?

[Doctor_J]

24. Don't you know anyone who opposes SS benefit cuts hates Obama??

and is definitely a right-wing mole, and probably a racist.

The DINOs and trolls aren't very subtle, are they? With luck the liberals will mutiny in 2014 and we'll see how well that goes for those who despise us.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. I'm right there with you. Not only do I not know what's going on,

I realize that there's more going on behind the scenes that will affect the outcome that I'm not even aware of. I anxiously await the outcome.

[DonRedwood]

21. Obama is a centrist

Once you accept that, it is a lot harder to be mad at him.

He's been pretty open about what his stands are. He is a conservative-ish Democrat who is dealing with a major financial disaster.

We are all mad at the Republicans for pushing all these social issues as the economy burns.... and then we turn around and get mad at Obama for not pushing his social issues while the economy burns....

kind of a "can't win" in so many ways....

[Enrique]

10. i disagree with your characterization n/t

[etherealtruth]

12. Seriously!

Welcome to my world (r/t what the hell is going on ...?)

[DevonRex]

13. When President Obama holds a presser just to laugh and poke a stick

at Boehner and then McCain has an immediate temper tantrum, odds are we are winning. Just saying...

[AldoLeopold]

15. I think I know - just watch this clip - Obama is Indiana

[link:

|

[GObamaGO]

18. You know, I am equally as confused

I think the bar should have been brought down to the $250K level.

[DonRedwood]

23. I wanted that too.

But he hasn't actually agreed to anything yet. He might well know that Boner can't get anything passed no matter what.

But the president sure looks like he is willing to negotiate and try to meet in the middle. The repubs just look like asshats.

[GObamaGO]

25. Quite frankly I am tired of us capitulating to the whims of the GOP.

YMMV.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Keeping the public confused and in the dark is 3rd Way/Republican politics at it's finest.

Of course, they could let the ordinary folks in on the "negotiations" by televising them.....

[Doctor_J]

26. Pass the KoolAid please

1. The Republicans are losing.

Really? The president has offered to cut SS benefits, twice. Is that winning?

2. The Republicans war amongst themselves is careening out of control and is starting to leak into the press.

So is the Dems'. See Sanders and Harkin and the progressive caucus

4. Obama is partway through a chess match that I have not been able to figure out.

Yah, he's so smart that no one can figure it out. Edit: Don't be sad. Krugman can't figure it out either

5. Obama seems to be following out a well-planned strategy the results of which continue to push the Republicans farther and farther out on a limb just as they are busily sawing away at the limb they are sitting on.

A well-thought-out strategy that has changed three times in two weeks, thanks to begging from Dems in Congress and outrage among the voters.

6. Obama is winning...I just don't know what he is winning.

I think everyone agrees on this

7. The DU is swarming with very-thinly veiled hate towards the president.

I guess, if hating that a DEM president if offering completely uneccessary SS benefit cut = hate toward the president. Then yes.

8. Those right wing moles only come out in force like this on DU when they are trying like hell to undermine the President.

I am determined to undermine his attempt to cut benefits. Thankfully, so are a handful of real Dems in the Congress. I plead guilty, though if I am a right winger, then you as a "centrist" are probably a fascist. and why is it that when the president got trounced in 2010, we were, "the left" that didn't show up, but now we're right wing moles?

I do find the dance you're doing amusing though. "It's just in the newspaper - you can't believe it"..."He just said it to get the Repukes to react"..."He's offsetting the benefit cuts for the neediest"..."He never actually said that - Carney did"...

It sometimes makes me dizzy, but it's funny up until then.

[Myrina]

30. ^ this, plus a brazillion

Thank You.

[bluethruandthru]

31. Great Post!! n/t

[rzemanfl]

27. I thought Watergate would "majorly mess up" the Repukes

for a generation. That did not happen. Obama is the best President of my lifetime. I don't like parts of the deal, but it certainly shows the Repuked are on the side of folks who can't live on 20 grand a month.

On edit "Repuked" is a typo (the damn keys are right next to each other) but actually I kind of like it.

[bigtree]

28. this is much better than what I was going to post

It gets wearying laying things out here. The hypercritics will always be hypercritical. That's just what they do.

Having this President move the goalposts our way is an amazing turnaround for someone who was absolutely under siege from the economic meltdown for so much of his first term. Well-played, I think, considering that the legislature is still so divided.Republicans have definitely backpedaled if they accept this offer. it's a huge tax hike on their wealthy benefactors and a definite 'cave' from their no-taxes pledges. Take that Norquist!

[bowens43]

29. "Obama is partway through a chess match that I have not been able to figure out"

I figured it out. Obama is a rank amateur up against a Grand Master or two.Obama had an excellent shot at getting what he wanted and instead he got his ass handed to him yet again.

[graywarrior]

32. Thanks!

You put into words what I don't understand either.

[Dirty Socialist]

33. Most People Don't Know What's Going on

a lot has happened behind closed doors that we don't know. Here is where right wing propaganda can score big with the public. I am not sure if we really know what's happening.