Obama Cares More About GOP Liking Him Than He Does About Working With His Own Base

[TheMastersNemesis]

I supported and voted for Obama both times. Yet he he seems to care more about placating GOPPERS than addressing the issues of the base that elected him. It is a betrayal of trust I cannot understand. His legacy will be similar to Clinton in that he appears to be willing to give away everything to Republicans who hate him.

He may say things rhetorically to hammer the GOP while he seems to be pursuing a "grander bargain" which means caving in.

[kentuck]

1. Perhaps he needs some fresh blood in his inner circle?

Some people with new perspectives. I have no idea who is advising him right now?

[TheMastersNemesis]

3. Obama Has "Rejected Suitor" Syndrome. The More They Reject The Harder He Will Try.

Obama acts like a rejected suitor in that the worse they act the harder he will try. That is a dangerous attitude in that he might be willing to cave on "EVERYTHING" rather than fight like he should. My sense is that the more mean the GOP is, the more he rejects and attacks his own progressive base. It is like he is trying to convince these fools he is halfway on their side.

There is something psychologically sick about this strategy.

[Myrina]

4. It's a "daddy thing" --- just like GWB had.

Why does this country keep electing men with 'missing father' issues?

[tridim]

7. Wow.

SMH

DU has gone completely insane.

[RZM]

15. That's a rather odd take on it

First of all, many people have family 'issues' of all kinds. Politicians are no different.

Second, plenty of other presidents have had such issues as well. You left out Bill Clinton, whose stepfather was an abusive alcoholic. And FDR's mother was apparently rather domineering as well and loomed very large in his life. And then there's Reagan's poor relationships with his own children.

As for the Bushes, from what I've heard from people who study the family, Babs is actually the one who's known to be mean and difficult, etc. Perhaps we caught a glimpse of that last week when she publicly dissed Jeb's presidential ambitions. That's also ironic since both parents apparently long favored Jeb over W, which is another questionable parenting move.

As for Obama, you could argue that his father's heritage has been a central component of his public persona. He put his father in the title of his 1995 autobiography and emphasized his Kenyan roots in the 2004 convention speech that announced his arrival as a star. Clearly Obama always intended for his father to feature prominently in the Obama brand.

All of this is pretty normal. A lot of people deal with parents who are absent, or cold, or domineering, or abusive, or whatever. Perhaps family issues eve help these pols a bit - people can identify with this type of thing.

[aikoaiko]

12. Jury results

AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service

Mail Message
At Wed May 1, 2013, 09:21 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

Obama Has "Rejected Suitor" Syndrome. The More They Reject The Harder He Will Try.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2780617

REASON FOR ALERT:

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate. (See <a href="http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=aboutus#communitystandards" target="_blank">Community Standards</a>.)

ALERTER'S COMMENTS:

WTF?

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Wed May 1, 2013, 09:39 AM, and the Jury voted 0-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: I think the poster overstates the problem, but it's mere overstatement, and that's what discussion is meant to handle, by argumentation. Just respond to the post rather than trying to censor it.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Not a TOS violation.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: What is wrong with this post? WTF is right! Why alert on this?
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Personal opinion.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: WTF indeed, alerter. Criticism of the president is allowed.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[TDale313]

26. Yep. Mr President,

They're just not that into you.

[Summer Hathaway]

27. There is something sick

about keyboard know-it-alls who think they can psychoanalyze a president, based solely on their ability to pull 'syndromes' out of their ass and apply them when convenient.

Have you consulted with Dr. Frist on the matter? I understand he can assess the mental capacity of patients by viewing videotapes. You two might want to get together and discuss your diagnostic acumen.

[Number23]

48. Forget Dr. Frist. Get the real scoop from a doc that knows about making shit up

Dr. Van Nostrand or nothing...

[tridim]

2. Because the GOP just loves gay rights and women's rights.

It's so obvious!

DERP.

[TheMadMonk]

28. Love them or not, they do recognise them as lost causes.

Is it not passingly strange, that on these and similar issues, the Republicans fight just hard enough to just barely lose, whilst they can always find the numbers to block other matters like gun control, and clean air and water?

They allow the passage of legislation they damned well know will be highly devisive, but block that which enjoys wide popular support.

[forestpath]

5. K&R He's made that crystal clear.

[NCTraveler]

6. I don't think it is about liking them.

I think he really wants to work with them. He thinks it will make the country better. I think he really believes this. I do not.

Whether he want them to like him, or he wants to be seen as working with them, the end result is the same.

[kentuck]

8. I agree and also...

I believe he thinks they want to make the country better also. They could care less about the welfare of this country - they want power.

[Recursion]

9. GOP has something to offer him; we don't

Welcome to DC.

[Paladin]

10. Oh, goody. Another Obama Shit-canning thread. (nt)

[Buzz Clik]

11. meh. Slow day? Needing some attention?

pfft.

[kentuck]

13. Obviously some people would prefer not to talk about this subject...

They would rather submerge it deep into their subconsciousness. They want to believe that the President has it all under control. Well, he doesn't.

[TheMastersNemesis]

14. There Is A Lot Of Denial About Obama.

When he remarked that he could not make the GOP behave on the budget I took it to mean that he is disappointed that they won't take his grand bargain. The grand bargain is a grand "screw job" that plays into the GOP. And they would take his grand bargain in a heartbeat if he drops revenue and cuts taxes on the rich.

His acceptance of the "austerity meme" gives them control of the conversation and the agenda. In their view all they have to do is wait him out. The vote on the FAA sequester adjustment is a another cave in the eyes of the GOP. And you can guarantee they will exploit it. And I wonder what will happen when the debt ceiling comes up.

You feel like Poland when Chamberlain was negotiating.

[TheMadMonk]

29. He may not be able to make them behave. He can goad them into misbehaving...

...so badly that even infra-dead states might show a little sense.

[Arkana]

16. Actually, we just don't deal in conspiracy theories.

We're not the ones who blame the President when we run out of cornflakes in the morning.

[kentuck]

17. What conspiracy and cornflakes are you specifically talking about?

[ProSense]

18. Why

"Actually, we just don't deal in conspiracy theories."

...you don't believe that President Obama has "daddy" issues and just wants to be loved?

The stupid shit gets more stupid with each passing day.

[whistler162]

35. Just like in the other 5 trillion threads on

the EPIC FAILURE of President Obama!<SARCASM>

[treestar]

19. They have a majority in the House

He knows they do not like him.

[TheKentuckian]

20. and when they were the minority in Congress he was still trying to co-govern with them

despite their ruinous agenda and having generational majorities to combat them.

What we are seeing is ideology in action, just "no red states, no blue states" made into secular religion.

[treestar]

21. Then it was just Blue Dogs

And speaking of Kentucky, wouldn't it be better to spend time trying to influence those the state sends to D.C.? Bashing the President seems like a waste of time from a state that can hardly claim to be progressive.

[kentuck]

22. Delaware, huh?

One of the largest tax havens in the world.

[treestar]

23. Where do you get that?

But Delaware does have a D Governor, 2 D Senators, and a D Representative, a D state house. We thus have time to help you out if you wanted that, rather than bashing the D President.

Your state is part of the problem (at least if you are progressive)

[TheKentuckian]

46. I'm not my state's caucus and I do my fair share so your worthless deflection is not impactive here.

[treestar]

47. Maybe you need to do some more than

spend so much time blaming the President and other Democrats. Your state keeps other states and the President from making progress, so quit throwing stones at others and blaming them for the Republican House or blaming Obama because McConnell is a right wing asshole. Guess where McConnell came from?

[L0oniX]

24. You just want to upset the cult dontcha.

[We People]

25. This is about the country and not about him

Last edited Thu May 2, 2013, 03:08 AM - Edit history (2)

If he were a Repub. president and the shoe were on the other foot, his party would have completely freaked out if he worked that closely and cooperatively with the opposition party.

Sometimes I wonder if he realizes that this iteration of the GOP is unlike any other in our nation's history, and that these are not normal times.

His dream of bringing together the two opposition parties and bringing about bi-partisanship didn't pan out for that same reason. He also appears to defer much more readily to his Republican opposition than he does to "the liberal wing of the Democratic Party." And sadly, few of his advisors are from that "wing" of the party.

Adopting, copying, accepting and even co-opting Republican ideas is a wrongheaded, horrible idea for the health of this country (and its people). But I guess his primary advisors - those he listens to - don't agree with that.

[TheMadMonk]

30. Indeed, what I see in him is the bullied kid who ate shit sandwiches...

...in the hope the popular kids might eventually befriend them.

[graham4anything]

31. To achieve 80-20, you need to jettison the extremes of both parties. The base is ME.

the far left is NOT the base. Such hyperbole.
Same as the far right is NOT the base of the average republican voters.

FDR caved in. LBJ caved in. Lincoln caved in.
Learn American history and how it works.

We are ALL Americans and a President doesn't work for the extremists on any side.

Caving in to the small minority of extremists would be ditching the 80%.

Time to stop the sleight of hand.

80% of America does NOT want what the few on the far left wants.

And President Obama's base 90-95 % is perfectly in tune with what he is doing.
Same with Bill and Hillary's 90-95% of their supporters.

the whiners are few, though pesky vocal.But then look how much air time three people who never actually got any legislation through (Ron Paul, Ralph Nader and Dennis Kucinich) got in the media. The media loves the three and other alt-people but they are really just court jesters bloviating.
By the voters support-look how few voters actually ever voted for any of the three.
They are the 1%ers who take up 99% of the shouting loud voices.

It's time to render them OBSOLETE at the voting booth.

And then America can live like it used to with an election season, followed by bills being passed by compromise like FDR and LBJ did.
(It amazes me that people attempt to make LBJ needing repubican support, when the Extremist George Wallace DixiecRat racists stopped what he was doing, and same with Lincoln needing democratic votes and FDR needing bipartisan support.

If one remembers, FDR caved in putting the abysmal Truman in and ditching Henry Wallace.

and the hatred for the most liberal (to the point he actually almost was socialist, LBJ) to get the Bush's and Reagan later is amazing.

[LostOne4Ever]

38. You tell them!

Amazing post!

Compromise is the true way to the future!

[winter is coming]

39. What complete and utter bullshit.

Many of the "far left's" allegedly "20%" positions are supported by far more than 20% of Republicans, let alone the population as a whole. Our political parties have moved way to the right over the last 50 years, and it has jack to do with what Americans believe, so enough of your 80-20 bullshit.

The politicians, not the people, have moved to the right, because that's where the large-scale campaign and lobbying cash comes from. Vast amounts of money have been spent buying up politicians and the media to tell us that what we believe is marginal or outdated, even when polls show that our representatives aren't actually representing us. Over and over, we've been told that "compromise" and "pragmatism" are desirable and necessary things, only to find that it's "pragmatic" to "compromise" by yielding to positions that run counter to common sense as well as our ideology... and that each compromise emboldens our enemies to demand more.

Every damned day you post some sort of bullshit that's always about how we should be blindly loyal to centrists, and the underlying message is that we should accept whatever shit sandwich the Party wants to hand us. If the Party wants my support, it can court my tastes, which are only "extreme" in the eyes of the 1% and their enablers.

I'm done with with you. I don't care if you're delusional, or employed to type this shit, or simply can't find any other way to get people to respond to your posts; I'm done. Congratulations; you're the first person on my ignore list.

[LostOne4Ever]

32. He does that because

He does that because unlike the GOP he is actually WILLING to compromise for the greater good of the country!

He puts the needs of the country ahead of his ideology.

Further, he knows that ignoring the middle for the never ending demands of the fringe will lead the party to ruin, just as it has for the Republican party. By listening to only the most conservative members of their party they have pissed off so many demographics that its possible they wont get the White House back for another decade or more.

If we play this cool we can make them completely irrelevant and dominate the politcal landscape for decades and we will get A LOT more done politically that way than we can by repeating the mis-steps of the idiot party.

GO OBAMA, GO DEMOCRATIC PARTY!

[Fumesucker]

34. When you compromise between far, far, far right and moderate centrists the center moves to the right

Moving to the right in that situation is as inevitable as gravity and evidently what Obama wants.

[LostOne4Ever]

37. Babysteps my friend, babysteps

When you consider how far to the right double dumb dragged this country that is still a victory for the left! Slightly right of center is better than being to the far right.

Just remember what it was like during double dumb's administration and look at all the victories Obama has achieved:

1. Ended the war in Iraq


2. Got the affordable care act passed


3. Ended Don't ask don't tell


4. Women in combat


5. Saved the economy


6. Killed OBL


7. Killed the Keystone pipeline


8. Turned around the economy


9. Restored respect for us abroad


10. And hes about to kill DOMA!!! DOMA!!!!

Many of these things were pipe dreams before he came! And this is just his FIRST FOUR YEARS! NOW HE'S GOT ANOTHER 4!!!! We are kicking repug ass!!!

Not only that!!! His actions are finally bringing about the emerging democratic majority that WILL take this country to the left! We will take back the house and will strengthen our hold of the senate in the next 4 years and either Hillary or Biden are shoe ins for the next administration! With that in place its inevitable that at LEAST 1 right wing ScotUS judge will retire and we will have the Judiciary!

THE TRIPLE CROWN

From there liberal reform can truly begin and we can rebuild this country to once again be a model for the rest of the world!!!


But we got to start with baby steps. If we push too hard too soon everything we worked so hard to build will crash down on us! It only takes a small mistake to let the repugs back into power. NEVER AGAIN. We can never again let THEM back into power. We got to play this smart (cause we are smarter than they are) and we can claim an ultimate victory!!!

But to claim that victory we got to support Obama! Even when we are disappointed, even when its something we care passionately about we got to see the bigger picture! Clinton built the blueprint for the bridge to the future and now Obama is laying down its foundation. WE GOT TO SUPPORT HIM!!! OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA

The journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step, and Obama in that step has already gotten us to where we can see the ultimate goal. Don't lose hope! CHANGE IS ON THE WAY!

[Fumesucker]

42. Without economic progress for the 99% any social progress we might make is for naught

And I see no prospects at all for economic progress for the 99%.

One thing I have learned over a longish lifetime of paying attention to politics is that the Republicans *always* come back, they are far too useful to the 1% for it ever to be otherwise. You could put the Republican party through a wood chipper and they'll just reassemble themselves and carry on doing what they do.

The current Republican scam has nearly run its course, there are an infinite number of scams though and they'll find another one.

[Laelth]

33. I mostly agree.

But it's not exactly the GOP that the President is trying to woo by punching the left time and time again. It's the entire American Political Caste whose approval he seeks.

So I argued here: http://laelth.blogspot.com/2010/12/kissing-butt-and-taking-names-obamas.html

-Laelth

[kelliekat44]

36. The GOP holds the votes he needs to get anything done. It's not that he "cares more" about the GOP

liking him as it is that he is spending his efforts where they are needed to get something accomplished for the entire country.

[JoePhilly]

40. As you suggest, he should do nothing. Just like the GOP would like.

After all, that's really what the GOP wants. A government that does nothing. That is their ultimate objective.

When the GOP does not control power, they are very happy to have the government do nothing.

And if Obama does not try to work with them, that's exactly what would happen. Nothing.

The GOP would be thrilled.

[tridim]

44. And thus the OP is thrilled.

2+2=4

[phleshdef]

41. No. He just cares more about mathematical realities than you and many others around here do.

[woo me with science]

43. WALL STREET OWNS WASHINGTON.

It is not psychological. It is not a personality issue.

The problem is corporate money flooding Washington. The problem is Wall Street money driving policy in both parties. Until people grasp this simple fact, NOTHING WILL CHANGE. The President works for Wall Street. Corporate Democrats work for Wall Street. Republicans work for Wall Street.

The vast majority of the betrayals on this list had nothing to do with Republican obstructionism:

Corporate and bank-cozy appointments, over and over again, including major appointments like:

A serial defender of corrupt bankers for the SEC; the architect of "Kill Lists" and supporter of torture, drone wars, and telecom immunity for the CIA; and a Monsanto VP who has lied and been involved in extremely disturbing claims regarding food safety for the FDA. An Attorney General who has not prosecuted a single large bank but wages war against medical marijuana users and *for* strip searches and warrantless surveillance of Americans. And let's not forget Tim Geithner.

Bailouts and settlements for corrupt banks (with personal pressure from Obama to attorneys general to approve them),
Refusal by Obama's DOJ to prosecute even huge, egregious examples of bank fraud (i.e, HSBC)
signing NDAA to allow indefinite detention,
"Kill lists" and claiming of the right to assassinate even American citizens without trial
Expansion of wars into several new countries
A renewed public advocacy for the concept of preemptive war
Drone campaigns in multiple countries with whom we are not at war
Proliferation of military drones in our skies
Federal targeting of Occupy for surveillance and militarized response to peaceful protesters
Fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for warrantless surveillance
Fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for strip searches for any arrestee
Supporting and signing Internet-censoring and privacy-violating measures like ACTA
Support for corporate groping and naked scanning of Americans seeking to travel
A new, massive spy center for warrantless access to Americans' phone calls, emails, and internet use
Support of legislation to legalize massive surveillance of Americans
Militarized police departments, through federal grants
Marijuana users and medical marijuana clinics under assault,
Skyrocketing of the budget for prisons.
Failing to veto a bipartisan vote in Congress to gut more financial regulations.
Passionate speeches and press conferences promoting austerity for Americans
Bush tax cuts extended for billionaires, them much of it made permanent
Support for the payroll tax holiday, tying SS to the general fund
Support for the vicious chained CPI cut in Social Security and benefits for the disabled
Social security, Medicare, and Medicaid offered up as bargaining chips in budget negotiations, with No mention of cutting corporate welfare or the military budget
Advocacy of multiple new free trade agreements, including The Trans-Pacific, otherwise known as "NAFTA on steroids."
Support of drilling, pipelines, and selling off portions of the Gulf of Mexico
Corporate education policy including high stakes corporate testing and closures of public schools
Entrenchment of exorbitant for-profit health insurance companies into healthcare, through mandate
Legal assault on union rights of hundreds of thousands of federal workers
New policies of targeting children and first responders in drone campaigns,
New policies of awarding medals for remote drone attacks,
Appointment of private prison executives to head the US Marshal's office
Massive escalation of federal contracts for private prisons under US Marshall's office

[zipplewrath]

45. The snarky answer

The quick answer is because he's actually more like them than the left of his own party.

The slightly more thoughtful answer is that he has always seen positions to the right of him more achievable than ones to his left.

That's a tad surprising because of course some of his biggest accomplishments, sans ACA, have been on his left. His weakest accomplishments have been when working with the Blue Dogs and the GOP. They weakened his stimulus, they watered down ACA, and they gutted much of the Wall Street Reforms. But ending DADT and really the progress to date on DOMA have been fairly "pure" progessive results and have put the GOP on their heals. Heck, ending (some) of the Bush Tax Cuts has helped tremendously in fiscal status of the federal government. The GOP opposed that and most of them voted against it. HIs best outcomes, his best solutions are coming from the left and he constantly looks to the right for answers.