I HOPE Obama realizes he should have put on his comfy shoes and gone to WI. (quote)

[grahamhgreen]

Barack Obama in Spartanburg, SC. Nov. 3rd, 2007.

"And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I'll will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner."


GO WI!

[gateley]

1. That would have meant a lot to those people, and really helped

him out too, no doubt.

[Tx4obama]

7. No. The folks in WI said 'this is their fight'. The didn't want Obama there. n/t

[LaydeeBug]

15. link? nt

[Tx4obama]

21. Go do a google search, and go review all the newscasts during the protests.

I don't have time right now to do your homework for you, sorry.

[Marr]

28. I heard others say they wanted him there. n/t

[grahamhgreen]

37. Those that took that position have been proven wrong.

[NYC_SKP]

2. I prefer to just be proud of the citizens of Wisconsin.

With or without Obama's having gone there in person (and we don't know that it would have helped or hurt), or thanks go to the people there.

[HighLowRoller87]

20. I second that! Wisconsin is doing the damn thing the way it's supposed to be done! :)

[Blue-Jay]

3. Well said.

If the Dems get the three seats they need, "We did it without you, Obama!"

If the Dems don't get three, "Damn you, Obama!"

Well played. Winner winner chicken dinner.

[jaxx]

4. He sent plenty of help to WI.

The OFA and the DNC both in there helping.

[KeepItReal]

10. How hard would it have been to park Air Force One there this week for a day?

To rally the troops in person?

[jaxx]

13. This was all gone over when the people were in the capitol.

He would have been a distraction. Go look it up, it's all been said.

[grahamhgreen]

34. And those arguments just got Proven wrong, as evidenced by the fact we lost.

[Broderick]

46. Could be much worse

might be a wash after next week. A distraction in hindsight as other states did similar things. 2 special elections to come. At best, from what I hear, it may be a one for one on the democrat recalls. Was it worth it in the end?? Time will tell, but trust me, if the net effect is one seat or a wash - you will see much more of the analysts saying the effect is more polarization and less working together. If it nets one seat, it is because one was a cheater to his wife only. What did it accomplish. If it washes out - and it stays the same, what a waste of energy and what a distraction. In my humble opinion. Hind sight is 20/20 though and I am getting a clearer focus now.

[bluestate10]

18. Obama did that in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Virginia.

It did not help. Wisconsinites must win this on their own. Obama coming in may actually have the opposite effect to helping.

[eilen]

17. When? During the early spring the WH pulled OFA back

So at the eleventh hour, as millions and millions were being funneled into Republican coffers, they gave OFA/DNC permission to go to Wisconsin again?

[jaxx]

24. Last I heard they were there with GOTV.

[grahamhgreen]

38. He should have listened to himself, and progressives, and done what he said he was going to do,

Because what he did do (stay away) did not work.

[mzmolly]

5. It's not too late.

He should get down there soon, regardless of the results.

[grahamhgreen]

44. Agreed.

[onehandle]

6. .

[krawhitham]

8. The Dem senators did not want him

[alarimer]

9. Why? He didn't do it before when the teachers needed him.

He is not a friend of working people. We will do good things DESPITE him, not because of him. He is just another corporate tool.

[Firebrand Gary]

11. I must politely disagree. Precedent: Brown/Coakley Senate Race.

[grahamhgreen]

40. I believe that was because Brown was to the left of Obama on health care and was

was going to vote against passage of the mandate to buy private crapsurance, yet was for single payer, as I recall.

WI was about union rights, not HCR.

Most progressives are against Obamas crapsurance reform bill, it only passed because of a promise Obama would fix it later.

[BlueCaliDem]

12. Think 2nd Amendment

and then think JFK. And then remember some rightwingers' propensity to use 2nd Amendment remedies.

I know President Obama promised he would march, but I'm pretty sure he's aware of the dangers of being out in the open like that among people who luvs their guns. Not only that, would it have done the recall cause good to have him in the state where they needed to win right-leaning districts?

[LaydeeBug]

19. Think BULLSHIT. Our President should never be grounded because of FEAR. The Secret Service is

there for his protection. No one is saying drive in the open air in a convertible in Dallas, but he should have tried to use the bully pulpit.

Dear GOD, the things people will come up with to tamp down those expectations.

[HighLowRoller87]

23. LOLOL!! I'm laughing at the fact you brought up Dallas.....

because I was just about to say I remember reading in a chatroom someone was so sure of this scenario and I'm starting to believe it:

Every President-elect that enters the White House the "They" (Secret Society or whatnot) takes them to a basement wayyy below the White House, takes him into a room with 30 TV screens. they sit the Pres down, put on restraints maybe, make them watch the Zapruder film with up close high definition clarity over and over and when they are done, they'll turn on the lights and say to the President, "Any Questions"

It's not just Obama, it seems that the candidates say this and that and then when they get that Presidential job....they flake. I don't get it.

[BlueCaliDem]

25. When I read your weak rebuttal, that's exactly what I thought.

To refresh your selective memory:

"And understand this: If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself, I'll will walk on that picket line with you as President of the United States of America. Because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner."

That's what I was responding to. Get it?

Jeezus. The things Obama-haters come up with just to crucify him every chance they get.

[Bluebear]

35. 'The things Obama-haters come up with just to crucify him every chance they get.' - lol

Talk about weak.

[mfcorey1]

36. +1000,000

[grahamhgreen]

41. He's commander-in-chief, he asks others to put their lives on the line daily,

and I thought his whole deal was trying to appeal to R's.

At any rate, plan A did not work, and i wish he'd tried plan B. Maybe next time?

[Bluebear]

47. +

[Joe the Revelator]

14. Pay attention to where the recall districts are....

Obama is no help in republican districts. This needed to be a local, labor issue, not a partisan one.

[KittyWampus]

16. Wrong again. An outsider would have screwed it up from the start. It's embarrassing to watch DU'ers

try anything, no matter how stupid, to trash Obama.

[WillyT]

22. Well Then... WHY THE FUCK DID HE SAY IT IN THE FIRST PLACE ???

We didn't come up with this Presidential fantasy... HE DID!!!

Politicians telling bald faced lies to my, and the nation's face, is NOT CHANGE... and absolutely CRUSHES HOPE!!!

Phfffttt...

:puke:

[Rex]

26. LOL!

Now, now...just let them have their poutrage!

[Scurrilous]

29. ROFL

:P

[Raine]

33. That's right, he's the one who said it.

If he didn't mean it then he was lying. x(

[Bluebear]

39. But it's OUR fault he said it!!!

:cry:

That is the basic premise of blame amongst the Truly Faithful here.

[PeaceNikki]

48. yup

[Zax2me]

27. I wish he had but his plate is kind of full. not giving a pass

But understand.

[Bluebear]

32. Yes, those fundraisers sure fill up your Plate

[Township75]

43. WHAAAOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good one, and I agree.

Obama is a fraud. He only wanted to be president, he had no vision, he had no plans once he became president, he just wanted to be president.

Mission Accomplished!!

[GoldenThunder]

30. Voting is not enough

Anyone who believes that the electoral process is the sole path to freedom and democracy will inevitably lose both freedom and democracy. If you truly love America, folks, voting is not enough.
It's time to start a grassroots VINE movement in America (Voting Is Not Enough). We must get the rest of our citizens to understand that ownership of democracy involves a lot more than filling out a ballot every once in a while. It will always be easy to rig the game so long as most people believe that its a game. Our freedom is not a game.

[Liquorice]

31. A lot of what Obama said back then was just campaign rhetoric. nt

[KG]

42. Y'all chill the fuck out.

you're on you're own.

[JoeyT]

45. While he did say that,

I don't think it would have done a lot of good to have him standing around complaining about the unions not being willing to compromise enough. Just look how angry you're making the Republicans! Now put those signs and petitions away and do what they want right this instant!

He'd have hurt it, not helped it.

[polmaven]

49. Oh, are we on this one again?

The WI senators who left the state came out and said the president's presence would have been a distraction, and they are glad he did NOT go to Wisconsin. But I guess they don't know what they're talking about! Some DUers wanted him to go! That is all that should matter!