All this "Obama isn't a Dem" stuff. Me thinketh they are trying to fracture the Dem Party

[Snoutport]

Suddenly CNN, New York Times are talking about how a lot of Democrats are saying Obama isn't one of them, or doing articles or story about people who are moving away from the president.

What? Moving where? To Sara Palin? To Huckabee? There isn't anywhere to move to yet. I think the corporate media is starting to show the beginning game plan of the 2012 election. First, try to paint Obama as a bad Democrat and maybe a teenie tiny fraction of voters will move away. (The same thing they did with Clinton)

I am going to guess that we'll soon start seeing these crazy poll numbers that show Obama support really eroding.

What comes after that?

[mmonk]

1. What is a Democrat? What is the Democratic Party?

It doesn't resemble the party I grew up with and joined. I can't see it's purpose anymore. Is it to be the less conservative conservative party? If you answer that, than maybe I can answer your questions.

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. It's always been a coalition....

Fritz Hollings and Scoop Jackson, Sam Ervin and Sam Nunn were all pillars of the party you remember so fondly.

Maybe you were thinking of UK Labour, or the SPD?

[mmonk]

13. I remember that some Democrats were conservative. Not just this

conservative (other than dixiecrats). It also had labor and the New Deal. There were some things it would not cut and opposed the Republican Party on occasion. Not always compromising IN THEIR DIRECTION.

[Jmaxfie1]

15. I actually always kind of liked Scoop Jackson,

he wasn't perfect but he always just seemed more of a Cold War Democrat than really a right-winger IMO.

[Davis_X_Machina]

19. Never met a weapons system he didn't like...

...and what I'll never forget was his playing footsie with the hard-hat unions in the '76 primaries, at the height of the busing controversy, in supporting a Constitutional amendment to ban the practice.

Decades of exemplary support of civil rights, flushed down the toilet chasing the voters who were about to become Reagan Democrats anyways.

[Jmaxfie1]

24. yeah, pre-70's Scoop was much better,

but I agree with you he sort of lost it in the 70's.

[leftstreet]

2. The Democratic party has been fracturing itself for some time n/t

[DJ13]

3. You know whats fracturing the Democratric party?

Democrats who act like conservative Republicans.

People want two party's who have different goals, and it wasnt long ago that our party truly offered a choice.

[tnlefty]

12. uh hum, tell itell it

and then tell it again.

[Ramulux]

4. The media doesn't need to do anything

Obama is the one fracturing the party and it has already happened. Fake democrats dont inspire people to vote for them, its that simple. It isn't about democrats moving towards republicans or even toward any 3rd party, its about democrats not being motivated and having no desire to donate to, volunteer for or defend the democratic party.

[OwnedByFerrets]

16. Hate to +1 this, but I must.

[Hawkowl]

44. Reference the 2010 midterms

I lay the blame squarely at the DINO named Obama.

[emilyg]

55. +2

[me b zola]

5. WTF are you talking about

Obama isn't a progressive, so in your mind progressives are going to support Palin? What the fuck ever. I'll be voting for a progressive in 2012

[jaxx]

7. They're probably reading here.

[Merlot]

14. and posting

[jaxx]

17. Could be.

I saw PBO called a repub twice today on here.

[a simple pattern]

22. I like that "get his back" pic!

It's like he's turning his back on us because his front is busy embracing the Republicans!

[Kalun D]

57. Get His Back?

After he's stabbed us in the back? Repeatedly?

At some point you have to draw the line. I was going to hold my nose and vote for him until he pushed through the Social Security tax cut, which is really a disguised defunding of SS.

Obama is a back stabbing two faced predatory corporatist. He's working for the bankers and scumbag companies like BP.

[asthmaticeog]

8. Er, Clinton won his second term.

Your analysis falls apart on other points too, but that right there's a big'un.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat.

-- Will Rogers (1879-1935)

[Jmaxfie1]

31. I've always loved that quote! n/t

[Snoutport]

63. I'd never hear that before. Very good.

Thanks for sharing!

[Terra Alta]

10. Obama is trying to fracture the Democratic Party.

Extending the tax cuts for the rich while cutting programs for poor people? Really, Obama?

If Obama's poll numbers are eroding he is partly to blame. He needs to stop acting like a Republican-lite and start acting like a Democrat.

[rhett o rick]

29. To win a second term, Obama knows he has to get votes from the right of center.

He is willing to throw the left under the bus to get those votes.

[Jmaxfie1]

11. Post-LBJ, there have been only 3 Democratic Presidents.

I'd take Obama over the other two. I'd take Obama over the Gore that ran in 2000, but probably the present Gore over the present Obama.

[AndyTiedye]

18. Maybe They'll Trot Out Ralph Nader Again. He Worked Pretty Well for Them in 2000

Split the party, get the activists to go somewhere else, and then we'll be Fuckabee'ed in 2012. :hide:

[mmonk]

20. This is about Democrats I believe.

[cliffordu]

21. Yep - right along with the ruse that Obama 'Betrayed his base"

[Jmaxfie1]

28. I'd have to say that I think a lot of DU posters are perhaps more left...

than average Democrats. I've also heard "base" described two different ways. Seem call the base the party activists (who are more left than most Dem voters also, Rep activists are more right than average Reps also) others use base meaning registered Democrats who vote in every election (usually straight ticket). I'm one of the second group and think Obama's doing a pretty good job, not perfect but I'll vote for him again. The activists seem to be pretty pissed off though. I guess I can understand since they believed they were working for some huge change and found out a lot of it was just campaign talk.

[Ramulux]

59. I think they are pissed..

because they thought they were voting for a liberal democrat and ended up with a moderate republican. Can't really blame people for getting mad at a politician who lied to them about his own policy positions.

[opihimoimoi]

23. GOPer Party = Hate = division = weaken = victory

[leftstreet]

26. Democrats = Given a mandate = Revived the GOP = Go figure

:banghead:

[Raine]

46. Exactly nt

[RBInMaine]

25. It's a ridiculous pile of purist nonsense. Pay no mind. 90% of real liberals support him.

[ProSense]

27. Why the suspicion? "Drafting a presidential candidate is tougher than it sounds"

WaPo: Drafting a presidential candidate is tougher than it sounds

Max Eden, a senior at Yale University, spent summer 2008 stumping for Barack Obama. He spent summer 2010 souring on the president over deficit spending and what he calls Obama’s “fancy rhetoric and empty promises.”

And then this thought came to him: Wouldn’t it be great if there could be a Republican candidate in 2012 who was a serious person, not a cartoon, and was serious about addressing our long-term structural deficit?

So began the Student Initiative to Draft Daniels.

Eden said he plans to gather 10,000 signatures and deliver them by the end of the month to Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who has said he’ll make up his mind after the state legislature adjourns April 29. But Eden admits his “gut is feeling nervous” about whether he and his Yale buddies will persuade Daniels to run.

<...>

Because that's what most people remember about Obama's campaign: his promise to address the deficit?

Because Mitch Daniels is "serious"?

Because Max Eden is a Democrat?

[Renew Deal]

30. The media loves to run the "Democrats Divided" story.

It wouldn't be the first time.

[Snoutport]

32. It is going to be an interesting election...that is for sure.

But I'll be voting straight Democratic right down the ticket.

[tavalon]

33. Done deal, actually

Now, we just need to figure out what to do. But as a liberal with bus tracks on my head, I promise you, it is fractured.

I'm going to vote for Obama (unless there is a viable progressive candidate, and maybe if there is, I will anyway) but I wonder if we wouldn't, as a grassroots movement, do better with a whack job in the White House rather than an apparent ally.

[Jmaxfie1]

36. self-delete

[madrchsod]

34. he`s a liberal republican

forward thinking on social issues and conservative on economic issues.

[pscot]

35. I think there's been some trolling around here

with that objective.

[JoePhilly]

64. +100

[Jmaxfie1]

37. I guess my question would be what democratic president did a better job than Obama?

[Puregonzo1188]

38. I don't understand this Obama isn't a Democrat business.

He certainly isn't a progressive nor is he a populist, but then again there have been many Democrats who are known of those things.

Parties' aren't ideologies or even platforms. Just parties. That's why there were self-described socialists who helped found the Republican Party--an abolitionist Party and today...well...I needn't comment on today.

[Logical]

39. I think many Dems are disappointed about Obama without the MSM telling them to be. n-t

[somone]

40. Blame the Bush in Obama clothing

[ClassWarrior]

41. All this "Obama can't be criticized" stuff. Me thinketh they are trying to fracture the Dem Party.

Guess what?? They are!! They're playing us from both sides!!

You know what else? We have a decent Dem President who demanded that we challenge him during the campaign. So let's challenge him without disrespecting him. And let's quit criticizing the critics and disrespecting the respecters.

Okay?

NGU.

[Jmaxfie1]

49. I'm all for criticism, I just think a primary challenge would be a mistake. n/t

[ClassWarrior]

51. I do too. That's why I challenge the Prez whenever he fails us.

Because the only one who can head off a primary challenge is the Prez.

NGU.

[Jmaxfie1]

52. Who would be your ideal candidate to mount a challenge.

I'd pick Franken, just cause I think he could criticize the prez in a funny way that would get the point across, but also not give to much ammo to the Reps. I'd prefer no challenge but if there had to be one, I'd pick him.

[ClassWarrior]

53. I mean I challenge him; that is, I don't hesitate to criticize him.

I don't like to speculate on possible primary challengers. Tho you make a good point about Al and his wit.

:hi:

NGU.

[I Drink Water]

42. I guess it really depends on your definition of a Dem.

[Cali_Democrat]

43. Obama is certainly a Democrat

A conservative Democrat.

[Raine]

47. Yup a blue blue blue dog. nt

[JDPriestly]

45. Are you new to DU?

They are just reporting what is going on here and elsewhere. Obama is not one of us.

Where to move? I hope that a real liberal will get up the courage to run on proudly liberal policies.

[Jmaxfie1]

48. I guess I'm just not sure how exactly left Obama really could go.

He has to deal with Moderates and Conservatives from his own party. Its not like FDR's term when even the Reps practically gave him a blank check to do whatever he wanted. After his first term they fought back and he didn't get as many liberal policies passed.

[Zorra]

50. We don't want our President to be bipartisan. Republicans are regressive

and this constant acceding to their ignorant demands has led to serious regression rather than constructive change.

We need the President to be a Democrat, stand with us, with labor, and help get wealthy special interests under control or they are inevitably going to enslave us.

Instead, he seems to be more interested in fostering destructive bipartisanship, repeatedly deferring to the wishes of republicans and wealthy private interests.

I understand that sometimes it really is necessary to compromise. But I believe the President has repeatedly made compromises when it was totally unnecessary.

I honestly and sincerely and wholeheartedly would like to fully support the President. But his actions have repeatedly caused me to lose trust in him. I am not alone in this. I am truly disappointed, and my disappointment stems from what I view as a lack of sincere effort to do the things that I believe a genuine Democratic President would do for me and other Democrats that would not only be beneficial for Democrats but for everyone in the country as well.

[Jmaxfie1]

54. I think you got to put it all in perspective, take FDR for example.

He made some big mistakes. Internment camps, letting the Southern-wing of the party bully him into not passing more Civil Rights legislation, etc.


Check out this cool link comparing attacks from the left on FDR to those on Obama.
http://ukiahcommunityblog.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/liberal-criticism-of-franklin-roosevelt-and-the-new-deal/">UKIAH BLOG: Liberal Criticism of Franklin Roosevelt and The New Deal

And yes I know criticism is healthy, I criticize the prez all the time, I just think we need to put it in prospective.

[upi402]

56. acknowledging the elephant in the livingroom is the problem?

Could it be the elephant... that's fracturing a few things?





suckers

[Kalun D]

58. Obama

What's this "they"?

Obama has fractured the dem party by talking progressive talk and walking corporate walk.

Obama is a DINO.

[B Calm]

60. You think he'll look into repealing NAFTA? He said he would look into it.

[Jmaxfie1]

62. Wish so, but probably not. n/t

[malaise]

61. The unrecs are out for you

You're right

[JoePhilly]

65. Obama support will INCREASE not decrease.

You can pray for his collapse, but it won't happen.