I think what has been the canary in the mine for me is when the administration

[mmonk]

and Senate Democrats abandoned public education for "reform". That was a red flashing light to me that the party has shifted just too far right. That really put state and local Democrats in a losing position.

[mike_c]

1. my union and the california teachers assoc are gearing up for concerted action...

...in a state with an ostensibly sympathetic democratic governor and a majority democratic legislature. I'm at the statewide delegate convention right now-- I'm posting from my hotel room-- and I can tell you that we are nearly as frustrated by the lack of support from democrats as we are angry at the outright attacks from republicans. Dems who simply let the troglodytes do the dirty work for them are not our friends when the shoe leather hits the streets. And it IS going to hit the streets, real soon. There were a LOT of angry people in the room today.

[mmonk]

3. The funny thing is I wasn't expecting a liberal executive branch,

I just didn't see abandonment of education and agreement with the concept that social security is a problem causing deficits that needed to be looked into coming. It hit me like cold water thrown in my face.

[mike_c]

6. republicans largely control the public discourse these days...

...and dems are not advancing ANY alternative messages, so they end up looking like weak republicans, which further strengthens republican control of the messages that are becoming public memes. Right wing politicians and their media toadies have saturated the public discussion with memes that are horribly damaging, but dems are not arguing with them seriously. Thus the most vulnerable members of society are scapegoated for the greed and excess of the wealthy and corporations and people buy it. Dems don't argue, so there are few alternatives to that message.

I find it incomprehensible that anyone who's paying even a modicum of attention knows whose greed and irresponsibility caused the economic crisis, they know that the wealthy pay the least taxes they've paid in generations, and that many of the most profitable corporations in America pay no taxes at all, or even get multi-million dollar tax rebates, yet they consistently blame low paid teachers, public workers, the poor, and the disenfrancised instead of those who are actually responsible for the crisis. The right wing noise machine demonizes the poor and working class because they have wanted to destroy their last bastions against serfdom-- collective bargaining and the public safety net-- for over 50 years. But the democrats have not only remained silent, they've begun to accept those memes and act upon them legislatively and politically.

[bertman]

13. Perfect summation, mike_c. NT

[Enthusiast]

16. Nice post!

Borrowed from FourScore.

[Enthusiast]

15. It only hit you in the face

because it was Republican falsehoods perpetrated by Democrats. Or, maybe that should be 'enabled by Democrats'. It is as if there is a coordinated effort underway to anger Democrats. Why would that be?

I am forever seeking an explanation. You must excuse me.

[Mojeoux]

10. California Voter agreeing with you here!!!!

May the Angels be at your side in Sacramento.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. The word "reform" is always a flashing yellow light for me.

[me b zola]

4. For me it was the disaster in the Gulf

There was no curtain to hide behind, no crying about congress and the political process, it was all executive decision. That crisis, that is continuing, turned my blood cold.

[XemaSab]

8. Me too

:(

[JoeyT]

18. +1

Congress didn't stage a photo op far from the disaster to declare the water safe.

[rug]

5. 12/1/2009, the escalation in Afghanisran.

[pacalo]

7. My bug-in-the-ear moment came after the catfood commission announced its recommendations

for cuts, creating a firestorm of fear & speculation that Social Security & Medicare would be cut. Instead of easing our fears & nipping the speculation in the bud, we were left in limbo for a month before it was put to rest. Poor WH communication caused a lot of festering debates, leaving me to wonder if Obama was privately entertaining the idea of SS/M cuts but later decided against it.

The watershed moment came when Obama went along with the tax-cuts extension for the top 2%. Common sense tells me that if the budget needs more money, this area would have been the first to make adjustments. Plus, with two wars bleeding the Treasury, sound judgment doesn't call for starting a third one -- unless the objective is to help those who financially benefit from military expenditures.

I'm anxious to hear Obama's campaign speeches. I have a feeling all questions at any townhall meetings will be strictly screened.

[Blecht]

9. "Cadillac plan"

The last straw for me was when those words came out of Obama's mouth. I knew for certain whose side this administration was on at that point, and it's not ours.

[amborin]

12. +1

[Hawkowl]

11. Jan 2008

The appointment of Tim Geithner and Larry Summers. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

[mmonk]

14. Exactly.

Probably nothing more evident as to the administration's economic philosophy.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. I had a sinking feeling when I saw the Cabinet made up entirely of DLCers and

Republicans, and I KNEW the fix was in when Obama met in closed-door sessions with the insurance company executives. I remember how indignant we all were when Cheney met in closed-door sessions with the energy company executives, but all of a sudden, it was supposed to be OK because "our" guy was doing it?

[snot]

19. Ditto.