This is Obama’s Katrina.
For those of you who aren’t aware, Obama caved BIG-TIME yesterday… or something.
See, he wanted to address Congress about his jobs plan on September 7, which is Congress’s first day back from summer recess. (You remember jobs, right? Most of you probably don’t have one because Congress refuses to do its job and come up with a plan to put Americans back to work.)
John Boehner, in an unprecedented yet unsurprising move, sent a letter to Administration saying, “No” — after initially offering no objection to the Obama administration’s chosen date:
[A]s the Majority Leader announced more than a month ago, the House will not be in session until Wednesday, September 7, with votes at 6:30 that evening. With the significant amount of time – typically more than three hours – that is required to allow for a security sweep of the House Chamber before receiving a President, it is my recommendation that your address be held on the following evening, when we can ensure there will be no parliamentary or logistical impediments that might detract from your remarks.
Despite the fact that the date was floated to the GOP and the GOP didn’t object, the White House pushed the address back a day because getting into a slapfight with Boehner would have only served to make everyone — not just the GOP, but also the Administration — look like asshats.
He pushed back the date by a whole day? The horror! The horror!
Delaying the address definitely proves that Obama caves on everything, and this is why he’s going to lose in 2012. Voters will remember the Day the Address Got Delayed By A Day, and voters will view it as Obama being a wimp (as Markos called him) or petty and incompetent (as Jon Walker of FDL called him) or so weak that he doesn’t even realize he’s being weak (as Cenk Ugyur called him).
What the hell is wrong with these people?
Every single Professional Left blog has front-page posts claiming that Obama is a wimp, a cavemeister, naive, petty, or incompetent:
- Firedoglake: (“Timing of Obama’s Speech: Incompetence or Pettiness?”);
- DailyKos: (“Is Obama Playing Rope-a-Dope” by Cenk “Sour Grapes” Ugyur);
- Salon: (with a repost of Ugyur’s bullshit DailyKos post re-titled “The Audacity of Weakness” (how clever, non?)); and
- The Huffington Post: (“Obama Buckles to GOP Demands; Postpones Jobs Speech”)
Despite that each of these blogs is force-feeding the GOP the anti-Obama meme which will likely cloud the speech itself (Thanks for that, assholes), none of these articles make the case for Obama’s “embarrassing failure.” In fact, I have yet to hear a cogent argument making a case that this is “yet another” Obama failure.
Here are the facts as I understand them: The Obama administration contacted Boehner and Boehner didn’t object. later in the day, Boehner reneged (some are claiming that he did so out of fealty to Rush Limbaugh who in typical blowhard fashion made a big stink about the Obama Administration scheduling the address to occur at the same time as the GOP debate, and how that proves yet again, that Obama is a Muslim — or something). The Obama Administration said “Fine, we’ll do it on Thursday.”
And then the blogo-Twittersphere lit up last night with chatter about this nonexistent scandal, with the Professional Left leading the charge. And now this shit has moved to Red State, Free Republic, and Fox Nation.
This is asinine. It’s so asinine, I’m annoyed I felt it necessary to take time out of my day to write a post about how asinine it is.
Look people:
A joint session requires a concurrent resolution of the House and Senate. A concurrent resolution is a resolution (a legislative measure) adopted by both houses of a bicameral legislature that lacks the force of law (is non-binding) and does not require the approval of the chief executive.
First, I know some folks wanted Obama to invoke Article 3 Section 2 of the Constitution, or use the nebulous bully pulpit to stand up to Boehner, Limbaugh, and the Gregorian calendar. To that I say, are you out of yer gottdamn mind? You want him to go constitutional on people’s asses over a 24 hour delay in a joint address that requires approval from Congress in the first instance? AGAIN, ARE YOU OUT OF YER GOTTDAMN MIND?!?
REALLY!?
Second, of course Obama does not want to address Congress at the same time the Clown Shoe GOP Debate is going on — he wants people to watch the debate and view the crazy in all its glory. Every time these Republicans open their stupid faceholes, Obama wins. What the hell is so hard to understand about that?
Third, the Administration has stated that the address will not interfere with football. So really: WHO CARES!?
I’ll tell you who cares: The “bash Obama at all costs” Professional Left.
Way to go, y’all! Way to keep your eye on the “Republicans are obstructionist assholes” ball! Way to create out of thin air a narrative that President Obama is a wimp — which is false in any event — rather than driving the narrative that never before has a Speaker of the House rejected a President’s request for a joint session. NEVER.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. These people (and the people who are soaking up this bullshit and respewing it in comment section across Blogistan) are either fools or they are ratfuckers.
Here are Dan Pfeiffer and Jay Carney obviously making excuses for President Obama, and covering for his spineless failure. He is obviously too scared to address the American people directly about this grotesque and shocking affair:
You purported “progressives” are embarrassing yourselves.
[via The People’s View]
[cross-posted at ABLC]
JenJen
The Cenk Uygur piece is especially pissy and unnecessary, but I guess the guy is looking for a way to get a little attention.
ETA: It’s gone now, but when the news broke last night that the President had agreed to address Congress on Thursday, Huffington Post’s banner had a photo of President Obama with his hand over his face and a headline that screamed “WHATEVER YOU SAY, GUYS!!” Oy.
Optical_Inch
Given the penchant of the president for capitulation, I think the reason people are saying that this episode makes Obama look weak is because this episode makes Obama look weak.
Brian R.
Great post.
Sack up, progressives, and stop looking for failure at every fucking turn. Jesus Christ.
mk3872
I agree, ABL, but that’s a lot of your valuable time wasted on these obsessed people’s inanity.
Marc
Preach it.
There is something useful about being able to distinguish friend from foe, and the posters that you highlighted have lost that touch. They could be highlighting outrageous behavior by the Republicans – and instead they spend their energy attacking the president.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
It’s the Democrats doing what they do best: Circular Firing Squad!
seanindc
@JenJen:
Or he’s sick of stickin up for people that won’t stick up for themselves…
Bobby D
The genius of the zillion different category-tags created over the years on BJ is suddenly clear. Bravo. Well played.
But one quibble…no Black Jimmy Carter?
Oh, and Cenk UguBooga (who?) has always struck me a loudmouthed moron. How did this fella end up on the tV box and the Huff-n-Puff? What is his background?
Linda Featheringill
Okay, okay. Calm down.
I personally would like to see Obama punch every one of the Republican House members. I would certainly contribute to his legal defense fund if he did that. :-)
However, we must at least pretend that we are civilized.
ABL, the folks you quoted are not worth your time and effort. Why are you reading Huffington? Why are you reading Firedoglake? DailyKos has become so inclusive they are in danger of losing their identity.
Ignore them. Move along. And then after the debate and after the speech, write a compelling post pointing out how much more intelligent Obama is than the Repubs.
DonkeyKong
Why is the President giving a jobs speech 3 years after his election?
Oh sorry, that’s a serious question…nevermind.
fasteddie9318
Maybe it’s because I’ve been going to the gym every morning this week and so I’m exhausted plus I can’t lift my arms over my head, but goddamn it seems to me that a lot of neurons and tears have been shed over a stupid, stupid thing. Some folks seem to be in hair-trigger freak-out mode waiting for any excuse to say “zOMG OBAMA CAVED AGAIN!”
The Raven
Boehner to Obama, “I promise I won’t pull the football away again, Charlie Brown.”
September
How many people heard about the Jobs Address before? How many now?
I rest my case. STFU emos.
Marc
@Linda Featheringill:
It’s important to document things like this. We see a lot of folks who don’t understand context: that a lot of prominent so-called progressives are actively hostile to Obama. Having obvious examples cataloged is very useful, for those on the left side who may not be aware of the relevant history.
Those who are actually liberals may step back and think about whether what they’re doing is right. Those who aren’t get discredited. A certain fraction of the blogosphere went crazy during the 2008 primaries, and their audiences shriveled. These places are now real cesspools, but it doesn’t matter much – because they have no recognition or oxygen.
Raising awareness of bad reflexive habits is quite useful, and I’m glad ABL is doing so.
DougMN
Politics is very visceral. We all want it to be high minded and striving for the best for our community/country but since most folks don’t have (or chose not to have) the time to follow the ins and outs, they’re left to determine positives and negatives from quick takes of situations. In the end, this means that at a basic level you have to start all politics at the level of a five year old. Can we remember what it was like to be five? Let’s see – everyone hates the damned bully. Don’t play with that kid- he’s a bully. Who’s next on the list? Who do you hate almost as much as the bully? Oh yeah, the kid who gets bullied and doesn’t do anything about it. Jesus, I hate that kid almost as much as the bully. We really, really, really don’t like it (because its how the Village thinks) but who’s the bully and who’s the kid being bullied in our current melodrama?
DJShay
Gawd, I hate Salon, Daily Kos, FDL, Huffpoo, Hamsher, Cenk, as much as I do Republicans. And that’s saying something.
White Trash Liberal
It’s amazing to me that there exists a faction of the left-leaning media that pushes rightwing optics. Is outrage and despair merchandising that profitable?
These are the same geniuses who repeated BOEHNER’S assessment of the debt ceiling agreement as 98% of what the GOP wanted as fact. Never mind that actually no, the GOP base wanted a default along with steep cuts to the social safety net while leaving defense alone.
Rather than analyzing political dealmaking from either an advocacy or activist perspective, it is instead about fomenting outrage/despair for page hits combined with enabling GOP optics.
With friends like these yadda yadda. These aren’t hippies I’m punching– they’re psychic war profiteers.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
They aren’t the President, somebody else is, a fact which drives them out of their decent minds on a daily basis. That, and making no allowance whatsoever for the fact that it is impossible to run an organization the size of a Dairy Queen on a zero-defect basis for any sustained period of time, much less the whole honking executive branch of the US Federal govt.
When the only tool you have is a microscope, every problem ends up looking like optics.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
The truly ironic part was the number of progressives having a hissy over how dare Mr Obama be mean to the GOP by preempting their debate.
mk3872
@White Trash Liberal: It’s been true for many years now … Republicans know how to get the message out. The MSM and the left-wing media eat it up like catnip. HuffPo, TPM, DK, they don’t know any better.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I saw Joan Walsh has hired Cenk Ugyur, I guess Greenwald, David Sirota and “Lady” Lynn Rotschild weren’t enough.
(I think you need a tag that says “This Post Needs More Tags”)
William Saletan
“Why is the President giving a jobs speech 3 years after his election?”
If the republicans, who campaigned on “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!!” leading up to 2010, had put forth more than zero jobs bills during this congress, he may not have had to. Since they aren’t doin jack, well..
joeyess
My initial reaction to this story was, of course, “WTF is this guy’s problem?” I thought about LBJ and how he would have called for a joint session purposely on the day of a GOP debate “just to fuck with ’em and dare ’em to fuck with me.” That’s how he rolled. But this president is different. He’s not a political arm twister. I don’t get the sense that he’s the type of man to stand over his political opponents and wag finger. So, intially, I was pissed that he changed the date. It’s a good thing I don’t have a blog myself or I would have been a knee-jerk jerk and probably would have gone all in on the dog-pile as well. With a day or two of reflection and reading a couple of pieces – including this one – I get it: It’s really no big deal. The GOP still has to answer for their recalcitrance and lousy record on jobs. I think Obama knows this. I’m content to watch this play out. We haven’t even heard the fucking speech yet.
flukebucket
My feelings exactly.
Upper West
I am preemptively ripping up and flushing down the toilet Maureen Dowd’s op-ed piece on Sunday in which she will almost certainly say something like “Bohner emasculates Bambi.”
People can’t think for more than 2 minutes. At first hearing, my reaction said — “Fuck them. Have it on Wed.” Then I thought about how that would play out and then Boehner would win because like the debt ceiling they are nuts and don’t give a shit.
JenJen
@seanindc: Cenk Ugyur has stuck up for the President, and now he’s suddenly tired of it?
Are we talking about the same Cenk Ugyur?
ruemara
I just had to slap down a nascent pro-blogger about this. It’s the essence of stupid to cry about caving on this. I want a discussion on jobs, not a grade school pissing match about a meeting date. How is 2 nitwits saying “nu-uh! you first” supposed to do anything?
FFrank
still not enough tags, I’ll never be able to find this in the future.
MBunge
@Marc: “a lot of prominent so-called progressives are actively hostile to Obama.”
It’s especially important to document that, given the decent chance that we’ll be dealing with President Perry in another 14 months.
Mike
White Trash Liberal
And guess what: this little imbroglio has elevated the speech through some free publicity courtesy of the speaker’s cheap shot.
And in reply to whomever insinuated that Obama has given zero job speeches throughout his first 3 years: are you seriously that dense? We can debate the merits and demerits of the administration all day, but how can you be trusted as an honest broker when you begin with an outright and easily disprovable falsehood?
wrb
In trying to put myself in the shoes of those who wrote those articles- in trying to understand why one would take time out of their day to write such stuff, what one could possibly be trying to accomplish- I get taken some very strange places.
kindness
Wasn’t that Boner’s whole point though? To reinforce the notion that Obama isn’t a strong leader? Yes it was.
Obama should have told Boner to go fuck himself and given the speech before the Senate.
A Mom Anon
Thank You ABL. It appears that even “progressives” didn’t pay attention in Civics or didn’t have it in the first place.
I swear,any education reform needs to have some basic civics and history added in. It also MIGHT JUST BE a fucking hell of an idea to have members of Congress and the professional punditry have to pass a damned civics test before they get the freaking job. God this annoys the shit out of me. Learn about the government you work for or make a living “reporting” about before opening your stupid yap. ARRRRRGH!
Ben Cisco
Bring it, ABL!! Damned fine rant!
__
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Nice.
Elie
These lefty blogs and assorted strange rangers that show up here, are part of a campaign to box Obama in and keep him estranged from the left. They are paid or otherwise compensated to sow discord and to develop memes in our community that can then be elevated to the MSM and the rightwing. It is deliberate and purposeful. I do not have a solution but ignoring them is a start. They will of course scream and yell and make their little comments etc, but they won’t have the emotional leverage to get the hits they want on their blogs and they won’t demoralize the mainstream progressives as much.
I used to think that they were no big deal until I realized that I was hearing and reading their crap all over the MSM. Friends and associates who should know better were starting to talk about their uncertainties and getting demoralized — people with mainly MSM exposure.
So dismiss them as small in number, which they are, but they are not small or negligible in effect.
I favor free speech, but I think frankly, progressive movements and values are always in danger when the vehicle for expression depends on money. Our blogs, while they reflect open access to voicing our opinions, are also means of income and influence for the hosts. A twist on “publish or perish” — get hits to fund advertisers or perish. Controversy and inflammatory politics are just the ticket to assure good traffic.
I have taken a break from time to time for my own mental sanity but I am concerned about the increasing link between the crazy stuff from the so called left that I see appearing elsewhere and then ending up in the conversations of friends and colleagues. I gotta take that seriously but I have no idea what to do to fight it.
Citizen Alan
I am honestly curious, ABL, and I really would like an answer. Speaking purely hypothetically, is there anything you could possibly imagine Obama and his administration doing that would so disappoint you that you would complain about it in a public forum, if only to vent? And if the answer to that question is “no,” in what sense is it unfair to call you a cultist?
Linda Featheringill
Well, you gals and guys are probably correct. It might be important to call people on this sort of lunacy.
I rather think that life is short and time should be spent on more constructive efforts but that attitude might be a function of age.
BTW, do we have any ideas about what will be included in to push for jobs?
West of the Cascades
Great post. Does the “professional left” not have anything better to do with its time? Maybe do some fundraising for a PAC or something?
Drive By Wisdom
What a leader, possibly coming up with a “jobs” plan in the last year of his Presidency. You democrats sure do aim high.
Maybe Obama can have another bus tour on the peoples dole on the 7th and read some urdu poetry on NPR. How about we just give him that bus and let him ride around for the next year, not like anyone would notice.
Rick Taylor
That’s an exaggeration. There are plenty of left wing blogs that have been critical of Obama that haven’t said a thing about this non-story (Talk Left, Atrios, Glenzilla).
General Stuck
They call Obama “wimp” most of them collapse at the mere possibility of a righteous bloggy flamewar. They run away, usually screaming for their mommies to make the meany Obots be nice to their bullshit. nahgonnahaps.
Dennis SGMM
What in the world made anyone on Obama’s staff think that the Republicans would be okay with scheduling a speech that stepped on their debate? Boehner seems to have neglected his morning quart of Scotch when he verbally signed off on the joint session. I believe that one of his staffers had to remind him that the R’s did have an event scheduled at the same time.
Obama didn’t cave, he did allow himself to appear foolish because of the ignorance of some staffer. In normal times this would be a minor faux pas. For a president hoping to be re-elected in a down economy with high unemployment such missteps will be interpreted by some as major blunders.
Ocotillo
I wonder who will play the Joe Wilson part at this speech?
Monala
@DougMN:
I wrote this on another site in response to the meme of, “Obama is so weak, he won’t stand up to a bully.” My response is, “Pick your battles. Some fights are stupid”:
Imagine Obama is the high school valedictorian, and he’s sitting in the cafeteria planning his project for the science fair next week. If he wins the science fair, he wins a college scholarship. He needs the scholarship because his dad is unemployed and his parents can’t afford to send him to college without it.
The school bully, Boehner, comes over to him and says, “You’re in my seat. Move.”
Obama has had run-ins with this bully before. He knows that if he says no, it will turn into a fight. But if he fights, they will both get suspended. If Obama gets suspended, he’ll be disqualified from the science fair and lose his chance at the scholarship. But if he doesn’t fight, some of his classmates might think he’s weak.
He weighs these options: some people thinking he’s weak but a chance to make some real accomplishments, vs. a fight that some people might think is cool but will result in bad consequences for everyone. What does he do?
If he’s smart, he gets up and moves.
AlphaLiberal
So you pretty much have your keyboard programmed to bash lefties no matter what the subject, right? And not on any particular issue – just because for blind loyalty.
Here is how Kos opened up his piece on Obama today:
I, myself, said it was no big deal and nothing to pick a fight over. but I’m just a lowly comment scribe.
You are engaged in this collective guilt approach where you read a couple posts by a couple people and then accuse the whole group of which they are members of the same thing. You don’t even post any actual statements they said. Instead, you use the 7th grade technique of exaggeration to put words in their mouths.
Give it a break, will you? We get it. You back Obama no matter what he does or does not do (like ignore the jobs crisis to focus on the deficit).
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…………………
Marc
@Citizen Alan:
She gave specific examples and described why they were problems. The proper thing to do would be to respond to the topic at hand.
Instead you demand that someone prove to you that you shouldn’t call them a cultist.
Is there some community where this behavior would be sane? Would you walk into a room with other people and talk to someone like that?
Elie
@wrb:
Yep. As I do when I read some of the hateful comments here. Its not random and its not accident of just a strange sample. Its deliberate. It sows discord, distrust and purposely distorts our politics.
nogo postal
Well…just wait President Obama will appeal for bipartisanship to help Americans get jobs. ..but this time he will put his foot down by saying…
“I know in the past bipartisanship has been treated as joke but this time i am confident it will be treated differently. This time, unlike the past, when I propose to do something Republicans were for but now oppose they will support it. This time we must realize that job creation will cost money. Knowing this I am sure Congress will reach across the aisle and and agree those making over $250,000 be a part of the shared sacrifice.
I know, in the past I have not used this office as a bully pulpit to push what I promised when I was elected, but this time will be different.
After all back in 2008 I was elected because voters supported my vision. Next time it will be out of fear of the Republican nominee. I also apologize to the Speaker for asking that the House actually do something concerning jobs on their first day back. I am making this short because we all want to watch the game.”
lacp
Well, I myself am APPALLED and TOTALLY OUTRAGED at…uh, at…what was it that happened, again?
jwest
Look, it’s getting pretty evident that the decline of Barack Obama is causing many of you great anxiety and concern, bordering on deep depression. This is not a healthy state to be in and coupled with other personal problems you may have, could lead to permanent damage.
Why not turn your lives around now, before the rush. Wouldn’t you feel better waking up each morning as a winner instead of a loser? Isn’t the thought of shedding the victim mindset appealing? You could bring a positive change to what has proven to be a sad existence so far by embracing fiscally conservative values and joining the Tea Party.
Don’t worry that you’re socially liberal. The Tea Party exists to reduce the size of government, lower taxes and eliminate regulations that hamper job creation. Even if you still believe in AGW, the Tea Party will welcome you and try to teach you what actual science is.
Labor, progressives, the Congressional Black Caucus, independents, young voters and many others are jumping ship in order to distance themselves from the miserable failure of Obama. You see the iceberg ahead of you, there is no shame in taking a different boat.
Villago Delenda Est
Here’s the thing…
Boner cannot be trusted at all.
So, don’t announce something like this until you have a letter with his signature saying “yes, Mr. President, we’ll hear your address on 7 September”.
ASSUME nothing. Just because you didn’t hear an objection doesn’t mean that the untrustworthy git Boner won’t pull a stunt like that.
Assume absolutely no good faith on the part of ANY Republican. Period.
The vermin that constitutes the Village WILL make a big deal of it, trust me. Or hasn’t experience taught you clowns ANYTHING?
joeyess
@Drive By Wisdom: Here’s a suggestion: Why don’t you crawl back up Limbaugh’s ass? I’m told by various conservatives that it’s warm and roomy.
aisce
is this the new running gag on balloon juice, 87 tags per post?
Elie
@West of the Cascades:
You have to understand, they are not true lefties. They don’t want to organize the left. They want to hurt the left, to disempower the left and turn it against itself. Not all of the commenters, of course, but enough of the regulars who seem totally unable to see any other point of view and spend their time attacking the commenters.
Carolinus
This episode once perfectly illustrated one of the biggest headwinds for Obama’s messaging, that the former Clinton insiders that make up the Democratic talking heads on television can’t be counted on to carry water for the admin, and in fact often counter-message at the worst possible times (Carville, Rendell, etc.)
Today’s example, James Carville basically saying it’s all the WH’s fault (nothing about the unprecident disrespect to the Office of the President), and that the President’s speech will be pointless anyway:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/62473.html
Of course this isn’t quite as bad as Carville showing up with his wife, night after night, railing against the gulf drilling moratorium and demanding the President do every stupid thing Gov. Jindal wanted (sand berms, jury-rigged vacuum barges, etc), but it’s up there.
Marc
@AlphaLiberal:
Look at jwest, #47. You sound like him. Does that make you feel good?
Are you more interested in attacking someone who points out tactical problems with some prominent so-called progressive bloggers? Or do the actual reactionaries here bother you more?
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Linda Featheringill: Nothing that has a ghost of a chance of passing.
White Trash Liberal
mk3872:
The MSM eats it because they want to… Horse race and optics discussions are the only medium for political reportage. This wasn’t so with the left wing media prior to the advent of aggregation. By adopting the Drudge architecture and Drudge approach, is it any wonder how the medium became the message? In other words, if a methodology enables sensationalism and profiteers to receive the most attention, is it surprising that the progressive movement has been co-opted by right wing messages?
AlphaLiberal
@Rick Taylor:
Your description of that as an exaggeration is an understatement!
It’s complete bullshit. From people who want nothing other than to bash progressives. a.k.a. The Obama Camp.
And, to correct myself, Kos was actually critical:
So, yeah. Frag his ass for having questioned your Dear Leader. God forbid, ABL, you should honestly address what someone actually said.
joeyess
@aisce: Apparently. When I saw Cole complaining about it, I knew it would come to this. He only thinks he has control. But what do you expect? The guy has to sleep with one eye open and trained on a cat that he’s convinced is going to eat him in his sleep.
Raven (formerly stuckinred)
@Carolinus: He a fucking stay-at-home jarhead officer, what do you expect?
Hal
What kills me about all this nonsense is what an incredible waste of brain power it is. The issue is jobs. Everyone agrees on that. So why on earth should Obama spend what could be days arguing about the date of a speech? Why on earth would the American people ever say “Gosh! Look at the Obama fighting for jobs by fighting to have that speech on Wed instead of Thurs!”
AlphaLiberal
@Marc:
No, I am fed up with the many dishonest Obama backers who spend more time attacking progressives than Republicans. Like you and ABL.
Oh, wait. I was clear on that.
Have you made your case yet why Obama was right to deprioritize unemployment in favor of deficit reduction?
taylormattd
What is wrong with these people? Answer:
They are deeply stupid, PUMAs, racists, and/or obsessed with Maureen dowd / Politico gossip.
The end.
NonyNony
@White Trash Liberal:
Amazing? I guess. I mean it’s pretty much what a good-sized chunk of “The Left” has done since I first became aware of politics in the 80s (and, given the stories I’ve heard, it went back much, much farther than that). So maybe I’m just numb to it now. It doesn’t strike me as “amazing” so much as “typical.”
Elie
@flukebucket:
I think that the point ABL is making is not about the speech, but about how the prof leftie blogs are hurting (or influencing) the perceptions of the President in a negative way before the speech and making a big deal out of nothing to seemingly “show him up”. We can all agree that the speech itself has become less of the issue than his supposedly own sides’ take on it. e.g they do not have his back.
The Other Jerome
Looks like i get to be the only decenter in the room….
I think Markos summed it up best:
“the White House initially went on the offensive, called Boehner a liar, started working reporters on a pushback campaign, and then, suddenly, collapsed to Boehner.”
Look, i WANT Obama to win. I’m not sure the country could survive 4 years of Republicanism at this point. But i’m not a freaking ditto head either. Yes he can’t Judo-Chop a republican at will…. but man, don’t get punked by these people. Whatever the hell it is they think their doing, it’s not working.
I’d love to be proven wrong.
Sly
Pathological narcissism.
mk3872
@taylormattd: Indeed. They’re narcissists who want nothing but attention.
It’s all about being cool (aka, hating Obama) and snarky.
McJulie
@Citizen Alan:
I am not ABL. But I have an answer for your question:
No.
I have a lot of friends who are writers, and I read a lot of stuff they write, and sometimes they write stuff that I don’t actually enjoy very much. You know what I do when I have that reaction?
I pretty much keep it to myself. I might complain in the privacy of my own home, to my own spouse. That’s it.
Am I a cultist? Do I worship my writer friends? No. I simply see no benefit to airing my grievance in public. None. At. All. If my friend happens to *ask* me what I think, I will answer honestly, though diplomatically. But if they don’t ask, I don’t talk about it.
Tomjones
The best comment I found at daily kos was some earnest comment to the effect of, “I’ve been with Pres. Obama every step of the way. But this is just a bridge too far with me.”
WAAAAAAAT?! You could swallow the extension of the Bush tax cuts, the debt limit deal, but this is the bridge you die on?
/sigh
General Stuck
Great Post ABL
Well documented, and by the numbers
Once again. It is election time, or election campaign time. Which means it’s choosing up sides time. If you want to reinforce, validate, or create anti Obama memes from the media, or the right wing. Then you have picked your side and it ain’t my side. Sometimes politics comes down to this simple equation, like now.
mk3872
@Tomjones: I’m pretty sure that was just a copy & paste by a troll. They use that linke on every “I’m so disappointed in Obama” post.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Carolinus: Carville. Meh. Possibly them most overrated individual in politics, with the exception of John McCain. Even leaving aside his personal life, it’s hard to believe he still gets on TV based on 1992. I remember watching him trying to defend the Clenis by repeating over and over again that Ken Starr was a “cigarette lawyer”, and thinking “Is this the best they can do?”
Nick
ABL is right- we musn’t criticize the President when we think he is doing something wrong.
wrb
@Elie:
Exactly.
Why write such shit? What are they trying to accomplish?
Clearly they are full of purpose, otherwise they wouldn’t have bent the story so.
Have they been personally oppressed by the EPA? The NIH? The NSF? USGS?
Killing them is worth hours of frantic typing?
Tomjones
@Citizen Alan: The problem, Citizen Alan, is that progressive bloggers hyperventilate so often, and with so little justification (exhibit A: the flap about scheduling a speech), it leaves ABL and other principled supporters little time to advance our own criticism.
taylormattd
Oh, and by the way all of you dumbfuck, racist PUMAs, if you’d like am example of the way to actually strongly criticize President Obama without being psychopaths, go read shanikka at Dkos.
bardgal
Boehner, the GOP, and their Media, GOT PLAYED:
http://theobamadiary.com/2011/09/01/a-word-from-tally-5
ABL
@AlphaLiberal: http://twitter.com/#!/markos/status/109117395813146624
anything else?
ETA: and before you accuse me of nutpicking, take a gander at Markos’ timeline. Or continue to impotently rage against me, if that’s what makes you happy.
Elie
@White Trash Liberal:
Take it one step further. Yes, the right wing messagespredominate because they have the money to buy people. I can’t know who the so called left/progressives are who have been so “influenced”, but it wouldnt take even a majority to still shape and influence message up and down the ladder. This is virtually impossible to manage from the Whitehouse. The administration’s message — even when Obama speechifies and speechiefies, rarely gets much play and if you add those who purposely lie and distort it, you have a horrible signal to noise ratio to build momentum for the policies we want. THAT is what it does — it obscures and suppresses momentum and morale. On purpose. Remember that. On purpose.
ABL
indeed! that’s exactly my point! well-done, you.
ABL
@Tomjones: hahahahaha. a couple people said that on Doug J.’s thread last night.
i wa laughing my AO.
taylormattd
ABL, dont bother with Alphaliberal, he’s a stupid fucking troll.
Elie
@wrb:
The reason I get so frantic is even beyond Obama himself.
I do not think folks realize how “running on empty” most of our major government agencies are. After two terms of W and the government shrinking that Clinton undertook, many of the agencies are without adequate manpower to do their jobs effectively and this can help bring about failures that underscore governments “incompetence”. The FDA for example is years — YEARS behind in following up on new drug manufacturers and some monitoring. They need time to catch up and another Republican administration — esp with the goon squad up for election, would finish them (and us) off. Ditto for HHS and we already know the FAA is on the brink.
Wake up lefty emoprogs. For those of you who are bona fide just yourself critics, there are huge stakes here and they transcend Obama.
FlipYrWhig
@DougMN:
Uh, I have to say, that’s not the way I remember what it was like to be five. I don’t remember hating the kid who got picked on for no reason. I don’t remember doing anything to _help_ the kid who got picked on for no reason, mind you, and I remember not wanting to be the bully’s next target myself, but I can’t imagine my 5-y-o self hating the hapless kid.
General Stuck
@bardgal:
Interesting theory. I suppose anything that gets more peeps to watch the GOP
clownshowdebate is a good thing, and agree that the only people who think this is some kind of cave, coming from some weird notion of “wimp” or “weakness”, are the usual suspects on the internet left. And fascinating that Ed Shultz thinks Obama played the wingers here. I don’t know about all of that, but folks on the left trying to make this into Obama’s Katrina, piss me off, and I say so.nogo postal
hmmm
“(Thanks for that, assholes)”
Who thinks the left are asshole?
A)Tea party folks
B)John Cole
C)All of the above
Ya know John I respect most of what you say..their are certainly assholes in politics…but the folks who did the real grunt work in 2008 and are frustrated after 2 1/2 years? It ain’t us.
Rob
The FDL post criticizes Obama for scheduling the speech the same day as the Republican debate, not for “caving” and re-scheduling.
JenJen
@Rick Taylor:
That’s not entirely accurate. While they weren’t necessarily critical of the President, posts about the President’s speech scheduling kerfuffle appeared on both Glenzilla and Atrios.
AlphaLiberal
Here is a good blog post with good charts showing how the Recovery Act, undersized as it was, still helped us stop the climb in unemployment. This might help in debating knuckle draggers.
The Impact of the Recovery Act, In a Few Easy Charts
Daveboy
“leaves ABL and other principled supporters little time to advance our own criticism.”
Oh yes, ABL, who tried to falsely equate Glenn Greenwald as an employee of the Cato Institute.
Such principle, that.
FlipYrWhig
@wrb:
By and large, they are a bunch of highly educated twerps and dorks who use their platforms to role-play as the tough guys they never were in real life. They care about their politicians seeming tough because they worked very hard to seem tough themselves. That’s what they accomplish: reinforcing their artificial sense of their own specialness. I’m an overeducated thirtysomething lifelong nerd myself. I recognize the type.
William Saletan
“Even if you still believe in AGW, the Tea Party will welcome you and try to teach you what actual science is.”
Hahahahahahahahah!
Svensker
@Dennis SGMM:
Pretty much this.
Also, tempest meet teapot.
Nick
@ABL: In the future, I’ll be sure to run my opinion by you before forming them.
JenJen
@FlipYrWhig: Totally agree. And, unintentionally I imagine, that paragraph also described Joe Scarborough to a tee.
Marc
@AlphaLiberal:
Thanks – bookmarked that. It’s a useful visualization.
Tomjones
@NonyNony: If Obama is defeated in 2012, just wait: in 10 years, that batch of lefty bloggers will be recalling the Obama presidency as a lost golden era of progressive government. “Unlike this current Democratic president in office. That guy is a centrist at best or Republican at worst.”
jwest
@AlphaLiberal:
You want charts? Here is scientific proof that global warming is directly linked to postal rates:
http://minx.cc/?post=320820
Jewish Steel
@ThatLeftTurnInABQ:
Ha! That’s a good one, Lefty.
aisce
@ bardgal
wow, theobamadiary is one deeply silly website. i assume it’s the new blackwaterdog?
this was amusing:
silly arabs can’t do nothing for themselves no way no how. good thing they had the super combination of gandhi-mandela-mlk-and-the-prophet-muhammad-himself to show them the proper way. obama akhbar!
fucking assclowns. and no, it doesn’t matter if a speech is given on a wednesday or a thursday or a sunday or a day that doesn’t even exist yet and is specially invented just to host a joint address to congress. because the joint address doesn’t mean shit. few will watch it. fewer will care. because speeches don’t matter. health care reform didn’t pass because a speech was given to congress. health care reform passed because robert byrd didn’t fucking die before scott brown won kennedy’s old seat.
Elie
@FlipYrWhig:
I don’t believe some of them are that educated. Their comments and just common sense do not seem to support giving them that benefit of the doubt. In fact, the downright stupidity and lack of sophistication in their thinking is more what characterizes many — they sound and articulate like dense right wingers. They can’t draw conclusions from facts, they have little ability to interpret nuance and are poor with if/then logic.
Tomjones
@Nick: Nick is right. We must call him the black Jimmy Carter when the WH makes a scheduling snafu.
kindness
You know what I’ve noticed lately? More trolls. Not better ones mind you, just more. Could be more sock puppets, I don’t know.
Here’s the thing though. As opposed to Republinazis, Democrats and liberals typically are allowed a wide latitude of thought. We allow each other to think different things and still call ourselves ‘liberal’ or ‘Democrat’. The other side? Not so much. Look at their purity patrol (Teabaggers). They toss each other to the sharks at the first wiff of thinking differently. Do you want to be like them? And I don’t mean the trolls. They aren’t even entertaining and are good for nothing.
I can criticize Obama and still vote for him. Hell I do & will. Let’s not be like the other side. We don’t need to all march in lock step. We aren’t nazi’s like they are. So stop acting like them! OK? Cool.
Jax6655
@Monala:
And then does his science project on the psychology of bullies.
FlipYrWhig
@Elie:
Law school counts as a kind of overeducation. :P
wrb
@Elie:
Yep, It is all win for Republicans. Listening to the Tea Party rhetoric, I think there is a good chance that they will just eliminate the agencies that they think cost jobs (OSHA, EPA etc.), are filled with corrupt scientists who are cooking up studies that cost jobs and further the cause of one-world government (all the science agencies), or are doing things better handled by private enterprise (the rest).
With the recession the timing is perfect for going big: a lot of people who are hurting will be receptive to the argument that there are things we just can’t afford anymore.
boss bitch
Never ever have I despised someone who gets bullied.
Marc
@nogo postal:
I did a lot of work in 2008, just as I did every 4 years before that, going back decades. And I am very, very tired of online activists spending all of their time and energy attacking Obama. They don’t speak for me, or for the numerous other Democratic activists angered by the endless harping from fair-weather friends.
Rock
Jane, Ed, Joan, Adam, Katrina, Markos, Maher, Keith, Tavis, Maddow (sometimes), Choi, Bernie, Cenk, Cornel, Moore, and Arianna can collectively kiss my E.N.T.I.R.E. ass!
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@FlipYrWhig:
That, and they are either new to politics or to “the left” and they think that the heavy-handedness of the Bush presidency is the norm, and they really don’t seem to get the whole “I belong to no organized party….” thing. The constant whingeing about the stimulus being the most obvious example. I saw a comment a while ago, I wish I’d saved it, saying something along the lines of “I’m sick of hearing about Blue Dogs. We had sixty votes!” The emo-sphere equivalent of “Keep the government out of my Medicare!?
AlphaLiberal
@JenJen:
Atrios/Duncan Black’s comment was basically, “bet the NFL gets more viewers.” = NBD.
However, he has been pointing to the chronic unemployment crisis for years, suggesting the President do more to address it and suggesting that is in the President’s own interest to get aggressive on unemployment. I believe he delivered this message when he met with the President at the White House.
Which, in the land of Obama loyalists, must mean he’s evil and they should be mean to him and lower his self esteem. The horror.
FlipYrWhig
@Monala: I guarantee you extremely few people who complain about how Obama doesn’t stand up to bullies ever stood up to a bully themselves. They’re all just repeating _Little Rascals_-era platitudes and the things their daddies told them before the first day of school.
Chad
Why is it that every critique of the “loyal opposition” is met with charges of sycophancy and speech suppression? How is this any different than the right wing defense of pre-emptively saying how every critique of their critiques is a charge of racism? What’s up with this persecution complex?
FlipYrWhig
@AlphaLiberal:
He’s an economic genius, that Atrios. What do you think he said to the president, “Someone Should Do Something,” or “WHEEEE!!”
General Stuck
@kindness:
You can criticize Obama if you have the goods, or evidence, and can back up your assertions. Or, you can criticize Obama without the evidence, or without a semblance of good faith.
Either war, this is an open forum, and as long as that is the case, others get their turn to either agree with you, or not, and there are no rules that dictate how that is done. Other than Thunderdome Rules, Which shouldn’t be a problem for tough guy progs who can stand the heat in the kitchen, that they claim Obama can’t? (laughs to self a little)
Tomjones
@wrb: This seems relevant (courtesy of seanwright at daily kos). As he put it:
“The next article I read was An Accidental Housing Chief Embraces the Power of No. The article describes how a Bush holdover is in a position, thanks to a Republican filibuster, to sabotage the Obama administration’s housing policies:”
Nick
@Tomjones: Are you able to discern the difference- and there is quite a difference- between valid criticism and accusations akin to “Black Jimmy Carter-ism?”
Berto
“claiming that Obama is a wimp, a cavemeister, naive, petty, or incompetent”
Obviously, to anyone paying attention, this is ridiculous.
What does this guy have to do for people to admit he’s a Reagan conservative who doesn’t give a shit about the working class?
Marc
@kindness:
Look, if someone comes into a meeting with me and acts in a way that’s counterproductive I’ll mention it to him. Because that’s actually the proper thing to do. The message here is that certain behaviors are poorly grounded in fact, politically counterproductive, or both. What theydo with that information is up to them.
But I’m not going to be silent when folks come in with what I view as baseless and sweeping attacks on Obama, and I’m not going to let people claim to speak for me when they don’t. The combination of aggressive insults and hypersensitivity is pretty hard to take, frankly, and I recognize that it can provoke allergic reactions. It helps to see that from any side of a dispute.
Nick
@kindness: Troll! (jk)
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@FlipYrWhig:
Ditto that, but I sort of get where he is going with the analogy. Perhaps this is a better analogy:
You are driving down the road, obeying the speed limit and generally being a safe, attentive and courteous driver. Suddenly you come upon a point in the road where there is a traffic jam ahead because one of the lanes is closed for construction. You and everybody else quickly move over into the one open lane, doing so well before the chokepoint. So far so good, traffic should move smoothly through the construction zone now, shouldn’t it?
But wait, there’s one jerk who aggressively pulls out of the line, drives in the soon-to-be-closed lane past everybody else who is waiting, and then tries to cut into the front of the line right at the chokepoint. WHAT AN ASSHOLE. Now the whole line slows down even more because of the disruption caused by this one guy. And now it gets even better. There is a wimp up at the head of the line, who stops dead in his tracks to let the asshole in. Having cut the line, the asshole now speeds off, leaving the rest of you stuck behind the wimp.
At that moment who do you loathe more, the asshole, or the wimp? The asshole is just doing what assholes do, while the wimp is enabling their behavior by rewarding it.
Dennis SGMM
@kindness:
Well put. The notion that any president is above criticism is perverse. It smacks very much of the Bushies’ “You’re either with us or against us,” rhetoric. If Obama should be unsuccessful in his re-election bid it will not be becuase of the “professional left” or because someone on some blog uttered a criticism of him. It will be because the voters decided, rightly or wrongly, that he needs to be replaced. Clapping harder for him on left-leaning blogs isn’t going to get one more American a job and it will accomplish exactly dick for him in the election.
Marc
@FlipYrWhig:
Or maybe he just says “No one in Washington cares”, or “We’re ruled by the worst people in the world”, or some other witty one-liner equating the Democrats with the Republicans. It’s so incredibly helpful to have “progressive” A-listers who do this repeatedly…
Marc
@Dennis SGMM:
Pointint out that some criticism is out of line is not the same as saying that all of it is. There is a name for that logical fallacy.
And you’re putting words in our mouths that we aren’t saying.
Sly
The line between criticism and spite is not exactly a fine one, though I did not think such a distinction would have to be highlighted for people who, I assume, are functioning adults.
Joe Bauers
Look, I’m 75% O-bot and will vote for him no matter what. But the president intentionally scheduled his speech for a day the Republican candidates were having a debate, and his spokesman said “they can move it, there’s only one President”. He didn’t have to do that, but he did.
I don’t think he was trying to pick a fight and then caved when he met resistance. But why would you intentionally *look* like you’re trying to pick a fight if you are not, in fact, trying to pick a fight? And if you weren’t trying to pick a fight, why choose a day you knew they would have a legitimate reason to say no to, when you already know (or should know) that they will miss no opportunity to deny you a victory, even one so small as choosing your own day to speak to them?
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what he did per se, and I’m past being surprised and disgusted that so many of my fellow voters equate being reasonable with weakness and being an asshole with strength. I’m disappointed that as smart as Obama is, he would do something that could look to a low-information voter like yet another example of being too weak to fight the Republicans. There’s not a lot of margin for error when our guy is not a white guy with really nice hair, and he’s presiding over a shit economy. We didn’t need him to screw this up, trivial though it may be.
Heliopause
Every single centrist news organization is bashing the White House over this. The tepid, centristy liberals on MSNBC are bashing the White House over this. Booman — yes, Booman — is bashing the White House over this. Sorry, this isn’t a “professional left” issue.
Uncle Clarence Thomas
.
.
I agree with ABL. If you’re going to support President Obama in everything he does, then every mistake, both large and small, must be overlooked, at all costs. If not, then you can’t take proper pride in your purity and poutrage.
Remember, just because President Obama chooses not to punish Speaker Boehner by making him pay a political price for his perfidy and disrespect at this time, that is no reason to cease all presidential idolatry.
Recommended Line of the Day – President Obama is above petty partisan politics, even while running for elective office as a Democrat. Alternate Line – President Obama has his eye on the prize, and everything will work out for the best, eventually.
.
.
AlphaLiberal
Know what I hope to hear from President Obama? A full-throated repudiation of trickle down economics, Tea Partynomics, Voodoo economics, Plutocratic Mumbo Jumo Economics, whatever you want to call it. It’s all bullshit.
I’d love to hear him say:
“If we will tackle these deficits we will do it by providing more jobs to the American people. We can’t create jobs by repeating the same failed policies that got us into this hole.”
He got close to this at the speech with Can’ter in the front row but then he went for the deficit hysteria message.
He does this, and not just as a one-off, I’ll be running through walls for him.
FlipYrWhig
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: It is taking a very long time for it to set in that it has always been _possible_ for politics to be this frustrating and stupid, and for a very small number of politicians–sometimes one–to make the whole machine grind to a halt. But nobody really tried, because both parties accepted that the point of having a government was to govern, and the big debate was about governing it a nudge to the left or a nudge to the right. Mitch McConnell blew that up in 2008, because he was heading a caucus that was so decimated that they had little to lose by being as blatantly harmful as possible. And he got away with it, and managed to fob most of the blame onto Obama and the Democrats. Nobody knows what to do against that, except to win the next election, at which point the chokepoint will be the rightmost wing of the Democratic party again.
You can’t use threats and intimidation against these Republicans. You can’t use shame, either. They just don’t care. They don’t care if people call their offices and complain and issue demands. There’s no show of force, or animalistic macho display, that’s going to move them anywhere. Longing for it, as much of the blogosphere does, seems to me to have a lot more to do with primate anthropology than contemporary politics.
Tomjones
@Heliopause: Err, booman is bashing the WH for trying to step on Republican shoes, not for agreeing to move the debate, which is what has the progressive blogosphere in an uproar.
JC
I said this late last night, and this is very small potatoes, but, again:
a. “Obama” per se, had nothing to do with this. The staff did it, and should have thought about conflicting things like a Rethug debate.
b. Boehner and staff is are di**s. But we knew that.
c. This does reinforce the perception – indeed the reality – that the Rethugs demand, and the Democrats and Obama comply.
It would be awesome if when the Rethugs win and carry on with their temper tantrums “I say NO!!! Do what I say!”, that Obama and Dems stand strong, rather than meet them halfway. Middleman.
d. One real question is, is there anything to Marshall’s “bitchslap” theory of politics?
In that frame, Obama keeps losing.
One mistake that ABL, Stuck, Geg6 make, is generalizing all criticism of Obama, as firebaggers.
But it isn’t true. And I have the proof.
If you go to the Friday before the debt ceiling cave, Obama BROUGHT IT TO, the Republicans.
And suddenly, a lot of the critical ‘stand up to these Republican crooks!” voices, were falling all over themselves to say ‘you go Obama, whoo!!”
So in your ‘analysis’, such as it is, it would be good to separate out three types of progressive critical voices:
Type 1: “Obama is a sellout! He isn’t doing X, Y, or Z, so he must be bought!” Hilary unhinged supporters, and firebaggers, progressive grifters.
Type 2: We need to see Obama, and the Dems – take on Boehner, on a small, or medium, or large, issue – AND WIN.
Basically, STAND UP TO THE BULLY’S DEMAND. Don’t get BITCHSLAPPED.
Now, in the ‘political drama’, this makes a difference – although perhaps not in the ‘real world consequences’ drama.
Type 3: Is Obama engaging in the correct policy, and the correct rhetoric, given the constraints of the political and media system?
Type 3 is a much more mellow, thoughtful critique, without all the emo.
Your argument, such as it is, is invalid. Because you are arguing and defeating a strawman, rather than addressing either Type 2, or Type 3.
singfoom
I’m so glad we have another No-True-Scotsman thread. Meh, he moved the speech. Big deal.
To me there’s some hilarity at the reflexive bashing of “progressives” for their reflexive bashing of Obama.
Does no one see the similarity?
nogo postal
Hey Marc…as you worked to elect Obama..great..but why?
I did not do it because I am a Democrat. I worked for him in the Primary.But when he did not allow the Bush cuts to expire, and when instead of doing Jobs he played the debt game?
Back in 2008, as I live in Denver, I went from being arrested for non-violent civil disobedience to sitting in Mile High Stadium when Obama gave his acceptance speech.
His re-election should come as an affirmation. But it will be out of fear.
Why is it that criticism of our President is deemed as being tools? It is ironic that Obama has taken away the traditional GOP talking points of “soft on national Defense”
However,; No one here can crow about how re-employing Americans is a firmly established credential of this President. (And yes I blame Harry Reid for the clusterfuck in the Senate)
FlipYrWhig
@ThatLeftTurnInABQ:
The asshole. When the asshole driver is being dangerous, I want to stay far away from him. Now, there are definitely times when I see some dipwad barreling over from the right lane with hopes of cutting me off, so I speed up to thwart him to some degree, but I’m not going to go all the way towards a game of chicken, either. It just doesn’t matter that much. Sometimes the fun thing to do is to let the guy in, then follow him for a while thinking up snide remarks about his bumper stickers.
DonkeyKong
Rescheduling, books about war, tubesocks and auto erotic asphyxiation poll well with independents.
Chill out bitches, he’s got this one.
Heliopause
@Tomjones:
Err, read it again, this time with comprehension.
Sophie Amrain
@47 jwest
Nice try, as they say. But a little too obvious:-)
FlipYrWhig
@JC: Remember when there was a big to-do in the blogosphere because there was supposed to be a meeting at the White House between Obama and the incoming Congressional leadership, but then the Republicans rescheduled, and it was all “What a dis!” and “Such a wussbag!” and a lot of routines straight from “Dennis The Menace” about mean bullies knocking kids off their soapbox racers? Me neither, until now.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@Dennis SGMM:
Of course it is perverse. But for the most part that’s not what I’m hearing from ABL, John Cole, and the others who put up Obot commentary here. What their criticism boils down to is:
“Look folks, the Right has a big honking megaphone, what with owning the mainstream news media lock, stock and barrel. And all you have to compete with them, to try to get an alternative message out, is a little microphone. Maybe you might want to try to get the most out of what you’ve got in the way of media attention by concentrating your criticism on the GOP, and leave the Obama bashing to the other side seeing as how they’re already doing it 24×7. If you see backing up a Democratic president as somebody else’s job, then whose is it? If not you, then who is going to do that? And if nobody on the Left is going to do it because it is always somebody else’s job then don’t come crying to me when the Right kicks your ass in messaging every single time.”
In other words, the so-called bully pulpit is a collective effort; more like a bully choir than a pulpit. Maybe some folks who complain about it all the time might want to try putting a personal effort in to help out, just to see how that works out for a change.
Seems like a simple concept to me, but maybe I’m just strange that way.
General Stuck
@Dennis SGMM:
So, neither will spreading smears and lies on the dem president. Then we get to say what we really feel about it all. There isn’t any more to this blogging thing, than that. And No one gets protection, no matter how loudly they whine for it.
AlphaLiberal
@FlipYrWhig:
He didn’t say. Also, brevity is eloquence. And he is a lot funnier than you.
cat48
Well, Cenk & Marcos were prior??? Republicans. I don’t know about the others. Just whatever. I think I’ll take a Xanax.
Mike E
@Villago Delenda Est:
It’s as if it has a mind of its own!
FlipYrWhig
@AlphaLiberal: When was Atrios last funny? The “Preznit Giv Me Turkee” gag was, what, 2003? Atrios does more coasting on recycling lame old bits than David Letterman.
Laertes
I love Obama. Every time I’m reminded that he’s President, it brightens my day. I volunteered for his campaign last time around and donated money, and I’m doing it again this time. I think he’s easily the best President we’ve had since FDR.
I thought that scheduling the speech opposite the GOP debate was a pretty cool big-swinging-dick move, one calculated to embarrass or belittle the republicans, and disappointed when it turned out that it was a screw-up and ended up embarassing and belitting the good guys.
Don’t tell me it’s Boehner’s fault because he punked them. It’s their job to not let Boehner punk them. Choosing that date was an obvious provocation and the GOP responded exactly the way you’d expect.
To continue JC’s apt bully metaphor, the Administration’s plan was…what, exactly? Run up to the bully, throw a weak punch, and then scream and run away when he reacted exactly like they knew he would?
It was a bonehead move to start something they weren’t prepared to finish, and it makes me worry that amateurs are running the show up there at a time when we really can’t afford to be losing elections.
I’m with ABL this far: I think it’s neither helpful nor intended to be helpful that certain elements of the professional left are making a fuss about it on their front pages. But speaking as a little-guy Obama supporter, yeah, I found it demoralizing and worrisome, and I’m not reading anything here that makes me feel any better about it.
AlphaLiberal
@ThatLeftTurnInABQ:
This is strange. I have never been inside the White House and have no access to the bully pulpit.
And, after Obama “pivoted” to the deficit and said unemployment would cure itself our job was to just applaud?
You do understand we have substantive policy differences with his economic policies? And these are important to us? And, BTW, we’ve been proven right time and time again on this point?
Why don’t any of you defend his actual economic policies instead of just attacking us? So the deficit was more or a priority than jobs? Defend!
FlipYrWhig
@AlphaLiberal:
[Citation needed.]
Elie
@kindness:
But they act as amplifiers for negative messaging that builds sentiment against policies we want. Forget about Obama — he will be fine. Whether he serves one term or two, he is set.
However, many of the policies, values and institutions that I deeply want to succeed are for better or worse, tied to his fate. I cannot take for granted that a bunch of low information voters will be influenced in ways that cause us to lose either the Presidency, or the will to do what we need to do to – you know, make progress.
As Tamara states, this is a crucial election coming for the right. They will do everything and anything. We must exert perhaps more control, discipline and self awareness than we might under “ordinary” circumstances (like such a state ever exists for a Democratic President).
Words can hit like fists. Is it our job to beat up our team?
General Stuck
@JC:
since you insisted on adding my name to your word soup comment, I will just say, I have no clue what you are talking about, or where you are coming from. Other than maybe your entire viewpoint comes from a place of pure optics, and not actual legislation and governing. Almost all of the compromising for passed legislation the past 3 years, has been with other dems. In the senate, blue dogs, to get 60 votes. Nothing much has passed since Jan this year, when the wingers took office. Just the long term deficit reduction package here of late, that will most likely get changed well before it goes into effect in two years.
Because Obama has given the wingers very little in way of that, of what they really want, beyond the smoke and mirrors. But granted, he talks nice to the wingnuts. That doesn’t bother me much. Talk is cheap. Bullshit cheaper still.
FlipYrWhig
@Laertes: There’s no such thing as an “apt bully metaphor.” It’s stupid. Much more stupid and harmful to political discourse than likening the national economy to a household.
Libby
Just adding for the record, that Atrios has mastered the art of criticizing Obama without simultaneously destroying the liberal brand. He manages to eviscerate bad policy decisions without falling into the trap of divining motives and attacking the President’s style. And admit I totally envy his ability to do so by distilling the critique to a few choice words.
AlphaLiberal
@FlipYrWhig:
Hard to explain to the humor-impaired. Also, helps if you understand economics.
I did notice he said this about the actual subject of this dumb thread:
zomg. Attack him!
Jay
“The ‘bash Obama at all costs’ Professional Left.”
Just wondering: have you criticized POTUS AT ALL on these pages since the day he started running for the office?
EDITED: Most of the “Professional Left” makes me roll my eyes, too, but there’s no evidence suggesting they’re all going to rally to a Grayson, Feingold, or Nader candidacy. In fact, Feingold just ended all the Senate speculation and Grayson’s back running for his old House Seat. So ultimately, most will just sigh and vote for the President. Any suggestion that it would be an easy election if they all just shut up is misplaced. It will be hard, but then, if it weren’t, I don’t think the President would run.
fuckwit
Part of the Obama-hate is simple ignorance of how the Constitution works. The wingnuts had a bad case of this, and even Shrub himself didn’t understand it (which was frighting in itself, but besides the point).
Here is reality in a nutshell:
THE FUCKING CONGRESS MAKES THE LAWS. THE PRESIDENT JUST EXECUTES THE LAWS.
That is it. That is all. The president executes the laws, conducts foreign policy with the Senate’s advice and consent, and THAT IS IT. Laws are made by Congress. Want better laws? THEN ELECT A BETTER CONGRESS! No president can or should have anything do do with this.
If we’re fucked, it is because Boner is speaker. Not because Obama is president. Boner is speaker because that is what the people of this country asked for. This is a democracy, and the people are supposed to get what they want. Deal with the fact that you, me, Cenk Uygur, Kos, Jane Hamsher, Greenwald, whomever, are NOT the whole people, or even representative of them.
And before anyone starts whining about FDR, I’ll say: SHUT THE FUCK UP! I will cold-cock the next motherfucker who says a goddamned thing about FDR. FDR was an aristocrat who was WELL TO THE RIGHT of the prevailing mood of the country in the 1930s. He didn’t usher in a revolution with the New Deal, he prevented one with the New Deal. There were lots of socialists walking around in the 30s, and revolutions going on all over the world, and if FDR hadn’t been the moderating influence he was, there would very likely have been revolution here. So I’m tired of people today saying he was leading the charge or being a “strong man” the way the contemporaries of the day were– Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao, etc. He was nothing of the sort.
Which brings me to the second problem here. There’s an unfortunate, dangerous, and I think toxic strain of authoritarianism in leftist thought, and I mentioned Stalin and Mao above for very good reason. Leftist populist dictators are just as dangerous as rightist populist dictators. (Our founders understood this very clearly, and tried their best to design a system that’d guard against it).
I have heard way too many so-called liberals calling for Obama to essentially declare himself dictator and start using “executive power” to enact a “progressive” agenda right the fuck now. Folks, if it is executed via dictatorial mandate, THEN IT IS NOT PROGRESSIVE, no matter what it is. The ends does not justify the means, and yes that is a quote from Lenin chosen deliberately.
This is supposed to be a republic. If you want change, then change the Congress and the statehouses. But that’s too hard! It’ll take too long! Well yes it will. Fucking grow up and deal with it.
It took 30 years of concerted, well-funded effort for the right wing to destroy this country. No one man, no matter how smart, is going to fix that in 4 or even 8 years. This needs to be a generation-long project. Get busy.
sy
Obama is doing that all by himself.
Yours truly,
Mr. Ratfuck
Elie
@ThatLeftTurnInABQ:
Yay! That is a perfect summation, Left Turn…
RP
Brevity is the soul of wit, not wit (or eloquence) inandof itself.
Mark D
The fact a non-story like this has become such a big story shows a few things about our nation:
1. Our media is the biggest group of useless sacks of shit that have ever been useless. For them, it’s about the politics of the speech, not whether or not the guy will actually present a workable policy agenda to create jobs.
2. The “professional left” (a term I find, FTR, clinically stupid) seems to be less about getting workable left-of-center policies in place and more about getting their way, all the time, no matter what. And if they don’t get their way, they cry like a two-year-old who didn’t get the candy he wanted at the store. In other words, they seem to be a bunch of pansy-ass, spoiled-brat crybabies.
3. If there’s any story to this whole thing (which there isn’t, but for argument’s sake) it should be that Speaker of the House Mr. Tangerine decided, for the first time in all of recorded American history, to rebuff a sitting President’s request for a joint session. Much like fucking w/ the debt ceiling, admitting that their #1 goal is to destroy the President, their use of filibusters, etc. the GOP is doing things never before seen. Ever. And all the while, the media acts as if it’s normal (though we could easily play the “What Democrats Had Done These Things?” game).
The thing is, #3 is why Obama seems to cave time and again, IMHO. Don’t get me wrong, as I’d love to see the guy more often stand up for himself (and his party, and this country). But Obama is simply dealing with shit that no President has ever had to deal with in American history. Ever. Never. At any time.
So, yeah. It’d be nice if people cut the guy a bit of slack — at least on something this absurdly minor.
EDIT: I refuse to cut Obama slack on his tendency for pre-negotiating away all kinds of stuff. But I saw that coming having read “Audacity of Hope.” Dude made it clear in that book that he was all for bipartisanship. He just has yet to realize he’s working with folks who aren’t interested in working together — only in destroying anyone not in their tribe.
And it would be nice if the Obama team figured that out. And the sooner the better.
FlipYrWhig
@Libby: Yeah, he’s quite an asset to the movement.
If only we had more Atrii.
FlipYrWhig
Please note: simulated Atrios content above. In the event of actual Atrios content, your browser would have redirected to a safe distance away.
William Hurley
The “base” aside, do you or others commenting here really think that this “small-ball” political stupidity shines anything other than a bright light on the President’s penchants to A) follow the “Charlie Brown” model every time he needs or wants to practice “place-kicking” and B) fold faster and more completely than a 3-handed Origami champion?
Those out there who vote and are in wavering mode (regardless of party affiliation) see repeated instances of self-inflicted stupidity as – self-inflicted stupidity unbecoming of a person who will be one of their two viable choices when next they consider their vote for the “Most Powerful Leader on the Planet” 2012 edition.
In other words, which looks less “ridiculous”? 1) A pane of glass or 2) a house-fly that won’t stop crashing into it trying to get to the other side?
If you picked 2), you fail.
Elie
@AlphaLiberal:
Maybe if we could stop the attack long enough to have a good discussion about how to influence decisions our way, then maybe we would stop being aggressively defensive.
Many times however, there is a feverish discussion about why Obama doesnt do this or that. People respond and give the critics information that we think explainst that eithe the Congress wouldnt do it or there was this or that process or priority that the thing you want is dependent upon and then you ignore that and proceed as thought there was no answer to your question on the issue. Its maddening. Too many times you don’t seem to care about reality and facts. That is when I start moving towards suspecting other factors are in play. If someone asks why we have day and night and I answer that the earth rotates away and towards the sun and you say, but why is there day and night, I have to think you are stupid or that the harrassment is the main point.
AlphaLiberal
@Libby:
Good point. He is quite estimable that way. IMO:
Attacking motives = bad in all cases. Think it through and it’s really a dishonest tactic, as life teaches.
criticizing style = fine for pols.
Stepping onto thin ice here, but one issue may be that Obama came up in the political system as a young black man. Under those circumstances, anger and firebrand approaches are not rewarded with winning elections.
It’s different for white folks, especially white men. When we get angry it’s typically rewarded in the political system. AWM have different expectations.
That’s not an original thought and I may even have read it at Eschaton/Atrios. (dude needs ONE name!)
FlipYrWhig
@Mark D:
IMHO he has realized that many times over, but likes to go through getting everyone together around the table to talk about what they really want and how to get it because (1) he values that model of interaction, even with a table full of nincompoops; and (2) he knows that a bunch of people who aren’t interested in working together are only rewarded further when he stops trying to make the effort.
Rational Guy Who’ll Talk To Anyone is his thing. Some of it is the talking itself, and some of it is the perception that he’s willing to talk.
salacious crumb
yup I agree ABL! anyone criticizing their President, a black man is a racist or house slave.
HelpThe99ers
@jwest:
That just might be the funniest comment I have ever heard, ever.
Or the saddest.
FlipYrWhig
@AlphaLiberal: If it was an original thought, you did not read it at Eschaton/Atrios.
Samara Morgan
YESSSSSSSSSS!
On to Conservative Thunderdrome!
20 Clowns enter, one Clown leaves!
nice escalating tag wars, ABL.
i think you beat mixie on quantity AND quality!
Samara Morgan
@Elie: chillax gurrl.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I’m not so sure. Angry pols tend to appeal to their own base, and sometimes to the media (Chris Christie–which I will never understand) but not always (Newt Gingrich– his longevity being the only thing I don’t get). Howard Dean is still sometimes referred to as an “angry” politician because he opposed the war (before it was fashionable) and because of what was pretty clearly meant as a joyous, troop rallying ‘scream’. Al Gore was mocked for being wooden and mocked more when he showed emotion. When Clinton got angry, he was usually accused of manufacturing it to change the subject.
dww44
@Citizen Alan: Exactly my thoughts. How surprised I would have been had she criticized the President for facilitating another appearance of weakness, or at the very least, a lack of political astuteness. That this latest acquiescence by the administration is just one more of seemingly endless instances of acquiescing to the opposition.
It seems that only those who align with the “criticizing Obama is not what a true progressive would ever do” meme have chimed in here and then proceed to categorize folks like Kos and others as the “professional left” whose only reason to exist is to give Obama a hard time and perhaps even to weaken him. Never an acknowledgement that there is a legitimate basis to criticize his management style that is not helping his policy agenda. And that all of them, and all of us, want him to succeed. I’ve read most of those posts and that’s the conclusion I reached.
singfoom
I’m not disappointed nor do I care about the moving of the meeting. But I’m damn disappointed in this administration’s pressuring of Schneiderman and their apparent need to protect banks from proper investigation and legal action.
But hey, hopefully Obama will talk about that in his speech. I really don’t get the crazy emo explosion about the moving of the meeting though.
I reschedule meetings at work sometimes, and no one yells at me for being weak in those circumstances.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@AlphaLiberal:
That comment wasn’t directed at you, it was directed at those on the Left who have an alternate media (or better yet, traditional media) footprint. Folks who are just pontificating down in the comment section here are BJ are lucky if they can brag to have media toenail-clippings.
clestes
Stupid isn’t it. Think about it. The republican debate is going to feature Perry and Bachmann, both of whom will try and out crazy each other, Mitt will be just sick having to try and have a sensible answer with those wingbats on the stage and the president will appear the next night and act and talk like the adult he is.
The contrast couldn’t be greater.
ABL
good on ya! cuz that’s what i said lol.
/eyeroll
Elie
@FlipYrWhig:
Also, I think that he believes if “liberal values” are ever to become ascendant again, people have to make an active decision to move in that direction. Every time his outstretched hand is slapped away, or he is and the issues he advocates are rejected and treated with contempt, Americans have another opportunity to see for themselves who these other people are. Yes, it takes time and it requires the intestinal fortitude and belief in people that they will eventually see it. Why? We cannot impose left/liberal values by coercion. These values by their nature require active acceptance by the general population to permeate our legislation and policies. We have had almost three decades since Nixon/Reagan of right shift policies that are strongly anti government. There are at least two generations of young folks who have been steeped in the notion that government does not work and that we are not all in this together.
So, in my opinion, Obama’s willingness to reach out is a phenomenal strength. He gets that strength, I believe, from the knowledge that he is not doing this for himself. He knows that there is a whole lot more at stake but he has to gently show people the difference between who we are and our values on the left/progressive, and what the right wing represents. Needless to say, when the left steps on that message by undermining that quiet strength with their own brand of authoritarian hostility, they just reinforce the message that the two sides are just alike and that all of government is fucked, Republicans and Democrats.
JenJen
@FlipYrWhig: I love Atrios, but that was fuckin’ funny, Flip. :-)
Quiddity
This is terrible staff work by the White House. Put aside the date-changing episode, which is bad in itself. The September 7 debate will be the first time Perry and Romney square off. Everybody will be interested to see how that unfolds. It will almost certainly take up half the time on the Sunday-wrap shows. Obama’s jobs message will be competing to be heard over that drama.
Far better to make the jobs pitch, along with a sustained week-long campaign that begins September 12 or 13.
AlphaLiberal
@Elie:
That would be fine with me, if you mean not attacking each other. If you mean “don’t criticize the President’s policy choice,” not so much.
Well, righbackatchya. We, for the most part /I don’t speak for anyone else, understand the argument “governing is hard and GOPs are obstructionists.” Agreed (did not actually need explained in the first place). But then we try to point out more could be done, other Presidents have done more and, why keep meeting them halfway every time you have a new meeting?
That is, we say more in response to that standard line. that falls on deaf ears and then we just get the same “governing is hard and GOPs are obstructionists” with “dumbshit” or some such appended.
Uh, are you talking to me or the mirror?
Unemployment is high and politically very damaging to the President and the Dems (and painful for the unemployed, forgotten in these debates). The President made unemployment a lesser priority then the deficit.
Those are facts. The Obama loyalty enforcers are conspicuously quiet on these facts and, instead, attack the critics.
NR
Wow, there is an absolute avalanche of stupidity in these comments. But I guess that’s par for the course on an ABL post.
Why don’t you actually go and read Kos’s post on this before you start another firebagger-bashing circle jerk? Oh, wait, it’s too late, that’s already in full swing.
Well, I’d suggest reading the post anyway. Especially the conclusion:
Shit like this date change fiasco is not helping that goal. Not one bit.
Elie
@dww44:
then don’t come here.
“wah,wah,wah, they won’t listen to my poisonous negativity”
fine by me. leave already
Hey, I hear over at Redstate you will have everybody agreeing with you. Much more to your liking…
..and may the doorknob hit you in the ass on the way out.
Marc McKenzie
@Elie:
“Wake up lefty emoprogs. For those of you who are bona fide just yourself critics, there are huge stakes here and they transcend Obama.”
Exactly. If they think a GOP win next year is going to “punish the Dems” or lead to some fantasy awakening of the US population (that some emoprogs also bash as well), they’re wrong.
Because you see, the GOP will eviscerate the government. The Supreme Court will get another set of judges of the Alito/Roberts variety. Perry and Bachmann represent a potentially damaging political viewpoint that might cause untold damage if they get in the White House.
It’s not about your wounded pride or your hurt fee-fees. It’s about trying to get things back on track after the batshit crazy Bush years (and 30+ years of Reaganomics, along with 40 years of the Left retreating from politics).
I’m all for honest criticism of Obama. But that’s not what I’m seeing on Kos, Huff, Salon, Smirking Chimp, and it’s not what I’m hearing from folks like Cenk and Joan. What I’m hearing is hissyfits that devolve into “So what if he did all that stuff, he’s still weak and he didn’t give me my pony.”
But hey, what the fuck do I know? I’m just a clueless O-bot who should go fuck myself because I’m drinking the Kool-Aid and I can’t see that Obama is really GWB Mark II.
singfoom
@Elie: You’re hysterical. You literally cannot see the difference between valid constructive criticism and negative poison.
And more hilariously, you accuse people with valid criticisms of being “Ratfuckers”. I guess everyone you disagree with has “Authoritarian Hostility”?
Elie
@AlphaLiberal:
go be a Republican then.
Stop pestering us. You have all the answers and they line up perfectly with the opposition.
Why do you come here? go to redstate. Everyone will agree with you and you can be all smiley with your REAL peeps.
I don’t let anyone shit on my interests by showing me continual stupid and fail. You will never be “listened to” unless you change your energy. Its negative and reductionist. You are a fail magnet.
AlphaLiberal
Which was all part of a plan that involved public messages, propaganda and use of various bully pulpits to shape the public perception.
So when Dems, not only Obama, start repeating that right wing message with the pulpit we all fought for, it’s kind of grating. And, also, it’s a losing political strategy.
We can’t be sneaky about it forever and expect to win. We need to be publicly for what we are for. The mark of winning pols is to develop that winning message.
Some see the political world as fixed and unchanging. But it is a creation of people living and dead. and the living can keep on shaping political reality. This view seems to be a bright shining dividing line in this debate.
singfoom
@AlphaLiberal: Don’t waste your time. She’s obviously a secret conservatroll ratfucker sent to sow discord among the BJ crowd in order to…underpants gnome profit, I dunno.
the fenian
Someone please explain to me what the brilliant political strategy was behind the WH’s asking for the time on the night of a GOP debate. I realize that we’re all a few steps behind these geniuses, and have been for two years now, but what were they supposed to have gained from this? Unless you believe it’s all just an accident — WH forgot the date, so did Boehner. Whoops! Their bad. — then there had to be a reason, and they had to know that Boehner would deny them something that was absolutely within his power to deny, if only because he’s been able to deny them so much that was only marginally within his power to deny.
Now, if it was an clever attempt graphically to illustrate GOP obstructionism, it plainly failed and, I would argue, it was plainly doomed to fail from jump, given what we know about the House GOP, and about how politics gets covered. (I haven’t heard the president make this case in the aftermath, either.) If it was a sincere attempt, it was hopelessly naive. There does not seem to me to be a third alternative here, and you don’t have to be The Professional Left to see that.
Elie
@singfoom:
Nope.
Fuck off.
Redstate — that’s your place. No worries. they all whistle your tune there. why waste your energy where it is definitely not appreciated.
Call me what you want. Music to my ears coming from a ratfucker.
singfoom
@Elie: Nah, I think I’ll stay, but thanks for the insults. I like it around here. What’s my tune, exactly?
I don’t agree with the crazies at Redstate. I go there for laughs. Again with the ratfucker though, that’s hysterical. Keep it up.
Marc McKenzie
@FlipYrWhig:
“You can’t use threats and intimidation against these Republicans. You can’t use shame, either. They just don’t care. They don’t care if people call their offices and complain and issue demands. There’s no show of force, or animalistic macho display, that’s going to move them anywhere.”
Interesting point, Flip. There is one action we can take, and that’s to vote a lot of them out of office next year.
But the GOP has got to be pleased as punch when the emoprogs hurl rhetorical bombs at Obama instead of the GOP. I’m sure it helps the GOP more.
Elie
@Marc McKenzie:
Exactly!
What I can’t understand is why they come here and want to coerce us into believing they are doing a good thing.
If ANY of them said that they were doing anything at the grassroots or anywhere for that matter, to register liberals or promote liberal views or policies, then that would be different. Mostly they are just a bunch of narcissistic wind bags who have no idea about basic civics and project powers onto the president that you would only see in a dictator. No matter how much you try to inform them, nothing works cause they don’t want to be informed — they want to harrass and demoralize us.
Hey — you anti Obamas — you have your own place to spew your anal glands. FDL, Kos, etc. Why come here? They will all agree with you and all will be well..
les
@AlphaLiberal:
Ya know, one reason you and others catch flak around here is that Obama has been saying exactly that for years. And I haven’t noticed you running through any fucking walls. Do you not understand the meaning of “failed policies of the past?” Is the “car’s in the ditch and they want the keys back” too complicated for you? Is the infrastructure bank beyond your understanding? I’ve heard this stuff and lots more, since before he got elected through last month. Why should I believe you’re any kind of liberal or Democratic supporter, when you either can’t be bothered to listen, can’t understand or refuse to believe the man you come to bash?
singfoom
Remember kids, the policy is not the man. But sometimes the man chooses the policy. Questioning the policy will bring swift swift retribution. Because you can’t question the policy without questioning the man, right?
At Talaq
Well now, Jay Carney has certainly changed his tune in less than 24 hours, hasn’t he? Puff-out-his-chest tough guy one day. Timorous pantywaist the next.
Look, the “President Is Weak” is the best outcome of this narrative.
The alternatives are not flattering:
1. He and his staff could have looked like a INEPT ASSHATS for not knowing about the Repub debate schedule conflict. Option No. 1, then, would have been “Buffoon.”
2. Or, he could have known exactly about the conflict and full-steamed-ahead regardless and looked like a GRADE A ASSHOLE. Option No. 2 then is “Provocative Dick.”
3. Third option is the most likely. Barack and Jay and the gang, whether they knew of the conflict-or-not, went ahead and tried to look bold, until they felt like fishies out of water and returned to their natural state: SPINELESS BORN WIMPS. Option No. 3 then, is the meme of the day: “Weakling.”
No harm in that. The country already accepts that Barack is a weakling. They still like the guy, but they see him as a weakling. It’s his default position.
It would have done far more damage to own up to the “buffoon” and “asshole” memes, that’d just be a pile-on to his already default position of Wussie In Chief. Easier to leave things where they already are, and look like a wimp who backs down in a fight, and fakes “courtesy,” rather than look like an assclown and/or an asshole.
Better yet, look like a weakling, and hope blogger quislings run out to cover his arse with apologia excuse-making/ finger-pointing/ name-calling and trying to get us to pretend, against all evidence, that Listen To Me, Barack Really, Really, Really Is NOT A Weakling.
I s’ppose the jobs and recovery can wait.
B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his Name-O.
LeftWingCracker
I voted for him in 2008, and don’t really want to but may have to in 2012. Fool yourselves and spin yourselves into ecstasy all you want, but, ABL, as much as I am delighted to see you back, you’re wrong and Kos is right. The President is not controlling his message.
Mnemosyne
@Carolinus:
Just wanted to emphasize this. A lot of times, when we’re complaining about the “professional left,” we’re not just talking about bloggers. Perhaps we should call the Democratic pundits who live to criticize the president Pundits Who Play the Left on TV (with pun intended).
It would be awfully nice if the teevee people who claim to represent the Democratic Party would actually bother to support the head of that party, but I guess that’s just more of me wanting Balloon-Juice posters to march in lockstep or something, because God forbid we criticize the people who are actually out there in public in the media claiming to represent ordinary Democrats.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@the fenian:
I think the timing was dictated by Weds being the first night that Congress* was back in session after the recess. The idea being to convey a sense of urgency about the problem. Obviously that backfired. Time to move on. Seems to me that folks on the Left with their priorities straight would be investing more effort in asking the question: “Why the heck do the Republicans think their internal debate is more important than jobs for the American people? Who do they think they are?!” than in Monday-morning-quarterbacking the White House’s latest minor screwup. But that’s just me.
*specifically the House, since apparently the current Senate stays in session longer than a Samuel Beckett play with tramps in it.
Elie
@singfoom:
get lost.
You are not interested in communication of ideas or anything but your ego. Redstate is really perfect for you. I am sure they will meet your discriminating (!) needs and perspectives…
Marc McKenzie
@Elie:
“Words can hit like fists. Is it our job to beat up our team?”
That’s what I want to know. Because the evidence has shown in a very ugly way that self-immolation has been very bad for the Left and also for the rest of the US. Let’s just count the years: 1968, 1980, 1994, 2000, and oh year, 2010.
I’m all for honest, constructive criticism of Obama that presents hard facts and does not rely on the typical bullshit memes like “He didn’t close Gitmo!” “He let the Bush tax cuts continue!” “He didn’t go for the public option!” “He illegally invaded Libya!”. Give me some hard facts that are based in reality, please, not some fantasy nonsense that can only be solved by, well, a fantasy President.
Because I assure you–the GOP is quite happy when our side beats up each other, like what is happening with Obama now. Think about all the space, all the ink, all the pixels and video footage that some of these emoprogs dedicated to slamming Obama…and then realize that they could have been using all those things to continue to point out just how wrong the modern GOP is for this country. They’d have plenty of evidence to prove this.
But no–waste space and words over a fucking date change. Why are we not cheering about the fact that we’re hearing a speech about JOBS? Because we ain’t hearing jack from the GOP.
Oh well…I can see the reaction: “So what? He gave a speech, but it ain’t gonna do jack.”
Wait–seems like Ezra Klein beat me to it:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-01/expect-obama-s-jobs-speech-to-yield-lots-of-talk-no-action-ezra-klein.html
That’s it. Call for some sort of action, some sort of fighting, and then in same instant just flip around and say that it won’t matter anyway.
A pretzel has less twists than this type of logic.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@Mnemosyne:
The Dems selected to be on the TV are chosen specifically because they, if not actual ratfuckers in disguise, are sufficiently reliable as narcissists and loose cannons that they can be counted on by the producers to shit all over whatever it is that the current administration is trying to do in terms of messaging. You don’t get on the TV by being a loyal Dem, in fact the opposite. Yet another way that our media is profoundly pro-Right Wing in its sympathies and structural biases.
Elie
@Mnemosyne:
Dont you think that they pick up memes that they read on the blogs and that there may be secondary gains for their approaches?
I consider them the MSM and donot differentiate them from our little windbagger trolls. They just have more visibility and to some extent, more formal influence.
singfoom
@Elie: I’m glad that you think you’re the arbiter of who hangs around here, but I’ve been here for years and I’ll be staying thank you.
You’re completely wrong and have no idea. If you had any respect for the actual exchange of ideas, you might introspect a little and realize that your authoritarian hostility to anyone who doesn’t march in lockstep with you is EXACTLY the same as the reflexive anti-Obama people that you’re so upset about, in this thread and the several before it.
Go ahead and spew the same shit back and forth with Alphaliberal and me and anyone else you’d like when they say something minorly critical about this administration.
Me, I’ll stay here and do what I like.
Kisses.
Marc McKenzie
@fuckwit:
You just wrote the best comment of all here. Plus it relied on hard facts (ie, the truth).
It’s just too bad that you might get replies telling you to go screw yourself, because, you know, Obama is a Repub, he’s a wimp, he’s….
Still, great comment though. Hope it’s read.
kd bart
It’s the same group that overreacts to the latest poll that is released. Especially if it is an outlier. I remember during the 2008 campaign, 5 polls could come out within 2 days showing Obama with a 6-8 point lead but if the latest one only showed him with a 2 point lead, they would overreact to that one and ignore all the others showing him with a comfortable lead
General Stuck
@singfoom:
Ha ha ha. That is a good one. I’d say “ratfucker” is accurate. Firebagger will do, or emo prog. Or, just plain old mendacity, wrapped up to look like something else.
Now Please allow me the pleasure of your whine.
edit – O, and kisses
Elie
@Marc McKenzie:
You got it Marc. Its the emptiness and the lack of real seriousness… makes it seem like their goals are just to foster disagreements and demoralize.
I can’t control what they say and do at any time but when I am on a thread, I am going to be in their faces and call bullshit when I see it.
There are lots of ways that criticism can be given that energizes and helps us to improve our situation. I don’t see anything but empty lip flapping… and the advise they DO have is usually based on complete ignorance of how our system actually works. Its maddening unless you accept that their goal is just to harass or call attention to their narcissistic empty selves.
singfoom
@General Stuck: Ah General, you wound me, you do. Got no whine at the moment though.
Cheers.
DS
@DonkeyKong: That is a very good question. If only some moderator-type person would have asked people this during the six bazillion debates from 2007-2008. Green Jobs! Infrastructure! Pathetic.
Marc McKenzie
@les:
“Why should I believe you’re any kind of liberal or Democratic supporter, when you either can’t be bothered to listen, can’t understand or refuse to believe the man you come to bash?”
Maybe it’s selective hearing, or lack of a comprehension level that’s above the third grade.
It still amazes me that despite talking about these issues since the 2008 campaign trail, since getting into office, and even during this year–and I’m sure you can find these speeches online–most people still say, “He hasn’t said anything!”
And then there are those who, despite the long list of achievements of this Administration, say, “He hasn’t done anything!”
I don’t get it. I really don’t. It’s either willful ignorance or just bone stick stone stupidity. Maybe I’ll have to toss a coin to decide which one it is.
the fenian
@ThatLeftTurnInABQ:
As is obvious from the coverage, it was more than a “minor screw-up.” That’s the way politics gets covered in this country, and, again, this WH seems to be the last place anyone became aware of that simple fact. If it was a screw-up — and I’m not sure it was, except as a piece of hardball that went wrong — then it was one that played right into an existing perception of this president that is shared, I assure you, by a lot more people than read the various blogs that the ABL seems so concerned about. I agree with your second point — “Why do the R’s care about their internal debates more than they care about jobs for the American people?” — so much that I wish I would hear the president make that argument.
Emperor of Ice Cream
@142 ThatLeftTurnInABQ
Bingo, we have a winner. I don’t know why the left can’t get this through its special little head. 5% on each side is paying attention and reading blogs, etc., etc. The great moveable middle responds to heuristics and the overall gestalt. With the right screaming 24 x 7 (using their very effective MSM megaphone … I mean really, don’t you people get how Fox has changed the game??) and the left tepidly harrumphing its displeasure on a consistent basis, what is the mushy middle to think about our President? This is not a hard question. So go ahead,play your games and fiddle while it all burns. Obama is the only thing standing between you and the American version of fascism.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@DS: to those of you wondering why the professional/PUMA left gets mocked around here: This is why.
General Stuck
@the fenian:
Okay, who are these people that think Obama is weak or indecisive, or whatever the charge is? Gimme names, polls, whatever. You don’t just get to “assure” stuff like that without ponying up some evidence.
And if you show me the Gallup daily poll, I will show you five other polls that have Obama’s current approval in the mid 40’s where they have been for a while. But the floor is yours, make your case.
JillS
ABL, I do believe I love you…
Norwonk
I guess ABL wasn’t around yesterday, when Obama’s brilliant rope-a-dope scheduling trick was considered a highly successful slap in the face to Republicans? But I guess that was just invented by Jane Hamsher or Uygur or someone, in order to make Dems look silly, right?
You’ve got to turn around fast in this business, BJ’ers. It’s downright exhausting to watch.
Keith G
@Elie: You are a one woman wrecking crew tonight…calling names, telling folks to get lost, hectoring commenters with demands for your ideal blog behavior.
I mentioned to you last night that I found it interesting that Obama knows that this is not at all about him (a big reason why I like him) and he is able to stay classy while some of his supporters lose their collective shit.
Borrowing for Gandhi during the campaign, Obama urged a group of students to, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
That’s something some folks here might could start.
Tom Q
@Marc McKenzie: I said much the same here the other days. Republicans looked at the paltry list of Bush achievements and touted them like they were The Great Leap Forward — they were (at the time) telling us the country couldn’t possibly afford to let him go. Obama comes along and has the greatest series of legislative accomplishmenst since LBJ left town, and the folks that still laughably call themselves his “base” yawn and say, Call me when you’re ready to do something I care about.
Then they tell us how terrible Obama is at messaging.
General Stuck
@Norwonk:
There is some truth in what you say. But in any event, it doesn’t verify anything like a “cave”, and all the other ranting of Obama the ‘wimp’ and such. A mistake? most likely, but nothing more than that.
Marc McKenzie
@Emperor of Ice Cream:
“This is not a hard question. So go ahead,play your games and fiddle while it all burns. Obama is the only thing standing between you and the American version of fascism.”
This. Someone tell this to GG, Cenk, Jane, and all the others.
If some of the emoprogs out there really think that a GOP takeover is going to lead to some good stuff….well, you must really love getting bent over the railing and getting the business with no vaseline.
The GOP has had a message machine that has run for nearly 40 years. The Left has barely matched this. Why aren’t we doing more?
Why are we expecting to the President to continue to march into the fire without any backup from us?
General Stuck
Nah. I doubt he was talking about internet retards.
Lysana
@NR:
Fixed.
Elie
@Keith G:
Keith:
I can be the Zen Goddess but I am unapologetically fierce – Fierce, when things I care about are threatened by jokers.
I am very serious about this. I am sure I am considered an Obot and for most people’s perceptions, I may be, but I will not have the policies and values that I highly prize theatened by thoughtless nincompoops whose beliefs are not accessible to reason and evidence. I am your best friend if you have facts and logic and reasonable goals for critiques of the administration’s progress or policies. Without that, I just consider it harrassment and intimidation. I will not be either.
If some folks get upset about that and think that I am a blog gangsta patrolwoman, so be it. I am tired and have spent literally hours talking and talking and trying to share information and listen to points of view. Then I started to see this same shit echoed in the MSM as Obama’s Lefty problem then that was it.
You see Keith, I watch what people do and say. All during the hard sledding during the first economic crisis, then healthcare and then the debt ceiling, I read these people’s bullshit. It was bullshit because it was frequently incorrect and unresponsive to facts or other mitigation. That tells me they just wanted to have their way and intimidate me into silence or avoidance of the blog — which I did for a while.
But I am pissed off now and have seen enough of the game now to call bullshit. They are fakes and some are genuine ratfuckers. If I can in some small way, jam their negative unproductive and unhelpful crap back up their noses and call them out as what they are, then I can feel good that I did what I could.
BTW, I spend a fair amount of time with grass roots activities. These folks who want a liberal rebirth better get off their butts and out in the communities, “changing hearts and minds” through good works and solid efforts.
arguingwithsignposts
Only 222 comments. You people are losing your edge. I was expecting at least 400.
Marc McKenzie
@the fenian:
““Why do the R’s care about their internal debates more than they care about jobs for the American people?”—so much that I wish I would hear the president make that argument.”
Funny. I could’ve sworn that the President has been making this argument time and time again. It just seems to have, as the saying goes, “gone in one ear, and out the other.”
Keith G
@Elie:
How is this possible?
Edit
@arguingwithsignposts: I am doing my best.
Marc McKenzie
@Elie:
*applause*
Not much I can add….
NR
@Lysana: Out of all the things Obots believe, this is the most baffling to me: The idea that if liberals would just shut up and not talk about the very real problems that Obama is facing heading into his re-election bid, everything would be fine and dandy. In their world, Obama’s problems are not caused by an economic crisis and high unemployment, but rather by liberals talking about the economic crisis and high unemployment.
They really do live in their own little world.
slightly-peeved
The rest of the western world doesn’t have all its cool progressive stuff because our leftist leaders were all brilliant politicians. Trust me, they weren’t. We have all that cool stuff because our leftist organizations have broad support and can work together.
Keith G
@NR: Shssss. You might endanger……EVERYTHING!!
sgrAstar
Really well done, ABL. Good to see you back here.
MikeMc
I’m a huge O-bot, but after all this crap this better be one fucking impressive speech. He needs to do something and he needs to something soon. He’s going to lose.
Robbie Weiner
At some point liberals need to learn when to criticize and when to shut up and unite.
The Republicans do that perfectly. Even if they dislike their candidates, they will always back them.
Some on the left are as crazy as the tea baggers.
Bill Bradley said it: the problem with politics now is that the extremes on the right and the left are screaming the loudest. And the moderates are not being heard.
I also have to say that in my lifetime, and according to my son am four days older than dirt, have I seen a president shown such disrespect- from the birth certificate BS to this Obama is a wimp.
And if he came out swinging, they would criticize him for being the angry black man the right wing nuts would love to see.
I can honestly say I am ashamed that this overt racism is not called out more often.
Robbie Weiner
At some point liberals need to learn when to criticize and when to shut up and unite.
The Republicans do that perfectly. Even if they dislike their candidates, they will always back them.
Some on the left are as crazy as the tea baggers.
Bill Bradley said it: the problem with politics now is that the extremes on the right and the left are screaming the loudest. And the moderates are not being heard.
I also have to say that in my lifetime, and according to my son am four days older than dirt, have I seen a president shown such disrespect- from the birth certificate BS to this Obama is a wimp.
And if he came out swinging, they would criticize him for being the angry black man the right wing nuts would love to see.
I can honestly say I am ashamed that this overt racism is not called out more often.
cckids
@jwest:
snort, giggle. . . I’d reply but I am laughing too hard to type. Cognitive dissonance much?
Southern Beale
Ay-fucking-men to that.
Southern Beale
@Robbie Weiner:
Yes but that’s because their real leader has a huge radio show. His name is Rush Limbaugh and he’s the Pied Piper of the conservative base. He talks and everyone else follows — whether the leadership agrees or not. Liberals don’t have a similar force.
Marc McKenzie
@MikeMc:
“I’m a huge O-bot, but after all this crap this better be one fucking impressive speech. He needs to do something and he needs to something soon. He’s going to lose.”
Well…he could give a speech complete with a holographic lightshow, he could jump up and box Boehner in the face, he could use f-words by the truckload….in short, he could give the best fucking speech of his Presidency….
And guess what? It still won’t satisfy anyone.
And how is he “supposed to do something” when Congress keeps telling him to go fuck himself? Or how is anything supposed to get done with the obstructionist GOP? Did you know that the Dems in the House put up job creation bills and that the GOP shot them all down?
I can understand the frustration at the President, but mine is mild compared the Krakatoa-esque rage I have towards the GOP right now.
Marc McKenzie
@NR:
“They really do live in their own little world.”
Hah, that’s funny–especially since it applies more to you.
Keith G
@Marc McKenzie: Did you just type, “I am rubber, you are glue?”
Cool.
dww44
@Elie:P@Heliopause: @Elie: Perfectly rational and constructive rejoinder, Elie. Singfoon nailed it when he/she said you were hysterical. You’ve lost all ability to have a real conversation with anyone who has legitimate political and policy criticisms of the President.
But as I read further, I see that you’ve been instructing others to go over to RedState where they belong, so I’ll be in good company it appears. Might be interesting, given that I’ve never been inclined to click on that site even once ever.
boss bitch
@FlipYrWhig:
Nonsense. NO ONE has a better understanding of the politicians in DC than the politicians in DC. They work, eat and often play together. Obama knows what he’s dealing with and its pretty arrogant for anyone to say he doesn’t.
Ron
Dear Professional Left, a joint session of Congress requires a concurrent resolution from both houses. IOW, Obama can’t simply demand it.
Love, those of us based in reality.
boss bitch
I have a problem with the when AND the how to criticize. They are completely inept at both. They don’t have to shut up but they need to learn to direct their anger at the right person or groups.
MikeMc
@Marc McKenzie: I agree. You’re right, I have no idea what he should do or say. All I’m saying is, no matter what it is, put a fine mist of stank on it.
Marc
@NR:
I’ve never understood why relentless attacks on Obama, and on anyone who dares to defend him, serve any constructive purpose for liberals.
Some Obama critics here are apparently capable of hearing what folks like me are saying. Others are thumping their chests and making no apparent effort to have a discussion. I’ve seen no evidence at all that you even understand why the so-called progressive Obama critics are getting flack here. I’ve seen no evidence of any ability of yours to reach across the rhetorical divide to do anything but attack.
This has been illuminating for me, actually. A few folks that I thought were simply attackers have come across as reasonable (e.g. alphaliberal), and the true trolls are out ‘n proud. It’s actually useful to know.
Marc McKenzie
@Keith G:
Huh…I reckon I did, albeit using different words.
Damn, I’m good….
Marc McKenzie
@MikeMc:
Mike, in this case, I don’t think I’m right. I also have no idea what he should do, because it seems that no matter what he does–even if it means giving a great speech–there will be complaints.
Perhaps that’s why I’m glad I’m not in Obama’s shoes. Not just because of my naturalized status, but because if I had to read a fraction of the crap thrown at him from both sides, I would have gone batshit crazy by March of 2009.
Marc McKenzie
@boss bitch:
“They don’t have to shut up but they need to learn to direct their anger at the right person or groups.”
And also get their facts straight and stop using memes that can be shot down by just doing a little digging.
Marc McKenzie
@Marc:
“I’ve never understood why relentless attacks on Obama, and on anyone who dares to defend him, serve any constructive purpose for liberals.”
It doesn’t help. Plus some of it is driven by memes or beliefs that are simply wrong and lack any factual basis.
Some Obama critics here do cite facts and give honest criticism. That’s fine by me. But others just reach up the butt and pull out the latest POS that is simply not true, they give a complaint that’s based on tunnel vision, they embrace the “single (or double) issue” mentality and seem to forget that there’s a shitload of issues this President has to face (here’s one–he’s Black).
…Or they keep embracing the “He hasn’t said/done ANYTHING!” belief. That really pisses me off because all one has do is look up the achievements of Obama and his administration–and what’s been done is giving LBJ and FDR a run for their money.
But I wonder–if they do see the list of achievements, what then? Will they accept it, or just whine, “It’s not enough!” or say, “So what? Big deal!”?
Shade Tail
@NR:
Fascinating. What baffles me, on the other hand, is people like you who at least pretend to be liberals, and yet tell bald-faced lies about alleged “very real problems that Obama is facing heading into his re-election bid.” And then, when *real* liberals point out that you are, at best, mistaken, you double-down and call us nasty names.
People like you are the real obots, because you have a faith-based view of him being perfectly bad.
JWL
ABL + Obama + Straw Argument + “Professional Left” = Inane
singfoom
@Marc McKenzie: As one of the critics here, I’ll offer apologies if you think it doesn’t help, but I’ve got to be honest, I’m going to bitch about things an administration does or doesn’t do regardless of it’s political affiliation.
I think this administration has done great things. The ACA is a great accomplishment and we’ve greatly reduced our presence in Iraq, but I can’t help but go nuts at how we’ve not pursued more rigorous financial regulation reforms.
With the economy in such a bad shape, we really need to clean up the financial sector, and I see the administration actively going after those who would do so in a systematic way and not let them off the hook. NYTimes Schneiderman
I just can’t agree with that. I don’t claim to understand the motives behind it because I’m no mind reader. Given what I’ve read, and I can list the books and links if you so choose, I really think that our economy will continue to suffer if we don’t clean up our criminal financial sector.
And that’s not a thing about resentment of the wall street oligarchs, it about justice for people who systematically stripped the middle class of their wealth through fees and fraud.
So I’ve got issues with the administration, but I am no idiot and want him re-elected.
I just find it really hard to deal with the pre-emptive butthurt over other people being butthurt. It seems very much like the stupidity of the original butthurt and is just as silly.
Enough ranting. Cheers.
Berto
@singfoom:
Surely you are mistaken.
It takes 2/3 of Congress for Obama to do anything, dontyaknow.
Magma
Obama is in his third year of office. The economy is a disaster, with millions living in a state of economic terror. Thus his approval ratings are understandably sinking to “Chimpy” Bush levels. All the glib snark of the unconditional Obots can’t change these mighty unpleasant facts.
NR
@Shade Tail:
So I guess to be a real liberal, one has to believe that a sagging economy and high unemployment rate aren’t very real problems that Obama is facing heading into his re-election bid.
Gotcha. Good to know. Any other aspects of reality that one has to ignore to qualify as a real liberal?
etherealfire
@wrb:
You and me both. To those saying that ABL is making too much of this I respectfully just couldn’t disagree more. There’s just no excuse for these so-called progressive blogs making hay (right along with the rightwing) of absolutely nothing. Why are they helping the Boner Party out with this disturbing narrative that deliberately emasculates and diminishes the President. Gee, it is almost like they might actually want Obama to lose the election or something. Why is that, I wonder?
And please don’t tell me that this is a way to try to help the President be strong so he will be a better one. I am a supporter of this President (or as some people like to call me – an Obot). If this kind of stuff demoralizes somebody like me, then I think it should be pretty obvious that those less interested in policy differences between parties, or those just sitting on the fence, or those who relate every bit of news they read like a reality TV show, any and all of these people will be consciously or subconsciously left with a very negative impression of the President.
I know that I’ve just opened myself up to lots of derision but I really wish people would think about that, when they waste precious bandwidth and braincells bothering to criticize even the most minute action or inaction taken by President Obama. It wears the electorate down.
And that’s why I become suspicious when it is coming from Progressive bloggers. They have to know what they are doing, don’t they? And if so, can they seriously, honestly believe that we can survive another Republican President after the last one, when it is clear that nothing stops Republicans in public office from doing whatever they want, whether they have a majority behind them or not, no matter what? I don’t get it.
gogol's wife
@Marc McKenzie:
I agree. I couldn’t believe no one seemed to notice it. And I know this thread is dead, but I just had to say that.
FlipYrWhig
@boss bitch: FWIW, that blockquote isn’t me, it’s something I was responding to.
bad dad
There comes a point when you are dealing with bullies that you just decide to pack two lunches. The main lunch was the actual joint session speech where America can see the Republicans sit on their hands(or better yet, start screaming “You lie!” again at him)while Obama talks about putting us back to work.
The second lunch was timing the speech at the same time as the Republican debate. Sure enough, the bullies came for the second lunch.
If not for the second lunch, Boehner would have refused to have the speech entirely claiming that Obama wasn’t going to be able to start his 2012 campaign for free in front of the joint session.
As the One Who Shall Remain Nameless would say, “Meep, Meep, Motherfarker”.
manual
This is a horrible post
brendancalling
1) most people I know don’t pay attention to this stuff. they are trying to put food on the table.
2) those who do pay attention thought this was frivolous nonsense. But
3) they also knew obama would back down, as he did. the optics are suck for everyone. because
4) it’s like watching a re-enactment of Versailles.
and I agree, this is a stupid post.
Kane
These posts are Exhibit A in how those who are bent on criticizing Obama find something so very small and make it so very big.
It’s quite easy for the casual observer to see a silver lining in the president giving his Jobs proposal on Thursday rather than Wednesday. But when one is consumed with attacking Obama, they are blind to the obvious.
Kane
Cenk Ugyur:
Are we talking about the same president who sent Navy SEAL snipers on a daring high-seas rescue to save hostages and to take out Somali pirates? The same president who put his presidency on the line for health care reform despite the fact that his predecessors had tried to pass similar legislation and failed for more than sixty years? The same president who ordered the mission to take out Bin Laden?
The same president who saved the American auto industry when others were arguing to let them die? The same president who had a hand in the ousting of Gaddafi when critics were arguing that the mission would result in a bloody stalemate? The same president who took on the Wall Street banks in accomplishing major credit card reform, overhauling the student loan program, and signing into law the toughest financial reform since the Great Depression? The same president who fired two war-time commanding generals? The same president who took on military brass and fought for the repeal of Don’t ask, Don’t tell? The same president who took on the Military Industrial Complex in canceling weapons programs, including the F-22?
This doesn’t sound like a president that dislikes risks. Nor does it sound like a president who has been “compromising on every single little thing.” And with already having a more accomplished record than any American president in the past 60 years, it doesn’t appear as if he has been getting “pummeled.”
Thymezone
The only thing that compares with the damage to this presidential term being done by the right, and the Tea Party, is the damage being done by the left. The political left in this country appears to be completely incompetant and reactionary, to say nothing of patently dishonest and willing to lower itself to rank demagoguery at the drop of a hat to gain an edge .. or just attention … in any given political spat.
This speech scheduling thing is the most trivial piece of shit story we’ve had in years, and the attention it is getting is entirely about the desire for attention that throbs in the bosoms of the people who are giving it attention. Nothing else, nothing more. The world and the country are in trouble thanks to an army of shitheads out there, and this is the crap that the left is obsessing about today? There is only one group in the world that deserves more boatloads of dogshit unloaded on its heads than the American political left, and that is the American political right. But I tell you, it’s a close contest.
Lyrebird
@Kane: Thank you!
(and thank you ABL of course!)
Why would he want the debate duckies to be able to twist up his message after the speech? This way we stay more in the territory of what Bill Maher said about the Tea Party… [roughly] people look a the crazies (yes Mr. “Soc Sec is a Ponzi scheme” Perry, that includes you) and then think, “I’ll stick with the calm Black man!”
William Hurley
@fuckwit: Quite the rant. Some interesting and pertinent information is sprinkled, albeit too lightly, atop your post.
Consider that the problem the President faces in his re-election bid – from the perspective of campaign strategy – is that the demographic group(s) that he and Plouffe are targeting care not one iota about the complaints you register nor the history you cite. It’s an axiomatic truth that the “right” certainly doesn’t. So, if the concerns your raise are aspects of internal, left political debate/jockeying – and reflect “legitimate” points to quell internal discord on the left – then you and those who share your views are telegraphing an impending Obama defeat in 2012. Why? Because all of the “right” and most of the “center” are and will remain unpersuaded by variants of the “reasonable man” thesis that underwrites your argument and is the core premise of the Plouffe/Obama campaign strategy.
The argument fails on an another ground as well. Since the President has not in speech nor in deed aided unions, has not in speech nor in deed aided the growing ranks of disenfranchised voters, has not in speech nor in deed aided immigrant communities and has not in speech nor in deed aided the African-American community (a demographic that’s being crushed under 17% unemployment and a nationwide explosion of overt racist bigotry) then it matters not what the “left” does in reaction to the campaign’s posture of the President and his election gurus. Even the “youth” vote, so crucial to Obama’s 2008 win, is in jeopardy given that the “under 25” employment class is facing the lowest rate of labor force participation since record-keeping on that measure began.
The President and his advisors have made it clear that they’d rather chase a “receding” center than to do the hard work addressing (speech AND deed) the fundamental challenges faced by nearly every facet of the Democratic electorate. In doing so, he’s proving to be the anti-Franklin of US history. “Divide and conquer” is a slogan of war. “Join or die” is a slogan of political unity and triumph. The latter is Franklin’s. The former is that of corporatists, bankers, reactionaries and crusaders whose internal goal of Obama’s destruction unites in their mission to divide and conquer.
the fenian
Mark —
I haven’t heard that at all. I’ve heard the president talk mournfully about “Washington” and “the Congress” over and over again, as though both sides are to blame for his frustrations. If you can cite the moment when he mounted a big thwacking attack purely on the topic of GOP obstructionism, I’m all ears.
the fenian
And General Stuck? Please do better than that. An approval rating stuck in the mid-40’s a) isn’t a whole lot to brag about, and b) isn’t any indication of what the people who are going to vote for him, and indeed who approve generally of him, are thinking. Just this week, I’ve heard people on the front lines of the labor battles in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio talking about how they feel that the administration has failed to back them up on what is clearly a national strategy to roll back collective bargaining. The Congressional Black Caucus also seems a bit upset. Most of those people “approve” of the president, and I would even say are more likely than not to vote for him. So I stand by what I posted as regards to what this latest kerfuffle reinforces in the country.
AlphaLiberal
Atrios’s sidekick this morning poses a perfectly fine question. Why won’t Democrats exact a political price on Republicans for their obstructionism?
Wouldn’t be seemly? Don’t want to be argumentative?
??
JMS
Most of the things that Obama gets blamed for are things that are mostly out of his control (if you look at the things that are more under his direct control, he’s doing pretty well. He’d make a decent benevolent dictator.) I do blame the Democrats when they mess up something under their control. This one was under his control. Whoever was scheduling the speech could have noticed there was a Republican debate and anticipated that they would get pissy. At that point they should have decided (ahead of time) that if they got pissy, they didn’t care–maybe have a back up plan to give the speech somewhere else if necessary, or at least go with the original rhetorical line that they seemed to be taking that the speech was more important than the debate, so too bad. Or else they should have avoided the situation by not scheduling it for the day of the debate. But to take that line, then capitulate? Obviously the Republicans don’t think the speech is important, but the White House moving it after saying they wouldn’t makes it seem as if they don’t think the speech is important either. And the topic of the speech is plenty important–so what are we left to believe?
So yes, this O bot is disappointed and thinks they messed up something that was actually under their control for once. I felt that way when Barney Frank was walking back the ACA (remember that one?) There’s no room for unforced errors here.
Lynn Sutherland
It doesn’t matter that Obama caved on the time of the speech. It does matter that he caved on EPA smog regulations and it does matter that he will cave on the tar sands pipe line–just like he caved on FISA, torture investigations, the Patriot Act, Gitmo, the public option and that he is trying to undermine bank investigations, that he betrayed Shirley Sherrod, supported Blanche Lincoln and Joe Lieberman, has betrayed the unions,has gone all out to prosecute whistle blowers –to name just a few issues. The man would be a joke, but he isn’t funny. Why did he run for President? He has betrayed everything he said he wanted. I am almost 70 years old–I have never voted Republican and I won’t now, but I will never vote for this charlatan again.
tweedster
@JenJen: Yea. Seems you don’t follow TYT and just get the snipes from ABL’s posts. But then again, I’m sure Obama’s slipping poll numbers are their fault and nothing to do with Obama’s strategies.
tweedster
@Lynn Sutherland: Listen Lynn, you’ve got it all wrong!! He is doing great at not following through on his campaign promises and the Republicans and Congress are responsible for EVERYTHING Obama couldn’t accomplish (or pre-emptively negotiate away)! Haven’t you read ABL’s posts before?!?!
ZOMG!! :-P
tweedster
@William Hurley: hey now, are you crazy or just a rat’effer!?!?! ZOMG!!! :-/