asking Al Gore to run in 2008!
I'm still happy with Barack Obama!
Posted December 19th, 2009 by GOPstopper
I have mixed feelings about the results so far, but unlike many so-called "progressives," I'm not ready to jump ship. I don't like the "surge" in Afghanistan, I don't like Obama's choice of financial advisors --or what they've done so far, and I don't like what happened to the healthcare bill. But Obama's not entirely to blame for all that.
I don't feel like he has sold us out, or that his allegedly inexperience has done him in. I think his governing style and his fondness for --or maybe obsession with-- consensus has kept him from dealing with Republicans and the DINOs as aggressively as I would like.
But really, after 8 years of Bush, which followed 8 of Clinton, 4 of Bush Sr and 8 of Reagan -- over a quarter-century of pro-corporate conservative rule -- the only way we could do better is if we could appoint Bernie Sanders and Dennis Kucinich to run things and get rid of the filibuster.
On a totally unrelated note... it is so hard to follow this site without coming here frequently. I wish someone would change this site back to a simple Simple Machines Forum -- after all, it is too late for a Draft Gore '08 movement at this point.
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GOP Stopper!
Right on, right on
Disappointed? All things considered I'm pleased as punch!
http://s297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/WayneinWAState/?action=view&cur...
Excuse me for asking, Wayne.
But are you on prozac or something? I have to ask because of all of your comments that I have ever read, and it must be hundreds by now, I have never read one that was even slightly negative about the Dims. no matter what is happening or has happened with them in the past. Not even a mild discomfort with any of their policies or people. I would like to know "Whats up with that?" Are you a regular human or have you been programmed to be incessantly upbeat and positive regardless of any reality that may be occurring around you? Are you not the least bit concerned that Obama has all but killed any HOPE for real CHANGE, whether of the type that "you can believe in" or not, among a very large portion of his supporters in the last election? Without the political left "O" and the Dims don't have a prayer in the upcoming elections. I am beginning to think of Obama as a one termer as "W" liked to reflect upon back in the golden era of American fascism the first decade of the century. As the sun slowly sets upon the remainder of the corporatocracy/kleptocracy known as the "American Empire". Good riddens I say. And your slimy banks too. We will all be better off when this corrupt game comes to an end.
"Pleased as punch" indeed!
But at least you are somewhat negative about those good ol' payday loans that people seem to love so much.
Peace, MM
Compared to Republicans?
Howdy MM!
Sorry if I sound like Pollyanna. I'm just reacting to all the trash talk I read out on the blogs and forums lately. In the USA, third parties are a joke and have never accomplished anything except when Ralph Nader helped put Bush and Cheney in the White House. Working within the Democratic party is the only realistic option. While I do have some criticisms of Obama, they are hardly significant compared to how I felt about Bush and Cheney. In reality, the very liberal side of the party is not that large. I think Obama will be re-elected, but I am concerned some of this shrill criticism from the left could turn into a sulf fullfilling prophecy. And yes, I do think the right wingers come onto liberal boards to stir up trouble and pretend to attack Obama from the left. That would be a Republican tactic.
"third parties are a joke...."
"and have never accomplished anything except when Ralph Nader helped put Bush and Cheney in the White House". Well, in 2000 the joke was on the Dims even though we all know Al Gore really won the election and "W" was installed by a interfering partisan supreme court. Even that would not have happened without the Naderites. Which just goes to show how fragile the Dim coalition really is.
This time, people, especially on the left, are a lot more angry that they were in 2000 and would probably get a larger share of voters in a third party bid. Even though the christian portion of the Repug party does not seem to notice that they have been duped, used, laughed at, and otherwise ignored by their party, I can assure you that the left knows what has been done to them and they do not like to be treated as fools and are not likely to give their vote again to false hope and fake change.
I will say it again - the Dims and the Repugs are just the two faces of the only real party "The Multinational Corporate Party. The D's and R's are just playing a game of good cop/bad cop on the people. Either way we lose and the corps. continue to exercise their power behind a thin veil of faux democracy maintained by their stranglehold on the media and their efforts to shield the public from the truth.
One more thing why does the political mainstream always call the left shrill when they try to talk about "true" reality as opposed to the fantasy land reality that most Americans seem to spend their time in?
Just for laughs, humor me, could you outline briefly some of your concerns regarding the Dims their policies their people their sources of funding, their choices of appointees etc. just so that I can have some sort of handle on where you really stand on the pressing issues. Forget the "Happy Talk" just be candid.
What stream?
Hi again MM
I could not tell you why the mainstream press does something or says something. I don't speak for them and I'm not one of them. I'm a liberal guy.
As far as third parties go, yes I do have contempt for them and consider them worse than useless. The fact is without Ralph Nader running in 2000, George W Bush and Dick Cheney would never have gotten into the White House and Al Gore would have been president. I see some Nader defenders denying this from time to time. Bush beat Gore in Florida (albeit Katherine Harris count) by less than 600 votes. Ralph Nader got 45,000 votes. Liberals who saw what was coming begged Nader to stop campaigning because he in fact was helping Bush by taking votes from Gore. Can you tell me anything a 3rd party has ever done to help the American people? Yes, I say they are a joke. As much as I'm sometimes dissatisfied with the Democrats, it's either them or the Republicans. America doesn't have a parliament, we have an electoral college. Supporting a 3rd party might make people feel morally superior or ideologically pure, but in my opinion, it's a cop-out.. Obviously, opinions vary...
What would I like to see from the Democrats and happen in American politics? I support single-payer health care. I would legalize gay marriage and legalize cannabis. I would raise the minimum wage and raise taxes on the very wealthy. I would cut the military budget and put in place an industrial policy to bring manufacturing back to the US, and of course very strong environmental and green energy policies. I would undo corporate personhood and prohibit corporations from funding political campaigns. I do have reservations about Secretary Gates and Secretary Geithner as well as Obama's strategy in Afghanistan. But overall, like I said, under the circumstances I think President Obama is doing as well as anyone possibly could at this time.
just my two cents
"Can you tell me anything a 3rd party has ever done to help the
American people?"
Off the top of my head how about Ross Perot spoiled H.W. Bush's bid for reelection back in 1992? Clinton won with well less than 50% of the vote thanks to Perot and his third party bid. That was a small plus for the American people. Perot also tried to warn us about the "giant sucking sound" from NAFTA that most of us hear quite clearly now. I believe that from time to time third parties help to nudge the major parties in a beneficial direction
Also, I believe that you will find that Gore really would have won if all of the rejected ballots had been counted in a complete recount in Fla. which is what the supremes halted.
http://www.issues2000.org/Florida_Recount.htm
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2001/112101a.html
The Dems as they are will never allow single-payer health care for all, gay marriage, legal cannabis, raise taxes on the very wealthy, cut the military budget, put in place an industrial policy to bring manufacturing back to the US, very strong environmental and green energy policies, undo corporate personhood and prohibit corporations from funding political campaigns. Any or all of this stuff will not happen under the dims. Period. Although all of these things seem to be worthy aims to me.
I hope the Dims have a good sense of humor because I sense a big joke is being prepared for them.
You also referred to the left as "shrill" in your previous post.
Shrill: 1. High-pitched and piercing. 2. Sharp or keen to the senses.
The left may be piercing especially to the comfy status quo players but high pitched? This is what they say about anyone who makes them feel uncomfortable usually by being overly accurate or honest.
Ross
Hi again MM
I doubt that Perot actually helped Bush from getting re-elected. Poll results show that Perot drew votes about equally from Bush and Clinton. It's possible but unlikely. Anyway, Perot was right about NAFTA and a few other things, but he was also bat guano crazy, After leading in the polls for awhile, he mysteriously dropped out of the campaign, claiming that Republican operatives were trying to disrupt his daughters wedding. Furthermore, the Perot candidacy was a blip in history. By 2000 the Reform Party nomination was won by extreme right-winger Patrick Buchanan. In the last decade the Reform Party has become irrelevant and forgotten.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1992
I agree that had all the votes been counted Al Gore would have won Florida. The point is that Ralph Nader brought the margin close enough for Republicans to get away with stealing the election. Nader had no chance of winning even one electoral vote. It was all about massaging his ego. Nader told us there wasn't a dimes worth of difference between GW Bush and Al Gore. If you agree with that then go ahead and be a Nader supporter or Nader apologist. Hey, you're free to have your opinions. I like the Green Party platform myself. But I think I also understand political reality. Perhaps for City Council a Green Party candidate might have a chance. In the real world of American national elections a vote for a Green Party candidate does indeed help the Republicans.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-07-09/news/17435056_1_nader-voters-nader...
http://www.factcheck.org/radio_ad_attacks_nader_over_gop_support.html
Apparently we agree on a lot of policy. I just believe the goals we share are vastly more likely to become a reality by working within the Democratic Party to move it to the left. You think it won't happen under the Dems. I think someday it will. I'm not sure who else you think could make those goals a reality. I am pretty damn sure that they won't happen with Republicans in charge.