Why Would Obama "Owe" Progressives? What Promises Did He Make?

The only progressive promises I can remember are a greener energy agenda and respect for global warming, defense of abortion as a woman's choice, and support for working people. He promised to get us out of Iraq (but he's backpedaling - the only thing I'm pissed off about.)

What other promises did he make to Progressives that won him their support? Or that gave any reason to think that he would now champion progressive causes?

I read his platform last January, and I just didn't see it. He never struck me as progressive. He said he would be a uniter, a bipartisan president (CENTRIST!!!), one who championed our Constitution, brought more transparency to government, and championed the working class and middle class. He promised more oversight for big business. He said he would find a way to make health care affordable for everyone, create jobs in the US through infrastructure improvements, break our dependence on foreign oil (and champion US produced ethanol - which isn't all that progressive), and change the tax code to favor those who make less.

At the same time, it's always been clear that he is a devout Church-going Christian, he doesn't support same-sex marriage, and he doesn't hate corporate America.

So, why did he have so much progressive support? So much GLBT support? Why was he expected to consider legalizing marijuana?

And why is there an expectation that since the progressives backed him, that he is going to instantly become progressive, make progressive appointments, and fight for progressive causes?

I don't get it, and would love some help understanding it.

That is (or should be) an AMERICAN position, regardless of party.

So did Clinton. Very few politicians actively support it.

That's why I don't understand why there is such surprise over his choice of Rick Warren.

Obama can keep choosing homophobic misogynistic ignoramuses to be on stages with him and I will continue to be disgusted and to let him know that, loud and clear. If he wants to revert to that old politics he ranted about so much, you bet he'll hear about it.

Why the OP seems to think most of us are SUPRISED by this Warren move is a mystery.

he'd be better off listening to them than filling his cabinet with people who supported the policies that caused the current disaster.

..and stuff, which he himself admits is sometimes true.

Just as in 2004 liberals "or progressives" projected their views on to Howard Dean, who other than his views on the war, was far more to the right on most issues than any other Democratic candidate; many projected their views on to Obama because he was the anti-Hillary. They then extropolaited that to Obama also being the anti-DLC candidate. And finally without ever going to Obama's website and reading where he really stood on positions, they just assumed that Obama agreed with them 100% on everything.

Who projected on him a certain rigid progressive ideology that simply was not there...

Which has now been amended to letting them expire naturally.

A really irritating concession to the Reaganomics meme that tax cuts for the wealthy create jobs.

is his full attention to the BIG issues. Now is not the time to be concerned with the minor ones.

please tell us how you REALLY feel about gay rights?

had this issue at the top of their list.

and I am sure Obama can too especially with the staff he has. Please.

That's why I didn't support him in the primaries.

However... he ran (meaning his campaign rhetoric was) far to the left of both his record and his message in the primaries and far to the left of his actions since the election.

I think we can see clearly from his choices for staff and Cabinet so far *exactly* who he feels he "owes."

...and it ain't anyone to the left of center. ...or for that matter anyone who doesn't sit on multiple corporate boards.

I concentrated on his platform & policy statements and reviewed his record, so I didn't listen to the rhetoric.

What did he say that was "left"?

That would include liberals, despite the assertion of his fucking prick of a spokesman.

Robert Gibbs is a fucking prick?

His STFU message to the left would not have been published without official sanction from the incoming Administration, so don't even try to play dumb.

He could serve 4 terms and still wouldn't pay his debt to these folks

Ugh, disgusting.

:puke:

Its the Hispanic Groups, Womens Groups, Gay Groups, etc.....

Everyone thinks he owes them something. No one is ever happy. Its never ENOUGH. Not enough Hispanics in the cabinet, not enough women in the cabinet, He has Gay People on his transition team, appoints a gay person to a top position in WH.......But its never enough.

So, basically, just my human rights. Is that too much? I trust you'll let me know if I'm going over the line. I realize you might have issues with me legally approaching your status as a human being.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/obama-addresses-critics-on-centrist-moves/

We are the ones that want to reach out and get things done. Not the DLC or the Republicons- they are for keeping us running in place while spinning in circles. You and I deserve to have NEW people who can inject fresh policies into the stagnant and corrupt systems we have before us. If change is going to take place, you don't gather up the old to expect a different outcome.

PE Barack Obama wants Universal Health Care. Eventually, after we get done fighting those stuck in neutral or say its a privilege.

Progressives are not asking for everything in the world all at once. We will continue to speak out for the interests of free citizens and we deserve to be supported in return by our party and PE Obama after the election. We want the same opportunities and access to forming an agenda as centrist and conservatives. Liberals have been told to shut up and sit down for decades. No more.

Barack Obama ran against the conservatives. He spoke of giving us a voice again. It is not about him, it's about us. Remember?

Progressive policies will provide the most relief and target our problems. I think the majority of people support these: Green collar job creation, fair value markets, equality, Universal health care rights, responsible governing, constitutional rights, sustainable environmental policies, etc... That IS every Democrat I know and those are progressive and liberal values. We should work for these causes as Democrats and these are the changes we want accomplished. Americans want a responsive and open government that upholds the prosperity of our citizens and obeys the rule of law. Not the other way around, like it is now.

The LGBT community pays taxes and are American citizens. Treat others as you would want to be. I will fight for them too.

These are big issues, and the most responsive and direct way to solve these outstanding problems are directly and progressively.

Its called Representative Democracy. We've not had that for a long while, so I think we may not know what that is like anymore.

* the decider thought he didn't "owe" it to us to tell us the truth about his illegal war or shoddy policies. No more absolute leaders!

The President is not supreme royalty. They are citizens with lottsa power and yet they still live by the same Constitution I do.

Obama owes much to the citizens. He pays it back by protecting our rights, changing policies, and living up to his oath to serve.

I have hope that he intends to do that like no one else has. PE Obama's post card said "I will never forget what you did."

Yes, he knows he owes us and I think he wants to pay it forward. He must avoid the familiar pit falls of Beltway politics.