Jesse Jackson Warns Obama

Jesse Jackson Warns Obama
by Shushannah Walshe

The woman who told the president she was “exhausted” of trying to defend him is like a canary in the mine who must be heard, the reverend says. He tells The Daily Beast's Shushannah Walshe that Obama's advisers' "point of view is conditioned by their privileges and their point of view is conditioned by their experiences. Their point of view is from the top down. They see the world differently."

Velma Hart’s impassioned plea to President Obama on Monday was a wakeup call not to take his most loyal supporters for granted. The president desperately needs his base to go to the polls in November, but Hart’s exasperation revealed a clear disconnect with that core group of supporters. Tuesday’s news that National Economic Council director Lawrence Summers is departing the administration may be a sign that Obama is realizing that his base is slipping away and he must take steps to reclaim it.

In an interview with The Daily Beast at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City, Obama ally Rev. Jesse Jackson said he understands Hart’s struggles and offered some advice to Obama on how to solve some of the country’s problems. He even stressed that America needs a second stimulus, despite the potential political unpopularity.

Jackson said he hopes whoever replaces Summers in the administration comes “from a different school of thought.”

“I think we need some bottom-up visionaries,” he said. “I think those who look from the bottom up and those who look from the top down are reconcilable, but I think the bottom-up visionaries are enormously beneficiary to the country.”

Asked if Summers represents a disconnect with the president’s base, Jackson replied, “The core of them—Summers, Geithner—these guys come out of the Wall Street, Harvard community, and their point of view is conditioned by their privileges and their point of view is conditioned by their experiences. Their point of view is from the top down. They see the world differently.”

Jackson was careful to compliment the president and praise his “tremendous work,” but he explained that his supporters are not feeling the results of that work. He described them as the “canaries in the mine” and said the president must listen to them.

“He genuinely cares,” Jackson said. “But truth, like electricity, requires a conduit. He needs more conduits to the zones of pain. He was trying to hear those people at the town hall. But he’s not hearing it in the staff meeting. What he hears in the staff meeting and what he heard in the town hall are two different things.”

What the president needs, Jackson said, is to inspire his base.

“In each of these cities, public teachers are being laid off, public housing is reduced, and foreclosures are rising. That’s the base of people who had the most hope, and the conduit is not connecting enough to revive their spirit to fight back.”

Jackson’s prescription includes a targeted war on poverty to directly address out-of-work Americans and what the reverend calls the new face of poverty: men and women who had a house and job six months ago. His plan includes a moratorium on home foreclosures for returning veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq; and student loan forgiveness so college students graduating without jobs won’t fall into poverty.

-edit-

More at:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-09-21/jesse-jackson-how-obama-can-win-velma-hart-back/

*****************

With some solid ideas and solutions for urban revitalization and job creation.

Obama doesn't NEED Jackson. But he needs to LISTEN to him.

Obama put in some good people.

But not people good at making changes necessary to make the economy work for more people.

or held in limbo? How many diploma-mill Bushies are still deep-seated? Things that make ya go, hmmmm...

and Summers --

and he just picked an ex Citicorp Executive for the OMB!!

Maybe he'll be laundering drug money thru government -- !!

How long were Dems able to hold up appointments before the Repugs screamed their

heads off?

How many Americans are even aware that so many appointments have been held up?

How often do Dems -- or Obama -- complain about it?

What's Holder doing except nothing -- seems planned that way -- not even helping

Don Siegelman!!

Tom DeLay is dancing with the stars. When you compare what Don Siegelman did with Tom Delay's crimes ..you get.

Don Siegelman questioned his election returns. He was ahead until 1 AM. Then a flood of votes for his opponent. Siegelman was ahead in the polls. Unlike the many other politicians who have had this same treatment , he spoke out.I think TPTB made an example out of him.

Tom DeLay sold this country to the highest bidder..handing out checks on the house floor. Made jokes that he had no heart..and his career in the House proved it. He has appealed for how many years now? Ted Stevens exonerated. Somehow the republicans keep on controlling the country whether they are elected or not.

The US voters rejected hillary clinton, but somehow obama's administration looks just like clintons. Ever think it makes no difference how we vote? Look at the sunday morning talk shows . They are still dominated by republicans. The same old democrats who go on can hardly finish a sentence. Howard Dean is just not asked. He isn't DLC. This country is hi jacked.

it's like the Dems don't want to face the computer election steals AT ALL.

Thom Hartmann says a Democrat told him that election steals are NOT to be spoken of

by any Democrat because the leadership fears that if Democrats begin to think the

elections aren't on the level that they will stop voting!!

DeLay should be in jail, IMO --

Agree that TPB pick our candidates -- and if we still don't get it right, they simply

fix the election!

You might be interested in this website -- it's about an investigation of computer

voting in the late 1960's by two journalists -- they wrote a book which was suppressed

but it's on line. You can read parts of it. The book sells here and there for $3.00

The LARGE computers used by MSM began coming in during the mid-1960's -- and gave the

press new powers to PREDICT and CALL elections -- ELECTORAL COLLEGE, winners/losers.

Prior to the large computers MSM could only report actual vote tallies.

What we saw in 2000 was simply a reversal of these new powers.

The voting computers began coming in during late 1960's -- all of this just about the

time that America was passing The Voting Rights Act! I'd question every election back

to Nixon/Humphrey which was also a squeaker.

Here's the link if you're interested -- by the way, these reporters also made their findings

known to the Democratic National Committe at the Watergate.

http://www.constitution.org/vote/votescam__.htm

then he's getting a skewed perspective of what the working world is like.

Here ya go --

This was posted on DU by another poster recently --

Ramh .... crowing about preserving "private health care industry" ... business s/b grateful!

Thursday, August 12, 2010 10:03 AM

Here is the quote: ”In a Thursday interview, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel argued that rather than recoiling against Obama, business leaders should be grateful for his support on at least a half-dozen counts: his advocacy of greater international trade and education reform open markets despite union skepticism; his rejection of calls from some quarters to nationalize banks during the financial meltdown; the rescue of the automobile industry; the fact that the

overhaul of health care preserved the private delivery system;

the fact that billions in the stimulus package benefited business with lucrative new contracts, and that financial regulation reform will take away the uncertainty that existed with a broken, pre-crash regulatory apparatus.

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=B2F85DDF-18...


Or are we supposed to believe that Rahm did this on his own ...

he certainly attributes it to Obama having SAVED the privatized system!!

It's all disgusting -- !!

is a major contributer to our health care problems.

but he gets a pass from some here simply because he puts a (D) behind his name. He's part of the GOP hijacking of our party, NOT a Democrat!

“It was like Shirley Sherrod said: I’m not interested in coming to the White House. I want you to come to south Georgia to see what is really happening on the ground, because he is a fast learner and a very passionate guy. So I think if the conduits are in place for the connectivity, you’ll see results, but right now we are watering the leaves.”

I thought of Shirley Sherrod too, especially when Hart said she's tired of defending Obama. That was so interesting to me, that woman defending the president. I think Obama needs to realize how many people are defending him. And then think about what happened to Shirley Sherrod.

the AA community knows what's going on and they're not out protecting anyone just

for the sake of it ... when he isn't doing the right things!!

I had been a fan back in the late 80s, early 90s, and then lost some respect for him since then. But this is his old charisma coming back.

Yeah, for all the candid vids they put up on You Tube.

This meme about "ignoring the base" is WAY overplayed. I'm getting a little fed up with it.

Easy to manage perceptions when people are thriving, not so easy when they are hungry, or worried about being hungry.

He's not ignoring his base.

If that's true though...

Bush: "This is an impressive crowd: the haves, and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite, I call you my base."

The only thing in the OP that I disagree with concerns the idea of if President Obama "needs" Jesse. I think that he absolutely needs Jesse's support.

Recommended.

I do not think the canary in the coal mine is a CFO

I never understood his administration's dissing of progressives. Many of us were highly motivated to do the legwork of GOTV.

(whom I suspect is a Michael Steele plant), speak for this African American. And, Jesse, if the news reports are true, you should probably be advising your own son, right about now. He's in a lot hotter water than the President.

I still love ya Jesse, but let's not rush to embrace this Velma character so quickly. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop on her. ;-)

It might be benificial to have at least a meager understanding of history before making ignorant statrements. Jesse ran and came mighty close to winning the democratic nomination.

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Just SOP these days.

seen the response before it was zapped. If anyone can tell me what it said, I'd appreciate it. Laughter is good for the soul.

In the primaries, Jackson, who had been written off by pundits as a fringe candidate with little chance at winning the nomination, surprised many when he took third place behind Senator Gary Hart and former Vice President Walter Mondale, who eventually won the nomination. Jackson garnered 3,282,431 primary votes, or 18.2 percent of the total, in 1984,<27> and won five primaries and caucuses, including Louisiana, the District of Columbia, South Carolina, Virginia, and one of two separate contests in Mississippi.<28>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Jackson

I used to have the utmost respect for Jesse Jackson. Third place is certainly respectable, but I don't know about "mighty close." Depends on one's specific means of measurement, of course.

But the utter irony of you deigning to chastise anyone for their "lack of historical knowledge" is mind blowing. This from the man who wrote about being a "Malcolm X Democrat" and going out of your way to become (uncharacteristically) nasty and hostile when confronted. Any surprise I may have felt about your bizarre as well as factually and historically inaccurate OP was immediately overshadowed by your hostility. I've ignored you since but I'm just about blown away by your comment here to Tarheel_Dem. Talk about the pot calling the kettle... something.

Like all people, I have good and bad days. Years ago, I was in a serious automobile "accident" (a person on a cell phone hit me at 55 mph, rolling me into a third vehicle, and after much surgery and years of PT, disabled). Even though I consider myself happy and lucky to be alive, there are days when my family tells me that I'm a bit cranky and unpleasant. I don't mean to be terrible.

I am also not patient with people who, rather than disagreeing about "facts," are on an anti-H2O Man binge. If it's simply facts, and interpretation of them, I'm usually patient .....for example, a wikpedia artle about the 1984 primary per Jesse can and should be responded to with an encouraging word -- take the time to find out about the '88 contest. Not only from wikpedia, which is fine for an overview, but is not as in-depth as one should go. Can you tell me, from that, about the infamous meeting of the other candidates in '88, to discuss "how to deal with Rev. Jackson"? Is it really possible for one who is uninformed about that year's dynamics to venture a meaningful opinion? Should I remain silent, in order to not hurt someone's delicate feelings, or upset the bliss of ignorance? I know that circumcision is a conflicted topic on this forum, but shall we willingly allow the truth to be clipped off discussions here? And is it not true that an insult from me is equal to a blessing from the pope?

There are often problems with comprehension on this forum. Malcolm, for example, invested in voter education and registration in low-income neighborhoods -- after leaving the NOI. He assisted a number of politicians -- all of whom were from the dermocratic left. No republicans. No independents. No democrats who were moderate-to-conservative. He seriously considered the MFDP's offer to run for office -- as a democrat. One would need to explore sources beyond wikpedia for much of this information. Those who have asked me politely for assistance on finding these sources have always had my assistence. Those who insult me, as you have, generally do not get the same investment of my time. I am, after all, human, and not particularly interested in what I consider to be a waste of time.

Again, I'm sorry if I have offended you. I do hope that in the future, you continue to ignore me.

Peace,
H2O Man

I (mistakenly) believed that since you present yourself around here as a man who is interested in other viewpoints and perspectives that a different point of view would have been appreciated.

In that ridiculous thread of yours, I made my comment with much "great post, H2OMan" and use of the :hi: smiley. It was a very friendly, polite post. But because I had the unmitigated GALL to question your characterization of Malcolm X as a "Democrat" of any stripe, you huffed and puffed and blew your credibility all to the damn ground. I mean, how DARE a black person question your bizarre use of a civil rights icon that I consider one of my personal heroes? The black separation movement is nothing new to me. My mother was a Black Panther back in the day and I was brought up reading alot of their ideology. I know that you'd rather continue to get your high fives from the historically clueless here on DU, but I found your OP odd to say the least. And whether you want to admit it or not, it was YOU who was rude to ME.

So you just keep right on with your erroneous, smug assessments of what you think happened during the Civil Rights struggle as well as what's happening on earth right now. No skin off my nose if you want to look like an idiot. Luckily for you, DU is full of people who are equally as clueless as you and love to pat themselves on the back about how "culturally evolved" they are. I'm sure that they will continue to be all too happy to kick and rec your threads.

I do hope that in the future, you continue to ignore me.

Done! :hi:

You suffer from concrete thinking. I did not say Malcolm was a democrat. Everyone but you clearly understood that. I explained it in the simplest terms possible. For whatever reason, you are invested in your error. But it belongs to you, alone.

arrogance beyond all reason. If there was anything to back it up it, that'd be okay.

In your thread, I was happy to have an exchange with you which is why I posted what I did. Your OP was inaccurate and weird, there was nothing "simple" about it except perhaps the range of thought put into writing it. You'd be surprised by the number of people here who had no idea what the hell you were talking about in your OP but I made the (never to be repeated) mistake of trying to engage you. I'd done so in the past without any serious issues. The prior conversations were vapid but at least they weren't hostile.

Instead, you chose to immediately become condescending and hateful, much as you have done in this thread as well. Making your snide unnecessary comments about "only reading Wikipedia." I'd take my background on this (and probably many more topics) over yours any day of the week. From what I understand, many minorities here don't give you the time of day for exactly the same hateful false sense of superiority that you have shown me.

But as I said, keep patting yourself on the back and thinking that I'm the one with the problem. Your arms must be a hell of a lot more flexible than your mind.

I guess that you just can't help it. Can't ignore me. I understand.

I'm sure that there are people here who do not/did not have any idea what the heck I was talking about. Likewise, there were/are many who do. That's the nature of this forum, as well as real life.

My adult life has been spent as an advocate for those at the margins of our society. That includes in the context of employment, and on my own tab. Victims of domestic violence; those who are rightly or wrongly incarcerated; the mentally ill; the homeless; the victims of hate crimes; and on and on. You find me obnoxious and arrogant; I think I am simply self-confident, and suspect that it would be difficult to do what I've done if burdened with an inferiority complex.

I find that you have a curious habit of claiming that you know how different <minority" groups think of me. Odd, that. I doubt that you know my racial/ethnic background, beyond "part Irish." Likewise, I have no idea what your background is. You recently claimed your Mom was a Black Panther, which may or may not be true. Regardless, it has no bearing on your inability to discuss what politicians, post NOI, Malcolm was closely associated with. There are enough available resources that anyone interested in Malcolm can easily find out.

Although I never met Malcolm or Martin Luther King, Jr., my mentor as a teen was friends with both men. From an early age, I was strongly encouraged to read, listen to, and discuss everything I could get my hands on about these two men. I've had the opportunity to meet with other figures who were well acquainted with both men. I'm confident that I can hold my own with any person on this forum in discussing either of the two. Especially you.

My grandfather knew him through college. Your supposed "knowledge" pales against mine in every way. And you truly need to understand that.

It's come to my attention that you are not well. I will end this significantly unpleasant conversation here.

I believe every word that you say. Ha!

Like you, I have a huge respect for Rev. Jackson, but in the end, HE LOST! And I'm not a big fan of the revisionists here at DU. :hug:

I did not see the Town Hall meeting so all I have heard is she said she was getting tired of defending him..Was there a bunch more?

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She asked if this is her new normal. If we listen to Goolsbee who glibly tells us jobs won't be back anytime soon, it would seem the answer is yes for millions of people.

Why would you launch such a vile attack someone who asked that question. I saw her on Hardball yesterday and she clearly stated she still has faith in the President and still supports him. This woman is no right wing talker. Indications are that lowered standards of living is or will be the new normal for most who are not in the top 2%. I, personally, think it's good when the President gets to hear from someone out here living the new reality who isn't part of the Goldman/Citibank/Wall Street think tank that makes up his economic team.

Jesse is right. It is time, past time, to look at some 'bottom up' options for getting out of this economic mess. Top down economics have been in operation since Reagan and only work for the top as we've seen.

other than not "feeling" change. She is a CFO, having trouble paying her bills. Obama went on and explained the ways that help is coming to her family (if not already). People leave out all this because it does not fit the narrative of an uncaring, un-compassionate commander in chief.

will only help the opposition. Just look around at the message discipline corps here. They are not only ineffective at garnering support, their tactics of shouting down other views and alerting on every opposition reply to policy has resulted in their being relegated to their own irrelevant echo chamber. Rather than building support, they put people off. Fewer and fewer people even bother to respond to them any longer and their posts usually fall off the page with negative recs.

The top-down view that they work in and that Mr. Jackson speaks of doesn't matter to the voters, they live on the bottom, and what they've seen is instant and extreme generosity delivered to those on top that caused this mess, while their lives get worse every day. To use an old theater maxim, "That won't play in Peoria".

Quick, catch it before it is deleted.

The 'message discipline corps' would be better served to join us in our attempt to move the Obama Administration in the direction they should have taken all along.

in 2009, long before this lady said anything.

And nice job, disrespecting Jesse Jackson.

:rofl:

State of the Black Union, indeed. :eyes:

about Jackson's run discredits anything else she says. Her responses do, too.

*

Calling disagreement IS NOT disrespect! Disappointment does NOT shut a door that can't be re-opened! And of late, I'm beginning to see a few more HIGH PROFILE people daring to voice their opinions.

Didn't Colin Powell just have a few choice words to say this past week-end too?? It was Obama who said "hold my feet to the fire" and many believed him! Some of us don't go blindly into the night!

JMHO!

Disagree = Disrespect

"your threats have no power over me." You're not Gandalf battling the Balrog, not even close. You do know that don't you?

Jackson's 'hot son'?!

"I'm glad you got yourelf (sic) a mirror" are we in grade school? What's next, 'I know you are but what am I?

somebody/group trying to "tear it (Democratic Party) down from within." said about "...the infrastructure/institutions built up by the Democratic Party"

"am sick of people building their own careers on the back of this president. And Velma's no different than Joe The Plumber" all this because she had the utmost temerity to ask the President, at a Town Hall meeting, a question?


"let's not rush to embrace this Velma character so quickly", she's probably a "Michael Steele plant"
& "waiting for the other shoe to drop" on Velma


That's well into paranoia. You really need a break from this

The meaning of "disrespect" is in the dictionary.

You people have been ridiculous, accusing her of being a plant - or worse.

known now, and I fully expect her to pop up on "Dancing With the Stars", or "The Apprentice" shortly. GO VELMA!!!!!

I don't blame a sistah for looking out for her own, but as I said, before yesterday no one knew who the hell she was. I am sick of people building their own careers on the back of this president. And Velma's no different than Joe The Plumber, IMHO. :eyes:

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sorry I was engaged in a charity event..but What i saw was heart stopping...this woman was very upset and concerned and disenchanted..and I saw Obama laughing....at the podium..and I yelled stop laughing at the TV ..and the people I was with were equally upset about Obama's laughing.

Am I the only one who saw this????????

My daughter did, too. We agreed that it was a mistake on his part.

everyone like her who saw it!

It was a direct insult.

And my immediate reaction was..well now that lady goes into the catagory..Fucking Retard Professional Liberal!

I am sure many working on the Charity I was working with, thought the same thing..the reaction from those I was with was anger!..as we were all watching.

to hearing the truth presented so starkly and candidly.

I don't think the President is an uncaring man.

I do believe his cabinet and advisors have fostered an insular sort of thinking and having someone essentially tell him to his face that he could and should be trying a different strategy shocked him.

thought he responded well.

I agree the bubble created by the sons of privilege on his economic team has shielded him from the daily reality of the lives of the people.

I was glad the question was asked and he heard from someone living in the real world out here who isn't part of his circle of privileged wonks. And I

impossible to serve as President and not be in a bubble. Obama attempts to avoid that in many ways, including personally responding to ten letters a day. But an aide selects the letters that he reads.

I trust that he believes he is doing the best that he can, under severe circumstances.

I doubt that he intended it to come off that way. I assume that he was hoping to change the tone.

The ending to any great statement of opinion is "to me" -- usually you will add these things to try and temper the tantrums. I am a bit surprised to see you jumping into the fray in this thread.

To me the smile seemed out of exasperation, and my honest interpretation of the exchange was that it was a net positive for both, ultimately. It has been spun in wildly different directions here at DU. I am more than willing to accept this as projection on my part, since Obama has done significant things for both veterans and women since he has been in office, and her frustration, while palpable, made little sense to me... and I am arguably far worse off than she.

the exact same thing, and view it very differently. It does not mean that one is right, or the other is wrong. Perhaps it is such in this case.

Discussions on this forum frequently are fueled with emotion, and spin far away from what is important. In another section on this thread, a person accused me of writing an "anti-Obama" journal. Back in the 2008 democratic primary, a group of DUers who supported another candidate lobbied to have me banned from this forum, because of my open support for Obama. I suppose that you can't please everyone. I am confident, however, that I got out far more votes for Obama in November, 2008, than any other forum member.

Yet it appears that it will be difficult to get out anywhere near that many votes in 2012. I have explained, numerous times, that as a member of the democratic left, I have enjoy close personal, social, and political relationships with people to the left of the Democratic Party. While I'm not 100% satisfied with the Obama administration (which obviously is larger than just the president), I believe that most of the problems have to do with those in the House and Senate. And that creates problems in the context of the 2010 mid-terms.

I'm glad that President Obama heard from the two people that the media highlighted in their reports (the woman discussed in the OP, and another fellow). I think it is important that he listen to and fully appreciate what they are expressing. I believe that he can, no matter if they strike you or I as articulate. I also think that the administration, and indeed the Democratic Party, does better when people such as Jesse Jackson are respected and listened to.

There is much to agree with. My exasperation should never be taken as a sign of unwillingness to listen to anyone, and I think, similarly, Obama, above many others, has shown that he strains to keep his roots, as well as the pulse of the country, at the forefront of his consciousness.

I feel I got mixed in with another not so polite poster in this thread due to my "support" of the President in this scenario. Such is life at DU these days.

On the subject at hand: Having listened very hard during the race, I remember being told over and over again "Yes WE can" not "Yes I can" -- so when I hear voters like this one... while wonderfully eloquent and passionate about her feelings... almost painfully unaware (outwardly at least) of the changes that have probably already helped her... while hitting him over the head with a stick "YOU need to make ME feel better about this change thing" ... I get upset.

Everyone is talking these days about keeping him in check, making sure he is not in a bubble.

One thing we can do as citizens to help this President... is stay informed. Whether that means listening to Jesse Jackson, or knowing what this President has already accomplished.

I think it is possible people might consider that her perspective may have been misunderstood as well. Perhaps she is tired of defending this President from Republican colleagues. Working at the level she is at, she may be surrounded.

if we listen to what she said, it is pretty clear that she is not talking about defending him from attacks by republican colleagues. Much like the other fellow that every news station I saw highlighted, she was expressing frustration with the pace of "change."

Over a period of a couple weeks, I've posted a few essays having to do with two books that I read on a recent vacation: one was Jonathan Alter's "The Promise: President Obama, Year One" (which was definitely a pro-Obama book), and a rabid right-wing republican smear, which would be useful if I had an outhouse.

Alter is a supporter of President Obama. He highlights the administration's successes, many of which have been either totally ignored or downplayed by the media. He identifies the opposition that President Obama faces in Congress, including from members of both parties. And he includes several examples of where the administration -- including the President -- have taken steps where even his strong supporters could sincerely disagree with his tactics and/or objectives.

We should attempt to find some type of balance on this forum. There are those who appear only to be able to process the President as "all good," or "all bad." Neither view is rooted in reality; both are symptoms of the individual's projections, rather than a real, live human being named Barack Obama.

More, just as there are people such as the authors of the other book I mentioned, who have no ethics or morals, who simply seek to spread divisions based upon hatred and fear. We see evidence of such diseased thinking, not within the actual democratic base, but rather in those who pretend to be pro-democratic policy, or pro-Obama, but are actually intent upon spreading small pox-infected blankets of lies within our community. And that includes, at times, on this forum ..... which is why we should appreciate the efforts of the moderators.

Dissent and protest -- and the debates and even arguments that oiften follow -- should be welcome, encouraged, and not viewed as some purity test. I trust people here to make up their own minds, based upon their own beliefs and values. I simply ask to be granted that same respect. I think that many on the democratic left, including myself, are nt given this benefit often enough by the moderate to conservative folks on this forum.

it's awfully difficult to manage on an anonymous internet forum, even more so in the real world if you are a political figure.

I oftentimes find myself wondering how my support of the President (on most subjects) translates to how my posts are viewed on DU. However, I have learned a more important lesson, recently, which is to stop caring. People have become vicious and ego-driven on this forum. If I spent all my time assuming I was the victim of a troll, or trying to prove I was not, I would certainly have left a long time ago (been here since 2002).

The more entrenched we get the less we hear and the less we learn, and the more we marginalize ourselves. I recognize that. That goes for any position, however.

I sense dissent among progressives, not just a left battle vs the center. I very much consider myself progressive, having voted Nader in 2000 (yes I regret it), but have remained an old hat ideologue with a more pragmatic world-view. This lined up well with Obama, as I see him as a "pragmatic idealist," which I think the times call for. I am happy to be wrong. What I sense though is an entitlement to the word "progressive" as if by uttering it, one has bathed themselves in an ideological purity that fills them with a wisdom some glassy-eyed pragmatists could never attain.

I used to feel this way. No more. There is no time for how I feel.

Many of us who support Barack Obama on most issues are progressives who want the same things as those who carry the mantle of being a progressive with this sense of entitlement. Supporting the President does not make us center, center right or any other label that can be thrown out. It means we support his policy positions, and fight to get them passed, rather than argue about the nuance in these times. If I felt we had the votes and or ability to do all of the things we want, I would be full-throated screaming to get them done, now. It is simply not the case, though, that we live in that reality. And while it can be argued Obama has not "tried hard enough" or is "in a bubble" I simply reject those arguments based on my interpretation of how these changes are taking place in these particular times and circumstances. This does not preclude keeping pressure on, nor does it preclude fighting Republicans tooth and nail.

This is the root of the purity arguments on this board, in my opinion. It boils down to respect and entitlement. This is also not to say there are not many who are here to inflame, incite, or are actually centrist Democrats. Their (the latter) opinions should be welcome as well.

This approach for me makes for a lot of depression, but keeps me focused on what I can do during my brief lifetime, with eyes towards the future... to help fellow Democrats, and of course, my family and myself.

I consider myself a progressive member of the democratic left. I have friends, both here and in "real life," who are liberals; I like and respect them, even though they are more towards the political center than I. Likewise, I like and respect many people further to the left than I; although they are not members of the democratic party, we tend to have common goals and values.

There are, of course, people who suffer from concrete thinking within the democratic left. I'm not as sure it is as common as in the moderate-to-conservative ranks, but that may simply be my perception. I'm confident, however, that concrete thinking and personality disorders are more common and far more deeply entrenched in the republican population. Still, I have a few friends and relatives who are republicans, and I tend to think that in the end, God forgives them.

The primary difference of opinion that I notice on this forum, however, in regard to President Obama and the democratic Congress, has to do with what actions people think that they should take, in order to voice their support or dissent. Part of that ertainly has to do with expectations: I have expressed my belief, for example, going back to before the 2004 election that a US President is limited in the amount of "good" they can do, but -- as Bush/Cheney proved -- almost unlimited in the "bad" they can accomplish. Considering that the majority of democrats in Congress in that period were, if not willing accomplices to those actions, spineless cowards who neglected to uphold their oath of office, it is hardly surprising that President Obama is not able to accomplish some of the good he attempts.

However, even as a supporter of Obama in the primaries, I noted that I strongly opposed his proposed position on the US war against Afghanistan. Just as LBJ could not accomplish his Great Society goals while funding the tragic US war of aggression in Vietnam, President Obama cannot take the necessary steps to create a safety net that supports the low-income and the victims of the current economic crisis.

I believe in listening to my conscience. I can't pretend that supporting blue-dog democrats is in the best interests of what I believe in. I invest my energies (time & money) in supporting those candidates that share my beliefs. I don't tell anyone else how to vote. But there sure as heck are an easily identified group of people on this forum who believe it is their duty and right to tell people like me who to support. They have no problem with insulting not only public figures, such as Jesse Jackson, who have given voice to the democratic left, but also the good and decent folks here who are entirely capable of thinking for themselves, in determining if various politicians actually do represent their interests, and exactly who they will support in 2010 and 2012.

I'm definitely not including you as one of the group that I find offensive on this forum. I think we agree on some issues, disagree on others, and tend to share a somewhat common outlook.

when she sid she didn't have a credit card.
He did NOT laugh at her!!!!
Pay attention to what's going on before lobbing preposterous criticisms!!!

Both of them were smiling at the end, and he got a standing ovation. People forget that bit.

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And if a Republican takeover of Congress means the country moves further right? Then so be it. 1994 moved Bill Clinton further to the right. 2010 could move the current Dem party even further than that.

I hope you get all you're wishing for. However, your threats have no power over me. You can't ever go wrong when you do what you think is right. This is exactly why Democrats don't go any further out on a limb for leftists, they know there's absolutely no loyalty there. Go for it! :hi:

and how this nation got destroyed under Reagan!

Think it can't happen again?

Think again!

People vote with their pocket books! Or lack there of!

Or when they think they are being ignored ..or abused and bullied by their own party! And when their party laughs in their face and the face of their sincere problems,their values, and their principles..and has little to no solutions to their problems but to insult them and laugh in their faces!

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I guess that purity brigade included oh five members of the UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT... I am sure you missed that.

to those five members. Deny it all you want, but the purity brigade provided cover, and took money from the very same people who stole an election. Trashing Gore all over the place, didn't help. If third parties want to do their own thing, I say go for it. Just don't use the infrastructure/institutions built up by the Democratic Party, only to try & tear it down from within.

and you know what? The purity brigade has nothing to do with the number of people who could NOT vote... again another part of the story revisionists conveniently forget.

know is that the purity brigade made stealing the election much easier. "Gore=Bush"? Remember that?

than the people who were turned away at the polls for being felons in the future. You know that, but you CHOSE TO IGNORE IT.

2000 WAS A FUCKING DAMN COUP. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

No you don't. Far easier to keep going after the ills you imagine.

:hi:

who were commiting two crimes, voting democrat while black. THAT is the fucking crime. Not a few people who were not going to vote for democrats either way.

In reality, of course, there were massive voter shenanigans in Florida, including the exclusion of thousands of blacks from voter rolls for no good reason. I remember some becing called felons, convicted in 2015.

Of course, there are the thousands of good, upright Democrats who voted for Bush, but why go after them?

that were NOT going to vote for Gore either way, who were Greens or indies, than conservadems... or for that matter the shenanigans in Florida and four years later in Ohio. The US has a history of shenanigans, but if anybody asked me what is my opinion as to how clean our elections are... I'd have to say not so much. We have serious problems, and until we as a country DEMAND clean elections, those problems will continue.

And voting while black and dem is a crime in some regions of the country. In others it is voting while Hispanic and dem... I could go on. Hell, I CARRY a passport to vote these days. I should not have to, but I do. I blame a corrupt electoral system (mostly run by the right) not the left.

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now THAT is funny!

and I have to believe that you're skating on pretty thin ice, so I'll just say :hi:




:rofl:

are you referring to the deleted sub thread where someone accused me of being a troll and part of a conspiracy? You do know that is against the rules, don't you??????

:rofl:

this week, my real concern is if some rude poster on DU is laughing at me for insufficient reverence towards the President.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

:rofl:

of the Adminstration somehow speaks for all of us. This woman is a CFO, so how many black people, other than her own household, does she speak for?

If she's "exhausted from defending the president", I suggest she just STFU, unless she's also his publicist. Why & where is she defending him? That line was intended to elicit headlines. Mission Accomplished! And now she'll make the rounds, like Christine O'Donnell, and get her mug on the teevee, and possibly wind up on Dancing With The Stars, ala Bristol Palin.

I hope she gets everything out of this that she desires. Any good CFO, worth his/her salt, knows how to generate income. :;)

Her 'offense' was insufficient genuflection in the presence of the President, apparently.

I saw her on Hardball and she was very complimentary of the President.

For asking one question, some of the vilest aspersions have been made on her here. It tells me far more about those attacking her than it tells me about her.

about this president, day in & day out. But, I'm not allowed to speculate about the motives of a woman I never heard of until yesterday? Message received. Let's wait & see what "new opportunities" come her way. :rofl:

the GOP, rush to embrace the same people, as long they're critical. Like he needed Velma Hart to tell him that a lot of people are hurting? She should get over herself.

I wish no ill for this woman, but I'm highly dubious as to her motives, and will remain so. :hi:

the President's 'supporters' in a very good light. This woman had nothing but nice things to say about the President on Hardball yesterday, said she has faith in him to get us through this, and that she intends to vote for him, again.

The level of devotion we see some here demand for the President is bordering on religious insanity. Most people's first concern is being able to take care of themselves and their families. Velma Hart has been demonized all over this board for expressing that and asking the President about it. I guess she didn't get the memo that proper devotion to the President must now take priority over her life or that of her family.

edited typo

if the person in question is in any sense a supporter of President Obama. The posts on this thread alone suggest this person's only goal is to insult the democratic left, and create an atmosphere of hostility. I've yet to see a speck of evidence suggesting she supports Obama.

Yes. These types of posts do tend to put the 'supporters' in a bad light and probably hurt the President more than they help.

Read that person's entire platterings on this thread -- not one could be mistaken as an attempt to support the President. Quite the opposite.

to drop, shall we? I smell another Alvin Greene setup. 'Obama Derangement Syndrome, it's not just for Republicans anymore'....:eyes:

:rofl:

:rofl:





:thumbsup:

in the face of the Bushbots and Right Wingers who were wailing, gnashing their teeth, and tearing their clothes over his election.

Felt good after all those fucking years of 'for us or against us' shit we endured over the illegally installed idiot son and his sidekick Igor Cheney.

cult of personality... slightly different and with dangerous implications.

Don't matter who the leader is, and as long as the leader don't use it... but here what you are seeing is CLASSIC cult of personality.

At least not in America.

with Bush... same thing, different leader.

Bush actually sort of used it with dog whistle politics.

You laugh at ignorance? That is simple stupidity on your part.

No matter, many here think ignorance = stupidity. You included, obviously.

:eyes:

remember that the "d" in DU stands for Democratic. ;-)

wondered at the time what the reaction to his grin and laugh would be. I thought it was rather condescending.

If Obama surrounded himself with real people advising him he would understand what is going on in this country. But he is surrounded by people out of touch and apparently have zero empathy for the people. If Obama was smart he would fire most of his advisors and replace them with people who understand and have NO ties to businesses, especially Wall Street thugs.

worry about whether they can pay their bills and if they are headed back to the days of hot dogs and beans for dinner.

Goddess help him if he's ever questioned by a homeless mother trying to feed, clothe, and raise her children on the streets.

What evidence do you have that the president doesn't care? He put the wrong people on his economic team, I grant you that. But as you can see, they're dropping like flies and Warren is in. Remember too that many of Obama's appointments are being held up by the repukes in the Senate!

As for the nervous laugh, it bothered me only in the sense that people like you would automatically reduce it to something sinister on the part of the president. You know darn well that it was a nervous. And had you and the other Obama detractors watched the entire exchange rather than conveniently jumping on the Corporate Media/Repuke bandwagon, you would have seen that their discussion was well received. What is more, Ms. Hart has been everywhere reaffirming her loyalty and support for what the president is trying to do. But I suppose that it's more convenient to ignore the context of what happened because it doesnt fit the anti-Obama meme around here.

You saw the President laughing at a person he engaged in an excellent exchange?

I was in Boston..and it was discussed at length on the local Boston news!

Not very kindly, I might add!

Now there's a reliable source. How's the constant pro Scott Brown reporting?

I saw the event, and the President was not laughing at the questioner. It was a relatively light-hearted exchange.

the O&A and the local Boston news was on during the work we were doing on the charity..oh and the charity was for children who are being hurt by this economy..so the laughter was not taken very " Light Hearted " by those working at my side in the charity! Oh and all those working on the charity ..were all mega donor Democrats!

And had no real specific complaint other than being tired of defending him?

especially if you pushed a certain Presidential candidate ..saying change was coming and things would get better under said presidential candidate???????????

are you really this naive???????? or shallow????? or ignorant to reality??????????

She mentioned economic troubles for herself & family.

I happen to have a dear friend who is a CFO and he can hardly sleep at night of how many people he has seen let go ..people who's lives are destroyed when they lose their jobs..and he damn well knows the consequences of what his actions as a CFO are..but he is not the CEO and he has to abide by the CEO and the board decisions..

Please stop taking others posts and re-writing them..it is disingenuous at best!

I merely stated "MANY" CFO'S..and what many CFO's do in their job description.

Do not twist my posts...for your agenda...you don't have my permission to do so!

personally did not bring up having to fire people, nor did she say anything specific other than her family is hurting and she has yet to "feel" change.

I thought the entire exchange was productive, but not instructive in terms of what "ALL" Obama supporters are feeling.

YOU twisted my words..and what i was saying..YOU did that!

Signed into law the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, giving women equal pay to men- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtKAKlurRAY

She has been attacked over and over here for questioning a President she voted for, has said she has faith in, and has said she will vote for, again.

If you think she was worried about equal pay, email her a copy of your answer about Lily Ledbetter.

My issue, these days, is more about help for the homeless as I'm soon to be among them.

not Velma. Your needs are simply more urgent, obviously.


I am more concerned about the vets she works for as well than I am for her... This is not meant to sound harsh, but... I am sorry that she may have to go back to hot dogs, and yet even more sorry that the billionare hedge fund guy feels like a pinata :sarcasm:

I remember when things started to get a little tighter and we made what adjustments we could, thinking things would be harder but we'd make it through. One serious illness and one job loss in the family later, and we're dirt poor and only sleeping indoors due to the help of a friend. She is right to be worried. It can happen to anyone. All sorts of people who would never have been facing anything like these types of difficulties are at risk now. It is traveling up the ladder, now.

I was let go of my job of 9 years, got to chauffeur and train my replacement. 7 months unemployed, caught a lucky break and am now getting by. I wish the best for you. It was the CFO's decision in my case, to outsource the entire security for a national fiber-optics network. Times were tough then, hah! I managed to save the jobs of the folks below me for 6 months by stalling on writing the "script" that would replace our 100% efficiency in protecting the network.

You are accusing me of all sorts of stuff, and frankly it's getting kind of annoying. I am pointing out what happened. I figured you were speaking on the subject of the CFO in question, pardon me if I did not know you have a CFO friend who is worried sick. I can empathize with that. I was trying to stick with the facts of the discussion at hand. I quietly ignored your previous attack on my previous post, but I'd appreciate it if you would not assume I am attacking you or any CFO's, just pointing out what happened at said forum.

any part of "MANY CFO"s" you don't understand or comprehend?

And sorry but when you take my words out of context or twist them..I don't take kindly to that.

And you first addressed me. Not the other way around.

The bait and switch doesn't work well with me. I will call you on it.

why you feel the need to address me using words like naive and basically outright calling me an idiot. Your prerogative.

I did no such thing to you. If I took you out of context by not channeling your brainwaves and knowing the back-story of your touching friendship with a CFO, and your general compassion towards all misunderstood CFO's, I truly apologize. I did actually read the words you posted, but I was staying on task. My bad.

Unfortunately my experience with CFO's has involved eight rounds of layoffs, retirement funds lost, people let go to save a buck for the executive team, and an eerily silent company that feels the need to share absolutely nothing about it's financial condition. I forgot to add a very slimy one that calls me to inform me labs do not normally charge $2000 for a urinalysis, they must have processed it out of network.

Mix that with this lady... very powerful, yet painfully unaware of what Obama has already done for her... yet chides him for something abstract that she never quite exactly gets around to.

That is where I am coming from.

:hi:

I did not call you an idiot..again you are taking my words and twisting them for some agenda..I do not understand!

I asked if you were ignorant to reality or naive..that is not calling you anything.

Asking you if you are Ignorant to reality is not calling you an idiot..I do not call anyone an idiot. Not today and not tommorrow!

So just stop the damn twisting of my words and then thinkig you can get away with it by playing parsing games!

sorry i don't remember what the Vets group it is .

You would think so. But her complaints seemed specific to herself and family.

in the context of the forum, however, I thought it was illuminating that she did not mention what actions she has taken as CFO, or seemed unaware of the work Obama has done for her and for vets. Her plea was obviously heartfelt, all suffering is relative, and no, I do not think she is worthy of attack, nor do I think she is worthy of the mantle of typical Obama supporter. I am not even close to exhausted defending what he has accomplished, and without knowing more about her I could not compare what she feels versus what I feel.

of.

NO Boston media is any darn good,
Boston, capital of the state of whose citizens Teddy Kennedy spent his entire life representing

-- no way their media is Fair & Balanced towards the Prez!

Why?

Because they also report on Scott Brown! *gasp!* *clutch pearls!*



:eyes: :crazy:

Strange behavior for a 'plant.'

:shrug: lol

here for a lack of sufficiently insane devotion. She's probably one of those voters who doesn't see support for an elected official as a religious obligation or any disaapointment as cause for excommunication.

remorseful then, she will be. She's definitely in the minority in my community, and she certainly doesn't speak for me. Michael Steele got his headline, and the Koch Bros. got their money's worth.

The woman had no specific complaint other than not "feeling" change even from her CFO position. He also knew how people would jump all over it politically.

What was he thinking? He's lucky that it hasn't gotten more play in the media.

Thanks for the thread, chimpymustgo.

is a CFO who was basically complaining about financial issues for her family "we may have to go back to hot dogs" and whatnot. She had no specific complaint, other than she doesn't "feel" anything yet.

She is NOT a typical Obama supporter. Just because she is African American, and is unhappy, people have latched on to this idea that she is the embodiment of an Obama supporter.

FALSE.

:thumbsup:

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EPIC FAIL! And you were the one talking about "class"?

http://www.amvets.org/about_us/who_we_are.html

My impression is she and her husband have had an income which has afforded them, in recent years, a comfortably middle class lifestyle but that they are seeing it get tougher-the same position millions of those lucky enough to still have their jobs are in-things are getting tougher and they aren't sure how far down they will go before things turn around.

WTF??? Why would this not be an Obama supporter? Is it your contention he has no middle class supporters?

that is all I said. No need to fly off the handle. I'm sorry if the word "CFO" is charged these days, but, there you have it. I was once an executive for a failed video production company right out of college if that helps you understand my perspective is not skewed here.

I will say, she is probably doing better than most, hence my concern that so many latch onto her as a poster-child for all that is wrong with Obama.

I shouldn't assume everyone posting on this thread has been part of that.

Too bad he lost his credibility when it comes to criticizing Obama.

might not have considered.

When he came and spoke at my high school in the mid-80's, you could have powered the city on the electricity, excitement and buzz he created.

But that sentiment faded a loooooong time ago. Even before it came out about his child with a woman NOT his wife.

own words.

Yes, and I saw her on Hardball where she had a lot of good to say about the President. She stated she still has a lot of faith in him.

Yet, I see some of the vilest attacks on her here today. I guess anything short of a deep enough genuflection to the President puts her under the bus as a 'hater.'

I would stop foreclosures for more than just veterans though, and student loan forgiveness would help millions. I realize the privileged Harvard network got him into office but he needs more people around with a different viewpoint and background.

You wanna jumpstart this economy? Do something about these student loans--whichhe has but not enough--and watch as the economy soars!!!

Yes, he's long in the tooth and past his prime but he does have authentic smarts and compassion. Hopefully POTUS listens, and and makes a good selection.

knows how to get the crowd riled up. He did speak of the poverty in the US---and he parted with GET to the POLLS.

I first met him in the 60's. I have hated the way he was demonized and marginalized by the right. Just another example of the relentless campaign against liberals and liberal thought that have brought us to this point in our history-disdain for the poor and disenfranchised and anyone who attempts to speak for them.

If Obama wants us to talk to our friends about the great things his administration is doing, then he needs to do really great things.

An executive order on Don't Ask, Don't Tell would be a great thing.

Letting single-payer advocates sit at the table on insurance issues if the insurance companies don't perform as they are supposed to under the new bill would be a great thing, something to brag about.

Pulling a lot more troops out of Iraq a lot faster would be a really great thing.

At least investigating torture and the propaganda effort prior to the Iraq War -- the dissemination of Bush's lies -- would be a great thing.

Prosecuting the fraud that lead to the economic downturn would be a great thing.

There are so many great things that Obama could do that would cause people to respect his administration. Why doesn't he ever do them?

We insisted during the election process that Candidate Obama was ready for the Presidency, and his limited executive experience was no problem at all.

But now it seems we were saying that so we could use it as an excuse for misaction/inaction on his part.

I've never so many supporters slide past a President's mistakes/failure to act with so many excuses about his advisers.

Most Presidents who bowed to big business, failed to use executive order to stop DADT, etc. would be called EVIL. But we're letting this administration do all this because, well, it's his advisers!

YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. YOU CHOSE TO RUN FOR THIS POSITION. ACT LIKE IT.

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I wish I had been born just a few months earlier in the year so I could have voted for him in the '88 primaries. I was old enough to vote in the general election in '88, but not the primaries.

I adore him.

One of my proudest votes. :)

(and in '84...want to know what lonliness feels like? If you were a white guy wearing a Jackson button in 1984, you KNOW how it feels...)

Millions of people believed politics mattered again...and this party made it clear that they and their dreams weren't welcome. Then it blamed them for the defeats it suffered AFTER driving those voters away.

After that, the party told the Rainbow to totally fuck off and die, and gained nothing for doing so. We NEVER had to check our principles at the door to beat Bush the First in '92. A non-conservative Dem could've done it too. It was worthless to run as the party of the smug 'burbs, the corporate suites, and the defense contractors.

Here's hoping our President listens.

This was great:

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Dogging Liberals/Lefties/Progressives IS inspirational, doesn't the Rev. know that?

Hell, it inspires just everyone over at the White House,
not to mention it gets loads and loads of laughs!
They're 'Americans', so therefore all of America will be entertained.

I wonder why Jesse can't see that
it's just so simple.


It literally is.

Or at least Jackson's passion. Enough cerebral detachment already. Enough "I'm not angry-I'm one of the 'safe' ones" pandering to the paranoia in the 'burbs.

He doesn't need to BE Jesse, but he does need his sense of real connection to the powerless and the dispossessed.

And needs to get past this "I'm NOT part of that tacky old "civil rights" business" attitude he sometimes projects.

People who can ONLY vote for a black candidate that acts like the Freedom Riders and the rest of the Sixties were some sort of embarassment, and that the civil rights movements surviving leaders are the political equivalents of those eccentric old uncles you never want to see at a family reunion, are not people who are ever going to even possibly be open to progressive ideas.

The notion that a Democratic president needs to act like liberalism is something to apologize for and distance oneself from has never done this party any good.

"What the president needs, Jackson said, is to inspire his base."

I agree. And Jesse, like most people in this country, knows that Obama's true base is minority communities and (blue collar, read: union) workers.

What would be the best way to fire up this base? A second stimulus may not be a bad idea. And a war on poverty is always a good thing. I don't have a problem with Jesse's advice.

What I do have a problem with is everybody jumping on this like because Jesse's skin is brown that somehow that makes his criticism (even though it is very mild criticism) of Obama that much more POIGNANT. It doesn't. Jesse may be worried about how Obama is perceived in minority communities, but he also knows that his time has come and long gone. Jesse is just trying to stay relevant like so many other people.

i feel that all of us progressives here are canaries in the coal mine. those of us who were willing to question the Obama admin at least. we warned that not even having single-payer CONSIDERED was a really bad sign, that escalating a war in Afghanistan was a horrible idea, that not even looking back at the 8 years of Cheney/Bush's crime spree was a betrayal of justice, that gays STILL not having equal rights is a great injustice, etc. too bad we don't have Dick Armey funding us so we could get on TV about it like the teabaggers. and i won't even mention the Obama apologists...

Obama hasn't been terrible, it's just that he could have been/can be so much better! i hope he realizes now that Republicans can not be trusted and are the enemy of ALL American people. We shall see.

even on Democraticunderground, don't seem to realize that we stood our ground during the Bush years while they were kissing the Crawford Caligula's sphincter.

My heart is bleeding for her.

Obama needs to go home in two years, that is all. He'll never be good enough for his "base" or for this stupid country. It was a nice experiment, but obviously people didn't really listen to him during the campaign and didn't understand what was going to happen. They voted for a miracle worker. Since he's not, he should go home.

We need a "New Deal" instead of the watered down continuation of BushCo's Raw Deal.

It's Wall Streets turn to do the belt tightening for a CHANGE...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kShTUmYRyCw

cut Obama's testicles off in the 2008 POTUS Campaign...Again, Obama will never do anything correct in some folks eyes. I would be on board this trash Obama train at election time if this was the midterms of his 2nd term but its not so I will continue to support the President & the Democrats as I feel they are doing everything they can as the janitors of this nation.

No one sees all the hard work janitors do they only see the mess that has yet to be cleaned up.

People are expecting way too much and too soon from President Obama considering the shit he has to clean up!!

Both seem to have so much "advice" for this president, who actually WON! I could not agree more that a lot of what's playing out here is the green eyed monster. Here's a thought Jesse, if you're so confident about your policy ideas, why didn't you throw your hat in the ring for the IL senate race? That would have been a great start, and would have given the voters a chance to take a good hard look at you AGAIN?

Obama advisers DO see the world differently. They seem to think folks about to lose their homes can wait another two, three years while they concentrate on helping Wall Street. They seem to think the 53-year old man whose unemployment benefits ran out should be patient while they make backroom deals with big insurance companies. If President Obama`s advisers walked a short distance from their comfortable surroundings at the White House, they`d find a very different reality.


"I`m worried sick because there`s no food."

"You must be joking. MY refrigerator is full."

With the SCOTUS ruling on corporate campaign contributions, the media under the control of corporations, and Diebold, why do they have to give the other 99% any thought at all? They serve the upper 0.5%, and they don't give a damn about how we feel about that. Their reaction to the BP gusher and the sham of "health care reform" made that clear enough.

I'm sick of seeing THIS^ kind of shit on DU.....everyday.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone