Cenk: How Progressives Can Move Obama to the Left

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If you look at Dean’s policies, they are right down the middle of the country. That’s part of the reason his 50 state strategy worked so well. But the establishment media hate him. Why? Because he points out when they’re doing something wrong – and he winds up being proven right in the end. There’s nothing that irritates the establishment more than that.

As things stand, Howard Dean is perceived to be to the left of all of the Democratic senators in Washington (not because he’s more liberal than Bernie Sanders or Harry Reid; it’s because unlike them, he’s willing to fight for his positions (sorry Bernie, at this point, it’s true)). That’s unconscionable.

Washington has shifted so far right that Dean is considered some sort of wild-eyed liberal. We have to move it back if we are to have any hope that Obama will move further left (and much closer to the true center of the country).

So, how do we do this? It’s not pretty, but it’s necessary. We have to attack Obama relentlessly from the left. Right now he is a giant that is unmoved by anything in his left flank, he keeps looking to his right and ducking and worrying and moving to accommodate them. They are so loud and so visible. It’s hard to miss them. We have to make him look left. We have to shake him off his foundation.

Rahm Emanuel gave a wonderfully condescending interview to the Wall Street Journal where he explained that the White House has nothing to worry about from the left. That’s exactly what we have to change. Unfortunately, the only way to capture their attention and make them accommodate us rather than Fox News Channel is to hurt them. When we can put on the same kind of pain and pressure on the Obama White House as Fox does, that’s when they’ll have to move, at least to get out of the way.

You inflict political pain by voting things down. So far progressives have been completely unwilling to do this. They got rolled on healthcare because they had no intention of putting their foot down – and everyone knew it.

The next time Obama pushes a corporate agenda, progressives have to knock him upside the head. Deny him. Or as the kids would say, send his shit. And make a big stink out of it. Draw everyone’s attention to how far right Obama is and how out of whack he is with the American people.

If that scares you and you start to worry about damaging a Democratic president, you’re never going to win at this game. You’re never going to get the policies you want. They don’t listen to reason, they listen to power.

Let’s get real, we already lost the health care fight. But luckily, something even more important is up next. Financial reform. That’s where we know for a fact the American people have our back. We also already know that Obama’s Treasury Department is a joke. Tim Geithner has fought reformers in the House every step of the way. It’s time to take out a couple of lead pipes and a blow torch and go to work on his ass.

If Obama wants to fill the legislation full of loopholes, he should be called out at every turn. We vote no and we point out in no uncertain terms that Obama is pushing that agenda to help corporate interests so that he can fill Democratic coffers.

This has the advantage of being true. If you don’t have the stomach for being this tough on Obama and the Democrats, well then you don’t have the stomach for politics. And you will permanently be the Republican’s bitches.

If you don’t move the island, the rest is futile. You have to shift the ground underneath them. And the only way to do that is to create such a strong and aggressive progressive movement that they cannot help but notice it – and respond to it. Move the center and you’ll move Obama. And he’ll move the country. There is no other choice.

More: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/27-6

and sorry little (what did Cenk call them?) need to step aside while people who are willing to stand up and fight for traditional Democratic values do so- in the only way that will work.

He's aligned with that other rightwing jerk, Jane Hamsher.

Jane HAmsher has gone rightwingnut full on. Cenk now has the stink of rightwingnut on him.

shallow freeper troll, then....

Cenk is now a Freeper troll.

and its not Cenk Ugyr or Howard Dean. Or even Jane Hamsher, whom 99% of this board never heard of until the Angry Dwarf talking points memo on her was released to the Message Discipline LLC flunkies.

(I'd never call Howard Dean a rightwinger) I have no clue to whom you refer.

Please, spell it out.

and that angry dwarf in your avatar signs their paychecks.

Got anything better?

No, wait. I cannot accept Firedoglake as a source.

I've been hip to Hamsher's trollish shtick for months now. I'm glad she's finally getting the (negative) attention she so richly deserves.

she has the logic of a stupid PUMA. Obama is not Liberal enough so side with the GOP and get more Republicans to make him more Liberal.

The crazy is strong at the Lake.

much like Rove controlled it all under Bush.

Rahm is supposed to be the "Angry Dwarf".

n/t

pretty pestulant and tiresome, actually.

:eyes:


BTW, did the Angry Dwarf really release "talking points memo on her", or was it just a figure of speech?

And... isn't it supposed to be Message Discipline *DLC*?... :P

Man you are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

AfPak, jail the banksters, prosecute war crimes.

.... and that he was just acting like a moderate and then would suddenly turn into "Super Progressiveman!" ..... or did he say something during the campaign that made you think he was more progressive than he is? Something in "The Audacity of Hope" that you think made him come across as more progressive than he is governing?

Where is the confusion?

I knew the administration would be on many if not most issues- fairly well ensconced with center/right philosophy- often to the point of pressing for or accepting dysfunctional policy.

That's why progressives need to get on their representatives and Senators to say- enough's enough. We're NOT backing you- or voting for that. Period. If that means the legislation fails- so be it.

Once this happens a couple of times- the power of the Lieberman's and Nelson's shrinks dramatically.

And best of all- these are popular positions (as we saw in- and as Cenk points out with, the health care betrayals) and they keep people in the process fighting.

If there are no consequences for holding the Party to ransom then the Progressive caucus needs to do the same to the Republican Militant tendency. I'm not sure what issues that they can have shoved back in their face, but once there is one (banning of baby eating?), then the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party needs to shove it in their face.

Maybe at that point the Senate Leadership will stop giving in to blackmail?

the problem is the REPUBLICAN MILITANT TENDENCY operating inside the Democratic Party and holding it to ransom. Deal with the likes of Nelson or every Democratic candidate suffers.

designed to placate them- while taking progressives for granted (or scolding them).

If we want responsible and effective policy- this pandering to the right has got to stop.

Cenk suggests (what ought to be) an obvious way of ensuring that it does.

It does not mean I blame the President. If the Republican militant tendency inside the Party face no consequence for destroying the agenda they stood on they will continue to blackmail the Party.

The Progressive wing of the Party needs to hit them back hard to show them that is not how the game should be played.

even if the holder of that power is a Democrat. The better than the Republicans philosophy is dangerous (and I subscribe to it) because it tells our reps that as long as they aren't batshit Reich Wing than we'll turn out.

If you want to win then at some point you have to be willing to lose. We are stuck in an eternal game of playing not to lose and at some point (if were not there already) we'll be doomed to the fate of the frog in a pot of water slowly brought to a boil if we don't find some way to change the dynamic. Okay...Okay...Okay....boiled alive is where this bus is headed, if these shadows remain unchanged.

As citizens we have the right, and the duty, to hold our elected representatives accountable.

Start by pressuring the president and your Senators and Representatives on the reconciliation bill.

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That's your ilk.

Cenk was quite the centrist when the "Young Turks" first aired.
I used to turn his show OFF!

He has gained knowledge and wisdom as the years have passed. And
I would listen to him if our local affiliate carried his show, but
I have to make do with the snips that some dedicated DU'ers keep
posting....

I RARELY disagree with Cenk these days.

Did Obama give some indication that he would veto a healtcare reform bill that included a Public Option? No.

The Senate didn't give Obama the legislation he wanted, and so he's signing the legislation he got, in the believe that half a loaf is better than nothing at all.

The Senate FAILED to live up to its responsibilities. You're not going to hear that from the Obama Administration because that have more battles to fight and can't afford to lose allies in Congress. But that's how this went down.

You move Obama to the left by electing a more left leaning house and senate. Liberals sitting out the next elections (2010 & 2012) will guarantee that they remain irrelevant to the national political discourse for many decades to come.

You get more progressive policies by putting more progressives into the body of government that passes laws.

If the house and senate could send up a single payer health care for President Obama to sign, he would. What he will get is this mish-mashed bill that appears to be coming together now.

N/M

See my post below.

NGU.

I don't think he CAN be "moved" to the left, especially by progressives, whom him clearly and (almost) openly dismisses and despises. He's what he is, and he knows exactly what he's doing, who he is working for and whose interests he serves. :(

CUNY Professor Frances Fox Piven on Democracy Now! the day after Super Tuesday:

You know, in 1932, FDR didn’t run with a good program; he ran with the same program the Democrats had run with in 1924 and 1928, and that wasn’t a good program. But nevertheless, his rhetoric encouraged people who were suffering as a result of the Depression — working people, the unemployed — and helped to fuel the movements, which then forced FDR to support initiatives which he otherwise would not have supported, including the right to organize...

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/2/6/super_tuesday_roundtable_with_bill_fletcher

NGU.