Obama: You're Your Only Hope
The Editors

.............

This grim prognosis may sound premature, but bad economic news confirms what we have been warning for months: the president’s strategy is failing. People know this. The longer Obama persists in claiming things are on the right track, the more he damages his credibility. Severe economic distress is what defeats incumbent presidents (cf. George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter).

It’s already too late for Obama to engineer an economic turnaround. Even if he proposes major new legislation, the GOP is sure to block it. Cynical Republicans are quite aware that what’s bad for the economy is good for them, so disregard their pious claims. They are determined to make things worse by cutting government spending, although the economy desperately needs more aggregate demand. Even more bizarre, Obama is collaborating in this effort, making nice with enemies who have their hands on his throat.

That is what must change if Obama is to save himself. He has to force his opponents out into plain view and turn their vicious behavior into a political asset for himself. He can achieve this by demonstrating concretely whose side he is on. First, he must acknowledge that although his original stimulus helped avert a depression, it failed to produce a robust recovery. Next, he must propose a battery of emergency measures that deliver directly to citizens who are suffering—job creation, foreclosure avoidance, prosecution of fraudulent bankers and other interventions that will help ordinary citizens survive the hard times. He shouldn’t overpromise on results, already a mistake of his presidency. But he should make it clear that he intends to help people stay above water, however long the troubles last.

This activism might seem out of character for Obama, but great leaders change in adverse circumstances. This president does not seem to understand that he gains clarity with voters by explaining the true nature of his opponents, by explicitly sharpening the differences, by promising folks he will fight for them. No need for demagoguery—simply stick to the facts. Obama made a gentle thrust in this direction when he said the GOP plan to gut Medicare departed from American values. Republicans howled, but the accusation resonated with the people. We need to hear more—much more.

.................

the rest:
http://www.thenation.com/article/161232/obama-youre-your-only-hope

Like how about listening to some advisors who aren't owned by Wall St.

And we don't, we can't, know if they are exactly the right thing to do.

What we do know is that he managed, against all odds and against the "advice" of so many well-meaning critics ("push BACK, Obama") to win the primary and then the general election wearing dark skin and sporting the name "Obama".

I'll admit, however, that he still has a tough row to hoe.

:patriot:

...especially on the economy.

The environment, too, though no one wants to talk about that...

Just a moderate conservative rather than a radical conservative. That said, the Republican party right now is being run by the maddest of Conservativisms, so he might end up standing against them just because they hate him so very much and are so determined to sink him.

Bryant

How liberal or conservative a president is can be measured against our personal scale, or against the general population; a Bell Curve, if you care.

Against that Bell Curve, Obama is well toward the left.

Against our own personal scale of political values, he's center- maybe even center right.

:donut:

If you want to talk about abortion or religion or immigration, yes-- the country is surprisingly conservative. But if we're talking about economic issues, Obama is several paces to the right of the American population.

--to conservative whores for the upper 1%? On the issue of progressive taxation, Kucinich is far to the right of Eisenhower.

It simply is not within his view of the world. The bubble around Obama is stronger than the Enterprise's deflector screens. Contrary information is shot down or worse, not even admitted to exist. His financial advisors are self dealing, self serving puppets of Wall Street. Therefore, Wall Street wins, we lose.

Add to that his natural inclination to conrpomise, rather than lead. It is not within him to fight for a position, to lead, to point fingers when the opponents are actually harming our country.

Too bad, because we had such a great opportunity to fix things. He squandered it, and with the upcoming budget issues, he will probably make things worse.


JOBS BILLS? We won't see one from this administration.
POLLUTION CONTROLS? Watch for regulations to be dropped.
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION? Watch for cuts, despite his promises.
TAX CUTS? He broke his promise once. He will break his promise again, given the chance.

He may be exactly who he has shown us to be.:-(

whose side he's on:

THE RICH.

who gives you a million dollars.

is his supporters favorite chant.