In my diary yesterday, someone pointed out that I had sort of cheerleaded for Obama at various times, only to be wrong. See this thread: You also said there would be a clean debt bill.
I don't remember saying that one, although I may have, but I certainly did say that I did not think Obama would extend the Buish tax cuts, and I was really wrong on that one. And there have many times when I said I hoped that Obama would do this or that or hoped he would not, and have been wrong. My track record of betting on Obama to fight or be progressive has been mixed at best, and certainly wrong a lot.
Here's how I responded:
I have been wrong in the past, that's true. (2+ / 0-)
Recommended by:pollwatcher, grrr
I know that. And this President has earned scepticism.
You're not being mean. I hear you.
My hope is that this is a rhetorical war. The 1.5 T is for log term cuts (next 10 years). I want that to fail and the defense and other cuts kick in. Those also are long term.
Betting on Obama has not been a good bet, especially in 2011 so far.
I know I could be wrong.
The American people must wise up and rise up!
by TomP on Tue Sep 13, 2011 at 04:10:37 PM CDT
It's perfectly fair to view what I say now based on where I have been wrong in the past. Nonetheless, I will present my view and hope people examine the arguments and evidence.
Another commenter replied to my response and said this:
Abused Puppy (1+ / 0-)
That's what you remind me of, Tom. You bark and you growel every time we get betrayed. Then Obama pats you on the head, and regardless of how obvious it is that he's going to kick you again as soon as he no longer needs your vote, you sit and fetch and do everything he asks of you.
I think that misperceives me and my views, but he or she is entitled to see it that way and say it.
I will try to lay my cards on the table, although I think my diaries are pretty self-explanatory of my points and motives.
I want President Obama to be re-elected. I want him to govern as a progressive. I want him to fight Republicans. Often he has not chosen very progressive policies or fought Republicans. Hope springs eternal. I have been disappointed and did expect more left of center policies than what we have seen. But I also see the possibilities of Obama being somewhat progressive and see him as Trumka said: compared to the Republicans running, he is a giant. If I did not believe that, I'd be voting for a third party or staying at home.
So, based on my fallible analysis, I think the President is giving us much of what we have asked for in terms of fighting Republicans. It may be mostly verbal for the next year and a half, but many of us has clamored for that for a long time. Fight, even if you cannot win. Pull the Overton Window leftward, at least to the center. Bring it to the people. Create a popular movement, popular support for a stimulus that creates jobs. Stop pushing deficits. No more compromise that borders on capitualtion, at least as many see it.
Here is some data that supports my view:
The Hill: Obama’s 2012 reelection stimulus
But what has the White House giddy is not the prospect of 8 percent unemployment, which might be difficult to achieve by next November even with a $447 billion jobs bill.
What the president’s aides want — and what they need — is for independents and Democrats to view Obama as their fighter. And after a summer of polls painting Obama as a weak leader, the president is desperate to be viewed as the one politician in Washington fighting for the middle class.
What’s more, Obama appears ready to fight. For real this time.
His trips to Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina are just the tip of the iceberg.
One senior administration official spoke Tuesday of the president visiting individual congressional districts to pressure members as he did at the end of the healthcare debate.
Make no mistake, for a White House 14 months away from Election Day, that suggests a combat posture.
snip
If Republicans do nothing, Obama wins. If they do something, Obama wins. And if they do a little, Obama gets to keep the debate alive, putting miles on Air Force One and devoting his fall and winter to painting Republicans as beholden to special interests over jobs.
This from Columbus shows me fight:
Obama stumps for jobs bill in Ohio to the chants of ‘pass this bill’
Now, yesterday, I sent Congress the American Jobs Act. This is it right here. It’s pretty thick. This is a plan that does two things: It puts people back to work, and it puts more money in the pockets of working Americans. (Applause.) Everything in the American Jobs Act is the kind of proposal that in the past has been supported by both Republicans and Democrats. Everything in it will be paid for. And every one of you can make it happen by sending a message to Congress that says: Pass this bill. (Applause.)
Ohio, if you pass this bill, then right here in this state, tens of thousands of construction workers will have a job again. (Applause.) This is one of the most common-sense ideas out there. All over the country, there are roads and bridges and schools just like Fort Hayes in need of repair. Some of the buildings here at Fort Hayes were originally built during the Civil War. That’s old. (Laughter.) And when buildings are that old, they start falling apart. They start leaking, and ceiling tiles start to cave in, and there’s no heat in the winter or air-conditioning in the summer. Some of the schools the ventilation is so poor it can make students sick.
snip
THE PRESIDENT: Pass this jobs bill, and there will be funding to save the jobs of up to 14,000 Ohio teachers and cops and firefighters. (Applause.) Think about it. There are places like South Korea that are adding teachers to prepare their kids for the global economy, at the same time as we’re laying off our teachers left and right; where we’ve got school districts that have eliminated all extracurriculars -- art, sports, you name it.
snip
Some folks have been working pretty hard to keep tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Tell them they need to fight just as hard -- they need to fight harder -- for middle-class families. Tell them to pass this jobs bill. (Applause.)
snip
And here’s the other thing, Columbus. We got to make sure that everybody pays their fair share -- (applause) -- including the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations. (Applause.) After all, we’ve got to decide what our priorities are. Do you want to keep tax loopholes for oil companies?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: Or do you want to renovate more schools like Fort Hayes so that construction workers have jobs again? (Applause.) Do you want to keep tax breaks for multi-millionaires and billionaires?
AUDIENCE: No!
THE PRESIDENT: Or do you want to put teachers back to work, and help small businesses, and cut taxes for middle-class families? (Applause.)
So, Columbus, we know what’s right. We know what to do to create jobs now, and in the future. We know that if we want businesses to start here and stay here and hire here, we’ve got to out-build and out-educate and out-innovate every country on Earth. We’ve got to start manufacturing. We’ve got to sell more goods around the world that are stamped with three proud words -- “Made in America.” (Applause.)
http://www.cleveland.com/...
This is what many of us were asking for. It's not perfect and it is rhetoric, but it is something. Attacking tax breaks for billionaires. Economic populism.
Many of us looked to Obama to change people's minds with the power of his office and his skills. It does not happen overnight, but it can happen if he fights like this from now through 11/12. Reinforce this theme over and over. "Pass the Jobs Bill" can be the "hope and change" of 2012. Perhaps less content as some might wish, but slogans and themes do work and they do change people's world views over time if matched by action.
For progressive change to truly happen requires changing ideas, changing the conversation. Republicans understand that, so that talked deficits once they were out of power. Over and over.
We need a strong vote getter at the top of the ticket in 2012 in order to take back the House and keep the Senate. We need a strong message that people can get bbehind. And people need to see the President as fighting for them.
I'm not an abused puppy. I keep fighting, keep hoping. I might well be wrong again. But I will still keep trying.