# New left-populist direction for Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 7, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378 "2011-12-07T15:30:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/1 "2011-12-07T15:30:47Z")
[Obama’s latest speech, in Osawatamie, Kansas,](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/07/full-text-barack-obama-speech) is being taken as the kickoff for his re-election campaign and as, perhaps, setting the tone for it. Talking of FDR, invoking the New Deal, demanding more progressive taxation, and insisting that “This isn’t about class warfare. This is about the nation’s welfare.” Lefties and liberals [are](http://www.thenation.com/blog/164996/osawatomie-obama-embraces-new-populist-moment) [encouraged](http://www.salon.com/2011/12/07/the_obama_weve_been_waiting_for/) by this. And I’d say the OWS movement demonstrates that left-populis rhetoric, at least, is a winning electoral strategy this year. But does it portend any substantive change in this Admin’s policy-directions, I wonder? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/2 "2011-12-07T15:41:54Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But does it portend any substantive change in this Admin’s policy-directions, I wonder? Probably not. At least not compared to not having to worry about re-election after 2012. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/3 "2011-12-07T16:21:42Z")
I always will see it as an effort to actually \*\*defuse \*\*class warfare, a point that many right wingers miss about what FDR really did and what Obama is saying now. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/4 "2011-12-07T17:35:28Z")
Thanks for starting this thread. I think the more explicit references were actually to Teddy Roosevelt and his progressive agenda than to FDR, however. You might dig into that to try to evaluate the politics of it all, since Teddy was a Republican. I found the speech to be novel, and to signify a dramatic change. As some of you here know, a big thing of mine is that the actual evidence does not support Republican economic beliefs. Yet it remains somewhat rare for people, especially politicians, even Democrats to actually point this out to people. So I was happy as an empirical pig in shit for him to hammer on that point a bit. In fact, I was moved enough to be reinvigorated. It was a little bit like the press room scene in An American President for me. Perhaps I’m overly optimistic, and looking too hard for a progressive leader to come forward. Nevertheless I liked it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/5 "2011-12-07T19:04:02Z")
He will, but he will do it like porcupines make love: gingerly. No politician in his right mind is likely to wholly embrace the OWS, they’re all waiting for it to blow up. And they have a point, I am pleasantly surprised that it hasn’t already. But I think the OWS _reflects_ a nascent populism, rather than being its creator. So there is little problem with co-ordinating one’s message to reflect that as well. All well and good. Where he has to tip-toe is that the balance of power still tilts rightward in the Dem party. The major problem with advancing his agenda is the hysterical opposition from the Right, but the other problem is luke-warm support from the Blue Dog Dems. Obama is much more a mildly progressive pragmatist than anything else. Under our present dire circumstances, that is good enough. I would like to return to fixing the car just as soon as we can haul it out of the ditch. At any rate, I can clearly see the poltical advantages of nodding towards the OWS movement, and maybe humming the tune. That’s all he needs to do, and it involves very little risk. A smart move from a smart man. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/6 "2011-12-07T19:56:21Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Obama is much more a mildly progressive pragmatist than anything else. We’ve tried pragmatism, it don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/7 "2011-12-07T20:29:59Z")
Obama gave an exciting, impassioned speech? Wake me up when he actually does something useful! I’m so tired of his speeches, I just won’t listen to them anymore. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/8 "2011-12-07T20:35:50Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > Obama gave an exciting, impassioned speech? Wake me up when he actually does something useful! I’m so tired of his speeches, I just won’t listen to them anymore. Does he differ from any POTUS in this regard? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/9 "2011-12-07T21:46:47Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > We’ve tried pragmatism, it don’t work. It worked well in boom times, but I think the real curse of pragmatism might be that there’s no higher arching thing to propel it forward. I’m fine with that, though. As I’ve said many times, I’m a big fan of getting shit done, and that’s been happening for the past 3 years so far. ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-left-populist-direction-for-obama/605378/10 "2011-12-08T06:57:22Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But does it portend any substantive change in this Admin’s policy-directions, I wonder? I never got the impression that Obama had strayed from his original path. He got stalled by the tea party, not swayed by it. This speech was more a reminder of his goals rather than a return to them.