Moveon.org, people like that.
Well they USED to be, but the decades-long butt-fucking of the middle class by the wealthy elite has changed things, I think. some of them are finally starting to feel it and to notice that it’s conservatives who’ve been and still are cheering it along.
Don’t let the Republicans frighten you so much that you won’t stand up for your own values.
Yes. We need to get as many Democrats elected as we can. Preferably progressive ones, where possible. (Although my local reps are already Democrats.)
Why waste energy on a “symbolic” Democratic rival to Obama? Anybody wanting to Send A Message ought to take up mime…
Yeah, the strategy of trying to move the Democratic party farther to the left worked so well in 1972. . . . Does anyone remember McGovern?
If the incumbent faces a bruising primary campaign, it helps his opponent more than anything else. I’m not risking that whenit’s possible that Newt Gingrich could be the Republican nominee.
Well, maybe, but a mime is a terrible thing to waste…
Speaking from the conservative wing of the extreme left, recent history is good news/bad news. The good news is that the progressive agenda is moving forward, the bad news is that it creeps along like a wounded snail. But perhaps that is all to the good. I am suspicious of sudden, extreme change. Violent revolution, to take the extreme is justifiable only on the same conditions that justify violence under any conditions, when absitively, posolutely necessary. So that’s right out.
If we hold to our secular faith, that democracy is the most just form of government, then changing the people is what counts. And slowly but Shirley, we are. We will lose, we will get the living snot kicked out of us, but so long as we get back up, dust ourselves off and get back in the game, we will finally prevail. My belief in democracy is faith, I hold those truths to be self-evident, which is a nice way of saying I don’t have to prove shit. My belief in progress is a matter of observation, and that observation is fact. Our opponents are trying to grab a handful of water and hold it, it cannot happen. Human, all too human.
The foundation is the people, the people are the spine, the vessel and the thing itself. When enough people more or less agree with us, we have won. If they do not agree with us, we have no right whatsoever to impose our will upon them. If we cannot convince them that we are right, then we are wrong. Period. Full stop.
Talk to the people, listen to the people, change their minds. That isn’t victory, but it is winning. Venceremos!
You can put this pulpit back in storage, I’m done with it for now…
If I thought just sending messages was sufficient, I’d be doing nothing but emailing Obama, but a primary challenge is a real thing, it takes money, organization, effort, time, etc. And it has the potential to damage Obama. What the fuck, people, have the Republicans got you so buffaloed you have lost all your nerve?
[bolding mine]
Why would anyone want to do that? Obama is popular and the perception that he gets shit done is good for the general election. No progressive candidate could legitimately challenge Obama in a primary, so why would they want to burn their bridges with the rest of the party/their constituents like that?
American Progressives are just, this year, beginning to realize their strength once again. You will see the full effects in 2014, and that’s soon enough.
Do as you wish with your money, organization, effort & time. Perhaps you can get some Republicans to bankroll your effort to “damage Obama.”
I don’t want to damage Obama. I want this particular iteration of Republicanism to be crushed so that it can regroup and do something worthwhile. Damaging Obama doesn’t help me in that goal, not even a little bit.
I’m Canadian so I really don’t get this anger at Obama from the Democrats.
Progressive? Let’s see, Obama has:
Ended the war in Iraq.
Repealed DADT.
Passed a health care bill that will help millions.
Saved the big three automakers (and millions of jobs associated with these).
Prevented another Great Depression.
Killed Osama Bin Laden and many wannabes who could have been the next OBL if not for the Hellfire missile between their buttcheeks.
Helped knock over Ghaddafi without getting into another Middle East quagmire.
Appointed two progressive women to the SCOTUS.
And all of this despite constant, irrational Republican opposition every single step of the way. Seriously, without a filibuster proof majority, Obama can’t pass legislation that says “puppies are cute” because his opponents have made it their mission to block, obstruct or sabotage every single thing he does. The Republicans are using every dirty trick and opportunity they have to fling poo at their Commander in Chief and their strategy is effective because it’s easier to break something than it is to build something.
If anything needs to change, it’s the fear-mongering by Republicans. There’s no way Obama is going to start throwing finance guys in jail knowing that the next month of Fox News is going to be about how the Kenyan Socialist Muslim is taking the first steps towards communism. Seriously, some average citizen works hard, lives the American dream, makes a big pile of money… and then the government comes along, seizes the money and throws the citizen in jail? Do you see how that could be spun in a negative way? I think Obama is a smart leader who picks his battles. Battling the rich right now, when they’re as powerful as they have ever been is not a worthy fight nor is it a fight he could win, especially considering how much they control the Republican party and the media.
Give Obama a Democratic majority in both houses and a second term and he’ll stomp Republican ideas into the ground. But as it stands right now he just can’t do it and he’d be insane to try. In the meantime, I’d appreciate some of the amazing things he has been able to accomplish despite unprecedented opposition.
Great, now I’ve got this song going through my head.
I don’t know if it qualifies as “progressive”, but it’d be nice to see someone with a minimum of rationality about budget matters provide an alternative to the current back-and-forth between Democrats and Republicans:
“You don’t get a thing till you agree to tax the Rich!”
“Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.”
“Alright then, we gotta tax the millionaires!!”
“Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.”
“Billionaires, that’s the ticket!!! We’ll tax billionaires!!!”
“Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.”
“Uh, how about just Warren Buffett then?”
“Not by the hair..SHADDUP! JUST SHADDUP!!!”
I thought the same thing before he got elected. “Hey, maybe he’s just moderate now and will be more progressive when he get’s elected”
I’m still waiting. His health care bill, for one, while I support it, is not progressive. Not nearly progressive enough for him to be secretly holding back his strong progressive nature. It’s progressive for him, a moderate democrat.
He already had two years majority in both houses. They didn’t do much Republican stomping then. He sure as hell won’t be doing any if he’s given it again.
Didn’t Obama only have a majority in both houses for something like three weeks due to Ted Kennedy’s illness and Franken’s contested election?
I’m sure the Romney campaign would be happy to fund Progressives in this cause. He’d love to see Obama more clearly defined as a Liberal.
Obama never had a rock solid filibuster-proof over 60 senator margin, AFAIK.
If only Democrats had realized that in 1980.