Yesterday QuiQui reported how mega-bloggers who backed Obama are responding to his electoral move to centrism. A piece in the USA Today on the same subject offers this insightful advice from Senator Bernie Sanders:
“They should be organizing a grassroots movement,” he said, “so it will be easier for Obama to stand up to the wealthy and powerful special interests who are going to be pushing him the other way.”
A recent CNN poll showed a near deadlock between McCain and Obama, with Nader polling 6%. By throwing our weight behind Nader, we can remind Obama and his Democratic consultants that centrism is not the answer. It has been part of the Democratic number-crunching moderation since Al Gore ran in 2000 (which he either actually lost or won barely. The Supreme Court denied us the chance to find out) and Kerry lost an election that was his to lose.
While aiming to get swing voters, they fail to turn out core supporters. Obama ran an inspiring campaign, but is now giving up on his principles to win an imagined community of swing voters. The assumption is that the progressives will stay on board. This is not merited. I would rather vote for Nader and end up with McCain, then throw my weight behind a weak-kneed semi-liberal who will turn and piss on Arabs to raise his own boat, or unify Jerusalem under Israeli rule.
After all, Clinton was the precursor to Bush’s worst policies. Who oversaw the murder of Iraq through sanctions? Who solidified the Israeli occupation and put into place the corrupt PA? NAFTA, welfare reform, the first anti-terrorism law (which the PATRIOT Act expanded), and missile strikes in Sudan and Afghanistan? Obama is bringing all this to mind. And is does not help he has old Clinton hands on board, either.
Instead of leaving campaigns to marketers, brand managers, and consultants, he should construct a mandate-seeking campaign, one that forwards the ideals to drive his Presidency. Wishy washy moderation will not only give his Presidency an empty start, but will decrease the chances he wins. Let McCain get the middle and alienate his base. Obama has to get out the vote through inspiration — that is if he really believes in progressive politics.
They may tell me a vote for Nader is a vote for McCain. I’m fine with that if a vote for Obama is a vote for Bill Clinton.
Related posts:
- Pragmatically Speaking, Democrats Should Nominate Obama
- Obama and Huckabee Own Iowa
- Results of First KABOBpoll in: Obama Wins
- Nader, Obama, and… Can I get a “Palestine” up in here?!
- Obama, the Disappointment
Word. It is all one agenda, GW and his crew just expedited it. The same powers that influence policy are around no matter who is elected, and the agenda has never changed.
Nader is awesome, watch the “Unreasonable Man.”
Posted by Yas | July 3, 2008, 8:09 amFinally, you can vote for a REAL Arab, not just one with an Arab middle name. And a Palestinian, at that, if I remember correctly!
Posted by Firouz | July 3, 2008, 9:30 amJust wait. When Obama starts effing shit up, I am NOT blaming Obama.
I am blaming all those so-called “radical” or “progressive” commentators who are helping sell the Obama bs.
Posted by Bonty | July 3, 2008, 9:49 amwe can remind Obama and his Democratic consultants that centrism is not the answer. It has been part of the Democratic number-crunching moderation since Al Gore ran in 2000
You snotty young punks think life began when you graduated high school, right? Bill Clinton was the first “new democrat”. Look up the word “triangulation” in regards to him. There hasn’t been a democrat who won by running to the left since Jimmy Carter. And he’s the major reason why there likely won’t be another leftist in the white house until all the people who can remember was a fuck-story his Presidency was are dead.
Posted by programmer craig | July 3, 2008, 9:55 amPC,
What are you talking about? Its not about “left” or “right”. Its about Corporations and lobby groups who fund politicians and control the agenda.
Posted by Yas | July 3, 2008, 10:00 amIts about Corporations and lobby groups who fund politicians and control the agenda.
See? Only leftists say nutty things like that. Politicians don’t shoot for the center after they win the nomination to please lobbyists and corporations. They do it to maximize their appeal with voters. Nobody can win the Presidency by representing only the left of the right.
Posted by programmer craig | July 3, 2008, 10:47 amPS-Yas, my apologies for the sarcasm. Bad habit I have on this blog
Posted by programmer craig | July 3, 2008, 10:48 amIn the end do you deny that corporations and lobby groups control agendas?
In other words, all this talk about center/right/left, is nonsense. There really is not difference between R’s and D’s. Examine policies, forigen/domestic, whatever. The same corporations and lobby groups sustain their control.
Posted by Yas | July 3, 2008, 10:58 amYes, I do disagree with all of that. I think that’s an absurdly immature view of the US political system. One that is held almost exclusively by extremists of either the right or the left. I think the cause of such conspiracy theories is frustration that these fringe elements in US society feel when they can’t progress their agendas. Instead of acknowledging that they just don’t have the voting power to get what they want, they blame corruption in the political system for subverting the will of the “people” – where “people” is a few hundreds ex-hippies in Berkeley or a few thousand “militia” members in Idaho. Ever since 9/11, Arabs have been jumping on that bandwagon as well, and in the case of Arabs I do agree it has nothing to do with left or right.
Posted by programmer craig | July 3, 2008, 11:13 amDo you disagree that Corporations and lobby groups actually write the majority of legislation that is passed by Congress? Do you disagree that politicians are funded mostly by corporations and lobby groups?
Is it your position that Corporations and lobby groups do not influence our government, at all?
Posted by Yas | July 3, 2008, 11:25 amThe idea that a freshman senator from Illinois who never worked in a coal mine, ran a coal mine or invested in a coal mine knows how to write legislation that can have dramatic disruptions to the coal industry is absurd.
Of course private interests help craft legislation. They intimately understand their business model, and how it can best be adapted in the face of a desire for more government control.
The goal of government is not to snuff out industry – aka Communism. Nor is it to force corporations “to work” for the state – that’s called FASCISM, kids.
What made this country great is free enterprise and minimal government intervention. That is what made this country the engine of the world economy, and with economic prosperity comes the rest.
Posted by Firouz | July 3, 2008, 11:41 amYes Yas, you dumb ass. He just eloquently explained it to you, but you are so daft, you don’t get it. You are wrong, but that won’t stop you from believing in conspiracy theories. Even if what you say is true, that means the majority in this country is alright with it, and fringe little rabble-rousers like you will be bitching and moaning about corporations and lobby groups for the rest of your life. Get used it.
Posted by Burraq | July 3, 2008, 11:44 amSo you agree that Corporations and lobby groups control our government’s policy agendas (domestic, foriegn, etc.)
Posted by Yas | July 3, 2008, 12:03 pmYes, and they do it all to get the highest efficiency out of your inferior lazy ass work product.
I would say “go to X”, but there is not a country left in the world that believes in your looney toon economic system.
Posted by Anonymous | July 3, 2008, 12:47 pmIt’s amazing to me that any liberal in this country ever took Obama seriously. From the word go he came out of no where with a ringing endorsement from the likes of Hannity, O’Reilly et al: as good a warning as any he was vetted by the powers-that-be.I don’t think it’s an accident we got a black guy and a woman as our sole choices, take it or leave it. They have been able to hide what amounts to a hard-right agenda behind a smokescreen of identity politics bullshit whose sole purpose was to camouflage that agenda. While the liberals do battle over whether we are more sexist or racist, no one seems to be particularly concerned that Obama and Clinton are openly pursuing a right-wing agenda.
The right wing has had its way for the last 3 decades in this country and the results speak for themselves: over a million dead in Iraq, one country completely destroyed and 3 more countries (Iran, Palestine and the United States) on their way to be being destroyed along with our rights, livelihoods and civil liberties.
The only person I see out there running for office willing to challenge this moral, political and economic disaster is Nader, so I know who I am going to vote for. I can only hope most Dems wake up to the reality that they are not obligated to vote for a fraud like Obama for any reason, and will choose someone with a proven track record of service to his country rather than a pledge of service to AIPAC and the sleazebags on Wall Street.
Posted by Sean | July 3, 2008, 1:28 pm“Of course private interests help craft legislation. They intimately understand their business model, and how it can best be adapted in the face of a desire for more government control.”
Yes, they helped draft the legislation deregulating the natural gas industry, and the price of natural gas quadrupled. They helped draft legislation deregulating California’s electricity market, and the price of electricity in California quadrupled. They drafter the legislation deregulating the financial markets, and we got the Savings and Loan rip off under Papa Doc Bush, and the Sub prime rip off under Baby Doc, not to mention the speculative bubbles in tech stocks, housing and now oil which have driven the cost of housing and fuel through the roof.
Yes, they know their business model and how best to stick it to the people, and that’s why there are few sane governments in the world today that don’t carefully regulate their industries and corporations. An unrestrained free market is and always has been a recipe for disaster. The closer we get to the “free” market our wannabe serfs on the right keep blathering about, the closer we get to collapse.
Posted by Sean | July 3, 2008, 1:47 pmThe real danger is not from capitalism, but from the collusion of capitalism and government to suppress competition and innovation, and reward incompetence and greed.
Case in point: the ethanol lobby. You’ve got a bunch of political hacks who came up from Iowa and Wisconsin without so much as a business degree or a savings account and decided to enrich themselves by catering to the Agriculture lobby, entrenching government subsidies that disproportionately benefit the biggest producers at a time of record crop prices. These subsidies have destroyed the family farm and have enriched Big Farma, while pushing up the cost of oil and basic consumer foods.
Another point: the bailout of the Wall Street banks. In a free economy, the market would make adjustments based on losses due to inefficient investment strategies, but with the government and the Fed propping up this nonsense, it is only allowed to continue unabated.
Posted by Anonymous | July 3, 2008, 2:07 pmHow do you guys feel about Americans who cast their vote based solely on who they think will serve a foreign agenda the best? Is that halal? Or is that corruption of the electorate at an individual level? Should the rest of Americans who vote based on what they think is best for the US take such people seriously when they promote their views?
Posted by programmer craig | July 3, 2008, 2:25 pmPC,
Have you ever voted? You vote anonomysly…you don’t need to justify why you vote for someone. You have the right to vote – no duty to base your vote on anything.
I see you backed off your position that corporations and lobby groups don’t control government policy.
Posted by Yas | July 3, 2008, 2:57 pmYas,
Have you ever voted? You vote anonomysly…you don’t need to justify why you vote for someone. You have the right to vote – no duty to base your vote on anything.
Have you ever read that blog called “KABOBfest”? The dimwits are constantly making posts about who they are going to vote for and why.
I see you backed off your position that corporations and lobby groups don’t control government policy.
I did no such thing. I gave up on trying to discuss things rationally with you
Posted by programmer craig | July 3, 2008, 3:11 pmThey influence it, so the fuck what? What is your point? Why shouldn’t people and companies who have invested largely in the country’s infrastructure, resources, future, etc., not have the right to influence government policy in their favor?
Why should some unemployed activist chump like you have as much or more influence on government than the people responsible for building and running it? The phrase should be changed to “We the productive people”.
Posted by Burraq | July 3, 2008, 3:12 pmYou never proffered an argument. Do you deny that corporations/lobby groups draft legislation and are the main financial backers of politicians?
If not, how can you say they don’t control policy?
Posted by Yas | July 3, 2008, 3:14 pmMy point, fine sir, is that anyone who wants to make it in politics has to be in line with this system…and thus agendas never change. (See Iraz/Palestine under Bush I/Clinton/Bush II).
Posted by Yas | July 3, 2008, 3:16 pm(See Iraz/Palestine under Bush I/Clinton/Bush II).
See my comments about sketchy “Americans” who vote based solely on what is best for a foreign power. That would be… people like you.
US policy has not changed drastically re Israel/Palestine since 1973. The reason why is, most Americans support Israel. Israel is a FORMAL ALLY of the United States. Most Americans feel it is in the best interests of the United States to be supportive of our ALLY, Israel. And so that is the stance of our government. Discounting the fact that, as an ally, they are kinda required to be supportive of Israel. You know, the whole “alliance” thing. But you don’t give a flying fuck about what’s good for the United States, do you? You could care less about your fellow Americans. You care about what’s good for Palestine. And yet, you live here. You vote here. Are the rest of us supposed to be OK with that? I’m not even OK with American Jews who vote based on what is best for Israel, so I’m damn sure not OK with people like you. I have no control over where you live, how you vote, or even how you feel about your adopted homeland but if you are going to publicly admit to doing something i find repulsive then I’m not going to be silent. And I’m not going to take your “critique” of the US political system seriously, either. You don’t care about the US political system, you only care about how you can exploit it to help Palestinians.
Posted by programmer craig | July 3, 2008, 3:36 pmOh you are funny Craig. When I wake up in the morning, I’m all like, “What can I do to fuck myself up? I hate myself and everything about where I live and my family. I want to see us all suffer in agonizing ways!! What can I do to make this HAPPEN????”
BRAAAAAAAINS!
You’re a comical chap. I know that you’re for reals too because in my life, I have to listen to snippets of Conservative talk radio from time to time. You are so not alone. It’s not a dream, there are millions of retarded zombies just like you. Unfortunately, you can’t just feast on each other because there’s a little bit that’s lacking in the brain department for you folks.
Oh, and I’m totally for this. Guess who’s back? Nader’s back, Nader’s back, Nader’s back, Nader’s back, etc etc.
Posted by safiyyah | July 3, 2008, 4:31 pm“You don’t care about the US political system, you only care about how you can exploit it to help Palestinians.”
I’ve never been able to put this concept into words before. Thank you.
Posted by Firouz | July 3, 2008, 6:31 pmYou’re welcome
Safiyyah,
Oh, and I’m totally for this. Guess who’s back? Nader’s back, Nader’s back, Nader’s back, Nader’s back, etc etc.
I know! I’m going to call Rupert Murdoch on the neocon hotline right now and tell him to donate eleventy billion dollars to Nader’s campaign! This is awesome
Posted by programmer craig | July 3, 2008, 11:03 pm