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Obama's plan does not go far enough so let's vote for the teabagger? <head explodes>

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jan 21st, 2010 at 10:55:10 AM EST
Brown could be the GOPs big star after Palin.  The anti-Washington/Wall street establishment populist sentiment runs so deep it taints everyone in Washington and makes them appears as pawns in a conspiracy against the little guy.  The health care reform ended up being the worst of all worlds - forcing people to buy health care insurance from private companies who were screwing them and providing them with no public alternative.  Even Nixon and Clinton promised more progressive alternatives (but didn't deliver).  The Supreme Court has just ruled unconstitutional constraints on corporate election spending - so how is any independently funded political party going to compete against billions in corporate brainwashing?  Obama is part of that establishment now, and so gets blasted from both libertarian and populist left and right.  There probably isn't a sustainable middle ground in that context.

notes from no w here
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Thu Jan 21st, 2010 at 11:26:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The only way to vote against someone is to vote for someone who can get elected. Especially in this culture, too, punishment plays a primary role - when something goes wrong, we look to punish someone before we look at how to improve whatever failed.

3rd parties can't supply that, and won't until something or someone comes along to crystallize a new narrative.

you are the media you consume.

by MillMan (millguy at gmail) on Thu Jan 21st, 2010 at 02:29:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Especially in this culture, too, punishment plays a primary role - when something goes wrong, we look to punish someone before we look at how to improve whatever failed.

What he said.

The problem with waiting for Godot-er, a new narrative is that the narrators are in the bag.
Godot aint coming.

Capitalism searches out the darkest corners of human potential, and mainlines them.

by geezer in Paris (risico at wanadoo(flypoop)fr) on Thu Jan 21st, 2010 at 10:46:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]
If the loss in Massachusetts is what has sent Obama to the left - talking about not allowing banks to be to big to fail - I would say it was an efficient strategy by the voters.

A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
by A swedish kind of death on Fri Jan 22nd, 2010 at 04:33:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Well, talking he's always done. And as a Frenchman, I know about presidents merely talking liberal.

Let's see some action, please.

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Gandhi

by Cyrille (cyrillev domain yahoo.fr) on Fri Jan 22nd, 2010 at 06:00:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Is Obama going "to the left"? El Pais, which for its US coverage simply parrots Village talking points or US blogs like politico of HuffPo, claims Obama is abandoning his change agenda (in Spanish, see google's translation) by which they mean he's dropping the rest of his reforms including health care and focusing on the economy and the banks.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jan 23rd, 2010 at 10:48:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I guess it comes down to what one guessed was empty talk previously and what one guesses is empty talk now.

If Obama takes action and breaks down the to-big-to-fail banks I would say it is a sharp turn to the left in economic policy.

A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!

by A swedish kind of death on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 06:58:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Year 1 was always going to be for fire fighting (the stimulus) and more difficult issues like Guantanamo, health care, Iraq, Afghanistan, where Obama could leverage his approval ratings.

Year 2 was always going to be for more populist issues like regulating banks aqnd a "Jobs bill"  because Obama has to recover popularity in the run up to the Mid-terms.

The question now is whether Obama will have any substantial victories to celebrate after year one - with the Stimulus only partial;ly successful, health care in a mess, Guantanamo not closed, and Afghanistan going nowhere despite an unpopular escalation.

Obama is still in the driving seat as far as initiating measures is concerned, although he has been curiously unwilling to take the lead - preferring an unpopular congress to make the running.

I wouldn't underestimate his ability to change tack and take popular initiatives.  The question is now how much he can actually achieve with a spineless congress and a resurgent GOP.

notes from no w here

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Sun Jan 24th, 2010 at 01:38:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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