Candid: Some on left have same philosophy of gov't as Bush Co.

[Infinite Hope]

...Only they carry a better agenda. It's amazing, really.

I've heard sentiment such as:
"if you're not with us, you're against us"
"run with our control of gov't"
"exclude/lock out the Republicans"
etc.

Some profess the same views of isolation and exclusion that the post-2001 GOP did during their arrogant rein of power which led to rabid corruption and a quick/deep minority status. It seems they claimed support of Obama's inclusive philosophy of government/society out of sheer convenience - only because it meant THEM having a voice again. When their party actually regained power, they now recite the same divisive chants of the Bush Republicans.

Edit: There's one for you all to K&R.

[madeline_con]

1. "exclude/lock out the Republicans"

I'd like to second the motion.

[bvar22]

13. NOW is NOT the time to "make nice" with Republicans.

The USA has lurched FAR to the right over the last 30 years (Yes..under Clinton too.)
AFTER righting the WRONGS of the Bush/Clinton/Bush/Reagan years, I will consider adopting a "Centrist" position of maintaining the Status Quo.

The Middle of our current road leads to more HELL for the lower 98% of Working Americans, and I'm NOT interested in pursuing policies that will make Republicans happy.


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[madeline_con]

15. I was locking them out.

:yoiks:

[alwysdrunk]

2. I try to tell people that Obama will not be a liberal Bush

They act like they can't understand that concept.

[Infinite Hope]

3. Well put. It's about *Public Service* over Partisanship. What a novel concept. n/t

[Phredicles]

4. I think an approach of "play to the base, fuck everything else raw"

is a winning strategy for us, in all seriousness, given the size of the "base" - working class, women, et alii/ae. And polls show that among actual voters, ideas like single payer health care, getting the fuck out of Iraq last week, and holding Cowboy Caligula and the Insane Clown Posse accountable are mainstream. But our courageous, intrepid leadership remains blind to these facts.

[Lost-in-FL]

5. Its call "Tribalism" and

if you are human you also suffer from it.

1: tribal consciousness and loyalty ; especially : exaltation of the tribe above other groups
2: strong in-group loyalty

even "anti-establishment" and anarchists are part of a "tribe".

[alwysdrunk]

8. True. But Obama is intentially attempting to combat it

It won't be easy. There will never be true post-partisanship. But the level of the divisiveness and hackery can come down a few notches if people on both sides make an effort.

Many people think that notion is foolishly optimistic. They just don't trust the other side. That they will make an effort. It's like the game theory exercises where people go against their own best interest because they prefer that result to other people winning.

[specimenfred1984]

6. I hereby offer redemption to all war criminals!

I'm superior in my forgiveness to everyone who's stupid enough to demand accountability!

[Recursion]

17. Desmond Tutu got the peace prize for that

It's worth thinking about.

[Democrats_win]

7. Would you say that bush's methods have created problems for bush?

I sure would. It's funny that a Conservative would forget an old-time principle: you can attract more bees with honey than vineger. His methods have hurt him and America. Most of bush's ideas were against good sense.

Your description of bush, circa 2002, is correct. Now, he stands alone (like the big cheese?), discredited, a failure and disliked.

Are the Dems really following the bush, circa 2002, way? I sure hope not. They should be gentle. By that, I should say judgemental. If they have good ideas, let them know, credit them. If not, be polite and say no. It's a sensible idea and just a good philosophy to live by.

[alwysdrunk]

9. Bush has done severe damage to the Republican brand

Only the Democrats screwing up very badly will make the damage temporary.

[Festivito]

10. Be nice to Republicans and THEY'LL EAT YOU ALIVE.

IF some DUers said these things, oh well, some may have a point. On the other hand, it might be the work of RWers in DU name-tags, or just plain old strawmen.

To the one, two, maybe three good Republicans we could try to be nice with something smaller than a ten-foot pole.

Some of the rest can only be listened to when in print. Most of the rest can only be taken as possibly real if under oath, but certainly not all of those, ahem, scooter, ahem.

A couple of new DU posts that happened right after this one:

BEING NICE: "A FOOL'S GAME:"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4702519

hunting of the president resumes:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8023453

[Sebastian Doyle]

11. I would say that after 28 years of consecutive reverse robin hood policies

that only benefit the top 2% of the country, that the only SANE thing to do would be to completely exclude anyone who advocates those fucked up policies.

Anyone who thinks the new Wall Street Whores are going to undo the economic damage of the old Wall Street Whores is deluding themselves. We need an economic team that can grasp the reality that the rich do not CREATE wealth, and that the real economy is "trickle up" not "trickle down".

[Warren Stupidity]

12. That does not constitute a 'philosophy of government'.

It is a list of sentiments. At best it might describe some tactics used or advocated to be used by an administration.

However the post-2001 GOP arrogant reign of power started in 1980, or 1968 if one includes Nixon, which would be a good idea. Forty years after this shit started, as we were with the Clinton Caretaker Government, we are told that we need to work with the opposition party and not exclude them and compromise with them and not piss them off and be very careful of not aggravating their base, all of which boils down to NOT DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT in any significant respect. And so the Democratic Party has become the center right alternative to the hard right Republicans, ushered in to clean up after years of malfeasance, but not to actually engage in reform or real change.

So in summary: Republican administrations cater to their base while shitting on the Democratic base while Democratic administrations cater to the Republican base while shitting on their own base.

Anyone wonder why so many people just don't vote?

[MadHound]

14. Funny, lately I've been thinking the same thing about some centerists also

So of the same "fer us or 'gainst us" rhetoric, same wish to keep certain groups out of any sort of power (namely the left), same corporatist friendly, two party/same corporate master sort of thought.

And then when I mention these things, I get the same reaction I did under Bush, that I'm crazy, bitter, etc. etc.

[mmonk]

16. Hear we go with "the left" again.

How can the excluded be included?