Obama Won on a Populist Surge -- So Where's the Populist Policy?

[Orwellian_Ghost]

Obama Won on a Populist Surge -- So Where's the Populist Policy?

By Jim Hightower, Creators Syndicate. Posted February 19, 2009.

In no time at all the treasury secretary has reduced Obama's populist bark to a puppy whimper. What are we going to do about it?

One big reason that Barack Obama now occupies the big chair in the Oval Office is that he embraced the public's rising indignation at the blatant greed of Wall Street bankers, striking the proper populist tone in last year's presidential election. After all, these slick financial elites crashed our economy, yet they kept enriching and pampering themselves, even as taxpayers were being forced to throw hundreds of billions of dollars at their failing institutions.

Having won and taken office, Obama proceeded to rip right into the bankers' shameless avarice, denouncing their "culture of narrow self-interest and short-term gain at the expense of everything else."

Great stuff! Go get 'em, Barack!

A week later, however, the president's treasury chief, Timothy Geithner, rolled out the administration's plan to add more than a trillion dollars to the ongoing Wall Street bailout, and -- Holy William Jennings Bryan -- Obama's populist bark had been reduced to a puppy whimper! It seems that Geithner and Obama's top economic advisor, Lawrence Summers -- both of whom have long been cozy with the very same greed-headed bankers who caused the financial mess we're in -- had been cooing into the president's ears about the "danger" of "harshly" punishing executives and "spooking" private investors.

<snip>

http://www.alternet.org/workplace/127493/obama_won_on_a_populist_surge_--_so_where%27s_the_populist_policy/

[stray cat]

1. Compare what Obama is doing to what McCain/Palin or Bush did

its populism for sure compared to the last 8 years or what the future 4 years could have held.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

3. No it isn't

Simply because you've set the bar so low does not change the fact of these policies which are by no stretch of the imagination populist or within miles of being such.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Dems won in '06 and '08 and sometimes it's hard to tell. nt

[msongs]

5. yeah but obama is shy of investigating bushco. that's populist isnt it? nt

[Thrill]

13. I think there are a ton of problems right now

and Obama doesn't want to have his Presidency being weighed down by what will be a highly partisan fight about Bush. Especially when he wants to get Energy and Healthcare done

[Captain Hilts]

34. I get your point and agree to it part way. Healthcare will never be 'done'.

Congress will be investigating Fredo Gonzo. They should do it. And Rove.

[SpartanDem]

4. hightower might want to do some research

While Obama's team did put a $500,000 annual cap on cash paid to the CEO, the restriction does not apply to Citigroup, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and about 350 other banks that've already grabbed bailout funds. It only applies to those taking money in the next phase of the giveaway.

The cap in the legislation that was signed is retroactive so this column beyond ill informed.

[ThomCat]

6. No, Hightower has it right. It's not retroactive.

At least not according to any review of the cap I've read. It only applies to any FUTURE CEOs who take bailout money.

[democracy1st]

7. K & R folks we have some work to do!

[SpartanDem]

8. Congress Trumps Obama

Unlike the rules issued by the White House, the limits in the stimulus bill would apply to top executives and the highest-paid employees at all 359 banks that have already received government aid.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/13/AR2009021303288.html

[ogneopasno]

9. If people are surprised about Obama's policies now, then they weren't paying attention during the

campaign.

[blindpig]

35. Depends

If all you did was listen to his speeches you might get the impression that he was populist, liberal, better than sliced bread.

Now, if you did some homework, or had someone kindly do it for you, if you checked his voting record, looked into the background of his advisors, read his position papers, you could have seen this shit train coming a mile away.

In absolute fact not quite bait & switch, but very much in the spirit.

[ogneopasno]

36. No, he was pretty clear in his speeches, too. People got caught up in the package. Also, he makes

an excellent screen for people to project their needs and desires onto.

[wyldwolf]

10. face the fact: Obama is a superior leader... but he won an an anti-GOP surge

... a surge that took place among swing voters and independents.

[PassingFair]

14. He wouldn't have won the primary without the progressives and the populists.

The Pre-Surge, if you will.

[wyldwolf]

15. but damn near any Democrat would have won the general.

[PassingFair]

21. Perception was that he was not corporate controlled.

I think Hillary could have lost.

[wyldwolf]

22. you think Hillary would have lost. Polling says otherwise. But this isn't about Hillary

Most ANY Dem would have beaten McCain. Poll after poll after poll showed Generic Dem beating Generic Repub in 2008.

And even before the primaries were decided, as far back as 2006, swing voters and independents were breaking for the Democrats. This is a fact.

Obama was a great candidate, he's a great president so far, but he didn't win because of a groundswell of populist/liberal support. There is no evidence to support it.

If it were true, we could blame populists/liberal for not coming out for Gore and Kerry.

[PassingFair]

23. Kerry voted for IWR, and Gore won the election.

Not going to rehash this with you.

Hillary had HUGE negatives.

Obama was perceived as anti-Iraq war
and he was practically without political
baggage.

They had to attack his MINISTER, for
Pete's sake!

[wyldwolf]

24. So what? Again, where is your evidence that his IWR vote cost him the election?

Your effectively claiming, with ZERO evidence I might add, that liberals pouted and stayed home in 2004, effectively handing the election to Bush.

Hillary had HUGE negatives.

Obama's negative rose as the primaries wore on. :shrug:

Fact remains, polling states Hillary would have easily won the General.

[PassingFair]

27. "Polling states..."

Facts are facts and conjecture is conjecture.

The FACT is that an ANTI-IRAQ WAR candidate who
was PERCEIVED as a POPULIST/PROGRESSIVE

WON

the election.

Those are the facts.

[wyldwolf]

28. exactly. I have the facts, you have the conjecture

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/11/12/politics/horserace/entry4596620.shtml

The FACT is that an ANTI-IRAQ WAR candidate who was PERCEIVED as a POPULIST/PROGRESSIVE

WON

the election.

Those are the facts.

I've never denied that fact. But any Democrat would have won.

[PassingFair]

29. You have an exit poll and conjecture. n/t

[wyldwolf]

30. you have nothing but conjecture. I have polling that supports my contention

He wouldn't have won the primary without the progressives and the populists: Conjecture
Progressives didn't vote for Kerry (or he lost) because of his IWR vote: Conjecture

[PassingFair]

31. Pfffflllltttt!

I have a candidate that ran
on an Anti-Iraq war platform
that WON the election.

That is a fact.

[wyldwolf]

32. you keep hammering something I've never disagreed with... however...

... there is no evidence he won BECAUSE of that.

[Teaser]

11. Isn't Jim Hightower dead?

.

[Avalux]

12. Nah, he's not dead. Still ruffling feathers. n/t

[Teaser]

16. Did he have cancer then?

I swear that sounds familiar.

[Avalux]

18. Not that I know of - are you mixing him up with Jim Mattox?

This guy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/us/21mattox.html?partner=rss

[PassingFair]

19. You're thinking of James Hatfield, I'll bet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hatfield

[Dawgs]

17. He's been President for ONE FUCKING MONTH.

Can we hold off on the 'Obama's Presidency has dissapointed me' until after the first 100 days?

Geez!!

[rvablue]

39. I'll take your 100 days and raise you another 265....

because I'm willing to give him a year to sort this mess out.

All of these "Obama is disappointing me" threads are starting to bug me, too.

[ClarkUSA]

20. Equal pay for equal work; $100 more UI/mo.; 65% COBRA subsidy; $250 one-time SSI bonus...

... and expansion of state-provided children's health insurance, which will extend coverage to more than four million more kids
isn't populist enough for Hightower after only one month of 44's presidency? The biggest infusion of monies into healthcare
in the past decade isn't populist? Gimme a fucking break.

The stimulus plan also offers Medicare for a year to those who find a job after being unemployed; gives tax breaks to 95% of
Americans, mostly lower and middle-income earners, etc. Then on March 4, his plan to help distressed homeowners facing
foreclosure or in it now. I can't ask for more after one month of his being sworn in.

[DevonRex]

25. Snooze fest. Maybe you'll get your pony next month. nt

[Hepburn]

26. TURN ON YOUR TV NOW....

...listen and IMO you will hear it.

He is kicking ass...MEGA kicking ass on this speech!

:applause:

[Occam Bandage]

33. Obama won on a pro-free-blowjobs surge -- so where's the free blowjobs? nt

[Orwellian_Ghost]

37. This ain't it...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5101153

[anonymous171]

38. Populist Surge =/= Socialist surge

Although it is nice to think of it as such. He's still a free market capitalist, and his economic strategy shows it.

[and-justice-for-all]

40. Dont be so naive....

Do you honestly expect him to do EVERYTHING you want him too?? No Prez will ever fully gratify their base. However, Obama will surely out shine most previous 20th century Presidents.