Any of my fellow Obama supporters want to reclaim our liberal banner?

[NJmaverick]

So many of the President's critics wrap themselves up in our liberal banner and declare "true liberals" oppose the President. This reminds me of how the Republicans took our American flag and declared that people that didn't agree with them were Un-American. I think it's time we reclaimed our liberal banner just like we reclaimed the American flag

[Peacetrain]

1. Well heck yes..

[WeDidIt]

2. The liberaller than thou hacks out there think they own it

The Greenwalders have a rude awakening coming.

[quiet.american]

3. Complicated question. :)

I used to consider myself a liberal - but since Obama has been in office, I don't know. Observing reactions throughout the blogosphere, I've become more and more turned off from the word "liberal" - not from conservatives using it as an epithet, but from the actual stance of those identifying themselves as liberals. If my head doesn't explode every time Obama makes a move, I'm not sure I can actually think of myself as a liberal.

That last line was said half-facetiously. However, as much as I hate to admit it, I've come to the realization that I'm probably closer to being a "center-left moderate" than a liberal proper. However, I remember the days when I was so angry about the DLC, and they still rile me up, but during the healthcare debate, I lost count of how many times I was called "DLC." And for what, really? For, as a Democrat, supporting the Democratic Party's healthcare reform efforts.

I say all this to say, I'm not so sure the term "liberal" is worth taking back anymore. I'm on the fence about what you say, NJMaverick. I do think you have a valid point, though.

[NJmaverick]

4. I am sorry you feel that way, but it sort of proves my point

we are all liberals and progressives, but the President's critics have been very effective in taking that away from us. I understand how you feel, because I often feel the same way. Then I remember that those loudly declaring themselves liberal have no more right to the title than we do. Just because we don't agree with the self proclaimed liberals tactics and stands doesn't make us any less liberal/progressive.

[quiet.american]

5. True enough. One thing I do know, is that I remain a proud Democrat. :)

I don't know enough about Kagan at the moment to debate her nomination, so I'm staying out of the fray until I can read through the profiles. But your point does remain a good one. I just wonder sometimes why the "big tent" is supposed to tilt so far over that it covers those who use words like "corporatist" and "oppressor," but when it tilts over to cover those of us who use words like "patience and practical," all hell breaks loose.

edited: darn those typos! :)

[NJmaverick]

6. To me the core liberal values are fairness and compassion

that's where are views of equal rights for all comes from

it's what guides us to protect worker's rights

it's where we are coming from when we push for regulations that protect people from corporate excess

it's why we believe every American regardless of birth circumstances should have a fair chance to succeed


No where do those values drive us to try and destroy corporations or start thinking of the government as inherently evil. In fact true liberals believe the government serves the important role of helping people accomplish what they can't accomplish on their own.

[quiet.american]

7. 100% agreed. Well said. nt

[CTLawGuy]

9. The reason Obama got health care passed

was that his #1 consideration was expanding health care. He didn't care about destroying insurance companies or bringing the socialist revolution. He DID care about getting people health care who didn't have it, and navigated the Senate, a veritable mixture between a tar pit and a minefield, to get it done - something no one else has done in a long time.

[NJmaverick]

10. Care is the true measure of a liberal not the desire to destroy corporations or hurt people with

more money or wanting to tear the Country apart by refusing to work with anyone to the right of themselves

[Name removed]

18. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CTLawGuy]

8. Don't let the loud obnoxious 6% get to you

overwhelmingly, most Democrats approve of the president. See my sig.

Ever notice its the same few people, with EVERY decision he makes, who are complaining. Do they really believe he never does anything good? It seems like it.

[quiet.american]

15. Cheers, CTLawGuy. :) nt

[CTLawGuy]

16. cheers

my friend :toast:

[Arkana]

11. They don't so much cloak themselves in the word "liberal" as they do "progressive".

No matter what some schlub on a message board says, I'll consider myself a liberal until the day I die. But the so-called "progressives" are trying to hijack the party.

[MadBadger]

13. Hmmm, I dont know why you'd feel that way about the world Liberal. Progressive should do it.

Thats the word that those constant critics of the President use. I'm completely turned off of progressivism and have fully embraced liberalism because of this

[quiet.american]

14. Hey, Mad - sounds like 'you say tomato, I say to-mah-to" :)

I've actually had the inverse experience to yours - for example, on the Greatest Page right now there are at least two threads referencing "real liberals."

In any case, like NJMaverick, I do think two of the defining characteristics of liberalism are compassion and the attitude of looking out for others. That's what seems to be missing so much today in liberalism across the sprectrum of the blogosphere, organizations and writers -- there's plenty of rage, cynicism, impatience in finding out what the facts are, and an attitude of "they're ALL against us" -- I don't mean to sound too harsh -- guess I'm really just venting frustration -- after all, I can't have a photo of the Liberal Lion in my sig, and at the same time truly not consider myself a liberal. Sometimes it's just disheartening to see that the "heart" in liberalism seems to be taking a back burner.

[Cary]

30. I consider myself to be a center left moderate too, but

I am still definitely a liberal and so are you. :)

[SemiCharmedQuark]

32. when you feel like that, take a break from the internet

The blogosphere seems much more polarized. Just like you don't have a lot of Paul Bearers in real life even though they rule you tube and the net, you also don't have many people as left as those on this board. That isn't a good thing, but it is reality. I come from a family of staunch democrats...people who haven't voted republican once...and even they are scared that obama is trying to socialize medicine.

I think I used to be more of a purist when I first joined the site. I was 20 and had never really been out in the world. If I have mellowed out since then, it isn't because I am not a liberal. Its because I've lived for 6 more years. I've seen a war hero with 3 purple hearts called a coward and a guy who didn't even show up to duty a war hero. I've seen good people duped into believing that a harvard educated woman would make a comment like "Whitey do that". I saw Bush elected president. Basically I have seen that while many people might hold liberal beliefs, they hate the term and are very willing to turn their backs on good ideas if the conservative media tells them. The fact that McCain wasn't crushed by forty points after a disasterous 8 years says it all.

[Cha]

12. I never lost it.

I know who I am and so do you.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

17. There are times when we are our own worst enemy....

The political purity crowd would rather lose every fight than win half the battle. Personally, I think success will quiet them -- by the November election, hundreds of thousands of people are going to have new jobs and hundreds of thousands will be covered by health insurance. A small cadre will still complain, but they're not going to get any traction.

[cliffordu]

19. Right there with ya!!!!

[Solomon]

20. Count me in. We used to be a big tent.

Now we got litmus tests.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DevonRex]

22. What's interesting is how NJM was attacked. That was pretty low.

But I'm not surprised at all.

[Cha]

25. It says everything about

his attackers and nothing about him. He knows who he is and by now so do more than a few cyberbuds.

[DevonRex]

27. You have that exactly right.

And he's right. We DO need to reclaim that label. :hi:

[goclark]

29. Am I wrong in thinking

that I am "liberal?"

I believe that I am.

I am learning to realize that I can't have everything the way that I want it to be on my time frame.

I think I am a Barack Obama Liberal -- one side of my brain wants me to "end the War NOW!

One side says " I don't want Charter Schools,I want good Public Schools and I want good Public Schools NOW!"

I am learning that it's not about just me.

I am not the one cleaning up GW's mess and I have not a clue how difficult the job must be -- am I a Liberal -- I think YES.

[DevonRex]

31. No, you're not wrong.

I think the health care debate sums it up. Obama said that if he could start from scratch he would put a single payer system in place. Unfortunately, he wasn't starting from scratch. He was starting at the point that the health care industry was 1/6 of an economy on the verge of collapse. To do away with 1/6 of that economy would have been disastrous.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and make the world a perfect place. Reality dictates that I can't. But I'm still a liberal. :hi:

[CBR]

33. That thread was nasty. NJM held his own but the "bullying"

was insane.

[treestar]

23. I agree. The idea that I'm not a liberal could only exist on GDP!

Just ridiculous. And how can the 6% be declaring the rest of us aren't liberals. It's as mad as the right wing calling us socialists.

[DevonRex]

24. Yes it is ridiculous.

And heaven forbid we take a pragmatic approach so that progress can be made. :scared:

[yowzayowzayowza]

26. Yep we need a sign like this:

http://www.allsignsco.com/nopoop/dowath.html

...cept with 'dogma' instead of 'dog'

[Cha]

28. Dogma is a Health Threat to our Children!

[Political Tiger]

34. Count me in! n/t