Just Figgered it out - Obama = BDD

[placton]

Like every liberal socialist these days, I have been trying to assign some overarching meme to the Obama Presidency. I finally figured it out: he is a Blue Dog Democrat! He loves those folks, and Republicans. Liberals and folks left of them, like moi, not so much.

This explains so much:

the economy?
-handouts (in the trillions) for the rich (not even a plan, just big numbers to make them salivate
-scraps for the needy

keep Bush policies (albeit with some upgrades) on torture, Gitmo, Iraq War, War on Drugs; give the military the Afghanistan War (with tens of thousands more troops). We sure can't afford these, but wheeeeeee!

toss in some liberal ideas that do help (upping unemployment insurance, helping the states and education and infrastructure - with far less money than is needed (remember those wars? and them poor rich folks? That's where the trillions go!)

Now that I understand, I can forget about those other promises he made, on health care and other good ideas which will be talked about, but never acted on.

But his fellow Blue Dogs (some even helped to get there by Rahm E), will love it as they tell him folks like me are, well DFHs.

[babylonsister]

1. And I'm the Pope. nt

[woodwrite]

8. nt?

Placton raised some concerns which ought to be on the minds of everyone who wishes the best, speediest and most just recovery from the economic crisis,... not to mention those who fret that the political industry and infrastructure are directed from private interests outside government, and having no particular party ties. I am one of those people, and all the hearts in the world would not persuade me differently. I put the last year of my life into the Obama candidacy, and now I have to admit that I share Placton's concerns. They deserve more than a "nt" ...

[CJCRANE]

2. You've been here a long time nt

[placton]

3. Yeppers! I was called down 8 years ago here

for saying Bush would be like Hitler. I expect the same now, when I warn about Obama. BTW, just look at the other GD posts for more and further examples of my hypothesis.

[anonymous171]

4. The New Deal was a fascist cover up. FDR saved Capitalism, which was a bad move.

Naomi Klein was right.

[Buzz Clik]

5. OH! MY! GOD! Not a Blue Dog Democrat!!!!111 I must now kill myself.

:eyes:

Labels are soooooo important.

[leftstreet]

6. What's a 'DFH?'

Sorry, I should probably know this.

[scarletwoman]

10. DFH = Dirty Fucking Hippie (nt)

[leftstreet]

13. oh duh

slaps forehead

[Parker CA]

7. Have you read about his new budget? n/t.

[leftchick]

9. I voted for him

because I knew he would be the least disastrous of two choices. I think him may be just as, but in slow-mo.

[zeemike]

11. Actually this is a good example of why Dem's don't get

Any thing done.
First the splitting beguins...the leader is not pure therefore we dissent.
Have you noticed that the rethugs Never do that...they are loyal to the leader no matter how hypocritical or Orwellian they have to be.
We on the other hand expect instant gratification ( and purity of essence) and fight like dogs. and the rethugs just laugh under their breath and stir the shit.
When will they ever learn...when will they ever learn.

[dpbrown]

15. I think the difference is that the Republicans just stood lock-step while the hard right got it all

And now Obama is "governing from the middle" leaving some real progressive ideas high and dry - Universal Single-Payer Health Care, for one, is a liberal idea worth making the Democrats stand lock-step to enact.

You could also argue that it takes less leadership to try to peel off votes and support from Republicans than it would to try to woo progressives. In any case, that doesn't seem to be the case.

[zeemike]

17. Change comes slowly

And if you think that Obama could do it all in the first month you are being unrealistic.
Real chang will take years and maybe even decades...I will probably not live long enough to see all that needs to be done done.
But when you plant a tree you will not live to see the full benefits of it...but the children will and that has to be the objective.

[dpbrown]

23. But when you're a small-minded sociopath who gives PNAC everything they wanted...?

... then change comes quickly?

The hard right has been getting everything they want (albeit a little more slowly under Clinton) since at least Reagan.

Bush used 9/11 like a sledgehammer to drive tax cuts, fantastically expanded military spending, and a unitary executive. He got his first trillion dollar plus tax cut through in the first year.

I don't see Obama moving on anything that's of compelling interest to the "Democratic wing" of the Democratic Party anytime soon, and that's with an electoral mandate that Republicans could only dream of.

Great Britain instituted a national health plan in the ashes of WWII, because it makes a nation stronger when health care is recognized as a right, not a product. Universal single-payer health care would save everyone money and create a much more competitive business environment, internationally.

It's ludicrous to start talking about "fixing" social security and all those DLC canards, when Obama's got the kind of credibility that he's got right now.

It doesn't take leadership to tell the wing of your party that was right about terrorism, right about Iraq, right about deregulation, and right about tax cuts to wait, while you further line the pockets and pad the power of those who were wrong.

[dpbrown]

24. But when you're a small-minded sociopath who gives PNAC everything they wanted...?

... then change comes quickly?

The hard right has been getting everything they want (albeit a little more slowly under Clinton) since at least Reagan.

Bush used 9/11 like a sledgehammer to drive tax cuts, fantastically expanded military spending, and a unitary executive. He got his first trillion dollar plus tax cut through in the first year.

I don't see Obama moving on anything that's of compelling interest to the "Democratic wing" of the Democratic Party anytime soon, and that's with an electoral mandate that Republicans could only dream of.

Great Britain instituted a national health plan in the ashes of WWII, because it makes a nation stronger when health care is recognized as a right, not a product. Universal single-payer health care would save everyone money and create a much more competitive business environment, internationally.

It's ludicrous to start talking about "fixing" social security and all those DLC canards, when Obama's got the kind of credibility that he's got right now.

It doesn't take leadership to tell the wing of your party that was right about terrorism, right about Iraq, right about deregulation, and right about tax cuts to wait, while you further line the pockets and pad the power of those who were wrong.

[zeemike]

27. He has inherited a party that has been a part of it

for the last 8 years.
And they are not just going to jump on board without assurance that they can be winners.

[dpbrown]

34. The government serves the oligarchs, not the people, apparently

The Democrats just pretend to hide it better.

[Two Americas]

31. a couple of falsehoods there, and a bad suggestion

There is absolutely no evidence that critics are looking for "instant gratification" or "purity of essence." That is merely a malicious smear of hundreds of people here, and a call for everyone to ignore and dismiss any and all critics and see them as dangerous or destructive. Clearly, that would be a heavy-handed attempt at suppressing freedom of speech - the most common method for doing that. The Republicans have elevated that method to an art form over the last few decades. "The libruls are tearing down America because it isn't perfect and because they can't have everything they want!" That should sound familiar to everyone.

You suggest that we become more like the Republicans, and be "loyal to the leader no matter how hypocritical or Orwellian we have to be."

I think that many here have taken your advice - too many. Funny that you can recommend it, but should any of us criticize that we are attacked and it is denied that anything like that could be happening. I think that the "splitting" that is hurting the party is going on inside people's minds, not between us.

If we are to act and think like Republicans, but then vehemently deny that we are, that will cause some splitting in people's heads alright. I think that is exactly what is happening.

[JeffR]

12. Have you ever lived or traveled south of the Mason-Dixon line?

I don't think you really get what a Blue Dog is. And I'm not saying all Blue Dogs are Southerners, but we pretty much pioneered the concept down South.

As to the President, it's early going to peg him ideologically or in practical terms, but I'm pretty certain that whatever the contours of his presidency turn out to be, Blue Dog will be about the least apt characterization.

[MadMaddie]

14. Well next time why don't you run for President since you have

all of the answers.

Because you and others like you are so perfect you will absolutely know what to do. Once you get into office you will absolutley have all of the US problems corrected the first month and everything in the US and the world will be right.

[readmoreoften]

25. That's an absurd and childish response.

[MadMaddie]

33. Why is it an absurd response?

I can understand why the saying * would be a disaster. He had a track record of being a disaster. But he took an ideal situation and squandered it.

Now all we hear is constant whining that President Obama is going to be horrible and we might as well gear up and accept it. This is not taking into consideration that President Obama and his administration have to upright a 30 year sinking ship.

Economy - Depression
Wars - Boondoggle
Healthcare- Boondoggle
DOJ - Disaster
Other Gov orgs - Disaster
World in chaos
And the list goes on...

Yea, maybe the response is equal to the original posters whine. It is unrealistic to think that anyone can fix all of these damn problems within 1 month. President Obama has done more in 1 month than * did in 8 years for crying out loud. It seems that some think they can do it better, well if that's the case get involved and do something.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

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[TahitiNut]

18. I foresee a new faction: Obamacrats.

:shrug:

[defendandprotect]

19. Sad thought . . . and trust you're wrong . . . but . .. .

getting harder to argue against . . .!!!

[w4rma]

20. Please help support President Obama's budget. It looks like a good start.

Note that budgets can't be filibustered.

[Occam Bandage]

21. Words you do not understand the meaning of:

1. Meme. (especially this one. The rest are somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but it's absolutely obvious you have no fucking idea what this word means)
2. Blue Dog Democrat.
3. Scraps.
4. Keep.
5. Bush policies.
6. Promises.
7. Good.

[RoyGBiv]

22. No he isn't. n/t

[Political Tiger]

26. And a Muslim!

You forgot to mention he's also secretly a Muslim! Oh my!

[Iggo]

28. He's a backdraft damper?

[BlooInBloo]

29. I wonder if people are rec-ing this post because *it's* stupid, or because *they're* stupid?

[cherish44]

30. He campaigned as a moderate

At least that's the perception I got... So I guess if Blue Dogs are moderates then yes he is but it shouldn't be a shock to anyone.

[dysfunctional press]

32. unless we have single-payer universal healthcare- he won't be re-elected in 2012...

i know a number of people who won't be voting for him otherwise.

[Odin2005]

35. Naderite Underground is down the street. n/t.