If I were Obama...

[BurtWorm]

I'd fire Gibbs.

At the very least I'd make it clear he wasn't speaking for me and give him a public scolding for doing his job poorly by not making that clear himself.

I don't buy that this was intentional, that they really meant to so publicly hit the left right now to score points with the "center." I think this is reparable, but only if Obama takes slightly extraordinary measures to get a lot of distance between himself and Gibbs message.

If Obama doesn't do any of this, I will continue my long, steady slide into professional leftism.

[babylonsister]

1. Maybe Gibbs WAS speaking for Obama; I can't imagine

they're not frustrated.

[laughingliberal]

2. I'll be surprised if we don't see ice skating rinks in hell before Obama chastises Gibbs for this. n

[BurtWorm]

I don't expect Obama to stop my slide.

I'm just saying what I'd do if I were him. I actually think Obama owes the left some kind of action or statement about this, and his not doing anything is a sign of complicity in Gibbs' message. In which case, it's hard not to think he'll (and the DC Dems) will deserve every bit of bad that happens to them in November because the left weren't enthused enough to help them out of a jam this time.

[laughingliberal]

10. It's just like when Rahm called us 'fucking retarded.' Retarded people got an apology but not us. nt

[mod mom]

11. Are they attempting to undermine the Democrats chances this year?

Really, would they rather the Pukes win then give control over to progressives?

[laughingliberal]

16. It looks that way to me. Remember, Pelosi lashed out at the lack of WH support a while back. nt

[golddigger]

3. Gibbs speaks for Obama and Rahm.

[Myrina]

4. its his job to speak for Obama. Firing him is O's only option ...

... unless he stands by what Gibbs said.

:shrug:

[BurtWorm]

7. Exactly.

[Bluebear]

5. It's clear that Gibbs DOES speak for him, though.

[BurtWorm]

9. I'm afraid so.

In fact, as Myrina said in another post on this thread, this really is the test of how much they think they want or need the left this election season. Apparently they don't think they need us. I think they're going to be sickened to find out how wrong they are.

[LWolf]

6. My prediction:

It won't happen.

[BurtWorm]

8. Mine as well.

Unfortunately.

[Forkboy]

12. Gibbs is getting backslaps as we speak.

This is our party.

[BurtWorm]

17. From whom? From media types and DC insiders? Or from the administration?

I believe the former for sure. Rahm and maybe Axelrod are pleased with this--any chance to hit Democrats who don't appreciate what a brilliant strategy bowing lowly toward the right is.

I know someone in the administration who is a lefty and who has always been a bit forgiving of the admin's centrist tendencies and defensive in the face of the left's impatience and criticisms. He is actually beginning to say. "if we don't do x, we're <unPC pejorative deleted>," particularly on resistance to the alleged growing momentum for keeping Bush's tax rates on the wealthiest Americans. I was skeptical of his reasons for tolerance, but his sudden change of tone is not a good sign.

[myrna minx]

13. Gibbs speaks for Obama - this was intentional.

:-( I find it astonishing that they're ok with the tea baggers, but have nothing but contempt for people like me.

[gkhouston]

15. tea baggers are (cough) Real Americans. We're still thought of as Dirty Fucking Hippies.

:eyes:

[BurtWorm]

18. I don't understand the strategy behind it.

If it was intentional, I don' know what good they expected to get out of it. It makes more sense if Gibbs was just shooting his mouth off and letting off steam, complaining about his life and how little appreciated he (and his boss) are. It would seem to make much more sense if the Obama people went out of their way not to directly piss off the left. It's bad enough that they maintain Bush's policies in the fake war on terror. (I think they do that out of fear of looking weak, which is no excuse, because they still look weak for contradicting--or not having--principles of their own.) But when they directly insult the left, whom they needed and won over in 2008 and whom they will need even more in 2010 and 2012, they're being blatantly stupid. It really better just be Gibbs or they're in much bigger trouble than they realize.

[TheKentuckian]

14. Why should he fire him? Gibbs speaks for the President.

He selected his cabinet and top advisors. This is going exactly according to plan. It's all "sensible centrists" DLC superstars and actual Republicans.

[ibegurpard]

19. yup and did you see this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8916150&mesg_id=8916150

[TheKentuckian]

21. Yeah, I knew about it but thanks for pointing me to the thread

[depakid]

20. Yep- Gibbs hasn't been an effective press spokesperson since the outset

More glub glub um ers than concise biting remarks.

This quite aside from losing his professional demeanor and taking a gratuitous smack at the base on the eve of the Fall election campaign.