why is obama talking about working together and "common ground?"

[datasuspect]

why would he want to work harder to reach consensus?

it simply WILL not happen. republicans are hell bent on domination and one party rule. you cannot reason with them. they tell lies that are accepted as truth by the media and communicated to passive recipients at will, 24 hours a day 7 days per week, through most media channels. most are americans are just too plain dumb to realize they are being manipulated by media messages to work against their own interests.

bribery is codified and enshrined by judicial rulings, and they don't even have the decency that despots in the third world have; namely, to at least keep it behind closed doors. official corruption and bribery is LEGAL now. and it's all about money.

the republicans repeat the reagan era mantra "tax and spend" (it might even predate reagan) and people STILL accept it as truth.

and there is no effective difference between the tea party and the john birch society. just replace "terrorists" and "illegals" with "communists" and "red/pink" with "brown."

you cannot work with people who seek the utter destruction of what you stand for and represent. these people will tax the working middle classes and spend the money on financial interests and donors.

plus, they realize the control they have with religion and use it to great effect.

there is no compromise, people are using the system to effect change. except the populist movement came in right wing form, was test marketed, broadcast, put in rotation, and the ideology wasn't marginalized by the media. they were accepted as a mainstream movement rather than an extremist movement like the john birch society.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-pn-obama-election-fallout-20101104,0,6730760.story

[ixion]

1. Because he's much more a corporatist than a socialist

would be why.

[JoePhilly]

2. Because he can't trust us.

[shraby]

3. Cause he's not too bright? You know better than that.

He is putting them in a spot. If they work with him, the teabaggers will scream bloody murder. If they don't, they'll look like the idiots they are.

[Poboy]

9. ...because that strategy worked so well the last two years.

[JuniperLea]

12. Not the same thing...

The Pubbies must be accountable now, since they have control of the House and all. Different ball game all together.

[datasuspect]

20. they haven't been held to account since 2001.

2008 should have been a mandate. what couldn't they be held accountable for then? what makes you think anyone will hold them accountable for anything ever?

plus, they control the smear.

the most baseless shit will become the national discourse (as if it isn't already). it will be like NFL football or reality television. anything of any importance will be drowned out in a sea of drool.

[laughingliberal]

17. ANOTHER chess game? nt

[leftstreet]

4. Because the term 'reacharound' is politically incorrect n/t

[stray cat]

29. although it seems grabbing your own butt is all progressives want from government

if they can't cooperate to govern

[riderinthestorm]

42. So you blame this all on progressives?

You believe this catastrophe is because progressives "can't cooperate to govern?" What the fuck are you talking about?

Is it progressives who are determined to block everything Obama does? Is it progressives who are pledged to bring this pres down?

Do you really believe this loss is all about progressives??!!

[Naturyl]

5. He didn't waste any time calling Boner

With big smiles and immediate talk about "working together" and all of that.

It's already been decided. The compromising will continue.

[TwilightGardener]

6. Because that's what you do the day after you suffer a loss. Period.

You don't say, "Grrr, all you stupid-ass voters who voted Teapublican, I'm gonna completely ignore you and pretend this never happened!"

[SoCalDem]

7. Republicans will just run the clock

until Jan when they get control..

There was already an agreement for the senate to have pro forma sessions so that Obama could not use recess appointments...and he apparently agreed to it..

[Ozymanithrax]

8. Because he must govern, even if the Republican do not.

Because the message of fear and dismay that government was not working was loud and clear. Only the blame was placed at the wrong feet.

If he gets anything done at all, it will be because he treats Republicans as Clinton treated them.

Because with the Republicans in charge of the House, he can not help people who need it without Republican help.

[datasuspect]

14. and then no one will be helped

they can characterize anything obama says or does as anti-american, constitution-shredding, marxist, communist, illegal activity. the 24 hour republican spin circus on cable tv will play whatever script they have been given. this has been proven in the case with fox news. fox news is the only reliable news source for these people. they will believe ANYTHING they hear or see when consuming fox news programming. think about this. anything that fox news says is the truth. anything that is not fox news is unreliable, false, and supports terrorism. alternative and foreign news sources are straight up anti-american. al jazeera? off to gitmo!

and they hated clinton only so much. he was still a white southern boy.

they hate obama at the most profound, the most deep and primal personal depth because he is half black. in their mind, this was never supposed to happen. and they will do anything to "cleanse" america.

the republican party will in no way cooperate with this administration.

their smears will stick. the media will ensure this.

some pretty twisted shit.

[jberryhill]

18. "the republican party will in no way cooperate with this administration"

However, regardless of the contradictory thinking of much of the electorate, they want the Republican party to do that, and will not be blind to what unfolds in the next two years.

[datasuspect]

31. after the media finger fucks it

it will all be cast as the fault of obama and the democratic party.

they've been doing all along. that's what's so funny. they. have. been. doing. this. all. along. now it just goes into overdrive.

[Ozymanithrax]

40. I expect another wave election in 2012.

I just can not predict which way the electorate will wave, though I think it will lean towards full blown facisim if people are still uncomfortable and frightened.

[JuniperLea]

15. Well digested...

For the information intolerant. Well done!

[HughMoran]

24. Of course

It's so obvious, yet this question is asked several times a day.

[patrice]

10. Because now the single remedy to the Derivative Crash of 2008 is lower wages and less benefits and

less job security. He stayed too long at the gambling table, so now he has ONE "option" to try to ease us down into poverty more slowly in order to do that he needs their cooperation.

[laughingliberal]

19. Nailed it! nt

[emulatorloo]

11. Do you want him to borrow Carl Paladino's Orange Baseball Bat and start threatening people?

The guy has to make some conciliatory noises today. Does not mean he has to do every crazy shit thing Boehner says he does. Most of Boenher's crazyness will never make it to the Senate Floor,

[JuniperLea]

13. Exactly right...

I don't get how people don't get it. I just don't.

[Kurovski]

16. K&R

"...and there is no effective difference between the tea party and the john birch society."

It's just that they've been mainstreamed by the R's, rather than vilified by the party the way they were in the past.

[Donnachaidh]

21. because he still does not GET IT -- sticking his fingers in his ears

and singing lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala....

:puke:

[stray cat]

28. What people don't seem to get is that laws require congress - and the house!

which we just lost. One person in the house leading a filibuster can make the US default on its loans and stop all government functioning and public institutions. Which will certainly solve the problem of paying for government.....

[datasuspect]

30. exactly

now is no the time for acquiescence.

i don't think people fully realize the power that they actually have now.

[LiberalEsto]

35. Nuclear option.

That is all.

[Buns_of_Fire]

36. Small point: Filibusters are in the Senate, not the House

But since it takes two to tango, the Senate can (and does, with regularity) screw up anything the House passes over to them. Even without a filibuster, though, someone like Senator Aqua Buddha could just as easily put one of those screwy "holds" on a bill (like his predecessor One-Too-Many-Beanballs Bunning did with the extension of unemployment benefits), and Harry Reid would have to use his position and authority to force a vote.

But at least Reid still has that authority. If we lose the Senate, we are royally and totally screwed.

[HughMoran]

22. 'Cause he's not an idiot?

I don't get this "my way or the highway - let's be just as assholish as Republicans" thinking.

He HAS to say that - it's so obvious why too!

[lamp_shade]

23. Because he's the President of the United States of America.

[apocalypsehow]

25. Because...he's President of ALL the people, not just Democrats?

:shrug:

That's how this 'democracy' thing works: once you're elected leader of the country, you've got to lead ALL of the country, not just your fellow partisans. And oftentimes that means working with your political opponents.

[notesdev]

26. because if he doesn't cooperate with them he's f-ed

The House of Representatives wields enormous power... if you've been watching closely you can see that it has been Pelosi not Obama calling the shots for quite some time now.

[stray cat]

27. Should we stop governing and passing anything for two years?

[avaistheone1]

32. What kind of legislation do you think will get past with the Republicans help?

I can only see more wealth transfer to the super rich with that strategy.

[Raksha]

33. WTF??? I didn't know he WAS talking about "consensus" and "common ground."

But then I don't have TV and I'm on a dial-up connection. That's the most depressing thing I've heard all day--if it weren't for the blue tidal wave in California, it would make me feel like giving up.

[budkin]

34. Because it worked so well the last 2 years

[DailyGrind51]

37. When has he stopped? His middle name should be "Compromise"!

[MadHound]

38. This will enable him to freely govern as the center-right corporatist that he is. n/t

[subterranean]

39. Republicans get the messaging thing.

Republicans will “work with the administration when they agree with the people and confront them when they don't,” McConnell warned.

They are already staking their claim to be the "voice of the American people." So if Obama disagrees with Republicans, they'll attack him for ignoring the will of The American People.

This is what Obama and the Democrats should have been doing all along, and what Obama should be doing now.

[Rex]

41. because that idea worked SO WELL over the last two years

oh wait...hmmm...really no idea. Maybe a moderate can come along and explain it, cuz this DFH is outs of ideas. Solar flares?

[donheld]

43. Cause he's too damned stubborn to learn from his mistakes.