Sometime back, I asked the question what is progressive about Obama.

[mmonk]

I still don't have the answer. I think false framing so dominates American politics, that people do not think for themselves concerning the overall larger picture. Imaginary liberals and imaginary progressives are how k street frames everything that goes wrong or is considered far left and it is echoed in the corporate media. The growing frustration on the left is a realization of this. The growing frustration of the right and its growing extreme views is belief in the false framing to blame their condition on. I think if progressives are to survive as a movement, they must distance themselves loudly from proposals that are conservative, even if the proposals are falsely framed as liberal or left and proposed by Democrats. If not, what we are will be defined for us. Karl Rove said they will create their own reality. They have been doing it for a long time now. People have started to believe it.

[dennis4868]

1. Check out the website....

Whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com and you will get your answer...

[leveymg]

5. Most of those acts are so limited compared to the scale of the problems. Pathetic.

Look, I know that we have a Blue Dog Senate, and now a Republican House, but much more could have been done administratively without a change in law. If he had applied the anti-trust laws and aggressively imposed administrative penalties that are now on the books, he could have prodded the big banks and multinationals to start lending and hiring instead of offshoring the trillions in federally-subsidized funds they've been handed.

I've seen no action on the big issues, like an industrial policy. None. So, altogether, the record is disappointing. Pathetic is the word.

[mmonk]

6. Though I started out repeating that original question I asked, it's

really not about Obama, but about us. Who are we and who defines us? Will that definition define or shape our direction?

[stray cat]

2. Maybe a progressive is more narrowly defined than a democrat that can be elected nationally?

Because clearly DU has not been able to convince Americans nationally to electmone of their "real"progressives.

[doc03]

3. According to the Republicans and apparently the American

people he is to progressive.

[mmonk]

7. But their minds are shaped for them. But progressive can't be what

it is not. And conservative can't be progressive. It can be status quo or regressive but not progressive in my mind.

[midnight]

4. Obama ran as a Regan Democrate...... So he was clear that

his financial focus would be more aligned with those already creating the money, and those handing out the money... I think the most progressive thing Obama has done was the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter act.... I have yet to hear any litigation on this topic.... I suppose with such high unemployment, no one has time to think about their rights.....

[dionysus]

8. "Regan Democrate"

:rofl:

[MineralMan]

10. Regan? Democrate? Hmm...somewhere there's a job for you

making protest signs, I think. Big money in that, I hear. :shrug:

[AndrewP]

12. Rather than debate your point, I'm just going to laugh at the spelling error!

[dionysus]

13. there really isn't a point to "debate"

:shrug:

[HughBeaumont]

9. It's going to be a long, long, LONG time before a progressive is elected President.

This country is just simply not ready for one. It's too restrictive, too repressed, too violent, too churchy, too poisoned by cable "news", too willing to believe stupid bullshit.

We're all about being "NUMMER ONE" without realizing that other countries are straight-up killing us in many educational, infrastructural, economic, cultural and governmental facets. Still way too many people can't accept being in a world where America is one to three steps behind everyone else.

Still way too many people (and yes, it's true) are far too unaccepting of leaders who aren't white and male.

[laundry_queen]

14. I read not too long ago

that 30 years ago, 80% of the world's engineers were American. Today, that number is 15%. I don't think the majority of Americans have even realized how fast or how far they've fallen in 30 years.

Studies I have read show that Americans' values tend towards a type of country like Sweden. I know anecdotally during the 2004 election, I was on a website with a bunch of fundies and a few progressives, and we all did this quiz on which candidate most closely matches your values. I'd say about half the fundies ended up with Dennis Kucinich (almost all the progressives did, lol). Most had no idea who he was. I have no doubt the propaganda machine has basically tricked people into voting against their own values and their own self-interest. It's a fascinating mind-control experiment.

[xchrom]

11. Are progressives a movement at this time?

I think there are unions, environmentalists,
Strong womens rights advocates, etc.

Until all these groups can come under an economic justice
Umbrella -- everybody else will win and progressives will lose.

So to speak.

[mmonk]

15. Yes, the old Democratic Party coalition must return and somehow

take control back from the k street crowd. Otherwise, it dies now.

[Javaman]

16. Want to know what is progressive about Obama?

ask Madison Ave.