It's not about Obama ...

[Onlooker]

... It's about passing a Democratic agenda. Obama did a very good job with that, but he failed miserably in educating the American public. Even now, his opposition to extending the tax cuts on the rich is not based on anything. It's simply opposition. Why doesn't he say that most of our taxpayer money gets ultimately invested in private enterprise, and the wealthy are the ones who stand to get much of that money through their investments? That's why their taxes need to be higher. The fact is that when Reagan cut taxes for the rich and privatized more of the federal government, the wealthy invested in private enterprises funded by taxpayer dollars. So, not only did they get lower taxes, they got a bigger return on their taxpayer dollars.

Why doesn't Obama point out that using the definition of fairness proposed by Republicans, all taxes are unfair. After all, even under a flat tax a person earning $1 million/year would pay 10x as much as a person earning $100k/year for the same government services. If you want fairness, either have everyone pay the same dollar amount or look elsewhere, as pointed out in my first paragraph.

Obama should ask people what they think will happen if we cut food and shelter for the poor, many of whom are disabled or mentally ill. Don't the American people realize that if someone is desperate they may turn to crime, which will require tax increases to fund more police, courts, and prisons? Don't they realize that an increase in crime will lead to declines in property values, as well as in the quality of life?

Obama should point out that every great nation has high taxes. It's expensive to run a nation where people live long lives, have clean water, safe streets, beautiful parks, good schools, and so on. There are countries with lower taxes, but they are mostly in the third world, and suffer from such weak governments that either they are military dictatorships or anarchism reigns. Ask the Republicans to cite examples of low-tax nations that work. There are none, except those with tiny populations and rich in natural resources.

Why doesn't Obama ask the Republicans why they go after the middle class -- more worried about the person getting unemployment or the government worker who makes a decent wage than other problems in our country? The constant refrain of Republicans is that government employees are lazy and overpaid. Why do we allow these continued attacks on the middle class. Government employees are no lazier than anyone else and their salaries are middle class, with very few exceptions.

Since not a lot is going to get done in the next two years, Obama needs to start educating the American people. He needs to make the case for liberalism, and to that end he should challenge Republicans to debates. Obama is exceptionally bright and well-spoken and the fact that liberalism always in the long-run wins (end of slavery, women's vote, child labor laws, minimum wage, civil rights, women's rights, abortion, gay rights, Social Security, etc.) means that liberalism has the better arguments.

[HipChick]

1. He alone can't fight the RW smear/lie media campaign against him..

[jaxx]

2. I hope you will send this to all Democratic reps in the house and senate.

Let them know that one man can't do it all and they have a huge responsibility to do the promoting of bills they have passed that will make American lives better. Why let them off the hook? Why make one man the absolutely only person who can argue for progress? Are they all deadbeats who have no sense of what has been done? Are they impotent in their job performance?

The same with all of us. We too have the responsibility to get the word out there. Talk up the health care and what good things will be coming. When a new bill passed it was normally torn apart here.....here in the bastion of Democrats online we kneecapped our progress. What kind of help is that? Get the word out, financial reform is happening. It's good for the people.

Everyone needs to stop passing the buck and taking no responsibility and dumping it all on one man. We know what that one man can do, we kept the senate and some governorships and some house seats because that one man spent weeks out there campaigning for the very people who won't speak up for the progress they have legislated. Have the Democrats turned into a bunch of crybabies who can't stand up for themselves, but must demand one man do it all? I hope not.