Out-Republicaning the Republicans

[IndianaGreen]

Published on Thursday, April 1, 2010 by CommonDreams.org

Out-Republicaning the Republicans

Obama Revives Clinton's Disastrous Triangulation Strategy

by Ted Rall

"It was Bill Clinton who recognized that the categories of conservative and liberal played to Republican advantage and were inadequate to address our problems," President Obama wrote in his book The Audacity of Hope. "Clinton's third way...tapped into the pragmatic, non-ideological attitude of Americans."

Clinton's "third way" was "triangulation," a term and strategy invented by his pollster Dick Morris. Triangulation is a candidate's attempt to position himself above and between the left and the right. A Democrat, Clinton insulated himself from Republican attacks by appropriating many of their ideas.

Obama is even more of a triangulator than Clinton.

<snip>

Because of Clintonian triangulation, the liberal base of the Democratic Party saw the 1990s as a squandered opportunity: eight years of unprecedented economic expansion with not one new social program, not even national healthcare, to show for it. They got the message: voting Democratic doesn't guarantee Democratic policies. Unenthused, liberals stayed home or voted for Ralph Nader in 2000. Liberal disgust for triangulation (they called it "selling out") sufficiently reduced Al Gore's margin of victory to allow George W. Bush to steal Florida and the national election. It took the Democrats six years to begin to recover.

Obama ran as a centrist. It would come as little surprise if he were governing as one.

But he's not a moderate president.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/04/01-6

[jaxx]

1. That's been posted at least twice before.

It wasn't any good then and it still isn't.

[polichick]

6. It's important because it's true - missed it before, glad it was reposted. k&r

[jaxx]

I didn't notice much true.

I noticed the buzz word triangulation. Just like that buzzword corporatist is such a favorite.

[polichick]

9. Who cares about buzzwords? Read the whole article carefully...

...without being defensive about the prez.

[jaxx]

13. I did read it.

Like most things commondreams is putting out these days it's a piece of crap. It's a rant. And I really don't think it offers any perspective to DU. Any article that says, and I quote, "Obama is a Republican. A right-wing Republican. Thanks to triangulation gone wild.", is nothing but a bash. And a piss poor one at that.

It's just....common.

[ananda]

14. Maybe they're not buzzwords..

.. maybe they just describe the truth the way it is.

Corporatism does rule this country right now.

[jaxx]

15. Sure they're buzzwords.

Someone used corporate whatever on this very thread. It made me laugh.

[IndianaGreen]

16. I suppose fascism and war crimes are also buzzwords to you

How sad!

[jaxx]

17. No, sad is the constant putdown of the US and the President.

Words are cheap. And they are cheaper yet when they are used as weapons against your own.

[polichick]

19. So you don't see how the prez is pushing Republican policies? nt

[Dr.Phool]

23. I made the same observation is another post the other day.

Rahm Emmanuel was Clinton's Karl Rove. Political Director. Now he's Obama's Chief of Staff. They're infuriating by Republicans by enacting their policies. Expand the war, more off shore drilling, Romneycare, attacking teachers unionsm and on and on, ad nauseum.

Yeah, I'd say there's Rahm triangulation going on here.

[jaxx]

29. Nope. I see how he's pushing them into a corner.

Nothing is black and white ya know.

[IndianaGreen]

21. US and the President are two separate and distinct entities

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.

[Mithreal]

27. -1 In some ways Obama will never out-Republican a Republicon

[Mithreal]

26. Thank you.

[bluestateguy]

12. And the author was wrong about several points

No new social programs created? AmeriCorps, SCHIP?

[Mithreal]

28. If you had anything better to counter it, I guess you would have brought it.

But this is probably the most efficient way to disrupt. Sometimes I actually think folks like you are working against Obama, honestly, no kidding whatsoever. You must know what I mean.

[RKP5637]

2. Would it be reasonable to say this is the agenda of the DLC? Just asking... n/t

[jaxx]

3. No, it would be the Ted Rall agenda.

[DJ13]

4. Yes, its DLC

Third Way, whatever name the pseudo Republican Dems want to call themselves today.

[polichick]

7. Absolutely - great idea, huh? nt

[RKP5637]

10. It's certainly not the democratic party I grew up with a long time ago. I find it

quite frustrating as with majorities across the board, I had thought we were entering a period akin to FDR. I'm constantly reminded of how much corporate America has bought the political system in this country, influences and redirects even the best of intentions.

[polichick]

20. Yeah, this has been a rude awakening - especially when we so need a period akin to FDR! nt

[NorthCarolina]

30. No question about it...the answer is Yes. nt

[polichick]

5. Sad but true - "Voting Democratic doesn't guarantee Democratic policies." nt

[patrice]

8. My problem with stuff like this is that it is sooooo unilateral and static, top-down, it assumes

that only the actors defined by the author have any role in the outcomes AND all of the roles are already known and accounted for in what it assumes to know, absolutely, about something called "triangulation". It, thus, perpetuates the very things that it purports to resist.

BULLSHIT.

[bluestateguy]

11. Soon as I saw Ted Rall's name I stopped reading

The Ann Coulter of the Left who mocks Pat Tillman and defended the Somali pirate kidnappings of US citizens.

[Ted Rall]

32. Keep Reading

I mocked press coverage about Pat Tillman, not Pat Tillman. But you'd have to read something other than Michelle Malkin to know that--like the cartoon itself.

[kristopher]

18. K&R

I didn't vote for Obama to get McCain's energy and climate policy.

[BeyondGeography]

22. Go Palin yourself

[bvar22]

24. Bill Clinton's title of "Best Republican President EVER"....

...is in imminent jeopardy.

I have some compassion for the Old Dog.
"2nd Best Republican President EVER" won't attract near as many Thrill Sex Groupies.

[dflprincess]

25. "Liberal disgust for triangulation (they called it "selling out") sufficiently reduced Al Gore's

margin of victory..."

Yet, the DLCers who now run the party still maintain they don't need us.

[XanaDUer]

31. Clinton isolated himself from Republican attacks?

Not that I remember.