On Pres Elect Obama: do we get mad as hell and protest, or give him the benefit of doubt?

[RiverStone]

Damn, I knew President Elect Obama would be to the right of DU - I just did not expect to get this frustrated so early.

There are many threads already on him choosing known bigot Rick Warren for his invocation address, as well as appointing rethug Rep. Ray LaHood for Secretary of Transportation; this was just today.

Equally annoying to many of us was keeping Robert Gates on as Defense Secretary as well as appointing (environmentally lukewarm) Sen. Ken Salazar over (rocking environmental activist) Rep. Raúl Grijalva for Interior Secretary.

Yet, just a little over a month ago - we are all shedding tears of elation for the end of the criminal regime run by *.

I would not put it past Barack Obama to be so skilled in the art of politics that he knows exactly what he is doing. Our anger not withstanding, if this is a chess game - he may be setting up a check mate scenerio that will keep Dems in power for at least the next 8 years, or maybe even a generation. I do believe the man is brilliant.

In reality, I'm torn between wanting to rant against our next Democratic President for these very disappointing choices or waiting it out to see the BIG picture and assume that ultimately, Barack Obama will walk his talk and create a presidency that is profoundly successful for all Americans, not just those of us in the progressive movement. I think I will applaud and complain at same time!

And you?


:applause: VS :rant:

OR....****can do both at the same time**** :think:

[liberalmuse]

1. We fucking protest.

I love Obama. I will not go on that slippery slope to say the Warren pick is indicative of his Presidency. But this can't stand, people. Warren offends Obama's very supporters. Obama has to draw the line. He can't please everyone. Not everyone is going to love him, most especially not the kind of scum who subscribe to the bigotry preached by Warren. It's time to protest. I sent my piece via change.gov. I hope others will do so as well.

[peacebird]

8. I agree, and I already sent my opinion to change.gov

[tblue]

14. Why does it seem that when Obama has to choose sides, it's the other side he picks?

I don't want to make too big a deal out of this because it isn't policy and it isn't permanent, but I understand the slap in the face so many of us feel. I'm upset about it but I"m holding my fire because 1) he won't change it ("no drama") and 2) there will be bigger fish to fry real soon. But if Obama really had to choose between bigots and lefties, why choose bigots? Why not Rev. Barry Lynn?

I always thought Obama was a little centrist for my taste, so I never dared to hope that he would be another Dennis Kucinich.

[elocs]

2. I'm not torn. I've waited for 8 years to have a Democratic president.

I am not going to piss on him or piss and moan about every decision he makes just because he will not jump through DU hoops. DU has been in attack mode toward the White House for so many years that they don't know what else to do.

[liberalmuse]

6. I respect your opinion.

Some people have been ripped apart by that which Warren advocates. Maybe you have been, too, and if you can still take your stance, all the more power to you. I adore our new President so much it is probably not healthy, but I'm very upset by this. I'm not gay, but I love the gays, and Warren is hateful towards them. The religion Warren advocates is so very destructive. I've told you how I felt, but I haven't said that I feel the same as you. I've waited 8 long years for a Democratic President, and know that we are very lucky to get someone of Obama's caliber. I am just having a hard time grasping where Obama is coming from. Other than the FISA deal, I can't think of anything more devastating than this. If you offend the least of these, my brethren (the gays, and any woman who has had an abortion), you offend ME.

[elocs]

12. "I respect your opinion." That's an outstanding attitude, one I do not see too often here at DU.

I salute you. :thumbsup:

[polichick]

3. imo it's not our job to rubber stamp whatever Obama does...

It's one thing for him to fake people out about offshore drilling in order to get elected, and another to give a platform to a hateful bigot.

[Neshanic]

4. Not this. An entire state, California fought over this. He trivializes it.

[lapfog_1]

5. I was keeping my thoughts on his various cabinet picks to myself.

Yeah, this one or that one would get me upset, a little depressed. I imagine that a lot of people here feel the same way. But I always said to myself "hey, give the guy a chance, he knows what he is doing."

But the Rick Warren thing was just so over the top... and totally unnecessary. It will ruin what might have a very magical day, at least for me. I can't believe that he and his advisers did that. This is not a "brilliant chess move" in politics. And even if it WAS, it's selling out to build a coalition. Much more so than before.

[liberalmuse]

7. Thank you.

You've just expressed how I feel.

[tblue]

9. We choose our battles.

Otherwise we lose them all.

Ya know, how I think about it is, there is SO MUCH to be done and Obama's got a good head on his shoulders, I'm gonna give him some time, say a year, to start putting his ducks in a row before I lower the boom on him. If others at DU and elsewhere want to go after him, it's okay with me., though if it looks like we make a stink at every turn, we'll lose our impact and our voice.

I wish Obama would do everything we want him to do right from the get-go, but that ain't gonna happen. He is no Dennis Kucinich or even a Russ Feingold. But he's better than we've had for a long time and he will get us pointed in the right direction.

[lapfog_1]

20. Yes, let's keep that powder dry!!!

How many times have we heard that before?

Every time the Democrats bow down to our masters, the conservative whackjob MINORITY that still runs things.

Illegal Wiretaps? Keep the powder dry, pick our battles!

Illegal Invasion and WAR? Keep the powder dry, pick our battles!

Loss of Habeas Corpus? Keep the powder dry, pick our battles!

Use of Mercenaries in a War? Keep the powder dry, pick our battles!

Torture? Keep the powder dry, pick our battles!

Impeach a war criminal President and Vice President? Keep the powder dry, pick our battles!

Now it's "Invite a known homophobe and right wing whackadoddle to give the invocation at the inauguration of the guy who was elected to FIX all of the above"... and we are to keep the powder dry and pick our battle.

Pick our battle! Where are we to pick it? Just before we are herded into the FEMA camps? What outrage should we FINALLY stand up to?

[tblue]

21. You're talking about Bush. I"m talking about Obama.

Send Bush to the Hague. Stop putting words in my mouth. If you wanna talk about Bush, start another thread. I'm game.

[lapfog_1]

24. No, I was making a point about being told to "pick our battles"

I'm tired of it.

I am not going to be silent any longer, even if it's a new President.

He didn't have to do this, it won't win him anything, and we HAVE to protest.

I say "Pick THIS battle". Let it begin here. If we don't, the center RIGHT will capture this guy and we (the progressive LEFT) will be out in the cold again.

I've waited a lot longer than 8 years to have a Democrat as President, a real one. Not one who's agenda is set by the likes of Newt Gingrich and Rick Warren.

[tblue]

27. Then study Obama well, because he may not be the president you've been waiting for

and you are gonna have your hands full the next 4 or 8 years. He is not a pure progressive. Neither was Bill Clinton and I don't believe HIllary was either. I wish we had a president more like Dennis Kucinich, but we don't and I doubt we will any time soon. I never expected that of Obama ever.

You don't have to keep your powder dry (did I bring up powder?). I'll support your protest and back you up. I just don't have the teeth for this one right now and this protest should be led by those with the passion for it. I don't think it will change anything right now because Obama puts 'no drama' above everything else.

[lapfog_1]

29. I wasn't ever of the belief that he was Russ Feingold.

I knew he was always more center than I would wish for.

And he was always going to "deal" with the right about certain subjects, gather their opinions on things, occasionally agree more with them than with us (his economic team is loaded with the same old Ayn Rand inspired lazy thinkers)...

But that doesn't mean he has to go out of his way to slap some of his strongest supporters (GLBTers, atheists, agnostics, Wiccans, etc) right in the face. Inviting someone like Rick Warren to do an benediction or invocation is just such a slap in the face. Yeah, he didn't just make a new department of religion in our government and appoint Rick warren to be the first Secretary. But it's the symbolism.

Why piss off about 20% or more of his base with this? For what? Does he think this will win over the evangelicals? Why not invite the Aryan Nation to give a pep talk... heck, maybe that will keep them from trying to off him at the first opportunity. :sarcasm: Or the Ku Klux Klan. even more :sarcasm:

[tblue]

31. You make some very good points, lapfog.

Very good points. I can't argue against any of them. It's sad, I know. I think Obama will have a lot of us pulling our hair out. I knew it when he said he wanted to solve the health care crisis by sitting down with the HMOs and pharmaceuticals, along with the people trying to make health care a right in this country. That's our new president, and that's unfortunately what it took for him to win. Sad state of affairs. As for Rick Warren, I don't know what else to say. He's a horrible choice but nothing is gonna keep him off the inauguration schedule.

[RiverStone]

22. Your powder is quite wet

Hope it stays that way lapfog_1! :hi:

Damn good thing we don't all march in lockstep like the freepers.

Good post!

[lapfog_1]

25. Uh, the actual opposite of "powder dry" is

powder BURNED, as in "shoot the bastards already, let's start a fight!"

Obviously, wet powder isn't any good either.

(Agent Mike... the "shoot the bastards" is a metaphor, OK?)

[RiverStone]

26. Oh, I don't own a gun...

Only baking powder!

[lapfog_1]

28. Not to worry, the pen is mightier than the sword ( or gun ).

and the "keeping the powder dry" is a metaphor for staying silent and not raising a stink about it.

Well, things are about to get stinkier for our new P.E.

[IndianaGreen]

10. We'll throw our shoes at Rick Warren when he gives the invocation

Watch out for the queens' stiletto shoes!

[tblue]

11. Oh yeah. And some queens wear size 13 stilettos!

[Karenina]

15. And WHERE has this madding crowd been

for the last EIGHT FUCKING YEARS?

[Solon]

13. I gave him the benefit of a doubt when I voted for him, no more after that....

He doesn't deserve it, now he has to actually prove himself to me, and so far he's failing.

[RiverStone]

17. Failing his pre-presidency?

Ironic that we have been so quick to give him an F (I'd give him a C) before he even takes office. Like I said in my OP, I see both sides of the coin - and am empathetic to your anger as I share it to a degree.

And yet, just maybe Solon we will be surprised. I am open to being pleasantly surprised 6 months or a year down the road that Obama knows what he is doing. He ran an absolutely amazing campaign, I can't fathom all of the sudden he is tripping over his brain now. I am still thrilled he will be our next President (beats the alternative by light years).

But this Warren thing does get ya to wonder WTF is going on....

[Solon]

19. Understand that I was never enamored with the guy...

Indeed, I was frankly mystified by the Hillary vs. Barack barrage on this board for a long time. Being practically policy clones of each other, and me supporting neither, I frankly don't see why I should give him even a C.

[S_E_Fudd]

16. Neither...I think he is doing the right thing...nt

[ecstatic]

18. I think Obama welcomes opinions, and I hope everyone who has one has emailed

change.gov and the JCCIC.

[stillcool]

33. adding on...

I am thrilled that they responded. I think they just need more responses to their response. I was wondering if we should suggest that other religious people be involved in the invocation? Might that be a solution?

go here to email members of the Congressional Inauguration Committee:
http://inaugural.senate.gov/cmte/

Go here to send message at Change.gov
http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory

[Neshanic]

23. Protest. I though we won the election. Apparently the WH Gays can't see a bad situation if

came up and called them honey buns.

[mnhtnbb]

30. I think everybody who attends the Inaugural should turn their backs to Warren

when he delivers the Invocation.

[stillcool]

32. My goodness. If Obama had to respond..

because of push-back against this man, don't you think maybe some more push-back would be in order? If you want your voice to be heard, then speak..

post here:
http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory

go here to email members of the Congressional Inauguration Committee:
http://inaugural.senate.gov/cmte/

[qwlauren35]

34. Channel Your Anger to Protest Effectively. But that's still a REaction.

I think protesting, as opposed to ranting and complaining, is the right thing to do. But it's still not as good as being pro-active.

Sadly, I don't think it's too early to take effective action. In fact, I'd say it's too late. But I don't think anyone expected Obama to move so fast.

By the time Obama made the first cabinet choice announcement, people should have been jumping up and down and pounding down doors to get the names of qualified people onto Obama's short list.

The day he won the election, people should have been submitting names of ministers to present the invocation.

That would have been PROactive.

The energy being disgusted could be spent anticipating Obama's next major decisions and proposing solutions.

[stillcool]

35. If Obama already felt it necessary..

to respond to the amount of emails, and phone-calls about this, why is it too late now? I sure hope that a scintilla of the outraged voices on DU, are also speaking where their voice might make a difference.
To email members of the Congressional Inauguration Committee go here:
http://inaugural.senate.gov/cmte/
To send a message at Change.gov go here:
http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory

[ecstatic]

36. On second thought... I think there is little chance of them uninviting Warren:

I found this story on Time.com:

The Real Losers in the Obama-Warren Controversy

Some time ago, Rick Warren, megapastor of the Saddleback Church in Orange County and author of the mega-seller The Purpose-Driven Life, along with his wife Kay, invited Democratic Sen. Barack Obama to speak today at the second annual AIDS conference at Warren's church.

...

That Warren should lend him a lectern has infuriated the pro-life activists and general hard-liners on the religious right. ... The din became sufficiently loud that Saddleback posted a response stressing Warren's disagreement with Obama on abortion but noting that "Obama was invited to share his views on AIDS, not abortion or any other issue."

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1565076,00.html

Warren took a lot of shit from the religious right for inviting Obama to speak... for Warren, that actually translated into real money. So I would be surprised if Obama didn't return the favor.

[stillcool]

38. huh..I wouldn't even know how..

to express outrage from the other side of this. I can't compute why a right winger would have a problem with a fundy freak appearing anywhere. I'd write some emails but..what do you say? How dare fundy-freak lend legitimacy to the inauguration?

[qwlauren35]

37. It's too late on SOME ISSUES. Sorry, I wasn't clear.

Personally, I think it's too late to rescind the invitation. Just like McCain couldn't get rid of Palin. But the fat lady hasn't sung yet.

Maybe someone will get Warren to turn down the invitation. That would be the best solution.