Well it’s certainly been interesting to watch the fervent Obama supporters justify and spin his appearance on Fox News Sunday.
Having seen it twice now (9 am and 10 am, there are repeats at 2 pm and 6 pm on Fox News Channel) I myself have come to 2 conclusions-
First of all, Barack Obama is not particularly liberal or progressive. While his performance was masterful and left Chris Wallace flopping around like a fish out of water, Obama achieved his success by basically throwing the Democratic part of the Democratic Party under the bus.
John Roberts? Puleeeeze.
Nor was that the only example.
Armando warned us months ago that politicians always disappoint and if you are of the belief that Barack is just fooling the Villagers and that he really doesn’t mean the things he says about “bi-partisanship” then he was lying like a rug today.
Which brings me to my second point. Some people think this struggle is about this or that person. They are sadly mistaken. It is about an elitist anti-democratic (note the small d) culture in government and the corporate media that has thrown away the Constitution and the Rule of Law and seeks only raw power for the benefit of a small cadre of the ultra rich (yes Tweety, $5 million a year makes you ultra rich).
It’s not that Hillary or St. McSame are any better, in many respects they are demonstrably worse.
Once again I find myself forced to choose a lesser evil and yet I choose it with the understanding that as evil as it is even incremental steps forward are progress. You work your ass off to achieve small changes in the environment that will make the job easier in the future.
Anything else is just giving up and that is the coward’s way out.
- Paul Rosenberg- Obama On Fox Tomorrow–Who’s Outfoxing Who???
- Greg Sargent- Obama Doesn’t "Take Fox On," After All
- bonddad- Obama Lost My Vote By Going on Fox
- eugene- This is Who Obama Is.
- Fox News Transcript h/t Jerome Armstrong
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You, of course, are free to draw your own conclusions and disagree.
… I don’t have a TV and I don’t miss it, even though I know there are some great shows out there.
So I didn’t watch the Fox interview.
I think it’s pretty clear now that no one is representing “small-d” democracy at this time and the Presidential elections won’t change that. I have no illusions on that score.
Agree on choosing the lesser of the evils. I’ll vote dem and have no anxiety or confusion at all over that. To me it’s a no-brainer. But I also feel folks should vote their own conscience, so I’m not adamant about who anyone should vote for, just that they do vote.
I have never had any expectations of Obama. The positive thing I saw from him was that many new voters came out and are energized by his campaign. New voters getting involved is a good thing, imo.
I see no upside for any Democrat who appears on Faux TV.
Right now, like NOW, I can glance to my left out the widow and see the Gateway of India (google it). My business in East Asia (Japan) and South Asia (India) concludes tomorrow and I get to look forward to a (cringe) 16 hour flight to Newark (I mean, if it was someplace other than Newark that awaited me, I’d be in a bit better mood — but I do have a day-long layover before catching my plane to the Deep South, so will check out NYC and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, so there’s that).
At any rate, I’m not exactly homesick, just ready to get back. And, Oh People!, the conversations I’ve had over the past couple of weeks about Our Country and Its Political Scene. I hope to diary some portion within the week.
But, all that said, it’s crap like this that makes me want to just take the plane back in the opposite direction, to Japan and Kyoto.
Obama’s most fervent sheep NEVER got that Edwards was the MORE progressive candidate. He had some sorry-ass votes in years past, but, at his core, he’s a populist — in all the good ways. Well, alas, that’s never to be. And, in fact, I’ve been backing Obama since Edwards dropped out. But, again, it’s crap like this that make me go, “See! See! I friggin’ TOLD you so!” Gad.
From knockin’ on late night in Mumbai . . .
Mu . . .
Regardless of the demonstrable lack of Progressivism shown by both candidates, any change in the existing power structure always provides opportunities to weaken the status quo.
I don’t know whether Obama will be any ‘better’ than Hillary on the Progressive issues, but I do know that we’ll have a lot more room to move the debate our way.
it is a choice between the lesser of two evils and doing nothing…..
that is a pradigm that I hope changes soon……
before it is too late……
because that is exactly what got us here…….
from Chicago, Ill. The place where democrats are so loyal to their party that– for decades–they rise from the dead to vote.
I have no illusions about Barack being the perfect, progressive candidate–there isn’t one in politics today. But, I still believe that he’s the lesser of evils we have to choose from.
and Barack just fed the Right Wing monkey known as Fox News.
I thought that when John Edwards sent the damned obvious message to the Democratic Party that WE were not to be used by the cave-dwellers on Fox, that it was quite understood by Obama and his insiders.
Progressives, this is another sad day in our attempt to return America to Americans.
No matter the spin from the Obama camp, shutting down Fox News was a statement that truly meant something. It infuriated the wingers and made progressives proud.
Now, it’s just another day of feeding the monkey on our backs.
It’s Us vs. Them.
The Them are the power elite, who are in it only for their own financial gain.
As the Titantic goes down, they’ll get first class service, including preferred seating and champagne in the lifeboats.
Election reform. Lobbying reform. It’s the only way to a different political class.
Proof positive the man has no principles!
Bilderburg’s Manchurian, just like I said.
he will never be as bad as Bush or McSame. Or imo Hillary.
It ain’t big news that Dem party politics isn’t going to bring radical change. Same for Obama. But moving back toward the middle will at least palliate some of the enormous pain and lawlessness of the past 8 years.
And, btw, it’s not just Obama who’s throwing the democratic wing of the Dem party under the oncoming bus. Last time I looked at the Congress elected in 2006, I didn’t see any of them trying to imitate Eugene V. Debs.
you deserve a double scoop pony for watching it twice.
Wow. I rode my motorcycle/scooter thing for the first time this AM instead of watching toxic news. It looks like a motorcycle and same weight/size but no clutch. Totally automatic. That being said I did not ride very well. Harder than it looks. Will take some practice.
Thanks. I got out in the fresh air and don’t regret missing it a bit.
a comment from a foreigner. I had my doubts about Obama from the beginning, despite him definitely being better than Bush. But from a European point of view he does not fit the progressiv describtion. And most of all, I think, Obama will be a greater disappoint than Clinton or McCain, because to me Obama is like a Rohrschach ink blob.People can project all their hopes and wishes on him, but I believe it will just not be possible for him to fullfil these, even a perfect candidate would not be able to do so. So I think some people are in for a rude awakening.
I thought bold changes were needed, myself. That’s why I voted for John Edwards on February 5th.
but this says it better than I ever could:
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/…
Hillary’s a policy wonk; Barack isn’t. But it was larger than that: his great supporter was Sen. Casey, who isn’t very liberal; hers was Gov. Rendell, who is at least to the left of Casey.
That said, I will vote for whichever Dem. makes the ticket this fall.
is not the perfect candidate. Your spiel reminds me of an old, often repeated refrain from my time in the US Navy. An oft given retort to one who complains too much: You would bitch if someone shit in your flat hat. The remark applies to all who just cannot find the perfect whatever …human being, candidate, jelly donut, etc. Let’s first go for someone who is 180 out from the current administration, much of what was the former administration and their respective third-term objectives.