When Obama had big majorities in his favor, and a 70% approval rating with the public, he refused to embrace the Left — the very people who made all that possible.
In fact, he showed quick contempt for the Left. The first thing he did was dismantle Howard Dean’s greatly effective DNC organization, and then he made a point of stocking-up his policy team, and Cabinet with status-quo Neocons, WallStreeters, and Corporatists — all direct advocates of the failed and corrupt 2001-2007 policies that the public had just rebelled against.
What became clear was that Obama had no actual purpose to his presidency. He stood for nothing and fought for nothing. One by one good ideas that actually had significant popular support within the Congress (at that time) were quietly shot down (and hard) behind-the-scenes by Obama and Rahm Emanuel — before they could ever be voted on.
- Re-importation of cheaper generic drugs
- Lowering the age of Medicare to 55.
- The Public Option
- Loosening regulations for States to experiment with Single-Payer
All of these ideas were popular with the American public. All had 50 Senate votes that could be targeted. But Obama did not want progressive policies. He sought only, and got only the status-quo, FATCAT, establishment answers.
The Democrats were then left to campaign on a decidely weak, uninspiring, counterproductive “Health” bill. One that provided no FDR narrative, or “Great Society” narrative, along with Bank Bailouts, and a stay-the-course Foreign Occupation Policy — all pointing our Country towards bankruptcy.
How could “a smart man” ever think this would be a winning formula?
Meanwhile the Bush-Cheney Foreign Policy continues on unabated, and with no new narrative to the insane tactics of Endless Foreign Occupations, Bombs, War, Taxpayer Funded Corruption, permanent Detention and Torture without due process, and Trillions of dollars wasted away overseas while our own Country rots away within.
So what does Obama want to do now?
Move to the right and follow the GOP agenda even further. Then he wonders why his base isn’t happy. Obama just is not as smart as everyone thought he was.
This is a dumb politican, capable of only blindly following the marching orders of the Corporate Establishment (even when he had the 50+ votes to bring meaningful change).
Obama likes to drop his g’s (“fightin”, “workin”, etc.) when speaking on the campaign trail, and speak hip talk for the common folks. But it’s just an act. He has no true concern for them. He has no true passion. He has no true core as a person. There is no loyalty, or burning desire to any clear policy objectives.
He is an empty suit, and it has become so obvious now to all — that unlike Bill Clinton, he won’t ever call the Republican’s bluff on anything whatsoever (recall that Bill Clinton, to his credit, refused to sign the Newt Gingrich budget, and let them Shutdown the government — until they caved! — yes the GOP caved to a Democrat!). But Obama won’t ever fight for people. He has no concept of “fighting” for anything. He will barter away Social Security. He will happily extend the Tax Cuts for the rich – unnecessarily adding $700 billion dollars of new Debt. He will keep wasting Trillions of dollars Overseas. He has no new direction, or narrative to offer. Worse than that, he will never even see his own Presidency as a loser, because he was never married to any such progressive agenda at any time in the first place.