Is Obama Marginalizing The Left? Is The Left Marginalizing The Left?
"What's the definition of "infinity?" "The length of time before two Democrats will ever agree"
It's war out there, well left of there. Headlines, scream, "I Approve of Obama, He Does Not Approve of Me ," "Open Season On "The Left," and my favorite, "Obama Meets With Rush To Discuss Left Problem." Alright, I made the last one up.
And, woe to anyone who dares to disagree. I haven't heard such bad language since I rooted against the home team at a pro football game.
Of course the media welcomes any distention with open arms. The, not so left friendly, Politico gloats, "Liberals voice concerns about Obama." Anyone want to bet against me that Cable News will talk the dissension drama to death, for days.
I was brought up in a left-of-center home. We supported unions, social programs, and human rites. My parents prayed to FDR, and JFK, and never voted for a Republican, even if they were Jewish.
In the seventh grade I learned a word "altruism," to this day, it defines me.
It is my concern for us all that leads me to question where these blogs are going. If Obama is making a conscious effort marginalize them them they can rail all they want, he is the President of the United States.
Our country is facing the most serious issues of our lifetime. I am scared for myself, my family, my fellow Americans. Would all our common goals be better achieved by supporting our new President and debating the issues, rather then holding his feet to the fire when he doesn't do things the way some want him to. There's plenty of time for that later.
I don't believe Obama has a nefarious plan to marginalize the left. But I do fear that by focusing on what, "Obama should/better do for me," the left, could be marginalizing, itself.
It's war out there, well left of there. Headlines, scream, "I Approve of Obama, He Does Not Approve of Me ," "Open Season On "The Left," and my favorite, "Obama Meets With Rush To Discuss Left Problem." Alright, I made the last one up.
And, woe to anyone who dares to disagree. I haven't heard such bad language since I rooted against the home team at a pro football game.
Of course the media welcomes any distention with open arms. The, not so left friendly, Politico gloats, "Liberals voice concerns about Obama." Anyone want to bet against me that Cable News will talk the dissension drama to death, for days.
I was brought up in a left-of-center home. We supported unions, social programs, and human rites. My parents prayed to FDR, and JFK, and never voted for a Republican, even if they were Jewish.
In the seventh grade I learned a word "altruism," to this day, it defines me.
It is my concern for us all that leads me to question where these blogs are going. If Obama is making a conscious effort marginalize them them they can rail all they want, he is the President of the United States.
Our country is facing the most serious issues of our lifetime. I am scared for myself, my family, my fellow Americans. Would all our common goals be better achieved by supporting our new President and debating the issues, rather then holding his feet to the fire when he doesn't do things the way some want him to. There's plenty of time for that later.
I don't believe Obama has a nefarious plan to marginalize the left. But I do fear that by focusing on what, "Obama should/better do for me," the left, could be marginalizing, itself.
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"Left of center" altruism and cynicism resulting from self deception exposed are real-life twins. You seem to have turned already. To use the term "left" to describe any section of those that supported Obama is a contradiction in terms. In that sense your point is well taken, even if you didn't mean it that way. After all, Obama's candidacy was decidedly 'middle of the road" Wall Street, with some bowing to the religious right (government funding of "faith-based" social services) and to the woman haters (deriding women who would want a late-term abortion for mental reasons).
December 8, 2008 7:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
.
Hmmm . . .
As to the answer to this question:
Usually in circles going around and around like a puppy chasing its tail.
For the majority of folks it beats having to actually get out of the warm confines of their computer space and actually do something positive to affect those around them on a local level in 3-D ...
~OGD~
December 8, 2008 8:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
The lack of cohesiveness within the American left is what causes me to believe it is the lamer of two evils. All linear models of contemporary political distort reality beyond the point of positive utility. They are exploited as methods for marginalisation and polarisation. This invalid modeling creates confrontational environments, and need be transcended.
December 8, 2008 9:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, if Cindy Sheehan had to drop out of public protests (presumably because she was being upstaged by Code Pink, People for the Ethical Treatment of Whale Sperm, and a bunch of bearded Trustafarians selling authentic Nicaraguan hemp underpants), I'd say the Left has a problem. As in, there IS no Left. Just a bandwagon, hijacked by a bunch of self-interested, spoiled lunatics with a million competing agendas.
December 9, 2008 8:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
sigh.
December 8, 2008 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I do fear that by focusing on what, "Obama should/better do for me," the left, could be marginalizing, itself.
You obviously have no grasp of how social progress has been achieved throughout history. All you’ve done here is reiterate the same obstructionist line used by concern trolls everywhere.
December 9, 2008 3:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
the left is marginalizing the left.....obama is doing no such thing b/c he hasn't actually governed yet so we have no real idea....
December 9, 2008 9:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
In truth, "the left" knew that Obama was not that far left at all when he voted for telecom immunity and a few other important votes during the election that were disappointing, to say the least. But "the left" also knows that it is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, so "the left" knew they would have to fight for every single issue in order to win the support of the President elect. I take the more or less philosophical position of, to borrow from Truman, if you want to find true north, if you lay "the left" out end to end, it will point in all directions. I neither agree with everything said on the left hand side of the isle, nor do I believe that "they" all feel the same way.
I have two specific issues with Obama's choices of cabinet members, for reasons I believe all here would recognize. My first criticism would be of Holder for AG. The second is of Geithner for Sec'y of Treasury. I see both of those appointments as problems waiting to happen, and one wrong move by either of these appointees could mean further damage to the fabric of society as we know it, just as the new President is preparing to attempt to darn that fabric back together in a very delicate weave.
My personal feeling is that for the most part, Obama has been trying to express without words that he may be hiring from the center/right so that they can be the front men and sell his policies as they come from the left. Now that's tricky! More importantly, it would require the President to keep an awful lot of balls in the air at once in order to make it work. But he has made some truly phenomenal selections for some departments, and if the remaining nominations are equally outstanding, we could have the makings for a team of professionals the likes of which we haven't seen in half a century or more! I'm prepared to reserve judgment until this President gets into office and has time to put his vision into practice.
December 9, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
He does though. He posted a few times on DKos and then never again. Instead of working within the existing netroots structure, like Act Blue etc. he created a parallel structure centered only on him. He made it so people who wanted to find info for him online could do that completely separate of the left blogosphere. It goes hand in hand with the nerfing of the 527s that was a mistake in the end, for one very important reason: We are Part of the Problem.
We are partisan, we fight Republicans, and target them and try to boost up Dems. We are not too interested in working with the other side because we don't think they CAN be worked with. Regardless of the truth value of that belief, it's still a partisan belief. And Obama really does believe that partisanship is what has really hurt the country (and TBH it has, I mean without the Lee Atwater slicing of the pie, there probably would be a lot less us/them conflict around). Hence why he does not like us very much and seeks to marginalize us.
I've long since accepted that but I guess others hadn't realized it.
December 9, 2008 12:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, you really take Obama's actions differently than I do.
You think that posting on KOS is a more effective and inclusive way to explore issues of the transition? Of course the transition site is completely focused on Obama, HE'S THE PRESIDENT! You shouldn't have to wade through whatever stupid crap kgb999 has to say about blue dogs in Idaho in order to participate in the transition discussion!
You are only as marginalized as you choose to be.
December 9, 2008 3:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmm where did I say I was talking about the transition website. You need to stop making shit up. I'm talking about the conduct during the campaign. I didn't say what he did wasn't effective, but Obama did not use the existing structure for some reason, and I believe those reasons to be:
1) The lefty blogosphere is partisan and Obama strives to to reduce partisanship to the bare minimum.
2) Control freak. Example: Look at the 527s order to stand down, he wanted his campaign to do it all itself. It was only later that he changed his mind when he started getting in trouble after Palin.
3) FISA. Obviously I disagree with his stance, but it was the way it was communicated. The group used his own website, and if you read his response to them it was breath takingly horrible. The second especially, was incredibly condescending and deceptive.
The creation of a parallel structure coupled with ignoring or condescending to the openly partisan blogosphere on issues like FISA indicate that he has no desire to engage with that particular cohort. Since I am of that particular cohort, I am marginalized. Through Obama's actions.
December 15, 2008 1:32 AM | Reply | Permalink