POTUS, Bin Laden, the Photos &......GOP Manhood

The President has decided NOT to release the photos of Osama Bin Laden. Good for him. We killed him; did the DNA test on him, he's dead, that's the end of it.

So, why are so many GOPers 'insisting ' that the President release the photos of Bin Laden?

I could go into a long treatise about why, but I think I'll leave the explanation to our poster coop10, who dropped this knowledge yesterday, and all I could say when I read it was AMEN.

So, why are some GOPers saying that the President should release the photos?:

ANSWER:

coop10

Let's not get it twisted. It's not about the photo of Bin Laden. It's about exerting power over President Obama. "Boy, since you got Bin Laden on your own without our (Obama-haters of all stripes) input, you bedda damn well put them pictures out."

What President Obama did, ladies and gentlemen was to emasculate the white man, and they are furious about his doing so. If they can force his hands on those photos, then they can maintain their control over him and the narrative. But he trumped them this time with the mother of all trumps --the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

But what do white men do? They minimize, denigrate, doubt, deride, scorn,and equivocate.

"Obama hesitated."

"He didn't give Bush credit."

"He just signed off on the mission."

"He didn't release the photos. "

"We don't know if he's really dead."

That a black man with the name of Barack Hussein Obama achieved the ultimate white male fantasy --killing America's number one enemy--is unforgivable to white men. Obama's achievement rendered the white man impotent, and so they try to reclaim their power --by demanding the pictures...."Give me those pictures, boy."But the President of the United States, Barack Obama, won't give them the chance to assume their white machismo. Instead, he says that we don't do trophies. We don't do heads on spikes. We don't do drunken frat boy stunts.

The black president is rewriting the rules on manhood and American-ness, and the white boys can't stand it. But after the slap down of Paul Ryan and Donald Trump, the release of his birth certificate and the killing of Bin Laden, President Obama stands as a man among boys-- white boys -- so they better grow up, in a hurry.

Like Rats Leaving a Sinking Ship...the GOP Deserts Paul "VOUCHERCARE" Ryan

Well...well...well.....

it seems as if the GOP isn't as big and bad as they pretended to be when they passed the Paul Ryan "DESTROY MEDICARE AND MEDICAID" 2012 Budget.

Now.....they're deserting him, leaving him on the branch alone.

I don’t give a shyt about how many Frank Luntz phrases that they use…

Seniors understand

End Medicare…Replace with Vouchercare


The GOP couldn’t get past that.

From TPM.com

Boehner: 'Political Realities' Make Medicare Privatization Difficult

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is the latest GOP leader to acknowledge that his party's plan to privatize Medicare -- which passed the House as part of the Republican budget -- will hit a wall in the White House and Senate.

Responding Thursday to the news that one of his most powerful chairmen, Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) of the House Ways and Means Committee, will not push ahead with the Medicare plan, Boehner told reporters, "My interpretation of what Mr. Camp [said] was a recognition of the political realities that we face. While Republicans control the House, the Democrats control the Senate and they control the White House."

Boehner insisted the GOP hasn't abandoned the plan, and isn't prepared to take anything other than tax increases off the table. But with multiple top Republicans now acknowledging that budget negotiations will focus on other areas of potential agreement, it seems understood that the plan is basically dead.

So, Orange Julius is saying that it might be needing, what, 'some retooling'?

Yeah, good luck with that.

But, TPM already points out the problems for ALLLLL the House Republicans, save 4:

There's just two problems with that, if you're a House Republican:
1.) The plan is still very unpopular, and 2.) There's over a 97 percent chance that you already voted for it.

Yes, the 2012 DNC Ads are being written as I type for those GOP House Members.



Now, did Orange Julius speak to the weasel Cantor?

from TPM.com:

Cantor: President 'Excoriated' Our Medicare Plan, But It's Not Off The Table

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) says reports of the demise of his party's plan to end Medicare as we know it are premature.

Speaking with reporters as Republicans across the Capitol were backing away from the plan to blow up Medicare and replace it with a voucher system, Cantor denied saying he was taking the plan off the table.

Cantor blamed President Obama for endangering negotiations on a final Medicare plan.

"The reality is this president has excoriated our Medicare proposal...this president has done nothing but attack the plan," Cantor said. "That is unfortunate."

Earlier in the day, Speaker Boehner lowered expectations on the Medicare plan, acknowledging the "political realities" of a Democratic White House and Senate.

Now, the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee has already told what's going to happen with his committee:NOT MUCH.

Crucial GOP Chair Delivers Blow To Paul Ryan's Medicare Plan

Already flagging in the polls and generating heat at town halls, the GOP's Medicare plan may already be kaput after a key lawmaker indicated he won't bring it up in his committee.

Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), who chairs the powerful Ways and Means Committee, told an audience at a Health Affairs policy breakfast Thursday morning that since the bill is already DOA in the Senate, he wouldn't waste more time on it in the House.

"I'm not really interested in laying down more markers," Camp said, according to The Hill. "I'd rather have the committee working with the Senate and with the president to focus on savings and reforms that can be signed into law."

And, what about the big and bad GOPers in the Senate?

They've decided they're not so big and bad anyway, and want NO PARTS of voting for the Ryan MEDICARE KILLER budget.

Oh, they give the excuse that they'll ' come up with a different ideas', but you get the gist.

Their chicken behinds want no parts of Ryan.


So, the ' brave'

the ' oh so serious'

Paul Ryan is left standing on the corner like the last hooker on the corner at 2 am on payday.

The Social Poets: Government Shutdown and Cartoons: Courtesy of Tea Party and GOP

GOP Cantor, left, GOP Speaker Boehner, right - Image by TalkMediaNews via Flickr

The Social Poets: Government Shutdown and Cartoons: Courtesy of Tea Party and GOP: "This budget mess is a dark farce, courtesy of the Republicans and their inbred political cousins, the Tea Party. The GOP hates women and they hate giving federal funding for women's health care.

Millions of women depend upon that funding in Title 10 which provides reproductive and preventative care. Since it is mainly low-income women who are the beneficiary of these funds, Republicans don't care. After all, low-income people are not their voting demographic. Nor have they ever done anything for women either.

The whole process is disingenuous. To get the $100 billion the Tea Party demands, it's obvious: all you have to do is stop these idiot wars in Afghanistan and Iraq where we spend billions per month. And now our heavy involvement in Libya is equally expensive - to the tune of $1 million per Tomahawk missile fired to enforce the No-Fly Zone.

Want more easy cuts? Try the $1 billion 'tax cuts' for the wealthy that President Obama gave away far too easily, especially when 70 percent of the entire country said they did not want the rich to get tax cuts. He foolishly did it anyway. And now, here we are months later, with all of Congress and the President looking stupid in this budget fight."

Heads Up To All the Senior Citizens Who Fell for the GOP Lies about ObamacareS - get ready, because they're coming after MEDICARE

And, only because I know that there are plenty of Senior Citizens who weren't stupid enough to believe the GOP Lies About OBAMACARES, well, here's the payback for your idiocy:

The Republicans want to PRIVATIZE MEDICARE.

Let me repeat that to you.

THE REPUBLICANS WANT TO PRIVATIZE MEDICARE.

From the Wall Street Journal:

GOP Aim: Cut $4 Trillion
Budget Plan Would Transform Medicare, Reset Budget Debate; Democrats Balk.

By NAFTALI BENDAVID
Republicans will present this week a 2012 budget proposal that would cut more than $4 trillion from federal spending projected over the next decade and transform the Medicare health program for the elderly, a move that will dramatically reshape the budget debate in Washington.

The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills. Mr. Ryan and other conservatives say this is necessary because of the program's soaring costs. Medicare cost $396.5 billion in 2010 and is projected to rise to $502.8 billion in 2016. At that pace, spending on the program would have doubled between 2002 and 2016.

Mr. Ryan's proposal would apply to those currently under the age of 55, and for those Americans would convert Medicare into a "premium support" system. Participants from that group would choose from an array of private insurance plans when they reach 65 and become eligible, and the government would pay about the first $15,000 in premiums. Those who are poorer or less healthy would receive bigger payments than others.

The proposal would also convert Medicaid, the health program for the poor, into a series of block grants to give states more flexibility. And it is expected to suggest significant cuts in Social Security, while proposing fewer details on how to achieve them.

The federal government expects to spend about $275 billion in 2011 on Medicaid, the program that provides medical care to the poor and disabled, up from $117.9 billion in 2000. The Congressional Budget Office projects Medicaid spending will roughly double by 2021.

Now, these mofos want to continue with their UNPAID TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH, but somehow, I'm supposed to just ' trust' them on GIVING VOUCHERS FOR MEDICARE?



Anyone who has any relationship with an elderly person knows that it's a series of medical mishaps, one after the other. When one medical problem is solved, here is another. And, what about our elderly who have CHRONIC DISEASES, such as diabetes, hypertension, etc. There are multiple doctors involved in the care of said Senior Citizen.

My mother had diabetes. On top of having a Primary Care doctor, she also had an Endocrinologist, you can't go to a regular podiatrist, you have to go to one that specializes in diabetic patients; because she has diabetes, that brought on the possibility of glaucoma, and had to go to an optomotrist who deals with diabetic patients. As she aged, further ' complications' from diabetes revealed themselves, and thus, new doctors.

WHEN, and in WHAT WORLD, do the Elderly see FEWER doctors as they AGE?

Don't be suckered in by the 10 year plan.

Unless your behind believes you're going to DIE within the next 10 years, that means, in 10 years, your 10 year older self, will be thrown out to the wolves.

What happens when your voucher runs out?

Who has more power, millions upon millions of Seniors in one pool, or you, going from doctor to doctor, worrying about squeezing the most bang for your buck, when all you should be worrying about is if your elder is getting the right treatment for their PRESENT medical issue....because, you know another one will be coming down the block.

I found this excellent comment on another board:

What private medical insurance market for seniors? It never existed, and never will. They have the worst pre-existing condition of all... they are seniors. There is no profit in insuring the health of people who are guaranteed to have medical issues. What Medicare really is as much as anything is a medical Sam's club. It using purchasing power to reduce the costs of the people it covers. Without that, there is no cost containment.

That's EXACTLY what Medicare is, and why it's been so successful. Also, because it's a FEDERAL Program, the states are not able to mess with the Seniors the way that they are the poor on Medicaid. That purchasing power, or the Government's unwilingness to use it with MEDICARE PART - D, is what it's worst critics have against the program.

If you are 50 years or older - THIS CONCERNS YOU. It should be at the front of your mind.

EVERY MEMBER of Congress, should be FORCED to find healthcare coverage in the PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET.

Every last one of them.

Let's see how they make it being thrown out into the wolves at the mercy of the health insurance industry.

from Talking Points Memo:

Bring on the Bamboozlement
Josh Marshall | April 4, 2011, 11:51AM
As House Republicans cue up their Medicare Phase-out legislation, we're about to be treated, once again, to an example of how political actors use press cowardice to deceive the public. Rep. Paul Ryan's plan, which is now the official Republican plan, phases out Medicare over 10 years. Yet you'll be treated to numerous articles that call this a 'reform' or 'overhaul' or even 'saving' Medicare. But each are no better than straight outright deceptions, whether by design or ignorance.

The Medicare system has been in place in the United States for a bit more than 40 years. The premise is simple: once you hit retirement age you move into a single payer health care insurance system in which Medicare takes responsibility for your care, regardless of the state of your health or income level. There are copays. No one's crazy about exactly how much is covered. Some doctors opt out. You've probably heard all of this at one point or another. But the key is that you're in the program. And for the rest of your life you're out of the private health insurance system. You're covered. Permanently and on the same terms as everyone else.

Now, this isn't just a good thing if you're a senior or have parents who are seniors or have anyone in your life who's a senior, which presumably means virtually everyone. It's also just necessary for pretty obvious reasons.

We all know about pre-existing conditions. You're a cancer survivor so no insurer will cover you. Or you have one of the myriad possible conditions that make you a bad risk. And no insurer wants to issue a policy for someone who odds say is likely to cost a lot of money. Well, guess what, people over 65 all have a preexisting condition: they're old!

..............................
Now, you might say, how is it that the President's health care reform has managed to ban insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions? Well, good question. But there's a straightforward answer. Most younger and working age people don't have chronic health problems. So if you can make sure that everybody is in the health care system -- that's what the mandate is about -- you have enough revenues from premiums to offset the very high costs of the relatively small number with chronic conditions. But the same approach won't work with seniors. Because, again, as a group old people just aren't healthy enough. There are complicated health care economics ways of explaining it. But do the math. It's obvious.

The Ryan plan is to get rid of Medicare and in place of it give seniors a voucher to buy health care insurance from private insurers. Now, what if you can't buy as much as insurance or as much care as you need? Well, start saving now or just too bad.

Now, by any reasonable standard, that's getting rid of Medicare. Abolishing Medicare. Phasing it out. Whatever you want to call it. Medicare is this single payer program that guarantees seniors health care, as noted above. Ryan's plan pushes seniors into the private markets and give them a voucher. That's called getting rid of the program. There's simply no ifs or caveats about. That's not cuts or slowing of the growth. That's abolishing the whole program. Saying anything else is a lie.

Absolutely. This no damn ' REFORM'. Call it for what it is.

THEY ARE TRYING TO DESTROY MEDICARE.

You want DEATH PANELS?

How long do you think Senior Citizens will last against the Private Insurance Industry?

COME ON.

If you know a Senior Citizen, if you love one, this is a stand you must take. Call these mofos out for what they are attempting to do.

There are those with a Lord of the Flies mentality, who see nothing wrong with what Ryan is proposing to do.

I happen to not share that mentality, and I think it's fine that the government helps our elders not be mired in poverty (Social Security), and will give them access to healthcare. I think every citizen should have access to healthcare.

They'd crawl over open glass to defend tax cuts for the top 2% in this country, but they'd throw my Mama and yours into the street and tell them - tough shyt- trying to get the medical help that they need.

From Ezra Klein:

What Paul Ryan’s budget actually does
By Ezra Klein
Paul Ryan’s plan for Medicare and Paul Ryan’s plan for Medicaid rely on the same bait-and-switch: They use a reform to disguise a cut.
In Medicare’s case, the reform is privatization. The current Medicare program would be dissolved and the next generation of seniors would choose from Medicare-certified private plans on an exchange. But that wouldn’t save money. In fact, it would cost money. As the Congressional Budget Office has said (pdf), since Medicare is cheaper than private insurance, beneficiaries will see “higher premiums in the private market for a package of benefits similar to that currently provided by Medicare.”
………………..

In both cases, what saves money is not the reform. It’s the cut. For Medicare, the cut is that the government wouldn’t cover the full cost of the private Medicare plans, and the portion they would cover is set to shrink as time goes on

Other articles you should read:

ARROGANT, OUT-OF-TOUCH ELITIST

How The GOP Plan To Kill Medicare And Medicaid Would Work

GOP Wants to Kill Me (and You)

The 2022 Medicare Crisis

The Courageous, Serious, Gutsy Paul Ryan[snark]

Phase Out Credibility

The Social Poets: Wisconsin: Voters Slap Down GOP, Female Dark Horse Wins State Supreme Court Seat

The Social Poets: Wisconsin: Voters Slap Down GOP, Female Dark Horse Wins State Supreme Court Seat: "An obscure election got the royal treatment from activists and voters. Voters so hated Gov. Scott Walker's controversial anti-union initiatives they came out in droves to defeat a GOP incumbent for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The surprise dark horse vote came for Democrat unknown JoAnne Kloppenburg, down by an astounding 30 points right before the election. She is a state attorney general with support from several unions.

Election officials tallied her win at a razor thin 235 votes over the GOP incumbent of 12 years, Justice David Prosser, who is known to be sympathetic toward Gov. Walker's policies. Prosser had come out of his primary with a 55 percent vote win. Kloppenburg was second of four candidates with only 28 percent of that primary vote. Prosser was expected to experience an easy runaway win - that fizzled because of unusually high voter turnout."

Rachel Maddow Makes it clear- what's going on in Wisconsin is about the future of the Democratic Party

Rachel Maddow does a series of excellent pieces about why this attack on the unions is an attack on the Democratic Party. This attack is about the only institutions that financially help the Democratic Party.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Poll: Palin Turns Off A Weary America

Palin viewed as unfavorable by majority of Americans.

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: "Got Palin fatigue?" You have plenty of company, like 56 percent of the rest of America, according to a new CNN poll. How is Palin's unpopularity among women? It's gone up 10 points.

How does she poll among Independents? They sure don't like her either. That score has risen rapidly in the past few months a stunning 14 points to 59 percent against Palin. Independents tend to prefer civility and bipartisanship of which Palin does not subscribe.




Her unfavorable rating is up three points among men. Her overall unfavorable rating is up seven points since the last poll two weeks before the midterms.

Reasons for her upticked unfavorable rating 

What has contributed to her increased negative rating in America? Palin handed her fellow Americans a long laundry list of reasons: her tone deaf attitude after the Tucson shooting when people cited her for placing bullseye targets on Democratic politicians and telling fellow GOP to "reload." People are most turned off by her reaction to her cross-hairs website she had up last year during the health care debate where she targeted Democrats, notably Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in Tucson two weeks ago.

She's hawked ghost-written books as if they were her own, stiffing her fans who waited for hours at book signings. Her reality TV is just TMI (Too Much Information - for our second language friends outside of the USA).

Then there's the constant family psycho-dramas that play out incessantly, giving fodder to the tabloids. Mindless tweeting on Twitter.  She tweets  without much consideration that millions of people read it - and maybe some things should not be said publicly -  because of those persons who are not mentally stable enough to realize she was just being outrageous and obnoxious.

Obnoxious is the word to accurately describe Sarah Palin. She started out as this cute hockey mom with a love of family, children and her conservative values. Then she morphed into this greedy multi-media extravaganza whirlwind, picking up $100,000 fees just to "speak" at this conservative event or that. Her speeches often ramble and make little sense, sprinkled with "You betcha!" and "reload" and other catchy phrases, tossed out with a wink and a nod.

Palin is now this pushy annoying snake oil saleswoman constantly knocking on your door no matter how many times you yell through the door, "Go away!" Yet she continues to accost us without ever being invited into our living rooms. Gee, "do ya think?" she has overstayed her welcome in the public eye?

GOP worries about 2012 election 

Most Republicans are getting nervous about her indecent exposure in the public eye. In fact, the GOP circles are now talking about how toxic she could be in any presidential race. Well, they created this monster it's up to them to solve the problem. Be careful what you wish for, GOP.

Of course, GOP hopefuls in the 2012 election are already circling like vultures over the Palin carcass. They see those unfavorable poll numbers over 50 percent and know it's virtually impossible to come back from that toxic level.

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, known for his outrageous rhetoric of the "Don't do as I do, do as I say" hypocrisy - and several wives later - tells Palin to dial it back and be more careful about what she is saying. While that may be true consider the source. Gingrich, a former history professor, also has compared himself to Emperor Napoleon. Strange but true. I told you that politics should be classified as a sport.

These GOP wannabees know they cannot directly attack Palin because of her weirdly loyal followers. Talk about strange. When she gets criticized her followers actually believe she is more right. Other Republicans who have tried to sideline her were demonized savagely. The new guys vying for the GOP nomination in 2012 are treading lightly for the moment. Even the GOP is getting the message to quit going so negative as evidenced by the Palin example. What the entire GOP is hoping is that Palin will tweet herself right out of existence. Now there's some bipartisanship to which maybe we all can agree.

A real leader:  President John F. Kennedy 

On a more positive note: Today is the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. This president was one of our most inspiring among us. That day he called for national service and civility. He believed in a dedication to human rights. He wanted our country to make a commitment to arms control. "Eloquent" is the one word to describe President Kennedy for he defined the aspirations of a generation of Americans.

We prefer our leaders inspire us to show us the way to what we are capable of becoming. President Obama was elected with this kind of Kennedy speech-making. He should not allow the toxic atmosphere of those who would tear down this country to deter him from following his original course he set in the 2008 election. President Obama has been feeling his way through this tough times presidency, with many a misstep - and wrong alliances - with coddling Big Business over meeting the needs of the middle class.

He still has a small amount of time to recapture American confidence as a positive and inspiring leader for there is no guarantee that his GOP opposition will be so obviously easy to beat like a Palin.  At this snapshot in time, two years out, President Obama is six points higher than GOP Mitt Romney, the only real contender among the Republicans.  That isn't enough of a gap to produce favorable results for a reelection and is too close to call.





**** The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted Jan. 14-16, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Related articles

• Poll: Obama leading all GOP rivals (politico.com)
• The GOP's Dilemma (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

The Social Poets - news, politics, political cartoon humor
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts - my own best as well as links to other spiritual posts from all viewpoints
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Poor Michael Steele....they wanna kick him to the curb....LOL

from Black Politics on the Web

Steele on thin ice at helm of Republican Party
By The Admin on November 26, 2010

A significant bloc of Republican National Committee members wants embattled chairman Michael Steele to step aside, but the rank and file have failed to settle on a clear alternative, according to Associated Press interviews with committee members.

More than four dozen interviews with members of the 168-member central committee found fear that a badly damaged Steele could emerge from the wreckage of a knockdown, drag-out fight to head the party as it challenges President Barack Obama in 2012. While most agree that Steele’s time has been rough — and costly — the members also recognize that a leadership fight could overshadow gains that Republicans made in the midterm elections.

With balloting set to take place in just two months, many just want Steele to go.

“You can’t keep spending the kind of money they’re spending every month just to operate the RNC,” said committee member Ada Fisher of North Carolina. “I would hope he would step aside.”

“The question is who should be hired for the next two years, It’s not a matter of firing anybody,” said James Bopp, a committee member from Indiana who holds great sway among social conservatives on the panel. “I just don’t think Steele has performed at the level we need for the presidential cycle.”

In interviews with 51 committee members, 39 said they preferred Steele not be on the ballot when they meet near Washington in mid-January to pick their leader.

For his part, Steele hasn’t said whether he will pursue the 85-vote majority needed for a second term. Already, members have been hearing from others interested in that quest.

.......................................

Steele started the job with a $23 million surplus; the RNC raised more than $79 million this year and has spent all of it. Some went to places that previously saw little RNC cash or interest, including five U.S. territories that each has three votes on the central committee.

Oh MC Steele.....

You can't be surprised by this, can you?



Sitting out here, just as a casual observer, it was obvious from the moment of your election that you served one purpose and one purpose only: to give the GOP COVER as they attacked the first Black President.

Which, you were only so willing to do.

There was no racist remark that you weren't willing to shin and grin and try and explain away over the past 2 years.

They'd do something obviously racist, and there you were, sitting there on national tv, with a calm expression on your face, pointing out how it wasn't racist, no matter how strong the dogwhistle has been.

Nothing was too outrageous for you; nothing was said or published that made you go ' WTF, I'm not defending this crap on national tv'.

NOTHING.

You shucked and jived your way through these two years, showing no resemblance of dignity or self-respect. It was all good, because you were getting paid. You had to grovel after you were actually honest about Rush Limbaugh...it really was cringeworthy, watching, time after time, that you tried to explain away the OBVIOUS - not the subtle, but dogwhistles so loud, they could be heard in another continent.

Well, now, they feel they've gotten their legs back, along with Citizens United, and, you've got to go, Michael. You've served your purpose.

But, why do I get the feeling that it's going to go down like this?

Obama and the Democrats Still Don't Get It - Fix the PR & Messaging, and Pick the Right Battles

The Midterm (S)elections ended pretty much as expected. Confused Americans tired of gridlock in Washington DC, voted for more gridlock. This is frustrating because I know many of those white Republican voters are poor working class and middle class people. Many have been greatly impacted by the economy. I don't understand how they believe Republicans will make their lives any better. Afterall, a Republican White House was at the helm when the economy crashed. Republicans will aim to cut projects and services that many of their own constituents depend on... food stamps, medicare, unemployment insurance, S-chip, infrastructure investments, money for Police and Teachers...you name it. The next two years will be very constraining for President Obama, due to a Republican House of Representatives that will block his remaining agenda.

I have been annoyed and dejected about politics and the direction of the Country (still going in the wrong direction) over the past several weeks and have not been motivated to write anything. Voters and the Country have been disappointing more often than not over the past several years. Things started to go downhill politically in the late 1990's when Republicans and Ken Starr turned the Clinton affair into a circus. Then the U.S. made a number of foreign policy mistakes... under Clinton, which didn't help the U.S. at all...and caused more harm. That was followed up by the 2000 elections. A year later... we had the 9/11 catastrophe. The U.S. hasn't been the same since. Every major negative event that happened after 2000 and 2001 can be traced back to the major events of those two years (the Election of Bush/Cheney, and 9/11)....every major negative event. The nation is still licking its wounds from 2000 and 2001.

What annoyed me most about the Democrats, Post-election, was the fact that there didn't seem to be any effort whatsoever to understand what helped lead to the sharp losses. There was no recognition at all of Progressive/Democratic Party strategy. It was back to business as usual. The first major sign that the Democrats didn't get it was the fact that they chose Nancy Pelosi to continue as the Party's leader in the House of Representatives. This would have been a good opportunity to start fresh with a new leader. Pelosi, in my view, was never very effective as Speaker. Not only does the choice of Pelosi provide more motivation for Republicans over the next two years, but it sends the signal that Democrats are, to some extent, tone deaf. Democrats never seemed to have their finger on the collective pulse of the American public. Despite the need to focus on jobs and the economy.... Democrats chose Healthcare. That in of itself was not the fatal blow. It was the way that they went about selling Healthcare Reform that sunk them. Democrats never seemed to understand the importance of messaging and PR... how to grab and maintain the initiative in the information war. As a result, they lost the information war early on and were never able to regain control of the debate. Democrats also failed to grasp the fact that the U.S. is a centrist to center-right nation, and that governing may sometimes require a centrist approach. However, this is also a nation, as centrist as it may be, where people like populist ideas...some of which are Progressive ideas. In other words...large complicated bills that few people understand are often frowned upon due to costs and the image of too much government. But when you separate Progressive ideas into smaller slices, Americans often like them.... the populist side of the Country kicks in. Democrats failed to exploit the way that Americans understand and perceive policy. It's as if Democrats didn't bother gauging public sentiment at all to determine the best strategy for proceeding.

They were able to pass a bill....many observers, including myself, predicted that. But the cost was probably too high...politically and otherwise. A better strategy might have been passing the bill in pieces which would have been less confusing. They should have focused on passing (and branding) the popular aspects of reform....making it difficult for Republicans to confuse and misinform voters.

President Obama himself doesn't seem to get it. Not only doesn't he seem to understand the larger issues that I mentioned regarding Democrats... he also doesn't seem to understand how his position and approach as President will have to change. During his post-election press conference, the President once again extended an olive branch to Republicans and talked bipartisanship. This was after (Speaker elect) John Boehner and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, made it clear that they had no intentions on pursuing a bipartisan approach.

"This is not a time for compromise, and I can tell you that we will not compromise on our principles," Boehner said during an appearance on conservative Sean Hannity's radio show.

McConnell made similar statements, basically saying that his priority would be to make sure that Obama is defeated in 2012. The only way to do that is to sabotage the remaining two years of Obama's Presidency....which is exactly what they plan to do. It's the same approach that they used during his first two years in office.

The Republican plan is basically to continue the approach of obstruction...and run out the clock on Obama's time in office. They don't want to allow Obama to claim credit for anything positive. They are even reluctant to allow Obama to sign the New START Treaty. The START Treaty is part of a family of Treaties going back to the SALT Treaties under Ford and Carter. They have been the cornerstone of arms control & arms reduction between the U.S. and Russia for four decades. Senate approval of these treaties is usually a formality. All out delays, opposition, sabotage & interference is extremely unusual... not just over the past four decades, but throughout the history of the Republic.

Is Obama tone deaf? He doesn't seem to understand that Republicans have declared war on his Presidency. He also doesn't seem to understand that Democrats/Progressives are in the midst of an information war...and they are losing. I can understand his desire to remain cordial. That's the professional thing to do... but behind the scenes he has to have a two track strategy if he wants to avoid being a one term President.

There is a way that Obama could minimize Republican obstructionism and even put pressure on Republicans. I'm not very optimistic, because the Obama strategy team and the strategy approach of the Party as a whole has been so ineffective over the past two years. But he could position himself to be competitive in 2012, if (along with the Democratic Party) he takes the following approach:

1. Vastly improve the messaging and PR. This has been dismal lately. Work to establish a media infrastructure and communications network for Progressives that could rival the Republican media apparatus (which dominates TV news, and Talk Radio, and has a growing presence on the net). The Democrats and the Obama Administration also must understand the importance of branding. Also, re-establish the PR response effort that was in place during the 2007-08 campaign. Dismantling this after the election was a huge mistake. Put the PR war room back in place.
Without making strides in the information war... Obama's re-election could be in doubt. You can have the best ideas in the world.... but if you have no way to get your message out... no way to compete on the airwaves, no way to combat and prevent distortions... then it doesn't really matter.

2. Keep making efforts to work with Republicans, but behind the scenes, rely on a two track approach. The real approach should be to cut out Congress altogether when necessary.... earlier than usual. Instead, talk directly to the American people about proposals. Talk to Americans during prime time (yes... interrupt them) once or twice a month to provide regular status updates. Tell them what legislation you want/and that the nation needs and point out when Republicans are blocking those efforts. Focus on popular pieces of legislation at least initially. This could work to basically turn the tables on Republicans and force them to govern ...and make tough decisions. Call their bluff on debt issues... make them explain the painful cuts to programs that people depend on. Make them explain why tax cuts for the rich were more important than a poor family's unemployment benefits or food stamps... down to earth, real world programs that people depend on to keep food on the table. Programs that people are depending on more than ever now...ironically due to an economic collapse that took place under a Republican President. Some of those people that will be impacted by Republican cuts are going to be white, working class Republicans. If Republicans block everything (even popular, sensible legislation)...the hope is that American voters will notice and at the very least give Obama another four years. Not that i'm a huge Obama fan (never was)....although I am proud. The reality is... there is no alternative. The idea of a President Romney, Gingrich, Barbour or the ultimate nightmare Sarah Palin, scares the daylights out of me.

3. Obama has to bring in a more effective, more creative strategy team. It's almost a full month after the elections and I see no improvement on the media/PR front.

4. Democrats have to choose their battles more carefully...concentrating on issues that the American people are most concerned with, keeping their fingers on the collective pulse of the nation, and choosing battles that would give them a chance to be effective and to win. Once a battle is chosen... stand up and fight for the Democratic/Progressive position....but be open to compromise when practical and sensible, and when the other side is acting in good faith (which is almost never). But the hope is...by choosing populist positions, the public will be on the side of Progressives, making Republican obstructionism much more difficult. This is why it is important to explain proposals in terms of how they would make life better for average Americans.... how a proposal would create jobs...etc. Speak in terms that middle America can understand.

5. Democrats/Progressives should invest heavily in a public/voter education initiative, both through public school curriculum's and through not-for-profit groups. Such a campaign should be a sustained long term effort, lasting years.

Why Did Americans Jump on the Republican Bandwagon?

1. Republicans are much more effective when it comes to PR and branding. Republican marketing/PR is so strong that they could sell just about anything. It's all in the packaging. Republican strategists understand how to use information or misinformation to change, and control public opinion. Yes, it's manipulative....but it works for them. They were basically able to convince enough voters that the economic pain that they were feeling was somehow the fault of President Obama (not because of the jackasses who came before, who were asleep at the wheel for 8 years). Yes, the Party controlling the White House typically loses seats in Congress after Midterm elections, however, the losses this year were made worse by deliberate efforts by the GOP (and its allies) to confuse and misinform voters.

2. Well I will let Pollster founder Charles Franklin say it. Sadly he's right. He basically says what I have been pointing out for years. I don't bring this up as a way to make fun of voters. Quite the contrary. I don't believe it's necessarily their fault. It's easy to fall victim to misinformation, especially in the digital/internet age. It's that much easier to fall victim when you may not have all the tools to navigate through the nonsense and lies, and to determine what good information is vs. bad information. Public School systems and colleges don't put enough emphasis on basic civics, government, political science, history, geography, and cultural instruction. This is why voter education has to be a fundamental part of the Democratic Party's strategy.

The 2010 Midterms

I haven't felt this bad since 2004. I seriously had the blues for about a year after that election.

No other way to put it- the Democrats got shellacked, plain and simple.

For those of you who got out to vote, thank you. You can complain for the next 2 years. Those of you who sat on your behinds and had better things to do because you don't think voting is important - STFU for the next 2 years.

Now, the GOP has to govern. They actually have to do something, outside of saying no. I went through a really vengeful mood for the past 48 hours, and couldn't post until I calmed down. That said, I gotta say this:

For all you teabaggers running around talking about 'socialized medicine' and ' Obamacare', when the GOP brings up giving you a voucher for your Medicare services, STFU.



For all you in Kentucky, when the next mining disaster happens and a group of folks winds up dead, when Senator Paul tells you that it's ok for a few peasants to die in order to maximize the profits of the Mining companites, STFU.

For all you 'recently unemployed' folks who don't seem to be able to find a job, and are receiving unemployment, when that runs out on the 'good American' that you are, and you realize that the GOP says, ' too bad' and won't extend unemployment benefits, STFU.

For all of you in Michigan who had your asses saved because the Government wouldn't let the American auto industry die in this country - whatever the GOP does to you, too bad.

For all you parents who have a child with a pre-existing condition, and thought your worries were over because healthcare had passed and still voted for the GOP, STFU.

When you don't have a pot to piss in, and you voted for mofos who basically want you to live as 3rd World Serfs, whatever happens to you - STFU.

Not angry at the Black or Brown voters across this country. The Latino vote deserves a salute for saving Harry Reid's behind and figuring out that Angle WAS WHO SHE SAID SHE WAS. Never would have been close for Sestak at all in PA or Strickland without the Black vote. Alexi G only had the chance he had because of Cook County- he lost everywhere else in the state.

No, so, don't want to hear anything slamming Black or Brown voters. You can bring this down to the fickle White voter, who gave George W. Bush 8 years to destroy the country, but have a temper tantrum that Barack Obama can't clean it up in 2 years? So, you're going to turn the House of Representatives back over to the SOB's who have gone against everything that has remotely helped this country get back on its feet over the past 2 years.


You honestly think they're going to GOVERN?
G-T-F-O-H

They're not interested in governing. They are only interested in serving their corporate overlords, and their extremist positions.

WHEN they attempt to impeach this President for the crime of BEING PRESIDENT WHILE BLACK, don't open your mouths:
1. YOU put them there.
2. THIS is who they've always been.

Americans' misplaced trust in the GOP

Rasmussen polling reports that the public trusts the Republican Party to better handle eight of the ten issues considered most important by Americans. In Americans’ defense, perhaps this is one of the many polls suffering from sample bias because cell phone only households, which favor Democrats, are undersampled by the major polling outfits.

To paraphrase Jay Leno, “What are Americans thinking?”

Read the rest at The Loop.

The Ignorance of Christine O'Donnell & The Tea Party on Full Display

This is why America is in serious trouble. In the following video O'Donnell demonstrates her profound ignorance about American history, the Constitution, and a number of other things. She apparently has no clue about what is in the Constitution, and completely humiliated herself during a debate with Democrat Chris Coons.

This rise of ignorance is a reflection of a wider intellectual rot in America, particularly among voters.

This is what stupid & fickle Americans (yes I said it) will be voting for collectively in November. The most frustrating part for me is knowing that Democrats/Progressives are losing to this idiocy, despite facts being on their side. Much of the problem has to do with the fact that there is a huge media imbalance and Democrats/Progressives do such a terrible job when it comes to PR, messaging and their overall communications strategy. There is really no Progressive media infrastructure that can compete with the right. Furthermore, Democratic strategists are clueless to the fact that they are in an information war with the right, and therefore, they have not put much of a priority on PR and messaging (one of their core problems over the last decade to decade & a half...which is a main reason why they lose). The fact that these Republican Tea Party candidates are taken seriously speaks volumes.



Related

Most Americans Can't name a single Supreme Court Justice

71% of Americans Fail Civics Test. See here and here.

Americans Have Little Understanding of Religion

Birthers Won't Go Away - Now They Want DNA

There seems to be no end to the crazy.

A Glimpse of a Republican Tea Party America

Wondering what a Republican Tea Party America will look like? Look no further than Obion County Tennessee. A utopia of low taxes and Tea Party Republicanism.... life is just great down there. To Hell with collectivism... it's every man for himself. They have taken life back to the old traditions of self reliance and they want the same for the rest of the Country.

When I heard about this on NPR on Tuesday I couldn't believe it. But when they mentioned that this occurred in Tennessee... bells went off in my head. I remembered that there was something about Tennessee...and I had posted about Republican craziness in that State recently...but I couldn't pinpoint it. I was at work, so it was stuck in the back of my head most of the day. So when I got home, I did a quick search...and there it was. It should be no surprise that this kind of craziness is going on there. This is also where American Muslims are currently being ostracized and antagonized. What is it about Tennessee?

Related

I have mentioned before that the whole anti-tax nonsense is largely a myth driven by right wing media. Actual data doesn't jive with their rhetoric. See my post "Tea Parties & Make Believe".

Glenn Beck - The Biggest Con Artist in America

Hear an NPR discussion about the Glenn Beck phenomenon & what it says about the Country. For me, Beck is just a huge con artist who happens to be good at what he does. His popularity is a reflection of our increasingly partisan politics, the intellectual deterioration taking root in the U.S. and "the facts be damned" attitude of the public, an extremely uninformed/misinformed populace, and a deteriorating media that lacks balance and takes part in the misinformation. Beck is also benefiting from anxiety stirred up by the economy... (but that is not the main issue in my opinion). The main reasons for Beck's success are public misinformation from right wing media...and the fact that there is a President in the White House who isn't white.

The rise of Beck isn't surprising in a Country where the citizens don't know basic civics, don't know much about the world, and don't know much about religion. Easy prey for con artists and manipulators.

Vote Republican By Roy Zimmerman

Great skit... hat tip to: Freakoutnation



Sadly... I think many Americans are asleep.... under the spell of the Tea Party, Glenn Beck & much of the other Republican media nonsense.

Much of that is the fault of Progressives/Democrats because they have failed to build a PR/media infrastructure that they can use to present their arguments and to fight back.

Reagan Budget Director Basically Says Republican Pledge is a Joke - Trashes Idea of Permanent Tax Cuts for the Rich

Former Reagan Budget Director David Stockman tells the truth about the Republican Pledge to America in interview with NPR this past week. Although he also criticized Democrats (naturally). I think his suggestion that TARP was a complete waste/failure isn't quite correct.... especially since we now know that the final bill is far less than the hundreds of billions that had been anticipated.

But I love how he exposes the phony act that Republicans have been putting on regarding taxes and their economic proposals.

Related

Jon Stewart's segment on the Republican's non-plan for the Country is classic! Same Republican BS.

Republican 'Pledge to America' Authored By Lobbyist for AIG, Big Oil

The Republicans unveiled their Snake oil today... their "Pledge to America". Based on what is in "the Pledge" the Republican answer to our economic situation is to extend tax cuts for the rich (the top 3% of American taxpayers) and that will take care of everything. Absent were specifics about controlling deficit/lowering national debt, what to do about jobs going overseas, specifics on exactly how to create jobs, etc. But the Pledge does promise to repeal healthcare reform. And on the subject of Social Security, Boehner couldn't answer reporters questions, but from what he had to say, privatizing Social Security is still on the table for them (of course it is... that's what they intend to do, but he was afraid to say it). the pledge was critical of special interests.... ironic since the man behind the "Pledge to America" is a professional corporate lobbyist for such great companies as AIG and Exxon, among others. Basically the Republican program was authored by a corporate shill by the name of Brian Wild.

From The Huffington Post:

The Republican Party's 21-page blueprint, "Pledge to America," was put together with oversight by a House staffer who, up till April 2010, served as a lobbyist for some of the nation's most powerful oil, pharmaceutical, and insurance companies.

In a draft version of The Pledge that was being passed around to reporters before the official release, the document properties list "Wild, Brian" as the "Author." A GOP source said that Wild -- who is on House Minority Leader John Boehner's payroll -- did help author the governing platform that the party is unveiling on Thursday. Another aide said that as the executive director of the Republican leadership group American Speaking Out, Wild's tasks were more on the administrative side of the operations.

Until early this year, Wild was a fairly active lobbyist on behalf of the firm the Nickles Group, the lobbying shop set up by the former Republican Senator from Oklahoma, Don Nickles. During his five years at the firm, Wild, among others, was paid $740,000 in lobbying contracts from AIG, the former insurance company at the heart of the financial collapse; $800,000 from energy giant Andarko Petroleum; more than $1.1 million from Comcast, more than $1.3 million from Exxon Mobil; and $625,000 from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc.

More here

For those who may have missed an earlier post regarding what the Republican Tea Party stands for.... Here is Their Basic Platform.

From Think Progress - No real mention of controlling the earmark pork spending in Congress:

As the Huffington Post’s Sam Stein reports, the GOP’s new “Pledge to America” was directed by a staffer named Brian Wild, who until early this year, was a lobbyist at a prominent DC firm that lobbied on behalf of corporate giants like Exxon. Moreover, the insurance industry is the leading contributor to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Republican who led the effort. Consistent with its desire to placate lobbyists, the 21-page “Pledge” omits any mention of a key Republican mantra: a ban on earmarks.

Lobbyists have long supported the practice of “earmarking,” a maneuver that allows lobbyists to cajole members of Congress to add pet projects to appropriations bills. While it’s no surprise that the lobbyist-authored document drops any discussion of “earmarking,” it is nevertheless an interesting pivot for Republicans.

On March 11, 2010, House Republicans adopted a one-year moratorium on all earmarks, urging Republicans in the Senate and Democrats in Congress “to follow their lead.” House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) touted the decision as “an important step toward showing the American people we’re serious about reform.” While Democrats announced a ban on earmarks for private companies the day before, Boehner wanted to “put [all earmarks] on the line to win” the November elections. Republicans touted their measure as a message that they were going to “cleanse themselves” of corruption and bring about “a culture of change”:

See full commentary from Think Progress.

Two great commentaries on The Republican "Pledge to America"

One from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Another from the Examiner.

Jim DeMint Admits Gridlock is Republican Goal In U.S. Senate

Another Republican basically spills the beans on Republican tactics. I guess they are getting comfortable talking about because there has been no public backlash. Not only has there been no backlash....but the strategy has been working pretty well for them so far.

They are going to keep this up all the way through November 2010 and even until 2012. The mainstream media and the Obama Administration have done a horrendous job of highlighting this for voters.

I have mentioned the situation here plenty of times. I even posted graphs and stats showing that it really is different this time (comparing the current political obstruction and use of the filibuster to previous periods in American political history).

Tea Party Republican Pastor Gets Starkest Warning Yet About Planned Quran Burning

Obama: Quran Burning Could Incite ‘Individuals Who’d Be Willing To Blow Themselves Up In American Cities’

On ABC's Good Morning America, President Obama described the planned Quran burning by Tea Party Republican pastor Terry Jones as "destructive" and "contrary to the values of Americans".

as commander of chief of the Armed Forces of the United States I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is talking about pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan.

This is a recruitment bonanza for Al Qaeda. You know, you could have serious violence in places like Pakistan or Afghanistan. This could increase the recruitment of individuals who’d be willing to blow themselves up in American cities, or European cities.

watch clip



Notice the silence from Republican political leaders. I am annoyed whenever a TV news idiot claims that there has been wide condemnation of Terry Jones in the U.S. (when hearing this nonsense, I am thinking "No there hasn't... the Republican leadership hasn't said or done much of anything").

And you want to know why? Because the Republican leaders in Congress, in the RNC, and among those who wish to run for President, are afraid of challenging the Tea Party or those recognized and well liked by the Tea Party. They can't afford to come out against it. It's the same reason why Michael Steele is afraid of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. Limbaugh, his Lieutenants Beck & Hannity, and the nuts in the Tea Party wing of the GOP are in control the Republican Party and its agenda, and the Republican establishment knows it. But there is a thing called courage... and clearly it is lacking among Conservatives. (And they compare themselves to Reagan?... they are nothing like Reagan). This isn't your grandfather's Republican Party.