I am so sick of hearing Obama called a "socialist" by the right wing!

[Kath1]

If being a "socialist" means you are actually for the people and against corporate welfare, tax breaks for the super-rich, war profiteering, racism and sexism then please, please, please count me in! I voted for change in 2008 and I am glad we are getting it!

[no_hypocrisy]

1. HERE'S a Socialist running for President, not BO.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_V._Debs

[Schulz]

2. We all need change

We all need change

[Cooley Hurd]

5. Welcome to DU. What kind of change are you looking for?

[Scuba]

3. If only he were.

[Jamaal510]

13. If he were, he probably would've never gotten elected.

We have way too many people in this country who give in to the RW belief that Socialism and caring about others is evil.

[freshwest]

21. I would have voted for that...

[RevStPatrick]

4. Kath1, I'm not sure what you are saying here.

You voted for change and are glad we're are getting it... Are you agreeing that he is a Socialist?
Or are you sick of them saying it because it's not true?

Personally, I think Mr. Obama is just as much of a corporatist as the Bush Crime Family, but with a nice smile and pleasant demeanor. I voted for him the first time, and will happily do so again, but I see nothing Socialist about the man and his policies. I am sick of them calling him a Socialist as well, because he simply isn't. It's their dementia that makes them say that, dementia caused by the propaganda that we are constantly bombarded with.

The items you mentioned - "corporate welfare, tax breaks for the super-rich, war profiteering, racism and sexism" - none of those things have gotten better in the last 4 years, and in fact, some of them have gotten worse. Particularly the racism and sexism.

What are you saying here, Kath?

[Kath1]

6. Thanks for the reply.

Just saying that I happen to believe in and support Obama's policies and agenda. If that makes me a "socialist" in the eyes of right-wingers, so be it.

[Mysfyt]

7. hehe here is an answer for the republican party

[DevonRex]

16. Just in case you didn't realize it

you posted in the Obama Group and we do not allow anyone to say he's as much of a corporatist as the Bush crime family, but with a nice smile and a pleasant demeanor, etc.

I'm very pleased that you'll happily vote for Obama again. I wish we were a completely socialist nation, myself. Perhaps we will be one day. I hate the income disparity we have, war profiteering, racism and sexism, too. I do see some improvement in racism and sexism on an official level, and some improvement in LGBTQ issues on an official level, but there is much work to be done.

Discussion on those topics can be done here, but only in terms of what we can do to improve things, not to say that the Obama Admin is horrible on, or doesn't care about, those issues. Do you see the difference? We strive to effect positive change here rather than rend our clothing.

For the other type of discussion, GD or Politics would be the better places to post. Take several changes of clothing, just to be on the safe side.

Remember, when you have positive suggestions, please DO come here to post them. As the election approaches we will need as many people involved as we can get. And we will need to stay involved because the next 4 years are crucial to getting as much done on the issues you raised as possible. These years are what we have been waiting for, really. And we also HAVE to work to elect as many Democrats to the House and Senate as possible. That's absolutely the key to getting our agenda passed.

Please get involved if you haven't already. Well, I'm sure you have. Sorry for the speech.

[liberal N proud]

8. What makes me sick is how the right wing attacks social programs and anyone who supports them

They lay the tag Socialist on Obama as if it is a terrible thing when it is not.

The right has always done this, from calling the media liberal to the current bashing of the President as Socialist. Call it names and make people think those names are bad.

[Old and In the Way]

9. Refer to them as anti-socialists.

And ask them...what great country was built on a society of anti-socialists? Nazi Germany obviously not a good example.

[progressoid]

10. I WISH he was a socialist.

Last edited Fri Apr 6, 2012, 02:52 PM - Edit history (1)

As for "corporate welfare, tax breaks for the super-rich, war profiteering", these seem to still be going strong in this administration.

While there is a lot of talk about changing those things, not much change there.

[Cha]

19. That's because you don't give credit for the real change that's

going on but sure on stuck on anything that gives you a reason to whine.

President Obama is the Progressive.

[provis99]

11. what makes me laugh, is conservatives think "socialist" is a bad word.

jeez, if some Democratic politicians actually came out and declared himself a socialist, I'd be more enthusiastic about supporting him, not less.

[Kath1]

12. Agreed!

I am 100% for Obama and will very gladly be voting for him this year. I'm more liberal than he is but I know he is more politically savvy and pragmatic than I am. He can actually get elected and he has proven that he can get things done. If you ever listen to right wing radio (which I do sometimes - drives me crazy but entertained in a sick sort of way), you will know that the big theme, repeated again and again, is that Obama is a socialist. I would ceratainly think about supporting a socialist candidate but I don't think anyone identifying himself/herself as such can get elected President in this environment. To me the Obama administration, even now, is such a relief aftet 8 years of Bush.

[fox09]

14. Wish he was an immigrant socialist muslim.

If Obama really was a Islamic socialist immigrant from kenya, imagine the the things they would of said about him. Socialism shouldn't even be a dirty word.. if you ask me it has a modern ring to it.

I voted for Nader in 2008, because I never vote for corporate America. Never. Grayson isn't in my district unfortunately, otherwise he'd be the only democrat I'd vote for. Obama never wanted real change, never will, never has. I understood this, and I understand why people voted for him. I'm just not surprised he sold us out on healthcare reform, financial reform, telecom immunity, not doing any criminal investigations of the bush administration, clamping down on wikileaks, not repealing (or even fighting to remove) the despicable provisions in the patriot act, funding abstinence programs, fighting the fed audit, and above all, squandering a majority like we've never seen before. Harry Reid is also partly to blame for that though.

[DevonRex]

17. This is the Obama Group.

Read the SOP on the first page. It is for supporters of Obama only.

[Cha]

18. Sorry, you're so ignorant. We got real change and

you would know that if you opened your eyes to reality and closed them to the profiteering whining "left".

[treestar]

15. I hear you

The right wing simply insists on referring to liberals as socialists. They think they made the word "liberal" a bad word, so they are moving on down the line to the next word.

When challenged to find some statement from Obama that the government should own the means of production, and quoted a dictionary definition of the word "socialism" they revert to guilt by association. Obama appointed Van Jones, was a friend of Ayers, and even his mother is brought out for having some kind of Marxist friend. Obama went to Harvard, which they thoroughly believe has a faculty made up of Marxists.

Right wingers are hopelessly stupid. And hypocritical. Do the same thing to them (the sovereign movement or the KKK) and they will suddenly see gradations and differences on the right. But be slightly to the left of Lieberman and you are a raving communist.

[MynameisBlarney]

22. Hiya everyone, I am new to the DU :D

I hate that my first post is a plea for help, but this morning when I logged into facebook, I found a ridiculous post by a friend that contained many lies and half-truths regarding the Obama administration.
I copied and pasted in on another site, asking for help in countering each point, and it was promptly removed. The site moderator suggested I come here. So..here I am. I figured folks with more experience in this sort of thing might be willing to help.
Before I paste the screed. I would like to get advice from those who are more familiar with the workings of this site.

Should I even bother posting it?
Is it breaching the site protocol to ask for help on my first post?
Should I just email it directly to DU?

I want to call this guy out on his BS. But I want all my ducks in a row, I want to have cites and links to counter his claim...but I wonder, is it even worth spending time and energy on.

Thanks in advance.

[cbayer]

23. Hello, MynameisBlarney and welcome to DU.

I would suggest that you spend some time looking around, engaging in some discussions and gathering information before you post a RW screed.

While this site often assists members in debunking this kind of stuff, new members who do it are often looked at suspiciously.

I suspect you can find whatever you need to rebut these points just by reading here for awhile.

[MynameisBlarney]

24. Thanks!

I will do just that.
I figured it would raise red flags if I just cold posted it, so I'm glad I asked first.
Looks like I've got a long day of research ahead of me

[SwampG8r]

25. dont you find that it balances

the cries of "corporatist" from the left?

[Kath1]

26. Yeah

He gets it from all sides.

[SwampG8r]

27. i dont know who said it

but someone said "when everyones pissed off you must be doing it right"
or words to that effect

[nofurylike]

28. that is great, SwampG8r! i will keep that in mind when i am

reeling from the onslaughts!!