The decent thing for the President to do before running for re-election ...

[markpkessinger]

If the President had a shred of decency about him, he would, prior to the 2012 primary season, switch his party affiliation to the party whose policies his views are clearly aligned with and run for re-election as a Republican (perhaps a somewhat less liberal version of Richard Nixon).

This would accomplish a number of things. First, it would add some intellectual heft to the GOP field (which desperately needs an infusion of intellect), and it would free up the Democratic field, allowing Democrats to to nominate a real Democrat -- you know, the kind who aggressively stands up for core historic Democratic commitments.

But perhaps the most important thing it would accomplish is that it would confer a measure of intellectual honesty to the President.

[mitchtv]

1. K&R

right

[ClarkUSA]

2. Do you do know that Pres. Obama preserved Pell Grants & protected SS/Medicare benefits in this plan?

Read the WH fact sheet and tell me how preserving Pell Grants and protecting SS & Medicare benefits - among other things listed - are not liberal policy victories: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x729115

[oxymoron]

5. How big of him. (nt)

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[markpkessinger]

6. He had to preserve those or risk losing the votes of some independents ...

... which he needs now more than ever since he has delivered the ultimate "fuck you" to much of his base.

[ClarkUSA]

11. lol! Funny, all I've been hearing lately were predictions he'd cut SS/Medicare benefits.

Nice of him to prove you all wrong by standing firm against the Republicans and leading the Democratic Party with liberal policy values.

[socialist_n_TN]

51. What in the WORLD is your definition of "liberal"????

Pell Grants??? Now admittedly I'm NOT a liberal. Commies ain't liberal, but my wife is. My best friend is. And there ain't no way that Obama shares their values and beliefs. He's proven that to their satisfaction.

Is it "liberal" just because Obama does it?

[Big Blue Marble]

12. He did not preserve SS and Medicare benefits.

He clearly said today he wants them reformed. That means cut. He wants the the new bipartisan commission to do the
dirty work. Most people here get that.

What are you missing?:shrug:

[Maru Kitteh]

43. Yes actually, he did.

Reform does not have to mean cuts to beneficiaries. Sorry you don't get that.

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[piratefish08]

25. do you know that he ignored 78% of the country that said tax the rich?

that's enough for me to see which side of the fence he now sits on.

[Solomon]

26. No, he don't know shit. That's why he wrote this crap.

[Romulox]

28. By the same token, so did W. Bush.

:puke:

:hi:

[readmoreoften]

34. +1

[lbrtbell]

42. The WH "fact" sheet is a glorified press release

When Medicare payments will be reduced, doctors will stop taking Medicare patients. That means fewer doctors will be handling more patients, meaning worse care for seniors.

The WH bullshit sheet also fails to mention that the COLA, which determines SS payments, will be lowered. So even though seniors' payments WILL be cut, Obama can slime out of it by saying that it's not technically a cut.

And who gives one flying fuck about Pell Grants? Government money pays for some kid to party at college for four years, only to find that he'll have to move to India if he wants to get a job afterward.

There's only two things that Obama should be doing right now, and that's at least making an effort to bring jobs back, so that the increased tax revenue can be used to INCREASE seniors' benefits.

Those are the only two issues that matter right now. Nothing else matters if people can't work and put food on the table or a roof over their heads. I don't think too many gay people want to get married, then lose their home and starve on the street.

[emilyg]

3. He will always look out

for himself - always.

[ClarkUSA]

4. Don't talk about Bill Clinton that way... even if it's 100% true.

[emilyg]

13. On a serious note - Clinton

knew the meaning of empathy.

[Whisp]

16. he knew how to act it.

[Maven]

36. Yes, he's an excellent actor.

[SidDithers]

27. I thought she was talking about Kucinich...nt

Sid

[The Doctor.]

17. Can you explain how he was 'looking out for himself' when he didn't

have the former administration investigated for war crimes?

He had intimated that he would... and then didn't. Why do you figure?

[emilyg]

20. Those "boys" are his well paid future.

[The Doctor.]

24. Wrong.

They couldn't give a fuck about him.

Wanna try again?

[emilyg]

32. He thinks they do.

[The Doctor.]

33. Wrong again.

Suggesting that he isn't smart enough to know what these people care about doesn't just insult his intelligence. It reflects on you as well.

Care to step up to the plate one last time?

[emilyg]

46. Excuse me - how do you know how

smart he really is? You can also be very smart and fool yourself.

[The Doctor.]

53. He wrote a thesis reconciling

The Grand Unified Theory of Physics with the principles of The US Constitution.


So really, he's not necessarily any smarter than I am. I guess you're right.


Here, go play with this nice red ball for a while. Isn't it pretty? Here you go...

[emilyg]

54. You didn't ask about

my thesis. Shame on you. 'nite

[markpkessinger]

7. The unreccing crew is on the job! n/t

[defendandprotect]

8. K&R

[jaxx]

9. Oh that's just sooooooo sad.

:nopity:

[Bluebear]

37. Sooooo are your poooooosts

[The Doctor.]

14. Yeah, right.

The saddest thing to see on DU is everyone acting like Obama is somehow omnipotent. None of his supporters believed that he was, but it's fascinating to watch so many behave as though he single-handedly decides the course of our nation so they can just heap shit on him.

There's a word for that;

"Naïve".

His supporters knew two things about him; He had the best chance of gaining the office (though I think Clinton could have been just as serious a contender), He would do the best he could given the circumstances in this country.

When any of you figure out just how you would have done better without screwing things up even more, I'll be thrilled to see it.

[coalition_unwilling]

18. You are asking us to engage in hypotheticals when we must

deal with what has already transpired and what is coming.

I would never have made Rahm Emmanuel my Chief of Staff. I would not have retained Bob Gates at Defense, I sould have nominated Stiglitz for Treasury Secretary and Krugman for Chairperson of Council of Economic Advisors (meaning Stimulus would have been proposed at 3-4 times the size it originally passed).

In short, I would start negotiating from a 'maximalist' position, like raising marginal tax rates on the top 1% of earners to 90% and then negotiated strict quid pro quos for every proposal I relinquished. The Repukes would have had no choice but to compromise or risk exile to the political wilderness for at least a generation. Instead, look at what actually happened. Can you say my way would have been any worse?

[The Doctor.]

23. You act like you would have had a choice.

Think back... who were Clinton's appointments?

Were they champions of the people like Elizabeth Warren?

Really, I'd love to know.

[socialist_n_TN]

52. Geez, that makes WAY too much sense

No wonder Obama didn't do it.

[markpkessinger]

19. This isn't about what the President has been able or unable to accomplish in anjy given area ...

... it's about what the President is willing or unwilling to go to the mat for. You know, those things we used to call "core principles."

[The Doctor.]

22. I can't believe none of you actually think this through.

Do you ever even ask why he can't get certain things done? Or, as you would have it; 'why' he doesn't 'go to the mat' for everything we want?

God, I wish I could believe what you do. I wish the world were so fucking simple that I didn't have to face the possibility that everything is OVER. That the corps have every fucking thing sewn up and buttoned down and any chance of a free nation is DEAD.

That's the reality that we have to face here. He knows what the fuck the 'core principles' are. He spent his life fighting for them.

Now we have people saying he should be capable of what he is not.

You have no idea how much I'd love to believe that you are right, that Obama is a sellout... because that would mean there's still a chance.

No, this is far worse than the naïve belief that he's not on our side. He IS on our side, but there's little he can do. STILL, he's done far more than many of you give him credit, and if you follow the corporate line, they're all just outside of what the corps care about.

Stay in the happy place where you can just keep blaming the man.

That's way less frightening than the reality.

I just wish I could join you.

[immoderate]

50. Maybe. But the corporations still come first.

If he were a clandestine Republican, what would he do differently? :shrug:

--imm

[Whisp]

15. bullfuckingshit

[kath]

21. Mega-R & K

I've been wishing for weeks that he'd leave the party officially and not run for re-election.

[Inuca]

29. I am very unhappy with what happened

do not feel particularly friendly toward Obama right now, but this is just plain IDIOTIC. Sorry, I do not like to be rude, I really do not, but it's absurd. What is the definition of a REAL democrat? Is Berinie Sanders a REAL democrat? Is Mary Landrieu? Landrieu can be very infuriating, but who do you prefer, her or Vitter (sex scandals aside)?

[SidDithers]

30. Piffle...nt

Sid

[Romulox]

31. In reality, "liberal" Republicans need their own party. It was a MISTAKE to welcome them here.

They took over, and we became like them, instead of vice versa.

[Maven]

35. Maybe if he ran as a Republican, he would start acting like a Democrat

in the interest of bipartisanship.

[truedelphi]

39. My laugh of the day.

You caught me unaware and I hadn't any idea I had that many giggles stored up.

Thank you.

[truedelphi]

38. There are two memes currently allowed to roam freely

Across Democratic Underground.

One:
Don't suggest any primarying of anyone until you know for sure that there is someone out there who could easily win.

And Two:
As mere citizens, we have no right to judge Obama - Presidents are judged by history, and not by us citizens.

You may find yourself up against one or both of these memes.

[cascadiance]

40. Would prefer him to do an LBJ... And let someone else run!

Then we get a choice in the matter!

[Liberalynn]

45. +1

[philly_bob]

41. High-falutin' language -- but an absurd & unrealistic suggestion.

[Faryn Balyncd]

47. However, he can do MUCH more for the Republican cause in the White House with a "D" after his name.

It's that "D" after his name that allows this Kabuki theater to work.

It's every bit as important as the R's having their certified crazy wing screaming "Marxist Communist Muslim" at the "D" president.

It's the script that is the culmination of decades of work.

[awoke_in_2003]

48. point one-

a horse joining the republican field would add more intellectual heft- they are really daft over there. Point two- they HATE Obama, not because he is a democrat, but because he is African American. To believe otherwise is to be naive.

[L. Coyote]

55. Obama Bachman?