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I’m not going to attack Andrew Sullivan for supporting a moderate Republican president that’s friendly gay rights – Barack Obama. After all, Sullivan is or was a gay Republican. And I’m not going to do a point by point of Obama’s economic policy failures. If you want to read one, click here. I’ve said for months that Obama is a moderate Republican, and basically Andrew Sullivan agrees. Sullivan’s criticisms of the crazy Right Wing is correct. If I were a Republican, I’d view an election between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney as a win win – heads Republicans win, tails Democrats lose. BUT I’m not a Republican or a “Democrat” (actually I don’t think the Democratic Party actually exist anymore, there are just two Conservative corporate whore parties, one just a little left of the other). If a political party elects a moderate member of an opposing party, does that party actually exist?
I’m a progressive and there is absolutely nothing progressive about Barack Obama on core Progressive issues – trade, health care, Wall Street, war, or civil liberties. In fact, Sullivan criticizes Republicans for not accepting Obama’s conservative policies and liberal for projecting “Democratic” principles on Obama. On Hardball, Sullivan was asked, “what a (Obama) second term would look like?”
I see it as a picture in which the Americans side in certainly of sun setting the Bush the tax cuts and having some sort of rise in the tax rates for the rich will be an attempt to tackle the debt. That’s a huge problem. I think he offers the possibility of a fair and balanced way of cutting the debt than the Republicans approach, which is to do it on the backs of the middle class and the poor. Having some sacrifice from the wealthy is important. I also think immigration reform is possible, necessary, and important. And I think he has a chance to do that. If the Republicans are prepared to be reasonable and come back to the negotiating table in a way that isn’t completely determined be fantasy about who this guy is. he’s not a big old lefty. As for the left, he’s a compromise in the middle.
Now Sullivan is engaging in fantasy, if Republicans stop being Republicans and just play nice with Obama, they can cut the debt and give amnesty to illegal immigrants. It’s time for Sullivan to pull his head out of his ass. The best reason that Sullivan could make for Progressives to support the re-election of Barack Obama is that he is slightly left of Mitt Romney or a moderate Republican. Well Mr. Sullivan, that’s mighty Republican of you.
According to Sullivan, immigration reform and equitable debt reduction are the best policies the Left should hope for in a Obama second term. Since I oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants because I believe illegal immigration is one of the factors that have stagnated middle class wages. The possibility of immigration reform is not a reason to support Obama. To me, it’s a benefit of electing a Republican. But if you support immigration reform, re-electing Barack Obama means nothing. If he is re-elected, immigration reform will become another GITMO promise. Worthless! I care about debt reduction about as much as most Republican, not at all. But if I were concerned about debt reduction, I wouldn’t support a president that extended the Bush/Obama tax cuts while cutting Medicare and home heating oil assistance. If I cared about debt reduction, the health care reform back room deals that have Americans spending 17% of GDP on health care while not covering everyone is another reason I’m voting for Mitt Romney or whatever turd the Republicans crap out. The fact that the great Obama health care reform has Obama offering Medicare cuts is illuminating. Perhaps the public option was important not just a “sliver”. Mitt Romney’s promise to repeal Obamacare is enough for me.
On the most important issue, the economy, there is no reason to vote for Obama. We lost 13 million jobs during the Bush Depression. By the end of 2012, we will be lucky if the economy creates 3 to 4 million jobs. We are on a pace to return to 2008 employment levels around 2020 or 2024. If current work place participation was at 2007 levels, the current unemployment rate would be 10.5%. Real unemployment is 16%, and Black unemployment (the canary in the coal mine) is near 20%. Clinton/Bush/Obama free trade continues to savage the American middle class, and Wall Street/Corporate America owns Washington D.C. Obama refuses to use the power of his office to protect the middle class from unfair trade while corporate profits skyrockets. But according to Sullivan, as a Progressive, I should be happy to re-elect the moderate Republican Barack Obama. Can someone pull Andrew Sullivan’s head out of his ass? Let me be clear, HELL will freeze over before I vote for Barack Obama again.
20 Comments
NO “Worries”, mate! The JEB Is UP!! Last conjecture also unlikely due To GLOBAL WARMING!!!
Is that removal from Obamas ass?
Thank you for this response; I just read that Sullivan piece yesterday, and I was dumbfounded.
The core fallacy of Sullivan’s reasoning is that he is arguing that Obama should be held to account in comparison with his predecessor Bush, one of the most egregious, Constitution-despising presidents in history, rather than with Obama’s stated promises which made up the central organizing principle of his campaign (“hope” and “change,” generally in the sense of adhering more closely to the spirit of the Constitution and the Bill or Rights, and more particularly in his promises of transparency, closing Gitmo, not doing signing statements, etc., etc.).
But of course, Sullivan is writing for a globalist rag like News-Weak, so perhaps I stand accused of being hopelessly naive. In these days of outright police state tyranny, censorship, and bipartisan traitorous behavior on behalf of our “representatives,” I guess it is a new day here in USA, LLC.
Is there a difference?
BTW the “Democrats” on twitter think the Republican Sullivan walks on water. Idiots!
#RockyAnderson2012
Gah, Newsweek is the People magazine of “News”, it is only read by brain dead zombies, so it it totally appropriate that Andrew Sullivan writes for them, especially in an article to call people stupid.
Sorry, Sullivan’s head has been permanently cemented into his ass, starting from a long time ago.
A. Sullivan – An irredeemable shithead not worth reading and not worth discussing.
The funny thing is that the MSM has lit up with accounts of righties pissed off, saying, “Who you callin’ stoopid?”
Though I probably will, with deep regret and held nose, vote for Obama, I’m as pissed off as any liberal. The only stupid people in the room are Obama’s “supporters,” if such a thing exists.
…there are just two Conservative corporate whore parties, one just a little left of the other…
I’d like to throw a brick through that Overton Window…! *gah*
would probably require surgery….
You had a pretty fair rant going until you started blaming immigrants for depressing wages in Amerika.
Before you waste your vote on a Republican, please take a close look at Rocky Anderson.
#RockyAnderson2012
I believe in employing American citizens first. If we ever get back to full employment and a middle class with its standard of living growing, I’ll consider employing illegal immigrants for jobs that Americans wont do at a living wage and full benefits.
Newsweek has lost all credibility. I’d cancel my subscription if I had one.
I don’t know what kind of work you do but i hope you are not in competition with undocumented workers.
This kind of Amerika First attitude isn’t working out so well in Alabama where crops are rotting in the fields.
Actually it’s working perfectly. When those employers decide to to pay a living wage, they will have workers to harvest their crops. Labor is just like any other commodity, subject to supply and demand at any given price point.
You didn’t say if you are in competition with these workers so i’ll take it that you are not. I don’t know if you are aware that there are not enough labor to pick our chile crop here in NM so they are developing mechanical pickers.
Your Free Market BS doesn’t wash in a country where all wages are falling.
You may be right that Amerikans will have to take these jobes, though few could do this work or would want to, but it will be from desperation not because of higher wages.
No, I’ve never been in direct competition w/ illegal immigrants but my company has competed w/ other companies using illegal immigrant labor. So I have had to make economic decisions based of illegal immigrant competition. It is unfair to Americans workers for some to work w/o SSI, FICA, taxes etc. It’s unfair to American workers to obey the law and lose their jobs to those breaking our laws. I understand that most progressives favor Comprehensive Immigration Reform but I’ve had to make decisions to hire and fire Americans. I oppose immigration reform and prefer we enforce our laws. Too many Americans are unemployed, underemployed, and out of the work force to give jobs to those who are breaking our laws.
Your argument is full of holes Bin, if these workers were given amnesty they would have to pay taxes and recieve competetive wages if they aren’t already.
You claim to be Progressive but you spout Free Market neoliberal rhetoric and blame your problems on the workers not the bosses that hire them.
You didn’t state what your business is so i can’t judge if your claim of unfair competition is valid. I do know that many immigrants have started legal businesses here in Los Lunas and are competing with older businesses for the shrinking construction and repair work available. Some see this as unfair competition, i see it as people seeking the American Dream.
I had my roof redone recently and the crew looked like a AARP meeting, all older Hispanic guys and immigrants. One told me his son was studing at UTI in Phoenix so he wouldn’t have to do that work, it’s called higher expetations. Since illegal immigration is down 50% and falling who are we going to hire to do our hard,dirty work?
You completely ignore the supply and demand argument. I have an ideal, we should ship in 100 million Chinese illegal immigrants, I bet you could get your hard dirt work done real cheap then.
I blame both the employee and employer equally. They both are motivated by greed, economic opportunity, and finances to break the law. That’s why we should enforce the current law. Put both parties of the illegal act in jail.
I don’t claim to be a Progressive, I am a Progressive, but I don’t define Progressive as someone willing to throw millions of middle class American into poverty or worse so we can give their jobs to non-American, and so corporations get greater profits at the expense of the middle class. I oppose Free Trade for the very same reason. It’s killing the American middle class.
Personally, I have nothing against immigrants, I just support Americans first – white, black, brown, yellow, liberal, or conservative.