Good. He hasn’t stood up for Union/Working people. His jobs part of the stimulus was laughably too small. He hasn’t really stood of for the importance of rebuilding infrastructure. He pledged to march if Union rights were threatened and hasn’t lifted a finger.

Meanwhile, on the environmental front, we have no new regs on carbon from the EPA (can’t blame the GOP there), the kid glove treatment of BP during the spill, and now Tar Sands. No wonder the kids are leaving in droves.

Unfortunately, moderate democrats base their entire philosophy on misplaced assumptions about voter self-identification on political electability. They are not moored to any specific policy goals or programs. If they were, they wouldn’t be moderates. Hence, the only was to get them to see reason is to not vote for them.

The Republicans started doing this with their moderates about 25 years ago, and look how many are left. We should absolutely do likewise, especially since the progressive ideas are better economically and environmentally and morally and ethically.

Obama is weak. As is much of the political left.

As stupid as much of the right wing/GOP policies are, they at least grasp some basic political facts that escape the left/Dems:

1) Don’t keep voting for people who never do what you want. It ensures you’ll never get what you want, and it marginalizes you politically. The people running should FEAR their base, not take it for granted. That’s why both Dems and GOP tilt right instead of left.

2) If your opponent always caves in, keep pressing for more.

Look, this guy (Obama) is none too bright. And neither are we (myself included).

We’ve been giving unconditional support for a political party that steadfastly refuses to fight for: working people (mean income down flat/down for the last 40 years NOT including health care/college eduction in the price index); the environment (seen any greenhouse gas regulations, or speeches on climate change?); human and civil rights (no stand for = rights for gays, Gitmo and rendition to black sites still going on; Bradley Manning); a faithful execution of the laws (no prosecution for torture, rape and murder, no prosecutions for spying, no prosecutions for mortgage fiasco; more likely to prosecute whistleblowers than whistleblowees), etc.

Basic political theory. If you continually support a party that does not support you or your agenda, they have to reason to change. You will be taken for granted in favor of compromises for factions that WILL vote elsewhere (independents/conservative dems) while you have no leverage.

Our votes are the only leverage we have. I say it is long past time to use it effectively.

You will always lose a debate when you never actually advocate for your position, or point out the fallacy of the oppositions.

The “debate” goes something like this.

Polling: Most people think investing is the better option to grow the economy, and virtually all the economists.

GOP: Spending bad, need to cut evil government spending.
Dems: Crickets.
GOP: Drumbeat: Spending bad, we need to cut evil government spending and evil unions, who collectively bargain so effectively, that all our jobs have been outsourced, our economy ruined.
Dems: Crickets. (Could point out fallacy of GOP argument, opinion of economists, McCain’s economic adviser on effectiveness of spending/investment vs. cuts to create jobs and reduce deficits; could point to historical record of GOP and Dems on same; or what happened during Great Depression when FDR cut; or the fact that those evil unions have bargained so effectively that real income for americans has been flat/declining over the last 40 years). More crickets.

More polling: Shift towards GOP position.

Dem “Strategy”: We must cave in, the public is against us.

Rinse and repeat on every single issue.

Moral: Being a walking personification of female genitalia all the time doesn’t help to shift public opinion in your favor, even when your opposition are obviously the walking personification of male genitalia.

Well, I’m as progressive as they get, and I must say every progressive bone in my body cries out to NOT vote for Obama/Clinton 2.0. That’s the only reason I voted for him and not Hillary in the first place, I didn’t want 4 more years of Clintonesque BS with our nation and planet in such dire need.

However, not on the progressive in me is in rebellion mode against Obama and the DNC controlled Democratic party, but also the realist.

How in the world are we every going to attain things if our leaders don’t even have the strength to propose the solutions, or even show evidence they understand our problems, much less our solutions? How are progressives going to ever get the conservative controlled corporate Democratic to respond to our wants (which happen to coincide better with the actual solutions) if we always support them as long as they aren’t as abhorrent as rethuglicans?

Solution #1: Progressives have to be willing to lose elections and split from poor Democrats.

Solution #2: Progressives have to advocate for the correct positions and make the case for:
1) Social, political, and environmental, and legal justice
2) Human and civil rights (gay marriage = yes; torture & rendition = no);
3) For the rule of law to apply to all (torture & mortgage fraud)
4) Greater economic equality instead of economic growth to solve problems
5) A thoughful critique on the limitations/moral shortcomings of the capitalist/fee-market/profit motive system that is the dominant paradigm today, and realize that it is unsustainable.
6) To make a real case about climate change and its dangers and the fact we are getting really close to tipping points, the realization that cap and trade (if it is effective at all) doesn’t do enough fast enough;
7) The reality of evolution, and the need for some right here in America as the current system is not serving everyone (or hardly anyone) well, and isn’t sustainable anyway.
8) The pernicious influence of corporate dollars on our political system, and the need for BIG changes (constitutional amendment limiting corporate rights).
9) Other big time changes to the political system making it more representative, more democratic, more grassroots, and harder for special interests to take over (Amendment for ending filibuster; abolish the 1929 act limiting the # of reps at 438 (make it more democratic and more grassroots); real oversight of conflicts of interests in the judicial branch; real oversight of same + abuses in the executive branch.
10) A sane moral, ethical, and financial advocate for health care as a right (that means it is paid for out of your taxes & everyone gets it).
11) A sane discussion about the looming food crisis and sustainability generally.
12) A sane defender of real FDR/Teddy style economics. How to create jobs during a recession (government spending); SS doesn’t impact deficit; weakness of tax cutting in creating jobs and the fact it inflates deficits; abundant wealth doesn’t serve the public good and therefore should be taxed more than work, etc.

I think that is the bedrock, the starting point for any progressive, sane candidate.

Of the “progressive dozen” above, how many checks to you really think Obama gets? Maybe a half of one here and there? But he’s not strong on any of them. Hence, he isn’t going to get my vote, and I’d encourage others to vote for someone else as well.