Tweet
How many conversations like this one have YOU had?
Today?
“Hello! Welcome to the Progressive Internet Forum!” |
|
| By: Teddy Partridge Wednesday December 15, 2010 11:47 pm | |
“Hello! Welcome to the Progressive Internet Forum!” |
|
| By: Teddy Partridge Wednesday December 15, 2010 11:47 pm | |
How many conversations like this one have YOU had?
Today?
About MyFDL
MyFDL is the community site of progressive political blog Firedoglake. Anyone can participate by writing a diary, commenting on others’ diaries, or joining groups to find other people in your area. Content posted to MyFDL is the opinion of the author alone, and should not be attributed to Firedoglake.
News. Community. Activism.
Firedoglake is a member-supported organization.
Help us continue our work for as little as $45/year.
148 Comments
“Why do you hate sick babies?”
“You just do not understand his brilliant strategy!”
“Wait. What?”
This is a great use of avatars to demonstrate that some humans have an amazing ability not to really be present and communicate *with* others. The things human beings often say– amazing, aren’t they?
*heh* I do want my body shipped to Canada, eventually tho…! ;-)
I thought it was going to be a new “Flo the Progressive Insurance cashier” commercial.
http://www.progressive.com/dresslikeflo.aspx
This is great, Teddy. Bravo to the xtranormal folks!
We laffed and laffed at my house.
So much of this really happens, a lot, on teh internets.
on the tubes I have had a few conversations like that, but in person just about every person, every single person;
can
not
stand
the man
there are a few acceptions, but they don’t defend barack they just think “that’s all he could do” type of people
oh, that’s funny. thanks for the morning laugh, Teddy. did you script this? you’re not wrong, i can’t count the number of times i’ve seen that conversation take place on the toobs. his supporters sort of define “pathetic” right now.
I believe that due to GOP’s haste and greed to get their tax cuts, they gave away a lot of perks to Pres. Obama that have not yet been made public, that will be good for the people!
And, by the way: China’s wind-power push –
China has gained dominance in the market for wind turbines by acquiring the latest Western technology, then using its market power to favor Chinese manufacturers who subsequently become low-cost suppliers to the world. Such companies currently account for half of the world’s $45 billion market for wind turbines.
http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/A…
(Yet we have become a weak and pathetic nation that cannot get anything really substantial done — evidenced by Leader John Bohener’s capacity to cry over every little thing. America’s leaders and people better wake up, everyone else will capture the market and we will still be arguing over tax cuts, don’t tell and unemployment benefits, etc.)
Oh gosh! How many times have I had that conversation? So many times that I started having it before he was elected. Obama is and never was a Progressive. (I was the left bear of course)
Yes, I have had conversations like this. It’s amazingly awful.
They’re like inverted Bush supporters.
I can’t believe that now I’m having the same argument with Dems I used to have with righties.
By the way, I came across a great quote from a (fictional) White Russian in a book I’m reading. Here it is:
“When government comes before laws, tyranny is not far behind”.
I figure we’ve got about 2 months. The velvet glove is coming off the iron fist. We’ve seen fascism, communism totalitarianism, now we’re going to see what capitalistic totalitarianism looks like.
Brrrrrrrrr……..
100% on key, except she lets him finish his sentences.
They also skip the aftermath, wherein the Obot gets the guy banned from his own forum and tries to screw up his life in general.
I would have saved a lot of time if the Orange Satan had simply posted the Obama supporter avatar on it’s site two years ago.
Just called my congressman and Speaker Pelosi , 2 wasted calls on this obama tax deal. What can people do , they don’t listen to us, if we protest , nobody knows it, media won’t cover it, but let the tea party show up with 10 people and it be all over the media….
Yep. Obamabots are never so polite.
Wind power is devastating climate world wide: Its Switchgear uses Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6), the worst Greenhouse Gas, 34,500 times as bad as CO2: One pound of SF6 is worse on Global Warming than 17 tons of CO2. The biggest marketer of windfarms is Vestas, the biggest marketer of SF6. Anyone using SF6 was tricked into it by chemical companies.
Did you hear Thom Hartmon yesterday, he still thinks obama is playing chess, i had to turn him off.
Conversations???
I’ve been ordered out of (former) liberal friends’ houses, for pointing out how well the “vote for us; the repubs are even worse!”
campaign strategy worked 6 weeks ago…and reminding them of Obama’s pre-election speeches and promises.
It’s at the point that it’s getting easier to argue with republicans than with the “loyalists”…which is a pretty damning indictment of some democrats.
Obama has recently been saying that if this fatcat wet-dream of a tax bill doesn’t pass, it’ll mean the end of his presidency.
Baaaad choice of a way to gin up support! :o)
Is that all we have to do to get his centrist ass out of the White House and into some corporatist think-tank?
Bring. It. On. :o)
I’ve been having this conversation over and over for many months. Finally it’s starting to get through their heads … a little. There’s still a lot of denial to get past.
I’ve changed the preset in my vehicle. Thom’s done, except as a poster boy for the impotence and wishy-washyness of Liberalism/Progressivism.
Our solutions will be found further to the left.
So, so profound. That dialogue had to have come from somebody like William Faulkner or Tennessee Williams.
Thanks Teddy:)))))))))))))))))))
When we go to a family Christmas dinner, we used to have to put politics aside because there were sure to be some republicans there.
Now, we have to do it because of the democratic ostriches with their heads rammed into the “centrist” sand.
As the reality-chickens start coming home to roost for this lame-duck bird, watching THEM writhe is going be at least as much fun as it was with the republicans.
Only, bitter fun.
I mean, Jesus-with-a-lucrative-”defense”-contract, thinking about what he’s done and not done with the power we gave him two years ago, and now, looking at his political balls sitting in that mayo jar on Boehner’s desk, is shit-your-pants scary.
Except for this one consolation: there is simply no way this man can get a second term.
Did anybody see Don Rickles’ take on this subject, interviewed by David Letterman last Spring? Letterman pointed out that Rickles had performed for President Reagan at the White House. Rickles countered that in those days, even though Reagan knew Rickles would never vote for him, they set aside their differences and remained civil, even friends. But, Rickles said that type of criticism is no longer allowed: “…What?! You don’t agree with everything the President said?! What are you, some kind of racist? You Nazis should go back where you came from!” Shut up, you crazy stupid violent Teabagger!
New post up top…
I had Stephanie Miller on by accident yesterday and as a guest she had Rep Jim McDermott so I thought I’d listen. Stephanie and some guy named Hal Sparks (I have no idea who he is) proceeded to correct Rep McDermott over and over again on how he didn’t understand Obama’s greatness. Rep McDermott made the statement that we will never know what we might have bargained for since Obama shut the Democrats out of the process on the tax deal. He was basically attacked by Stephanie and Hal(who?) on that one for not understanding that Obama got a better deal by himself. Just Pathetic!
This cartoon is brilliant I’ve already sent it to a bunch of folks.
I broke up with my girlfriend, a so called progessive, she said i was closed minded and that i could get something from repugs and dems….
That is freakin’ hilarious! And too true, unfortunately.
Some folks just love authority and right answers. They are comforting if one feels powerless and afraid. And assuaging fear and impotence in one’s life seem to trump evidence and rational thinking.
What might be helpful in the US would be a “No Fear” party: solve the emotional petrification and reason has a chance.
Thanks Teddy!
Thanks Teddy,
Hits the fu-u-cking nail right on the head!
HIIIIIIII-Larious!!!!! ROTFLOL! Thanks, Teddy. I needed a good laugh. My favorite line was the one about Edwards, where the progressive says something like: I didn’t like what Edwards did in his personal life, but at least he only f*cked on American that he wasn’t supposed to. har…
I am having less conversations LIKE this, albeit I’ve certainly had quite a few in the past. I got a lot of the “oh I trust Obama, and he’s doing the *best* he can, but he’s got so much *opposition* from conservatives, so Obama can’t be expected to do very much” types of gumpf.
I think with this recent tax deal, more citizens are starting to wake up to how screwed we all are. Hopefully more Obots will wake up and come back to the land called reality.
OMG. Too funny. And sadly, too real. Loved the shirt and bare chest comment. No way McCain would have a chest like that. And Michelle’s bare arms.
This is what Reality TV and Entertainment Tonight has done to America. Turned brains to absolute mush.
Yup, talking to Obamabots is like talking to a fucking wall. The heartening thing to me – and this is in no way meant to reduce it solely to race – is the number of African Americans I talk to who are all too happy to point up his failings, and in no uncertain terms. Many believe the AA community will carry him easily to a second term. If anecodotal experience in my small realm is any indication, I don’t think so.
It is amazing how much better Hillary looks two years into the Obama Debacle. He was very smart to make her Secretary of State. Now she’ll get blamed for all of his mistakes as well as all of her husband’s.
This was HI-larious.
Thanks for the laugh, Teddy!
I got an insult in the form of an explanation on why he’ll support the Obama/GOP tax bill from my congressman Rick Larsen yesterday.
He begins: “I am mad at the President. In fact his tax cut compromise has me livid. I am as mad as those who have called me in the last week arguing against the deal. They say the President has caved in, has given too much to the wealthiest, and has broken his promises. I couldn’t agree more.
If this choice was about politics, my decision would be easy: take my anger out on the President, feel better and please the progressive base in the district. And if this was a decision between voting for the extension of middle class tax cuts and stopping the extension of the high end cuts, that would also be an easy decision. In fact, I have already taken that vote.
But the choice I have to make now is about the economy. I have to decide if there is enough in the proposed package to help grow our economy to outweigh the inclusion of tax cut extensions for the wealthiest Americans and impact this will have on the debt.
I have concluded that the needs of the unemployed and the potential for economic growth do outweigh the costs associated with the package. That is why I will vote to support this package.”
Then he “explains” his “thinking” on how this will move the economy forward, create jobs blah blah blah.
But, I laughed out loud at his inadvertent typo at the end:
“Thank you for taking the time to contact me. Please do hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other issues of importance to you.”
Thanks, Rick…I’ll do that. I will hesitate. You don’t listen anyway!
Oh please.
HilarityHillary? Dick Cheney in a pantsuit.The Democratic Party has completely and finally lost its way. To quote Jed Bartlet: What’s next?
That wasn’t a typo. Bet on it. Peace
I got dibs on all ‘PIF/SBOBot’ merchandising, franchising and distribution rights for this quadrant of the blogosphere… ;)
Thanks for posting Teddy, nothing gets a point accross like humour. Brilliant!
Every damned time I go to Daily Kos, Teddy.
Very funny. Wasn’t something like this done of GWB supporters. The more things change the more they stay the same.
What I’d like to see is the conversation with a Republican who just assumes all liberals love Obama, and have a stroke when you say that you think he is a tool of the conservative establishment.
Oh, and another one where you tell him that the so-called-liberal-media ain’t.
omg…that was BRILLIANT…i have these conversations regularly with democrats who can’t admit to themselves that they made a huge mistake (many of whom are family members)…but you have to remember there are just as many “robots” on the left as on the right
“Dick Cheyney in a pantsuit.”
Morning coffee-spew. :o) and too true.
Still, it’ll be bitter fun to watch to see if she gets the political thighsweats and bails out of State to run at him. At this point, the more chaos on these “centrist” jellyfish, the better.
But I believe it’s more likely that he’ll “do the right thing” and pull an LBJ, especially when the dems look at his ratings and shit their pants, in 2012, and tell him they will publicly abandon him if he doesn’t quit. Paradoxically, passing on another run will be the height of his presidency.
Eaton has a much better solution for wind turbine switchgears:
http://www.windsystemsmag.com/article/detail/63/a-greener-wind-farm
we need to find a really intelligent and honest person who has the leadership skills to change the country for the better and not to change himself to comply with the polls…polls resulting from people who may not know nothing about realities of a present and what is coming to hit them in the future.
I like every aspect of this and I agree 100%. We are all going to hell in this new Democratic hand basket.
This reminds me of the cone heads from SNL years ago. The scary thing is he understated his case against Obama.
Funnily enough, the Orangerie is being attacked by the Booster Clubbers for not being boosterish. A number of them have gone off to form their own sites, apparently having given up on getting Meteor Blades removed.
Under; I don’t know that it’s a matter of them being robots. I think they were just so thrilled at the prospect of having a president who SOUNDED like he would be an agent for the real changes we so desperately need, that they just can’t let go of the idea.
I was that way when he won, and won big. How not to be, after 8 years of Bush’s stupid, greedy, lunacy?
But there comes a point where reality HAS to kick in, and if it didn’t before, then the ass-whipping that we took from the voters 6 weeks ago, should have done it. I think the “divorce” is being finalized, as we speak. It had damn well better be, or in the next election there won’t be enough left of the democratic party to amount to a fart in a windstorm.
There’s not much daylight between Hillary/Bill and Obama. That’s why Bill was hauled out to defend the tax scam. That’s why Hillary’s the SoS.
Thassit, Michelle; the most outrageous nonsense from the right is that Obama’s a wild-eyed Marxist. :o)
He’s licked so much corporate ass he’s got CEO shit coming out of his ears.
Sounds like the avatar calls him BRRRR..ack Obama.
How perfect.
Agree completely.
You are insulting mush! /s
UNBELIEVABLE–IT TOOK A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS AND DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT TO PASS A VERY GENEROUS INHERITANCE GIVEAWAY AND TAXCUTS FOR THE WEALTHY+DESTROY SOCIAL SECURITY(Payroll tax).
NEITHER BUSH NOR McCAIN NOR PALIN COULD HAVE PASSED THIS LEGISLATION.
CONGRATS OBAMA–I VOTED FOR CHANGE–THANKS!!!!!
==modnote: inside voice, please, no shouting==
It’s time to look at the options. If we win with Obama, we lose. If we lose with Obama, we lose. Now is the time to select someone who believes what we believe. Someone who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk.
As a Black man, I believe the “Black thing” is wearing thin; however, race is a very complicated fact of life for us. I believe progressives should insist on being called “Caucasians”. We are in a very complex fight for our lives, we must nullify race as a weapon to be used against us.
At my job, I was a GOTV guy for Obama. Where I live, the AA community is particularly marginalized, and I worked to get out their votes.
Today, many of those same people have taken the lead in approaching me with questions like “Why the hell did you convince me to go vote for that scumbag?”
I don’t like hearing those questions, but it does open the door for me to express my own disappointment and disgust with President Obama.
Now I work to GOTV against Obama in the primaries and in the general election. Fear-mongering about Palin or some other monster du jour does not phase me any more. We have a conservative in the WH now, a conservative who has demonstrated time and again that he is willing to undermine his own party in Congress, and his own base of voters, and the non-elite public.
He is indeed an elitist, and it pains me greatly that the racist fucks who called him an elitist at McCain-Palin rallies were correct in that assessment. (They’re still racist fucks, but they were correct to call him an elitist.)
He is willing is work against the general welfare of the public while making public statements that contradict his actions. The examples are plenty: “beastiality” and “pedophilia” used to describe the LGBT community while claiming to be a fierce advocate; working to thwart single-payer and/or a public option while claiming to support those ideas; giving operational control to people known for their desire to dismantle Social Security; giving operational control to people known for their desire to dismantle financial regulation; not only supporting torture, secret prisons, and life-imprisonment without charges, but aggressively pursuing those things; damn the list is long ain’t it? I don’t need to go further into it…most of us already know the list. Still, it’s good to keep it fresh in the mind. It helps prevent the constant drum beat of media blather from blurring the truth.
As a former research and currently an engineer, the Occam’s Razor Principle holds true again and again: the simplest plausible solution or cause is usually the correct one.
So, applying that principle, I conclude that Obama is an incompetent and not sufficiently skilled for his job. He should be fired.
I have that argument daily. When I read the stupendous diatribes by my right-wingnut family, I am compelled to reply. Usually, I dissect the standard lies – secret Kenyan Muslim terrorist blah blah – but I replace them with truthful reasons why Obama must be opposed.
At first, they think I am somehow trying to trick them – that I’m really a Obot who is trying to use reverse psychology. But in the end, they accept that I do not like Obama, do not like Clinton, do not like EITHER political party, the Senate, the Dept of Homeland Security, or the lobbying industry.
Often, I am able to teach them that there is no reason to use the idiotic lies they see on Fox News when there are real, legitimate reasons to oppose Obama. The lessons last longer each time I have to re-teach them, and a side benefit is that I have been able to reduce the amount of Fox News propaganda they buy into. Slowly, I seem to be making some progress breaking their need to obey.
“Inverted Bush supporters”
That’s it exactly!
President Obama has talked about moving further to the “right” in his policies. I thought, how much further to the “right” can he turn. Whether it be wars, civil liberties (Patriot Act, etc), economy (Wall Street running his administration), mandates to purchase PRIVATE health insurance, a “deficit commission” that is intent on destroying social safety net programs, and now tax cuts for the rich along with a “payroll tax holiday” to destroy Social Security, he is to the “right” of former President George W. Bush. The difference between the two presidents isn’t between policies, it’s between demeanor, one struts like an arrogant peacock and the other acts like a quieter professor. But, the results for the citizens are the same…BAD. I would say he has done more to give up the Republican policies than even the Republican Presidents (as did former President Clinton) So…Obamabots are, lets face it, delusional at this point unless they believe in the Republican platform.
That should be he has done more to give citizens the Republican policies than Republican presidents (except former President Clinton).
This is hilarious when you switch the roles around and have the current situation.
It’s Blackwaterdog!
The other bear is… well, it could be any of us, really.
No this is not my script; it’s a found item.
Go left bears! We left bears ROCK.
You need to post a link to this on about 4326 diaries over at HuffPo.
Maybe we should make an Epilogue.
I do think, if you can stand to do so, that it’s important to write to Harman — and to other Obama defenders — just to let them know that their audience is falling away.
I would think Hartman especially is sensitive to the size of his audience.
Sending him this might also enlighten him. [Well, maybe . . . ]
PW, I take it you read the Great Orange Satan so we don’t have to?
I’d love to see an occasional report/summary of what’s going on over there.
The tone @ HuffPost has certainly changed over the last several months. I used to get completed attacked when I posted any comment critical of Obama. Now I get about 50-70% support. Still the nasty trope, but far better than before. And more critical articles too.
OMG laughing so hard tears are falling..
when they got to the part where she starts on about have you seen Obama with his shirt off??
His replies had me howling…
“Wait, wait?”
“What the fuck?”
“Please stop talking.”
Man I love the imaginations of so many folks out there. That’s funny stuff.
***”I’ve been ordered out of (former) liberal friends’ houses, for pointing out how well the “vote for us; the repubs are even worse!”
campaign strategy worked 6 weeks ago…and reminding them of Obama’s pre-election speeches and promises. “***
I’ve been told not to send any more e-mails to certain “friends,” to “get over it” [w/respect to the health care fraud] and all sorts of stuff.
Like the Republicans’ devotion to Fox “news, Democrats aren’t going to be able to make intelligent choices if they won’t let in any information that challenges their beliefs.
What I wish these idiots were able to see is that not only is the tax deal bad in the short term [huge tax cuts, no stimulus] but it also effectively locks in these terrible policies, making it all but impossible to reverse them, and gives added strength to the tyrants who birthed them.
It’s one thing for bad legislation to pass. You just work for a better Congress to reverse it. But with this horror show, it’s impossible to think about how good “change” is gonna happen.
***”Today, many of those same people have taken the lead in approaching me with questions like “Why the hell did you convince me to go vote for that scumbag?””***
STC, there’s a whole diary in what you’ve written. I hope you will write one.
I think there’s a fear across the liberal blogosphere that all AAs will vote in lockstep to support Obama, coupled with a reluctance to voice criticism of him for fear of sounding racist.
You could provide valuable guidance re how which arguments resonate and how to frame them. Plus any other guidance/suggestions.
Thanks for the comment.
***”dems look at his ratings and shit their pants, in 2012, and tell him they will publicly abandon him if he doesn’t quit.”***
But TB, I keep wondering WHO are “the dems” who could approach Obama and convince him not to run?
He hates the “base.” Is Harry Reid gonna tell him? Pelosi?
I was around in 1968, and the scene was different. It was feasible for strong Dem senators — who’d been around for years and had known LBJ in the Senate — to go to him and persuade him. Plus, of course, LBJ had a sense of doing what’s right FOR THE COUNTRY and the party, as opposed to Obama, who’s only in it for himself, and cares not a fig about destroying the Democratic party.
I just seriously wonder who there is who a) is someone Obama respects [and who's not a Mitch McConnell] and b) who would tell him to get out. Bernie Sanders is about the only person I can think of, and we saw, based on the press conference temper tantrum, how well he reacts to that.
I think more & more elected Dems WILL conclude that Obama will drag them down, but I think they will feel powerless to do anything about it.
Sincerely, I’m interested in your thoughts on this.
Yuppers.
Also laughing so hard that I am wiping tears from my cheeks. Lordy, I needed that.
Thank you, thank you Teddy!
I needed some ammo for the people I know who love Michelle’s arms, Barak’s chest, those two cute kids, and that doggie ;-))
“A statesman is he who thinks in the future generations, and a politician is he who thinks in the upcoming elections.” A.Lincoln
The ardent supporters of The Enabler have not come to this conclusion yet. Obama is nothing more than another politician over taken by his narcissism. The question is, “how much of good political game player he is?” From the perspective of progressives and he is atrocious and his policies are nothing more than a continuance of Bush the lesser.
The Enabler’s supporters suffer from the same problem their political avatar has; no core principles-convictions therefore relying heavily on display than on substance. When people are confronted with this the mind starts the really slow process of self-examination and start to understand or know what really are their core principles.
Bob Cesca (a shameless apologist) has an article on HuffPo that follows the petulant and pouty talking point BS. I was pleasantly surprised to see the majority of responses aree telling Cesca that he is full of shit.
First the toobz, then maybe the casual news consumer will follow.
Here’s the link if you’re interested.
Oh well, the link didn’t follow. The article is on the front page if anyone is curious.
I consider myself a centrist (possibly just right of center) but this is a wholly inaccurate characterization of the political and economic rightwing of the United States. Cartoons of the “other side” don’t really help anyone.
1. Waging wars occurs under both Left and Right governments.
2. Freedom and civil liberties are championed by both Left and Right.
3. Crony capitalism is antithetical to the free(-ish) market capitalism of the U.S. Right.
4. Mandates to purchase health insurance is despised by the American Right.
5. The Right does not want to destroy social safety nets – they want to remove the inefficient governmental component.
Hey, I got tossed out of the local ultra groovy, oh so liberal LGBT coffee house recently not because I am straight but because I dared to point out Obama’s corporate stooge-ism. Hilarious.
Hal Sparks is a straight guy who played a gay guy on cable TV’s “Queer as Folk”. He seems to give off that Al Franken get-on-the-radio-and-push-the-party-line-so-I-can-run-for-public-office sort of vibe.
“Except for this one consolation: there is simply no way this man can get a second term.”
I hope you’re right, but in this crazy country anything is possible.
It all depends on the unemployment picture. If it stays in the toilet and the R’s nominate someone who has not done a stretch in a mental asylum, they will win.
If unemployment drops a tic or 2 and they nominate Palin . . . well . . .
Didn’t know this, thanks.
But wait, aren’t his ratings STILL in the 40′s? Not great, but still not evictable in broad political terms. I’m stunned that he is not in the low 30′s by now. The man is very good at running on fumes and the left over euphoria of election night 2008.
Mauimom,
HuffPo has gotten horrid – they are in a “banning the most-fanned poster” mode – one can NOTHING about ANYTHING any longer – they Community Moderators and the Rethug Mods on weekends have TOTALLY RUINED HuffPo.
I find myself at PoliticusUSA.com – a whole lot – also, sure am glad to be here more often as well.
Sherrod Brown could help. Dick Durbin. Levin. BIDEN
Does the Obama supporter write for the Daily Kos?
Brutal, just brutal . . . great catch Teddy P!
*G*
Many of the commenters here participated in the effort to choose primary challengers, along with a movement name and platform, which began in September here at MyFDL. Just wanted to let everyone know that the name/platform results are now up, here.
Thank you Phoenix Woman!
A related TomDispatch article (“The less that it is understood what politicians do, the more compelling the need to clothe them in an aura like Andy Warhol’s, one that “you can only see… on people you don’t know very well or don’t know at all.””):
http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175331/tomgram%3A__lewis_lapham%2C_sweet_celebrity/
“Barack Obama in 2008 scored the apostolic music for gospel choir and guitar, but to notice that he failed to work the miracle of the loaves and fishes is to miss the point, like noticing that David Hasselhoff can neither sing nor dance. The author of two best-selling book-length self-promotions, Obama was elected by virtue of his celebrity, a commodity meant to be sold at the supermarket with the cosmetics and the canned soup, elevated to the office of a totem pole.”
I was a GOTV goy for his sorry ass too, Sabre. In fact, it sounds like we had very similar experiences. I’m in the South (eastern NC) and our AA community here is badly marginalized as well. Worked hard getting folks registered and to the polls, and was data coordinator in the four consecutive 18 hour days of GOTV in ’08.
I gave up vacation time for this elitist pig!
This is exactly right. We must get away from identity politics and begin extracting pledges from our would-be leaders, with a clear message that deviation from the goals set by we, their supporters, will be dealt with harshly and unflinchingly, and unforgivingly. And Barack Obama is just the guy to get warmed up on.
If Lapham’s thesis is accurate, there is nothing behind the mask of celebrity capable of delivering goals or making good on pledges.
More: “Bipartisan and nondenominational, the hero with a thousand faces unfortunately doesn’t evolve into a human being. Let money become the seat of power and the font of wisdom, and the story ends with an economy gone bankrupt, an army that wins no wars, and a politics composed of brightly colored balloons.”
“If you wish to study a granfalloon,
Just remove the skin of a toy balloon.” –Vonnegut
Actually, that would be me. Thanks for the post, Teddy!!
Ugh. Hal Sparks is the smarmiest douchebag on radio right now. If he’s not bragging about how many women he’s screwed, he’s busy crawling up Obama’s ass. I can’t listen to Stephanie any more when he’s on.
Here’s my followup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLpm8UKNY6g
Members of a certain Obama-boosting, Hamsher-hating site might find this familiar…
Shirley McClain’s quote on John Kennedy’s alleged affair: “I’d rather have him doing it to a woman than doing it to the country” comes to mind rather frequently these days, and not only regarding Edwards …
I don’t have these conversations much lately, but that’s mostly because I try to avoid thinking how screwed we are if this is the average voter. There’s a good deal of evidence to suggest that it is.
Oh, and BTW Teddy, thanks for posting this. I needed a laugh.
Some of you are asking about or pondering the origin and creator of this video. Progressives are being banned by the boat load at a certain Democratic forum, where some of the members hate Jane for having dared associated with Grover Norquist. These Progressives are re-grouping at Old Elm Tree. This video was produced by one of those banned Progressives.
Otto and Mal, spot on and thanks Otto for the Engelhardt, love that man and his work. Best to both and all yours too.
What forum?
Don’t be coy, what forum are proggy’s being booted from? ;-)
N can we get a link to the forum where proggys are regrouping at?
Thanks for the heads up and comment, too!
*G*
I can’t say outright because the owner is the litigous type. Let’s just say it was “underground” during the bush era.
Obama was elected, in large part, because of 8 years of George Bush and the GOP’s bloody and outrageous fuckery…and because Obama was openly critical of a lot of that, in his campaigning.
There was simply no question of whether to vote for Obama or McCain. It had to be Obama.
Period; exclamation point.
That he has, in effect, now turned out to be one of the bad guys, doesn’t make idiots of the people who supported him and who were excited when he won an historic victory.
And the Monday morning quarterbacks smugly professing to be wizards who “knew all along” that he would turn on us, are full of shit, and they have to answer the question: “Who did YOU vote for?”
http://www.oldelmtree.com
I’m thinking progressives need to start rallying with funny, period costumes on–and lots of handmade, badly drawn signs. Maybe some misspellings would help on the signs.
This is not a joke, although it may sound like it. In order to attract the attention of the press, you have to have–or be–a shiny object. They will shut down immediately when you start a rational discussion because they don’t have the smarts/patience to follow it.
Ergo, bring on the costumes. My only question is: What kind of costumes?
The Tea Party has a Revolutionary theme corralled. Maybe what we need is a 1930s, Depression-era theme in terms of costumes. Dirty faces, bare feet, ragged clothes, an apple seller or two.
It doesn’t really matter what the theme is, just so it’s compelling enough to attract cameras.
Smilodon; you have more patience than me. :o)
(You must be a triple Taurus, astrologically speaking… :o) )
Sorry for the ambiguity, but my question was the same as Larue’s.
You really think someone would sue you for posting a web address?
That suit would be laughed out of court.
@Alternate ID, looks like I fubarred. The Old Elm Tree is NOT the forum that is purging Progressives. This was supposed to be a response to Larue below who asked “N can we get a link to the forum where proggys are regrouping at?”.
I want to give the name of the forum that is booting Progressives who have been critical of President Obama but I would rather you just look for the clues in my replies so that I don’t have to come right out and say it.
Often things aren’t all black and white. Sure, there are people who on some issues consider themselves “on the Left” who believe in the war effort just as there are people “on the Right” who may believe in basic civil liberties and the list goes on. Are you trying to obfuscate our political history and party platforms?
The Democratic Party (once the left) were considered “the peoples party). Thanks to decades of so called Democratic politicians such as former President Clinton and now President Obama, that distinction has become obsolete. They are representing corporate and powerful interests first (as was once the domain of the Republican party). So, to equate the Democratic party in the White House or Congress as somehow to “the left” is no longer valid. People “on the left” put citizens interests above corporate and powerful entities.
1. True in regards to the politicians. However, can you honestly say with a straight face that most conservative Republicans (politicians and citizens) on the “right” are against these wars and want them to stop? Not exactly, which is why I consider it more of a “conservative” right wing issue.
2. I guess all the ACORN and ACLU bashing by Fox News, those who listen to Fox News, and the tea party represents those “champions from the right”.
3. Apparently the Republican party can’t distinguish crony capitalism from free market capitalism. I always find it interesting whenever someone can’t defend our current state of “crony capitalism” that they frequently end up with the “but, but, this is not a free market. I’m all for the free market.” What policies do you think the Republicans (who for decades represented the “right”) have been fighting for? By the way, where is this mythical “free market” in the world? And…if there isn’t one, why do you think that is?
4. I agree the mandates to purchase PRIVATE health insurance is despised universally. So, why is it part of the health insurance bill…why, to enrich the health insurance industry. That is not a “left” or “right” issue but once again a corporate favoring issue.
5. How anyone can believe that privatization of our social safety nets is the solution…well. Look at what has happened to many 401-K’s recently as just one example. There is too much uncertainty in the “private sector”. Private financial institutions are in business to MAKE MONEY. They are required to make profits. As a result these companies eventually stop looking at the humanity of their decisions and instead look at the bottom line. Want an example, not insuring children with pre-existing conditions…a decision made on purpose by PRIVATE enterprise to increase profits. So, while you want to remove the government component, I believe privatization of Social Security is by far worse for citizens. Now, if we continue on our current path of government, you may be correct in that government also won’t act in the interests of citizens in general. In which case, we are all in trouble.
The Republican Commissioners report on the financial crisis recently concluded that “bubbles happen”. They certainly do when you have policies promoting deregulation and privatization by both Republicans and Democrats who represent corporate and wealthy interests first. And…the Republicans have a LONG history of representing corporate interests first…which I have already stated is considered “conservative and to the right”.
The Progressives being purged from DU are regrouping at The Old Elm Tree Forum at http://www.oldelmtree.com/. The original post of the above video is located here: http://www.oldelmtree.com/index.php?topic=17229.0
Sorry for the confusion above as, although I’ve been a lurker here for years, it’s my first time posting and I hit the wrong “Reply” link. I hope I’ve been able to clarify well enough to allay any confusion.
Screw it. The site that is banning Progressives and those who dare criticize President Obama, a president Progressives worked hard to elect, is Democratic Underground. I will not link to them.
Those progressives are regrouping at The Old Elm Tree Forum.
I don’t think Lapham is saying that this dynamic is a question of idiocy, but rather a question of faith, adoration, celebrity and materialism. His comparison between moderns in the US and ancients is a religious one.
To suggest that no one could have known implies that it is impossible to see past the facade or to be wise to a game that is ubiquitous in US culture–in other words, it is impossible not be one of the faithful.
I also don’t think Lapham would say Obama’s suppossed turning on us is part of the equation of celebrity. Turning or not turning is irrelevant if we are only dealing with graven images to begin with (this was his point about loaves and fishes.)
Personally, I have never voted in my life, which, as one of my favorite celebrities, George Carlin, assures me, gives me the right to complain. :)
gnocchi – this is spot on brilliant! (In a tragic way, of course).
For me, the pinnacle of the piece was in the list of made-up atrocities Obama committed, you mentioned Air America hiring Lionel. As a liberal, I believe with restitution and true repentance almost anything is forgivable. But never, ever that.
I’m going to try to post this over on Open Left Quick Hits if someone hasn’t already done it.
The brown bear sounds a lot like PM Carpenter…
hit the nail on the head.
For a while, I made it my mission in life to torment Lionel relentlessly. He got so pissed he started calling me out on his show.
A cannon. We need a cannon we can fire. Gather outside the White House and fire blank Cannon shots at it as fast as we can while screaming like loonies. Then get our 10 second sound byte in front of the camera.
Hey, crap like that works for them.
Oh, and for costumes, Union Soldiers. We’re fighting to stop slavery.
Tell me this got posted over at Orange Satan.
God I’d love to drop into the comments section of THAT diary!!!
I’m disgusted at the racial implications of this video. I’m Black, and I’ve always been the white character in this video. LOL! I must copyright protect my tweets from now on, you must have copied several public debates I’ve had with ObamaBots minus the profanity. Please create a version with the profanity included. Great Video! Love it!
Tooooooo funny.
Exactly what it is like. It is starting to change with the latest betrayal on tax cuts for the rich and the social security ‘payroll holiday’ which puts SS on the table as a negotiatng chip for the politicians on both sides to dismantle.
They missed my favorite and the most popular though….
Nothing would make you happy. You expect him to fix the past 10 years (and longer) in a couple years….you just hate Obama…
This is by far the most encountered talking point.
Doesn’t matter what SPECIFIC policy or appointment you are talking about…it is always because he needs more time to do the wrong thing and if he had more time, the wrong thing would work?
Batshit crazy is right, but this time it is the Obamabots.
DU?
Please . . . reveal more or . . .
Well, I won’t read ya . . . .
Where do I find the translation of all the references in this? I’ve got the site name, but who’s the author, and who’s their “house homo”?
I think you are conflating the Republican party and the actions of some of their members with the Right wing of the American political spectrum.
1. Your original post that I replied to didn’t specify which wars. The Left was in charge, for example, when America joined Vietnam. The political Right have been in control when the U.S. entered other conflicts. Waging wars is not strictly Left or Right.
2. The assertion was that President Obama couldn’t turn more “right”. In what way did you mean Obama was rightwing wrt ACORN, the ACLU or Fox? On the broader issue, if you ask non-politicians from either side of the political aisle how they feel about freedoms and civil rights they will disagree only about where to strike the balance between idealism and realism.
3. I think both the Republican and Democratic parties CAN discern crony capitalism from free markets but politicians in both parties PREFER the former. Bring up crony capitalism with the average non-politician right-winger and they are very likely to agree that it is a bad thing.
4. It sounds like we agree that the Individual Mandate has nothing to do with the Left/Right discussion.
5. While you and the generic guy on the Right may disagree on the best way to fund the social safety net (via government or privatization) neither side wants it destroyed.
I agree that many of President Obama’s policies are similar to George W. Bush’s. MANY on the right do not consider GWB a good example of American conservatism, however.
I haven’t posted it there, but it got posted on DU. It got to the front page with 57 recs before they locked it. Skinner absolutely flipped out. When the smoke cleared, he’d banned at least 15 people, including most of the members of Old Elm Tree who were still left on his site.
Interestingly I don’t agree much with the policies advocated at FDL but like to understand a different point of view. The clip is funny and fascinating at the same time. I haven’t quite been able to understand the love hate relationship the left has with Obama. I now have a bit more understanding. Funny (and painful I’m sure).
Yes! This is the kind of thinking we need to engage in to arrive at some sort of a gimmick to catch the eye of the media.
Hopefully, suggestions will be forthcoming from others, as well. The more ideas the better.
Thanks, scrowder.
A shameful display to drag out Bubba during Bernie’s moment on C Span! Bush and Clinton leftovers should have been our first clue which direction this was going to go.
I was one of those. I have become so disgusted with the self denial over there I had to come here for a vacation!
Yeah, some of their best bullshit had to be skipped. If I included every weak-ass O-bot excuse, the video would be 3 hours long.
However, I have a feeling there might be one or two sequels on the way…
Hillarious in the extreme . Thanks so much for putting this together .
THANK YOU!
… and welcome to MyFDL!
Looking forward to more of your work; this one got forwarded to me by a distinctly non-political Facebook friend. So glad to have you here!
I thought of that too. The nation is as threatened as it was at the Civil War.
We need to have pictures of Obama as Jefferson Davis, a traitor.
We can have our men wear top hats and Lincoln beards and our women wear big hoop skirts.
I also like the idea of dressing up as Uncle Sam, Lady Liberty and Blind Justice. A few of us should even go topless as Blind Justice. That’ll get some attention.
Rick’s my congressman too.
Does he really think he can win us over with this tripe?
I’m failing to see how it would be any different if Kostner had won.
How can he mover further to the Right? A year from now that question will seem to have been naive and silly.
I predict a year from now we’ll be waging a ground war in Pakistan. We’ll have bombed Iran. We’ll have sanctions against Venezuela.
A year from now we’ll be getting horrid letters from progressive champions like Al Franken telling us why they had to support the President’s “tax reform” that dratically flattened the rates.
A year from now the talking point among the White House supporters will be how we need more deregulation of Business to unleash American innovation.
A year from now we’ll have the Obama administration talking about transferring social services to faith based organizations. At some point the phrase “Christian Nation” will be used by Obama.
A HuffPo friend of mine, Steamboater, wrote a very mild comment and when I followed the link to fave it… it had been deleted for “violating our guidelines.”
I reposted it in a comment of mine along with my thoughts about how it wasn’t offensive while Cesca’s article was full of insults to people like Steamboater and me. It was pulled immediately.
I also had posted in response to Bob Saget’s article in which he started off with a joke at Transgender women’s expense. I shared how I had never liked him and took him to task for this Transphobic joke. I didn’t insult him, I just shared my dislike. It was pulled immediately.
Beth Breitbart wrote some article praising the Tax Deal. I commented and said that propaganda like she was writing was winning since most Americans seemed to favor the deal even though they didn’t like the specfics. That got pulled.
I seriously think there are folk who work together to create moderators over there. They have one person or even a sock puppet post something extremely offensive that no one could deny was offensive. Then they click on it as offensive. Of course it gets pulled. They do this over and over and in a short time they have a moderator who can pull anything critical of their heroes.
I don’t know why I keep reading and commenting over there.