Excerpt:
Meanwhile, I get called on the carpet for shooting off one liners and not providing enough analysis. So, here is some analysis for you: name me one big policy that the listed think tanks have proposed and has been enacted that wasn’t a total and complete fucking disaster of a policy?
The burden of proof isn’t on me. I’ve been blogging and analyzing for almost eight years now. And almost everything I have blogged about I have gotten right. My policy chops are pretty damn good. What’s my guiding policy? Be decent: do the right thing. Who fucking knew?
I also get told on a regular basis that if I don’t shut my pie hole about all this and vote Democratic that it will all be my fault when tEh crazies get elected. Please explain to me in simple, clear, elementary language how the above seven highlights are my fault. To wit: I voted for a candidate who promised to close GITMO within a year. I voted for a candidate who promised to end DADT and provide equal rights for all Americans. I voted for a candidate who promised immigration reform. I voted for a candidate who promised to put Americans, all Americans, back to work. I voted for a candidate who promised to protect our social contract and expand the economic safety net.
Obama has not only not done any of it, he’s made shit worse.
Now, tell me why I should vote for the Democrats in 2010? Because tEh crazies are coming? Fuck that: tEh crazies are here.
Mandos
That’s what you think.
anon2525
Which would the DLC rather have in office, a left-leaning democratic majority or republicans? Better, they would say, to have republicans, and bide their time, than to give up control of the democratic party to the hippies. At least the republicans wouldn’t go against the rent-seeking class, while the hippies would. The DLC is not in opposition to the republicans — it is in opposition to other members of the democratic party.
lambert strether
anon2525: That’s the iron law of institutions. It’s not that we have to destroy the D party in order to save it, it’s that we have to destroy the D party. Fortunately, it looks like their leadership is doing such a fine job of that all on their own that they’ll have to generalize the tactics they used in TX 2008 and steal 2010 and 2012, or go the October surprise route, or both. (I especially like DiFi leading the charge against Proposition 19 in CA; that should set the Ds in really solid with youth.)
And what Ian said.
lambert strether
I suppose one could vote for the 2% less evil party if the evil were not a moving target. But it does move, and both parties are complicit in moving it.
Tom Hickey
Right, Obama did promise all those things, but he did not promise not to take Wall Street’s money, as I remember. Both parties are sell outs. US politics is broken.
S Brennan
Sean-Paul asks:
“Please explain to me in simple, clear, elementary language how the above seven highlights are my fault.”
And then answers his own question here:
“I voted for a candidate who promised to…”
Here’s the deal Sean, vote for people who have a record/history of accomplishment. 2008 was the first year since 1976 where the Dems could have won with a broken tennis racket.
In 2004 Obama gave a speech at the convention that talked about “One America” and the theme that year was “two Americas”. You voted for a backstabbing bitch…and you got a backstabbing bitch.
Ironically, Reagan…Obama’s hero, did the same thing to Ford in 1976
Sean Paul Kelley
S Brennan: if you will recall, I was an early supporter of John Edwards. In 2004 and then in 2004. We, at The Agonist, raised money for him. We endorsed him, both times.
When he dropped out I voted for Hillary as the lesser evil in the Texas primary.
Who was I supposed to vote for in the general election? The Libertarian? McCain? Please explain.
Sean Paul Kelley
That should read: 2004 and 2008.
S Brennan
Yes Sean, you did,
But your site/you were very very milquetoast in your condemnations of a guy who was/is [by far & away] the most right-wing Democratic Presidential candidate in my lifetime…hence my plural/possessive criticism of you. If you are honest with yourself/me you could have done far more…and you know it.
Now I know you’ll pull out the exceptions, but I used to post on your site…and on your posts in particular.
Sean Paul Kelley
Nope, I don’t make excuses when I am/was wrong. After Edward’s dropped out of the race I was very lukewarm in my support of Hillary. Tepid even.
But that still doesn’t answer the question “Who was I supposed to vote for in the general election? The Libertarian? McCain? Please explain.”
So, please explain what I was supposed to do.
Sean Paul Kelley
I also don’t dodge hard questions, so instead of condemning me, explain to me what I should have done. I respect you enough to give you an honest answer.
S Brennan
As I said it didn’t matter at that point, the time to act was far earlier. 2008 was a watershed year, where change was truly possible, Obama picked to maintain Bush policies and make Democrats culpable. It worked, but the subterfuge was obvious…consider just fact, all the L-blogs that supported the invasion supported Obama.
On domestic issues Hillary was as good as it gets…and she should have gotten vocal support for that. Also, when Obama/Axlerod/Josh Marshall made Hillary/Bill out as a racist..the core campaign issue…Josh Marshall the guy who said the invasion of Iraq was a swell idea, why no take downs of fellow L-bloggers?
If you want total exculpation Sean…see a padre, you could have done more to contrast what Obama is, right wing, in the fascist portion of the spectrum.
Sean Paul Kelley
S Brennan: I was extremely vocal in my support for Edwards. I did act much earlier. Much, much earlier. Ask Ian.
We raised money for him. Went on talk radio for the guy. Canvassed for him in San Antonio. He WAS better than Hillary and Obama. His policies were the first choice. I don’t get what more you expect of me? And contrary to what you said, we were all at The Agonist extremely vocal about Edwards. There was nothing tepid about it.
Again, Obama is not my fault. I didn’t support the war. I condemned it. I condemned it when Marshall and Drum and Yglesias and all the others were supporting it. I condemned it loudly.
Why no take downs of fellow bloggers? I’ll cop to that. I didn’t realize how sadly they had been bought off. I wasn’t paying close enough attention.
Your anger is misplaced, big time. I’m not the bad guy here. I may be far from perfect but but on all the major issues I have been right–or have surrounded myself with people who have been–Stirling, Ian, Numerian.
So, again: being that I did support Edwards well before the 2008 primaries, that I was blogging through it all, was just about always on the right side of all the issues, and went on conservative talk radio and battled it out for months and months, day in and day out, and raised money for the correct candidates what more do you expect of me?
Stop blaming me for Obama. He’s not my fault. And I won’t accept responsibility for him, either.
What did you do?