As the Democratic Convention continues, and generates positive headlines due to competent storytelling and effective use of show business tactics, it’s important to recognize that the ultimate meat of governing – policy – is disconnected from the election. It’s not that the election doesn’t matter to people, because clearly, people care deeply about which icon is on their TV telling them about their political system. But recognize that the showbiz is not the policy, that the showbiz isn’t even related to the policy.
There is a generalized and acknowledged sense that Obama has been a disappointment in certain policy areas, like prosecuting Wall Street criminals. But still, the argument is still held in certain corners that Obama has largely followed through on his campaign promises from 2008, and if he did not meet the expectations of his supporters, that is because they read things into his candidacy that were not there. This is an unfair slur on his 2008 supporters, a group that has every right to be disillusioned. In fact, if you read the 2008 Democratic party platform today (here’s the platform), it’s clear there are plenty of important promises in the platform that the Obama administration and Democrats failed to honor.
Here’s a list of some of the broken promises from 2008.
We will strengthen the ability of workers to organize unions and fight to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
This did not happen. The labor law never passed.
We will ensure that federal employees, including public safety officers who put their lives on the line every day, have the right to bargain collectively, and we will fix the broken bargaining process at the Federal Aviation Administration.
Nope.
We will fight to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers, so that workers can stand up for themselves without worrying about losing their livelihoods.
Nope.
We will also ensure that every American worker is able earn up to seven paid sick days to care for themselves or an ill family member.
Nope.
To help workers share in our country’s productivity, we’ll expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, and raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation.
Didn’t happen. And the minimum wage hike is actually in the 2012 platform, again.
We will encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation’s spectrum.
Well, Comcast did buy NBC.
We will ensure that the foreclosure prevention program enacted by Congress is implemented quickly and effectively so that at-risk homeowners can get help and hopefully stay in their homes. We will work to reform bankruptcy laws to restore balance between lender and homeowner rights.
Larry Summers and Tim Geithner opposed cramdown, so it didn’t happen. And I think it’s safe to say that foreclosure prevention was not a priority for this administration.
We will work with Canada and Mexico to amend the North American Free Trade Agreement so that it works better for all three North American countries.
Nope.
We will put all non-emergency bills that Congress has passed online for five days, to allow the American public to review and comment on them before they are signed into law.
Nope.
We will require Cabinet officials to have periodic national online town hall meetings to discuss issues before their agencies.
Nope.
We reject illegal wiretapping of American citizens, wherever they live.
“Obama Fights to Retain Warrantless Wiretapping“.
We reject the use of national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime.
Nope.
We reject the tracking of citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war.
Nope.
We reject sweeping claims of “inherent” presidential power.
Nope.
And we will ensure that law-abiding Americans of any origin, including Arab-Americans and Muslim- Americans, do not become the scapegoats of national security fears.
Nope.
We will respect the time-honored principle of habeas corpus, the seven century-old right of individuals to challenge the terms of their own detention that was recently reaffirmed by our Supreme Court.
Nope.
These aren’t just broken promises, these are all broken promises that have to do with the economic and political rights of the relatively powerless. Privacy, union rights, debtor’s rights, activist rights, etc – they were promised tangible stuff, and didn’t get it. It looks like the Obama campaign will get a bounce from the convention, because the convention is well-organized and a good show. Just recognize that this show in 2008 had nothing to do with the ultimate policy that was enacted, and it’s likely that the 2012 convention will see a similar outcome.
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I’m voting 3rd party.
Obama is as corporatist as Bush, Romney, more so.
“Don’t vote major” is my mantra this season.
It seems like all politicians are ambidextrous these days.
“I’m not a Democrat because I have no idea what their policies really are, and I’m not a Republican because I know EXACTLY what their policies really are”
can I use that line? Its gonna be my slogan from now on!!!
Well said Dave!
So Matt, BO also promised a comprehensive reform of the student loan program. I don’t recall if it was in the platform, which for 30 years I’ve ignored completely as as worthless as you demonstate here. Well reform actually did make it well along when the Ds controled the Hill. BO and his crew _shot it down_, not only not getting it passed but opposing the effort.
THAT is Barack Obama, the ultimate sellout shill if ever there was. Bill Clinton is hard to top in that department, but with another term to go Barack Obama has already beaten Willie to the Commode of Shame.
I’m voting Green Party. Jill Stein is my pick and I hope many of you join me. Until and unless we break free from the two-party system, this democracy will continue to be unworkable.
Right now, the Dems are “republican lite”. Those of us who believe in the Constitution, the rule of law, and busting up monopolies and “robber barons” have zero representation.
In Obama’s defense, some of those promises are things that Congress must do (i.e. anything requiring a bill) and Congress is unwilling to do (i.e. debate in public).
On the other hand all of the civil liberties based promises are things that he can do without congress and could still do any day now. As are things to help homeowners which have been discussed here previously.
Don’t count on the warrantless wiretapping or assassination (“signature strikes”) to be discussed during this campaign. If Romney’s 2008 speech is any guide he’d only do what Obama is doing and more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql9Cbrz5Sfk
Warrantless wiretaps and citizen assassination is not going to be discussed until there’s a different president.
I am not so sure. Apparently Obama discussed these things and he was just lying so why can’t Romney discuss it and then show his true colors later? He can point the finger at Obama since Obama is actually guilty of these things now, while he (Romney)can continue to lie until after the election.
If you watch the speech I linked to you’ll see why. He LIKES these things and if anything was hoping to criticize Obama for not doing them enough. Obama had Bin Laden shot in the head and buried at sea thus doing the same to the “he is weak” attack.
Romney is counting on Libertarians and Paulies to back him in the election as well as the hardcore neocons. The former groups hate these attacks on civil liberties while the latter group fairly revels in them. Whichever side he takes he will lose some group and he won’t pick up any Obama voters for it, so he will definitely keep silent now and screw over the libertarians later.
Well it was a democratic party platform–for the party and not just the president no? Obama did have a democratic congress through 2010 and could have tried a thing or two no?
Well yes and no. Many Dems, for example, didn’t really want Guantanamo Bay to close or have a clear idea what to do if it did. And too many people in office like Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxter, and so on voted in favor of the wiretapping and the spying and the detention etc. They can’t now vote against it without admitting complicity so they won’t.
So just because it is in the platform or he has the majority doesn’t mean that he has the votes.
Obama’s entire presidency has been a repudiation of pretty much every one of those platform items. Its not because he didn’t have the votes, its because he didn’t fight for any of those things AT ALL, and in fact fought for the opposing principle in most of them.
“Doesn’t have the votes” is usually code for “the Party wants this dead”, isn’t it?
Although the Constitution does make the budget the responsibility of Congress, Congress passed the Budget Act of 192? and demanded the President send a budget to Congress. The final budget or even the toyed with budget as we currently have is very similar to the President’s initial proposal plus earmarks (which aren’t necessarily bad). Although we have an electoral college, the President is almost always the winner of the popular vote and wins more votes than his down ticket allies which gives the President a legitimacy the envisioned non-Washington President of 1789 just doesn’t have.
The OMB is not set up to produce a budget because it does not work for the majority party but the Congress itself. Yes, it can answer questions, but it does not possess the organizational discipline or the authority to make a budget which means its dependent on the Speaker or Majority leaders office, John Boehner or Harry Reid, both dolts for a counter budget.
Lets be honest, the budget is hard work if its done correctly, and it needs to be done correctly or people don’t get paid. Members of Congress think they need a ton money to run for re-election which means they work the phones of go to cocktail parties. They don’t work which means independent staffers do the work or don’t do the work because they are working for their next job which means sticking earmarks in the budget. Paul Ryan’s budget is an example of this. He knows as bad as he is its not a budget. Its a stunt for Teabaggers. Even the vaunted progressive budget would be a disaster if they ditched the current budget for it overnight because it isn’t complete.
At the same time, the President wields considerable power over his own party. All he has to do is show up at a rally and introduce the Congressman or Senator as kind of wavering and ask for a commitment of support. The low information but reliable voters will have no problem dumping their representative for the President because American voters know nothing except the President and even then… The President also controls the party purse strings, so any candidate who has a funding gap may not to want to piss off the President.
This “in all fairness” crap applies to an outdated Constitution of a relatively small government and pre-1800 campaign.
The OMB is part of the Executive branch. The CBO is its Congressional counterpart.
I don’t understand your electoral college statement. The college is an anti-democratic anachronism, much like the Senate.
This “in all fairness” crap applies to an outdated Constitution of a relatively small government and pre-1800 campaign.
No no it does not. Yes the president sends the budget to congress and yes many of them are out to long lunches rather than doing the job but in the end they have to vote. And some things (like the promise to post bills in public) are purely creations of congress or things that, unlike the budget, begin in the legislative branch. So no, I am not sticking with the pre-1800 world.
If we let Obama lose, then Dems will fire up United For Peace and Justice and their fake antiwar candidates, and make lots of noise about our privacy rights, so those issues will be raised. Fake Dem support for rights and rule of law is better than Dems in power, actively undermining it. THAT’s the lesser evil.
This is magical thinking. Maybe the rank-and-file Dems will find Jesus, but the Democratic elite didn’t give a shit about Bush crimes until a guy like Murtha found religion and decided the Iraq War was bad. The Democratic elite were just a cowardly lot, and in 2004, Kerry ran a campaign with the message, “well, we are already there. I wouldn’t have done it except for my positive vote, but I’ll do it better than W.”
I dunno, Dems put up with Feingold while he was useful for rallying the rights-and-rule-of-law vote. And UfPJ is an honest-to-god phony bullshit Potemkin antiwar movement that puts on a damn good show when the Dems wind them up for partisan advantage (while ANSER and ILPS do the real work, of course.) So at the margin, Dems suck somewhat less in opposition. So hey, let’s give them their big chance in the wilderness!
“UfPJ is an honest-to-god phony bullshit Potemkin antiwar movement that puts on a damn good show when the Dems wind them up for partisan advantage (while ANSER and ILPS do the real work, of course.)”
Huh, back in my day (2002-2005) UFPJ was a genuine grassroots political movement that organized, held meetings, and put on actions, and ANSWER was just a bunch of Maoist zombies who showed up at protests planned by others with big buckets to collect money for god-knows-what.
Amazing how much difference a couple years make, I guess… ;-D
Amen, Matt. The Democratic Convention is an appealing theatrical spectacle, especially in contrast to that pathetic GOP event in Tampa. But if Obama wins in November, we’ll be hearing a lot about “shared sacrifice” as he tries to implement Simpson-Bowles.
You’re right, gizmo. And I’m with Cletus.
Thank you, Matt Stoller, for this comprehensive list of broken promises. It is amazing to me that anyone will vote for Obama, unless maybe for some Gay Republicans. But again, he just SAID he supported gay marriage; not like he’s done anything about it.
That would make a great ‘smear’ campaign. “Obama is secretly a Log Cabin Democrat!” (Look at how many times he’s said; “Bend over America!”)
Appealing theater is exactly what it is — all form, no content. All morning long I’ve listened to liberals gushing about the multicultural inclusivity of the convention. But Obama has deported more Latinos than Bush did, has expanded the war on drugs that imprisons African-Americans at such high rates, restricted access to Plan B because “he is a father,” codified the Hyde Amendment into law via the ACA, done nothing about the soaring rate of unemployment for African-Americans or the disproportionate wealth destruction for blacks, his stance on gay rights is “evolving.”
So beyond the theatrical appearance of inclusivity — where is the actual content?
And to say that he’s been helpless because of Congress is to deny the extraordinary powers inherent now in the office of the President, not the least of which has to do with control over the party and its money. Any president that claims the right to assassinate anyone on the earth has arrogated enough power to himself to do a whole host of other things.
But Ian Welsh is right: there’s a whole lot of people on the soi-disant progressive side of the spectrum who want to be lied to.
Or… the plain fact is that the white-collarization of what passes for the left these days means that in actuality they’re not really suffering and the plight of the majority of Americans is just not on their radar, whereas the optics of theater that can make them feel good about their broadmindedness does, especially when those optics don’t at all threaten their white-collar privilege.
Obama could end our sensless wars without Congress–he’s the commander-in-chief, after all. He could have the ICE stop persecuting undocumented immigrants, since it works for him. He could have the FDA reclassify, and decriminalize, marijuana, since it works for him. He could prosecute financial fraud, torturers, environmental polluters without Congress, since he’s the country’s chief law enforcement officer. And so on.
But he doesn’t, because he wants to do the opposite.
He does what he’s told to do. They all do.
Spectacle for the 99% and substance for the 1%.
We are clearly getting the circuses, so when do we get the bread?
“We are clearly getting the circuses, when are we going to get the bread?” That would be a great slogan for Jill Stein or Rocky Anderson.
But, but Change We Can Believe In, and Yes, We Can. He kept those promises, at least for the bankers, Wall Street, the wars, the arms industry, Big Pharma, Big Insurance, and the surveillance state lobby. In these areas, Obama did everything he promised and more.
Obama is a silver tongued tool, totally under the control of his handlers. Truth and promises have no relevance in his world, only power. Because his Hopium is still the drink of choice for many members of the Rope-a-Dope party he continues to be extremely dangerous.
Romney is a sociopathic criminal and has been ever since he started Bain Capital with 40% of its seed money provided by laundering money for Salvadorian death squads.
Change We Can Believe in—- both these individuals in maximum security prison for the remainders of their lives.
“Hopium”, that’s good ;)
These are the true planks of elected officials at the state and federal level. One party for all of us, austerity for the rest of you.
Removing the foundation of America, one plank at a time.
Jill Stein for President.
I’m voting for Jill Stein, too.
P.S. Here’s a picture.
~
Where is Jill Stein in that picture? J/K
Here in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex I saw my first ad for Jill Stein last night and told my husband that I thought I would vote for her.
It’s not like one more vote for Obama in this state is going to give him the electoral votes and it lets me deny him one of the popular votes that elected officials try to use in close elections to claim legitimacy and support.
Yes! Jill Stein for President.
I remember a snide journalist once asked Kucinich why he was runnning for President when he couldn’t possibly win. Dennis replied: “Well, if enough people voted for me, I would win.”
We will never, ever change this system by voting for Republicrats. Don’t do it! You don’t have to do it!
Democracy we can believe in at the Democratic convention — this is a vote to reinstate platform language declaring that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel (contrary to long-standing U.S. policy):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09cEwnivdr0&feature=player_embedded
Who needs Diebold machines when we have voice votes like this one?
The people, united, will only be deceived!
Current reporting has it that reinsertion of God and Jerusalem into the Democratic platform was done at the direct bequest of the President and over vociferous objections of the delegates. Apparently Obama felt he had to do this because the evangelical right were making their usual stink about the ‘Godless’ Democrats and, once again, his go-to response was to stand strong against the whack-a-doodle right with all the spine of a Chrysaora colorata.
If we ever needed a technicolor, today example of why and how Obama has failed, this would be it. How hard would it have been to simply say that the mission statement of a political party is an even less appropriate place to call on God or Jesus than Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence or Madison’s Constitution?
CaitlinO, I got linked to the video of that insertion which I gather even Fufflington Post thought was done under “irreglar” circumstances. When I saw it, here’s what I thought.
Praise Jesus that a constitutional law scholar wanted god in the platform! According to people who write things such as: “Left Behind” (no, not your butt cheek!) when the capital of Jerusalem is restored to the the Israelites Christ will return. And yet, Obama’s already here and the capital has not been rightfully restored. What gives? Oh well–the lord will figure it all out, I’m certain! The guy with the really bad hearing aids looked a lot like the presenter at the children’s beauty pageant from “Little Miss Sunshine”. The movie guy did seem more honest though.
After watching the convention last night and listening to the pundits I wondered if god and jerusalem were a payoff for Clinton’s speech. Madeleine Albright was there to speak for Jerusalem as having always been the US policy, and who can argue with god? The pundits said Hillary was thinking about 2016 and she has a large and organized Jewish constituency.
And — by the way — Michelle Obama can shove it. “Change takes time”. An amazing statement from a black american sitting next to the pinnacle of power. What contempt Martin Luther King would have had for that statement and for her. “Change takes time”, indeed. How many southern cracker politicians stayed in power for decades spewing such sanctimonious garbage?
“What contempt Martin Luther King would have had for that statement and for her.”
“Why We Can’t Wait” (Signet Classics) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., author
http://www.amazon.com/Why-Cant-Wait-Signet-Classics/dp/0451527534
I found this when searching for the quote, “If not now, when?”
“Now, since we took this issue on a year ago, there have been plenty of folks in Washington who’ve said that the politics is just too hard…Don’t do it now. My question to them is: When is the right time? If not now, when? If not us, who?”
President Barack Obama
Commenting on his health care reform legislation
Speech in Glenside, Pennsylvania, March 8, 2010
I guess NOW is the right time only when Obama wants it NOW.
Tbogg notes that, after the DNC chose to hold its convention in an anti-union state, protests that could have used union help were underwhelming, and draws no conclusions from this:
http://tbogg.firedoglake.com/2012/09/05/what-we-have-here-is-a-dead-occupy/
I tried to discuss this with him, but I seem to be banned from his site.
Hmmm, thinking what hotflashcarol told TBogg @145:
http://my.firedoglake.com/tambershall/2012/08/14/what-happened-to-youve-got-to-stop-voting-by-mark-e-smith/#comment-145
I don’t care anymore. I have come to acknowledge the fact that American people are generally a bunch of spineless, flacid, dolts who are completely incapable of analyzing reality and making moral, ethical, or even rational decisions.
But on the bright side, when society finally does collapse because of their stupidity and timidity, they will mostly be eliminated from the gene pool. There’s a silver lining to every cloud.
I think there was a link the other day about spineless creatures needing protection, as their numbers dwindle, probably caused by humans.
If only calamity restricted itself to those who brought it on.
Dear JGordon;
Don’t count on that happening. The boffins are tracking down the percentages of Neandertal and other close hominids DNA in the “Human” genome. The true tragedy is that the ‘Progressive’ movement hasn’t any real street fighters, a la Rove and Norquist, on the field right now. Or have I missed someone?
“The true tragedy is that the ‘Progressive’ movement hasn’t any real street fighters, a la Rove and Norquist, on the field right now. Or have I missed someone? ”
You did, you missed Gary Johnson and his street fighter Roger Stone.
Johnson’s contra-factual claims for his New Mexico governorship only hide the fact that his candidacy for president is to be an irritant only. Any economic numbers coming out of NM will only reflect the nuclear industry and their patrons, the military/federal budget. Los Alamos and the endrun-attempt for long term nuclear waste storage that Los Alamos is becoming.
Lens thru that and the use of the Roger Stone insult device is understandable.
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=211012
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/roger-stone-interview-rnc-2012-12175013
New Mexico
“From 2001 to 2005 there was a campaign led by Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) to re-engineer the way that nuclear power was paid for,” Slocum said. “The industry and Domenici said, ‘Hey, let’s federalize this,’ so that the costs went to the taxpayers, not the utilities, in the form of loan guarantees … guarantees that 80 percent of the cost will be paid by the federal government in the event of default. It is the bedrock of the nuclear power resurgence.” Domenici, who during his career as a senator received more than half a million dollars in contributions from electric utilities, became known as the “Father of the Nuclear Renaissance.” ”
http://usc.news21.com/sam-story/politics-power-following-nuclear-money-trail#dummy
I’m disappointed of course with all the promises Obama didn’t keep. But for me, the biggest disappointments have to do with how he responded to unanticipated crises. Since they weren’t anticipated, he had no promises on the record.
The economic collapse of 2008 wasn’t just a run of the mill recession. It revealed a complete systemic breakdown of ethics and proper economic functioning in the financial sector – the very engine of American capitalism. And it exposed the grisly savagery of forms of class warfare that are going on all the time, but are usually hidden from view. This is the kind of crisis that doesn’t happen frequently, and when it does it is both terrifying and an opportunity for bold change. The rules of politics as usual are suspended, along with its simmering truces and half-baked compromises, and you get a chance to see what side people are really on. And when the crisis came, it was clear Barack Obama stands on the side of defending capital, defending elite privilege and defending corruption.
The other big crisis for me was the Gulf oil spill. This one is harder for me to describe and characterize in an analytic way. But I am a lover of nature and profoundly dejected about what we are doing to our planet. When I saw Obama during the crisis, saw his body language, saw his emotional reaction (or lack of it), saw his unwillingness to engage with the crisis, and saw his lack of policy response or willingness to summon the country to save the planet, and mourn and prevent those kinds of horrors in the future, I concluded that there was just a big difference between me and Obama in terms of fundamental values and feeling. I just got a bad feeling about the guy which hasn’t gone away.
Yes, when it came time for Obama and the Democrats to stand tall, they bravely opted to sit small. This was in no sense cowardice, but mistaken perspective. Many think the Democrats should or even do to some extent represent their interests, but they don’t. They represent their true constituents, the rich and corporations. Once you understand that, you understand that Obama and the Democrats did stand tall, just not for us.
Thanks, Hugh. You nailed it again.
Every candidate for president recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and when elected ignores what he said. By the way, all countries get their capital recognized except Israel and that goes back to 1948. Equality is such a nice word.
Worst of all Obama’s offenses is his health care reform that works well for Pharma and the health insurance companies. Except for some positive tiny reforms, we have lost a great opportunity.
here’s an email i received a few hours ago:
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/faultlines/2012/09/20129492525948179.html
OBAMA SAT IDLY BY WHILE THIS HAPPENED.
I AND OTHERS WILL NEVER EVER FORGIVE HIM FOR THAT.
I know from first hand what it means to lose your house.
the process took years off of my life.
dozens of my contacts have similar stories…it’s so i fear my email…obama & the democrats can go to hell…
I’m so sorry you went through that, rjs. My sister lost her job at the city, just 2 years shy of full retirement vesting and then lost her home, too.
It seems as though everybody in America is related to or at least knows someone who has suffered unemployment or foreclosure in the last 4 years. So why isn’t Obama down 20 points to Bishop Mitt in the polls? I really don’t understand it, no matter how repugnant the Bishop is.
Well the country was just as much in the ditch in 2004 yet Bush never trailed in the polls. Oh my gosh, why did I compare two politicians who have so little in common?????
Mortgage liens and foreclosure actions are state law, not federal. You can be as disappointed as you want with Obama, but your state’s attorney general is a more sensible target.
Matt, you need a vacation. Political platforms and conventions have always been packed with nonsense and never-to-be-fulfilled platitudes.
It must have been very hard time for you when you learned the unpleasant truths about the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus.
Prick
So of course the wise thing to do is to counsel the person who is in a position to illustrate to the rather large number of “faith-based” partisans who still do believe that crap to take off?
Which major party do you work for?
very disappointing to see progressives sites like democracy now and alternet, even the guardian covering the dnc when
anyone with half a brain know it’s all one big farce. how many times will they mention the word “prosperity”?. Why aren’t these sites telling it like it is, instead of actually
giving any credibility to this disingenous nonsense?
I’ve been telling it as it really is all night on the Guardian website – look out for SonOfNyeBevan – to catch a few posts – these have manged to annoy quite a few dyed in the wool Democrats – they don’t loke the truth about Obama one bit!!
They’ve been ingesting the Hopium.
I’m a lifelong Dem, I held my nose and voted for the likes of Dukakis, Mondale, Kerry. But I’m thinking of voting for Romney. Here’s my reasoning:
Dems in office have proven to pursue everything I detested about Bush: free pass for ALL financial criminals, destruction of habeus corpus and the Constitution, escalation of our wars-for-profit (anyone who think there are not thousands of armed soldiers paid by American tax dollars still in Iraq needs to get a clue…they just work for privaye companies now). They’re obsessed with unconstitutional spying on Americans, they fight to keep government secret…the list goes on and on. So I think I prefer them in opposition: at least they pay lip service to opposing all those things when they are out of power. Right now there is no opposition at all to those things: the “progressive” Left is tongue tied when it comes to any criticism of Obama. They should be apoplectic: holding his feet to the fire.
Too bad the Dems are so hopeless when they are out of power, too.
The ‘voting options’ for the US electorate are onerous indeed this Fall Election, particularly for those of a left-of-centre disposition or libertarian streak – I’m not talking rightist libertarians here.
What is obvious, is that a vote cast in favour of Obama will prolong the US nations economic suffering and assaults on ‘Constitutionally Enshrined’ liberties – you’d in effect be voting for the continued looting of middle America by the corporate fascist state and further Imperial adventures on a grand scale – obviously the power Elite would have is wealth and power greatly enhanced – the economy may chug along on autopilot for another decade though until the edifice implodes under a mountain of unsustainable and un-repayable debt.
If you vote ‘Romney’ out of disgust with Obama and the puppets of Wall Street Democrats you get a far worse President than Obama who will probably tank the economy within his first Administration and no doubt embark on similar foreign adventures as Obama – Syria and Iran are in his crosshairs – the rich and powerful continue getting richer until the inflection point again is reached.
The reality is a vote for Romney will hasten the inevitable and hopefully out of the mess a better America will emerge – one that puts the interests of the majority first and not its present ruling fascist kleptocracy – it is a very onerous and difficult choice though to make.
Alternatively, you can register your distaste for the present Washington setup by voting for Jill Stein or any other left-of-centre Third Party option that makes it onto a State ticket – the advantage of voting Stein is that you are upholding your democratic principles and registering disgust with the present legacy whores who put their pocket first and the interests of the nation last.
The downside is this, by voting Stein you’ll be continuing the suffering and probably get a Obama administration – and we know Obama has huge social welfare cuts in his crosshairs – he’ll also continue his sponsorship of big finance and pharma.
So, the logical choice if you desire change is to vote Romney – change will happen due to crisis – or vote Stein, this will allow Obama back in, but at least the Democrats and Republican’s true intentions will be exposed fully – your economic suffering and further assaults on what civil liberties you have will continue apace.
As a Brit, I’m glad I don’t have to make this onerous decision come November’s election.
Not to mention, with president Romney, you will find all of your good companies raided by Bain capital. Being president gives you a lot of access to plume financial information. If you don’t think Romney won’t use his office like that, then you are very foolish.
I personally had Obama pegged as a sell out when he was in the senate. Three votes convinced me of this: funding the war, bailing out the banks and strike three was immunity for the telecom companies. That last one told me that he put some people above the law.
Yes but The Obama and tax returns. Also too Michelle’s pink shoes are darling!
I am Kos reader Olga Chervonenkhov, formerly prima ballerina in Saint Petersburg, now obese and mustachied, living in zee USA. For zee past few years, having retired from zee theater in my prime, I am Kos reader, surrounded by abundance of animals dat I care for lovingly.
My favorite animals are zee elk I have name Obama, and zee she-ass I have name Rahm Emmanuel. They both come at my slightest call and often follow me inside my private suite.
One day on zee subway there be dis cwazy cwazy man. He say Obama no good. He say both parties zee same, both o’ dem works for zee Wall Street. He say if zee voting make a differenze dat they make it illegal.
He real cwazy…. ha ha ha
As Kos reader I am dream of holding Obama in my arms for just a moment. In zee depths of my imagination I envision myself beset by thousand dangers from which he come to save me with heroic ardor.
By voting Obama in November, these fantasies soon turn into reality.
Thank you Kos, thank you Obama, thank you Rahm Emmanuel.
There’s all sorts of crazy people on public transportation. Once, a guy told me that Obamacare is based on Romneycare, which was based on a plan from the right-wing Heritage Foundation!
Anyone hear Elizabeth Warren’s remarks at the Democrat National Circus? The system is “rigged,” Wall St. owns the place, no one has been held accountable, etc. So vote for Barack Obama!
What gives? It’s BECAUSE of Obama that no one has been held accountable and Wall St. still acts like they own the place.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/elizabeth-warren-dnc-system-rigged-against-023115244–election.html
Look forward not backward, blah blah blah, nothing he can do because of Congress, yadda yadda yadda.
Good point.
Pitchfork,
Good call. Elizabeth Warren is going to get Advertising Age Brand of the Year award for 2012! Maybe she’ll even get a peace prize for her future work in voting for war against Iran?
LOL! No doubt.
In Obama’s defense, he is, after all, merely a corporate stooge and a fascist puppet. And since when does a campaign promise mean anything?
Seriously, don’t you know the constitution is just a piece of paper?
Should that not read:
“Seriously, don’t you know the Constitution is only a piece of toilet paper” for thats what the Democrats and Republicans utilise it for – wiping their arses!!!!!
It would be interesting to poll elected officials and ask them what the Constitution is and what it signifies. I suspect that many would give the wrong answer.
I assume you are British, Aussie, Kiwi or South African, by the way.
Political promises have always dominated an election year. It’s the only way to get elected. The tricky thing for a candidate is to be able to deliver on them. Often, some of their agenda ends up being blocked by the opposition.
F–k Barrack Obama. The textbook definition of broken government and bastardized representation of “the people.”
Who can forget TARP and crony justice for those with weath?!
Public opinion has no bearing on public policy just like the vote of the Democrat delegates had no bearing on the platform as relates to Israel.
Obama only fights when it is his ass on the line. The rest of us are on our own.
Great post, Matt — a broken record of broken promises. What audacity! And here’s another from Glenn Greenwald:
“Obama Campaign Brags About Its Whistleblower Persecutions”
“Excuse me if I don’t join in Democrats’ sycophantic cheerleading for an Obama presidency that has shredded laws and liberties”
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/09/06-1
The entire federal apparatus looks to be an amalgam of warring factions, each threatening to withhold their ‘cooperation’. Their cooperation which is supposed to be their reason for being, their mission. There’s a word for that — treasonous.
Hence the outrage in they performing witchhunts for whistleblowers.