See? When Obama and Democrats want to get something passed, they do. So talk of Democratic politicians having no spines is greatly exaggerated, just like Obama's timidity is myth: He's plenty tough when it comes to standing up to the Democratic base.
Democratic voters have mistakenly believed that Obama and Democrats want what they want. The DLC-controlled Democratic Party gives lip service to all populist issues (like civil rights protections, restoring habeas corpus, ending the wars, public healthcare, Wall Street reform, environmental & energy issues, etc.).
If the Bush years taught us anything, it's that anyone can sell anything to Americans, if you're stolid and relentless in your sales pitch and tactics. If you keep at it, escalate your attacks, don't take 'no' for an answer, never back away, you will wear the opposition down. By the way, Bush-Cheney-R0ve weren't geniuses, they didn't invent this strategy, nor was it something that political operatives didn't know or that political science students don't learn in poli sci 101. Bush & R0ve were just more ruthless in doing what politicians and the political parties had gone to great lengths to hide from Americans, be more subtle about.
What Bush-Cheney-Rove showed Democrats, though, was that there was no need to be subtle. It doesn't matter how you get the rhetoric, the spin, on the table, just get it on the table. You don't have to go to great lengths to set up a logical or legitimate premise for it. The shock&awe tactics of having surrogates fan out all over the air waves, with other diversionary news stories competing for air time, will prevent opponents challenging you with logical analyses getting any air time, much less any traction.
Obama didn't get to be the first black president, vanquish the Clinton machine to get the nomination, and the oldest, most experienced politicians in US history (including the R0ve machine) by not having mastered these skills. Nor do Democratic politicians (more incumbents than ever, in office longer) not know how to do it. How do you think Democrats managed to keep impeaching Bush and Cheney off the table, have us still reelecting them and not marching on Washington with torches and pitchforks?
Obama and Democrats know how to do it -- They don't want to do it.
The trick for them has been to keep the many different populist groups believing that they really do support our issues, but they're merely inept. And to get us to keep voting for them despite their failure to achieve our alleged shared objectives.
Getting Democratic voters (and Obama's 'most ardent supporters') to understand that Democratic politicians have been taking us all for suckers and patsies is the most immediate problem and the challenge.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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