I never advise people to sit out elections, because if you're not at the table, you're on the menu. It's what angers me about Obama, and one of many reasons I know him to be a con man betraying them that brung 'im. Because by shutting out liberals, the base, from his administration, by taking SinglePayer, a PublicOption, off the table, eliminating regulatory oversight from FinanceReform legislation, extending Bush's TaxCuts, he's given pro-corporate, Republican-like policies an inside line. The People's advocates can't even get in the door of this government.
Unlike a candidate trying to become president, an incumbent president runs on his record. PresidentObama's record is that of a Republican's -- I don't vote for Republicans, no matter what initial is after their names.
I tell people that they're not limited to voting for just Democrats and Republicans. There are other alternatives besides sitting out the election or voting for Republicans. There are other candidates running as independents in just about every race. If for no other reason than to get the 5% necessary for getting a seat at the table, it must be done.
Democratic voters better start doing it; with each passing day it becomes impossible to turn it all around.
A 'TeaParty'-like challenge from the left within the DemocraticParty would've been the obvious next step, but it's a waste of time which would accomplish nothing. To begin with, no one in the DemocraticParty will do it. It would be su!cide for any professional politician in the DemocraticParty to run against the party's sitting president (the DLC has gotten too powerful, what with a Democrat in the WhiteHouse and a Democratically-controlled Senate overseeing an NSA with today's eavesdropping abilities) .
Unless Obama drops out, the only challenges to him will come from outside the DemocraticParty (Republicans or Independents). That said, here are two powerful arguments for challenging Obama from the left (either from inside or outside the party):
MichaelLerner's very powerful case for primarying Obama.
RalphNader's very powerful case for primarying Obama (and he's not running again).
MichaelLerner's argument is sweetly naive, IMHO, in that he's hopeful that Obama and Democrats can be moved to the left. I don't think that's true. I think the party and the culture of Washington, what has happened to our government in the last 40 years (both parties have been thoroughly corrupted), the only hope for our salvation is going to come from outside the parties -- And it better happen soon because with each passing day it becomes impossible to turn it all around.
Obama's 'most ardent supporters' need to get on the correct side, the real Democratic side of these issues, or join the RepublicanParty (and take the DLC and Obama with them).
About Keith Olbermann
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