Obama’s scheduling fiasco over his long telegraphed jobs gesture confirms no one fears him. Few listen.
The irony of Obama asking to speak on the same night as Republican candidates lost to almost all commentators. The choice before Americans either more of this excruciatingly incompetent gridlock or some form of Wisconsin or New Jersey writ large. A case could be made that the former merely forestalls the inevitable.
It’s clear that the Democratic Party is irretrievably lost as a functional political entity in our commoditized, meme-soaked demotic now. Its last service is perhaps as deadweight barring the door.
Sam Lowry says
I read that one this weekend and was struck by how much of what Lofgren wrote is reflected in Dr Strauss’ posts here in the Bunker. I’ve passed it on to a few friends, with mostly “meh” kind of responses. It gets harder for me to take the American people seriously who, after the last 2 1/2 years, still think the Republican Party is a political party and not a racialist, christianist, counter-enlightenment religious/cultural movement.
Comment says
@jwb
The whole situation is unsustainable – Just getting impatient for it to stop.
jwb says
@Comment That is an excellent article, and from the evidence I’ve seen on Facebook it speaks to my more apolitical friends as well. I found the debilitating dynamic Lofgren describes between the GOP and the Dems most accurate and troubling, because even if you could solve many of the other fundamental problems, it’s not clear how you break that dynamic.
Comment says
90% of this is correct – esp what he says about Dems:
http://www.truth-out.org/goodbye-all-reflections-gop-operative-who-left-cult/1314907779
jwb says
@DrLeoStrauss
You are probably wise to be cynical. I can’t imagine four more years of Obama will yield a huge improvement unless the congress elected is markedly different from either of the ones he has dealt with—which is not likely. But it does buy four more years of time, and that means four more years of demographic growth and four more years for unexpected, game-changing moves to be made, and four more years for anti-movement forces to get their collective act together, and, most importantly, four more years for the unity of capital to dissolve as many of the capitalist class realize that what’s best for Kochwerk may not be best for preserving and profiting on their own capital.
DrLeoStrauss says
@jwb You could be right, JWB. Still skeptical here. Watching Obama and Biden discover labor and unions in September 2011, well it’s hard not to be cynical. $300 billion in small ball proposals is now in progressive ‘Left’ [sic] circles “going big.” Since it will be DOA anyway, one can only imagine what the “realistic” plan was. $175 and a Bed, Bath & Beyond gift card?
jwb says
@DrLeoStrauss Certainly, it only matters what people do with the time Obama buys us. But I see it as a much more open game—many more available moves—if Obama buys us that time than if he doesn’t. Really, the only thing we have going for us at this point is that the movement remains as stupid as it is rich and powerful—and it seems to grow stupider the closer it comes to realizing its goals (witness Wisconsin, whether it was a freak storm or not, it was a horrible unforced error). I recognize that power and money will almost always win, even when it is deployed in a clumsy and stupid way, and yet it does not always win. Or rather it is occasionally possible to split the capital class and set it against itself. I see signs that this is beginning to happen, but it will take time for the fissure to grow large enough to be exploitable at a systemic level.
Comment says
@DrLeoStrauss
Just an artistic note – Carney is really the perfect PressSec to OBama in much the way Dubya was matched well stylistically with Scott McClellen.
Carney always looks slightly annoyed and struggles not sound condescending. He gets that constipated look on his face anytime someone asks up an un
“Serious” question. Audacity.
DrLeoStrauss says
Whether Obama the man wins or loses matters only so much as what people will do with the time he buys.
Comment says
@Dr Leo Strauss
Happen to think Obama will win a close electoral vote. Also, just happened accross hapless Larry Johnson’s blog recently and noted he is confident BHO will lose. Since he’s a dips+++t and always wrong, I figure that’s a confirmation.
I don’t mind the many mistakes Obama has made – But I fear he is isolated and no one tells him what he should learn from them. Obama admires the pseudo-meritocracy that cause much of the mess.
The Democratic party elite only really cares about social liberalism. The other stuff is all meh to them. But it’s that other stuff that really counts.
I do think Perry could possibly win. Not so with insincere Mitt.
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Comment More reason to think about and prepare for the post-Obama world, even if that moment arrives in 2016. Five more years of this, though, is to bear the unbearable to quote that famous radio broadcast.
Comment says
I fear that infrastructure speech is gonna suck big time. If you (like Obama’s stupid aides) cannot convey how exciting it is to build things, then you’re a pretty hollow yuppie.
Building things is exciting and we have abou 10 million people with building skills our of work and struggling to feed their families and save their homes from criminal bankers. It’s a national emergency at that spaz from the White House (granted anonymity by MoDo for no good reason) is just trying to tamp down expectations.
Comment says
If Perry gets the nomination MoDo will plumb new depths of vapity and cliche about cowboys vs. The Arugula of Hope
Though I do think you could writer a good imitation MoDo column by likening different facets of The One’s personality with various sex and the city characters.
DrLeoStrauss says
Surprisingly focused for a MoDo column, you’re right. Kept waiting for a lurching reference to Sex & The City or a summer tentpole movie for the rousing incoherent close.
Comment says
Great Gary North quote.
Comment says
Sometimes MoDo nails it when she forgets to write about pop culture fluff in her oped/
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/opinion/dowd-one-and-done.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB
DrLeoStrauss says
New Japanese Prime Minister and Finance Ministry agree on raising taxes.
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201109030168.html
Comment says
@Dr Leo Strauss
Biden: Don’t you want to be able to hold you’re head up high when gallivanting down the Unter den linden or stolling about the Champs? Well boys, lemme tell ya Warren Buffett support higher taxes and the French and Germans are applauding. Get in line!
Dr Leo Strauss says
Only Democrats today would cite European support for Buffet’s position on taxes as domestic meme support. It’s almost like a parody script we’d all write here together.
DrLeoStrauss says
@Comment
Was hoping to ignore this whole thing as it is now become a stereotype nationally (here starting in 2007). Similarly, now Cher Condi and others are giving Cheney’s book more oxygen. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/condoleezza-rice-disputes-parts-of-dick-cheneys-book/2011/09/01/gIQAc6GTuJ_story.html
Hopeless.
Comment says
Obama caved on the date of his jobs speech – Even after PressSec Carney rolled his eyes and condescendingly said the debate was sort of pointless.
If Obama played football, he’s just stop with the ball and sit down if someone was in his way of a touchdown.