I just got off a White House conference call in which I asked David Axelrod if he ever heard of the term “hippie punching”.
Silence.
“Are you there?”
“Yeah, I heard you. Go on.”
Basically, after Axelrod told us how wonderful we were and how much they needed us to close the enthusiasm gap in this election, I called him on it. Like, yo Dave, here we are, liberal activists who give money and GOTV, and the White House needs to punch us in public so no one thinks they take us seriously?
And then he said, like, your feelings don’t really amount to a hill of beans in this crazy mixed-up world when we’re TRYING TO SAVE THE COUNTRY, and then I said excuse ME, we’re not talking about my feelings here, how am I supposed to motivate my readers when you treat them like the town ho?
Or words to that effect. I do it all for you, my beloved readers.
UPDATE: Why do people think this is literally what I said on the call? Did the Casablanca quote not tip you off, or the Jerry Springer “trash talk” dialog?
Go read Greg Sargent if you want an accurate depiction.
I’d thank you if I didn’t hate dirty fucking hippies as much as Nixon and Obama do.
Thank you, General. It’s an honor.
Thank you, General. It’s an honor.
susie: Of course, it’s harder to reply to more sensible adversaries to your right, such as myself and Steve.
This is the real problem the with left blogosphere. They can handle the right-wing yahoos, no problem, but it is not in the game plan if an articulate person from the right, or not entirely left, shows up.
I’m an ex-hippie, ex-Chomskyite and I know those arguments well. I’m still a registered Democrat, though I will vote Republican until the New Left wing of the Democratic Party is thoroughly “refudiated.”
I’m sympathetic to your point of view because I was the same until 9-11. I don’t doubt your sincerity but I do think you need to read the other side and I can tell that you don’t.
Really? Joke’s on you, because the General is a liberal.
As to how you can “tell” I don’t read the other side: How insulting. I was deluged with right-wing stuff for a decade or so from my libertarian brother, and I read all of it — including the subscription to the American Spectator he always sent for Christmas, and the subscription to Reason. I read it, and I read, and I finally realized none of it made much sense to anyone who didn’t have a certain kind of authoritarian character. That rendered it impractical since society isn’t monolithic. I’ve read a few things from the Cato Institute I agreed with, but on the whole, conservative/libertarian ideology is as rigid and impractical as Maoism, and as lacking in common sense.
heh, those conference calls are always more fun when a progressive woman speaks up. good on you, Susie, for not playing dead in order to retain access.
i note that the obama supporters here don’t really have much to add other than personal insult. where are the lists of accomplishments that people normally use when they argue for support of a politician? decidedly missing, yo. as a former abused wife, i’ll say that it’s a behavior i know well, and worked hard to train myself out of. good luck to all of you still languishing in the hell of false belief in the face of harsh reality.
progressives don’t really have any good reason to work hard for the dem party. when republicans are elected, they do the same things but with more gusto and openness. this administration cares very little for progressive policy, nor does it heed history, math and political precedent, as it hurdles along practically the same path as the bush administration. i’m struck (well, not really) by the language the administration keeps using. “historic” and suggestions that they are noble titans battling on some epic stage. no, guys. mostly, you’re playing Village games. and hurting 90% of the american people in the process. they really don’t get that, and it’s one of the reasons why i don’t crave their respect- how stupid do you have to be not to get what’s really going on in this country right now? television isn’t reality. things like jobs, peace and real health care matter.
i don’t think it’s cynical to say that right now, 99% of the political class cares nothing for the plight of most americans (let alone afghans or iraqis), and many of them don’t even have the first clue about what life is like for us working stiffs. everything is about moving up the Village hierarchy to “our” elected officials. Axelrod knows that if he makes the banksters and war profiteers happy, his future is assured. that’s really all he cares about. he is forced to go thru the motions of being a Democrat because too many people read the internets and people like Susie. so the administration pretends that our input matters. but it’s so very obvious at this point it isn’t. i’ll be voting for some good local dems, and not a few greens, but the national dem party and i have been done for some time. i’m tired of the Kabuki.
You’re made of awesome.
Most of the so-called “Professional Left” (Markos, Rachel, Keith ect) just won’t risk their access to power by telling these clowns the truth.
Remember, David, those people are collecting paychecks. I presume you don’t tell your clients/customers what you really think, right?
That’s why the establishment is a huge class-restricted echo chamber, where everyone agrees on the same things. I was probably the only person on that call whose financial future isn’t tied to sucking up. I’m in a unique situation, because I have nothing left to lose and I honestly don’t care what they think of me. I get a lot more upset about being misunderstood or having my words distorted than I do about people being angry about what I said.
My loyalty is to the readers, not the people I write about.
I wish more reporters were like me, though.
Brava!
Thanks for saying what so many of us think, Susie. We owe you big time.
Awesome.
I can’t believe these guys are getting their kicks dis’sing progressives because they’re stupid. They’re doing it because they think it plays to the center more than it’s going to cost them from the left. But that conclusion is so misguided it classifies as stupid. Back to where I started.
Would have loved to hear this live, or hear a recording of it.
Good for you for sticking up for progressives who won’t sit in the corner and be quiet.
It’s about time somebody said that where the White House could hear it.
Not that they cared of course.
But it it isn’t what we’re saying (or not) that’s keeping the Dems from wanting to vote. It’s what Obama is or isn’t doing. They know it, too, but the Village consensus is the Dem base ought to be led by the nose the way the Rethugs manipulate the Tea Partiers.
Surprise, Barry.
Although, on reflection, when I think of the role the access bloggers and career “progressives” played in suppressing single payer during the HCR debacle, why wouldn’t Axelrod think exactly what Susie says he thinks?
Another belated BRAVO, Susie!
Hey Elayne, thanks. More Forrest Gump than hero…