Declaring that Obama has done “pretty well” compared to what a Republican in the Oval Office would have done is like saying, “Obama’s not that good, but a Republican would have been downrightevil. Is that what you progressives would prefer?” More here.
The evil-of-two-lessers argument
I’ve been struggling with this question. What, then, is the answer? Obama is going forward with his neoliberal agenda, the right has gone completely off the deep end, and there is no democratic leadership to fight for us, for us to stand with.
The republicans are going for broke. Apparently they want a totalitarian theocracy, and Obama’s answer is that, while that might not be a good idea, well, maybe we can compromise our way to a…what? Nixonian paradise? Oligarchy? Feudalism?
It’s like Molly Ivins said about opening your refrigerator to find Fidel Castro in it: I just don’t know what to think.
Forget Obama (just make sure that you vote for him and NOT the Republican in November). This struggle is for who controls the House and the Senate. The only way to kill this particular snake is by chopping it into pieces. Meaning we need to get rid of every Republican in office and every Republican trying to get into office. The head of this snake is not the President. It’s the 1%. Once the Republicans are sitting on the sidelines than we can get rid of the Democrats. At least the one’s whose allegiance is to the 1% and not to “we the people.” That’s your Revolution. OWS knows this. The violent Black Bloc is too stupid to see it.
imhotep, I’m not sure who the Violent Black Bloc is, but the rest of your post is spot-on. Lots of real work gets done locally, and I will be concentrating my efforts locally.