Roberto Unger, Obama's Former Harvard Law School Professor, Says The President 'Must Be Defeated'

[cachukis]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by NancyBlueINOklahoma (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Huffingtonpost

One of President Barack Obama's former professors appears to have turned against him, according to a recent YouTube video.

"President Obama must be defeated in the coming election," Roberto Unger, a longtime professor at Harvard Law School who taught Obama, said in a video posted on May 22. "He has failed to advance the progressive cause in the United States."

Unger said that Obama must lose the election in order for "the voice of democratic prophecy to speak once again in American life."

He acknowledged that if a Republican wins the presidency, "there will be a cost ... in judicial and administrative appointments." But he said that "the risk of military adventurism" would be no worse under a Republican than under Obama, and that "the Democratic Party proposes no new direction."


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/16/roberto-unger-obama_n_1602812.html

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I am very torn by this guy's sentiments. I believe that nadirs must be part of the equation, but I continue to rely on the smart people to rise. Maybe this guy is the smart person. I hate the idea of handing our nadir over to the other guy, but what if he is right?

Sadly, I've never gotten over the assassinations. I was led to believe that independent educated thought could change the world for the better and indeed it has; despite the opposition. We are fighting the Pardoner of Chaucer, who was so solipsistic that he mutilated himself for financial gain.

Reason, the hallmark of the Enlightenment, has been brushed aside for the gut.

Maybe the dumb masses are Houdinis, escapists.

Evolution is a powerful force.

[IHateTheGOP]

1. OMG

This guy sounds like Nader. We must lose to have purity. It's nuts.

[AlbertCat]

2. the voice of democratic prophecy to speak once again in American life.

What IS he talking about????

Shut up!

[Angry Dragon]

3. I do not know if this country could survive Willard

[Enrique]

4. "nadirs must be part of the equation"

pun intended or not, that's brilliant.

[Scootaloo]

5. Big mouth for a guy who doesn't live here, I think

I suspect that whatever the outcome of the US election, Brazil will remain nice and cozy for mr. Unger.

[Blue_Tires]

6. So the only way we can get a real leftist in the WH is to let the GOP win?

Where oh where have I heard this "strategy" before??

[secondwind]

7. I wonder how big the check is, that he has received.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. We must destroy the village in order to save it.

[secondwind]

9. The guy is a NUT!!! READ THIS.

http://linguafranca.mirror.theinfo.org/9903/unger.html

[Faygo Kid]

13. +1

[warrior1]

10. Not a very smart man for a professor.

[JDPriestly]

11. I am hearing this from many quarters. This argument will be a bigger hurdle for Obama

than Adelson's money or the Republicans in the media.

And frankly, Obama and we are going to have a very hard time arguing with this.

Every time someone on DU points out the fact that Obama really hasn't fought for progressive ideas, hasn't used the tools at his disposal -- like the veto -- to get what progressives want, someone on DU starts bashing the Obama critique.

But, frankly, the Obama critiques on DU are the canaries in the coal mine. Obama is going to have to answer the criticism from people who are more progressive than he is and blame the slow progress in the economy, the continued fraud and cheating on Wall Street and in the banks, the decline of the housing market, the increase in health care costs -- on Obama's yielding to the pressure of the right-wing and wealthy donors.

The Greens are presenting an alternative to Obama. I wish that Obama would speak directly to this problem.

I am working for Obama's election campaign and want him to win, but many of my friends are very opposed to voting for Obama. We cannot just ignore or condemn these people. Many of them are tried and true Democrats -- who feel that Obama has let them down.

Please, please Obama. If you want to be re-elected, you need to respond to these voters with more than words.

Amnesty for the Dreamers is controversial in the absence of a stronger jobs policy, and support for gay marriage is great but also supported by the Greens. Progressives want stricter regulation of corporations and more aggressive action on the economy as well as an end to imperialist wars.

Progressives supported Obama with not just numbers but lots of money and energy in 2008. Obama cannot afford to lose their energy and intelligent input into his campaign. We are talking about people like me who write and speak persuasively at the local level. Obama needs to keep people like me on his side. So far he is not doing a good job of it.

[msanthrope]

12. Why would I listen to a Brazilian citizen about who to elect, here?

Mr. Unger has no dog in this fight. Why would I listen to him?

[katsy]

14. Fine line meet madness or something like that.

This really is not helpful.

Even if he is theoretically correct, people will suffer real damages. Mitt will finish what dubya started: the dismantling of FDR's New Deal, the decimation of the middle class as well as our civil rights (they will pack the SC with reactionary justices).

[Mz Pip]

15. When has that ever worked?

The idea that we should elect a right wing tool because it will make things better for progressives eventually, somewhere down the line, is crazy talk.

I've never heard of "democratic prophecy" either.

[OKNancy]

16. This is not Breaking News

This is an article that is reporting about a video posted on May 22.
It's an article about someone's opinion.

Please post in another forum

[Faygo Kid]

17. Yeah, and it made no difference whether Bush or Gore was president, either.

What bullshit. The future of every decent, hardworking middle class or poor person is at stake. It's Adelson and the Kochs vs. America. Do I have arguments with Obama? You bet. Do I want to even speculate what it will be like if Romney and his ilk gain power? No.

Screw this guy. Vote Obama as though your lives depend upon it. They do.