Let's Try It This Way...Under What Instances, Is It Okay To Praise The President On DU ???

[Jim Lane]

382. Are you implying that there is never any rational basis for progressive criticism of Obama?

I completely agree with you that there are posts on DU that are just "personality driven". I hope you'll agree with me that such posts have been made by people praising Obama as well as by those criticizing him on a particular point.

Your post appears to imply, however, that no post criticizing Obama has ever been based on a reasonable argument. That would be an outlandish position. Is it what you're maintaining?

To take one example, the OP mentioned Obamacare. Obama promised to insist on a "robust public option" and then presented a proposal that didn't include it. Was that a good choice on his part, because the votes weren't there? Was it a bad choice, because by pressing for it he might have swung the necessary votes, and could always have dropped it in a later compromise? Was it a good choice, because even proposing it might have sunk the whole package? Was it a bad choice, because putting it on the table, even if it got deleted, might have helped move the whole national discussion further to the left?

My opinion is that he should have at least proposed it. My further opinion, though, is that DUers on both sides have advanced reasonable arguments, but that DUers on both sides have engaged in snark, petulance, personal attacks, etc.

I'm not clear if you're saying that no critic of Obama ever has a reasonable argument, or that no one praising Obama ever engages in personal attacks, or both, or neither, or something else.