Hopebroken and hopesick, Obama fans need a new start

[CHIMO]

All is not well in Obamafanland. It's not clear exactly what accounts for the change of mood. Maybe it was the rancid smell emanating from the US treasury's latest bank bailout. Or the news that the president's chief economic adviser, Larry Summers, earned millions from the very Wall Street banks and hedge funds he is protecting from re-regulation now. Or perhaps it began earlier, with Obama's silence during Israel's Gaza attack.

Whatever the last straw, a growing number of Obama enthusiasts are starting to entertain the possibility that their man is not, in fact, going to save the world if we all just hope really hard. This is a good thing. If the superfan culture that brought Obama to power is going to transform itself into an independent political movement, one fierce enough to produce programmes capable of meeting the current crises, we are all going to have to stop hoping and start demanding.

The first stage, however, is to understand fully the awkward in-between space in which many US progressive movements find themselves. To do that, we need a new language, one specific to the Obama moment. Here is a start.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/17/barack-obama-supporters-naomi-klein

[Cha]

1. Fucking

stupid.

[Thrill]

2. I use to like her. Now shes just a troll

.

[readmoreoften]

7. You totally forgot the sarcasm tag. Naomi Klein a troll. That's a good one. /nt

[Avalux]

3. Seriously?

I kind of 'get' what Naomi Klein is trying to stay but she lost it somewhere in all the absurdity.

[bemildred]

4. Rome was not built in a day.

I will forgive Ms Klein this performance just like I forgive President Obama for not being a super-hero (yet!)

[macebowman]

5. Spot On

Everyone bought the sizzle. No one bothered to read the menu. It was horsemeat all alone. Obama opened the Hamilton Commission. Summers has been on board since early in the election. Goolsbee has always been there. His economic team was in place before he ever took office. Heck, they actually purchased their seats on his economic policy team with donations.

Goldman Sachs was Obama's number one corporate supporter. Goldman Sachs got more money from TARP and more money from the AIG bailout than anyone. Goldman Sachs was George Bush's number one corporate supporter in 2004. Change. HAH--you guys been had. Sooner you face up to it the better.

Bush cut taxes. But, he cut taxes more for the poor than the rich. That means he made the taxcode more progressive. Now, Obama promises to do what? Make the taxcode more progressive. Where is the change? Can someone tell me the definition of insanity. Bush makes the taxcode more progressive, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. So, when Obama makes the taxcode more progressive something different is going to happen? Riiiiight. Insanity.

[uppityperson]

8. "Bush cut taxes. But, he cut taxes more for the poor than the rich" huh

[Dr.Phool]

12. I'm glad you saw that too. For a minute, I thought I was on drugs.

[uppityperson]

14. No problem. One of my definitions of insanity is signing up here to try to convert us to hate Obama/

love bush. Could be simply Obsessive/compulsive though.

[Doctor_J]

10. Have you been drinking?

Even Bush's sidekick McSame admitted Smirk's tax cuts were heaviliy in favor of the rich.

Enjoy your brief stay, Teabagger.

[MasonJar]

6. Very clever and spot on. It is time to demand that campaign promises

be kept. Summers and Geithner must go.

[dem mba]

9. Obama hired banking professionals to fix the banking crisis

I still can't figure out why people are upset about this. Who the hell was he going to hire? Joe the plumber? You have little choice but to get people who know the players and the industry to fix the mess. And in a crisis of this scale, there are no good solutions. There would be something to criticize no matter what Obama did.

I'm sure even Paul Krugman has some business relations or ties to Wall Street that could be construed in a negative light by his detractors. (i.e. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Krugman#Enron)

[nolabear]

11. I've thought this all along.

Who would step in? I mean, really. Anyone? Speak right up.

[Dr.Phool]

13. Let's see, maybe Stiglitz or Galbraith? Even Krugman.

Summers and Geithner are trying to marginalize Volcker. They're giving Warren the run around.

Yeah, I could think of better people to put in charge. Even Paul O'Neill would be better.

[HughMoran]

15. How many times is this article going to be posted?

Wow, someone dug this one up after kpete's thread was on the Greatest Page for an entire day.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5476559

[anonymous171]

16. I thought Naomi Klein was intelligent. She sounds more like Dowd in this article.