He was floating in the middle of the ocean. Alone, surrounded by sharks. In his hand he had a map, his crew had abandoned him and his closest allies had distanced themselves from him. But Captain Jack Sparrow, a pirate, still had his broken compass, a dingy with a small sail and the treasure map. His spirits were high and his hopes were even higher. He lifted his finger to feel the direction of the wind and mumbled to himself,"Yes, I'm going in the right direction."
That's what it must feel like to President Obama right now, he believes he is headed in the right direction, the wind is at his back and history is propelling him forward. However, there are progressives who are close to jumping ship because they believe that the President is now abandoning the campaign promise to get health care for all.
If you look back at history, since the 1930's no Republican President has ever started or finished any social reform whatsoever. FDR did Social Security, LBJ did Medicare and Obama is trying to get Health care for all. What did the Republican's accomplish in relation to social change? The only thing I can think of is HMO's, the creation of Managed Health Care by Richard Nixon, which has led us to the point we are in right now. In the last 10 years that system he promoted and helped create has increased costs by more than 120%.
Progressives, right now is not the time to jump ship. If you jump ship now and Obama loses this fight for health care reform, then his will be the weakest presidency since Carter. The right has lost respect for the President and is doing everything in their power to diminish the strength of the office. They use secessionist battle cries, they yell at town hall meetings to squelch opposing views, they demonize the office and cry that they "want their country back".
When they go on TV and say that the President's speech to our children is going to have hidden code words that will subliminally indoctrinate kids--what they are saying is, we don't want a black man for president. They do this regardless of the fact that they lost the election and he still polls at 60% popularity.
If you jump ship and try to bring in another candidate, you will fracture the party--more than it already is and you will guarantee a Republican President in 2012. Another Republican radical, because the GOP no longer has moderates in their party. Eight years of someone more radical and political than George W Bush. Think about it.
Obama is not fighting the GOP, he knows he can't count on them for anything, right now he is fighting with the moderates and "blue dogs". He is trying to find something that the entire party can support, both left and middle. Even if Obama, in his heart, wants single payer or a public option, he knows that the middle of his party and the GOP will fight him over it. Progressives have a huge voting bloc but they do not have the majority. Realistically, the moderates and independents are the most powerful bloc.
Sure, your feelings are hurt but we all have to fight for what we can get and we have to support the President and Democratic party, otherwise we may find Jeb Bush in the White House with Karl Rove at the helm--again.
What do you think will top the agenda of any Republican President? They will move to kill Medicare. If the President does get a bill passed and it's weak...he will need four more years to strengthen it, if not, any Republican President will work to repeal it or weaken it even further and forever destroy any hope for health care coverage and reform for Americans.
Don't jump ship! Go man the cannons, pull out your swords and get ready to board the ship of those who would oppose any meaningful health care reform and lets fight for as much as we can get. Then let's hold on to it with everything we've got.
Monday: The Presidents right to speak infringed
That's what it must feel like to President Obama right now, he believes he is headed in the right direction, the wind is at his back and history is propelling him forward. However, there are progressives who are close to jumping ship because they believe that the President is now abandoning the campaign promise to get health care for all.
If you look back at history, since the 1930's no Republican President has ever started or finished any social reform whatsoever. FDR did Social Security, LBJ did Medicare and Obama is trying to get Health care for all. What did the Republican's accomplish in relation to social change? The only thing I can think of is HMO's, the creation of Managed Health Care by Richard Nixon, which has led us to the point we are in right now. In the last 10 years that system he promoted and helped create has increased costs by more than 120%.
Progressives, right now is not the time to jump ship. If you jump ship now and Obama loses this fight for health care reform, then his will be the weakest presidency since Carter. The right has lost respect for the President and is doing everything in their power to diminish the strength of the office. They use secessionist battle cries, they yell at town hall meetings to squelch opposing views, they demonize the office and cry that they "want their country back".
When they go on TV and say that the President's speech to our children is going to have hidden code words that will subliminally indoctrinate kids--what they are saying is, we don't want a black man for president. They do this regardless of the fact that they lost the election and he still polls at 60% popularity.
If you jump ship and try to bring in another candidate, you will fracture the party--more than it already is and you will guarantee a Republican President in 2012. Another Republican radical, because the GOP no longer has moderates in their party. Eight years of someone more radical and political than George W Bush. Think about it.
Obama is not fighting the GOP, he knows he can't count on them for anything, right now he is fighting with the moderates and "blue dogs". He is trying to find something that the entire party can support, both left and middle. Even if Obama, in his heart, wants single payer or a public option, he knows that the middle of his party and the GOP will fight him over it. Progressives have a huge voting bloc but they do not have the majority. Realistically, the moderates and independents are the most powerful bloc.
Sure, your feelings are hurt but we all have to fight for what we can get and we have to support the President and Democratic party, otherwise we may find Jeb Bush in the White House with Karl Rove at the helm--again.
What do you think will top the agenda of any Republican President? They will move to kill Medicare. If the President does get a bill passed and it's weak...he will need four more years to strengthen it, if not, any Republican President will work to repeal it or weaken it even further and forever destroy any hope for health care coverage and reform for Americans.
Don't jump ship! Go man the cannons, pull out your swords and get ready to board the ship of those who would oppose any meaningful health care reform and lets fight for as much as we can get. Then let's hold on to it with everything we've got.
Monday: The Presidents right to speak infringed
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