by Loren Adams, 4 December 2011
In recent decades, the
conventional political wisdom is for any freshman President to immediately race
to positions held by opponents, hence governing from the “center” by homogenizing
divergent views. The theoretic objective is to secure power.
Thus, Obama’s
advisers advised.
Meaning? Supporters
that just got the man elected were fed to the wolves, Bush’s extreme right executive
orders issued four days before the blessed farewell weren’t withdrawn, and
Obama started discarding most of his campaign pledges. Expectations of
progressives were dashed.
Obama’s boys saw
picking up “independents” as the only way to win the next cycle – as if
“independents” were impressed by a President breaking promises to the faithful.
So, they started working on it from Day One. Guantanamo was one of the first to
go, then single-payer, government option, Copenhagen, labor bills, torture,
off-shore justice, drilling pristine lands, infrastructure bills, no-taxes for
the rich, illegal surveillance, CIA rendition, etc. It was as if we elected
another damned GW.
Sure, the Stimulus
bill squeaked through, GM-Chrysler bailout, and a watered-down Healthcare.
Repeal of DADT took two years, but that’s no feather in the cap to most. After
Republican spin got through, even Bin Laden’s capture was no accomplishment.
His other notable foreign policy achievements are all but specks on America’s
screen – given the state of the economy and the mesmerizing power of FOX.
“Independents” are
not enthralled by disloyalty but influenced by a passionate base of either
stripe. When Democrats are energized, “independents” swing Democratic. When
Republicans are energized, “independents” swing Republican. That should be the
political conventional wisdom, not lethal advice offered by the Davids Axelrod
& Plouffe, Harold Ford, and old-school Clintonites. The “centrist” DLC is
not in tune with the grassroots. Obama should be if truly concerned for the
country; that’s my advice.
Obama’s voters were
suppressed for the sake of “winning” the independent vote. We saw how well that
turned out in 2010. Trial balloon? Consultants should have been shown the door.
But insane moves to the right continued up until realizing recently the base
has been neglected.
Axelrod and the
Democratic Leadership Council set the stage for the 2010 defeat, and if left to
their erroneous devices, will lead to a repeat in 2012. The only reasons Barack
Obama is limping along in the polls are his extraordinary intelligence, verbal
skills, appealing charisma, and charming family. And, oh yes, Republican clowns
running against him.
A year out, I predict
him to win, but only marginally. Unfortunately, if saddled with a Republican
Senate and House, the country faces further decline. It cannot be pulled from
the ashes by a Congress determined to favor the rich and myth-passionate culture
warriors.
The rise of the
Occupy Movement only came about because Obama dampened his base. A void was
created when DLC and White House consultants advised the President to gravitate
right toward the “center” instead of keeping promises. Turning right required
Obama to focus on the interests of the 1% at the expense of the 99%. Millions
of his followers were disillusioned and have now turned to other means. And I
doubt he can recapture their support.
As Seth Meyers so aptly put it at the 2011 White House Correspondents’
Dinner last spring: “Candidate Obama 2008 could beat Obama 2012.”
The situation would
have turned out differently had Obama listened to true progressives. Sorry
advisers not only damaged him, but the country. Think what better condition
we’d be in had Democrats stood for something and kept the House. The Tea Party
only got their way because Obama’s consultants advised a race to the right.
Pandering to
conservatives suppressed the base. They felt no energy after their
change-president let them down. Independents leaned toward the Tea Party
Express only because the right was energized, the left demoralized.
On the other hand, GW’s
advisers broke with conventional wisdom in 2001. The base was kissed, opponents
were kicked. Bush-Cheney stormed into office with both feet on the ground
– cutting taxes for the rich, draining the treasury, prepping to invade
Iraq, attacking labor-environment-social issues, politicizing justice, cementing
a secret energy policy favoring Enron and Exxon, and taking a wrecking ball to
the nation’s economy. His base loved it.
In January 2009 we
thought it was OUR TURN to set things straight when the new sheriff was sworn
in. Instead, we were served shit from centrists who prioritized 2012 over removing
the nauseating Bush dung heap.
Their political
theory impaired a renewal most urgent. But which actors are most responsible
– the consultants or the client? Obama didn’t have to listen to idiots,
did he?