tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post146437344288631477..comments2024-03-18T17:01:07.165-07:00Comments on The Provocateur: Act 2: Meltdown or Reinventionmike volpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02999118519606254362noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-21631171918711503002009-07-23T18:58:46.450-07:002009-07-23T18:58:46.450-07:00There was no mandate to govern as a liberal. Obama...There was no mandate to govern as a liberal. Obama presented himself as a moderate not a liberal. You are out of your mind if you think that he gets nothing passed, has massive deficit, and double digit unemployment and makes the legislature more liberal. Where do you get your whacky political perspective?mike volpehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02999118519606254362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-38820822072399808422009-07-23T18:46:27.179-07:002009-07-23T18:46:27.179-07:00In what respect is there a difference? The only t...In what respect is there a difference? The only thing Obama's base and his critics on the far-right (you know, the people who think he's an aspiring Communist Dictator with no birth certificate) agree upon is that he saw his election as a mandate to govern as a liberal.<br /><br />I think Obama needs to seriously consider the possibility that he can get his public option if he simply waits for 2010 to give him a more liberal Senate. There's a good chance the Democrats can take New Hampshire, Ohio, and Missouri. Plus, beating Gilibrand and Specter in their primaries, while tough, isn't impossible. Illinois is much safer now that Burris is out once and for all. You said yourself Mark Kirk is going to have a hard time rallying Republicans after voting for Cap and Trade.<br /><br />As far as the House, if Obama goes into 2010 empty-handed, it will be the Blue Dogs who end up falling victim to the narrative that the Democrats are a failure, not the liberal Democrats in D+30 districts. The Democrats might have a smaller majority, but it would probably include fewer Blue Dogs, maybe even some of the ones holding things up in the Energy and Commerce Committee. Its possible that when Pelosi said she had the votes to pass a public option, she meant she had gotten to some of the other Blue Dogs who weren't on the E&C Committee.<br /><br />But in the end, as I'm sure you are aware, Obama is first and foremost a product of Identity Politics. And if the way he let cap and trade get watered down is any indication, he will sacrifice his public option just to say he passed health care reform.<br /><br />So yeah, I do think Obama will probably "reinvent" his presidency. The only question is whether his party wiil follow him rightward to their own oblivion like they did for Clinton.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-55752322060579744262009-07-23T16:28:58.768-07:002009-07-23T16:28:58.768-07:00no, earlier I said he needed to moderate health ca...no, earlier I said he needed to moderate health care policy and now I said that his liberal presidency is over. That's actually the same. I didn't say that Obama has lost. I said his liberal agenda has lost.mike volpehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02999118519606254362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-15602622976034472092009-07-23T16:23:26.299-07:002009-07-23T16:23:26.299-07:00Ok, so first you were saying Obama's reached h...Ok, so first you were saying Obama's reached his Waterloo, now you're saying he's already lost? And all in one day?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com