Another good article by D.K. Jamaal of Post-Partisan Examiner. He argues that O's army of Obama Kids did not "win" the election for him. Rather, he "won" (obviously this term is used in the loosest sense) because 1) MSM changed news programming to Obama worship services, while slamming his opponents at every opportunity. 2) The Super Delegates (and by that, of course I mean back-stabbing, traitorous, sell-out POSs) opened the door for O, while knocking Hillary out of the way. 3) The economic crisis.
The Kool-Aide Kids have pretty much been MIA since the election - very little counter-activity during tea parties. Yep, they've lost interest and moved on. Damn! I guess you just can't rely on stoners with short attention spans to stick with you for the long haul. Go figure. lol.
The myth of Obama's 'stunningly efficient, innovative massive grassroots' army of supporters
October 29, 6:12 PMPost-Partisan ExaminerD.K. Jamaal Whereforartthou Obama supporters? Why so disorganized? Lydia DePillis over at the left-leaning New Republic is up with an article lamenting the lack of enthusiasm for Obama’s policies among his suddenly and stunningly quiet supporters. DePallis wonders by Obama supporters have allowed the contemporary national political discourse to be hijacked and dominated by forces opposed to their hero: As conservative activists…poured into the streets, moderate senators began to waver on health care, President Obama's approval ratings dipped, and momentum for reform seemed to stall. It wasn't supposed to be this way. The reason was Organizing for America. Last year, after winning the presidency, Obama decided to keep intact the backbone of his stunningly efficient, innovative campaign… OFA was supposed to be a new kind of permanent campaign: a grassroots network wielding some 13 million email addresses to mobilize former volunteers on behalf of the administration's agenda… As right-wing protesters dominated the news this summer, it would have seemed the perfect opportunity for Obama's much-touted organizers to drown out the conservatives …But they barely made a ripple. Where were they? And how could such a formidable grassroots operation--having just put Obama in office--fall quiet so quickly? DePallis concludes that Obama’s organizing army has failed miserably because unlike successful, outsider grassroots operations it has morphed into a top-down institution neutered and co-opted by the status quo Democratic establishment. DePallis is incorrect on many levels. For one, Obama continues to break his campaign promises, act against progressive values, extend Bush's wars, kowtow to Wall Street, and betray real health care reformists -- so of course his supporters are disillusioned. He is not bringing the change they envisioned. But on a fundamental level, the existence of Obama’s army of “grassroots” activists has always been mostly a fairy tale mirage created by the media to jibe with their false characterization of Obama as an outsider, voice-of-the-people, populist. The reality is Obama has always been a force of the status quo, wedded to the Wall Street-Washington corporate megacomplex. Despite the rumors to the contrary, Obama’s campaign was funded mostly by traditional big donors – not small donors – and oligarchs. According to the prevailing media narrative, Obama is supposed to have been swept to some mythical victory on a groundswell of practical support, but the fact of the matter is that sans wall-to-wall favorable coverage and some luck, he would have lost – and he barely squeezed past both Hillary Clinton and John McCain considering. In both the primaries and the general election, Obama consistently received glowing coverage while the media trashed his opponents. Additionally, Hillary won every major big state primary – despite the stories of his breathless, efficient campaign army contrasted with the alleged Hillary campaign shambles. She ended up winning the popular vote. Obama did not secure the nomination until Democratic bigwigs intervened to steal her delegates at the infamous DNC Rules and By-Laws Committee meeting and swing the superdelegates her way. Where was Obama’s massive grassroots network when it was time to drive Hillary out of the primaries? In the general election, the McCain-Palin maverick ticket took the polling lead after the GOP convention. It took the complete collapse of the financial sector to put Obama back ahead for good. Obama’s network of activists did not win him the general election: the collapse of the economy did. In short, Obama’s army of supporters isn’t as big as advertised. The fawning media coverage is gone. They do not have superdelegates to win battles for them. There’s no Hillary or Palin to bash. And the collapsed economy now belongs to Obama. Without those things, Obama’s campaign would have failed. And without them, he is just a highly ordinary politician.
It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony
Good post and good analysis. BO's people knew that as long as they "won" the Democratic primaries their guy would win the presidential election. That's why the primaries were so corrupt. People hated Bush and would have voted for Big Bird if he were the Democratic nominee.
Another good article by D.K. Jamaal of Post-Partisan Examiner. He argues that O's army of Obama Kids did not "win" the election for him. Rather, he "won" (obviously this term is used in the loosest sense) because 1) MSM changed news programming to Obama worship services, while slamming his opponents at every opportunity. 2) The Super Delegates (and by that, of course I mean back-stabbing, traitorous, sell-out POSs) opened the door for O, while knocking Hillary out of the way. 3) The economic crisis.
The Kool-Aide Kids have pretty much been MIA since the election - very little counter-activity during tea parties. Yep, they've lost interest and moved on. Damn! I guess you just can't rely on stoners with short attention spans to stick with you for the long haul. Go figure. lol.
The myth of Obama's 'stunningly efficient, innovative massive grassroots' army of supporters
October 29, 6:12 PMPost-Partisan ExaminerD.K. Jamaal Whereforartthou Obama supporters? Why so disorganized? Lydia DePillis over at the left-leaning New Republic is up with an article lamenting the lack of enthusiasm for Obama’s policies among his suddenly and stunningly quiet supporters. DePallis wonders by Obama supporters have allowed the contemporary national political discourse to be hijacked and dominated by forces opposed to their hero: As conservative activists…poured into the streets, moderate senators began to waver on health care, President Obama's approval ratings dipped, and momentum for reform seemed to stall. It wasn't supposed to be this way. The reason was Organizing for America. Last year, after winning the presidency, Obama decided to keep intact the backbone of his stunningly efficient, innovative campaign… OFA was supposed to be a new kind of permanent campaign: a grassroots network wielding some 13 million email addresses to mobilize former volunteers on behalf of the administration's agenda… As right-wing protesters dominated the news this summer, it would have seemed the perfect opportunity for Obama's much-touted organizers to drown out the conservatives …But they barely made a ripple. Where were they? And how could such a formidable grassroots operation--having just put Obama in office--fall quiet so quickly? DePallis concludes that Obama’s organizing army has failed miserably because unlike successful, outsider grassroots operations it has morphed into a top-down institution neutered and co-opted by the status quo Democratic establishment. DePallis is incorrect on many levels. For one, Obama continues to break his campaign promises, act against progressive values, extend Bush's wars, kowtow to Wall Street, and betray real health care reformists -- so of course his supporters are disillusioned. He is not bringing the change they envisioned. But on a fundamental level, the existence of Obama’s army of “grassroots” activists has always been mostly a fairy tale mirage created by the media to jibe with their false characterization of Obama as an outsider, voice-of-the-people, populist. The reality is Obama has always been a force of the status quo, wedded to the Wall Street-Washington corporate megacomplex. Despite the rumors to the contrary, Obama’s campaign was funded mostly by traditional big donors – not small donors – and oligarchs. According to the prevailing media narrative, Obama is supposed to have been swept to some mythical victory on a groundswell of practical support, but the fact of the matter is that sans wall-to-wall favorable coverage and some luck, he would have lost – and he barely squeezed past both Hillary Clinton and John McCain considering. In both the primaries and the general election, Obama consistently received glowing coverage while the media trashed his opponents. Additionally, Hillary won every major big state primary – despite the stories of his breathless, efficient campaign army contrasted with the alleged Hillary campaign shambles. She ended up winning the popular vote. Obama did not secure the nomination until Democratic bigwigs intervened to steal her delegates at the infamous DNC Rules and By-Laws Committee meeting and swing the superdelegates her way. Where was Obama’s massive grassroots network when it was time to drive Hillary out of the primaries? In the general election, the McCain-Palin maverick ticket took the polling lead after the GOP convention. It took the complete collapse of the financial sector to put Obama back ahead for good. Obama’s network of activists did not win him the general election: the collapse of the economy did. In short, Obama’s army of supporters isn’t as big as advertised. The fawning media coverage is gone. They do not have superdelegates to win battles for them. There’s no Hillary or Palin to bash. And the collapsed economy now belongs to Obama. Without those things, Obama’s campaign would have failed. And without them, he is just a highly ordinary politician.
