Maybe Its Not "Clap Louder" But "Dial Faster"

Let me start off by saying I understand the progressives and liberals who are dissappointed with President Obama. On many different issues I share their frustration. But I think that all of us, myself included, are guilty of being assholes about this to an extent.

Yes, I said ASSHOLES.

In the video clip of Van Jones I put up last night he talked about people continuing the fight and not getting dissolutioned with President Obama because things haven't gone exactly as we would like. Predictibly some folks, even some whom I generally agree with, took it as though he was telling us to STFU and just applaud President Obama and never complain about anything he does. But I think that totally misses his point and maybe many of us have been totally missing the point since inauguration day last year.

Here is the deal and people can not like it but its still going to be the truth. President Obama and a Democratic Congress is the best if not the only way we will see progressive policies put in place in the next 6 or hopefully 8 years. As much as I understand liberals and progressives who don't want to blindly back Democrats, that is just the plain and simple fact. With the radicalization of the Republican Party, not only is there about zero chance they would pass the kind of legislation we would like to see if they take back over Congress and or take the Presidency in 2012, they would also very likely try their damndest to undo the meager gains we have made thus far in less than two years.

Is that REALLY what we want? Really?

But here's the deal, do we have to push President Obama to pass the kind of stuff we want?

Absolutely.

Is there a way we can do it and at the same time either not damage his Presidency and or boost Democrats in general?

HELL YES

Thing of it is for far too long we have focused our fire on President Obama instead of the people we really should be going after and that's the Conserva Dems in the Senate. Yeah the Conserva Dems in the House are irritating as hell, but as for now they don't hold any power. The Conserva Dems in the Senate however hold an enormous amount of power.

That's not to say we haven't went after some of them like Blanche Lincoln. I was all for getting behind Bill Halter and either voting her out or pushing her to the left, the latter of which we did.

But what about the other folks we have let slide by?

Everyone says its no use going after Ben Nelson because he comes from a red state and he doesn't give a fuck.

Im calling BULLSHIT on that.

We still have 59 Democrats or so called Democrats in our caucus but instead of needing one Republican vote we end up needing two or three because Conserva Dems like Ben Nelson are not a reliable vote for cloture.

That's un fucking heard of. I don't give a shit if he votes against a measure after it reaches the floor. But he, and others, won't even allow an up and down vote at time.

But we train all of our ammo on President Obama. Many liberals and progressives, I'll be honest with you, even come off as the most racist commentators over at right wing websites at times when they call Obama weak or infer that its Rahm Emmanuel running the White House rather than Obama.

Really? Fuck outta here with that bullshit.

Ed Schultz/Cenk Uyger/Jane Hamser Im staring straight at you.

One thing about the Republican base is this, they hold people's feet to the fucking fire. And not the President's feet. Think about this, when Bush proposed immigration reform, even the kind we wouldn't like, did wingnuts go after him?

Or did they go after the Senators who would have to vote for it in order for it to pass?

They labeled that shit amnesty and dared a Republican to vote for it.

And they didn't just bitch and moan on a blog or go on MSNBC and try to bring down Bush over it. They lit Republican Congressional switchboards up like it was Christmas. They wrote op eds, letters to the editor and letters to their lawmakers.

But we seem to be above all that.

Say what you want about Rush Limbaugh, the muthafucka gets results. He tells his ditto heads to call whichever douche bag Republican isn't towing the line and they blow the phone lines up.

What do we do?

We have online circle jerks and do the wingnuts work for them by bashing President Obama.

And what has it gotten us?

Not a helluva lot.

Oh we got some historic legislation for your ass. But we have a President that can't even campaign for the GOOD Democrats we WANT to win because his approval numbers are under water. And is it any wonder when actual independents see wingnuts bashing President Obama on FoxNews then change the channel to CNN and MSNBC and see liberals and progressive doing the exact same thing?

So how about we go after the assholes who deserve it. Everyday Americans should know the name of Ben Nelson and Mary Landreiu and Evan Bayh and Blanche Lincoln and not in a good way. Their offices should be inundated with calls, especially now when we are STILL trying to pass a damn jobs bill. Why haven't many liberal or progressive blogs put up the numbers to these assholes' offices and asked their readers to call until their fingers turn red?

I saw folks like John Cole do it, who isn't even really a liberal or progressive, during the health care reform fight. But on a bunch of other blogs of people much more pivotal to the movement all I saw was bitching and moaning. And not about THEM but about President Obama.

And you know what, maybe President Obama IS too much of a centrist. Maybe he DOESN'T fight as hard as we all wish he would. Well got dammit lets do the fighting for him. If Democrats get their shit together and pass strong bills he is going to sign them, period. If you don't like President Obama then kick the asses of the people who write the bills and vote on them so they will send him something you "think" he doesn't want. The day will never come when he can or will veto a bill because its too liberal or progressive. But it has to get to his desk first.

I know we like to brag that we have advantages over the wingnuts online and with social media etc, but guess what sometimes going old school gets more results. Sending a tweet might get ignored, making a phone call or a dozen phone calls won't.

So hey, instead of clapping louder how about we all start aiming better at the folks who really are holding up progress and dialing faster and sending snail mail and sending faxes until we make it uncomfortable for them to continue on the path they have been on. At the very least they will become marginalized and the rest of the base as well as independents will have someone new to hate. And in turn we stop making it more likely that the Republicans take back power and fuck up the country again.

Its really a modest proposal when you think about it. And deep down are you more angry at President Obama or Ben Nelson?

You can guess my answer to that question.

And if you didn't notice Im back to blogging with gusto. In a few days I will have those numbers up to call and harrass the shit out of the Conserva Dems holding up the jobs bill. I hope the few people who actually read my blog will join me in making their life hell one phone call at a time!