Yesterday I wrote about the tactic of “preemptive whinging” from those on the left who struggle to find anything about President Obama and his administration that they like.
The group Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), aka “bold progresives”, has taken this to the next level. They are now threatening the President if he does something he has said he wouldn’t do in the past and has given no tangible signal that he will do in the past. They have an online petition with the following language:
President Obama: If you cut Medicare and Medicaid benefits for me, my parents, my grandparents, or families like mine, don’t ask for a penny of my money or an hour of my time in 2012. I’m going to focus on electing bold progressive candidates — not Democrats who help Republicans make harmful cuts to key programs.
Okay, first of all, the President hasn’t given any indication that he’s going to cut Medicare or Medicaid benefits for Americans who need them. This reminds me of how the Affordable Care Act cut out waste in the Medicare program and then the Republicans used it during the 2010 midterm campaign claiming that Democrats had “slashed Medicare!” I expect this type of ridiculosity from Republicans. It’s pathetic coming from so-called “bold progressives”.
Second: really? No money? No time? You’ll be satisfied to have President Romney or President Huckabee or President Bachmann or President Trump or President Pawlenty or President Barbour instead? If you don’t get every goddam thing you want exactly the way you want it from your Democratic president, one who has achieved more in two years than any Democrat did in four or more, you’ll simply take your ball and go home? Really? Sorry, I’m calling bullshit on that. You are either a liar if you sign that petition or you are an idiot. Either way, I’m not taking you seriously and I don’t believe for a minute that you’re bold or that you represent a significant number of the American electorate.
Third, with all due respect, it seems to me the only candidates that are going to qualify as bold enough to meet your criteria are people like Dennis Kucinich, Russ Feingold or Alan Grayson. I don’t mean to be mean or anything but those guys have about zero chance of getting chance of getting the Democratic Party’s nomination, much less winning in the general election. Hell, Feingold and Grayson couldn’t even get reelected in their own districts. I guess “bold” is another word for “Quixotic” or “delusional”?
Finally, despite all of the similar campaigns the PCCC has run in the past trying to threaten or damage him, President Obama is still freaking popular. From the most recent Daily Kos/SEIU/PPP poll (March 31-April 3, 2011):
- 86% of Liberals have a favorable opinion of President Obama
- 80% of Liberals approve of President Obama’s job performance
- When asked whether President Obama is too liberal, too conservative or about right, 67% of liberals said “about right”
- The most recent CNN/Opinion Research poll (April 9-10, 2011) has this: 78% of liberals approve of President Obama’s job performance
So, you know, as much as I admire much of what you do and what you’re trying to accomplish, these threatening petitions don’t really seem to be making much of a dent, guys. And you certainly don’t seem to represent the Democratic Party’s “base” when you do this kind of stuff.
Maybe we’re all just not bold enough or something.
I’m just sayin’…
