No to "“Double Down on Trickled Down.”
By louisehartmann
Day two of the DNC was one giant punch in the gut to Republicans. The night featured Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke painting a picture of what America would look like for women if Republicans win in November. She described a Republican Party that will restrict access to contraceptives for women – force women to undergo intrusive probing before an abortion procedure – and redefine rape. As Fluke said – the choice comes down to, “a country that honors our foremothers by moving us forward, or one that forces our generation to re-fight the battles they already won.”
After Fluke, Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren took the stage to give a spirited defense of the middle class in America. She exposed how “rigged the game” is against working people in America – and she blasted the idea of corporate personhood, saying, “Corporations are not people. People have hearts. They have kids. They get jobs. They get sick. They thrive. They dance. They live. They love. And they die. And that matters.” That might mark one of the first times in political convention history that the issue of corporate personhood was given the spotlight.
Then, closing off the night – former President Bill Clinton took the stage to defend the Obama presidency – and tear down the myth of trickle-down economics. Clinton explained how over the last several decades, Republican presidents have added the majority of debt, while Democratic presidents have added the majority of jobs. And then he went after the Republican lies – saying that it takes a lot of “brass” for Paul Ryan to attack President Obama’s Medicare savings – while including those very same savings in his own budget.
Ultimately, Bill Clinton’s message could be summed up by this one warning he gave to the nation, which is, we can’t “double down on trickled down.” Never mind the fact that some policies signed into law by Bill Clinton got us into this mess, the former President gave one of the best defenses of the Obama Presidency yet – and explained how dangerous today’s Republican Party is to the nation.
Comments
#2
Not only was the 26th Amendment ratified in only 70 days, but North Carolina, where the Democratic Convention is being held, tied with Oklahoma for making the decisive ratification. They both approved it on Jul 1st, 1971.
#3
"Will his [Clinton's] warning be heeded?" Only by patriots.
#4
The story being missed by the better-off: Millions of post-middle class/poor came out to bote for Barack Obama in 2008, belivieng that if anyone could pull the US back from the edge of the cliff, it is Barack Obama. Tragically, the DNC -- and especially the star role of Bill "Kill the New Deal and Give Us NAFTA" Clinton -- made it abundantly clear that their votes are noit wanted in 2012. Well, OK. Good luck to whatever is left of the middle class, I guess.
#5
Barack Obama's betrayals on health care reform, Employee Free Choice and restoration of our constitutional rights are of such a dismaying magnitude I doubt there is any warning sufficient to overcome the sense of utter futility with which so many of us view this election.
For those whose jobs have been outsourced to slaves and/or the bottom-wage corporate serfs of the Third World, for those of us whose careers have been downsized into permanent unemployment, for those of us who are elderly and/or disabled, our lives will continue to worsen no matter who occupies the White House: Romney or Obama, each is equally committed to the paradigm of capitalist governance: absolute power and unlimited profit for the Ruling Class, total subjugation for all the rest of us.
Indeed the only discernible difference between the Republicans and the Democrats is in their stance toward women -- and it is arguable even that is nothing more than a difference in tactics. The Republifascists are determined to impose JesuNazi theocracy as quickly as possible, hence their demands for zero-tolerance disempowerment of women. Meanwhile the Demofascists are more sneaky about it, trusting in the gradual abolition of reproductive freedom imposed by faith-based initiatives and the loss of health insurance inflicted by permanent unemployment to accomplish capitalism's requisite suppression of women's rights.
In either case, history shows us that once a nation's women are truly subjugated -- or in the case of the United States, re-subjugated -- real freedom is lost forever. Which is, of course, the goal of capitalists and capitalism everywhere.
Add the apocalyptic factors -- dwindling environmental resources, terminal climate change, global overpopulation -- and the only asset left to fuel capitalist growth is human capital: in other words, slavery. And for the corporate slave pens to function as their masters intend, women must be reduced to brood mares, with the Christian doctrine of divine right (once again) providing the ideological framework for the entire restructuring of society.
That's what's happening. A few of us know it; many many more sense it, and that is why even in states like Washington, where we all vote by mail, far too many citizens are so stunned and hopelessly depressed by our utter helplessness, they will not trouble themselves to commit even a single postage stamp to endorsement of either party.
Which of course means the JesuNazi zealots will win -- that 2012 will be another 2010: a second Republifascist tsunami, this one sweeping away any remaining pretense of the already-dead American experiment in constitutional democracy.
#6
bliss: I've read your kind of screeds before. I understand the specifics of this administration's failings, compromises, and even sellling-outness. If you think the only discernible difference between Obama and Romney is their approach to protecting women's health, you are dead wrong.
Some people are going to say that. A friend of mine says that. But if he doesn't vote, or you don't vote, or you don't care which one and you flip a coin, you are helping point us toward disaster. I consider this sort of a "holding place." We can't let anything slip farther back. An Obama win is going to move things in the direction that most of us Democrats who occupy the Democratic wing of the part want.
You want to give up the chance to overturn Citizens United? Or allow women to be abused and paid less and all the other ills? You want no end to these endless warss (I know, I know,) but consider the warriors on the other side who are itching to beef up the obscenely huge Defense budget and keep a war or two going so the Cheneys and BP can make several hundred million more?
Use your common sense.
#7
As a historian, the terms like the bigges, most, most brazen, first, worst, last, or maybe "most unique" (I'm a writer and editor too, always raise a red flag). This is subjective and not something that you cannot in any way accurately categorize.
Somehow the part I wrote about how I do understand how the Obama administration has failed us, has sold us out, has not lived up to its promises,, etc . etc., got left out. I'm as clear-sighted, intelligent and well informed as you. I still stand by what did get through in my comment..
Oh, and having just heard the president speech reminds of one thing: no matter how things stand, none of us can afford to give up hope and to quit working for the things that our country should embody. Continuing to hope and to work for change and refusing to give up is not pollyannaish. It is just common (or perhaps uncommon) sense. Or perhaps courage.
#8
One more thing, bliss. The beliefs and values we articulate and embrace, our words, DO make a difference. Maybe we don't live up to them--actually we rarely do--but that we hold them up (even somewhat cynically) is important. They show us and others what's important to us and (should be) important to our country.
I can't remember any principles or values articulated by tweedle dum.
#9
Make no mistake: I will vote, I will vote for Obama, and I will do so even knowing that neither Obama nor Romney will so much as lift a finger to better the lot of the 99 Percent.
But that is not the point. The point is that many of the people who voted for Obama in 2008 did not vote (or voted against the Democrats) in 2010, and many more will do likewise in November. Why? Because Obama and his administration spent the last four years proving "change we can believe in" to have been the most brazen Big Lie ever inflicted on the U.S. electorate.
Apropos Citizens United, that was -- exactly as so many commentators have implied -- the final nail in the coffin of the U.S. experiment in constitutional democracy. Even if the Democrats were to capture the presidency and both houses of Congress, the Republican minority in the Senate will obstruct any Supreme Court nominee who might be inclined to revisit the decision. The only way to reverse Citizens United is via a constitutional amendment, which the combination of corporate money, Madison Avenue cunning and Moron Nation submissiveness makes utterly impossible.
As far as women's rights are concerned, the banishment of abortion providers now makes abortion effectively illegal in 85 percent of the nation's counties -- each a jurisdiction where the JesuNazi drive toward zero-tolerance theocracy has already achieved one of its primary goals. Meanwhile the Democrats' support for free trade -- NAFTA, GATT, WTO, the treaties now under negotiation -- imposes a de facto ban not just on abortion but on all female sexual freedom. This is because the job loss imposed by free trade is also the total loss of health insurance, which for women is the total loss of reproductive care and therefore the total repeal of reproductive choice and all women's rights based theron.
Here of course is the real reason for the campaign to shut down Planned Parenthood. It provided reproductive care to women who had been robbed of their health insurance by free-trade job thieves. But with Planned Parenthood gone, no such care is available, and the biological reality -- the awful choice between chastity or pregnancy -- is (accurately) calculated by the JesuNazis to force women back into total submission to patriarchal authority.
Hence rather than berate me about "common sense," I respectfully suggest you transcend our national tendency for PollyAnna denial and accept just how truly horrid things are. It won't make you any happier, but it might put you in a better position to seek rational -- that is, "common sense" -- solutions.
#10
Good job! Couldn't agree more...except I doubt I will vote for Obama again. I'll vote for Jill Stein even if it may mean that Obama will lose to Romney. I think we are doomed no matter which way it goes...unless the Republicans and Democrats are made to pay for their crimes by putting a Green in the Presidency....and fill Congress with Greens.
It would be a real eye-opening shocker to the good ole' boy two party system...and all those rich people who will have wasted all of that money on their two candidates. And if a Stein Presidency doesn't sell us out like Obama did it may even keep people from rioting in the streets. No one wants to see rioting happen.
I thought Elizabeth Warren's speech was very good but, of course, I differ with her on supporting the guy who could do nothing but ape Rodney King..."CCCCan't we all jjjjust get along?".
We voted for Obama the first time because he convinced us that he would really change things..little did we know then that the ruling elite knew all along that Obama would represent them instead...as they planned.
McCain/Palin was a joke that no one took seriously...same for Romney/Ryan...they are the scare tactic that will frighten Democrats to go out and vote for Obama instead of Greens. The worse thing that could happen to the ruling elite, other than rioting in the streets, would be to buck the system and put a non-Demotard or non-Republitard into high positions of power in this government.
Obama merely delayed the inevitable and will likely delay it some more if reelected...but not for much beyond that. And, of course, if Romney wins the Presidency, the inevitable will occur even sooner. The ruling elite wants Romney but not if they think the people will riot in the streets like in Egypt.
#11
Then I watched that DNC thing headed by the Mayor of LA..that just turned my stomach. What a pitiful spectacle of blatant Kangaroo court voting. The Yes votes definitely did NOT out-do the No votes...3 times...and that snot-nosed Mayor practically wet his diapers. And then took the chicken way out and ruled in favor of the Yes votes. Do we have a democracy or a theocracy in America...it seems like more of a theocracy than anything else...except a plutocracy...or a corporatocracy. It's certainly not a democracy!
#12
I am voting for Jill Stein for President of the Green Party, as well. If anyone wants to check out her presidential platform you can see it at this following link. http://www.jillstein.org/ The reason I am voting for Jill Stein is because I am sick and tired of the lies we are told from both the Republicans and the Democrats. I am not going to fall for the politics of fear, either. The masses will stay in lock step because of the brain washing they receive from the capitlist 1% controlled media. My vote may be a throw away vote but from what I have seen from the 99% marching, protesting, and being brutally beaten up by the police, the least I can do is try to vote for the masses by voting for Jill Stein for President of the Green Party.
#13
Freedom of religion not from religion! Even what you read from Jefferson was to keep government from controlling religoin. Please do more research
#14
When a country faces very tough times at home and abroad, strong leadership is what Is needed. This country is paralyzed with uncertainty, where is Obama? The fiscal cliff at the end of the year, where is Obama? It is obvious that we have a whining little child that has no idea how to be strong and press through the difficulties. We desperately need a change of leadership. Fire this incompetent fool in November.
#15
Fantastic! If everyone stops being so afraid to take a chance and breaks free of the chains that this corrupt two party system, run by the ruling elite, has rigged against us, we might get Jill Stein elected.
The pig-headed 1% are just not going to back down at all unless they are afraid that they could lose this time. And if Romney or Obama wins..the ruling elite will not lose anything.
They started this war against the working men and women and retirees a long time ago and our very struggle for survival is now at stake. We have to fight back one way or the other or perish like whimpering, cowardly children.
One way is to radically change the status quo by booting out the entrenched good old boy two party system by electing lots of Green party members to the Presidency and to Congress. What we need is our own Party of NO! No more rapacious pillaging of the 99%. If we had a President and Congress that would appoint real experts in the economy and in law enforcement, real prosecutors that will go after those wealthy criminals and take away all their ill-gotten gains and throw them into prison for a long time, then we could turn this country around to bring it out of the hands of the criminals and out of the abyss of despair.
The other way is much, much scarier....massive riots in the streets, boycotts, and obstruction in any way we can.
Lets try Jill Stein first so we won't have to do the other!
And if Jill Stein turns out to be the wimp and liar that Obama was then we may have to do the later anyway.
One of the first signs that Obama was a wimp and a liar was when he said, in response to the question about the war criminal Bush regime, was something like "Let's not dwell on the past and look to the future!"
Obama had enough power, along with a Congress during those first few months, to really make a difference but he failed. He then went on to "Rodney King" his way through his first administration.
#16
Funny! I thought religious people were trying to argue that atheism is a religion. So by those standards, Jefferson's words "of religion" could apply to atheists as well. And atheism would be just as protected as any other religion. Of course, most atheists don't consider themselves to be a religion. But then there are millions of believers in God, and other ridiculous things, who don't consider themselves to be of a religion either...choosing to distance themselves from the organized, institutional superstitions so that they can practice their own anti-dictatorial ones. At least they would never have to worry about another Jim Jones convincing you to drink the cool aid.
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In Clinton's speech last night, he gave a great statistic on job creation. He said that in the 52 years since 1961, the private economy has produced 66 million private sector jobs. Republicans held the White House 28 of those 52 years and the Democrats 24 of those 52 years. So what’s the job score? Republicans: 24 million jobs. Democrats: 42 million jobs.
But it's not just on job creation that Democratic administrations fare better than Republican ones. A recent Bloomberg study of the last 50 years shows that by almost all economic measures, Democratic economic policies produce better outcomes than Republican economic policies. And not just better, but significantly better. See this article: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76338.html
Thom, I think these are powerful statistics which you should use to help spread the word -- demand-side Democratic economic policies work much better than Republican trickle down supply side policies!