[A friend posted this on my Facebook wall, so I tracked down the author -- Leisa Simone -- and she agreed to let me post it. Thank you, Leisa. -ABLxx ]
Over the years, I’ve been called a liberal as if it’s an insult. I’ve also been called a libtard, a Dumbocrat, a hippie, a socialist, a tree-hugger, a bleeding heart, a gay-lover, etc. And I’ve embraced each one. All these were directed at me from people on the right.
Now I find out that I’m an Obamabot. That’s someone who defends the current President of the United States, OUR president of OUR country. But this time, it comes from the left.
I embrace that word, too. But let’s examine what this “mean-spirited” insult actually means.
An Obamabot is someone who may disagree with some of the decisions our president has made, but at the same time, knows and understands why they were made. And we support him for them.
An Obamabot is someone who remembers how the president extended the Bush tax cuts to protect the unemployed from the GOP. Look it up.
An Obamabot remembers the hysteria from the left in April over the rumors that the president would defund Planned Parenthood as the GOP was demanding before they’d agree to stopping a government shutdown. An Obambot remembers those two words the president said to Boehner that finally put the issue to rest as Boehner demanded funds to Planned Parenthood cease: “Nope. Zero.” And Boehner was forced to back down. Look it up.
An Obamabot is perfectly aware of the president’s very long list of achievements and lauds him for them. And damn if we’re aren’t proud to say he’s our president. Look them up.
We also know a president can’t create jobs. That’s the responsibility of Congress, including a House that has struck down every, single job creation bill put before it and has yet to propose one of their own. Look it up.
I’ve been been asked about these issues over and over. These and Gitmo and Libya and why we’re still in Iraq and Afghanistan and why the president hasn’t helped the black community as if they’re some kind of segregated society and dozens of other things.
And this proud Obamabot has something to say after explaining all these things over and over and then over again: do some of your own research! And keep in the back of your mind that Barack Obama was a known centrist long before 2008. He was never a liberal. I knew that when I voted for him. Why have so many others forgot? Or did they just assume he was a liberal because of his skin color and never bothered to check? That type of bigoted ignorance is not his fault.
Why do so many complain that the president managed to get affordable healthcare passed while not closing Gitmo? Had the opposite happened, I have a feeling these same complainers would be whining about not having universal healthcare while he concentrated on closing Gitmo. As for federal marriage equality RIGHT NOW, are you kidding me? With a GOP-led House?
A robot is something that obeys commands. It moves in the directions it’s ordered. It has no ability to think and is incapable of locomotion on its own. All movement is automatic. Whatever “emotions” it displays are actually extensions of its controller’s emotions. If the controller says “Jump”, it doesn’t ask “How high?” It asks nothing. It just jumps to the height it’s programmed to reach.
An Obamabot thinks for itself. It’s intelligent and informed enough to look deeply at a situation and – while it may not agree with the outcome – it knows why that outcome was reached. It has knowledge on its side.
So to all the robots out there who let the media contort them and push them down a right-angled cattle chute as that same media uses terms such as “unnamed sources” and “our experts”, I ask them to take a long, hard look at themselves. They’ve forgot the past. They’re not doing their own research. They’re not thinking with an open and unbiased mind.
If any of that sounds familiar, it’s because – as we all know — that’s how the Tea Party works.
And feel free to call me an Obamabot. I now consider it a compliment.
-Leisa Simone, who’s looking forward to even more hopey-changey
[image via Conservatoons]
Excellent post, thanks for sharing.
I am a proud O-bot. Thanks for this post. To tell truth, the president has always been more centrist than I would like if I had my druthers. But not only do we not get our druthers in this political climate, but the president has shown himself to be worthy of my respect, my fealty, and every ounce of support I can muster. I am a proud O-bot.
Bookmarking this for the next time someone slings that “slur.” You’ve said it perfectly.
– Obamabot
You know, I get a complaint or two each day about defending Obama. And I get retweeted and thanks several dozen more times each day for saying words like these.
Make change possible! Keep Obama!
LET THE PEOPLE LEAD!
Come to think of it, have you ever wondered what kind of hell these guys must put their girlfriends through?
(EmperorNorton)
You have eloquently put into words how I have been feeling for months. Our president has had to put up with so much vile, mindless, venom from the right, and to see it filtering over to the firebagging “pro-left” is almost more than I can stomach. Thank you
Proud to add #Obamabot to my twitter profile!
This “Obamabot” slur (I think) has it’s origins from the PUMA crowd (actually Rush Limbaugh’s ‘Operation Chaos’ PUMA ringers); at least that’s where I first noticed this slur sprouting up like wildfire, then co-opted by the Firebaggers and the Greenbecks and their ilk.
It’s particularly odious…if you actually like anything Obama has done in the past 2-1/2 years, you must be a mindless, drooling, lemming cultist who is utterly incapable of critical thought. And it occurs to me that this slur is racist and ageist and classist because for example if the AA community supports the President by an overwhelming majority then en masse they must be idiotic drooling automotons. Not to mention the Latino/Hispanic community, younger voters, union members, the working poor, etc.
Clearly anyone who doesn’t hate Obama with the white-hot rage of elevendy kajillion suns deserves nothing but total contempt and scorn…they’re Doing It Wrong! (Plus, having Obama Derangement Syndrome is really trendy right now.)
you’re so right.
plus, the fact that obama is punking them makes it all the more glorious!
Yeah, it’s not about trying to build a stronger country. It’s all about who can punk who, right?
Please tell me the last time that you “progressives” did anything to build a stronger country? Please tell me the last time you did anything but pick at Obama?
While Obama was finessing the hell out of Boehner and the Tea Party Caucus, Jane Hamsher was screaming about Obama and the death of the Democratic Party, and using bullshit sources to support her bullshit hair-on-fire hysterics.
And even today, FDL has two posts up both of which downplay Obama’s political and strategic accomplishment with respect to the debt ceiling despite that it is patently clear that Obama wove a thick 17-dimensional sweater (^Zandar) and proved you folks to be dead-wrong AGAIN. So yeah, I’m going to gloat. At least while I’m gloating, I’m doing shit to make it so the Republicans don’t take back the Senate.
So tell me. What has your side accomplished? Lamont? Hamsher failed. Killing the bill? Hamsher failed. Preventing Rahm from getting elected mayor? Hamsher and Green both failed (but managed to raise money by bitching about it.) Nothing they do is progressive. NOTHING. They raise money and they grift and in the process get everything wrong. But you don’t hold them accountable. None of your ilk does. Yo usuffer Obama Derangement Syndrome, or you have aligned yourself with Chris Hedges and seem to think that destroying the Democratic Party and ushering in a wave of Bachmannia is going to fuck the country so badly that the conservative nutbags (who make up a cool half of the electorate) are going to “see the light” somehow and magically decide to become liberal. How stupid is that? Answer: Extremely.
When was the last time you talked to a Republican or conservative (either in real life or online) and tried to convince them of a liberal value? Because if you’re not out there doing that every fucking day, you are absolutely useless. You’re noise. Interference. Static. And you’re getting in the fucking way.
So please, don’t come over here with your pathetic snarky comments. We don’t roll like that over here. Go back to DKOS, or FDL, or find my threads on BJ. We are trying to move this country forward, and you asshats are hanging onto our legs, holding us back. You don’t need to clap louder. You just need to STFU with your ill-informed crap.
Best,
ABL
*Stands up and applauds!*
I’ll gladly respond to that.
The progressive income tax is a progressive idea. The current redistribution of wealth from the poor and the middle class to the rich is, on the other hand, regressive.
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, are all progressive programs. Current efforts to give away the commons so that the rich will have more money to gamble with are, on the other hand, regressive.
Unions are progressive. Current efforts to diminish the power of workers to represent their own interests before powerful employers are, on the other hand, regressive.
You may not have notices, but progressives are working hard every day to preserve those progressive aspects of our society. Yet you think that we do nothing or that what we do is not important. You are willing to let those essential policies and programs, which are what have made our country strong, be whittled away by corporate interests that have no interest at all in your welfare. You condemn us for working to make you stronger and more financially stable while you congratulate those who have done nothing but sap your political and economic power.
Obama talks out of both sides of his mouth. On the one hand, he says during the campaign that he will never reduce the COLA for Social Security, then he proposes a COLA policy that not only does exactly that but is also designed to reduce peoples’ standards of living (If the cost of beef rises, fewer people buy it. Instead, they buy tuna, so beef is taken off the list of items used to calculate the COLA, even though people want it and prefer it, and tuna is substituted. When the price of tuna subsequently rises, fewer people will buy it. Tuna will be taken off the list, and cat food will be added to it. Do you get it now?)
That is only one of hundreds of examples. None of you seem to want to talk about his backroom negotiations with the pharmaceutical companies, when he changed his position from supporting the imporation of prescription drugs to opposing them at their behest in exchange for $200 million in campaign contributions and a promise to not oppose his re-election. What good does it do us if he is re-elected if he’s going to do what the Republicans want to do anyway?
Yes, we were not able to stop the extension of the income tax reductions for the rich. Boehner had already said that he would vote for a bill that did not include an extension for the rich, and Obama did not have to consent to it. But he did so because he wanted to despite what he was telling the public. Obama didn’t have to “compromise” with Republicans over the health care bill. Republicans had been driven from office in droves in 2008 and were irrelevant. But he made them relevant again by treating them as if they actually had useful and valuable ideas to contribute. Thus, Republicans felt empowered to make their ridiculous and dishonest protests against genuine health care reform — especially because Obama didn’t really want genuine health care finance reform. He’d already given away the public insurance option before even sitting down at the table with them.
Progressives didn’t stand a chance. The only thing we can do now is to educate people about who and what Obama really is. You can go ahead and keep opposing us if you want, and you will get only more of what you have now: less spending power, more unemployment, and a decreasingly powerful voice in your government.
Progressives are out in the streets. We’re spending our money and continually trying to spread the word about what is being done to you and how you are being lied to. But you’re staying home and watching Dancing With The Stars because you don’t care enough about yourselves to fight for your own rights. But that’s okay. We’ll keep the fight going for you…
…no matter how much you try to belittle us in the meantime, because one day you’re going to wake up and find that you’ve got nothing left because you weren’t willing to fight for it now. You’ll want someone to stand with you in your fight to get back what is rightfully yours, and we’ll be there with you.
High five, ABL!! Thank you! Me – I would tell EIS to “move bitch, get out the way!” but you do it so much better.
Great post!
I AM AN OBAMABOT!
Most excellent. I particularly liked this “And keep in the back of your mind that Barack Obama was a known centrist long before 2008. He was never a liberal. I knew that when I voted for him. Why have so many others forgot? Or did they just assume he was a liberal because of his skin color and never bothered to check? That type of bigoted ignorance is not his fault.”
Part of the reason I started supporting him half way through his keynote address in 2004 was because he was a democrat who could actually get elected. It’s the middle of the country that elects the President, everyone knows that. It’s why we spend so much time worrying about swing states.
She is so dead on with the idea that so many assumed he was a liberal, I remember the naivete during the election, I had friends who were Hillary supporters and when they swung over to Obama, they really didn’t know shit about what he had been running on. Afghanistan is the perfect example of how stupid these people are, how often do you hear someone say the president broke his promise on Afganistan, they clearly weren’t paying attention.
I too am a proud Obamabot.
Well said, of course.
And it’s that “get(ting) elected” thing that these people don’t really grasp. Largely, I think, because it’s so unimportant in their carefully constructed delusions of adequacy.
It is, though, one of the core requirements for accomplishing things. Useful, that, don’t you think?
Puleeze. Once elected, shouldn’t he actually accomplish something rather than bend over backwards to rebuild a crushed Republican Party and give away the store?
Please tell me how good a President he is when he gives away your Social Security and Medicare, even though no cuts are necessary in order to “strengthen” those programs.
Wait a mninute: did he give away the store on Medicare and Social Security. wow. I pay really close attention, and I don’t remember that happening. (snark)
You are one of “them” right.
You think its your duty to spread misinformation apparently. Karl Rove, is that you?
You haven’t been paying as close attention as you want. Just yesterday, Obama said those programs would have to be cut, even though all that is necessary to provide more money for them and for Social Security is to raise the income cap on taxes so that those who are most able to pay and who benefit from having a strong country even if they don’t consume all of the programs it has to offer pay more into it.
What ABL said downthread.
Now go do your homework. The adults are talking.
Nothing substantive to say, huh? You can go ahead and think of yourself as an adult while you’re making these childish responses if you wish, but don’t expect to gain my respect.
I’d like to add this, that I hope people don’t conflate “centrist” with DLC/Blue Dog/DINO/Republican Lite. Just as he was never a uber-progressive bomb thrower nor was he Ben Nelson. This former Dean supporter knew exactly what Dean meant when he said back in 2003 that he was from “the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party.” This is where Obama is, and where he always has been. And has governed exactly as he said he would, despite what the Firebags/Greenbecks hallucinated. He’s demonstrably not a Blue Dog/DLC guy either, he’s already accomplished more progressive goals in 2-1/2 years than Bill Clinton did in 8.
So Centrist meaning the exact center of the Democratic Party? You bet! That’s where I am, and that’s where most Democrats are, especially those who don’t marinate in the Whinosphere 24/7 from the safe confines of their Ivory Towers of Pure Purity, completely and utterly addicted to Obama Derangement Syndrome-based Outrage Porn from their professional purveyors.
In case you haven’t noticed, Obama has moved far to the right of where he said that he was in 2003.
EIS is 100% on the money! You all are fooling yourselves that you voted for a middle of the road guy! He played himself as someone who was going to make some radical changes, the polar opposite of Bush, McCain et al. He did not run on middle of the road sensibilities.
And just because I understood that he was someone coming in with CHANGE does not make me some “IST”, I did not decide that on the color of his skin, his age anything other than what he said. You can’t just scream some kind of “ism” when folks disagree.
I will never believe that he couldn’t have called the vote desperate republicans out on the tax cuts…you really think they would have ousted their voter base into the cold? Remember many of the states hit hardest are in red state areas.
Ya know what is funny about all this, all this time I have heard the right talk about the rudeness on the left and so on and I never understood until recently…what is with all the need for labeling and name calling? Why are there so many different factions? Now I see this country is split, no not split…splintered all over the place.
And if there weren’t us people pulling so hard to the left then one quick yank and the right would have everything! So you guys dance around in the center and cuz it is quite obvious that you are all way closer to GOP then I am comfortable with…and we will hold the fort!
All this division is guaranteeing is that Obama won’t be a 2 term president. Cuz I would never vote for the person you guys represent.
Well dear, you shouldn’t vote for him, in fact you should actively support Republicans by voting for a third party or writing in your hero Bernie Sanders or for that matter maybe you should write in Cynthia McKinney or Dennis Kucinich, Glenn Greenwald and or Jane Hamsher, but at this point, who gives a rats ass who you do or do not vote for. It seems you learned nothing from 8 years of Bush, literally nothing. At best you are merely a simpleton, a follower who hasn’t had an original thought since your last bong, at worst you are a conservative trolling liberal blog sites to disrupt and attempt to pass yourself off as a concerned progressive. I am not sure which one you actually are, but I suggest you head to firebagger central, (KOS, Salon, FDL, etc) and commiserate with your gang.
Oh and on a separate note my dear, the name calling began with one of your fucking libertarian, CATO institute employed, idols you know him well he is the concern troll named Glenn Greenwald. Greenwald by the way is simply not a liberal, a democrat, or anyone that actually cares about his country or the people in his country, he only cares about how big a name he can make for himself and his employers, the Koch brothers. He began in January 2009, exactly one day after the inauguration of the President, and he has continued to this day, and it is reflected in the title of this blog, Obamabots, that is right, that is and was a Greenwald attempt at diminishing the President and the people who support the President. Too bad, he would rather corporate America run the country, not politicians, he is a shill for the Koch’s and everything they stand for, including supporting the Citizens United decision. Please try to keep in mind he is a Kochsucking whore.
Good luck with your efforts to elect more Republicans, just know there is a rather large group out here who will rhetorically fight you to the next election and beyond.
teresamac what are you referring too? That is what I mean, I state something and then someone automatically thinks I fit neatly into a category or under a brand or person.
There is no need for you to curse at me or say it is because of “my libertarian…” I truly have no idea what you are talking about.
You are making sweeping statements without any idea of who you are talking to and what I may or may not stand for. If you would like to know I am happy to chat.
No one cares what you think, bagger.
This is crazy! Bagger? What in the world? Just because I don’t have blind faith in anyone? Can you all not take a page from the right and have an open honest discussion? You are starting to sound like the right.
I think everyone just wants to be angry.
Yes, “bagger” – tea or fire, take your pick.
Come in here and spout your loads of drivel and then somehow expect genuflection, do you?
Think again. (Maybe think for the first time, from the look of your writings.)
And maybe you’ll point to evidence of some “open and honest discussion” on the right? Because no one’s yet found any.
I had never heard of firebagger before. You all are hilarious…do you feel safer if I fit into a neat little box labled with some “clever” word? Although I did google it and…
I don’t have a knee jerk reaction to everything Obama does. But I have some huge concerns over programs that are proven to work no longer being funded, like the many that no longer get Ryan White funding. So many programs depend on that money. Prison loading has not slowed down. Alternative programs to incarceration are vanishing ALONG WITH Community Corrections Officers, so many people some very dangerous are being cut loose off DOC time and are back in society unmonitored. While the remaining CCOs are inundated with unrealistic caseloads of some seriously likely to re-offend people. Same with mental health programs…do you know how much of an increase there is in caseloads for MHCM and these are for some seriously mentally ill people. Hospitals are dumping the dying out due to cuts to medicaid and medicare. The stuff folks don’t think about, the unobvious, until it is you dying and this is your insurance.
Do I blame Obama alone and only? No I held the reps/cons to the fire for a long time…but Obama backed down on some HUGE election PROMISES so i think, for the sake of success for the democratic party and because Obama isn’t a weakling or some delicate flower that ran on the campaign of mediocrity that we remind him of what it looks like out here, that we need him to be the guy that we cried tears of joy for when he was sworn in.
No one who is coming up with these band aids and apologies is doing him any good. I hold him in high regard, which means I won’t lower my opinion about his capabilities that would be doing him a total injustice. I can’t be all rah rah about mediocrity or guarding the center. Like I said before if we dodn’t tug so hard from te left all the centrists would just be yanked on over to the right.
And if you are going to say my ideals or values come from anyone but myself and what I see, then I guess the only 2 people I can think of are Howard Zinn and Kurt Vonnegut, I truly admire their ideals and the legacy they left behind.
Then, of course, there’s the torture of Bradley Manning, the continuation of the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping of American citizens, the order to murder an American citizen, Obama’s desire to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, imposing austerity on the majority while maintaining the comfort of the most wealthy, his adoption of long-discredited economic policies, his negotiations with the corporations for campaign contributions in exchange for killing the public option… and on and on and on, all while tens of millions of people remain unemployed or underemployed, with absolutely no sign in sight that things are actually going to get better.
Please tell us again about Obama’s “accomplishments”.
Half of the things on your list are outright lies, which you could easily find out, if you would listen to Obama and find out what he has done. And for the other half you would need a magic wand.
You remind me of a grocery shopper. You have your list what you want to have done and then you tick the items. Politics does not work like that.
Among Obamas objectives are:
to decrease or at least not worsen economic inequality,
to get the economic recovery going,
to increase the health of the population, etc.
So if you want to judge him, find out what is possible along these lines in the current force field. I for one am usually impressed what results Obama can pull out of nearly hopeless looking situations. I do remember all the drame surrounding healthcare law, I do remember the drama surrounding DADT, and so on. Both times I thought he would not get the deal done. Both times he did. So I am starting to have confidence in his abilities. This is just basic extrapolation.
Thank you for your response. I’m grateful for your meaningful and substantive comments. But I will disagree with you.
Politics is EXACTLY like grocery shopping. You have your list, you figure out what you can afford, and then you go to the store to see if it’s available, and if someone else isn’t preventing you from getting it.
As to what you say are Obama’s objectives, I’ll admit that those are good ones. But he does things that actually thwart those objectives. What has he done to lessen economic inequality or income disparity? All he’s done is keep the tax breaks for the rich. While he’s /proposed/ other things, what he always ends up doing is the opposite — not merely compromise, but the exact opposite of what he says he wants to do.
TO get the economic recovery going, you would think that he might want to do something different from what we’ve been doing for the last ten years, wouldn’t you? In fact, it looks like we need dramatic and drastic changes just to get the ball rolling, doesn’t it? A lot of well-respected economists are saying that, aren’t they? But in his radio address two weeks ago, Obama repeated REPUBLICAN talking points and ideology about the economy. He has proposed nothing new and no substantial changes — only more of the same. How will that get the economic recovery going?
Increasing the health of the population certainly would be a good thing to do. The First Lady is certainly trying to get people to slim down. But since Obama made sure that our health care costs will continue to skyrocket for the foreseeable future (especially since the “exchanges” will be expensive reservoirs of the people the corporations don’t want to insure), how will that make us more healthy?
Obama has accomplished nothing except to gain the confidence of independent voters by being bipartisan. But nothing has ever been accomplished through bipartisanship. We got Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid only through completely partisan politics. The Republicans have been trying to kill those programs ever since, and now Obama is going to give them what they want just so he can look bipartisan and reasonable.
Obama will sell you out, but you’ll vote for him anyway because he told you that he’s being “reasonable”.
Read an economics book and then tell us how “reasonable” he is. He’s doing what Hoover did, not what Roosevelt did.
If you want to know what Obama has accomplished, just check this list:
http://progressiveerupts.blogspot.com/2011/06/president-obamas-accomplishements-after.html
Great. Those are all laudable, if relatively insignificant “accomplishments”. I love the one about how many jobs he created. All he had to do was nothing. There were such a tremendous number of jobs lost previously that a large bounce-back was inevitable. It’s just too bad that it didn’t make a real dent in the unemployment rate. The stimulus package obviously was too small and misdirected, and it gave too much focus to relatively unstimulating expenditures, such as tax cuts. The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act makes it harder for individuals to recover against corporations. He’s refused to actually implement the measures in the “Save Homes” act that would help people, and he actively fought measures that would have helped people avoid unjust foreclosures. He’s refused to prosecute banksters that used your monety to invest in high-risk financial instruments against their customers’ interests, thus making his regulations toothless. DADT was shoved down his throat: he actively fought its repeal. The list of how lame his accomplishments are goes on and on.
” Those are all laudable, if relatively insignificant “accomplishments”.
I’ve been hearing that exact statement for two years which leads me to think you folks are either scripted or you can’t think of anything new to say.
While you quoted my first sentence, you failed to respond to the arguments that I made backing it up. And here’s another clue: when a lot of different people are telling you the same thing and you are impotent to show that they’re wrong, maybe you should listen them.
I am an Obamabot and I don’t give a flying f*ck if the simple-minded PL whiners criticize me.
You will when you’re eating cat food on your 70th birthday.
That may happen, if you manage to prevent the re-election of Obama. Which, luckily for the country, you will not be able to.
Do firebaggers have any original thoughts? Like, ANY?
jane hamsher has been crowing about the catfood commission since fall 2010. and obama keeps proving over and over and over that she knows exactly JACK and SHIT about the political process, about political strategy, or about how he thinks.
Yet she continues to push her bullshit “I am going to convince you to vote for Ron Paul”narratives to her simple-minded minions.***
I pity you people. It must be so disappointing to know that Jane will never love you deep down in your special place, no matter how much of her pablum you regurgitate all over these world-wide intertrons.
Now go back to Hamwald Industries. Your model has been recalled for maintenance.
Fly Fly.
***yes, i know the referenced post wasn’t wrtten by Jane, and no I don’t think it matters. And I’m guessing you know why (I’m sure that training was uploaded to your hard drive), but in case you can’t find that program: “House Niggers,” anyone?
You keep brinking up that Ron Paul B.S., as if any progressive actually supports that loon. Hamsher certainly doesn’t. But that’s what people do when they can’t actually argue against the facts.
It’s interesting that you admit to putting words in Hamsher’s mouth that she didn’t say, but that you don’t think it matters that you lied.
Do you really want to do this? Ok, let’s do this.
First, read up on how Jane Hamsher is cool with her bloggers calling Democrats “House Niggers.”
Then read this post which explains why she owns every word that appears on Firedoglake.
Then we can talk about whether or not “I lied.”
< ~spoiler alert!~> I didn’t.
This is all well-tread territory, and it would behoove you and your FireDogBrigade to stop talking before you make yourselves look anymore foolish.
And thank you for bringing up this point in the comments of one of my most viral posts. It will help me spread the word about Jane’s disloyalty to progressives, her anti-union behavior, and how she has colluded with the Tea Party against the President.
I would love for more people to hear about that. So please do go on attempting to discredit me. I love watching FirebagFailure.
-ABL
(edited to fix links)
I notice that stopthemadness has disable replies to her comments. I guess that just goes to show how afraid she is of actual issue-oriented debate. But that’s probably a good thing. The embarrassment she would suffer with the many, many corrections that are necessary to her misstatements could be emotionally damaging to someone so thin-skinned.
I’m an Obamabot and I don’t give a flying f*ck if simple-minded lefteabaggers like David Dickinson criticize me.
He didn’t criticize “you”. He criticized your opinion, and you made absolutely no effort to defend your position. That may be because you have no defense.
OR, it may be because he is an offensive asshole.
Shut the fuck up already and go away. Don’t you have a Greenwald-Hamisher sandwich to insert yourself into?
Yes, “Obamabot” sure is a vicious slur. So much worse than being called a “racist” every time somebody dares criticize President Peace Prize.
Bye Joe “Cutie”. Go to BJ if you want to act like an asshole on my posts. Oh, and please stop emailing me. Nobody is interested, and nobody gives a shit. Go back to Glenn’s warm embrace. -ABL
Hey, ABL, it looks like YOU are the one being the “asshole” here.
i have that privilege. it’s my blog. :) as i said to Joe, if you want to be an asshole, go do it at BJ. I don’t tolerate that crap here. And no, I’m not banning you because you disagree (see, e.g., bmull). I’m banning you because you’re crapping all over my guest contributor’s blog post. Goodbye. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya. -ABL
So you didn’t ban him because he disagrees with you, you banned him because what he writes contradicts you. There’s a difference? Do you consider yourself to be a principled person? It doesn’t look like it from here.
If you think I care one whit what you think of me, you have another thing coming.
I will not tolerate people coming over here and spreading racist bullshit or tooting racist dogwhistles. If people want to do that on my posts, they can go to Balloon Juice. This is MY blog and MY space and it will remain a safe space for MY community.
Amusing you seem so concerned about who gets banned and for what reasons considering your FireDogCompound operates like Jonestown and stifles all dissent.
If you have something relevant to say with respect to this post, say it. Otherwise get off this thread. This is your last warning.
-ABL
I’m glad Obamabots have their priorities straight. It’s important to focus on the primary sources of racism in this country… hippies who think Obama is bombing too many brown people, doing nothing to stop brown men from continuing to be locked up en masse, and letting white elites get away with fraud and theft of the poor and middle class.
Congratulations, you brave new civil rights leaders.
you are a sad pathetic little man. go back to masturbating to photos of Glenn Greenwald, or whatever it is you do when you’re not emailing me 5 times a day. -ABL
Obama is not the one who wants to decriminalize drugs to focus on treatment and to eliminate the sentencing disparity between crack and powdered cocaine. Obama doesn’t care if there is an obvious racial disparity in our mammoth prison population as long as the corporate prisons can maintain a healthy profit.
Dang! RU SRS?! I’m going to vote for Ron Paul! Obviously all we Negros care about is drugs, and Ron Paul will let us ride that H Train all over town lol! GTFO. -ABL
Thanks, ABL. Now we know your true character. Rather than respond substantively to the issues, you resort to straw man arguments. Excellent demonstration of how to be a mindless Obamabot.
SICK BURN! I have been thusly put in my place.
“We”? Yes, do go tell Hamwaldaravosirota that you have ferreted out my true character. Your grand prize is waiting.
Scoot!
He certainly deserves it. Your comment is nothing but a surrender while trying lamely to look tough. You can’t use straw man arguments to avoid meaningful discussion and then claim to have any principles.
Now you are being ridiculous, Dickinson. Obama ‘does not care about racial disparity in the prison population’? Huh? Very likely that.
In fact, Obama does care about the racial disparity in crack vs. powder cocaine sentencing. that’s why he signed a bill narrowing the disparity from 100:1 to 18:1.
I’m sure David is all “BS! I’m banned and I can’t respond” (that happened to me at americablog, so i understand his likely frustration.) As such, and in the spirit of whatever, I will be kind and provide his response for him:
“But he only reduced it to 18:1. Obama clearly doesn’t care about black people. He’s selling you out.”
Nailed it.
You weren’t paying attention. Go back and check the record. Obama opposed including that provision in the bill, and when it was included, he wanted the disparity INCREASED from the proposed decrease.
Of course no repeal measure would make it through a Republican House that relies on the law and order and church lobby. The fact that Obama is very politically vulnerable on this seems to have escaped your attention as well. Mention repeal, and every Republican candidate would tell the scared suburban parents that Obama wants their kids to end up on crack.
If you want drug repeal, you are going to have to do it by going out there and having real conversations with those scared housewives, church-goers, and others who fear that even a loosening would lead to their 16 year old kid mainlining smack. But that’s way too much work for you folks. Plus you would actually have to acknowledge the existence of some people who go to church and believe what the press tells them.
But you want Obama to commit political suicide.
As if the Republican who would replace him would even try to listen to your concerns at all instead of ramping up things even worse.
Obama is “politically vulnerable” because he has been a weak and ineffective leader. He single-handedly brought the Republican Party back from the dead in 2009, and his continual caving in (not once did he ever actually compromise) to their demands is the reason that Democrats lost so badly in 2010. If he had stood up and actually fought them just once on one important issue, those results could have been entirely different. Voters like strength. Obama has shown only weakness — but that’s just a guise, because he actually wanted little-to-no health care finance reform or banking reform, he worked against the repeal of DADT, and he actually wants to reduce Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. As one White House aid recently commented when he was asked why the administration hasn’t used the provisions of the law that would help keep people in their homes, “they don’t deserve it.” The banksters who lied to homeowners and who gambled away all that money, on the other hand, apparently do deserve their largesse.
Could y’all please let go of the “Hippie” crap? Not a one of you is a hippie. Not even close, no matter how many times you call yourselves one, you’re not. It’s laughable that you all self-describe yourselves in that manner.
I’m on board. You nailed it
Bravo and beautifully stated. A must share. Last year I wrote about how the far-left mirrors the far-right. Among (((many))) of the issues I mentioned was the use of vicious epithets when referring to the president.
The right has used: Spoiled Brat, Obama Bin Lyin, Half-breed Muslim, Barack Hussein Obama, No Clue Balls Obama, Robbing Hood, Nazi, Terrorist, Barack the Magic Negro.
On the left we have: Barack Bush, Nel, HomophObama, Pootie Tang, the Black Mr. Rogers, House Negro. And, as you write, his supporters are the target of the same type of lovely little snide epithets. I even read somewhere that the lefts hero, Ralph Nader, called Obama the House Nigger.
F**k the majority; they’re not realistic.
It’s all about “me.”
The president is ignoring our side.
I only listen to Keith Olbermann.
What party of NO? What obstructionism?
Our country is on the verge of collapse. It’s the eve of destruction.
If I can’t have it all and NOW, I’m staying home.
I’m not paranoid. What denial?
Who? Me Whine?
I’m not racist.
If you’re not racist, please explain why Obama should have to live above and beyond your expectations of a white president.
Yes, I love being called and Obamabot – and a lot worse.
Again, thank you for this. Sometimes it feels a little lonely out there.
PS: Great blog. Will add to my roll.
Thank you Leslie! And welcome. We hope you stick around.
Sorry about the trolls. We’re sedating and sweeping them out.
:)
HELL YES!!
This is a quantum metric shitload of EPIC WIN x ?? !!!
“quantum metric shitload” FTW. i think you’re a new face! welcome to the Angry Black Fray! stay a while!
-ABL.
Yes, we certainly can’t encourage more literate discussion here, can we? Yay! More meaningless drivel!
Are you looking in the mirror while you are posting this? Because you sound like you are projecting.
The meaningless drivel would diminish greatly were you to depart.
You have not written one substantive comment on the issues, while I have written several. But, lacking any introspective capability at all, you’re unable to see how ridiculous your criticism is.
“We”? You own this joint, EIS? Didn’t think so.
Great post.
I think its high time you alerted the authorities about JoeCutie’s cyberstalking.
So being a frequent visitor to a blog and making comments that are directly on topic is now “cyberstalking”? You folks are nuts.
reading is fundamental. To wit, “Oh, and please stop emailing me.”
i blocked joe on twitter because he is an offensive asshole. he then proceeded to start emailing me. i responded twice. he now sends me multiple emails a day, which i delete without reading.
so, next time you speak, it might be good to know of what you speak.
-ABL
“offensive asshole” = anyone you disagree with on the issues
“offensive asshole” = “EIS”
That shoe fits.
typical firebagger response with a side of comprehension fail.
is it not possible that i have had interactions with joe to which you are not privy? why yes. it is possible. and indeed i have. those interactions led me to conclude that he is an offensive asshole. if you find him on twitter, it will be readily apparent that dude is an offensive asshole. he made some racist remarks several months ago, and i blocked him.
and, if you happened to catch wind of CuntGate 2011, you are well-aware that i will go three rounds with an offensive asshole before blocking one.
racist bullshit happens to be my pressure point.
so please, take your baseless and uninformed assumptions and shove them directly up your own ass.
kthx.
Ahem. Someone hit the BWD home run on her first at-bat.
Truly and richly deserved!
I am an Obamabot!
As I listen to the near hysteria on the Left regarding Medicare and Social Security, I am once again reminded how historically non-strategic the Democratic Party, and especially the far left liberals have been for decades. They demand that the President not follow through on promises he has NEVER made. They attack him based on information they ‘heard’ from unknown sources.
No matter how many times our President has come through for this country, they never trust this smart man to make the best of a horrible situation, created in part by their mistakes.
Oh! So it’s okay if Obama gives away the $2.5 trillion SocSec trust fund by cutting benefits and assuring (through a FICA tax cut that will not be allowed to expire at the end of this year) that SocSec becomes even weaker. Instead of requiring that we pay back what the government has borrowed from the trust fund and raising the income cap so that people who can pay more into SocSec do so (after all, even the rich benefit from not having people begging in the streets), we should just make sure that SocSec is unsustainable and kill it off. Raising the retirement age (an actual cut in benefits) will make sure that more people are on the unemployment lines. And changing the COLA the way he proposes is nothing more than a plan to reduce the entire country’s standard of living.
If you’re going to spout facts, you need to make like a parking lot and back your shit up. Unlike the standard for usual stomping grounds, no credence will be given here for unsupported assertions.
-ABL
Permission to cross post at Daily Kos?
please! thank you. :)
I Obot.
So, I ask a simple question, and it gets deleted? Can you say cognitive dissonance?
I’ll ask again…
What is your defense of Obama’s foreign policy?
Why would an Obamabot refuse to discuss foreign policy? Hmmm…I wonder?
This will be deleted because the cognitive dissonance is too strong and the intellectual honesty too weak.
“YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK!”
Rather an exaggerated sense of your own import, I’d say.
Dismissed.
You still haven’t written a single substantive comment. Every one of your responses has been nothing more than a personal attack, a virtual admission that you can’t defend your position on any issue.
But that’s understandable.
I don’t have to defend anything or justify anything to the likes of you.
You want to fling feces against the wall, go find a congenial zoo.
He doesn’t have to defend shit to you, you whiny ass Hamisher talking point spouting bitch. You haven’t got a thought that wasn’t cribbed from whatever whiny left blog you crawled out of. Which is why when asked to support your shit, you just talk shit.
Wouldn’t it be easier simply to admit that he (and you) have no basis for your flimsy beliefs than to launch these personal attacks that only make you look bad?
Obama’s foreign policy is a lot more rational than the last guy’s.
Pray tell, what would YOUR foreign policy be? Let me guess…it would involve the fairy tale logic of Ron Paul’s. How sad. :(
Oh, do tell! How do you distinguish between Bush’s foreign policy and Obama’s foreign policy? What are the differences, as you see it?
i deleted your comment because i created a thread specifically for your firebagging bullshit, and because i don’t want you assclowns shitting all over leisa’s thread.
i notice that you can’t seem to follow simple instructions. take your self-righteousness and shove it, friend.
i will leave this comment posted, but any future firebagger bullshit needs to go here.
Got it?
-ABL
@ EIS (since it won’t “thread” any further):
Your respect? I’d rather shove red-hot needles into my eyes. When you gain the least bit of understanding of what substance in fact is, come back.
Not holding my breath, though. Understanding seems to be a bit out of your reach.
Why don’t you try demonstrating some substance for once and quit with these lame personal attacks.
Maybe I just like insulting you, Sparky.
It’s not terribly difficult, the hours are good, yes, the pay could be better but the satisfaction is worth considering.
Have you found a fire to die in yet?
No further criticism of your inadequate intellectual capabilities is needed. Thanks!
When you’re capable of bringing a critique, feel free to do so. I’ll be waiting.
Mindless posturing does not count. Neither do you. Not even to ten, on your best day.
This is a great post…thanks for it
The truth brings out the firebaggers in swarms doesn’t it. The queen bee must have ordered it.
They are getting desperate, the curtain is being pulled back more and more each day. It doesn’t have to be that way for them, but they’ve chosen their destiny.
President Obama handed the Republicans their asses this week, firebaggers are next.
I notice that no matter what issue is raised, the only comments offered by Obamabots are that the people raising the issues are firebaggers. Only two commenters have tried to respond on point. The rest of you prefer to think of yourselves as smart by relying on name-calling.
When you lose Social Security and Medicare because you were too busy hating the people who are trying to save them, who will stand by your side while you’re begging in the streets?
By the way, did you hear Obama’s news conference yesterday? Eat your peas! Your entitlements (you’re entitled to them because you paid into them) are going to be cut. Should I apologize for trying to prevent that?
It’s almost useless even arguing with you nice people who talk to us with such patience and respect. Do you think helping to elect Republicans is going to make your SS and Medicare more secure?
Do you really think that hurling poo around affects how Republicans deal with the President? You are deluding yourself if you think that between elections, you can have much effect on what happens in Washington. When the President and his people are negotiating with the terrorist Republicans, do you think they are clutching a slanted, full of lies, snarky petition that Adam Green penned to appeal to people like you? They are doing their best to get the most for the American people, all of them, not just the hard left or any other categorized group. We vote, our leaders represent, we vote again. That’s kind of how it works.
I won’t go on. Why bother, really.
EIS – Answer this one question “Do you think helping to elect Republicans is going to make your SS and Medicare more secure? Seriously, can you answer that one question?”
I knocked on hundreds of doors trying to get Obama elected. I had no reason to expect that he would echo Republican ideology and propose and implement policies that are every Republican’s wet dream.
Whether Obama or a Republican wins the next election will not make any difference because Obama IS a right-winger. But if he loses, we’ll have a chance to get a decent president in 2016. But if he wins, the Democratic Party will continue its slide to the right, dragging our country down with it.
Or haven’t you noticed that the real battle for our country is inside the Democratic Party, and it’s between the progressives and the right-wing neo-liberals? (Do you even know what a neo-liberal is?).
I want Obama to lose. Republicans will be driven from Congress in droves in 2012, and we stand a better chance of getting a Republican president who can be controlled by Congress than we do of saving our economy under Obama.
I read the transcript of the presser, Emo Idiotic Shitbird. Not ONCE did he say that entitlements are going to be cut, as you claim. Here’s a refresher course for you — links to the full transcript and everything! Of course, it’s longer than the Poutrage PAC dunning emails, so it may be a challenge for you to read the whole thing: http://blog.reidreport.com/2011/07/adam-greens-dishonest-fundraising-attack-meets-obamas-adult-debt-conversation/
And riddle me this, Oh So Brilliant and Victimized One: If Obama didn’t really want to do healthcare reform and Fin Reg — why did he? And if those measures were such gigantic sloppy blowjobs to the respective industries — why did they fight them with gobs of money at every step?
Use extra paper and crayon if you need to in crafting your answers. Also, you need to provide proof for the following assertions: “he actually wanted little-to-no health care finance reform or banking reform, he worked against the repeal of DADT, and he actually wants to reduce Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.”
This is Grown-Up Land, which I know is unfamiliar territory to Emobagging morons, but here, you’re expected to back your shit up thoroughly, or walk your shit back. So show me EXACTLY where Obama said he wanted any of what you’re claiming.
I’d call you a douchenozzle, but those are occasionally useful tools. You’re just a tool.
Your reading comprehension skills leave much to be desired.
Obama puts Medicare, Social Security cuts on the table
http://news.yahoo.com/obama-puts-medicare-social-security-cuts-table-031442907.html
Setting aside, for the moment, the fact that you don’t seem to grasp what it is Obama is doing politically, and how it is he is decimating the GOP on this debt ceiling business: Did you really just dump a Daily Caller link to support your claim that Obama “put Medicare and Social Security on the table” (whatever that means)?
I know it’s a bad day for you firebaggers, what with Jane’s meltdown and all, but come the fuck on.
Tucker Carlson?
That’s just sad.
ETA: I read the WaPo link too. Nada.
You said he said in the press conference that he wanted to make cuts. I posted a link to the transcript, which very much shows that he didn’t say that. So I’ll take my reading comprehension skills over yours, thanks. You’re a liar and a moron, and I very much doubt you “knocked on hundreds of doors” to get Obama elected. That’s another popular Firebagging Ratfucker technique – “I worked SO HARD for him!” Then why didn’t you lame fucks show up for the midterms and preserve a Dem majority in the House instead of engaging in your narcissistic self-serving whinefests?
And Emo, you still haven’t explained why the health insurance and financial industries pushed back so hard and vehemently against those “sell out” and “giveaway” reform packages that Obama and the Dem Congress passed. That doesn’t seem to make any sense to my poor little Obot brain, but I’m sure a political genius such as yourself can explain it. Stop hiding that light under a bushel basket!
OBAMA RULES!!!
I love this article! Thank you so much for writing this so eloquently and succinctly!
Hello,
Firstly, I wish to thank ABL for posting my original note, in its entirety, without changing a word. And for being gracious enough to give me credit while taking a lot of the heat.
I’m the original author. If anyone has problems with it, take it up with me. The fact that ABL agrees with it is my luck and perhaps her misfortune. (Although she doesn’t hold back from responding, and bless you for that, ABL.)
Secondly, I’m going to tell everyone the same thing I’ve told everyone else: I thank you all for reading it.
Thirdly, maybe a few people misunderstood. I never thought of the president as the second coming. I studied his politics long before the primary. I knew he was a centrist; I know I’m a liberal. A liberal means you study everything. A liberal is pretty much the antithesis of the Tea Party and the current “Intellectual Left”. I voted for him because of what I knew about him, not because I thought he would change. I found those things out by not just watching MSNBC or CNN or reading HuffPo or FLD. I did a lot of research. I vote with my brains, not my eyes.
I believe that others thought he was the second coming and now are disappointed because he hasn’t walked across water to wash their feet in appreciation for voting for him. Please remember: he said “hope and change”, not “loaves and fishes”.
I wish you all the best and hope you think twice before disparaging the president based on “our experts” and “unnamed sources” and politicians posturing to their base and corporate media like Ed Schultz.
Leisa Simone
Proud Obamabot/Libtard/Dumbocrat/Whatever … but never a fair weather “Progressive”
[this comment has been moved to the appropriate thread. -ed.]
He campaigned on pulling out of Iraq, concentrating more effort (meaning troops) in Afghanistan, and going into Pakistan if necessary to kill bin Laden. So what part of his promises did he break, exactly? Or did you just imagine that he was a big peacenik because he spoke out against our involvement in Iraq — even though in doing so he said that he wasn’t against all wars — just stupid ones. I am not a fan of our being in Afghanistan, but it doesn’t represent a broken promise.
Not crazy about Libya, either, but there is no fucking comparison between that and Iraq. For one thing, there are no boots on the ground and we didn’t go in unilaterally — we’re working with NATO. And if you want to cry about “But he didn’t close Gitmo!,” please name the handful of Senators who voted to approve the funding for closing Gitmo. Hint: None of them were named “Feingold” or “Sanders” — two guys who seem to provide lots of fapping material for the Know-Nothings of Emogressive Land.
Did you study history, like, ever? You do realize that you’ve been living in a country that was founded on egregious human rights violations from the first, right?
“He campaigned on pulling out of Iraq”
My, my, my, what short memories we have! It wasn’t too long ago that the Obama White House mulled keeping troops in Iraq well beyond the original withdrawal date (one established by the Shrub, mind you). However, the Iraqis finally wised up and decided that military personnel were not deserving of legal immunity. As such, the White House figured a nominal (though still lucrative) Empirical land grab wasn’t worth a much more costly diplomatic mess for years to come, so the “war” in Iraq was “officially” over.
This liberal thanks you again for writing it.
Bravo!! Thank you for this great piece of writing. Encore!!!
Leisa, this was great stuff. Good for you.
EIS – Answer this one question “Do you think helping to elect Republicans is going to make your SS and Medicare more secure? Seriously, can you answer that one question?”
-I’m waiting for the answer, myself.
See my response above and then answer this question: if Obama is going to do what the Republicans want anyway (cut Medicare and Social Security) what difference does it make if he or a Republican wins in 2012?
EIS-
i was not clear in my question. when i meant “progressives” i didn’t mean “progressives throughout the ages.” i meant manic progressives.
so, again, what have you done? what has hamsher done? what has PCCC done? what streets have you marched? what positive change have you effected?
you don’t get to reach back into history and claim victory for the work that liberals did. that’s not the topic at hand.
-ABL
P.S. I notice you mentioned unions. I agree that they are progressive (or liberal, since I have soured on “progressives” precisely because of the current slate of do-nothing emo progressive) accomplishments. So what do you think about Jane Hamsher’s anti-union behavior?
(edited for clarity)
You don’t understand, ABL, today’s emoprogs are so awesomely pure and progressive, their True Progressiveness has traveled backwards in time like a golden tachyon of righteousness and called the perfect and holy New Deal into existence out of the mystical aether.
As we all know, every aspect of the New Deal was perfect in every way, so any changes over time will be a blasphemy on the same level as the gnostic demi-urge corrupting the true face of God into base matter.
In conclusion, Hoover. Look it up!
The reason that today’s progressives aren’t having the success that our country needs is because too many people like you are backing the right-wing policies of our current president. It only remains to be seen how long it will take you to recognize that he is farther to the right than Ronald Reagan was (Reagan would have — and did — fight tooth and nail to prevent the cuts to Medicare and Social Security that Obama is now proposing.)
I think the question was what have YOU done. What positive change have YOU effected?
My first question for the author was deleted. My third question was “moved to an appropriate thread.” What a joke? You Obamabots, libtards, Dumbocrats, morons, idiots, or whatever you are calling yourselves these days, are running this country into the ground. The Republicans and Democrats are collectively feeding the fools superficial distinctions to argue about and divide themselves as there are continued non-partisan, unified agendas. If you can’t figure that out after the continued and escalated foreign policy from Bush to Obama, then you are not an Obamabot, but a moron, and you deserve the economic depression and deep, dark struggle that awaits you and the rest of us. At least my family and I aren’t so damn naive as to not see what is ahead and prepare accordingly. Good luck and Godspeed!
You Obamabots, libtards, Dumbocrats, morons, idiots, or whatever you are calling yourselves these days, are running this country into the ground.
says the moron who can’t follow simple instructions. keep your luck — methinks you’re gonna need it.
-ABL
Bite the pillow, PP. Just bite the pillow.
I notice that stopthemadness has disable replies to her comments. I guess that just goes to show how afraid she is of actual issue-oriented debate. But that’s probably a good thing. The embarrassment she would suffer with the many, many corrections that are necessary to her misstatements could be emotionally damaging to someone so thin-skinned.
This is ABL. I am also stopthemadness. For whatever reason nesting of threads stops after a certain number of comments. What is this, the third conspiracy theory you’ve floated here? Another stupid statement proffered without bothering to do the slightest research to make sure you know what the fuck it is you’re talking about?
So sad that you don’t have all your bros over here to back you up. I suspect they’re more comfortable in their FireDogEchoChamber.
-ABL and stopthemadness
My “bros”? Don’t need ‘em. Until you people start replacing your pitiable and lame insults with substantive argument, you’re easy enough for one person to handle. Come to think of it, you would be even if you did try to defend your positions on the issues.
Speaking of “substantive arguments” — once again, why would the health insurance and financial industries fight back so hard as they did against the reforms signed by Obama if said reforms were such guaranteed moneymakers for them?
I would like to post this at my blog! I’ve been called an Obamabot as well, usually by people who believe Ronald Reagan was the greatest president of the 20th century.
I will give Leisa full credit, as well as this wonderful blog.
Thanks.
Go for it! :)
This is just what I’ve been talking about, these silly and unproductive posts about who’s politically correct ~within~ the hoped-for ‘big tent’ of the Democratic party.
Absolutely nothing is gained, and certainly nothing is learned with posts like these. The only thing that happens is that the blog sites involved get to reinforce their brand at the expense of calm and rational observation.
To what greater good is it to reinforce the false labeling of others? An ‘Obamabot’ is someone who defends President Obama no matter what. A ‘Firebag’ is someone who denigrates President Obama no matter what. That both of these types of blog sites and writers exist is obvious. I’ve been run out of both. So what? It’s just so much noise in an information environment where already nothing is distinguishable in the din of the media machinery.
So WTF is the point of this, except as I say, blogger branding? And it does appear to work. There are more comments here about how stupid everyone else is than there are following any posts on substantive issues. The downside is that it reinforces a process that fosters superficial political identity groups at the expense of the real world.
“This is just what I’ve been talking about, these silly and unproductive posts about who’s politically correct ~within~ the hoped-for ‘big tent’ of the Democratic party.”
Stephen, you’re working from the assumption that the reflexive “Obama sux!” crowd — the ones who toss around “Obamabot” and “Obamalover” are actually in the “big tent.” Some may grudgingly cast votes for him in 2012 — but many, like Adam Green and Jane Hamsher and Glenn Greenwald — are demonstrably more interested in poisoning the well and lining their own pockets from their “PACs.” So I don’t see the damage in calling them out — particularly when they are constantly put on television as representatives of how “the liberal base” just can’t stand Obama. Which of course has been disproven time and again. So yes, there are more important things to write about — but I too am no longer going to stand by meekly while people who have put far less skin in the political game than I have over the years attempt to denigrate and demagogue the most progressive president in my lifetime.
And not to be picky — but what purpose is served by your taking time to criticize this post, other than to position yourself (or “brand” yourself) as the Reasonable Above-the-Fray Plague-o-Both-Your-Houses Guy? That may not be your intention — but it reads that way a bit to me. You’re not actually legally required to read anything on the internet that you find risible or a waste of time. I’d argue that Leisa and ABL and Emily and Allan ALL have a lot less pull than the Professional Firebagging Ratfucking set, so I applaud their efforts to push back on false narratives.
And also pointing out that I’m pretty good at multi-tasking, so I can push back on false Firebagging narratives AND donate to many worthwhile leftie organizations AND do grassroots organizing. I suspect the same is true of many others here, so it’s not an either-or kind of deal. And really — since the Firebaggers keep touting the “keep them accountable/make them do it” line – they have opened themselves up for being targeted when they engage in Faux News tactics of their own.
Good points (as we continue our discussion). I guess it’s a peeve of mine, good writers going after bad tangents. Actually more than a peeve. It’s part of an overall media criticism actually, and since the independent blogs are where the real game is these days, and where my argument is more likely to be heard, here I am.
First, about the branding. I don’t write for a living. My little blog is so idiosyncratic and not engaged in the ‘fray’, I don’t really expect any traffic there. It’s poor posts are few and far between. I do have sympathy for writers who do have to write for a living (or a partial living), who must turn out product every day, publish or perish. The problem is, whatever we produce has social implications and therefore, we have responsibility. If I am trying to position myself as ‘above the fray’ it’s because I’m trying to actually stay above the fray, because it is the daily fracas that is a big part of the nation’s problem.
Imagine a classroom in which everyone was yelling at each other and calling one another names. Nothing could be learned, or even observed because of the noise and commotion. This is our daily media landscape.
To my mind, reflexively attacking the President or reflexively defending the President is activity that completely misses both the magnitude and the location of our dire problems. Insulting those who do so even more pointless. It is the equivalent of shooting spitballs. (I hope my criticisms here are not seen as personal attacks.)
I grew up captivated each week by two TV issue programs, William Buckley’s “Firing Line” and Studs Terkel’s “Stud’s Place”. Such programs are unimaginable today on the broadcast media. But indies do have the ability to raise the standard of discussion.
You are quite right that I have no obligation to read anything I don’t want to. That’s another part of the problem, people are gathering in tribes that are defined by narrow and closed position sets. It raises the old question “How do people find what they weren’t looking for?” They do it by listening and observing things outside of their self-defined boundaries. That’s called learning, the precursor to wisdom.
And of course bloggers have every right to write what they want and how they want to write it, with or without regard for its social implications. I quit reading FDL on a regular basis because of the snide insults that the writers can’t seem to keep out of their stories, though I do watch their headlines through twitter and rss feeds and other aggregators. When there’s something in a headline suggests something informative, I look at it. I try to separate the dogma from the details. I do the same with every other source and site.
So why did I bother to read and comment on a post headlined “Confessions of an Obamabot”? Maybe I was tired and it was a ‘god damn it’ moment, or maybe it’s something just above the level of a peeve.
I’m a teacher and a journalist, Stephen (though of course I don’t get as free-and-easy in my language in those situations!) What I do think is important is looking at facts — and what I find most infuriating on the anti-Obama crowd, whether Fox News or FDL and its clones, is that they are impervious to facts. Point out that “congressional majority” still means “60 senators to avoid filibuster” and it goes over their heads. Point out that Obama ramping up involvement in Afghanistan is NOT a broken campaign promise, and they’ll screech “Cultist! Obot!” So the larger problem as I see it is not that we’re living in a world where people can expose themselves only to what they want (though that is a problem) — it’s that we live in a world where “opinion” takes precedence over journalism. I think a lot of the writers here have done a lot of work to assuage that — from Allan’s laying out of the Clarence Thomas conflicts-of-interest to Emily continuing thoughtful pieces on Israel. And those are just two examples.
If this blog were nothing but “Jane Hamsher is a moron” day in and day out, I wouldn’t come here. I figured that out during the “put Joe Lieberman in blackface” incident and have found her to be self-serving and truth-impaired ever since. But it’s not. So I think I can understand the anger of people here who are working hard on a wide variety of issues and doing lots of fact-based research (Karoli’s ALEC piece for Crooks and Liars is great — sorry I’m rushed and not dropping links today) whose efforts are rewarded by people doing a whole lot less.
And who are, in fact, creating a lot of harm by continuing the cynical notion that there is no difference between the parties — except for the one that they will build. But first, they just need a LITTLE bit of cash from you in order to run this attack ad. On the GOP? Hell no — we’re going after the REAL enemy! Obama sux!
So yeah — I’m in favor of venting, too. ;)
“Point out that “congressional majority” still means “60 senators to avoid filibuster” ”
Just imagine if the 88th Congress had been as weak-willed and overly accommodating as the 111th. Folks like Angry Clown Lady would still be eating in separate diners, sleeping in separate, substandard hotel rooms while traveling, and attending segregated public schools.
Let ‘em filibuster till the cows come home. Democrats are such pussies.
Hello, Stephen. I believe you missed the point of my little “rant”. I’ll explain.
Those of us called Obamabots DO support the president, but not blindly as you wrote. We know the issues, understand the decisions he’s made, and while we may not agree with them all, we take the time to research the reasons why he’s done/doing what he’s done/doing. That’s not “no matter what”. We’re not “We the sheeple”. We look beyond one or two media sources. And we know that there are other issues at play here that have never been in play before his swearing-in. We consider those, too.
For instance: yesterday, during the debt talks, he reportedly said “Would Ronald Reagan be sitting here?” Almost immediately, a few progressives I know on FB posted how he was referring to the fact Reagan was white. That’s not what he meant and anyone over the mental age of 10 knows he meant the debt ceiling was raised without question 17 times during the Reagan administration. So by me pointing that out to those progressives — that he was NOT playing the race card and never has, even when it would have been justified (the birth certificate thing) — does that mean “no matter what”? Or does it mean I may understand him more than they do?
As for his foreign policy mentioned previous to your post, I’ll say this: just like people looked at his skin color and assumed he was a liberal, people think all Arab countries are the same. They’re not. Arab Spring is different in each country. In fact, it means something different in each cultural branch. Thinking anyone can break down his foreign policy into a few short sentences on a blog is just as ridiculous as thinking the situation in Libya is a mirror reflection of what happened in Egypt.
As for why I wrote this, I’ll respond by asking you to go and read the replies that said people no longer felt “alone” nor part of some ostracized segment of the political discourse world. We have this wonderful ability to communicate and to reach out to others. I thought I’d use it to let people know I embrace the name-calling and ridicule and that I do know the issues and take time to find out the facts instead of listening to a corporate media now starved of the Casey Anthony feeding frenzy and people whose greed has overcome their reason. My attempt at reaching out to others may seem pithy to you, but it doesn’t to me. If you wish to believe you’re “above the fray”, so be it. But responding as you did may lead people to think otherwise. My attempt was to bring people together more, those of us who have been segregated into a tribe by others, not ourselves. We will NOT sit at the back of the bus, silent and smiling and obedient, allowing others to think we’re stupid and uninformed. It’s time we allowed our voices to be heard, not just the screeching and whining from certain lakes and salons.
Thank you for your time.
Leisa Simone
It’s simple: The real battle for our country is not between Democrats and Republicans, but it’s within the Democratic Party itself.
Republicans were forced out of government in large numbers in 2008. But Obama needed them if he was to achieve any kind of success with his neo-liberal (some call it “corporatist”) economic agenda. For that, Obama single-handedly resurrected the Republican Party from the dead during the health care finance debate by moving the debate to the right. In case you don’t remember, he started negotiating from the compromise position, and surrendered even more from there.
The real battle is between the neo-liberals and the progressives in the Democratic Party, which is actually two parties who are absolutely opposed to each other on many core issues. If the neo-liberals win control of the White House, Republicans will be treated as relevant, and Republicans will get what they want on damned near every issue related to the economy and the social safety net. If a progressive wins, Republicans will be ignored as the idiots that they are.
what’s your strategy for getting a progressive in to the white house? does your grand plan include local elections? getting your neighbor to agree that progressive values are better?
top down won’t cut it. you need progressive congress critters. romney would CREAM bernie sanders in a presidential election, and it is absolutely ludicrous to think otherwise.
the battle is not in the Democratic Party, cause you never show up to our meeting, or anything, if you obnoxious blow hards were there yelling at us all and screaming about the president we would literally laugh you out of the room. Unlike most people EIS I’ve been an active member of the democratic party since 1987, by active I mean, I show up to every single monthly meeting we have. We plan, we talk, we run voter registrations, and sometimes like in 2008 we get lots of volunteers, but you all never stick around to help us get stuff done, you are gone after the election. You think the war is in the Democratic Party, because you dont know jack about my party. Period, and that is obvious.
But hey, you all were the same folks who in 2000 were saying Gore=bush, and we all know how that turned out you little piece of shit. You know what Get Bent. You vote for your third party lunatic. but I want you to know something seriously, you are no better than every Ayn Rand cult member I’ve ever met in my life, you believe in some liberal dictator taking over the country, going Galt on us, never making a mistake, being the perfect genius, you rube, shangri-la doesn’t exist except in your black and white mind, one that is so naive you do not understand how the world works. My god, do you know what you sound like, you sound like an Aangry white republican teabagger, coming to set us straight and if we would just do everything you say, the world would be perfect. You sir, are an idiot.
Haha Amen. Another Ivory Tower authoritarian dillattente whose strategy is basically the equivelent of a toddler in a store screaming at the absolute top of his lungs, throwing an epic temper tantrum for no reason whatsoever, at an ear-piercing 120 decibles. Get bent indeed!
Teresa, I have no idea of your status or interests, but based on this thing-of-beauty response, I am proposing marriage.
Hi Kerry Reid, thanks.. I am flattered!
wow you sound so angry I find it hard to believe anyone would be compelled to learn anything from you. how does that help?
Leisa, thank you for what you have written, both in ABL’s repost to this blog and in the comments. I am an Obamabot, and I’m not alone. This is very comforting.
ABL, thank you for bringing Leisa’s words to us. You are top drawer, friend. Keep the fight coming, and your words. Truth is power.
I agree with this post. I’m a progressive, and no, I don’t think Obama was a liberal. We want a great, visionary, change-making leader, I think, after 8 years of Bush, but we’ve forgotten that a lot of power is in the hard of the hard right…and that makes it difficult for Obama to get anything done. Between that and the Blue Dogs, what kind of luck do you think he’d have with a very progressive agenda?
I do think he’s made some mistakes, and I do think he’s been too optimistic in more recent years about bipartisanship. I think he’s doing the best he can with MORE any president in recent history has had stacked against him, from enemies to the economy. My family has personally benefited from things he’s enacted.
The thing that worries me, though, is that Democrats and Progressives may stay home next election…and we may end up in a real bucket of mess for people who are too angry to vote for Obama. In reality, elections are often about choosing the lesser of 2 evils, and this idealistic concept of waiting for the perfect candidate is not just silly, it’s harmful to the country. Let’s hope that the idea of “President Bachmann” will get out the vote in 2012.
Thanks for this. I guess I’m an O-Bot, too (remember, a robot uses reason, not emotion–or greed– to make “decisions”.)
You can call me an “Obamabot”. I will live through it.
He is a calm and sensible man – a major feat in today’s hysterical/hyperventilating/misdirected anger politics. He is only adult in the room.
We are living in hard times and I expect many people to panic. I am glad that the president is keeping his wits. Learn from him.
I applaud you! As someone with progressive ideals, I admit frustration on a few of the political developments. But, as you point out, if we are going to attribute blame for lack of progress, it means recognizing a: The House of Representatives is controlled by the Tea Party/Republicans b: While the Senate has a Democratic Majoriy, it is not filibuster proof. As a consequence, nothing can get past the filibuster happy Republicans. c: Even when there was a Democratic majority in the House, some were moderate or conservative which meant compromises, and smaller steps.
The reality we have real problems that need to be solved. Even if the President was a liberal (which you correctly point out he is not), I would prefer pragmatism over ideological purity any day.
Thanks again for your post!
@EIS, hey you above I hope you read this, cause you need to read what I am about to tell you, listen up if you can.. I just did a blog about how those progressive policies came to be with actual research, including a bibliography.
http://theangriestliberal.com/2011/07/10/our-big-mistake/
You know who Harold LeClair Ickes is? I am sure you don’t but he was in the Roosevelt administration, but he began his political life as a republican and then moved to the Progressive Party because Teddy Roosevelt lead that break away party. Then he was hired by FDR, along with other Progressives at the time, who didn’t sit around and bitch and moan but they got themselves into the government. Jane merely bitches and moans, and is simply trying to build her media empire, which is fine, I have no argument with that, but it is disingenuous for you to imply she makes a difference, in no way does she or her followers make a difference.
Nice try though.
Say it again teresamac. You are on a roll girl.
We’re going to wake up and find there is nothing left because of ideologically constipated “progressives.” These people made the situation worse by sitting out the 2010 election in the heckler section and giving the teabaggers cover. Obama supports all of the things EIS mentioned, but they can’t get Obama the votes in congress to make anything happen. So, yes. He will have to compromise to get anything done. They are bitching and whining about the wrong people, and you aren’t actually helping anyone. Their arrogance and apathy ushered in the “shellacking” of 2010, and the same thing is shaping up for 2012.
Love this blog. I truly believe that our viability as a country (at least a country I’d want to live in) rests on the re-election of Obama and the election of a Democratic congress in 2012. While I don’t necessarily advocate every single thing Obama has done, I’m extremely impressed with how MUCH he HAS done given the intransigence and obstruction of the GOP at every step. I honestly sometimes wonder if some of these so-called “Progressives” aren’t actually undercover GOP operatives.
Signed with appreciation from a fellow “Obamabot.”
Obamabot sounds about as bad as Dittohead. By the way, people thought he was a liberal because of his purposely vague statements meant to satisfy both liberals and moderates. His record in the Senate was decidedly more liberal than his record as president. That is not to say that the president is doing a poor job, but liberals should hold his feet to the fire.
His words were not “purposely vague”, he said who he was but for some reason people chose to project what they wanted on him.
He was not vague when he said progress would be hard.
He was not vague when he said it would be awhile until things turned around – and may not happen in his first term.
He was not vague when he said he would reach across the aisle and talk to people that may not share his opinion.
But for some reason, people did not believe him. They assumesd he was the liberalest liberal liberal EVAH. His record and actions in the Senate are just like in his presidency. Yet some act like he pulled the rabbit hat trick when they are the ones that were looking for magical glitter farting ponies.
You speak the truth TrumpDog. What a lot of BS coming from these whiners.
what a group of unprincipled, ignorant cocksuckers.EIS responded to what might charitably be called unfounded(realistically it was stupid)dogma in the article and the ensuing rambling gibberish from the trained seals commenting – and instead of responding in a rational manner you pieces of shit made ad hominem attacks. Exactly what I’d expect from teabaggers – which is what an obot is, one who is angry but too stupid to inform themselves.
a waaahmbulance will be along forthwith to escort you back to FDL or GOS or whereverthefuck you came from.
ta ta!
Liberals should hold Obama’s “feet to the fire”, like West and his buddy say? Like they held Bush’s feet to the fire? Right. These people can go to hell.
I can’t wait so we can start knocking on doors again for 2012.
My only comment on this is: Watch the Obama deception: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw
Stop being fooled by the false left/right paradigm designed to do exactly what it is doing, making the people fight and argue amongst each other instead of unifying against the global criminal banking cartel that set up the Federal Reserve in 1913 (which is a private bank btw).
You think the president has power? The U.S.A. was hijacked long ago when JFK was killed, everything since has been theater.
Obamabot, Bushbot, Politcalbots of all shapes and sizes, all of them arguing politicians and not politics.
You are the one who is full of bull shit. The question is are you left or right? Whatever you are, you are a liar.
@Richard – If you’re site Alex Jones’ Info War tinfoil hat bull to discredit Obama – you mind as well quote Art Bell’s Kingdom of Nigh for its proof of time travel and aliens. Their both about as credible.
Alex Jones can go blow goats. A total scam artist. That Infowars shit is even more fucked up than Firebaggery.
thank you so much for this. I have to share it too.
I don’t think your definition of an Obamabot is correct. The term was often used during the presidential campaign by both Hillary supporters (PUMA’s)and conservatives. It was basically a term that was used instead of calling someone a “kool-aid drinker”. An Obamabot is “programed” to simply accept anything Obama says and then repeat it. Even more simply put, it’s having blind faith in Obama. Recently the term has also been used among liberals to define what would otherwise be known as an Obama apologist. With any definition there is an implied ignorance or lack of knowledge beyond what one has learned from listening to Obama. A “bot” does not think for itself.
I’m another proud Obot. Thanks so much for posting.
I wonder what you will do when Obama goes home to Chicago next year.
To watch the telecast of his re-election from home?
Celebrate his victory like I did in November 2008. And then celebrate again in January 2013 when he’s sworn in again.
Agreed with That Guy With teh Ponytail
I’ll be celebrating his re-election, and people like you will be on suicide/whining watch
It’s gonna be long time until January 2017. That’s over five whole years! Fortunately you can buy tissues in bulk at Costco.
Leisa, you should post some of these thoughts at commondreams.org. Just peruse the comments posted there: mostly, it’s become a scary outpost for wacky conspiracy theorists (9-11 was a hoax!) and paranoid pessimists (“there is not one iota of difference” between the Democratic and Republican Parties!). Try to suggest the practical approach of campaigning and voting for more leftist politicians to pull the Dem Party back to the left, and one is mocked as being hopelessly brainwashed by The Machine.
When I’ve asked what alternative they suggest, the typical response is that we should just vote for — I’m not making this up — conservative Republicans, because — I’m not making this up, either — that will hasten the coming of the mass Revolution that will tear down the corrupt system we have. And then, supposedly, we can all live happily ever after.
Riiiiight. Talk about living in Bizarro World. I can just see the soccer moms of Iowa and the NASCAR dads of Tennessee rising up en masse against The Man to elect Ralph Nader in 2016, once we’ve succeeded in plunging our country into a feudal-style economic depression under Tea Party leadership. Thanks, but I’ll settle for incremental change, as long as it is consistent change in the right (left) direction.
Sigh. I understand and sympathize with the far left’s frustrations, and I don’t disagree with their frustrations with Obama, who has been very disappointing to me, but I am bemused and demoralized by the counter-productive “solutions” they concoct. A post like yours will get them all riled-up. Which may be a good thing.
Sticks – you’ve just highlighted the issue with the Emo-Progs. If you spent anytime over at Common Dreams at all, you’d think that the Democrats were sacrificing babies to the god Baal because we’re not a Marxist utopia yet.
The Obama Presidency has highlighted what many pragmatic progressives new for a long time, Emo-Progs are bunch of whiny crybabies with little to no political strategy.