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Subscribe to RSSThe Los Angeles Times wraps up Obama's fundraising swing yesterday. "President Obama sought to bolster California supporters Thursday by arguing that his administration has achieved a number of key goals, from healthcare reform to tax cuts, while acknowledging that delivering on the promises he made in 2008 has been more difficult than he had expected... The trip was part of an effort by Obama to recharge a political base whose grass-roots supporters helped him win in an initially improbable run for the presidency in 2008. A segment of that base has since grown disenchanted by some of the president's actions, such as supporting increased domestic oil drilling, extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, and declining to close prison facilities at Guantanamo Bay."
A separate LA Times piece notes, "There's a method behind this message: Obama wants to show he understands that core supporters are disillusioned with compromises he's made. He needs to reenergize them for the campaign. Along his motorcade route to the studio lot, a knot of protesters held signs expressing left-wing disenchantment with the president, such as '$ for Jobs & Schools not War.'"
The Las Vegas Sun explains why Nevada -- where the president visited yesterday -- could be difficult for Obama in 2012. "[T]he unemployment rate is higher in Nevada than anywhere else, foreclosures top the charts and state lawmakers are dealing with a $2.5 billion budget hole opened in part by the evaporation of the stimulus money that had helped Nevada limp through the last two years."
"The fact is, the nascent recovery that is taking hold in other parts of the country has yet to sprout here. And that makes this presidential battleground state, which Obama won by 12 points in 2008, difficult terrain to traverse in his newly launched re-election bid."
Where did 'birtherism' come from? Politico delves into the origins of the conspiracy theory.
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The only way he will regain his base ..is end all wars right now.... total waste of taxpayers money ! End the billions we pay out to foreign country's every month ....stop protecting the Saudi Royal family ! Get the Koch brothers in check ! Take back the giveaways to the Pharmaceutical company's..My rx yesterdays was 40.00 in Cuba the same RX is 86 cents ! And how about make the health insurance company's competitive !
It is amazing that you compare our prices with a communist regime, where the government pays for everything.
Better yet, How would you know the cost of drugs in Cuba? Have lifted our bans on them? Or are you just going by internet pricing?
And when you say "take back the giveaways to the pharmaceutical companies" do you also mean the Health Insurance Companies that paid off the Democrats to put into place a mandate that everyone purchase health insurance from a "for profit" company?
I agree. I am liberal/progressive but I won't get fired up until he stops killing Arabs.
Killing ARABS is a good thing because a dead ARAB can't kill us!!! Go Messiah
Jim, don't drink too much Drano before you post.
Hard to get excited about this man. Just not there.
I don't think sending Predator Drones into Libya will excite his base, but I could be wrong.
As far as Obama re-charging his base goes, he should think of his base as a dead battery that won't hold a charge anymore. As soon as a load (responsability) is put on a re-charged dead battery, it just loses it's charge immediately.
I'm sure every Democrat will vote for Obama in 2012, but the question is, can he count on the base to ring doorbells, man phone banks, stuff envelopes for him, and send his campaign their dollars and cents?
I think, when we hear the rhetoric of the right wing demagogue the Republicans will nominate, Democrats will break historic records for Get Out The Vote efforts. I may buy a car just so I can provide rides to the polling places for the elderly and disabled. If the base is disappointed our President extended tax cuts for the wealthy and keeps our troops in Afghanistan, just wait till they hear what the Republicans have planned for us.
Good morning Amy, I'm with you there. President Obama 2012.
I'm all in also. President Obama 2012. Only logical choice to lead this great nation forward. Republicans still taking us backwards into the dark ages. Where families work along side their children in mines for $1 a day on Sunday. A Plutocracy has taken hold in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Florida. The Plotocrats have guaranteed Obama a victory in those states. Where will Republicans lead us if they can? A military state with three full blown wars continuing including boots on ground in Libya to "take his oil". It's all about the oil with Republicans. Remember Cheney? "Deficits don't matter" Cheney and Rove will drive this country into hell regardless of what the campaigning Republican promises. We all know they don't do as they say. We have proof of that in four states.
And you don't think Obama is a demogogue.
I am sure that every word out of our President's mouth has been the actual truth--well, yes, to those who are under his spell.
false claims: Obama is a Muslim, Obama was born in Kenya, Michelle hates America, etc.
popular prejudices: see above
I will help my Messiah through thick and thin so he can gets me more OBAMA money which I like a lot. It beats getting a job!!!
Which GOP candidate has uttered those words?
Outside of Donald Trump--who really is just trying to make himself more money.
Has the recession really ended--not according to you all on this blog.
What is he telling the people with this quote? Is it the government's job to spread the wealth? Wouldn't that be called communism?
Why did he call Congressman Ryan's plan radical? What is his plan? A 7 page outline without numbers?
Telling people that Congressman Ryan wants the elderly to support themselves, or autistic children to support themselves--You are telling me that Congressman Ryan really wants that?
Those are false claims--trying to gain him power. Playing prejudice games. Just like some on here use racism against anyone who disagrees with the President. --Both sides do the same, but to sit here and spew your side of the truth only, Amy, well that is just wrong. And to spew anger because people disagree with you--that is even lower.
You had better start looking in that mirror prior to commenting.
Mission creep. Oops! Send in the drones.
Right Jim,
Don't vote out the hand that feeds you. Make sure you get your full plate of free beans.
Work and pay taxes??? What?? Are you nuts?? This is the American/socialist Gravy Train that never ends. Toot....Toot. All aboard for the Obama giveaways. No tickets needed.
With all the lies, with all his dismal failures, with his constant campaign/vacation mentality, Obama will be easy meat in the coming election. He is like a Jimmie Carter that actually hates America.
Easy meat in 2012.
It's hard to recharge the base, once lost. Independent young voters of the past have not been able to find jobs after college, foreclosures, Libya war, economy stinks, gas prices are up, gitmo is still open, illegals sucking the life out of freebies, etc etc. Future for the young is very bleak, they can't even move out of their parents' home because of the high unemployment. Obama continues to spend and spend and making govt bigger and bigger and nothing even gets better. America has no more money...states are broke. One thing Obama has proved to us, he has a very thuggish methods (closed doors, private audiences). Whatever happened to transparency, hope and change ....Obama has failed us.
I’m not saying that people aren’t intelligent but I am saying that it is stupid and self-defeating to be conned by deceptive appeals and emotional garbage, by dishonest efforts intended to sway people into making choices against their own best interests. People very likely have the intelligence, that is why I am even offering this, but the deceptive appeals to biases, prejudices and attachments, aimed to stimulate fears and emotions, can interfere with objectivity and rational thinking ... unless care is taken. Even when there is the very obvious arrogance, cockiness and over-confidence, often with bazaar presentations, offered by those seeking to achieve the manipulation, it still can be intimidating and persuasive. Unless people recognize the dishonesty, unless they put their own biases, prejudices and emotional attachments aside to prevent being easy prey, they are susceptible to being manipulated.
In the past we have seen the success of the efforts to control voters with the manipulation of the Christian block, with the Swift-boat propaganda and now with the Tea Party movement’s extremes, all initiated, financed and controlled by the same limited interests. Who could rationally doubt the lack of objectivity in the “birthing” argument or in calling Obama “unpatriotic”. There has even been those who accused the president of being too humble in international diplomacy while ignoring that he has significantly raised respect for America after it was driven to an all time low. I suspect that right now there are some who want to react and defend all of those positions but reality says they are just creative and deceptive efforts aimed to control and manipulate public opinion, and that is the point here. Unless people check their emotions and see through those efforts, they are subject to being manipulated and controlled and apt to make emotional decisions which could just be against their best interests - that is what those perpetrating the effort are hoping. When people have a predetermined leaning, an existing bias, then all the manipulators have to do is give them an excuse to be loyal to that bias.
I myself am an ex-long term registered Republican who became greatly disenchanted with their total focus on Special Interests and the select few, arrogantly and stubbornly displayed by Bush-Cheney and, to this day, by the Republican Party. Their irresponsibility and complete concentration on their political ambitions, while being ‘puppets’ for their strong supporters who ‘pull their strings’, has totally alienated me, even while I still believe in several Republican philosophies. But I am not saying people should just follow my political thinking, rather only that everyone should be objective and rational with their emotions and biases checked, and instead of being easily manipulated should recognize and become greatly offended by the efforts that take them for granted, that actually consider them stupid, that seek to control them. When someone is being obviously bazaar or exaggerated or purposely emotional or overly stubborn or even just ‘cute’, then that person’s intent, their honesty should be questioned and our emotions need to be checked. Accomplishing that I would firmly believe we can then make the appropriate decisions in our own best interests.
...does that mean you're a left wing-nut socialist like me who loves OBAMA money??? I thinks it's great not to work and get OBAMA money free!!!
Conservatives go to great lengths with focus groups, PR companies, and think tanks to determine which terminology produces the emotional reactions they want in order to manipulate voters into voting against their own self interest. And it is obvious that they send the results of these efforts to all the faithful and they all go around using the same exact words in their public appearances. Then they jump all over Chuck Schumer in faux outrage when he admits to using the term extreme, in accordance with the Democratic caucus, as if that is not what Republicans have been doing all along. I am always amazed at the projection practiced by conservatives, and their denial that they are doing exactly what they are accusing Dems of doing. It would be highly amusing, if it wasn't so damaging to the country.
I love the Messiah because he gets me more OBAMA money which is a good thing since I don't have nutting!!!
Everybody is pessimistic, but none more so than white middle class working republican voters (like Jim here). They are coming to grips with the reality that they have far more in common with those poor minorities, than the billionaires that are best supported by the policies of the politicians they elect. Many who were getting close to retirement have grown children still in the house and now every single republican house member voted to soon have their sick parents and in laws moving in with them when the medicaid is gone and they can't afford the nursing home. Younger republican voters have teenage kids and the politicians they vote for want to reduce minimum wage below $7 dollars an hour, today that can't buy two gallons of gas. It is depressing to realize you have been sold a bill of goods by the party of "family values" and that you have actually been voting against the long-term interests of your own family. A lot of people have had to come to the realization that they are a layoff, or an illness away from being on the streets. They have been voting for self reliance, individual responsibility, independence, and no government interference which are nice ideals, they just didn't realize the republicans they elected took that literally. They will be on their own. It is hard to realize you have more in common with a family on food stamps than you do with Donald Trump. It is upsetting when they get you all ginned up about deficits, then tell you the solution to the problem you demanded to be solved immediately is to cut from the programs that benefit babies, teenagers, the middle aged, and seniors. But the good news is that we are going to extend tax breaks for the rich so they can create a few, below minimum wage, part time jobs, and we are going to increase war spending so you feel nice and safe and can enjoy all this. Pop a Xanax if you still have medical insurance, then start voting Democratic, and soon you will feel better I promise.
I'm in. I have voted Democrat, every election since 1972, why change now. The alternative is way too stupid, look what we got last year. Campaign promises are just that. I have never seen any candidate who could deliver on all their promises, it is just to hard in this insane political climate. I figure if they deliver on one third to one half of what they promise we are still way ahead. Democrats, liberals, progressives stop the whining. Our goal is not so much re-electing Obama (although that is important) as it is to "take back our government" from these cockroach tea baggers & send them back under the fridge where they belong.
Jimmy...are you a left wing-nut socialist like me? I love OBAMA money...it's like playing Robon Hood!!!
Jimmy that's a very sophisticated view you have there - every time I read thoughtful fact based comments like "cockroach tea baggers" I get more and more excited for 2012! I'm not a member of any Tea Party but as far as i'm concerned I agree with a whole lot more of their positions for this country then I do with the Obama, Reid, Pelosi types...look at the damage these people have done (70% of the country now say we are heading in wrong direction...and we know who's in the driver's seat...) - 2010 was only the 1st step there's much more to come so sit tight those "cockroaches" are just getting started!! Great Job Tea Party keep it up don't let the miserable haters get to you they just know the end of their damage filled reign is coming to an end soon.....
OBAMA, OSAMA he's our man if he can't do it noboby can....yeah for more OBAMA money
The President's "base": MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NY Times, Washington Post.
Progressive Power will rule the 2012 election process! The "Gross Odd People" (GOP), and the "Really Not Competent" (RNC) are going slip more into mental insanity as 2012 approaches. It will be entertaining to watch "Trampy Trump" continue to spew his "Bonehead Birther" lies. The Tea Beggers will continue to march in support of the, very rich, Wall Street Bankers, large corporations, and the large insurance companies. The GOP/RNC will continue to mix cultural/social issues with the economic health of our nation. They will not raise the debt ceiling, and the GOP/RNC will finish what "Brainless Bush" began in 2001. The continuing of the devasting Bush tax cuts for the very rich will continue. Large tax loop holes will grow larger for corporations like the Koch Brothers. The Wall street Bankers will make even larger profits, and the CEO's of the large insurance company are smiling over the "Richie Rich Ryan" Budget of Butchery. Is this what America would like to see occur?? I hope not!
Progressive,
Where in the heck do you libbies get stupid information like you posted above? Is there a site you go to for nasty negatives to spout?
Let's see, Trampy Trump, Bonehead Birther, Tea Beggers march in support of the WS Bankers, GOP/DNC will not raise the debtr ceiling, Bush tax cuts, tax loop holes, Brainless Bush and my favorite, the Koch Brothers. Oh, I forgot, "Budget of Butchery." No there is an original negative statement.
Is MSNBC paying you to be stupid, or are you not paid and just ignorant? The down-right lies you indicate, bless your heart, are nothing more than stupidity from someone from the far left. Oh, that's right, Progressive=Forward. What a joke.
The Progressives are not well thought of by conservatives, and also from folks in the Democratic Party. You do know, that as a small group of one-sided folks, your belief system is about through. When the 2012 vote is near, and if gasoline costs increase along with groceries, then you will see the pocketbook rule the vote, and your progressive party and Obama will be finished.