http://www.notnews.org/policy/obama-and-the-audacity-of-hope.html Philosophy, public affairs and pop culture. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:01:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 http://www.notnews.org/policy/obama-and-the-audacity-of-hope.html#comment-130 Dave Thomer Wed, 07 Jun 2006 18:29:47 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=134#comment-130 Well, I'm one of those folks who think that the Democratic Party does have a platform, but no one pays any attention to it in favor of occasionally finding a Democrat who opposes the Republican right. (And on several occasions, I kinda wish there had been more knee-jerk opposition, but that's neither here nor there.) The fact that Democrats can't put any legislation on the floor in Congress and don't have the White House as a bully pulpit means they're pretty much stuck playing opposition politics. But Democrats including John Kerry, Jack Murtha, Wes Clark and Russ Feingold have offered different proposals for handling Iraq. Ted Kennedy has made proposals on the immigration issues (and John McCain has worked with him on those). I know Democrats have tried to get a minimum wage hike onto the floor for years. Even Obama's proposal to assist American car manufacturers with their health care costs in exchange for increased inventment in fuel efficient vehicles hasn't gotten much traction because Obama can't do a whole lot to push it other than talk about it. Well, I’m one of those folks who think that the Democratic Party does have a platform, but no one pays any attention to it in favor of occasionally finding a Democrat who opposes the Republican right. (And on several occasions, I kinda wish there had been more knee-jerk opposition, but that’s neither here nor there.) The fact that Democrats can’t put any legislation on the floor in Congress and don’t have the White House as a bully pulpit means they’re pretty much stuck playing opposition politics. But Democrats including John Kerry, Jack Murtha, Wes Clark and Russ Feingold have offered different proposals for handling Iraq. Ted Kennedy has made proposals on the immigration issues (and John McCain has worked with him on those). I know Democrats have tried to get a minimum wage hike onto the floor for years. Even Obama’s proposal to assist American car manufacturers with their health care costs in exchange for increased inventment in fuel efficient vehicles hasn’t gotten much traction because Obama can’t do a whole lot to push it other than talk about it.

]]> http://www.notnews.org/policy/obama-and-the-audacity-of-hope.html#comment-122 Earl Green Sat, 27 May 2006 10:18:00 +0000 http://www.notnews.org/?p=134#comment-122 I forget what magazine I was reading today while I was in a little coffee shop sucking down a strawberry-banana smoothie, but there was a guest editorial that says that the Democratic Party has to find a real platform that doesn't just consist of knee-jerk reactions to the Republican right. That statement, I realized suddenly, neatly nailed what's been fueling my feeling of being politically between the devil and the deep blue sea for the past several years. And I believe Obama gets that. (He's not the only one, to be sure, but he may well be the most visible.) I forget what magazine I was reading today while I was in a little coffee shop sucking down a strawberry-banana smoothie, but there was a guest editorial that says that the Democratic Party has to find a real platform that doesn’t just consist of knee-jerk reactions to the Republican right. That statement, I realized suddenly, neatly nailed what’s been fueling my feeling of being politically between the devil and the deep blue sea for the past several years. And I believe Obama gets that. (He’s not the only one, to be sure, but he may well be the most visible.)

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