Monday, December 08, 2008

Memo to Nutroots Bloggers: You Don't Run the Democratic Party

As we've noted a couple of times in recent weeks, it's beginning to dawn on the far left bloggers that their usefulness only goes so far. Clamoring for the change they were promised, they're now close to revolting. Well, actually, they are revolting in the aesthetic sense, of course, but why not give the guy a chance in office first? Isn't that what they demand of us before we dare to criticize Obama?
Liberals are growing increasingly nervous – and some just flat-out angry – that President-elect Barack Obama seems to be stiffing them on Cabinet jobs and policy choices.

Obama has reversed pledges to immediately repeal tax cuts for the wealthy and take on Big Oil. He’s hedged his call for a quick drawdown in Iraq. And he’s stocking his White House with anything but stalwarts of the left.

Now some are shedding a reluctance to puncture the liberal euphoria at being rid of President George W. Bush to say, in effect, that the new boss looks like the old boss.

“He has confirmed what our suspicions were by surrounding himself with a centrist to right cabinet. But we do hope that before it's all over we can get at least one authentic progressive appointment,” said Tim Carpenter, national director of the Progressive Democrats of America.

OpenLeft blogger Chris Bowers went so far as to issue this plaintive plea: “Isn't there ever a point when we can get an actual Democratic administration?”

Even supporters make clear they’re on the lookout for backsliding. “There’s a concern that he keep his basic promises and people are going to watch him,” said Roger Hickey, a co-founder of Campaign for America’s Future.
Seriously, Obama doesn't have a thing to worry about with these people. They're not going anywhere and any attempt at fielding a far left candidate to their liking (think Dennis Kucinich) to challenge Obama in 2012 will leave them out in the cold.

Where they belong.
There don't seem to be any liberals in Obama's cabinet,” writes John Aravosis, the editor of Americablog.com. “What does all of this mean for Obama's policies, and just as important, Obama Supreme Court announcements?”
Who the hell appointed John Aravosis king-maker of the Democratic Party? Is this guy so far out in left field he can't realize that, for example, Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson, to name two, are liberals?
This isn’t the first liberal letdown over Obama, who promptly angered the left after winning the Democratic primary by announcing he backed a compromise that would allow warrantless wiretapping on U.S. soil to continue.
Not the first meltdown, and sure not to be the last. It's pretty clear based on their behavior they're deservedly on the outer fringe of the party and Obama is wise to avoid their advice.
Case in point: One of the Campaign for America’s Future blogs commented on Obama’s decision not to tax oil companies’ windfall profits saying, “Between this move and the move to wait to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, it seems like the Obama team is buying into the right-wing frame that raising any taxes - even those on the richest citizens and wealthiest corporations - is bad for the economy.”
Which it is. But sending the American economy is just fine with them so long as they get to stick it to the evil rich right-wingers.

Grow up, kids. Enjoy the fact you have a Democrat in the White House and please, just shut up for five minutes.

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