You may not like it — or you may not wish to admit it yourself, for whatever reason — but Obama told us early on who he was and who his supporters are.
Believing him was (and still is, even among many “realist” or “pragmatic” “conservatives”) framed as fringe extremism. But the veil is lifting — and in some sense, Obama himself is lifting it.
It’s an ideological gauntlet, and yesterday’s speech was a throwing down of sorts. Deal with it. Habibis.
Oh, good Lord…
John. JOHN!
(smack smack)
WAKE THE FUCK UP JOHN!
Look, I’ll explain it to ya in small words: when your political enemies, the ones who want to spend spend spend and to hell with the consequences, are HELPING YOU ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, it might behoove you to think “Hey, maybe I’m being rolled like a drunken sailor on Saturday night”…
Racists.
I don’t care who Obama is. I only care that our side is riddled with cowards and imbeciles still functioning on the old paradigm where three networks, a couple of newspapers and the Anderson Cooper Loves Cock Channel and their narratives were something to be feared. They should be a lot more scared of us.
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That Joe the Plumber thing still kills me, that it didn’t bring the Obama bus to a screeching halt.
(paraphrasing).
Obama didn’t deny success is punished in his vision for America (protestations that he doesn’t want it notwithstanding), he justifies it with the false premise that others behind Joe will need more government to succeed the way he did, and pretending the effect that fewer will even strive for success, knowing it will be punished, doesn’t happen.
Except when you tax the shit out of cigarettes. That’s just promoting good health.
Good man my ass.
“Everyone will need to work together.”
You do not promote my working with other people by preemptively punishing me. You don’t promote my working with other people by threatening me with punishment for not doing so.
Obama lives in a universe that’s forgotten that carrots ever existed at all. There is no idea of carrot, of anything remotely like carrot, the very hint of carrot. It’s all sticks and more sticks, and anyone who proposes that a carrot might be a better incentive is a madman in the wilderness who needs to be beat with a bigger stick until he shuts up.
Carrots are for closers.
There is no idea of carrot, of anything remotely like carrot, the very hint of carrot. It’s all sticks and more sticks, and anyone who proposes that a carrot might be a better incentive is a madman in the wilderness who needs to be beat with a bigger stick until he shuts up.
That’s not fair. Goldman, GE and the UAW are all living proof that carrots exist, and that they are fantastically yummy. You just have to be the right sort of crowd to deserve such bounty.
ge got the carrot concession
The carrots are in the truck that says “Glue Factory” on the side.
Help yourself.
carrots are good for eyesight.
proggs prefer you don’t look that close.
I’m not a carrot; I’m a mushroom! (Kept in the dark and fed shit.)
Far OUT, J.G. !!! I love how he sounds so thoughtful, so low-key like, just as though he were wondering if his wife and kids should take a 100 million dollar jaunt to the Costa del Sol or just adopt some bitter-clinger orphans from Pennsylvania.
Are there any set of circumstances where realism or pragmatism might be good things, or are they always evil?
Note the quotation marks around “realist” or “pragmatic”. The idea being that some people’s realism and pragmatism, well, isn’t.
What’s the benefit of realism? To see and act in the world as it is. What’s the benefit of pragmatism? Efficacy.
If one lacks those two set of benefits, one might want to reexamine whether or not one is indeed a realist or a pragmatist. Perhaps those words simply sound better than more honest and precise terms.
What if idealism was more effective? Might it not then also be more pragmatic?
What if a bit of cynicism helped one to properly perceive the world as it is? Might in not then also be more realistic?
Or, yeah, maybe Jeff thinks that realism and pragmatism are… ALWAYS EVIL!
You wouldn’t be setting up a strawman now, would you?
What would ever give yu that idea, bh?
Let’s assume you’ve got a couple of daughters, John. And let’s assume I’m approaching your house with the intent to rape both of them, as well as your wife.
Got that? Now, what looks like a reasonable compromise to you? How should we settle this?
I have a whole series of posts about the efficacy of unabashed pragmatism. Do a site search.
Beyond that, see bh’s answer. Which is part and parcel of the argument I made here, and that I believe accurately prefigured this entire GOP rift. See also Pablo’s answer, which while pointed gets right to the nub of my complaint with the GOP establishment.
Finally, let me say this: I think J0hn may be a concern troll. Either that, or mainstream GOP cheerleaders are starting to look that way to me, which is in itself telling.
The Progressive Caucus is bringing their “People’s Budget” to vote today. I read it. Lemme sum it up for you 45-49% tax rates on those evil millionaires and billionaires and spending like you wouldn’t believe.
It would be funny if the caucus didn’t have 80 members. Cause that just makes it sad.
Concern troll. Notice how he disappeared as quick as bh called him out.
I believe Reagan once said that if he proposed something and was able to get 80% of what he asked, he would take the deal. Reagan’s point of view was “80% of a loaf of bread was better than no loaf.”
Efficiently pragmatic.
Boehner is trying to convince us the no loaf of bread is the best deal he could get. In the process, though, Boehner wants us to believe he actually got half a loaf of bread.
The IRS is proposing I write them a check for $4,000 today. Think they’ll take the deal if I offer $3,200?
Thus, I’m more inclined to a “my way or a boot up your ass” attitude with the Potomac Looters.
I think you can wait for Monday, Darth. Either way they get the money.