Psss---White House, I know you're monitoring DU.... Click on my thread, I've got something to say...

You're probably a White House Intern, or maybe even a low paid staff member, and your sole job is to Monitor the Nets to see what is being said about your Boss and his administration.

You've been assigned a couple of sites to watch over and DU is one of them. You may have asked, why DU? Well--- with close to 180,000 registered users and about 100,000 unique visitors a day, it's not a bad site to get a vibe on what your base is thinking.

DU is simply one of the biggest Progressive sites on the internets and it would be wise to monitor how we are thinking.

The last couple of days have been busy eh?

Question: Does your management staff warn you before they launch their trial balloons?

Such as: OK---we're going to launch a Social Security and Medicare balloon that will indicate that the President is open to cuts in the programs.

How did that go for you? Were you and your fellow monitoring interns shocked at the response? Have you ever seen a response like it?

I monitor progressive sites as well--- pretty much all of them. Honestly in all the years that I've clicked on these sites, I've never seen a trial balloon like this one get shot down as quick. Actually shot down is a bit mild-----more like napalmed.

Now I'm pretty sure you and your fellow interns and staff members are recent college graduates---most likely Political Science Majors... and you're pretty dang smart.

My hope is that your team digested what you observed and provided a pants on fire warning to your chain of command that touching the 3rd rail of politics will do exactly what a 3rd rail will do..... ZAP!

I think you did that because the next day Press Secretary Jay Carney was sputtering like a Ford Edsel when asked if SS and Medicare will be cut.

In closing--- keep up the good work and continue to pay attention to sites like Democratic Underground--- remember, we are your Base.

Yours truly,

trumad

"remember, we WERE your base." But if you don't dance with the ones that brung ya, fuck ya.

No vote for you!

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and if they don't dance, they're no friends of mine"

:thumbsup:

Those swing voters are moderate conservatives.

What progressives think about it is pretty obvious. You don't need to pay a staffer to monitor the internet to figure out what the opinion of the left is going to be.

What they need to be concerned with is how the moderate conservatives who got Obama elected feel about it. And I don't think they're hanging out here.

After all, where ya gonna go?

I'm so sick of "half a loaf" ...

Bake

Enough of the democrats will turn out in blue states, he will win those no matter what.
There isn't anything he can do to lose the blue states.

mostly progressive or right wing.---although Huff Post is getting close.

I think you're right...but I also think they certainly pay close attention to Progressives.

"independent" which I've found to usually mean conservative but without wanting to associate with republicans or being tied down to any party. Think Bill O'Reilly for example.

Somehow I doubt that! The polls I've seen say even hard-core pukes are against cutting those programs!

This has to be one of the most foolish ideas the Obama administration has tossed out there. Republicans are doing everything within their power to make sure the economy doesn't bounce back, for political reasons of course. If the Obama administration insist on these cuts, they will be helping them.

Seriously?

Independent voters is low information voters. Any one checking 'independent', 'declined to state' or whatever your state calls it, is a low information voter too lazy to be involved in the process until Tuesday morning as they leave for work. They grab the last postcard voter guide they received as they walk out the door to vote. Center right moderate is giving them waaaay too much credit.

I once looked at the person and voted for the best candidate, after what the Repubs did to Pres. Clinton I said I will never vote for a Repub again and I haven't. I have move to the independent category because Dems no longer represent me. If I don't see this President start standing up for the the things I represent I will not vote for him. If other Dems don't move back to the left I will not be voting for them either. The Dems are in a crisis and may soon be a dead party.

....but if you know the democratic party is too far right for you, maybe you're actually a progressive.

At least, it would seem your views are likely to correspond with those calling themselves progressives.

The media would have us think that Independents and swing voters are the same thing.

...have painted the "center" far right of where it actually is.

Actually an Independent is just an independent - no real affiliations. Some are liberal and some are conservative. There is no Independent Party.

First of all I'm VERY much informed. I will never align myself with a party who doesn't value the same things that I value, which is why I remain an Independent. Bernie Sanders is one of the most kickass politicians out there right now, talking the talk and walking the walk. Your generalizations of independent voters is way off base.

he has to have to win. The 'swing state moderates', all 12 of them, do not favor cutting these programs. Look it up.
Anytime a politician or their supporters believe they will 'win no matter what' they are playing a silly game that is, typically in Obamaland, faith based, all about 'belief' in seeing the future. Back in 08, I remember this DUer defending McClurkin who said the GLBT vote did not really matter anymore, because Obama had strong new support from the 'faith community' and also from 'Obamacans' who were alleged Republicans who support Obama. Yeah, we've seen those Obamacans in action alright. I think the 'swing state center right moderates' are like the 'Obamacans' a strange construct that in the end does not show up to make phone calls.

Very much on the contrary, he will most certainly have democratic votes in the same blue states that vote democratic every year, year after year, no matter what. There's actually loads of those people on this forum. I'm guessing you're one of them. You vote dem because it's all you've ever done. Right? You wouldn't vote for a republican. You might not vote. The same reason people vote republican in red states. The election hinges however, on the states that can go either way. Whether the voters in those states want cuts to these programs, I don't know. My point was if the whitehouse is going to take the temperature of any group of voters, it's going to be the people in those states.

Not the left wing "effing ret*rds" as the Obama administration has put it.

They are "swing" voters, if they vote at all.

They are "Reagan Democrats" and "Yuppies".

Obama's "base" consists of Progressives, Union Members,
African Americans and "peaceniks".

THOSE are the Democrats that swung the primary election
away from Clinton. THEY are his "base".

The rest just clambered along for the ride.

with the Repukes to get the votes of the right of center.

Look at the difference between voting results for Obama in 08 and Bennet in 12.

Bennet lost a bunch of the progressive Democratic base who sat out on him and barely squeaked by.

But the progressive base is getting more and more ticked. So, you center-right moderates may show up, but without the progressives, I hope you enjoy what you've turned the Republican Party into because that's what you'll get.

Guarantee.

It might be too late already. And maybe that was the goal all along. Above all we must obey the corporate agenda.

If Obama's base was center right moderates he would have lost the election in 2008. On most important key issues that nation as a whole isn't "center-right". THIS is the nation, right here:

...'Republicans'.

You are claiming that Obama's base are republicans. Your fucking joking, right?

Right now, we're getting the shitty end-crust.

The change of tone the next day from the White House is because Progressives yelled---oh fuck no!

yelled of fuck no.

They barely pay attention.

calculations - how many will just stay home this time because they are disappointed with the conservative policies? All this chasing after swing voters could be canceled out by losing some Democrats.

In the reliably blue states, Obama could end medicare, start a new world war, and tax the middle income earners a 100% while letting the rich pay zero and those states would still turn blue.

But if too many stay home in the swing states then yeah, those states will turn red.

who let this great country go down the tubes. That may be the only solution is to let them have it all and watch our country fold. The President needs to stand up and tell it like it is unless he wants this outcome. He needs to say who is pushing him around. Say that we raise the debt ceiling yearly and in the past nothing has been attached. Say that fascism is taking over our country. Say that our government is bought and paid for by the wealthy. Say that the Supreme Court is legislating from the bench. Say that we need to end tax breaks for those that don't need it. Say that we need jobs bills that really do create jobs. Say that he is going to protect jobs from going overseas. I could go on but you all get the point. Taking to the air waves, being an FDR type President is his only hope if he wants re-election.

more I hear him repeating GOP talking points, like 'uncertainty is stalling economic recovery'.

Sadly, I think that instead of shaking up the system and attempting real change, Obama decided early on to just use band aids to avert catastrophies.

voters and young people -- non-traditional, first-time, and discouraged voters, not independents -- who didn't turn out again. VA is about as purple and swingy a state as you can get.

These are the very people who will be most predictably discouraged by Obama's turn to the right and cuts to core social programs.

At this rate, '12 is going to be a disaster for Dems in swing states.

nm

In Virginia, at least, it was progressives who did the GOTV that got Obama and other Democrats elected. The voters we turned out on '08 tended to have much more liberal than average views on issues, but are largely discouraged and younger voters, 400,000 of whom did not turn out again in '10. That was the margin of victory for the GOP who did return in just about the same numbers.

Hopefully that's more clear now.

People like Tim Kaine, Mark Warner and Terry McDumbass are the "best" they can do.

Northern Virginia is controlled by the CIA and the Military Industrial Complex, Southern Virginia is controlled by the Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell wackjobs.

It is not a Democratic state, and probably never will be until one or both of the previously mentioned cancers are destroyed.

Many of the people who are left of the Democratic Party have refused to vote for years. They will only turn out to vote if you offer them something to vote for. To automatically decide that people who are neither Democrats nor Republicans are centrists is a huge mistake. Among the Socialists, Anarchist and Syndicalists that I know personally few vote because to them being a Democrat is like being Republican only a little nicer when it doesn't cost them much. Then there are many who gave up on government a long time ago. I have always voted since 1970, but I often wonder why myself.
One of my congressmen who got reelected in a swing district (barely) went over the election results with a fine tooth comb and realized that the Republican vote hadn't changed, but the lower Dem turn out is what caused the Republican shift. Blaming the voters is like an actor blaming the audience for a bad performance. The way HCR was done was enough to turn off many, not to mention the economic team of Geitner and Summers. I could go on , but I think most people realize that this administration has been an epic fail economically and politically. They've dithered away their chances. The first rule of the Presidency is that you must use your political capital while you have it because it always goes down the longer you stay in office.

Obama capitulated to Republicans on extending the Bush tax cuts. That was only one issue, there are several. I voted but I had no ENTHUSIASM.

I believe cutting FICA taxes, extending the Bush tax cuts and no public option was calculated to provide the Administration with a legislative climate that would make the corporate agenda easier. "Oh, we had to do it, the Republicans were going to cause the U.S. to default." In my opinion Obama and his 'group' did not want to preserve a majority in the house and senate. Sorry if that steps on any toes and upsets the sensibilities but that is the only real satisfactory explanation.

do it without them.

I would argue those people will still be there.

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I may or may not vote for Obama depending on my options. I am hoping for a Primary regardless.

I always phone bank, usually block walk and human billboard GOTV usually both rush hours. That's from before 6am to after 7pm in the trenches and that is just what I do election day, not counting the rest of the season.

I can tell you now, I'm unlikely to do that for Obama at this stage of the game- not after endless escalating wars, no public option and now, social security, medicare and medicaid on the table.
None of that was what I worked for.

I am not alone in my stance.

I know a handful of people who volunteered last time. They had planned to again up until the last few weeks. Nearly every one is fuming mad right now and feel the way I do---Social Security is the line in the sand you do not cross.

I don't put much stock in anecdotal posts from those who are obviously intent on seeing the Democrats lose the Presidency next year.

I'm in one hell of a red state and the emails and phone calls have already gone out to the same folks I worked with in 2008. Not one single person declined to volunteer next year.

But then there are those that won't put much stock in anecdotal posts from this lifelong Democrat who has supported Obama from day one. I have exchanged emails, phone calls and snail mails with the White House whenever I felt pressure was needed.

The self defeating diatribes that I read here everyday are just beyond my comprehension. We rail against Republicans who vote against their own interest all the time. Not a habit I intend to pick up.

activists and liberals wouldn't have worked their asses off in the Iowa caucuses, period!

those people will still be there.
And if they aren't there's a new generation of people to recruit to do it.

were the ones who put Obama on the map. It's that simple. If he didn't get the credibility he needed coming out of Iowa. The so called moderates preferred Hillary Clinton during the primaries. The first people who noticed him to begin with were considered the left of the Democratic party.

He's officially on the map now. He's doing precisely what the republicans and corporations and the wealthy and the bankers want. Maybe some of those corportions will help fund his re-election now.

could be for him, for not. HIS Choice.

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The left was with Edwards as long as he was in the race.

I'd say it split between Hillary and Obama after Edwards dropped out.

Obama's real base was "limosine liberals" plus a large number of young and first-time voters.

There are always more where they came from.

Unfortunately that next generation that they are so eager to take for granted are out of work, online, and pissed off. They already don't trust politicians and after the turning of the screw from the dem admin, they might not be bending over waiting for the next politician to use them.

I live in the middle of the I-4 corridor (the swing area of the largest and probably the most important swing state of Florida), people here are not happy. The President might luck-out because people hate Rick Scott so much and get the votes but the vibe here is nothing like 2008.

I am a member of my local DEC, Democratic Women's Club, and the Young Dems so I interact with the door knockers frequently.

Do you have any proof of this? How do you know? Did you talk to all of them?

swing states.

I remember it from a few years back.
I am generalizing, and not trying to proof something in a court of law.

A lot of people who don't usually turn out for the vote turned out in 2008. Why? Because we truly believed that Obama was a different kind of politician and we told people so. His campaign did give us hope that things could change in Washington. We worked hard to GOTV. There is no way that effort will be duplicated in 2012. It can't. The hope is gone.

Far fewer voters will participate in 2012, and that usually doesn't bode well for Democrats. He still has a good chance because he's very well financed. The big players know that he's been doing a good job for them. Add to his financial backing that the opposition doesn't seem to have a viable candidate in the field, and the odds favor his reelection.

But the boneheaded move of putting Social Security on the table won't improve his chances. The only thing he's got going for him is that he's not as bad as the other guys. Look at the other guys. It would be hard to be worse.

I'm merely saying that per OP, the whitehouse need not be concerned with librulz in california or ny. Those states will re-elect him. They need to be taking the temperature of the people in the swing states.

I think you are VASTLY underestimating the degree of disappointment among the left. And CA and NY are not bastions of conservadems. He could well lose those states - particularly if he fucks with SS and medicare.

I think you are VASTLY overestimating the disappointment among the left. Obama is at 90% job approval amongst liberals.

Please step outside of DU for a few days. This "Used To Be DemocraticUnderground" has become infested with drama llamas, hand wringers and propaganda trolls. Instead of this site being used for activism and solidarity, it's turned into a huge sucking void designed to discourage enthusiasm and promote the eating of our own.

Are you really trying to sell the notion that CA and NY are going to turn red next year? That is so beyond anything resembling reality that it fits right in at the new DU.

red than the reliably red states have of turning blue from the pleasure of having obama make those cuts.

You know in theory, if these cuts are so coveted by republicans, then by cutting these programs, Obama will have done more in cutting than the last 3 republicans presidents so that means the rightwingers in my state should re-elect him.

Of course voters have short memories.
And Obama has many an opportunity for a make-up speech with the left.

Okay, let's see how that works out for them.

Btw, I do agree that they don't care about the base. That's because they are not what they presented themselves to be. Thanks for confirming.

Why would they be monitoring Democratic sites them? Maybe because they WANT to get the base upset, it's all just a game to them anyhow. And they can boast to their real friends, the Rightwing Republicans whose opinions they clearly care so much more about, that they 'got those nasty liberals all upset again'.

The problem with that is, these are the ordinary people, the workers, the American people they are taking so lightly, as you probably correctly point out.

What I'm not sure of is exactly what point you are making. Did you think WE thought they cared about the American people, SINCE about one year ago? And why do you think that NOT caring about the American people is something for them to boast about?

clearly you believe that the progressive vote isn't needed. oh sure, the progressives will be scapegoated like they were in 2010, despite the fact the liberal candidates won their elections while the republican-like blue dawgs were sent packing.

when the base is so fucking furious that we stay home? But, nice regurgitation of conventional "wisdom," though.

The "Waaa! Waaa! Waa! Then the Republican will win!" argument only works so many times. Frankly, a Bachmann presidency does not scare me that much. Weather she knows it or not, she is owned by the corporations, just like Obama. Only when Obama is defeated, will corporations acknowledge they need to rebuild the middle class so we can buy their products.

Obama is too stupid to realize that the Republicans do not have the same goal in negotiations that he does. He is trying to govern, trying to do the best things for the country. Republicans have only one goal, destroy Obama.

What am I supposed to afraid of with Bachmann? That she'll try to kill Medicare and slash social security? Or that she'll continue the wars? Or that she'll allow 15,000,000 Americans to remain unemployed?
Obama has already done all that.
I am no longer afraid.
I am just really f#cking angry.

want SS touched.

If that was true, explain 2010.

Unemployment. Little discernable improvement in the economy. Plus, huge media coverage of stupid Tea Party rallies.

When you've got only a two-party system, there's not a lot of places for disillusioned voters to go.

a lot of progressives volunteered for Obama and donated to Obama in addition to voting for Obama. People who are on the fence might vote, but I doubt they'd do all three.

Good luck with President Bachman.

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and going door to door. It wasnt the fucking moderates.

independents and even a lot of Republicans do not want cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

The cuts are a loser across the board. No way. People paid into the system and really are entitled to the benefits -- and not benefits lowered by changes to the system for determining COLAs.

The inflation rate for COLAs for seniors should be determined based on the things seniors buy -- like food, medication, utilities, transportation.

to see an immediate improvement in the economy they would stop with all these depressing discussions of cutting "entitlements". They would increase SS, not cut it.

The thing about conservatives is that they always "feel" farther left than they really are.

on their own--WITHOUT the progressive vote this time. Good luck with that.

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:rofl:

:spray:

But you have to give it to them... they are consistenly on message and a very good advocate for the cause.

and pitch maker to the rubes.

who are reading:

RAISE TAXES ON THE RICH. END THE WARS.


You're welcome.

I don't know how anyone who claims to be a Democrat can ignore it. :(

But, ideologically, they are opposed to this.

Otherwise we're in for a bumpy ride.

nt

:rofl:

They're terribly stupid if they don't, but I've seen some incredible stupid stuff come from this WH.

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That's the truth right there. And just because I think this is cool:

Needs to get their ego under control! :rofl:

Or just land already.

have real hard trouble with posts like this....

Read it again... You don't think the white house doesn't monitor the nets for opinion? You don't think they monitor progressive web sites.

If you don't think that you're a Moran.

They also take it with the weight it deserves. For instance, they will know that a few people can make a message board look as if it supports one thing.

Would they not also monitor right wing boards? They will have a different perspective.

By now, it is likely they don't waste their time. There are millions of boards that anyone can post on.

I hope our own administration is not
more tone-deaf than the pubbies.

:patriot:

thanks....

you were right on!

One of the top 5 OPs of the week.

If the white house has anyone monitoring various liberal web sites it would literally be impossible for them to not see how unpopular this "trial balloon" of theirs is.

:rofl: and a :toast:

Tell your boss that spending 600+ billion on the MIC is a major mistake.

:evilgrin:

want cuts to social security and medicare.

Thanks prez, for nothing, again.

and how he put his "WAR BUDGET" under the wire under cover of "They Hate Us for Our Freedoms."

Thom was on a ROLL! I kept wondering WHY our Democrats NEVER FRAME ISSUES so average Americans can Understand...and Thom said: "I wrote a book about Framing Issues"...and "I wonder why they didn't read it."

:shrug:

He understands that the discussions and explanations must be in the simplest and most easily understood terms. "We have to fight them there, so we don't have to fight them here." I mean, how fucking stupid is that? "Them" don't even have a fleet of motor boats. "Them" don't even have a banner to fight under. You would have to be a brain dead idiot to believe it. But it was tailored to the audience so it was effective. Embarrassing but effective.

Put Thom in charge of policy and communication.

Dems will get the blame.

Obama appointed Simpson and Bowles. It wasn't as if he thought they would be unbiased in their assessment of social security and medicare.

Your job and mine is to salute and take orders. They think we have nowhere else to go.

against his "base."

He has not called one single bluff of the GOP's. Believe me they better be bluffing on the debt ceiling, unless they want very bad press. I know we have pure propaganda, all the time, but even that crap couldn't beat a few well placed ads. IMO, (and I postponed this decision until very recently) President Obama is a COMPLETE SELL OUT. He must, at the very least be "primaried" and my dream is that it will be against Bernie Sanders. He would be a GREAT PRESIDENT.

Republican state senators in Illinois.

...the left one. The right one veers off the cliff into a Somalia-like economy. Driving on the median is a great way to wreck as well as the cliff... just slower and with less of a fireball.


Listen to Bernie Sanders while there is still time. Get Dr. Ravi Batra as your economic adviser, again while there is still time.

I'm sorry, but I am a long-time DU'er and it has changed dramatically in the past few years. I think that the DU membership may be somewhat representative, but most of the membership has been "drowned out" by a few constant "loud" posters who are not representative of the membership as a whole.

If you don't believe me, compare what you see posted on DU to national polls. There is a huge disconnect between what you see posted on DU and the majority opinions of Progressives/Liberals.

The 'people' are right there with us on most key issues. On medicare, social security, the wars, on collective bargaining and on increasing taxes on the wealthy and corporations. So where is this huge disconnect you speak of?

There ain't no disconnect when it comes to these issues.

DU and the "base" has gotten pissed about wars, Bush tax cuts, health insurance windfalls, "walking shoes", and on and on, and the president's response has been to lurch farther toward Boner every time.

:wtf:

I don't know if I should take your post as a joke, or that you are really serious about that

Think they like to be ignorant about what's happening on political sites on the Internet?

that is all...maybe someone will read it, but it would be the equivalent of skipping over a news story on the front page of MSN that you don't particularly give a shit about, and moving on to something that actually catches your eye...

sorry you don't seem to grasp that

upon which do you base your belief that the White House DOESN'T monitor DU?

POST A LINK!!@!#!$ I DON'TT TRUST YOUR SOURCES!!!!@@!@

That's just my opinion.

or the HFCS threads? and honestly take this board seriously?

I would be more of a chance they do than not.

He has clearly chosen to woo the middle, the old-Republicans (otherwise known as the New-Democrats, the Third Way, Blue Dogs, DLC/Koch, etc). In fact, if he evens give the slightest hint he supports progressive values, he runs the risk of losing middle right votes.

to whom the "Old Repubs" appeal are probably disproportionately in the age groups who're looking forward to Social Security and Medicare, if they're not already in these programs. Few of them can afford to make it on their own past 65. I think this issue will play out differentlly than the others Obama has disappointed us on. Of course if there's no media voice disputing his claims that he's "saving" SS & Medicare by cutting them, that might go differently.

The "New Dem" Base is Goldman Sachs, the TBTF's, Third Way/DLC, and that freak-show Fundy religious cult "The Family" that sits on C Street behind the WH. We're dead to these "New Democrats," just so much detritis to be sloughed off.

Looking at the decision making track record thus far should tell you that much.

I wish.

and change my vote. Every action has an equal but opposite reaction. Simple physics.

We are the fringe of the Democrats. We matter little.

Until we stop voting for those who don't listen.

That is going to happen in my house hold. We have 4 voters watching what happens next.

If voting made a difference it would be illegal.

From me: what flavor of oppression would you like?

and find that those who say the White House doesn't monitor the nets are the foolish ones.

Are you seriously telling me the White House doesn't monitor Progressive sites like DU?