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Posted: September 29, 2010 10:53 PM

Arianna appeared on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" Wednesday night to discuss Democrats running from their own party and platform in their reelection campaigns.

President Barack Obama's choice to attack the disaffected liberal wing of his party, as opposed to the conservative Democrats who are ostensibly defeating or watering down his initiatives, just weakens his image further, Arianna told Maddow.

"Maybe progressives and the middle class need to sort of face up to the fact that the President is not that much into them, that he would rather hang out with Larry Summers, or flirt with Olympia Snowe, or play wargames late into the night with General Petraeus," she said. "He has compromised his own arch-narrative. Remember, he set up a deficit commission before he set up a jobs commission."

WATCH:

 
Arianna appeared on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" Wednesday night to discuss Democrats running from their own party and platform in their reelection campaigns. President Barack Obama's choice to...
Arianna appeared on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" Wednesday night to discuss Democrats running from their own party and platform in their reelection campaigns. President Barack Obama's choice to...
 
 
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12:51 PM on 11/19/2010
a Coffee party! RAaaaaaaH! Make mine columbian!
02:41 AM on 10/04/2010
Third World America is a catchy title for a deadly serious trend that crosses all party lines. It is clear what policies are pushing this nation to the brink. Focusing on the minutiae of party politics only serves to obscure this clarity and deflect the focus. Defense spending and corporate concessions are devouring our resources and putting little back in to fuel real growth except nebulous posturing about keeping us safe and defending free markets. These two insatiable parasites have managed to get on a socialist drip while the rest of us, the ones paying for the pleasure of being sucked dry, are expected to give up all government support because its "socialist".
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
cliffhammond
Onward through the fog!
11:50 PM on 10/02/2010
Speaking of no consequences, I'm surprised they didn't mention Joe Lieberman.
09:15 AM on 10/02/2010
Late comment, but ... Wow. Someone gets it. Amazing. But the 1 thing centrist democrats have in common with conservatives is that they both plug their ears and say, "LALALALALA I'M NOT LISTENING." That seems to be the rhetoric all around as of late. Maybe it's time we liberals form a ... uhhh.... Coffee Party?
*sigh*
01:15 PM on 10/01/2010
Question for Arianna.

The Conservative/Regressive/GOTP media empire has by far the most viewers and listeners. Thus they have the first rule of propaganda on their side: Say something 1000X to enough people and it will start sounding like it is true, even if it isn't. Any alternate train of thought from Progressives, or even from Congress or the president, is working within the context of, and against the background of, the constantly repeated messages from folks like Limbaugh, Palin & Beck. And working against the background of the power of the lobbyists & Special Interest Campaign contributions.

Arianna, are you willing to expand your media empire enough & to research how to get ratings up by getting enough eyeballs to your site (and enough audience for your radio and TV stations if you start some), so that the Progressive message can have a chance of being heard rather than lost?

This is particularly important because of the GOTP's abilities 1) to destabilize feelings states of inner calmness & thus to disrupt coherent thinking, which can not take place during a state of emotional turmoil, & 2) to pander so well to people's vices that they begin to think they are virtues. In addition to being highly satisfying & self-esteem building in the short term, catering to people's vices makes them like you & feel loyal to your party/movement. When these GOTP folks do this, they are also role modeling such behaviors and causing them to spread like wildfire across the
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sbrannon
thinker, photojournalist, humanitarian
01:13 PM on 10/01/2010
That is all we need is for the Democrats to fight with each other, to vote against the party, to block laws getting past to better our country...so in the next election the Republicans will win, and we will end up following the same grand problems we did under the Bush Administration.
Does anyone really care anymore about the people in this country? The loss of the middle class that is happening before my very eyes?
In reality, who cares who is who, but I do care how are we going to go about stopping all this bickering in our own parties.
01:06 PM on 10/01/2010
Maybe she should as why they are doing this, they are right this time. Obama's healthcare plan is real bad and no not like Canadian care at all.
06:10 PM on 10/01/2010
Obama's health care plan may not be perfect, but it is a start and vastly better than the what we have had. If want to better heath care, you will never get it by sitting out this election or voting for Tea Party/Republican candidates.
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Nelle
bah-weep-grahna-weep-ninny-bon
12:29 PM on 10/01/2010
Hey, calling all progressives. We didn't get the public option, we didn't see significant anti-derivatives legislation, we didn't get a strong energy bill or environmental legislation, we didn't get support for gay marriage, we didn't get an end to DADT, we didn't get a shut down of Gitmo, we didn't get a draw down in Afghanistan, we didn't see a total pullout in Iraq, we didn't get strong support for building the so-called "Ground Zero Mosque" near the ground zero site.....all this (and more), and the President (whom I voted for) is shocked, SHOCKED,by our lack of enthusiasm and our unwillingness to go along with Republican-lite legislation? Hmm, I wonder why? Could anyone from the "professional left" or, for that matter, the amateur left figure that out for me please?
06:06 PM on 10/01/2010
Change, especially with Republican obstruction, does not happen easily or quickly. You complain as if nothing good happened at all. You may be easily discouraged and lack enthusiasm, but I am amazed that Obama has been able to get as much done as he has given the level of obstruction he has had to deal with. Instead of complaining, get out there and help do something.
05:23 PM on 10/02/2010
Thanks for your comment. I agree. I support Pres. Obama.
06:16 PM on 10/01/2010
couldnot of said it better.
thank you.
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Anthea Carson
10:36 AM on 10/01/2010
cognitive infiltration
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
StellaRay
01:25 AM on 10/01/2010
I see that this thread is dying. But it was imo, a glorious run. I checked in with it all day. There are not many threads that elicit this response from me. But this was a debate that needed to happen. I do not admire AH's comments on RM last night, and have commented on that plenty. But, I do admire and am thankful for the opportunity to discuss it all that was presented to me, by this site, today. Frankly, many of we commenters here have never known such freedom to say what we think about what AH thinks. I only got deleted once! It was just grand. A real back and forth, that po'd some progressives but felt liberating to this progressive.

I appreciate the moderation on this site when it comes to standards of civility. I don't appreciate the willy nilly deletion that extends far beyond the faqs of this site and into some never never land none of us quite understand. But I digress. What I really want to say is thank you to the HP for allowing this debate to rage all day long, for publishing more that is negative to your CEO than I have ever experienced here, and for letting us have this fight, within the family, that we needed to have, without fear of deletion, or the need to write our posts in that w. eird. H. P. kind ***of way.
08:45 AM on 10/01/2010
Very well said and I agree. As for how the moderators make decisions, this too is a complete mystery to me. Perhaps they have a quota system where the seek a balance between positive and negative comments? I am a newcomer but have only gotten 1 out 5 messages approved. My last one (blocked) raised the question to AH of when she is going to switch gears and advocate for getting to the polls and voting. I also wished to remind uncompromising progressives that Ted Kennedy's greatest regret was opposing Nixon's health reform bill. Now we have a bill that passed, but it is to the right of Nixon's plan. At least we have something, even if it is not what I had hoped for. I hope AH changes her message soon or these elections will be Kennedy x 10.

I hope this message makes it this time or I simply won't try again.
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Amondale
09:05 AM on 10/01/2010
Phan.ned and ph.av'd $tellR@y.

=| ;-) >
09:29 PM on 09/30/2010
Who made HCR a health insurance giveaway?

http://static1.firedoglake.com/1/files/2010/03/mythfactshcr-2.pdf

Why, it was Barack Obama.
HUFFPOST PUNDIT
reveal5
10:25 PM on 09/30/2010
cue card argumentation
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Michael Valentine
Retired SEIU Member
12:19 AM on 10/01/2010
No less true.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Michael Valentine
Retired SEIU Member
12:24 AM on 10/01/2010
At a time of generational unemployment high they keep health care pegged to employment. Way to go.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
peacegurl48
09:01 PM on 09/30/2010
After the elections I'll still be in the struggling 98%, renting again after a foreclosure, and very concerned about our country's future. I'm a Progressive who is often disappointed by Obama's inaction but when I look at the candidates (Angle, Rand Paul, O'Donnell, etc) and "leaders" on the Right I know that I can never sit out an election to demonstrate my discontent. We need to vote in full force then put pressure on Dems to support those in the 98%. (as well as working to elect some real Progressives) With all due respect to Arianna we have too much to lose to hold out for perfection.
09:21 PM on 09/30/2010
Did I miss something? Did she call for us to withold our votes?

With you on electing some real Progressives.
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Michael Valentine
Retired SEIU Member
12:21 AM on 10/01/2010
Oh don't ruin the mood with facts.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
StellaRay
12:25 AM on 10/01/2010
No she did not. However, If I was a smart GOP marketing operative, I'd make her statement on Maddow last night the subject of an ad. Oh yeah. I'd take her comments and run with the idea that if AH isn't happy with Obama, who is? Might just happen. You know, the way every progressive smacked their lips over Rove's take down of Christine OConnell. And even though he tried to take it back the next day, it was really too late. Lucky for us, this debate has pretty much stayed within the family, with not much interest from the MSM.
Like I said, lucky.

This is a dicey time, as we approach the mid terms. And while I value critique, I don't value it so much right now, which is where I feel Ms. Huffington went off the rails. Our number one priority in this next month, should be to live to fight another day. The only way we do that is to win the mid terms. Period. After that, hey, let's rumble again.
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Truthb4u
Return to reality.
09:50 PM on 09/30/2010
I am sorry to hear about your foreclosure, times are tough but I hope you can regain your prosperity and get another house. I am also so proud that you are not bitter and resentful. I know losing your home can be devastating. Yet you seems to be in wonderul spirits despite your loss. We as a community extend our love and support.
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RedBirdy
A right delayed is a right denied
07:50 PM on 09/30/2010
I'm a liberal who's been disappointed by Obama at times. But, I'm not sure why everyone's surprised that he's not as progressive as they'd hoped he'd be. He's always seemed more centered than left, IMO. I mean, I'll never be thrilled with any liberal president that doesn't support gay marriage.
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SIMPLICIMUSS
Kampf gegen Dummheit !
09:10 PM on 09/30/2010
Marriage is an institution (established when, by whom ?) to foster childbirth, the propagation of the species, and to encourage families to bring these children to adulthood. Exactly what does gay marriage do ? Have no problem with civil unions, if people really care for each other , so be it. The people of California voted against gay marriage, but politicians , who have already proved that they can totally screw this country up..big time. have to interfere with nature.
09:27 PM on 09/30/2010
Actually, the Western tradition for Marriage is about stabilizing the transmission of property from one generation to the next, and generally implied indentured servitude on the party of the female.

You just have no clue.
12:39 AM on 10/01/2010
If they removed all civil sanction of marriage and went with civil unions for everyone, you'd have a point.
12:37 AM on 10/01/2010
Not supporting gay marriage is not liberal.

Obama is center-right. Look at his record on civil liberties (torture, assassination, rendition, Guantanamo, surveillance), financial reform, and health care. He's what you call a neo-liberal, who believes in the invisible hand of the market.

We have no left, or even center-left major party in this country. The best we can hope for is for the Greens to rise and the Republicans to go away like the Whigs. Then we'll have a left and right again.
12:46 AM on 10/01/2010
Hear,hear
07:37 PM on 09/30/2010
“I am neither republican or democrat but I do lean conservative . I think both parties are worthless and give the dems a slight edge in the worthlessness column. My biggest problem with both parties is how they have let/forced our manufacturing out of this country. Before anybody starts crying republicans this or that, Bill Clinton signed the WTO and NAFTA and that is a democrat legacy that is/has destroy the middle class in this country..”
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Freddd Green
07:44 PM on 09/30/2010
you make a strong case
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
SIMPLICIMUSS
Kampf gegen Dummheit !
09:16 PM on 09/30/2010
JASON.....your biggest problem is that you make sense ! Our founding fathers did not intend for professional politicians to ruin this country, ang get fat , feeding on it`s corpse.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Andrew Belcourt
06:43 PM on 09/30/2010
24 months is half a term. I save my judgment on campaign promises for when his term is complete not half way through. Mostly from what I can see are people upset that their first priority is not his. Like the congress and the president were suppose to do everything all at once.They have moved the ball down the field in the right direction, if we are to have any chance of seeng any semblemce of a progressive agenda in the next 2 years it will be by maintaining majority and if we want a real progressive agenda we need to expand the majority. It all works by votes and if you dont got em you cant do anything. If we would of had 5 more progressive Dem senators we would have had single payer let allow a public option. Its not Obama's fault that he has to compromise to get a bill through that is just the way it works when the other side is doing everything they can to obstruct.
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reveal5
07:06 PM on 09/30/2010
ff!
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KingofDetroit
Never Apologize. Never Explain.
07:11 PM on 09/30/2010
yeah BUT. If the Pres had shown some strong leadership and atleast made the attempt to get public opinion on his side. Perhaps the rebubs would not have been able to stonewall him on the legislation without putting their own futures at risk.
07:57 PM on 09/30/2010
Don't blame the republicans whe the dems control the House, Senate and the Presidency. They didn't need the republicans.