joanno's Comments (38)

“Take a deep breath and stop listening to heated rhetoric from people who don't have to accomplish anything and can just prattle on. Would we really be better off if McCain were president? Do I really want a republican to take over in 2012? Do I really want dems to lose control of the congress? Would a republican have insisted on any kind of healthcare reform? Would a republican spend money directly on jobs? Would a republican be working on closing Guantanamo? Would a republican try to do anything to improve the environment? Creating change from within our political system which is more content to just posture internationally and flop around domestically like it did in the Bush years is what we elected Obama to do. His accomplishments in his first year are immense: kept us from falling into a deep depression, brought a healthcare reform bill close to final passage, set the stage for significant changes in environment and energy policy, put pieces into effect to close Guantanamo, stopped torture, winding down Iraq and doing what he sadi he was going to do in Afghanistan. Doing all these things in a manner that 100% met everyone's expectations is unrealistic to the extreme. If he had tried to do anything like that, he would have accomplished nothing. Here's what his choice really is as president: get as much done for the people as can be wrangled out of this congress, or be boneheaded and get nothing.”

“By the sound of this blog and many responses, seems like many dems are ready to do with this party what the repubs are doing to theirs....shred it. Seems like there's lots of folks abroad in the land who just want what they want and anyone who has a different opinion can take a hike. Repubs, when they're in office, tell everyone to take a hike and we can be assured nothing close to this healthcare bill would have made it though their power halls even though they too under under corporate influence. The dems at least try to bend things somewhat in the people's favor. Dissaffected dems pursuing a 3rd party will only create real change if a 3rd party on the right also emerges. Otherwise they will re-assemble their forces and take control again. We really want more Bush/McCain/Palin types running the country for even 4 years just so we can throw a hissy fit? Time to get real.”

“You are obviously a naive idealist. Having been there myself, I know the path ahead of you will continue to be fraught with disappointment. Eventually you'll learn that change comes slowly and painfully and only in retrospect looks inspirational. Obama is a pragmatic idealist, taking on a daunting agenda and having to deal with real world politics and politicians in order to do so. Stop thinking you know it all and keep trying to understand. You'll feel better eventually.”

“This book left me speechless. I read it when it first came out and wondered what it came out of within the author. A firm believer that fine art is the precursor of reality, I looked at today through this shrouded lense for hints of a future that would so strip us. A humbling and disturbing experience. Read this book.”

“You are who you have been waiting for....”

“Since the first night of this series, I have been thinking the same thing. Another lesson learned is the nastiness of the opposition, the tenacity of many eloquent speakers needed to press the case, and the sheer guts to stand up for the public good. And not to be missed is what happens after the battle is won and the dust settles....everyone rejoices in what has been wrangled 'for the people', even though many of those very people were yelping right through to the end.”

“China, a country dealing with their own variety of internal "terrorists" for decades, uses a re-education process to mentally and socially defang those they deem to be threats, often of a violent kind. I recently heard a story about how Saudi Arabia has taken many of Gitmo's former prisoners who were released to them and put them through a smiliar process headed by Muslim clerics who deftly undermined the fanatic religious ties so many of these "terrorists" espose. They claim a huge success rate. Perhaps we should work closely with them to find ways to reduce the threat of future violent acts. If anyone has really done something illegal, they should face the consequences. For those whom we only suspect or fear, a process like what the Saudis are doing may be worth considering. Bottom line is this: the chief sign of a grown-up is one who cleans up their own messes. As a country, we allowed our leadership, even encouraged our leadership, to make a mess of the "war on terror". Messes are always hard to clean up. It's time to move beyond our childish impulses of fear and do what is right. There are creative ways to do that.”

“Older, white, racists...if this is the prime profile of this group, time will take care of them and their numbers are really quite small to begin with. As for the younger ones amoung them, they are probably clueless that the social security and medicare their parents get, the unemployment checks they would get if needed, federally insured bank accounts they may have are some examples of "socialism" they are so upset about. Our teacher in chief would help these folks by doing a lot more explaining of how everyday folks are being helped...the message cannot be made too often. Unless you have right wing radio/TV blasting out your message, there is a whole swath of the American public that it is simply very difficult to reach.”

“AIG and other institutions deemed 'too big to fail' should be broken up as part of the financial recovery efforts. If we value free markets, no company should ever be allowed to get so big that their demise is untenable. That assures that they will never have to bear the brunt of poor decisions and make no mistake, they will continue to be bone heads even when on the public dole as this situation proves again.”

“AIG and other institutions deemed 'too big to fail' should be broken up as part of the financial recovery efforts. If we value free markets, no company should ever be allowed to get so big that their demise is untenable. That assures that they will never have to bear the brunt of poor decisions and make no mistake, they will continue to be bone heads even when on the public dole as this situation proves again.”

“Sane republicans and conservatives (there are some) better get a clue quickly and start a new party. The elephants have no future.”

“I give a periodic listen to all the radio wingnuts and beyond their politics they share other simularities: they all use a loud and insistent tone of voice be it angry (Limbaugh), whiney (Hannity) or vitriolic (Savage). They each have certain verbal cannards they yell at you in a variety of forms over and over. They make things up and repeat them over and over with much insistence and demand the listener absorb and accept the words as descriptions of reality. When a caller gets through who does not agree with them, they call that person names and ultimately hang up on them. These are techniques seen by hucksters of all types throughout history. They appeal to the uneducated masses who can easily be manipulated into believing anything. The Republican party sold their soul to the devil when they raised Rush to a high status back in the 80s and 90s when he helped them appeal to the blue collar masses they needed to rise to power. As that strategy was devoured by reality, it's pay up time for Rush...he and his type will take the party to hell.”

“Be clear about what battle you are fighting. You will never convince religious types that their beliefs are "non-sensical". However, you might be able to get them to change their mind if you engage them. Christians went through a similar internal struggle over slavery. They can be moved...but only by being engaged within their paradigm. Insulting them and their world view is counter-productive at best.”

“2 years ago, Warren invited then Senator Obama to speak at a forum and was excoriated by the right for being a traitor to the pro-life cause for this choice. Those on the far right and the far left share intolerance in common...the only people they want to talk to are those who believe exactly as they do. Change will never occur under such circumstances. All this rightous acger is so self-defeating.”

“Oh please. Obama enacting "a right-wing agenda with right-wing appointments"? Quit the nonsense of labels (right wing, semi-left, neoliberal etc) and start dealing with specific ideas and policies. We have had way too many years of getting lost in label land and all the segmented realities that requires. Good ideas get scrubbed because they don't fit into some premade mold. Boring at best, destructive at worst. If you were ever really listening to Obama and not just putting him into one of your molds, you would have known he was about something different. I for one am thankful he is living up to his promises.”

“Reagan's view of government as the problem and the Republican's efforts to destroy government's ability to be responsive to social needs has been proven defective. The vast incompetence visible in the response to Katrina, the devaluation of veterans symbolized by the Walter Reed debacle, the vacuous thinking that has led to our economic collapse all are indicators that the philospophy of less governemnt is best has been proven WRONG! The American people's repudiation of it is being misread by Republicans at their risk. However, like all true ideologues, they will probably prove unable to challenge themselves and slowly sink into historical oblivion to be replaced by a new group of leaders (who knows what they will label themselves) who will stake a philosophical claim to the new "center right", following the people back into the ideological center where we are best governed from.”

“These folks are not worthy of rational discussion....crazy only appeals to stupid...a large portion of the far right. Their days are numbered. Republicans sold their soul years ago when they got in bed with these devils...and now they deserve a great deal of credit for sane, smart people turning away from the Republicans in droves. Once Republicans wise up and realize what they have done to themselves, these whack jobs will be shown the door but not until then. Meanwhile their continuing bull.... will continue to push the vast majority of Americans away from the right fringe they inhabit and the Republican party if they continue to define themselves in that manner.”

“I've been wondering for a while now if McCain wasn't trying to lose this election...perhaps unconsciously, perhaps not. Starting with his Palin pick, he started to make a series of decisions that almost guaranteed his lose. Even towards the end when he began to get some traction with some of his arguments, he'd undermine them like acknowledging in an interview that Obama was not a socialist after pounding him with that moniker over and over. Despite voting R on most of the big stuff, he vigorously worked against them on some of their signature issues and he has flirted with leaving them off and on. When party types demanded he not pick Joe L. as his running mate, perhaps the maverick arose again, determined to punish the party he has mixed regard for in the ultimate throw down. Perhaps his concession speech (truly gracious and revelaing of his former self) was a victory speech of sorts.”

“Lots of different types of rationalizing going on with these folks. Seems like they share a perspective that voting is about settling emotional and personal grievances rather than about deciding what kind of laws, policies and programs one wants to see from government. In that way these folks are similar to many of the racists they are so adamant that they are not like.”

“I was young when Goldwater ran, just shy of voting age. At the time, I was firmly in his corner and was outraged at the smear campaign Johnson ran against him. It was perhaps the beginning of a long, ugly chapter in American politics, one that re-emerges from time to time in our history and one that eventually wears itself out. I can only hope that what appears to be a massive public disowning of the politics of smear is real...we have to reclaim our own dignity as a nation before we can reclaim the world's respect.”

“Seems to be voter intimidation pure and simple. I can imagine older black voters having frightening flashbacks. I wonder if this kind of thing was allowed in the vaunted Iraqi elections? Could it be they had a more democratic election than we might be allowed?”

“Here's the bottom line: Conservative Republican economic theory led us to the first Great Depression and well on the way to the second. Yes Democrats share some culpability, but primarily to the extent they could not hold against the economic philosophy that has been rammed down our throat since Ronald Reagan took over and the Conservative Republicans made clear their intention to gut the New Deal. Perhaps it was is an inevitable part of the up and down of things, or perhaps it doesn't have to get so dire for so many which is what I believe. It is time for a totally new way of thinking to take over. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me...it's time we moved beyond the clutches of these maniacs.”

“We need a new rallying cry: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!!!!! On signs, in windows, on bumper stickers....in big, bold black letters, in full throated response to those sucked into the void...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!!!!”

“We need a new rallying cry: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!!!!! On signs, in windows, on bumper stickers....in big, bold black letters, in full throated response to those sucked into the void...ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !!!!!”

“The problem is that idealists have been disappointed way too often in the last 30 years. Hopefully we've gotten realistic about how the others do politics and can carry out a spirited and smart defense this election. A powerful lesson I learned long ago in the workplace is that a few well placed negative voices can overtake an organization...just as they have taken over the country. The power of negative types is not in their numbers, it's in their ability to frame the conversation. Democratic words have to be powerful in response. For instance there have been a lot of outright lies about Obama this week but instead of using the word lie, we hear low key terms like "fiction" and "falsehood" when the word that needs to be spoken is LIE. It's mindboggling to me that we seem not to have learned this simple lesson.”