Walter Russell Mead:
Next Up in America: The Liberal Retreat
The Obama administration may represent “Peak Left” in American politics. As a result, what we are getting from the left these days is a mix of bewilderment and anger as it realizes that this is as good as it gets.
As the United States staggers toward the seventh year of Barack Obama’s tenure in the White House, a growing disquiet permeates the ranks of the American left. After six years of the most liberal president since Jimmy Carter, the nation doesn’t seem to be asking for a second helping. Even though the multiyear rollout of Obamacare was carefully crafted to put all the popular features up front, delaying less popular changes into the far future, the program remains unpopular. Trust in the fairness and competence of government is pushing toward new lows in the polls, even though the government is now in the hands of forward-looking, progressive Democrats rather than antediluvian Gopers.
[…]
These are not the only issues in which, from a left Democratic point of view, the country is overrun with zombies and vampires – policy ideas that Democrats thought had been killed, now restlessly roaming the earth. The finale of the George W. Bush presidency was, for many Democrats, conclusive evidence that conservative ideas just don’t work. The post 9/11 Bush foreign policy led to two long and unhappy wars. America had lost the trust of its allies without defeating its enemies. At home, the Bush tax cuts led to an exploding deficit and the orgy of deregulation (admittedly, much of it dating from the Clinton years) led to the greatest financial crash since World War Two and the most serious economic downturn since the Great Depression.
Could a set of political ideas be more discredited, liberals ask. The foreign policy failures of the Bush years, they believe, should have killed conservative ideology about America’s role in the world and the financial crisis, they are certain, should have driven a stake through the heart of conservative economic doctrine. Yet here we are, six years into the Age of Obama and the Tea Party is alive and Occupy is deadYet here we are, six years into the Age of Obama and the Tea Party is alive and Occupy is dead.
[…]
The liberal rout at the level of state and local politics is even more alarming. A wave of Republican governors in blue Midwestern states (Walker in Wisconsin, Snyder in Michigan, plus the Dem-crushing Kasich in purple Ohio) and large GOP gains in state legislatures across the country point to a widespread reaction against liberal ideas, and lend credence to the idea that, even discounting for the GOP-skewed electorate in off-year elections, the country as a whole is drifting to the right.
For some, the response is to turn on Obama. He’s not a real liberal at all, some disillusioned liberals say: he’s a technocrat, a trimmer, an elitist and an inept politician. Some of that is true; President Obama is a limousine liberal, not a lunch-bucket populist. And, despite all those comparisons to Lincoln that swooning liberals made back in 2008, he’s neither a particularly persuasive speaker nor an effective political operative. He is more professor than politician, and more of a natural legislator than a gifted executive.
But to blame Obama for the crisis of the liberal left is unpersuasive. It was the liberal left who fell hardest for him, who praised him to the skies and who stuck with him longer than anybody else. Even today, Obama’s strongest backing comes from two of the most liberal ingredients in the American melting pot: blacks and Jews. And, from a practical point of view, it is almost inconceivable, despite the cries of “Run, Elizabeth, Run!” emanating from the gentry left, that someone more liberal than President Obama will be sent to the Oval Office anytime soon. It took the unique circumstances of two wars and a financial crash to open a path to the White House for Barack Obama; absent similar circumstances, successful candidates are likely to come from his right to the foreseeable future.
In that sense the Obama administration may represent “Peak Left” in American politics, and what we are getting from the left these days is a mix of bewilderment and anger as it realizes that this is as good as it gets. America is unlikely to go farther to the left than it went in the wake of the Iraq War and the financial crash, and while that wasn’t anywhere near enough of a shift for left leaning Democrats, the country has already moved on.
I don’t recall how old I was when I first noticed that American politics swings to the left for a while, then swings back to the right. Not that long ago the Republicans were talking about a permanent GOP majority when they held the White House and both houses of Congress. A few years later they had lost all three and the Democrats were talking about permanent control. Now the GOP holds Congress and the White House is about to be up for grabs.
Even FDR’s New Deal Democrats only lasted 20 years before surrendering the White House back to the Republicans.
But this is something different. Since the aforementioned New Deal, the changes made during each period of Democratic dominance survived subsequent GOP resurgences. We still have Social Security, Medicare and Welfare. They have been “reformed” but never repealed.
But will we still have Obamacare in 20 years? Will power continue to accrete in Washington DC? Will Big Government continue to get bigger?
When it comes to ideas the Left is bankrupt. When it comes to finances, so is Big Government. Each year we fall deeper and deeper into the hole. It doesn’t take a genius to realize the only options are ruinous taxation and/or massive cuts in spending.
Hold onto your hats, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
I haven’t even checked the headlines yet.
I ate and went back to sleep until a few minutes ago. Just before I woke up again I was dreaming I was getting high with an enormously fat black chick. That wasn’t even the weirdest part of the dream.
I don’t see the Repubs actually shrinking the government. Despite small government noises they make, the establishment GOP is every bit big government as the establishment Dems. I just don’t see how this big ship can be turned on purpose by ether party or both parties. I suspect it will be big catastrophes like the 2008 collapse or even bigger financial changes that will force something big to change. A very big change that seems likely at some point is the falling out of favor of the US dollar. But a big enough bubble collapse may do it. Maybe we’ll be lucky and all of the bad financial things will happen at once. Bumpy ride may not be the half of it.
Yep. The GOP made the mistake years ago of accepting anything not a democrat under its roof, and until that scenario self corrects we are in tough taters.
We dis-placed Democrats could join up with tea party. As long as we stick to economics and fiscal matters, and not engage on social issues, it could be a powerhouse party.
the difference between democratic presidents of the past and backtrack, is that those of the past were loyal to the country and there was never any question of that. With backtrack that has been a question since day one for many people. He diminished the democratic party and those with common sense left the party. It will take years to build up any trust in what is left of the democratic party.
The GOP is no group of saints but it is what we have today to combat the backtrack bunch. I really hope they get the backbone to do so. The younger ones have the “fire in the belly” , not too sure about the older ones
The older ones need to go. Hell the entrenched of both parties need to go, we need major house cleaning in DC. I still can’t believe Boehner and McConnell won their leadership elections, that to me says business as usual and nothing is really going to change.
In fact I read earlier today that Jeff Sessions will not be senate budget chariman, Enzi of Wyoming will be because he’s an establishment, McConnell butt kisser. Yep, business as usual, Dandy is correct the establishment GOP is very pro big government. They’re just as much so as the dems, only difference is in some of where the graft goes.
Yeah the Dems spread the graft thinner and to more people so they get more votes, the Republicans concentrate the graft to a few rich people and as a result they get fewer voters out of it.
off topic but important
CDC issues warning on packaged caramel apples after cases in 10 states leave 5 dead, 21 hospitalized – @chicagotribune
Read more on chicagotribune.com
http://nypost.com/2014/12/18/sharpton-to-have-say-over-how-sony-makes-movies/
sharpton to have say over how sony makes movies
guess I will not be going to any sony movies
So, we are to have government (from Baracks lips to Sharpton’s ears ) sanctioned movies now??? I bet the control freak in Obama lurrrves that !
do you ever wonder how people that keep screaming about past slavery and how they want to be free, are so willing to be enslaved and would like the rest of us to be enslave too?
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/carly-fiorina-hiring-for-presidential-campaign-20141218
right now she would not interest me in voting for her. there are better qualified women that I could think of that would get my vote
I suspect she’s running for a cabinet position.
Good the Republican field needs a credible woman candidate. If Hillary runs they need a woman VP.
Nikki Haley or Susana Martinez would be formidible opponents to Hillary. Both are popular and successful Governors too. OR both on the ticket ! Could possibly give us a lady President for 16 years 😀 Qualified AND Historic!
Yes I love it. 😀
Nice! I’d vote for that ticket.
She’s a failed CEO. I wouldn’t vote for her.
Most CEO’ s fail at some point. The trick is: What do they do next?
But at least she has experience running something large and complex which is more than you can say for Obama when he ran for President.
http://weaselzippers.us/208544-obama-leaving-today-for-16-day-taxpayer-funded-vacation/
backtrack’s leave for 17 day taxpayer funded vacation
used to be ” when the going gets tough, the tough get going”
with this guy it is when the going gets tough, he goes on vacation
Hopefully he’ll be too busy playing golf and chooming it up for a couple of weeks to initiate any more major policies.
Ruining Christmas Hawaiian vacations for “other” people since 2008 (the first year their “traditional” family Hawaiian vacation began).
Wasn’t that the year his white grandmother died? Or waw it the year after? Just wondering.
I don’t get why the government should react to the attack on Sony other than to make sure they have their defenses current on their own computer systems and very strongly and officially warn other industries. Sony isn’t even an American company I thought they were Japanese. Hollywood has been misrepresenting different groups for decades. Look how they represent women and how few they employ. Hollywood sex is from a male stand point only. This hack is the sort of thing I wish “feminists” had done decades ago. Finally Hollywood has crapped on the wrong person and he hit back. I’m loving it!
I also don’t get how the Sony hack is a problem for free speech. Sony did their free speech, North Korea didn’t like it and they did some of their own free speech in retaliation. Free speech doesn’t mean you can say or do what ever you want and people can’t react to your speech.
Whenever the left goes whole hog lefty the pendulum swings right. The harder left the harder right it swings in reaction. Romney would have been a moderating influence in 2012 by not going hard right. Obama doubling down and going as extreme as he can get away after the drubbing in 2014 with will almost guarantee that 2016 will see a much harder right candidate wins both the primaries and the general election. For Dems to go along with the White House in this is irresponsible and means they are not listening and will be hit again in the next election. Again we see that the current crop of Dems are historically illiterate and don’t know or understand the ancient history of Carter and Reagan.
Well don’t underestimate the chance that the Republicans will nominate an anti birth control nut case and hand the election to the Dems. They just can’t seem to say “Abortion has been legal for 50 years and birth control for probably 75, we don’t need to rework old issues when we have the economy in the dumps, unemployed citizens, and unsustainable debt obligations”.
I do not personally know any Republicans who are anti-birth control and the ones I know are all pretty much church goers. Some are anti-abortion but most aren’t. The view among Republicans I know is if you want to decrease the population of your own demographic through abortion and birth control go for it. They don’t care. As for growing Hispanic populations, they are a lot more conservative when assimilation gets going than many Democrats understand. Our sheriff is a second generation Mexican-American (and retired Texas Ranger) who is very Republican and very popular. After 2008 the Republicans were scrounging to get candidates to run and many were nuts. That has not been the case since 2010. The Dems seem to have more oddball foot in mouth candidates now. I am not a Dem or Repub and I just enjoy watching the spectacle.
You don’t know any anti birth control Republicans and either do I, that doesn’t mean the Republicans Powers That Be won’t find one and nominate him for President.
I picked a bad week to quit using drugs.
You were on birth control pills?
I use my personality for birth control.
Again?
No other president in our history has done more to diminish this country than backtrack. I never want to see anyone like him in office again
Two tweets today before I had to run around battling shoppers. Now I’m too tired to cook. Bleh.
This just arrived in my email at work. I wanted to share it and get back to my work tasks. If this article has already been posted, I apologize. The article posted as the lead to this thread failed to mention that the new governor in Illinois is a Republican. The Dem governor – Quinn, and the Dems in the state house and senate are trying to deny the Republican governor-elect the ability to appoint a comptroller to replace our Republican comptroller who died suddenly last week. At this time, the current governor has named a replacement to work until January 12 (I believe). The state house and senate are trying to devise a plan for a special election to try to put a Dem in the comptroller’s position. (skunks – all of ’em) It is not going to be easy for Bruce Rauner to be governor of this corrupt state government.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/12/19/watchdog-1-million-illinois-households-on-food-stamps-is-extremely-embarrassing/
December 19, 2014 10:58 AM
Satan is the father of all lies.
So we’re gearing up for the cazies here in Boston after the holidays. The judge has denied a change of venue in the Boston Marathon Bomber trial. It’s set to start January 5th in Boston a few blocks from where the bombing happened. I expect the “news” the world will hear will bear very little resemblance to what actually happens.
The Aurora Theater shooter’s trial is starting now also. These events are gifts to MSNBC and CNN who will have new squirrels to play with 😉
Epic strawman: https://twitter.com/eclecticbrotha/status/546037302632259584
Never gets old.
😀
LOL !
One big hole join your lead is that unless someone is getting a huge supplements Obama care makes no sense. I tried to enrol 280 per month six thousand dollar deductible. I have no plans of dying in a hospital. They tell me it is bedtime for me I will die. Not going to spend forty years of work on IV drips. Say I fall off a ladder and break my leg. I would still have to pay. The plans I saw are all major medical. So after 6k they start working. I am 48 and would prefer not to die from cancer but at this point I am not willing to throw all I earned into health care. Die or spend ten years fighting and exhausting all I have. No thanks.
280 plan paid for half gp and 20 percent specialist. Say what. I am better off putting 280 in the bank . My cousin had non lymphoma Hodgkin. She lived 20 years with it. She was in hell the whole time. She would cough and throw up a tooth no thank you. Put a bullet in my skull. Sick as she was she got pregnant and had a baby. Kid is stunted but she graduated from Slippy Rock with a degree. Funny Lori and I shared a birthday my grandmother(aka non the drunk whore) made it a holiday Lori would never touch me. I scared her. I had scars . Big whole in my throat. I was a ghastly child but years later she got the c word and puking was welcome at dinner. Over the years we became close in the end I was the only one who would pump her full of morphine
Drunk whore is not a slight upon my Nanny. SHe really was a drunk tramp. I loved every polyester clad inch of her but chef boyardee she slept around.
I posted this on Ellen’s FB page.
More: President Obama says he’ll look for a way around Congressional restrictions on transferring remaining detainees out of Guantanamo – @markknoller
see original on twitter.com
guess he wants to help his jihadist BFFS
http://weaselzippers.us/208593-twitter-mocks-obama-for-calling-james-franco-james-flacco/
another name goof
again he does not look right
http://www.westernjournalism.com/military-sources-new-report-will-prove-bergdahl-deserter/#C60EmVuZ47bWvKbs.97
new report will prove bergdahl was a deserter
WTF? Pregnant Santa Baby Kmart Commercial 2014:
how things have changed in this country. At one time Hollywood was a patriotic part of the country. During WW2 many hollywood actors joined the armed forces and starlets did bond drives and the stage door canteen was one place for our military to get R&R . Stars went overseas to entertain our troops and were proud to do so. Now Hollywood will not stand up for free speech. I do understand the fear for theater patrons, but now the jumped up little dictator says NO DVDS, Do NOT show any part of the movie on line or tv. and hollywood caves. The old movie moguls must be turning in their graves.
Beg to differ. Many celebrities put careers on the line to support
Gay Sinead Mark Wahlburg. Also look at the musicians who played fotr free all over the world. Sheryl Crow may give issue to dumb stuff but she plays free for the troops. Anyone who quotes Coltrane in a pop song is okay by me(listen to Coltrane derail your on train if it makes you happy confess I think Crow is wicked sexy
http://youtube.com/#/watch?v=dyihQtBes1I
Also do not forget Soak up the Sun
http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=KIYiGA_rIls
Great song pitch perfect voice and a breast cancer survivor that wears a bikini.
I am not sure this link will work, but I will try posting it
raising a low information voter
ich liebe dieses lied:
I live these lies???????
I can read German but. I cannot speak. Lied in that sense is almost never used I exist these are my lies. If you wanted to say I am a liar it would be ich bin vein Lugner. Ich liebe changes the whole sentence. English is Germanic language but we use words differently We say I am hungry when our stomachs growl. So hard to translate as hunger is a very common word but we use it to describe discomfort not the pain of a body eating itself. So much gets lost in translation. I love German . In.was lucky enough to spend a few. Months in Berlin. I cannot think in german. I have to shove it all in my thick head and translate. I can read italian(went to college in Rome Temple) French Spanish Greek and I can maybe get by in Farsi. Sad I speak none of those. I could pass a college test in Italian as long as they never asked me to put pen to paper. . I can ramble on with a guy selling Apple’s in Calais but I have no idea how to say you formale in French. Vous by the way. Who gives a Shit. I ended up driving his Apple cart to a cottage.they had running water and indoor plumbing. To say the least I was disappointed. I was not happy my sights were set on an old lady/ in a shoe that was going to cook me for. Dinner. Instead I got Martha Stewart. I said to old man why are you driving an Apple cart. He said because idiots like you fall for it
Lied is song. That might translate more specifically to a German style song. So maybe sang would be better. But lied is what Germans commonly say. Well, that and just song. 🙂
My pig German does not include lied equals song. I could be dead wrong.ich liebe is still a tough one to translate it can mean my dear or I believe. Sometimes it is impossible to do I direct translation.99 red balloons would never have worked as neun und neunsshwitss. We have a huge vocabulary. Shimmering does not translate to French a simple sentence like the moon was shimmering on the lake takes a paragraph to translate can say the moon was reflected in the water but while it gets the message across shimmering and reflecting are different things I need to listen to the song and not translate. Shake it off would be a mess if I did word for word in French. Auto correct will not let me type Shake it oFf in French. I tried to use my translator comes out as he put his hands on my shoulders and held me tight against my will. I screamed Lena Dunham be gone from my computer. For naught. hbo troglodyte had her claws in and every search for translate shake it off had that heffer at the top of the page. Shake it off means more than three words alone. Impossible to translate. I tried.
Ich liebe means “I love” as in “Ich liebe dich.”
Ever heard of the Horst Wessel Lied?
Ah, good old Horst Wessel, he knew how to write a song, ja.
Everyone should send her a badly used DVD of Frozen for whatever holiday they don’t celebrate to make certain that poor victim and prisoner on Pennsylvania Avenue suffers no more.
Plus she’s a liar.
I took a bullet for the team …. I read the whole article after picking a long checkout line …. it’s so full of more b.s….. Obama sticking to his DNC and Sharpton talking points, and MO whining about “raising black daughters” ….. fortunately I also had time to read the Robin Williams tribute article about what a great humanitarian he was, also a great antidote to the Oblahblah read. 🙂
I usually have to drink heavily after watching or reading something about dear leader. Something to wash it out of my head after. Be careful out there, it only takes one bite to turn into an Obot.
Why would Mooch ever watch Frozen. It’s so white! Even the setting is all white!
Staples had a data breach Aug & Sept. Just announcing it now.
Not all the stores though.
List in the announcement here
http://staples.newshq.businesswire.com/statement
If you shopped at an affected store they’ll give you free credit monitoring.
the creepy holiday cards from OFA are back (seen at Michelle’s Mirror):
http://twitchy.com/2014/12/18/how-enraging-is-this-cultish-barackobama-holiday-card-it-needs-a-trigger-warning-for-violence-photo/
WOW! The newest WP update to Android is BIG!!!!!!!!!! improvement in graphics and organization. Very impressed! Comments and graphics are now set in a black screen, and at least for now I like it.
And now it’s back to white screen. Weird.
Forget it! Apparently Obama’s son got control of my screen for one message. Or else……. Nah, it couldn’t be my mind is slipping……