Home » Forums » walking the talk » environmental justice

Obama: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

M. Spector
\,,/ rabble-rouser-l33t \,,/
Member: 9273
Joined: Feb 19 2005
January 27, 2012 - 12:46pm

Oh, bummer.

 

 


  • Email this page
  • Printer-friendly version

Comments

M. Spector
\,,/ rabble-rouser-l33t \,,/
Member: 9273
Joined: Feb 19 2005
January 27, 2012 - 12:48pm
#1 (permalink)

Clever move: outflanking the Republicans by - adopting their program...

Quote:
U.S. President Barack Obama is stealing a page from the Republicans' energy script, as he endorses expanded oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and promotes the controversial extraction of natural gas from shale rock.

Looking to blunt Republican attacks on his energy policy - including the temporary rejection of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada - Mr. Obama has followed this week's State of the Union address with a campaign-style swing through the West Thursday, in which he announced new opportunities for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and promoted measures to expand the production and use of natural gas.

But god forbid he should not be re-elected in November!


josh
rabble-rouser-machine
Member: 3938
Joined: Aug 5 2002
January 27, 2012 - 1:10pm
#2 (permalink)

If you view the situation in black and white, I guess you would feel that way.

But it's not so simple.  As an example:
Quote:
This week, the Indiana House voted to make the state "right to work". The bill is expected to easily pass the Republican-controlled Senate and Governor Mitch Daniels, whose first act as a governor was to strip state employees of collective bargaining rights, will sign it into law. . . . Right-to-work (RTW) laws are nothing new - Indiana would be the 23rd state to have one. But it is notable that this has happened now in a midwestern state, since RTW laws were previously a mostly southern and Rocky Mountain state phenomenon, which are mostly non-union anyway.
Now, Indiana Democrats tend to be not particularly progressive. A former Democratic governor, Evan Bayh, is a classic DLC type. Yet, neither he, nor nearly all elected Democrats in Indiana, would support this legislation. Or the one stripping public employees of their collective bargaining rights. So should a progressive simply not vote for the Democrat for, say, governor, because he or she is DLC? Even though this type of legislation would not become law if that person is elected. Suddenly, it's not so black and white.


M. Spector
\,,/ rabble-rouser-l33t \,,/
Member: 9273
Joined: Feb 19 2005
January 27, 2012 - 3:18pm
#3 (permalink)

Simple: Vote for the Black cats! They'll give you cheese!

(Or at least, they promise not to take away what little cheese you already have).

So what's your bottom line, josh? Exactly how bad does Barack Obama have to be before he will lose your vote?


josh
rabble-rouser-machine
Member: 3938
Joined: Aug 5 2002
January 27, 2012 - 3:31pm
#4 (permalink)

He came close to the line about 6 months ago, but has since pulled back.  But it's not so much him as the circumstances that is determinative.  If the Democrats had control of congress and could block the Republicans' plans to undo the social welfare state, progressive taxation, and worker rights, that would be one thing.  But the prospect of Republicans controlling both the white house and congress makes the decision easy.


Login or register to post comments