I type this less than 24 hours from (arguably) the biggest speech of President Obama's career.
He won the hearts of liberals and many independents, with his amazing speech at the 2004 DNC. I still remember that amazing night -- I remember standing, applauding, cheering, his incredible speech that night on the back deck of the old house. I even remember the ex-roommate, the "Voice of Reason", as big a political junkie as me, coming out to watch a bit of it, and noting "wow, this guy might go places". Yup, yup he did.
He won the election with his speech at fake mile high in 2008 (and more specifically, his debates in 2008).
Tuesday night, I would argue ... is the biggest moment of President Obama's political career.
Everyone and his brother is urging him to move to the center, to be "conciliatory", to acknowledge the midterms and move right.
I argue ... it's the worst thing he can do.
Move Left!, Mr. President. You will not regret it.
Considering Secretary of State Clinton has little to no ambition to challenge the President in the primaries in 2012, the President has all but locked up the nomination. A move to the center makes no sense, considering anyone who leans left hates where this Congress is heading, and will vote for re-election at this point over whoever the Republicans nominate. (That would be me).
Considering the Republicans won't nominate anyone who doesn't pass the far-right religious kook extremist test, a move to the center also makes no sense, because unless you believe religious extremists should rule the nation, any sensible person will vote for your re-election over said extremist.
(And if Michael Bloomberg runs from the center? Please. As much as the far right and far left hate each other, they share a combined hatred of political opportunists trying to buy elections. Which is what Mr. Bloomberg is. He'd be dead on arrival, so to speak, politically).
Tomorrow night, Mr. President, in the terms an addicted gambler like me, and half the readers of this site can understand: "double down".
Do NOT fold on Keysenian economics. They are NOT a failure. For all the far right b*tching about the stimulus (the ARRA act), they ignore than over 60% of the "spending" was tax cuts. As usual, you can look a right winger in the eye, present him or her with the truth ... and they'll believe the lie. We who believe that government spending CAN stimulate the economy, or at least stabilize it, as ARRA did, will not water down our beliefs to give the Republicans what they want. The facts speak for themselves. Tax cuts only bankrupt the government, and don't stimulate the economy. Because people always pocket what they "save".
Mr. President, tomorrow night, double down on the social agenda. You signed an absolute good into law last December, abolishing "don't ask / don't tell". It is an ABSOLUTE good. Do NOT back down from it. You signed into law the single most important social advance since President Kennedy backed the Civil Rights legislation, and arguably the most important advance for human rights since President Lincoln freed zero slaves with his Emancipation Proclamation. (Reason 1,006,938 why Lincoln was a genius: his "proclamation" freed exactly zero people, yet it "freed" millions by its words. The dude was a freaking genius, well ahead of his time).
Mr. President, tomorrow night, embrace the ideology that got you elected.
Mr. Obama, I did not vote for you in 2008. I supported your opponent in the primary, and I voted for your opponent in the general election. Having said that, please, sir: do NOT abandon those of us who compose your base. Do NOT move right. Do NOT move center. Embrace the base. Embrace the left.
Because the 2012 election will ultimately come down to a battle of extremes. There is no way the tea party folks will alllow anyone other than a far-right extremist to win the Republican nomination. Sir, embrace the far left. Present a polar opposite.
Because I firmly believe, if a sensible person is in the voting booth, and has to choose between compromising personal freedom, liberty, and social justice, versus censoring all of the above, a smart person will err on the side of freedom, liberty, and social justice. Move left sir. Do NOT move to the center. The center destroys you before the re-elect campaign begins. The move to the left ... ensures you stay relevent ....
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