Obama Makes Case on ’60 Minutes’ Day Before Challenger from Left Announces
WASHINGTON – The CBS News poll released this past weekend shows Pres. Obama’s approval higher, mid-40s, than the last daily Gallup, which had him at 41%. But 54% in the CBS News poll say he doesn’t deserve reelection is a problem. It’s part of what Pres. Obama talked about on “60 Minutes” last night.
…And meanwhile, they know that corporate profits are at a record level, that a lot of folks are doing very well. What’s happened to the bargain? What’s happened to the American deal that says, you know, we are focused on building a strong middle class? That is not a left or right position. That is an American position. And the question is going to be, in this election, whether or not we are able to reclaim that vital center of American thought and American values that says, “We’re all in this together and, you know, it matters if we are building a broad-based middle class, where everybody is able to do their part and everybody’s able to succeed. – Pres. Obama
When you look at the alternative, however, it leaves most Americans without a choice. That’s the biggest problem today looking at next year’s election. The option of voting either Democratic or Republican is just not enough anymore.
Pres. Obama’s getting a challenger from his left today when Rocky Anderson announces the creation of the Justice Party at 2:00 p.m. No one thinks it will challenge Obama in a serious way for election results, but it might give some Democrats, progressives and liberals a way to vote that won’t require them to hold their nose for Pres. Obama. That is, if Mr. Anderson can get on the ballot in all 50 states, which certainly isn’t a given.
From the Justice Party National Committee:
On Monday, December 12, 2011 at 2:00 PM, a diverse group of courageous citizens will announce the formation the Justice Party, which is envisioned as a major new political party for decades to come. The Justice Party seeks governing authority at the local, state, Congressional and national levels, beginning in the 2012 election cycle. The Justice Party is being created as a new 21st-century political vehicle to allow all citizens to work together to bring innovative results-oriented, justice-based solutions to the political debate as soon as possible.
Along with the polling comes a lot of things being said about Pres. Obama, a couple that are ridiculous. The “appeasement” charge is absurd. So is Mitt Romney’s continual claim that the President apologizes for America. Glenn Kessler took that canard down over the weekend, then summarized the bottom line: “Take it from us: The apology tour never happened.”
Last night Pres. Obama was on “60 Minutes” making the point he understands people are frustrated, but asks the question, Is there a more compelling case coming from the other side? There isn’t, which is Obama reelects biggest gift from Republicans.
Joe Gandelman posted part 1, with part 2 of the interview at the top, which begins with questions from Steve Kroft on Wall Street and why there hasn’t been criminal prosecutions of anyone.
“…some of the most damaging behavior on Wall Street, in some cases some of the least ethical behavior on Wall Street, wasn’t illegal. … That’s why we put in place the toughest financial reform package since F.D.R. and the Great Depression.” – Pres. Obama
Pres. Obama also said something quite remarkable:
“…Democrats have moved significantly on a whole range of issues in part because of my leadership.” – Pres. Obama
Many would take issue on whether the movement from Democrats is a result of any leadership at all, let alone any leadership in a direction that is progressive economically or something a Democratic president should trumpet. That Pres. Obama has presided over a steady rightward tilt of the political conversation will be a challenge for Democrats, but especially progressives, to change for some time to come.
It’s one reason Rocky Anderson is creating the Justice Party, with one part of his platform being to get big money out of politics, something that Sen. Bernie Sanders rails about, as does the MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan.
Taylor Marsh is the author of the new e-book, The Hillary Effect – Politics, Sexism and the Destiny of Loss, the view from a recovering partisan, chosen by Barnes and Noble as one of 4 books in the launch of “NOOK First” Featured Authors Selection, which will be available at Amazon & Apple starting December 15th. Marsh is a veteran political analyst and commentator. She has reported from the White House, been profiled in the Washington Post, The New Republic, and has been seen on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, CNN, MSNBC, Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Arabic, as well as on radio across the dial and on satellite, including the BBC. Marsh lives in the Washington, D.C. area. This column is cross posted from her new media blog.
13 Responses to “Obama Makes Case on ’60 Minutes’ Day Before Challenger from Left Announces”
Taylor your evaluation is way off in lala land.
“We’re all in this together and, you know, it matters if we are building a broad-based middle class, where everybody is able to do their part and everybody’s able to succeed.”
Well lets see,
1) BO goes around the country demonizing the rich and Wall Streeters while back on Penn. Ave he has an administration that does nothing to investigate and bring charges against those that falsified financial statements punishable under the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. How can he say “we’re all in this together” when he is not the leader trying to unify the country, but is tying to divide and conquer?
2) Are we really all in this together when almost 50% of the people do not pay any federal income taxes? Has he seriously asked congress to look for a plan that would revise the tax system in this country to make the system one that taxes more individuals at a lower rate and allow for the increase in revenues to cut the debt? All I have heard is taxes a few more rich that is political and not one that would raise much more revenue to do anything to the deficit.
Obama is not a leader and neither would Gingrich be a leader. They are both followers and will continue policies that continue to offer big breaks to Wall Street and other policial donors.
Needless to say, Obama is easily the lesser of evils, but he is also far from being the progressive champion this nation so desperately needs.
The problem is that most of the country doesn’t really want a progressive or his policies. Obamacare is a good example– the country supported universal healthcare until it actually became a reality-now he is demonized for it– even by Gingrich and Romney who have conveniently changed positions.
I like Rocky Anderson. He was an excellent mayor during the years I lived in Salt Lake.
He was unafraid to confront the “war on terror” at a time when he was called “unpatriotic” and the other Rovian garbage that passed for Republican patriotism at the time.
He, like Glenn Greenwald, doesn’t let up on the continuation of abuses of the constitution that have been endorsed and sometimes defended vehemently by both parties.
Problem is, he’s probably not well-enough known throughout the country, and as a third-party candidate would only attract the vote from disenfranchised left who knew something about him.
My vote for him would be an indirect vote for the Republican party therefore, which I can’t in any good conscience provide. Obama has done better than I thought possible overall, given the toxicity of the preceding decade, and I can’t imagine that America has adequately healed and is ready for more GOP “government-is-evil(except when we’re in control”) boilerplate and policy.
Rocky 2016, anyone?
If he is anything like the Rocky of Rocky and Bullwinkle, I’ll vote for him, or better yet Bullwinkle.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0131704/quotes
JeffP says:
DECEMBER 12, 2011 AT 5:34 PM
Like Americans Elect, Mr. Anderson’s run is about setting up a foundation to challenge the corporate parties. It’s also about a debate on the left and center that is needed very urgently. Dems & GOPers have failed miserably.
bluebelle says:
DECEMBER 12, 2011 AT 5:28 PM
“Obamacare” isn’t progressive. It’s a bad bill, with some good things that should have been culled out, instead of giving the power to Big Phrma & insurance companies.
dduck says:
DECEMBER 12, 2011 AT 7:22 PM
heh-heh… That’s funny.
JSpencer says:
DECEMBER 12, 2011 AT 1:41 PM
Some people want to do something besides hold their nose when voting, so options outside the big two parties are important.
RP says:
DECEMBER 12, 2011 AT 12:27 PM
Obama is not a leader and neither would Gingrich be a leader. They are both followers and will continue policies that continue to offer big breaks to Wall Street and other policial donors.
You are so right.
““…some of the most damaging behavior on Wall Street, in some cases some of the least ethical behavior on Wall Street, wasn’t illegal. … That’s why we put in place the toughest financial reform package since F.D.R. and the Great Depression.” – Pres. Obama”
I find that laughable. Frank-Dodd wasn’t even close to Glass-Steagall. It created a consumer-protection agency, which is a really great distraction from the fact that it left the core of our financial problems beautifully untouched.
@RP
The Federal Income Tax is not the only way that the government gets money from people. In fact, for much of our history it was not even a major way for the government to get money. Have you ever heard of the gas tax? It is a tax, by the federal government (along with many state governments) on gasoline. Las time I checked, there were no forms to file for a return based on income.
How about the cigarette and other tobacco taxes? Have you noticed that those exist? There are many products on retailers’ shelves that have already been taxed (import duties) and when one comes back to the US from a foreign country, customs is waiting to charge for items that were bought out of country. Once again, I have never seen a form that I could fill out to receive a refund of such taxes just because my income is somewhat lower.
Please stop beating on a dead horse (1/2 the people pay no income tax) and get your head out of the sewer. You are damned right I don’t pay income taxes. I am on SSDI and have 5 dependents to support. I don’t get enough money to pay income taxes. Meanwhile, I still pay my taxes at the pump, for items that have import duties (some of which do not even have US counterparts so the import duty is virtually exclusively for tax revenue rather than protecting local industry) and probably in ways that my government isn’t even telling me about.
RC, you forgot another biggie, telephone and other communication taxes.
OK — In a perfect world I would agree with you, Taylor. But we live in a right-of-center world where many hard fought victories by the left are gutted by the right, while there are constant attempts to rollback others– like the New Deal. I like the idea of expression of dissatisfaction with the two major parties– but I think its more important to support the guy on the left who has a chance to win.
I still regret that Ralph Nader served as the spoiler for Al Gore in 2000, and as a result we ended up with 8 disastrous years of Bush/Cheney– years our economy has not been able to recover from.
BB, we can agree on the spoiler factor of third party candidates. I voted for Perot and that got Clinton in, whether folks (Obama’ favorite word)like that or not. Seems to me that some kind of runoff system could boil it down to the top two and then have the final.