WASHINGTON – Lunchpail Democrats don’t exist.
To bring the point home, Pres. Obama is now warning Democratic activists to brace themselves for the budget. But after capitulating to conservatism over Democratic economic values throughout his entire first term what comes next really shouldn’t require a warning. From the Hill:
Top White House officials are warning liberal and labor leaders to brace themselves for President Obama’s budget proposal. – Obama warns left: You won’t like budget
Pres. Obama’s no for now decision on Keystone XL is a carrot before the impending budget stick.
If Lunchpail Democrats did exist they would be boycotting the Democratic National Convention, which is being held in right-to-work North Carolina. They would also have challenged Pres. Obama’s conservatism, instead of saying the debate wasn’t worth the effort, while making excuses for him when he embraced austerity.
Obama’s Bank of America decision, on top of his right-to-work reelection self-interest, on top of everything that came before, which is magnified by a warning from the White House on Obama’s next budget, all of it points to a plundering of Democratic principles inside a political party that stands for nothing anymore.
Lunchpail Republicans in Indiana not only have more self respect and principle to stand up for the middle class and working families, as well as unions, than Pres. Obama and the entire Democratic Party, but this group of Republicans are willing to challenge their own at the ballot box to prove it.
How arrogant are Obama’s conservative apologists to think these things don’t matter? Coupled with slick Mitt on the other side, who can’t even convince conservatives, they think they’ve got a ticket to ride to reelection. So, team Obama and his conservative fans think they can do anything and get away with it and why not?
We keep hearing and reading how people feel they have no choice but to vote “lesser of two evils” and back Pres. Obama. I certainly feel their frustration and it’s their vote, their choice. But what will change and what will be gained by hoping the same action will produce different results? How will the Democratic Party and the ideals at its foundation change with more of the same?
Or maybe as far as the Democratic Party is concerned it’s just too late.
Taylor Marsh is the author of the new book, The Hillary Effect – Politics, Sexism and the Destiny of Loss, which is now available in print on Amazon. 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.