In the 1970’s I considered myself a conservative independent.  I was opposed to Roe v Wade and to the deficit spending promoted by Richard Nixon.  Almost 40 years has passed and, while I still have my personal views on abortion, I keep them as my personal views.  I’ve watched the deficit over these years spiral out of control until this past week I watched President Obama sign a “tax cutting” law which puts nearly another TRILLION onto the already massive debt – with the as usual “we’ll get to this later” approach (I’m not certain even he knows what that means).  Today I read a column in the New York Times by Charles M Blow essentially calling those on the “far left” who are unhappy that Obama “caved” on tax cuts whiners” while then calling republicans “winners.”  This was further evidence to me that my conservative values are now considered the “far left” and too many in this nation have accepted the so-called “conservative” approach of these republicans (i.e. Limbaugh, Beck, Palin, Reagan, Bush, Cheney, etc.) as OK – apparently, including Mr. Blow.

He was referencing the disenchantment on the “left” with President Obama for his “compromise” over the “Bush tax cuts” (now the Obama tax cuts) in a manner suggesting that the country is only 20% “liberal.”  I get such a rush of angry thoughts in my mind when I read stuff from people who have access to the “multi-media” and claim to be spewing “facts” that it’s hard for me to keep my thoughts straight .  All of these labels people like Blow base their commentary on simply demonstrate to me how powerful the conservative media has become when even those who should see past it are sucked in.  Not only does Blow believe the disenchantment with President Obama’s decisionmaking comes from “liberals” but, I believe, so does President Obama himself. 

Here’s the question Blow poses which really got me going, “Is there a future for moderation, and especially conservatism, in the Democratic Party or is the party experiencing the beginnings of a purging akin to that seen on the right?”  Well, before I get to the next point of contention, I have to wonder what Blow means here by “conservatism.”  If we’re making a connection with the term conservative and republicans, I can’t help feel a bit of confusion over his implied connection with that term and democrats – I mean, how far to the right do these people think democrats need to move in order to make the republicans happy?  (and, why would that matter?)  Honestly, I don’t think I’m the only American who’s SICK and TIRED of a two party system which is indistinguishable!  I’m getting the distinct impression here that many, including Blow and Obama, TOTALLY misread the mandate of 2008.

But, he goes on to say, “I attribute much of this to the across-the-board, over-the-top scoffing by the ultraliberal, self-professed brains of the party. According to them, Obama must pay for abandoning his ‘progressive base.’ That’s funny because progressives, many of whom really wanted John Edwards to be the nominee in 2008, only constitute 20 percent of Democrats.”  (at least he didn’t use the republican term, “elitist” here)  Just as I felt Rahm Emanuel was talking to me when he referred to those on the “left” as “f___ing retards” I get the sense that my conservative views have evolved into “ultraliberal” from the perspective of people like Blow and he, presumably as with Obama, is lamenting the FACT that “liberals” don’t fall into lockstep with the “leader” like good republicans.

Before I go on with this let me clarify one thing.  While Blow claims the “ultraliberals” claim Obama “must pay” for abandoning his liberal base, I for one have never said that.  What I’ve been saying since the first day I recognized Obama’s actions were not nearly going to meet his rhetoric is that there will be a steep price for him to pay for abandoning his “base” in the form of rejection at the polls.  “Progressives” like myself are really tired of voting for the democratic version of a corporatist republican.  And, for Blow to suggest his “base” is only 20% of the American electorate, I believe he’s “lying with statistics” as many in positions such as his do.  However, even if he’s correct, President Obama can’t lose 20% of his “base” and expect to be reelected.  And, I have to tell you (and Mr. Blow – who, by the way, I respect for all the columns of his I’ve read in the past – and here’s a link to the one I’ve referenced here) I believe the disenchantment with “our” president goes far past any lines you might draw between “liberal” and “conservative.”

I recently finished a book titled “The Family” by Jeff Sharlet which clarified some confusion in my mind as I’ve been struggling to understand the “why” of some of the decisions made by the government of “we the people.”  And, now I’m mostly through with a book on the first 100 days of FDR’s presidency and things are getting even more clear.  Before, I go on, I believe Mr. Blow and every other “leader” in Washington and the press should read “The Family” (there’s many other books out which expose the true motivations of our “leaders” – but, that’s a good one in my view) and then consider what FDR did for the middle class of this great nation before they start jumping on the republican “bandwagon.”  The republicans have been in a continual struggle to repeal the “New Deal” since the 1930’s despite the FACT it was instrumental in creating the greatest middle class in the history of the world.  The “corporatists” have gotten richer over the years, but apparently when the people at the bottom are better off they just don’t feel right.  As I’m reading more about what is the “real” American history, I’m discovering that GREED is certainly not a new phenomenom.  But, is should be no surprise to Blow or Obama when there is a backlash against our elected officials succumbing to GREED!

I’ve said this on many occasions, but I’ll say it again in the hopes that Mr. Blow might somehow miraculously happen upon this site (I’ll continue to wish for Obama to show up as well) – President Obama would never have been elected if the public suspected he was going to be what is now being referred to as “republican-lite.”  He wasn’t elected to pardon the illegal activity of George W Bush and Dick Cheney which he summarily, apparently without conscience, did.  Not only am I certain that the U.S. WILL torture again, I’m not certain that we’re not doing so now – evidently in ways not called “waterboarding.”  Obama wasn’t elected to pander to republicans for a few scraps, he was elected to CHANGE the culture of Washington – to make a STAND against the corruption that permeates the capital of the United States of America!  You don’t have to be “ultraliberal” to have expected that!

Not only has Obama failed to address the issue of warrantless wiretapping, I believe it’s still an issue.  Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”  Well, Osama bin Laden has seemingly proved Roosevelt profetic on that one.  And, the fearmongering continues – and, I for one am sick of it.  No one in Washington seems to want to understand why the United States has become the new Soviet Union.  We just seem to keep marching along as if the present course will last forever.  That is the exact same thinking that led to the bursting of the housing bubble with the economy.  It was the “ultraliberals” (I guess, although I really do hesitate to put myself into that category) who were warning about the inevitability of the crash of 2008.  It was the “ultraliberals” who warned about the pure folly of invading Iraq and abandoning the search for bin Laden.  It’s been the “ultraliberals” leading the fight to get our troops removed from the two intractable occupations of Iraq and Afganistan which the republicans (and, apparently Obama himself) seem willing to support indefinitely.  It has been the “ultraliberals” who have been warning about the deficit spending of republicans since the days of Ronald Reagan (I started during the days of Nixon).  And, it’s been the “ultraliberals” who’ve been at the forefront of the consternation over the “Citizens United” Supreme Court decision which is apparently going to be allowed to guide this nation’s elections for the foreseeable future.

I guess what I would ask Mr. Blow if I had the chance to do so in person would be “why are you continuing to marginalize the term liberal?”  When the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, and lightweights like Lars Larsen have been busy doing this for the past 30 years.  There is an underlying conspiracy attempting to “mold” this nation into something that has rejected the philosophy of the “New Deal” – which, in reality, was the driving force behind all of the MAJOR advancements benefitting the vast majority of America’s workforce in the 2oth century.  We now have roughly the same number of unemployed Americans as there were during the Great Depression – the percentage is less due to the increased population.  Plus, we have the same arguments coming from the “right” or conservative “base” as to why government should be benefitting the “rich” at the expense of the poor and why a social “safety net” is a bad idea.  Why, then, would you be surprised at a sizeable backlash to decisions favoring republicans and those who oppose a “new” New Deal?  Are we in America going to allow our “leaders” to just continually REFUSE to learn from history? (I believe those Americans who are paying close attention to what’s “going on” are NOT stupid – they’re disgusted)

I can tell you Mr. Blow – the republicans have learned from history, and learned it well.  They’ve conspired to turn the word “liberal” into a “dirty word.”  And, people like you and our president are helping to perpetuate this scheme.  There is a well financed PUSH to turn America to the radical “right” and now people like me who were considered moderate or conservative 40 years ago are being referred to as “ultraliberals.”  I can’t even believe we’ve allowed this to happen, but reality is reality.  The other day at my work I was talking about the disappointment with Obama’s “caving” on the Bush tax cuts with a fellow worker and she asked me “what can we do?”  To those of us who are apparently “ultraliberals” it doesn’t appear that we can do much.  I will continue writing – I have children and two beautiful grandchildren who all deserve more than we apparently, as a society, want to leave them – and, I will continue working with others to push a “progressive” agenda with our government which focuses on the needs of the many over the needs of a few.  Additionally, I’ll continue to challenge those who’ve been elected to be my “leaders” to suck up the courage to FIGHT against this conservative onslaught which is best understood by reading books like “The Family.”  This conservative conspiracy has been ongoing for 70+ years and when people like Barack Obama and Charles Blow buy into it, the problem becomes magnified.

As I’m reading more about the Great Depression and thinking about my coworker’s question, I’m bracing myself for a difficult next few years.  With leaders who appear timid to challenge the corporatists – who now have the Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision which will fund their propaganda – I believe there is “rough sledding” ahead.  I’m constantly reminded, as I observe the actions of my government leaders, of the saying, “Those who choose to ignore history, are destined to repeat it.”  We’ve seen that in both Afganistan and Iraq, circa Viet Nam – and, I believe we’re seeing it with the economy.  Keep in mind, the “crash” precipitating the “Great Depression” happened in 1929 and the Hoover administration spent four years doing virtually nothing to combat the devastation felt mostly by the blue collar workforce – all the while claiming that the “free market” would “fix” the problem.  Sound familiar?  My fear is that it will take an economic crash of similar proportions to wake people up to the same kind of double talk the people of America were hearing in the 1920’s which they’re hearing again in 2010.  I’ve read book after book – written by both “liberal” and “conservative” economists which parallel what happened then with what’s happening now.  My answer to my friend was that I’m afraid nothing much will change until we have a total collapse of the economy.

The TARP bailout put a “finger in the dike” to temporarily prevent a total economic meltdown.  However, the banks are right back at the same “gambling” that created the crisis in the first place, they continue to find creative ways to funnel the wealth of this great nation into their own hands, and congress continues to be controlled by republicans – even when they’re in the minority.  Citizen’s United is designed to change that (ie republicans in the minority) and if democrats can’t even muster the courage to make a stand on tax cuts for the wealthy while in the majority – or the need to reduce the national budget deficit – then, from my vantage point, the future looks dim (how are they going to do this from a minority position?).  I believe President Obama was (and continues to be) manipulated by the military regarding Afganistan and Iraq – with not one courageous decision designed to change the course set by Bush/Cheney – and, now he’s being manipulated by the republicans in congress regarding the economy (I heard him spewing the “trickle down” line today that these tax cuts will create millions of new jobs)  which will soon be controlled by republicans in the House.  I’m just wondering how bad does it have to get before President Obama begins listening to the “base” that brought him into office?  He seems more than willing to listen to the people who continue to villify him – which is a curious matter in its own right – but, what is he going to do when republicans go after Social Security and Medicare next year as they balk at raising the “debt ceiling?”  I don’t see any sign that either President Obama or the congress has ANY will to begin slashing the military budget which has continued its steady increase in Obama’s first two years- so where are the “tea party” influenced republicans going to cut? (remember, ALL spending bills originate in the House) – is the next place Obama “caves” going to be Social Security?  The worse part of all of this is that I started recklessly predicting our next republican presidential nominee would be Jeb Bush 18 months ago – based on Obama’s actions.  With every weak-kneed decision by “my” president, I feel that is more and more likely.  Another Bush, ughhhh! (Who else do they have? – you don’t seriously think they’re stupid enough to put Palin out there, do you?  The thought simply causes me to shudder!)

My final thought:  President Obama clearly believes he can remain president by pandering to republicans in an attempt to draw independent voters to his “camp.”  I’ve said this many times, I really do hope President Obama succeeds.  I simply don’t believe he can succeed by ignoring the “liberals” who were so intently involved in his election.  He’s correct, I believe, that they will not vote for republicans under any circumstance.  I believe the miscalculation is that they will vote for him under any circumstance.  I’ve voted in every major and minor election since 1968.  At this point, there’s no way I’ll vote for President Obama again.  And, if he continues on this present course and then throws “liberals” a “bone” toward the next election – I think that will be even more offensive.  Should we ever get a strong investagative media again, I believe Obama is vulnerable on several fronts.  I’m not convinced the TORTURING is continuing – although I’ve read reports which make we wonder – but, I’m pretty sure the NSA is still, to this day, “data mining” virtually every phone call and email that goes through the high tech centers created during the Bush administration – all in the name of “keeping us safe.”  Is America going to spend the rest of my lifetime pushing an imperialistic, militaristic foreign policy and then slowly violate constitutional guarantees to free speech and privacy – again – in the name of “keeping us safe?”  To me, this feels like fascism creeping in on a slow train to Washington DC!