While I didn't always agree with his policies, Obama was and is a civil statesman. He is the positive side of the political coin. Who among us likes the negativity and divisiveness that has taken over the nation? And yet, this article points to increasing divisiveness as a strategy for winning? Winning what? Does anyone really believe that hate and divide to successful outcomes?! It may be 'effective' in the short term as an 'energizer' but it's not a good strategy. There are a number of Dems that have been elected because they didn't scream and yell and promise free, free, free. Those are the Dems I'm voting for. When I hear violent speech or calls to harass citizens (e.g. Waters) I stop listening. We listen to Obama precisely because he does not engage in hate speech.
3
Civility is off the table when dealing with Trump and his ilk. Trump came to power on crude and rude, and it's the only way to shake him up, and show his true face, that of a coward, and the con man he really is. All I can say to Obama is its time to put on the gloves, even the brass knuckles with the Gropenfueher, and tell it like it is. The only thing Trump understands is an unrestrained show of power. The power of the people needs to come in Trump's face from a true man of the people.
2
My guess is that people in this thread who invoke Martin Luther King as a moral beacon didn't march with him in Birmingham or Selma and get hosed & beaten.
My guess is that people who invoke MLK are happy to pretend that Malcolm X & Stokely Carmichael & Rap Brown & Angela Davis & Huey Newton & Elijah Muhammed never existed so of course had no influence. And naturally, they are happy to pretend that William Lloyd Garrison is a noble abolitionist scribe while John Brown is merely a terrorist.
My guess is that people in this thread who most most emphatically invoke civility did not lose anybody to the Shoa.
As Elmer Davis put it: "This republic was not established by cowards; and cowards will not preserve it."
1
Of course Obama is not a man to challenge a flame thrower!
But, he never was. Think back: "No Drama Obama" was a perfect epithet for him.
Mark Twin's genius at perfect, original witty remarks for puncturing hypocrisy is needed if one is going to be a clean, gentle man.
Tell me, please: do you seen one human on earth today with Twain's level of elegant, omnipotent wit delivered in defiance of the status quo?
No, we need a Terminator with morals, to defeat Trump.
1
Idealsim never goes out of style.
1
I fear what Trump has created beyond words. I remember at the age of 17, waiting in a bus depot for my father to pick me up as I went home for the weekend during my first semester of college and overhearing a conversation in the next booth from three very drunk men who were seemingly planning to get their guns and find that "n....." who had sassed them. The conversation was frightening, but even more was the realization that I could no nothing. Telling my father was pointless as was calling the sheriff. It was a terrible moment, and I often feel these days as though I am back in that time.
I am deeply grateful for Black Lives Matter, the Resist movement, and what I refer to as the "Parkland youngsters" -- the latter being merely my short hand way of naming a generation of young people in whom I have great faith. I. want these groups to be pushy, outrageous on occasion, and demand that all of us do more to resist Trump & Co. I believe we need them.
President Obama is a daily reminder that racism is a stupid reaction to skin color, and I also believe we need his grace, dignity and smart analysis.
Crusading politics is necessary. So is electoral politics and knocking on doors to turn out votes. What is not useful are the divisions created by hatred and fear.
2
Trump is a master performer, fear-monger, insulter, liar. I don't see any Democrat successfully competing with him in these areas. I believe that many people in our country would like to see civility restored to our debates and to the behavior of our political leaders. Simply following the Trump model will only lead to further disintegration of the norms we've had for decades prior to Trump.
I believe Democrats can win by telling the truth about critical issues and directly confronting Trump and his cronies on their multitude of lies in a forceful yet civil manner. For instance, the sudden Republican commitment to preserving coverage for pre-existing conditions, after years of trying to eliminate this benefit. Every Democrat should refute this false claim at every opportunity.
You can demonstrate strength and determination without joining Trump in the gutter.
1
Someone needs to be this suffering nation’s exemplar of civility, decency, and empathy (the antithesis of Trump), and there is no person better to do that than Barack Obama. He proved that, under stress, again and again, for many years, and other world leaders respected him for it. He will not change,
2
Well-known journalists in yesterday's NYTimes opinion pieces indirectly expressed appropriate strategies in dealing with Trump. How? By publishing letters, speeches of famous Presidents respected by most Americans. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. I disagree with the strategy of "kick em when they go low." It makes more sense to be calm, polite, well-informed, direct, truthful, dignified and in a tone of voice, with humorous overtones, that does not belittle the opponent. These are traits the American culture is in danger of losing with Trump as a negative role model for all of us. Watch Stephen Colbert every night. He is the perfect example of what character traits, style a person needs to have in order to oppose Donald Trump.
3
The Democratic National Committee mailed requests for money attempted to incite anger. The cards printed alleged quotes by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer "I am angry..." designed to "make" me angry and give money.
It's dangerous to try to manipulate emotions.
I want a DNC which is principled, practical and politically insightful. They could describe behavior of the GOP and consequences.
Democrats should not let Trump drag them down to his level. Trump has decades of experience at being mean, petty, vindictive and hateful. Why would anyone else want to be like that?
2
I’ve heard so many Democrats say “what we need is a fighter,” but I think the metaphors are wrong here. It’s not “a fist versus a handshake”, or “fighting fire with fire” as if sinking to the debased level of the current Republican party will address what so many feel is missing. It’s more that our current crop of prominent Democratic politicians seem to lack a fire in the belly which ignites the articulation of a clear agenda and respects the intelligence of voters instead of trying to manipulate them with rhetorical flame-throwing. Too many imagemakers and pollsters have dictated everything that comes out of Democratic politicians mouths. We need a leader with ideas and the passion to sell them.
1
It's a big coalition. Do both.
3
At least part of the problem is that Obama's civility is seen as a "style" as if it was some kind of fashion of the moment. That has the unfortunate effect of casting Trump's behavior as some kind of superficial "style" as well, rather than what it truly is: contemptible thought and action. Civility may indeed go out of fashion, but the behavior it reinforces is a prerequisite of civil society. The alternative is a descent into chaos and the erasure of civil rights, civil discourse and in the end, civilization.
2
So, no matter how young I may feel within my skin and my thoughts, I am undeniably an “old man” now. I’ve lived through some pretty wild times - civil rights battles, Watergate, Vietnam, W. Bush, but now I’m experiencing something I consider unique.
There have always been fights over pressing and important issues in this nation - sometimes wars of words, and other times wars involving physical suffering. Meeting force with equal force in those instances was always acceptable, and probably necessary, imho.
But how does anyone of good will react in kind to an opposition today that engages in nothing other than blatant lies, unfounded innuendo, racism and calculated disparagement? Does everyone adopt those tactics? If and when everyone lies with every breath...when we all show utter contempt for others at all times...when all of us do nothing but inflame passions, what will our nation have become?
It certainly won’t be “our” shared nation anymore. No, if we intend to salvage this nation from the forces that would debase it to a level of mediocrity and mendacity to rival that of the worst historical examples imaginable, then there must be a side that deals in demonstrable truths, with honesty, good will, and a vision of greatness for all.
Yes, that’s perhaps a bit grandiose and unrealistic in the sewer politics of our times. But a vision can’t be abandoned in a fit of pique. America has to be more than what Trump would make it. We can’t allow him to debase us all!
1
There is really no issue. At the end of the day, what matters most is how we live our lives, what kind of lives can we hold up to our children and grand-children, to our neighbors, and community. Yes, a flame-thrower may accomplish her immediate objectives, but at what cost?
America that we know strives to reach an ideal of fairness with compassion and respect in our daily modalities of receive and take. If our life is bereft of that identity, what is, indeed, left? President Obama, a scholar, a gentleman, a statesman, and a profound example of humanity is probably one of the finest Presidents we ever had. He knew how to resonate naturally to a national grief by spontaneously touching the ultimate chord of grace and beauty as he broke into song “Amazing Grace” at the funeral of Sen. Pinckney. Did his presidency teach us anything that is far more important than all this shenanigans we are currently witnessing?
36
@Sam Sengupta - I agree with you completely. President Obama and his family are the shinning light in this dark time. This nation cannot afford to succumb to the temptation to fight extremists with their methods. Using the tactics of the far right will only escalate the anger and turmoil, which is exactly what they are hoping for. "The Neuroscience of Hate Speech" Dr. Richard A. Friedman, which appeared in the October 31 issue of the NY Times, should be read by all of us.
6
In a speech during his campaign for president in 1948, Harry S Truman was laying out the case against his opponent, Thomas E. Dewey, and the Republicans when someone in the crowd shouted, “Give ‘um hell, Harry!” To which Truman replied: “I don’t give them hell. I just tell the truth about them and they think it’s hell.”
In that same 1948 campaign (which he won, by the way), here is part of the truth he told:
“Republicans stand four-square for the American home—but not for housing,” he said. “They are strong for labor—but they are stronger for restricting labor’s rights. They favor minimum wage—the smaller the minimum wage the better. They endorse educational opportunity for all—but they won’t spend money for teachers or for schools. They think modern medical care and hospitals are fine—for people who can afford them. ... And they admire the Government of the United States so much that they would like to buy it.”
What has changed?
Today we are stricken with a “president” who wages a relentless war on the truth. We have a “president” whose weapons are massive, moronic lies and simple-minded insults. Need we, Democrats or Independents or whatever, go that low?
No, just tell the truth. Just tell the truth as Harry Truman would tell it, plain and unvarnished. That’s what Trump and Trumpites fear. That’s why they keep screaming “Fake news!”
Just tell the truth. They’ll think it’s hell.
6
We have to be very very careful with the one who says what we want to hear. This divisionist and confrontational era resurfaced with the arrival of Obama to the presidency. We live in very dangerous times where the civilized world is conducting itself in favor of minorities, where the politically correctness are only looking for the benefit of the very few."God save me from the calm waters that I will free from the brave ones"
How to operate in today's Trumpian political world is a moral as well as a strategic question facing each of us. Can we keep our self-respect if we "stoop to conquer"? And if we do so, what will be the long-run consequences for civilized society?
Clearly The donald is a bully. We really need leaders who will stand up to him and don't get trapped in the mud with him . I know plenty of center leaning GOP people who buy into Trump's plea that the center left or far left is as bad as the right.
Dems need a strong message, and strong well articulated responses every time he goes low that appeal to a wide audience. One of these responses could hit the bully with a winning bloody nose and he will go away.
His latest threat of sending up to 15k of our military people should be responded to. A stunt that should be called out as a STUNT.
3
Upsetting us liberals is a major reason people voted for what’s-his-name. Even if our anger wins, it will nourish theirs. Even if we drive him out, someone will follow on the same course. We need to stall him at every turn - only showing him as ineffectual will defang his base.
1
To suggest we were in an era of decency during Obama's administration is a fantasy held by the media, not voters. Congress was really no different at that time and is part of the reason so little was accomplished. It is proof that a unilateral playbook can never work.
As with fighting real forest fires, fighting fire with fire is but one tool in the arsenal. Yet the media would suggest we only have the choice(s)of lighting the entire forest on fire to fight a smaller fire or sit back and wait until the winds change.
Had Obama stood up and thrown a few punches when called for he would have a far greater legacy than he does. His behavior was so very predictable that Republicans had a field day with their disruptive form of politics. In the end Obamacare was perhaps a major accomplishment but was flawed from the get go. And Republicans blocked most anything else to great effect due to the fact that they new Mr. Nice Guy could be taken advantage of. So, yes take the high road when possible but don't be afraid to throw a punch when needed.
1
President Obama knows the history of his people...black and white. Ms. Jarrett is right ("wouldn't be who he is") were he to change his message.
He is living out the role people of African descent have always been for the United States. Ultimately we are the sound, just witness and voice of reason. It is fine to discuss the relevance of his message and the manner and tone in which it comes to us. I have confidence it will come down, as the Shaker song says, "in a place just right."
3
I pondered this question and went back and forth over the "fight fire with fire" vs. "They go low, we go high" approaches. I finally landed on what is reasonable to me, and I got there watching Andrew Gillum in Florida and Stacey Abrams in Georgia. They respond to these Trump-era attacks directly and aggressively, but without getting dragged down into the sewer pit where the opposition is very comfortable.
Getting pulled off-message wastes a lot of time. The back and forth over blatant lies and fear tactics from the opposition are designed to stir up hate and confusion among their base, and voters who aren't paying close attention to the issues.
Using the same tactics to fight them, while maybe making us feel good, doesn't move any entrenched supporters on either side, nor does it elevate the discussion. It is much better, and more productive to continue to talk about progressive values and policies, and the need for positive change in both our policies and our politics.
33
If one doesn't counter bullies immediately, their bullying behavior increases. It's way past time to respond in kind. Trump and his acolytes need to be countered at every turn with whatever level of forcefulness it takes, powered by true and verifiable facts, not their hateful "alternative" versions. Their political cancer has spread far enough; it may require "radical surgery" for the patient, our country, to survive. May the forcefulness be with you.
3
Trump cannot be shamed. Normal people are frustrated when they deal with a man who feels no shame for attacking decent, law abiding citizens. There is only one solution to counter a bully and it was demonstrated very well in the movie A Christmas Story by Ralphie’s attack on Farkus. It is unfortunate that the Republican Party has allowed this situation to occur. My solution is that I will never vote for another Republican for any Office as long as I live. I am a man with an opinion and a vote. This is all I can do to counter Trump.
2
In dealing with the Trump problem, what if the Democrats use CocaCola's approach to Pepsi: ignore it.
According to other articles, fear works as a powerful motivator. But, Mr. Obama and Democratic candidates can use fear without resorting to slash-and-burn personal attacks. They can use fear about loss of meaningful access to medical care, by painting a graphic picture of having to choose between death and bankruptcy in the event of a serious illness or injury. They can use fear of being gunned down in schools, churches, synagogues, stores, movie theaters, even their own homes by Republicans' guns everywhere policies. It is possible to be civil and forceful.
49
First rule for Democrats- don't become the thing you oppose. The Republicans already sold their souls for power; don't you do it, too.
Second rule for Democrats - threats of bodily harm, even though uttered metaphorically, have no place in politics. Biden, Holder, Avenatti, etc. - stop it.
Third rule for Democrats, keep your idealism, defined as standing up for American democratic ideals and principles. These are under attack by Trump and the Republicans and you *must* stand between them and the dismantling of the liberal foundation upon which our Constitution and our government was built.
Fourth rule for Democrats, get a clue and get real. This is not politics as usual. The Republican Party has been overrun by extreme right wingers who are dismantling the checks and balances in our system of government as fast as they can in order to achieve their political, cultural, and legal agenda, and the right wing propaganda machine has been working for decades to indoctrinate conservatives into cheering them on.
Fifth rule for Democrats - go straight to the people. All the people. Speak plainly, bluntly, urgently. Explain the stakes. Tell the unvarnished truth. Make your case with reason, passion, and show why it matters to them to reject the fear, lies, and bigotry of the GOP, and to vote for Democrats - for democracy, diversity, and decency. For an American people free and unafraid of each other or the future.
Be strong, be tough, and don't give in.
2
“What is at stake is a politics that is decent. And honest. And lawful. That tries to do right by people and that’s worthy of this country we love.”
Fighting fire with fire makes a bigger fire. Let Obama be Obama.
3
This has always been my criticism of Barack Obama`s style. He brings a small Swiss army knife to a machine gun battle. When he kept asserting there are no blue or red states; only a United States; my reaction was ,"Are you paying ANY attention to what the G.O.P. are doing?!" They spent 8 years doing EVERYTHING in their power to frustrate, undermine, and destroy; anything Barack was trying to accomplish. Now they have under the sad pathetic Trump excuse for a president; tried to erase the good Obama did despite the venom of the Alt-Right. Stop playing nice with the snake. On Tuesday cut it`s head off once and for all!
1
@Greg Hodges
"They spent 8 years doing EVERYTHING in their power to frustrate, undermine, and destroy; anything Barack was trying to accomplish."
We should be so thankful that they did, otherwise we would have been much closer to a Venezuela type economy.
Of course Obama must remain the inspiring pragmatic idealist he’s always been! Of course! Other Democrats are well-qualified to take the role of flame-thrower, including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and Corey Booker and many others. Nancy Pelosi is a warrior! But Obama is the eloquent, rational, courteous angel of our better nature. We need him to remind us of the beauty and strength of civilization.
2
Obama's latest speeches include his demand that he get credit for today's economy.
So exactly what does he stand for except the same thing Trump does, except with a nicer presentation?
When it comes to the economy Trump and Obama are neoliberals. When it comes to education for both it's charter schools. When it comes to foreign policy, both are neocons. it was Obama who negotiated the Saudi arms sale, and begin the joint attack on Yemen, Obama who pull ed the regime changes in Honduras, Ukraine and Libya.
Obama, with the help of the Clintonites, destroyed the Dems as an opposition party. His politeness masked the same ruthless hopeless economic and "global war on terror" agenda as the GOP. "Bipartisan" under Obama meant constant capitulation to what we now call "fascism".
2
Maybe we should tie continued college enrollment to voting in order to get the "millinials" started on voting in elections. They avoid doing so at their own peril. Just sayin...
1
This seems like a pretty pointless article for the front page of the NY Times. I didn't find any news in it, nevermind news that was fit to print. Maybe you should give us some fact-based analysis of how our representative government can possibly function in the long-run if all the politicians do is engage in battles with each other and never work together across party lines for the good of the country. Trump's way makes politics into a reality show that will destroy our nation if allowed to continue. Obama exemplifies the leadership required to return to sanity and good government.
Take out ads in right-wing papers, buy ad slots on Fox and hammer the right with the list of lies, actions harmful to the environment, the poor, healthcare and the foolish expenditure of money for troops to the border. There is a pervasive ignorance and unwillingness to face facts among the Trump supporters. Maybe his actions are the way they lives their lives so lies, adultery, and belief in fairy dust politics is their moral compass. Sad.
Color me jaded and cynical, but as much I know that Trump isn’t fit to clean Obama’s latrines, I am “skeptical that [Obama’s] leadership style is suited to the sharp-elbowed political moment”. I’m very glad that I’m not one of the the strategists who has to figure out how to be “nice” like a Democrat, yet ruthless, vicious, dishonest, conniving and heartless like a Republican. There is a way to do it, I’m sure. I hope there’s time. (Very sorry for the name-calling. I’m heartsick that what’s happening to America drives me to express myself that way in a 1st class national medium like this one.)
When I was in Grade 5, the school bully (a kid who as an adult ended up in prison for attempted murder) approached me in the school yard and told me to give him my baseball glove and ball. I was terrified, but when I resisted we got into a scuffle. A teacher who heard the noise came running out and sent th two of us to the principal's office. We both got a tounge lashing from teh principal and the strap -- yes, in those days, kids were strapped! I shed a few tears, but you know what? The bully never bothered me again, though he continued to pick on other kids. One incident doesn't necessarily prove anything, but in my mind it taught me a useful life lesson: bullies are cowards who pick on the weak and those who aren't willing or able to fight back. Where the bully Donald Trump is concerned, those who oppose him should to go back at him tooth and nail. Sure, it may get "ugly," but it's far better to clear the air by having it out with him, than to let things get progressively more ugly as he dictates the terms. Maybe the meek will inherit the earth, but by the time the bullies like Trump (King Tiny I) are done with it, there will be nothing left to inherit.
2
US politicians have a very weak spot, they must be elected prior to taking office. Obama can get people to vote, and for those that would not otherwise, the rage against the current inhabitant of the White House should give them an extra push. It has been painfully proven that outrage, truth, common sense, and decency are not enough to keep bad people away from the presidency.
No change in "style" needed; Obama is doing fine. We just need to translate our voice and action into a vote.
Vote!
1
Voted for Obama the first time but gave up on him soon after as he moved from exciting candidate to a centralist president filling his cabinet with Clinton recast advisors. The Republicans feared him not when he had the congress, and locked him down after the midterm.
A man who could make a speech never used that power to rally his troops and can not believe any but the faithful wish to hear now. ‘what could have been’ lost in the process.
1
The issue is not "the fire", it's "the smoke". Trump & GOP are blowing toxic smoke out of their whatevers. It is a smoke that is lethal to democracy and the emerging way of American life -- a way that truly values life, liberty, & the pursuit of happiness (including freedoms for individuals to live with integrity in both their given and chosen groups).
What is needed is a clarion call -- almost alarmist -- that is aimed not only a Trump, but the entire GOP. Both American ideals (liberty and justice for all) is at risk and basic human rights are at stake. The Dems need to sound this klaxon -- and activate a "fan base" that blows the smoke away.
Of course, there is also a need for some specifics -- not a lot but a few that are crystal clear. Perhaps they are (1) ensure Civil Rights -- safety and protection, (2) an economic policy that is more "both ... and" -- free trade & job promotion/training, a more balanced budget by reinstitution of fairer taxation, and (3) resurgent American leadership that is less bellicose, emphasizing diplomacy in areas of climate change, disarmament (stop arming the world), and meaningful immigration reform with support to oppressed, endangered people.
In short, let's have a "platform" that is both conceptually strong and tangibly compelling -- one that is spoken forcefully with great urgency in the face of existential dangers of the conservative politicians currently in the majority.
1
" ... questions over what tone is best to oppose Mr. Trump will be front and center, just as critical as issues of policy or ideology."
Is there A best tone? There can be NO best tone in successfully engaging someone with whom you disagree. Awareness of one's emotion is the first step to creating an alternative to reacting with a single tone. The second is determination to be accurate and patient in responding non rhetorically, i.e. with an honesty that disarms one's opponent.
During my work life we had a saying, "In God we trust, all others bring data". There are many insightful comments on this article, but where is the data? Choosing the type of presidential candidate who can win in 2020 is profoundly important to the future of our country and what little is left of our democracy. Can political science, psychology, and other related disciplines add some objective evidence to this debate? Where's the data?
1
Welcome to the Dark Side of internet connectivity, where a truth-free president instantly connected with fact-free supporters push a reality-challenged agenda.
It's going to take an awful lot, a whole whale of a lot, of inspiration to counteract all that stupid...
3
Barry is the best, but right now most of the Republican Party (the politicians, not the people) has shown itself willing to excuse or embrace bald-faced lies and degrading public behavior. To remain courteous while ignoring what is happening with the opposition party is denial. I would try to be respectful with anyone one-on-one, but when facing a hostile group, I understand and agree with the Antifa thinking that you cannot negotiate with Fascists. And I don't feel bad for Fascists who want to parade around monuments with guns and torches, or pepperspray, hit and chase residents that then get a solid punch landed on them. Reap what you sow. I'd need a very large crowd to go the Gandhi route, or I'd need to be game to die. And I don't care to die because an ignorant person hates me due to propaganda on Fox News. Obama is a better person than me.
1
"The Obama Coalition?"
Perhaps the writer needs to consult a dictionary before creating a false title. The inference is that, former President Obama has formed some kinds of official alliance or group for his messaging; the article however, provides no such evidence. The closest thing to a coalition the writer references, are the supporters-voters who have come out to hear Barack Obama.
Now; is there room from optimism and civility? Of course.
One of the major problems with the Democratic Party is the fact that it has become a feminine entity. They didn't suffer from this issue during FDR's time, because the old Democrats were a coalition of Southern white supremacists and Northern labor unions. They had a left wing in addition to a far right wing composed of people who were simply too conservative to vote Republican. Because the modern American Left is identified with feminism, a party without a strongly conservative wing is effectively a feminine party. By the rules of our society, that means they can neither fight fire with fire nor participate in civilized discourse and debate. They are expected to remain silent at all times and keep their disapproval to themselves. It is much too late to save the Democratic Party from its decline and inevitable annihilation in today's hypermasculine, hyperconservative environment. But if you asked me twelve years ago, I would have said that the Democratic Party could save itself by radically defeminizing itself. If they had relied more heavily on male leaders, blunt and unrefined arguments and headline-ready sound bites, they might have had a chance at survival. Instead we got eight years of sickening, unmanly appeals to Hope and Reason, which the uneducated masses interpreted as the more intelligent segment of our population flaunting their superiority. Unfortunately it's too late for the Dems to man up and dumb down their message, and that's why they've lost.
Idealism is great if it can lead to building bridges and bringing us closer as a country.
Idealism for the sake of idealism or for pointing out the defects of your adversary is pointless and ultimately counter-productive.
1
Obama has in the past and is continuing to speak out, but as always you have to listen to hear him, respect doesn't need to be loud. It is exactly his dignified, intelligent manner that he was criticised for through his presidency, his determination to reach across the aisle, even when the republican bullies went low, he persisted.
Obama is to be applauded for sitting next to Trump with such dignity knowing that everything he achieved was to be destroyed by a racist, misogynist bully, the same man that publicly maligned Obama for years over the authenticity of his birth certificate. Obama faced racist threats against himself and his family and persisted, he endured hearing his wife and children called the most despicable racist names, effigies were hanged and burned of him and still, he persisted.
While not everyone will agree on his legacy and everything he did, no president is perfect, Obama came close. His quiet dignity had him admired throughout the world, his persistence, his intelligence reflected on America and if people had taken the time to look at the many good policies he did push through they would have known it benefited us all, particularly with climate and environmental initiatives. Put your ears to the floor and listen again, this man has a lot to say worth listening to.
2
Forget about idealism or fighting fire with fire. The best way to fight is to defeat the scoundrels on November 6. Trump will be finished if the Democratic House of Representatives win the midterm elections.
2
Obama was not a progressive. He merely imitated the best and most sophisticated political voices of the previous eras. He never abused his enemies or foes verbally, he remained above the fray and because, unlike todays pols, he was not inflamed by personal attacks( for being black and having a Muslim father), he scored points by maintaining his eqaunimity. So many people saw the images or wanted to believe he was some reincarnation of both Martin Luther King Jr, with a law degree, and the Brothers Kennedy without the Papal baggage, and no stupid war in Asia . He benefited more from the desires and wishes of his voters then from any personal experience. He was a gray-man-having accomplished nothing but to vote against a dumb war-who was , much like so many Roman emperors,(Claudius included), hoisted onto the stage and gifted with the purple, almost whether he wanted it or not. In retrospect, aside from his being a Democrat-who tried to push a GOP health care system made in Massachusetts, he acomplished nothing . And, because of his arrogance, never ended the Iraq war he promised to, and blew his last nomination to the Supreme Court, assured by the NYTimes and British bookies that Clinton would do it.
He was a nice guy-sort of-
I voted for him. But he mostly warmed the chair in the oval office for Trump . If his Vice had run& won-he might have had more lasting effect.
4
@meloop
Well said...
I voted for Obama, twice. But instead of a President of the United States, I feel the country got the mediator from the Harvard Law Review.
Too many times, over an eight year period, Obama made "compromise" the goal, when decisiveness was needed.
When the Republicans refused to execute their Constitutional role of advice and consent in the nomination of Merrick Garland, Obama should have declared that they had abdicated their role and under the powers of the Executive in cases of national emergency, appointed Garland to the Supreme Court.
He lost me, then. He's a good man, living in his own world, never realizing that sometimes (most times) you can't reason with bullies.
Sometimes you have to ball up your fist and bloody their noses.
3
SO tired of seeing Obama's name, time to ride off into the sunset and let the next president do his job.
He's become a sideshow and a distraction.
Now out gracefully you had your chance, Trump is just doing it a bit better....
2
It's not about fire or civility; it's about not being the Enabler-in-Chief to an opposition that is on a suicidal course.
What McConnell did with the Garland nomination was Secession-by-Another-Name, and Obama should have called a scheduled an hour-long address, laid out the case that the Constitution was being violated, declared that he would honor his oath to defend it and called upon every man, woman, and child to participate in a general strike. It wouldn't have had to been confrontational. It could have been the BBQ to Save the Constitution. But if people stayed home, it would have been over in a week, a month, but he'd have confronted them.
He did the same thing with the debt ceiling negotiations and not letting all the Bush tax cuts expire. So the US would have defaulted! Perfect! Because everyone would have blamed the Republicans and they would have learned a lesson. As it was, they got rewarded for their recklessness, and have been being rewarded every time because dems are always there to save them from their messes.
It's not tone; it's resolve. Obama wanted to be above politics, but that's like playing chess and saying you want to be above competition. Find some resolve, and start making them pay for what they break.
1
“If you are only fighting Donald Trump, and if you’re only fighting Republicans with whatever sick burn you can figure out, you haven’t done the full job,” he said. “What voters want is people to fight on behalf of issues.” - Jon Favreau
One might try to out-Trump Trump but it would be a fool's errand. I need my representatives to be more than bullies and scrappers bent on revenge, punishment, and one-upsmanship. They need to stand *for* something that moves policy positions forward, that repairs and strengthens the underpinnings of our weakened representational democracy. Lastly, it's time for the Schumers, Pelosis, and the out-of-touch DNC to step to the sidelines or get in line with the future focus of the party.
Yes, stand for something, be strong, do not waver, act decisively, watch your flank and remember to *listen* to your constituents.
1
The central point of this article is about how to fight Trump's daily barrage of lies, his attempts to create chaos and discord, his attempts to deflect critical news coverage and his regulatory changes and executive orders that do not comply with federal law or the Constitution.
No single Democrat - Obama, an attack dog or something in between - can overwhelm the barrage.
Liberals have been complacent until recently while conservatives executed a campaign over the past 30 years to supress voting by liberals, dominate radio and television coverage in much of the nation, publicized visible images (first Willie Horton, now the caravan) to stoke fear, hatred and racism, and now to use create (Breitbart) and use (Twitter) social media outlets to communicate directly to millions.
Trump attacks the press that are not part of this. Yet, the legitimate press have been guilty of playing the false equivalence game, pumping ratings and ad revenues.
But remember, Trump was elected by a minority. And residents of states that are almost completely Red and the many rural areas that are Red still contain only a minority of Americans.
The only short term solution is to VOTE conservatives out of controlling all branches of government. Then Democrat representatives can challenge illegal actions of the Administration, bring legislation to a vote, undo gerrymandering and voter suppression, etc.
But, if Democrats don't prevail in this election, plan to spend more years in the wilderness
2
"Does Obama’s Idealism Belong in Today’s Political Climate?" No. Not until the current GOP narcissists are no longer controlling this country and ethics returns to government. Trump and Kavanaugh are hopefully enough to drive the whole party out of power.
What the Democrats need are candidates who have some backbone, who can't be corrupted or intimidated by big money. It will no longer suffice for a Democrat to be slightly less corrupt or dishonest than the Republican alternative.
1
Yes, Obama's idealism belongs today. To say otherwise is to give up on the United States and, more importantly, liberal democracy. I don't care how dishonest, violent, and vile Republicans and Trump are, either liberal democracy survives, or it perishes. To survive democracy MUST operate as it did under Obama (sans Republicans) and before going back to Washington, or it will die and none of this matters anymore.
Trump and his base and Republicans cannot tolerate democracy or truth. We will have a good portion of the answer for the future next Tuesday.
1
I like former President Obama, but let's be honest. He wasn't a very effective President and he fed the white resentment that powered the Trump machine.
Fighting fire with fire isn't going to work, unless you're prepared to start spewing hate speech and endangering the safety of your fellow citizens.
Fight fire with a passion, yes, but forget about the scorched earth stuff.
Bedo O'Rourke is doing very well in a red state with his decent, positive attitude. The rabid Trump voters may by now be too brainwashed to reach, but those on the fence can be brought back into the fold by an inspiring, compassionate leader.
2
President Obama failed to fulfill his potential or the lofty expectations he generated -- because he insisted on being nice to Republicans, and kept hoping against hope that they will come around. But they die exactly what they said on Day One: they did not cooperate. They only obstructed. That Obama is still preaching civility and hope is the biggest reason for him to retire -- go back to teaching -- or change his tune. We need a realist and a fighter. And we need to find a retirement plan for our aging but persistent leaders.
"Whatever it TAKES!" Planned, voiced and carried out as done-deeds. Each of US ourselves. Each of ourselves with others. Those folks whom we know as well as with strangers. Whatever can stop. Limit. Within the law. With a framework of taking personal responsibility for our words and actions. Combined letters, into two words, anchored and underpinned by menschlich values. Norms. Ethic. The ongoing, toxic WE-THEY culture, which enables violating a created, targeted, selected "the other(s)" needs to be stopped. That which interferes with civil interchanges needs to be uprooted. Mutual distrust, removed from endangered neighborhoods and communities. Mutual respect, poisoned, by weather-"wackos" needs to be seeded again. Harvested daily. "Whatever works" to create menschlich interchanges and challenges complacency and complicity in harms to life and limb of unimpowered marginalized. Displaced. Excluded. Discriminated. Is our choice. Our responsibility. "Different strokes for different folks" is not just a mantra. It is a folksy reminded that reality= diversity. And diversity "demands" matching what will be effective. Which is sustainable. We do not tolerate, by law, "fire, fire" screamed out in a public place, dark or lit, when there is no fire! We can not, in a democracy tolerate injuring democracy, a system with rights and responsibilities, its values and norms, by a range of known individual and systemic violators. Whatever the sources of financial/ other powers and status.
As others commented, I can't see the point of this article. If you have listened to Obama's recent speeches, they are clear-eyed and sharp analysis of what is happening on the political scene and much needed. How can NYT create misleading arguments of this kind - is Obama the man for this time - is beyond me. It unfortunately reminds me of NYT (and the media) coverage of the Presidential election and its false equivalences between Clinton and Trump. NYT please learn from your previous mistakes and provide us with strong news analysis rather than being swayed by shiny objects.
1
Why compares the words of the Obamas to those of people who are running for office?
Its a false equivalency.
They have a different mission now.
Both of them did a great job.
Show some respect and perspective.
“Weak men cannot handle power. It will either crush them, or they will use it to crush others”
― Jocelyn Murray, The English Pirate
Djt is a weak man. Fight him on the issues for the rhetoric of anger has simply become background noise.
Vote
1
Obama touches on the one overriding issue that Democrats fail to keep making, that Trump and the Republicans have debased USA society and values with lies, deceit, venom, and propaganda. They have substituted insult and denigration for substantive discourse. They have substituted fantasies of a national different time and place for the facts of our current timely context. They need to be called out regularly on those issues, even as they lie to their base to defend themselves. At some point the house of cards will collapse and decency will need to prevail to restore the nation’s political values or we will tumble into third-world status.
1
Be civil with Trump? Seriously? The guy might be slick with his ruthless, bullying business methods transferred to the world of high politics at one of the world's greatest institutions - the Presidency of the USA. But honestly! When it comes to telling truth to power, the guy is an ignoramus. What you have to do ultimately is trust the people. By pass him. Don't bother actually speaking to Trump. Instead worry - as the ghost writer of his supposed 'autobiography' "The Art of the Deal" does - that the final decision on whether to wage nuclear war rests with this moronic lunatic. Seriously, get a team of psychiatrists to examine his public behaviour, and have him sectioned and then moved into a locked padded room at Bellevue Hospital under Art. 25. He has already reduced the Republican Party to a laughing stock among serious politicians around the world. All these scandalous threats, demands, lies and hapless attempts at diplomacy are, in the end, going to backfire on the American people. And the real worry is they will backfire on the entire world, he is that unstable. Sending Tweets at 3 am. Watching only Fox News! Never reads books. Ever. America needs brilliant orators, Democrat & GOP, of the old school to take the message to the people who matter - the voters. What kind of country do they wish to live in? One that makes the rest of the world sick to its stomach over his belief kids born in kids born in America of noncitizens, are not American? Really?
1
Barack Obama ran for the presidency in 2008 as a spoiler stealth candidate to deprive Hillary Clinton of the chance to be the first female Democratic nominee. Obama also seized on the opportunity to remind voters that Hillary Clinton voted Aye on the Iraq war. It didn't matter that he was a first term junior Senator and his name drew blank stares from much of the country. Obama's primary assets was that his last name wasn't Clinton and he had a real catchy slogan--Yes we can!! Why have some middle aged woman on the ballot when there was this young handsome candidate who could move mountains with his rhetoric alone? America couldn't wait to throw Hillary Clinton under the bus. The rest is history
The GOP and the NRA are pushing the USA toward a total police state. Imagine if we followed their advice, we should have armed guards at all our houses of worship, our schools, our homes. Picture it. eventually we will have an armed presence at every point in our daily lives. Dodge city from the old western movies. Shootouts in the streets. MAGA indeed.
TRUMP IS Incapable of empathy, remorse, basic decency and even minimal courtesy and manners. So it's important in campaigning to point out the behaviors in civil, reassuring ways. To paraphrase Barack Obama--This is not who we are as Americans. We can do better. Maintaining civility while describing Trump's behaviors is essential. the Democrats can take the role of providing emotional shelter for those who are seeking protection from brutal, savage, cutthroat, evil politics and policies (a la Trump). I think it's best for us to Kill the GOP with Kindness. Obama is a master of such presentation. When Trump began with false news, Obama gave him a friendly warning, delivered with a smile--don't use fake news. Or your administration won't be long. Some voters will be casting their ballots against the GOP. Let's encourage them to think of voting in favor of the Democrats. Independent voters seek better behavior and achievements from their elected officials. Let's show them that we're above the fray. As Hillary said, when they go low, we go high. It's time for that now.
The prayer of St Francis of Assisi comes to mind:
"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy; "
Some people are upset that Mr. Obama is not fighting hard enough and using the same language as Trump. To fight Trump like himself, you have to be a foul mouth, uneducated, unprincipled, and uninformed person like Trump. And Mr. Obama, is not such a person. Most of us would actually be disappointed if he brought himself to Trump’s level.
1
I voted for Obama once, but after he proved himself to be more slick than tough and savvy, I didn't the second time. His signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, was a K-Street and Pelosi swamp creature. Why paste your name on that? And Obama did paste his name on it, proudly. You can say that people now so-much-like the preexisting conditions feature (and hence baseline universal care), but when you kiss a pig like the ACA, you will stink for a long time.
Keep your doctor? Nah, only kidding. That was slick salesmanship, not civil debate. Don't kid yourself. Obama may look high brow compared with Trump, but Obama can play pretty dirty right along with his self-described wing man, Holder, kicking the opposition when the opportunity presents itself. Real nice.
Incidentally, tough-guy Holder has almost no chance of winning the presidency, which should make you ponder whether the premise of this article about being tough is really all that accurate or advisable for Democrats.
1
Don't sink to the level of a bully in the schoolyard. Our nation is better than that. Give us politicians who bring out the best in people. Let the hatred and divisiveness end here.
Human nature makes it quite difficult to calmly and rationally reply to hatred, lies and violence. We have a clear choice to make in this country. Do we descend to the level of Trump and shout and threaten and lie, or do we try to remain civil and rational? Neither path seems to be either appropriate or effective to me and I despair for the future of the US.
1
Obama bailed out Wall St and expanded the "Global War on Terror" and has little, thereby, to offer to combat Trump. Like Hillary, he created "Trump"—
2
Never pick a fight with an ugly person, they have nothing to lose. Obama should take the high road and inspire people to get involved. We all know Trump is ugly - even the GOP - they are using him just like he is using them.
There will always be a faction that calls for violence but the strength of Democratic voters lies in their belief in our constitution -- truth, justice and the American way, if you will. Abandon that and we are no better than the Republicans.
@Bert
It may interest you to know that many Republicans would like a strong Democratic candidate. Any patriotic American wants a strong President. I don’t feel locked into either party. I would call myself a liberal Republican, but I thought Presidents Clinton and Obama did great jobs. I thought President GW Bush was not so good. I voted for Obama in 2012.
I, too, think the world of President Obama and voted for him twice. But think about his legacy. It is all but completely gone, absolutely demolished by his successor, other than a thin strand of healthcare protection. So what did he actually accomplish that had any lasting impact on the lives of us all? Not much. Even his enshrinement of public lands for protection in perpetuity was savaged. And does President Obama really believe that when "they go low, we go high?" I doubt it. The very moment Donald Trump decided he was going to run for President and shred Obama's legacy was the night Obama eloquently mocked and ridiculed Trump in the audience at a press gala - yes, he savaged him all the while with a smile on his face. And the Democratic Party was dismantled and almost demolished during Obama's Presidency as well - too much focus on one gifted leader at the expense of the rest of the Party and the rest of us.
Sadly President Obama is somewhat obsolete in the present moment. We need younger, stronger, unapologetic, forceful progressives to unabashedly take the fight to Republicans and inspire new generations of Americans to transform this country back into what it once promised for all of us. And yes, they must also stop bringing their knives to a gun fight, otherwise there will be no happy future for any of us.
2
Obama should simply fade away. In a Trump era, Obama is a liability to the democrats. Behind the façade of someone who tried to be everything for all, the true Obama managed to set in motion the circumstances that gave us Trump. In eight years Obama did nothing to deal with the immigration debacle, and did less to put a stop to violence in major cities, most notably Chicago. Also, Obama's utter miscalculations and plain ignorance of foreign affairs kept us at war (and spending liberally in countries where we are not wanted or needed. He failed to deter Putin's military adventures in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The self centered "Team Obama" wasted time and resources in the now all but defunct Obama Care instead of addressing the real needs of americans: jobs. He tried to force feed an utopian vision of medical equality without thinking about the costs in terms of dollars and frustration to the average middle class American worker. While he vainly sought the hypocritical adulation from world leaders, he completely ignored who he was working for. And in the meantime, a politically inept reality show host was able to read the discontent of the people to generate enough political energy to defeat professional politicians, including Obama's alter ego.
Sadly, as long as democrats don't recognize the failures of an Obama doctrine, they will be unable to counter the pragmatic momentum of Trump's message, whether we agree or not with it, and give him another four years.
2
We need to fight very hard for what's right, but my question to other young political organizers is this: what do all these scathing rebukes and toxic shouting matches have to do with it? Vote for policies you want. Don't vote for candidates that accept corporate money. Find ways to not support fossil fuel companies. Help get the vote out. There are so many things that need to be done, but joining the great shouting match is not one of them.
Above all, stick to the facts! If you believe that your personal assessment of one person's character is more important than the fact that we're currently fighting multiple wars in the Middle East... maybe rethink that.
1
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan, but he wasn’t exactly effective against the Rs even while in office. Here in Australia, we have a saying: don’t pet the crocodile. He spent way too long trying to do just that.
Ever heard of a recess appointment? Merrick Garland would be Justice Garland if Obama had given the Rs a taste of their own medicine. You won’t play ball? Fine, I’ll play for you....
3
The shift toward the far right began when Obama was elected and the Koch backed Tea Party was founded. Fox News quickly took to promoting this radicalized political ideology and their viewers followed. Feminism, immigrants, homosexuality, people of color all became dire threats to civilization. It wasn’t enough to simply disagree. The goal was hatred. By the time the midterms came, previously moderate voters elected hardline tea party candidates and civility and compromise was lost. Obama did try to work with Republicans throughout most of his tenure. But he was unsuccessful.
By the time Trump came along, right wing media had so twisted the minds of their viewers, republican voters swallowed his propaganda hook, line and sinker.
We will eventually return to a more civil society. But that won’t happen until we change the minds of the voters. This hatred toward liberals, and the demonization of migrants has been brewing for a long time. It will take a long time to bring these people back from the brink, as most of them don’t see themselves as being unreasonable.
I truly believe that this can only be achieved by talking to the opposition. I know this is hard, but it’s the only way. This does not mean the left should just roll over. We can be tough and uncompromising when necessary. But we must still look for ways to cut through this blinding rage.
Until we can win back the hearts and minds of the people, our government will not serve us.
1
Obama's popularity unmatched? Try Bernie. People have figured out that our dependent relationship with the Saudis and decisions to destroy Libya and help them to destroy Yemen were on Obama's watch. People know that he did nothing to hold the bankers accountable for destroying the economy. People know that Obama bailed out the big banks but did not help the literally millions of families thrown out of their homes during the financial crisis. And they know that before Trump,millions of US citizens still did not have "access" to healthcare. Right now, Bernie Sanders is working hard to get us free healthcare as a right. In real time, Bernie went toe to toe with Bezos. Obama is not unmatched in popularity, but he is rich and charming with an attractive family. That's it.
1
I have read some of Obama's recent speeches and I think he gets the balance just right. What I have a problem with is the response of the rest of the democratic party. Whereas Obama correctly highlights the threat to democracy, the rest of the party seems to just want to ignore that and focus on issues like health care. I am not saying that those issues are not important, and we certainly need to talk about them, as Obama also does. But I think it is a mistake to make this election just about issues like healthcare, when it is also about the future of our democracy.
@dj sims Healthcare as a right is a winning argument. A living wage and meaningful work for all is a winning argument. An earth that continues to support animal and human life is a winning argument. Vague calls to save "the future of our democracy?" Seriously?
What’s needed is for Americans to care about truth which is required for justice, fairness and “the American Way.” Superman woman or person: where are you?
You can't be civil to a liar and conman. You CAN ignore him, and concentrate on more important issues- climate, children in cages, corruption, etc.
1
It is clear that the consensus building approach that Obama took with the ACA didn't work. It only created a time gap that Republicans eagerly (ab)used for demonizing the law.
The next Democratic president cannot afford such luxury. He or she will have to undo Trump's policies at top speed.
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.
We need Barack Obama more than ever.
1
Jared Polis, Democratic nominee for Governor of Colorado has a great idea; free preschool and all-day kindergarten for all the children in Colorado.
The Democrats need a battery of ideas like that in order to do an end run around Trump’s rhetorical stupid-bombs and the GOP’s annoying “no tax” balderdash. The Dems need to Flood the zone with positive initiatives and thus change the narrative. If that can be done, Trump will just look like a crazy person ranting in an empty field somewhere.
The problem has been that few people outside of Bernie Sanders have offered up new ideas on the national level, instead they’ve been playing defense on the ACA - a nine year-old piece of legislation.
What the American people need is a proliferation of positive, beneficial ideas. Tax the wealthy and corporations to pay for it. It’s past time.
Why are we covering this? I don't want to hear about the 2020 election, I don't want to hear about the third party voters, I don't want to hear about people who want to fight, who want to revolt, who formed a YAPO (Yet Another Political Organization) that nobody's heard of or cares about.
Eyes on the prize, it's 6 days away, and even cellphone junkies need to figure out that what matters is voting. Nothing more, nothing less. They'll be plenty of time for whatever your bright idea is after you study your ballot, make your choices, and go out and vote.
Because after the election if you tell me about your steeped in lack of experience political theories and tell me you didn't vote, I don't want to know you and won't read any newspaper that covers you no matter what you do.
Is that fighting enough, children?
2
The highly negative and hateful politics will persist as long as it works, in this case to rile a base of the disaffected. Sane and responsible people need to fight the policies hard by voting for those addressing issues where people live, namely health insurance, addiction, income inequality, and so on.They need to leave the nasty ad hominem attacks to the master of nastiness and offer genuine hope to good people looking for where to turn for help.
3
It is an over-reaction to Trump to want a similar personality.
One should separate the platform (policies, themes) from the style. On the style side, I think there is a great longing for the kind of civility demonstrated by Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain. Trump's success as a politician does not lie in his crudity or falsities, but in his ability to connect with largely lower middle class white male demographic, but often on issues, especially immigration. My friends and relatives who are Trump supporters seem to find him an embarrassment, but feel that, despite this, he resonants on the policy side.
1
I voted happily for President Obama twice, but was always disappointed in the way he negotiated; starting at a reasonable ending point and then having to give way from there. These aren't people who do reasonable. So it was also disappointing when so many Democrats and Independents who had voted for Mr. Obama bought into the Conservative attacks on Hilary Clinton and ended up not voting, or voting for the "alternatives," one of them being Trump. With her savvy and political pragmatism she would have gone toe-to-toe with these people.
2
Excellent President with a major flaw. He was always way too timid when the moment called for strength and certainty.
There’s a time to use the bully pulpit of the Presidency in order to be the most effective. And during his terms in officers , those times were many and he just left them begging.
He even was naive enough to actually seek Mitch McConnells guidance as to whether to make the FBI’s investigation of Russian interference public before the election. Guidance from the guy that resolved to block everything he tried to accomplish on the very day of his inauguration?
And now the result is that almost his entire legacy lies in ruin. I’m sorry, but he let us go down and now we all have to suffer the chaos that is the result. He left us little choice but to fight fire with fire.
1
We win only by offering a path away from Trump’s fear and hate toward a positive inclusive vision of a country that sets and achieves noble goals. We tolerate a level of poverty here that would not be tolerated in other advanced countries. Republicans want to intensify poverty - we want to end it. We need to be fixers - people who embrace rather that shrink in the face of challenges.
1
Why in the world do we hold our children accountable for telling lies and enforce punishment for not telling the truth while Trump goes scot free time after time after time?
How can I even explain that to my own children?
I think style is being confused with substance, media mistaken for content.
There's a quandary that pundits and analysts face that can be labeled the Trump Paradox: looking at all the reasons Trump won when in fact he lost. Speculating about strategy when 78,000 voters out of 139 million were either lost by Hillary Clinton or won by Trump is silly. And that's if the vote wasn't tampered with -- not Putin's online flame-throwing -- but black bag ops directly hacking into voting machines and changing Clinton votes to Trump, thus rigging the electoral result. We don't know.
Numerous high school coders have shown how easy it is to hack the two dominant voting machines used throughout the country. (Diebold Election Systems was founded and owned by a major Republican funder and activist. The other major voting machine maker was also founded by the same GOP activist who started Diebold Election Systems, now renamed Premier Election Solutions.) The vote counts on these machines don't have paper records so there's no practical way to check the accuracy of tabulated results.
There's also the problem that the majority of Americans didn't and usually don't vote. Would they be more likely or less likely to vote when it's a Trump slugfest or when a mild candidate like Jimmy Carter looks in the camera and says "I'll never lie to you."?
Answers to a dubious question are invariably dubious and meaningless.
My guess is that the taller candidate always wins.
1
President Obama's style is effective. It is Presidential, Intelligent, it shows a grasp of the pressing political issues at hand, it has shown the ability to have a discussion and compromise. I think he knowns that the whole political climate in the country is poisoned right now. The News and Information that Americans used to rely on to make political decisions is all suspect. The rise of social media and the weakening of traditional news has created a editorial type news environment where everyone spouts their opinion with very little debate of facts. The lack of debate has destroyed civility, empathy, emboldened the darkest corners of our society to surface. It's only been two years since President Obama was in the oval office. In these past two years the political climate has turned so hostile that Mr Obama has only been seen in recent months out campaigning to go out the vote thanks to the urgency surrounding this years midterm elections.
3
This country and its young people need inspiring models more than ever. Some politicians have more combative personalities, but in the long run, being soft-spoken, eloquent, and keeping to the high ground will be more effective than contributing to the daily invectives of political discourse.
Barack Obama is a former president. He is held to higher standards than a man in the street or a lower level figure.
In the past month alone, we have seen Trump refer to Democrats and to Dr. Blasey Ford as "really evil" people. Why? No Democrat supports ripping children by the thousands from the arms of their parents. By any measure, that is an evil action. The larger American public found Dr. Blasey Ford's accusations as well as those of another woman to be completely credible, and they were placed within a wider context.
Trump repeatedly calls the press the "enemy of the people," a phrase used by Stalin. Old bigoted conspiracy stories rise and Republicans along with Trump keep repeating them.
The almost daily onslaught of Republican anti-Semitism, racism, bigotry against immigrants and Muslims, and misogyny wound this country and hurt many millions. They incite violence including numerous attempted bombings and tragic mass shootings these past few weeks.
Staying above the fray is a welcome change. Music to my ears in fact. Stacey Abrams is soft spoken, has the cadence of preachers, works across the aisle, and is highly intelligent. She also is a welcome change.
3
The first time I heard Obama speak was on NPR in 2007, and I immediately knew he was the one - classy, elegant, articulate, inspiring. The perfect candidate for his times. But times have changed. What's needed now is a street fighter - scrappy, quick-witted, a take-down artist.
In today's political environment, the smartest thing Dems could do would be to bring back Al Franken, and say, do whatever you want. Have at it. We won't pick you apart, we won't squabble, we'll back you 100%. Give Franken the latitude the GOP gives Trump, and Franken would make complete mincemeat out of him. The irresistible factor: humor.
As sure as I was about Obama, I'm sure about Franken. What's Trump going to say, he has questionable history with women? ha. The vast majority of voters don't care. But if Dems are going to be precious, find someone else who's quick-witted and hilarious. Cause those are qualities that would win.
2
President Obama is hitting the campaign trail? Dems are still fighting the 2016 election. President Obama is a nice guy but Mayor Bloomberg would be the only Democratic politician who would be able to pull Republican voters away from President Trump. Let’s see more of him.
5
You need to fight Trump without letting him dictate the topics.
You need now to ask the right questions to the right people: Ask for example the Christians "Wasn't lying forbidden? Don't we have the duty to save the earth? Was Jesus a war maker wearing weapons?" If you ask the right questions without being too politically, it will bring some people back to sanity. The worst thing happening now, is to give Trump always all space in all newspapers. It makes his name more important than it is, it let's him dictate the themes of discussion (which are the wrong ones and distracting from real problems), instead supporting better people, which then also would animate more "good" voters to go to election – people who now unfortunately don't see a "good" choice and so stay away from voting... which would only help Trump again.
The tactical system of "Trump" is to take all oxygen out of the air with his words and twitters (like someone else also wrote here), and you really need to understand that, if you won't let him win again.
I believe that democrats could potentially accrue a decent number of former Trump voters if they fight Trump’s entertainment and wealth reputation with someone who matches that. Someone like Mark Cuban, for instance.
Don’t underestimate the value of portrayed power to the average American. The constitutional prowess and overall intelligence shown by President Obama was appreciated and needed in 2008. Nowadays, Americans latch onto powerful figures who can “save us” from problems overemphasized by mainstream media. You can always unite democrats by picking a democratic leader—but to defeat Trump, you need to appeal to Trump voters with a persona that’s familiar. Even if it means you go four more years with someone who also doesn’t have political experience...
As bad as he is as human being and as bad as most of his agenda is, Donald Trump knows how to sell. Democrats need to learn from him. No, not sink to his level of rhetoric, but to use simple language, to appeal to emotions, to simplify complex issues, to repeat and repeat certain words, phrases and themes until they become the language of everyday conversation. They need to aggressively frame the discussion, not react to the discussion Republicans have framed. Republicans don't have a good product to sell but they have a great salesman in Trump. Salesmanship can be learned. Democrats need to take the master class.
2
The article quotes two present candidates suggesting that they are more like Trump than Obama in their rhetoric and tone. Yet the quotes are not at all like Trump. In fact, they are what Trump would have sounded like this week IF he was actually a decent president. What they did was express outrage at the violence of bombs and shootings. Perhaps their anger was more on the surface than Mr. Obama's (sometimes a good thing), but their language & tones were not crude, blaming, or self-referencing as Trump's usually are.
I disagree that Mr. Trump "sets the norm" so we have to stoop to his level. He is loud, yes. He has a bully pulpit for sure. However, he also turns off many, many voters who detest his crude bullying and empty rhetoric. It is tempting to think we need to fight fire with fire, but what will be refreshing to voters is a candidate who talks real policy, who has ideas, talks about traditional American ideals, and believes in them.
1
It is a little frustrating to see the generation which are the newest voters thinking we must sink to Trumpism tactics to win. I was 30 the night Obama won, and that night was all about hope. Ultimately great leaders who see this nation through troubled times rely on messages of hope--from Lincoln, to FDR, to JFK and Obama. They reassure us we only need to fear giving in to anger and fear--and yes there are hard battles to fight politically, but one should never forget that rhetoric of hate burns out in a fast, hard flash, while that of love and peace stands the test of time.
1
“But the election of Mr. Trump has tested the former president’s theory of measured change, his advisers acknowledge.”
What does the word “measured” mean in this context? Moderate change? That’s not what we were promised. We wanted radical change, but got only half-measures. At the end of his eight years in office it seemed little had been done.
4
To my thinking, there is always room and time for Obama’s thoughtful and historically rooted idealism. Take Trump and the threat he poses to democratic institutions very seriously. But never forget that Obama’s vision is not some dream, but rather a pretty clear vision of the future, if we dare to believe in ourselves and one another.
2
I agree with Michelle Obama. If we sink low, then everyone will be on the same low playing field. Human beings need hope and a role model to emulate. Trump is most certainly not that. And, I don't want a Democratic version of that.
2
I don't know. Do we really need news media to tell us what's trending, and entice us to pay disproportionate attention to it at the expense of a multiplicity of ideas and reasoning? Is there some need to claim the front of the line, a line news media shape and help design? I don't think so. Does a rhetorical mainstream monoculture simply reflect the profit potential of fast food mediocrity? And is this the sort of thing we value enough to produce billionaires who know what they want and how to buy our politicians?
There's a difference between reporting, provoking, and declaring.
1
I'm still inspired and energized when I hear Obama at a rally! Come on, it was only two years ago that he was president and this country had civility in our political dialogue. It hasn't been that long. We still need to aspire to not be on Trump's level. Sure, bring out the aggressive non-civility on an as-needed basis, but don't discourage politicians who want to remain hopeful and positive. We need that now more than ever.
3
The fact that serious people of good will are advocating the "go low" approach highlights the utter lack of positive ideas in either party. Trump and Republicans want to make America great again by pushing down the weak and disenfranchising the already marginalized. This is a policy that appeals to despair and hopelessness, and it is winning because the Democrats since Obama have not been able to generate an alternative positive vision for the country that will appeal more to the desperate and hopeless. Fighting negativity with stronger negativity may win elections, but it will not move this country forward.
1
Obama is no role model for Democratic candidates who care about fairness and a better quality of life for the average citizen. His message of “hope” and “idealism” was mere campaign rhetoric. His actions as president did not match his words—from dropping the public option, to neglecting struggling homeowners, to focusing on the deficit, to promoting the TPP, to failing to hold Wall Street accountable, he favored special interests over the public good. FDR, a fighter and reformer, would make a far better role model—he made clear the failures of right-wing ideology, articulated a progressive alternative, and backed up his words with bold policies that significantly improved the lives of working people for decades. The Democrats have a proud legacy to draw on, and now is the time to do that, finally.
3
Beneath the idealistic veneer it was the real politic guided inclusive centrist plank that proved to be a great unifier for the US though not so for the Democrats the section of which never felt much comfortable with. Yet, under the highly polarised existing conditions, it is Obama's pragmatic centrist path that could prove favourable to the Democratic party in the midterm elections.
2
We don’t have Fake News, we have a Fake President. “Fake” is the word that best describes him.
Edward j Miller MD
1
Obama was very good at generating enthusiasm for himself. For the Democratic agenda, not so much. What did he get for his eight years of seeking consensus with Conservatives? Did they see him as a consensus builder? Not so much. He didn't really listen to them, because if he had, he would hsve known they really didn't want universal healthcare coverage. He shrugged off their objections as partisan posturing, instead of taking them seriously and fighting against them. And he didn't fight hard enough to convince the Americsn people.
13
DebbieR
it is amazing to me the number of people who make the point you are making in your comment, that the GOP just didn't want the single payer insurance plan. Obamacare was not a single payer plan. It was very similar to the insurance program enacted under Mitt Romney in Massachusetts. They just wanted him to fail, and hate him for the success he realized.
3
You can't go high in the face of constant lies. Trump is an evil genius in figuring out that to lie constantly prevents all attempts to fight his lies. There just isn't enough time or space in anyone's brain to combat the constant barrage. When you couple that with turning people against the press, going high is a sure way to lose the fight for the truth. That is what we are in, a fight for who's truth wins. In a sense there is no longer an objective truth. Everyone must pick a truth and if you do still hold that there is an objective truth you have to be ruthless in fighting the Trump version. Playing nice is forfeiture.
36
@Gretchen King,
There are different ways of 'Playing Nice', and President Obama has the mettle, character and fortitude to know the difference between right and wrong.
He can be ruthless, without breaking any rules; fit and capable of stunning an opponent with an invisible pie in the face. His instinct for 'open lies' is sharper than ever, in a fight to regain our wits, our Constitution with sense, not catering to the dangerous heartstrings of Trump's Mob.
4
Voted for Obama the first time but gave up on him soon after as he moved from exciting candidate to a centralist president filling his cabinet with Clinton recast advisors. The Republicans feared him not when he had the congress, and locked him down after the midterm.
A man who could make a speech never used that power to rally his troops and can not believe any but the faithful wish to hear now. “WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN’ lost in the process.
9
What is the point of this article? To give up hope? I listened to his speech in Milwaukee on Friday, and he clearly stated the facts. Every subject he covered, particularly regarding health care, he pointed out the facts and to even "look it up."
The other democratic leaders speaking at rallies should do the same: look at the facts and use these as counter-arguments against the Republicans.
Come on people! If you can't use Obama, who else in the next week can really bring out the inspiration? Spread the word to get everyone out there to vote!
9
Just once I would love to see the effect of every democrat and media outlet in unison ignoring Trump altogether. For one day, not a single reply or rebuttal to his outrageousnesses, as if he didn’t exist.
Like a black hole or the wicked witch of the west, he would in my humble estimation simply collapse in on himself.
9
What is a "constitutionalist"? One who believes in the rule of law? I guess these are the crazy democrats that Claire McCaskill was talking about.
6
I hope they choose civility. Trump supporters already think democrats hate them and will never be on their side. We don't need to give them more of a reason to believe that.
3
Going low is not necessary or sufficient. Here's what is: stick up for progressive policies, emphasize how they improve the lives of the vast majority of people, don't take any guff without refuting the nonsense--with humor, sarcasm, and ridicule sometimes. Support freedom and say how and when and why reactionaries hate freedom. Accurate contrasts are not "going low," if they are the truth.
79
K Swain,
Do not, under any circumstance use sarcasm to fight and make your points. It makes your message hard to follow and can be taken out of context and used against you. Keep it simple.
3
I don't know if Democratic party leaders are capable of appealing to our sense of self-interest. For too long they have browbeaten us for the sake of those who wouldn't think to lift a finger to save themselves. Why should they, when it gives us so much pleasure...
So Trump takes up the cudgel in their stead. Go figure.
1
I'm of two minds on this.
Few have the respect for rhetoric and argument that I do, and I would much prefer to see progressives "fight" using those tools. However, it is becoming more evident, given the current oligarchic structure of our government and media, that using only those tools almost guarantees an unfair fight.
Some new tactics need to be added, among them massive non-violent, disruptive demonstrations, but perhaps we also need to take another page from the Abbie Hoffman types of the 60's--remember when he and his cohorts threatened to levitate the Pentagon, causing the powers that be to badly overreact and look foolish?--by making the reactionaries look foolish as often as possible, and no fun and uncool all the time.
Sneak into Trump rallies and, at a prearranged signal, pull out kazoos and play "We're Not Gonna Take It?" Silly string the White House fences? (It is Halloween, after all.) Mass flash mob die-ins at Trump properties? These, and other video and audio friendly tactics may have merit, and are certainly likely to provoke reactions from Trump and his supporters that make them look increasingly unhinged.
Non-violent humorous disruption may be more effective. We do have to have the courage of MLK and Gandhi's followers, though, as we're likely to absorb a goodly amount of abuse in the process, sorry to say.
1
The frame of this article implies that aggressive criticism of Trump is imitation of Trump, or "fighting fire with fire."
This is grossly false, and profoundly intellectually lazy. To name only one example, there is no remote moral equivalency between Trump's policy of taking immigrant children from their parents, and criticism or even angry denunciation of that policy.
The Times continues to cling to a pseudo-objective stance of giving "both sides" equal credit, long after that frame ceased to serve the purpose of describing the reality of American politics accurately, and began instead to hide, obscure, and distort that reality. This death grip on the false equivalency fallacy means that the Times serves its readership and the country poorly all too often, as in this article, at a time when accurate, rigorous, and genuinely fair journalism is needed more than it has been for generations.
7
President Obama is an exceptional human being.
Americans are just waking up to his hard fought achievement Obama Care.
One can only hope that soonAmericans wake up to the fact civility and thoughtful policies will make America great again.
2
The Democratic Party needs to exorcise the spirit of Obamaw forever. He brought us Trump. I will fight day, night and weekends to defeat anyone who runs on a "unity" and hope message, who wants to hear ""good ideas from Republicans" (they have none), who believes in bipartisan compromise or thinks there are "no red states and no blue states, just united states." We need to roll back all the damage Republicans have done, undo the racist laws and claw back their giveaways to the ultra-rich, eliminate them from our politics and block all their counter-majoritiarian tricks.
If we have learned one thing in these last years, it's that what divides us as Americans is a lot more important than anything that unites us. No More Obamas!
1
Let me preface my comment by saying that I voted for Obama, twice, and then painfully and frustratingly watch the man dither and sleep through eight years of the collapse of his party and leave it in ruins, both financially and politically. Now? Now he wakes up and finds his voice? But then, that's all he really had. Giving great sounding encouraging speeches that woos everyone to sleep with the expectation that he will actually follow through on his rhetoric. Only he never did. In fact, he often did the opposite: more wars, more drone strikes, permanent Bush tax cuts, job crushing and union busting trade deals like TPP, NSA wiretappings, Espionage Act to prosecute journalists, Absolutely NO bankers prosecuted or even charged yet 7 million families kicked out of their houses to make the banks whole, 99% of the recovery wealth going to the 1%- an unprecedented occurrence in recession recovery history, the Grand Bargain to cut Social Security and Medicare, Syria destabilization with his secret CIA/Saudi war leading to ISIS, Libya, ... We have a Trump following his eight years of do-nothingness following his promise of change the way we got him following eight years of Bush. People still love him, but why, because he's not a Trump? What a complement. Mr. Obama, you mean well, but you are not a leader that leads people into a battle or through difficult and necessary change. You lead people up to a certain point, point them in the right direction, then sit back or walk away.
6
FXQ,
I understand your frustration with Obama. I too voted for him twice. I see him as a much more successful president than you and many others. Our country was entering our greatest economic crises since the Great Depression. He provided calm steady hopeful leadership throughout his administration. Our economy did not collapse and improved steadily. Yes, I think some of the bankers should not have received their bonuses after a financial debacle they engineered, and some should have been told to step down as part of the bailouts. I dont know if that was him being civil or just politically realistic. I too saw many of the mistakes you point out, but he was a bettrr President than you and many others give him credit for. Thank you, former President Obama.
2
I agree with Mr. Mooshegian: "Trump has set the norm...the person who runs against him in 2020 is going tho have to match that."
Fight against fascists nicely??? The Dems are unsure...
Unbelievable. What a false equivalence, NYT. I'm disappointed.
Why are the Dems and Obama being held to a higher standard than the occupant of the White House and leader of the GOP, who have abandoned any dedication to norms, anti-corruption or common decency? Why are you not portraying what the Dems are up against in this article?
Please review the innumerable instances when the current occupant incited violence, anti-semitism, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and described the free press as the enemy of the people. And then rewrite this article to reflect the real political and rhetorical environment we're all living in.
4
Some former conservative Republicans have been the most vocal in attacking Trump and the whole Republican Party as irredeemable. These include George Will, Jennifer Rubin, Max Boot and politicians like Governor John Kasich of Ohio.
There is no reason to refrain from attacks while taking the high road, or refraining from the high road when using bitter attacks.
America was based on creating space for all kinds of people to live their lives as they see fit and to think and talk freely in that space. As a corollary, living freely means respecting other people and their sometimes less-than-stellar beliefs by minding your own business. Tolerance represents the high road.
But attacking those intolerant people who would restrict that space to only some of the people is not beyond the bounds of political discourse. Calling someone a Nazi who identifies as a Nazi is acceptable, but labeling someone as a Nazi who just espouses Nazi ideology is not only acceptable but mandatory when confronting such intolerance.
53
@Maurie Beck
Symptoms of a disease are there to provide enough early warning so that the disease does not take the body to the point of no return.
The same with symptoms of a National disease. Waste time with slogans and you'll wake up some morning in 1930's Germany.
Obama had 8 years of slogans and niceties. All led to a national emergency named "Trump."
We can either have a figurative "call to arms" today, or we'll be having a literal "call to arms" tomorrow.
@Maurie Beck
How about we call those who espouse Nazi ideology but refuse to acknowledge their leanings, "nutzis"?
4
Instead of going high, or going low, I would be interested in seeing some genuine proposals to deal with long standing problems. For example:
Other than insurance to pay health care providers and big pharma their inflated prices, what is proposed to actually bring the prices down to reasonable levels as experienced in other developed countries with health results as good as, or better than, the USA? If underlying cost in the health care system come down, health insurance should come down as well.
Do Democrats think that our trade with other nations, especially China, is fine as it was when Obama left office? If no, what would you do if put into power, different than the President's approach?
What should happen with our Federal tax policy? What changes, if any, would you make from present law?
What, if anything, would you do about existing illegal immigrants already here, and new ones trying to enter?
Instead of fighting fire with fire, how about fighting fire with policy and facts? Otherwise, its all a big turnoff.
7
I'm not sure that anyone can out-Trump Trump and there certainly a few examples of those who tried and failed. The actual problem, as has been pointed out by others here, the real problem is the endless free publicity given to Trump by the press and electronic media.
5
I just wish we had an educated, intelligent, thoughtful person in the White House instead of a racist, misogynist, foulmouthed bully.
15
Trump “sets the norm,” Mr. Mooshegian said, adding that “the person who runs against him in 2020 is going to have to match that.”
I would argue that Trump defies (and defiles) the norm. And the person who runs against him in 2020 is going to have to impress upon the voting populace that violating certain norms has been bad for America -- and therefore for them -- both domestically and internationally.
While this may be wishful thinking, perhaps in another couple of years Trump's formulaic act will have grown stale. When the "forgotten" voters he so deviously courted realize he's done nothing to improve their lives, and that his idiotic public appearances feel like reruns, maybe enough of them will jump off the bandwagon.
14
We cannot afford ‘maybe’ any longer. The USA is in dire straits.
Liberals enraged by the Trump Administration? Forgive me if I doze off at this report. Liberals are enraged by every Republican Administration. The venomous response to Reagan set the stage for equally horrendous responses to the two Bushes and now Trump. The colossal arrogance of the left cannot abide when the democratic process shows liberal politicians the door. As for President Obama, he set the stage for the increased radicalism of his followers. After all, he was responsible for the quote “when they bring a knife, we bring a gun”. Sew the wind, reap the whirlwind.
8
Idealism always belongs.
8
I, along with many others I’m sure, would have joyously voted him for a third term. And he would have won. No one except for the bitterest partisans and racists actually wanted the reality TV game show host as the president. I know people here love to defend Hillary but she just didn’t have “it.”
5
So what this article is implying is that we should all wallow with pigs.
Both Obama's are correct that if we are to be leaders in this world then we have to set a good example.
That means when they go low we go high, as stated by Michele.
Ignorance has no place in a good society, but it should be used as a tool to teach so that the next generation knows better.
This country and the world is a better place to live because past world leaders knew that acting like a thug does not make us better people.
Always remember that most of us grew up with parents that taught us to be civil with each other, most of us.
6
Trump dangles the red meat for his supporters. He's also baiting Democrats to jump in the sewer with him. They should not bite because there's no winning against someone unfettered by truth, reality and dignity. He will always sink lower. Democrats need to campaign on protecting the country and the planet from Trump. Call out his lies, and then provide an alternative.
10
How about just ignoring Donald when he is doing nothing newsworthy. I've noticed recently that not every crazy Trump comment gets front page headlines. Much more effective and it denies Donald the attention he so craves.
6
Donald Trump is a narcissistic genius at manipulating the media and getting it to focus on him. Events of the past two weeks have not only forced him to the sidelines but exposed the dark connection between his media-grabbing attention based on outragreous hate speech. The Democrats don't have to "go low" to get attention, but they do need to "call him out" on how his stoking of toxic fear of immigrants and those who would like HIAS help them resulted in the massacre at the Pittsburgh synagogue. The American people have to know that the murder of resident American journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and the pipe bombs sent by a Trump fanatic to his political opponents are all connected to the media coverage of Trump's toxic tirades of hate. These events are just prologue to what will happen if the voters don't say "Enough" by repudiating mayhem and restoring law and order by electing Democrats who will honor their Constitutional oath to be a "check and balance" on Trump's lawless behavior.
6
Isn’t it pretty much all that’s left. You know what I’m saying...
I am well certain, that if Dr. King were here, with us this day, I know that he would speak... to that that President Obama speaks to... Peace and Prosperity
3
Bernie inspires me more than Obama.
6
We need an RFK who focuses on alleviating poverty and rightinig wrongs.
3
Idealism, in a world full of bad actors (Assad, Putin, Xi) - as opposed to Realpolitik - makes for bad foreign policy
After 8 years of Obama appeasements, Xi is throwing his weight around in the China Sea, and Putin is firmly entrenched in the Mid East. including air bases in Syria.
Like Carter, Obama is admirable, but his foreign policy was a disaster for the United States.
I never liked Nixon, but in a world where dog eats dog, he takes a crook to know a crook. His foreign policy, under the equally repulsive Kissinger (who financed the murder of Allende) was a success.
2
Simply put..... if not for Obama’s aloof and urbane attitude..... his lack of support for Biden by not encouraging him to run,he is a symptom and cause of trumps rise .
Obama’s was just as unwavering in his directives for ICE to dragnet cities and businesses and pick up long time immigrants without papers. He encouraged ICE .
I was very disappointed in him.
People venerate him .....for nothing really.
IMHO
6
Idealism is a pipe dream, a nice feeling. Utopia. In other words, socialism which never has has a successful history. One cannot get rid of classes to the point that society becomes classless. While I believe in total equality for all, there will always be the haves and have nots; the blue collar and the white collar; the wealthy and the poor; and that list could go on. While we are all created equal, what we do with our lives, the choices we make, are strictly individual. Some succeed, some fail.
LaTosha Brown is quoted in the story as seeing Obama as a constitutionalist. Our Constitution is everything we should live by in America or we have nothing! And she wants more radical action. Well, that can descend into anarchy pretty fast as we can see with the BLM bunch and the Antifa crowd. I can well remember turmoil in the 60's and the activities of the KKK. The Constitution protected Black Americans and MLK peacefully with the likes of Rosa Parks achieved change peacefully and got the long awaited acceptance that the Constitution promised. I could go on but will close with saying a requirement for "more radical action" will beget violence. I think we have witnessed with the synagog massacre what "radical action" in the name of change looks like.
God help us all.
5
Bullies only understand aggression. There can be no peace with the GOP until they ask for it. I would not hold my breath. They wanted a war and they should get it.
1
If you want to beat the current cabal forget civility. You need to get down in the mud and slug it out. A bully doesn't stop until you punch him/her in the nose metaphorically speaking. Unfortunately the elitist Dems don't have the stomach for this however while not a fan of Senator Booker he showed a set of nerves when he invited the Senate Committee to bring it. We need more of that in your face from the Dems. Let's face Schumer and Pelosi love the title but clearly are over their heads
1
Here's how you fight Trump and the Republicans: stop repeating every lie they spew. Stop covering his every stupid tweet, McConnell's never-ending, prevaricating spin. Cover him if he does something presidential; ignore him if he doesn't.
Report it they speak the truth. Otherwise, you're just spreading their message for them. And they know that. Stop taking the bait.
That said, I am happy that Obama is getting out there. He is, for better or worse, the best weapon we have in our arsenal (forgive the militaristic term.) Besides the truth.
2
Trump fights 10 times harder in a style like a 12-year old school yard bully. Stooping to the same language lowers the discourse to a mud pit where facts never matter.
But there are adult responses that are dignified, but fight back just as hard. Donald calls the media the enemy of the people because they criticize him even when he does good work. Response" I suppose Donald thinks his tax bill, the one for the rich, was supposed to be good work. He promised it was for the middle class -- it wasn't. He said there was nothing in it for him -- they got rid of the Alternative Minimum Tax for Trump. Most Americans should realize that this was not good work. Only in Trump's eyes."
Similarly the name calling. "Horseface" -- "Donald just exactly how does that puerile comment raise the level of discussion of any topic that will improve the lives of the American people." Similar comments would apply for "blood running from her whatever." [Trump for Megan Kelley.] Or "Can you imagine that, the face of our next next president?" [Trump for Carly Fiorina].
Call him out for childish behavior in those terms, don't grovel in the mud with him.
2
Forget the crazed Trumpites. They are too far gone, too gaslighted. Appeal to those on the fence Trump hopefuls; those who desperately need and are looking for a guide, a mentor, an honorable person who knows their plight, personal fears and frustrations. Tell the truth with VERY concrete examples. On NPR this week a hardworking guy said he’s rethinking his support for Trump because the price of his favorite drink, chocolate milk, has gone up. Yes this is concrete. Folks need to hear basic examples they can relate to in their daily lives, their mundane, where-it-hurts lives. Explanations on a grand scale, political theories, charts, etc...forget it. Harping in Trump gets nowhere because harping ends in a close mind, denial. Get down in the trenches with folks like the chocolate milk guy who are working for $10.50/hour, two jobs, dreams of the day when he can enough sleep, only has 1 hour per day with his baby....this is the TRUTH. Dems, go spend time at Walmart, or at Food Lion where folks get scared at cash register. What we need is someone who has magnanimous honest charisma with a New Deal Plan. In the meantime Obama is a our hope. Send in Michelle.....!!! She’s a Mom! She knows what a budget is from before they were wealthy. Send in her Mom with a few well placed ads. We need all the help we can get.
5
If you want to mud wrestle with Trump, then you will end up looking a lot like him. This voter, for one, wants someone who acts like a statesperson - like Obama did. I don't want a choice between dirtier and dirtiest.
2
You fight fire with water. Trump and Republicans in general have their own propaganda machine in Fox News. Shut down their propaganda with a renewal of laws like the Fairness Doctrine, or through other means.
1
Albert Brooks’ character in Broadcast News says the the Devil “will just bit by little bit lower standards where they are important.” That’s what our loathsome president does. I prefer to stay with Mr. Obama.
5
NO. President Obama is dignified, and loved. I personally do NOT want him to wrestle with Pigs. Let Joe Biden lower the hammer, for now. He'd be great, and effective. In the future, WE need WOMEN leaders, and candidates. The time for ignorance and spectacle is passing, we deserve cool reflection, intelligence AND compassion. In short, a Female Obama.
Step UP.
6
Idealism? To me, more naivete and willingness to go along with the big money in crunchtime. He knew where his bread was buttered. How much per speech to bankers is he making now?
We don't need any more "Rockefeller Republicans" in Democrat drag.
2
Oh, give me a break. I campaigned for Obama and voted for him twice, but he's no saint. He was known as the Deporter-in-Chief. He prosecuted more people for whistle blowing than all previous presidents combined. While he was running for office, he promised to filibuster the FISA bill, which gave telecommunications companies retroactive immunity for spying on American citizens. Then he rushed to D.C. and voted for it without a word. He ordered the murder of two U.S. citizens, Anwar al-Awlaki and his 16-year-old son Abdulrahman, by drone attack, and without any rights of due process. He never prosecuted those responsible for the 2008 collapse of the economy, never prosecuted the torturers the Bush administration unleashed, never closed Guantanamo Bay.
He's intelligent and speaks beautifully. He looks terrific compared to the Republicans who preceded and followed him. But he is not the working people's friend.
12
Obama is an American hero and is the greatest president we have had since Eisenhower. A true genius who only wants what’s best for all Americans.
This current nonsense in Washington is beneath a man of such qualities.
4
Trump and Obama are a classic case of good vs. evil, just like the wind. To a miller in a windmill it’s life, to a woman who’s just had their hair done up nice it’s death, yet we all chase after it and it blows where it will. Need I say more?
1
Obama's "idealism" gave us high unemployment and lousy foreign policy. He should be embarrassed and keep it to himself.
8
@Amy
Nope! Bush left us a wreaked economy with "high unemployment", and Trump has given us more than a "lousy" foreign policy.
Enough of the feckless Democratic establishment. I'm now an Avenatti supporter. I think he's the only one who can beat Trump in 2020.
Go high, go low, go under, go in, go out. Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself about. I don't care. Just do whatever will work.
Sarcasm doesn't reside in the mud. Getting in the mud with a pig only means you both get dirty, but the pig loves it. Obama was idealistic, but he was the most naive and timid president I've known since Kennedy. He didn't appreciate sarcasm like FDR's response to Republican opposition about Social Security saying they "want to throw old people on the trash heap like wrinkled rinds." Obama just wanted to get along.
Republicans would never accept anything Obama proposed, and Obama never countered their obstinance with sarcasm. He never wanted to get his hands dirty with legislation simply saying he'd go along with whatever the majority in Congress proposed until Republicans took charge and forced him to become our pleader in chief. Americans must mock the hatred and fear Trump and his sycophants love and let them stew in the mud.
3
Trump has dragged our nation down to his gutter level, and I'm sick of it. Most of us are sick of it. Don't forget - when someone is trying to drag you down to their level, they're already beneath you.
Vote Blue.
2
you neglected to mention the one person in the Left who strikes just the right tone against Mr. Trump. A person whose people centered, no bull manner is the perfect contrast to the phony lies of the Orange Menace. Barring something completely unforeseen (which is possible), Bernie Sanders is the only one who can beat Trump, because he’s less concerned with “tone” and more concerned with the truth, and that resonates deeply in an age when people have lost faith in the ability of our systems to provide solutions to our problems.
1
In 2016,the Obama approach was tried and shown to be ineffective if Obama is not on the ballot.
Trump went lower than the gutter and was rewarded with election and absolute GOP support. No matter what he says or how many lies he tells or how many children he puts in cages, he accepts no responsibility and is not held responsible by his voters or party.
The Democrats need to fight fire with fire, but they seem to lack the skill to do so. The most eloquent and charismatic Democrat is Obama. But if Obama makes a small misstatement, it is immortalized as proof that he is just as two-faced as any politician. In other words, Obama has to be perfect. Trump, meanwhile, can embrace white supremacists and elevate issues that inspire murder today yet claim to be the world's least anti-Semitic and least racist person tomorrow.
In that sort of fight, Obama--unless he starts throwing elbows sharp enough to knock Trump out of the breaking news for half a second--is doomed to lose.
The other Democratic stars--Warren, Clinton, Sanders, Gillibrand, Booker, Harris, Biden--lack the rhetorical skill to knock Trump out of the breaking news without shooting themselves in the foot, or repeating threadbare talking points.
A tweet Trump sends from the toilet can set the news agenda for a week.
What the Democrats need is a candidate who is as quick witted and sharp as Bill Maher or Dave Chappelle and as knowledgeable about policy as Biden or Jerry Brown.
85
@Mike Colllins "A tweet Trump sends from the toilet..." Thank you, Mike, it's so nice to find something to smile about on the road to next week. Horrible visual, but hilarious thought!
4
I don't have any interest in fiery, outraged Democrats storming Washington. What exactly are these "fighters" going to fight? Just bigotry and hate, in general? If they get elected and are no longer the minority party, there won't be anything to push back against.
Strangely, that's exactly what happened to Obama. Like Clinton before him, and Clinton after him, he failed to realize that it's literally impossible to be a social liberal, fiscal conservative. That's nothing. That's meaningless. That's wasting everyone's time. You have nothing to offer me if your platform is "woke robber baron." And this side of Reagan, that's all that seems to come down the pike. Even the younger "progressives" in this election seem to hold the working class at arm's length, because they simultaneously want to raise our minimum wage and blame us, erroneously, for the Trump presidency and its racism.
FDR and the other heroes of the New Deal didn't get elected because they were scrappy and full of outrage. They campaigned on bold ideas, and a commitment to wrench power from the hands of the wealthy, and bring corporations to heel. Once they swept Washington, there wasn't anyone to fight, so that's exactly what they did. It's a good blueprint.
62
@Januarium But they were scrappy and full of outrage. They knew how to channel that energy into effectiveness.
Those scrappy outraged folks may know how too. Listen and don't be afraid to invest in them.
6
@Januarium
" ... a commitment to wrench power from the hands of the wealthy, and bring corporations to heel."
In short, to demand true, rather than rhetorical, responsibility from the wealthy and the corporately powerful. That sounds like an apt strategy for today, doesn't it?
6
@Januarium "...wrench power from the hands of the wealthy, and bring corporations to heel. " How do you do this with Citizens United in place and a Republican stacked Supreme Court?
5
This country is in trouble. We can sink into fighting hate with hate, or, we can choose to do better. There is enough anger and shouting that sometimes it is hard to listen anymore. We do need to go out into the streets. We need to go out and show dignity, poise and we must be calm. We need to demonstrate with our friends and with our signs but not with loudness and violence. Calmness is not weakness, it is a strength. When slurred or lied to we can respond with truth and dignity and show no fear. We can show the better side of this country. When I see Antifa fighting and breaking windows I can understand their passion and anger but they are so very, very wrong. Actions like these will create more push back and the more moderate people will turn away. We need good people to join us and not turn away. Violence is short sighted. Remember Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. How we need to remember their guidance and their righteous strength now.
4
Obama is talking about the past. The young and even others are looking for someone who can fight for their values and needs ,not just idealistic words He won because he was a great speaker and important for a necessary change in our national identity He was not a great politician. He did not go over to the republicans to try to persuade them to change their ideas. and he did not tr y to build up the democratic party . He did not want to be a politician and that is what we now need.
Even Cicero who was great orator was still a great politician, even if it caused his deaith
2
Despite having voted for Obama twice and admired much of what he tried to accomplish. I have to be honest with myself and admit that the Democratic party was decimated under his watch. First it was the Republican takeover of Congress, state legislatures and state houses. Then it was the Presidency and the Supreme Court. And we're now dealing with a severe threat to our democracy, our Constitution, and our social fabric, and we must confront that danger head on. Lofty words aren't going to do the trick. It's time to fight fire with fire if we want to save our country from white nationalists and armed haters.
2
@Straighttalk and people wanting our country to succeed.
People who have good manners and respect people who think and feel differently about things are always suitable... the issue lately is that there’s not enough of them!
2
Quite simply, yes. Hope belongs in our political lives and dialogue now more than ever. Without it, we are not America or Americans.
3
Obama's message of "yes we can", is being repeated by some very successful candidates for instance, Beto O' Rourke. It can be called idealism but it can also be called empowerment.
6
“For a long time, older generations have told us, ‘This is how politics is supposed to work,’ but we’re pushing back on that,”
Be careful youngsters. If you stoop to there level you will lose.
Keep the high ground.
1
The Republicans showed there is a market for a political party based on values and ethics.
The Democrats shouldn't be afraid to appeal to our better angels
3
Obama's idealism? Give me a break. It never went beyond the rhetorical level. Look what he actually did - and didn't do. He was very conservative, but people are still ascribing to him what they hoped for from him.
5
@Ed Watters Yep. Only person to ever win the Nobel prize on what he HOPED to accomplish.
There will always be those who prefer to shake their fist. And we will always need Obama and his kind to be a role model for civility and reason. We need someone to show us the way to the high road, especially when the low road seems appealing.
3
Idealism, Obama's or anyone else's, is what we desperately need right now! It says to the nation "Look, this is possible, this is what a civil society looks like. It is possible to disagree with someone without going for their throat."
We need idealism, the common good, compassion, truth, real facts, real un-slanted news (looking at you Fox, and you New York Times), manners, and respect for each other regardless of who and what we are. Our nation's very survival depends on this.
2
To even have to have this discussion shows us how far down the rabbit hole we have gone. When knowledge, respect, diplomacy, intelligence, and the most important- the truth are considered a detriment, kiss this democratic society good by. I will stand by all who follow President Obama and leaders of his kind through all the mess the republicans and their leader have wrought.
3
I did not completely agree with President Obama on many things. However/but the last- and perhaps first- time I felt totally happy and proud and positive about my president- was President Barack Obama. As a kid I loved LBJ for his civil rights legislation until, of course, I learned about his... role in the Viet Nam war. I LOVE what Barack Obama did for [MY] America.
2
What's odd is that the emerging stars in this election, including Beto, are focused on bread and butter issues and strike the same chord on civility that Obama maintained through eight years as President. Yes, they may be further to the left in policy preferences -- part of that is generational. But one or more will follow in Obama's footsteps as a President of all Americans.
3
"Valerie Jarrett, a close adviser to Mr. Obama, said in an interview that he understands the frustration among Democrats during Mr. Trump’s administration. Ms. Jarrett said that while it might be “harder” for the president to try to “appeal to our better angels” during this political time, it remained necessary.
Mr. Obama “wouldn’t be who he is if he were to change his message now,” Ms. Jarrett said. “The question isn’t just, Do you give people what, in a moment, they think they want to hear? You give them the message that you think is important for them to hear. That’s what leadership is about.”"
Well said.
And at some point the left leaning media really really needs to take some responsibility for all the pot stirring they do, and how much damage it causes both sides of the pond.
I dont bother mentioning Fox, Daily Mail etc as they have no scruples at all and are a lost cause.
1
Just what I need, the Democrats getting nasty like Trump et al. A candidate should promote himself/herself by telling me what he/she plans to do if elected. If he/she needs to explain that another candidate is maligning him/her, or telling lies, those issues should be addressed proactively and politely. It is possible to be polite, assertive, and strong simultaneously.
2
I think President Obama has the perspective to remember that someday in the not distant future there will be no President Trump, there will be a Democratic president, and that president will have to govern. If all that the Democratic party has to offer is anti-Trump, we will alternate between Trump clones and anti-Trump clones every four years or so, until the country falls apart in a maelstrom of hatred and bile.
The opposite of Trump isn't a Trump with left-wing views. The opposite of Trump is an intelligent, educated leader who can bring us together. When the Democratic party gets over their enthusiasm for opposing Trump and actually thinks about governing again, I hope they try very hard to find such a leader, and not simply a left-wing Trump.
4
I think the nice principled Democrats / Liberals are being manipulated by people who are playing a different no holds barred game. These people are committed to an ideology at any cost and to expect a principled polite rational response to work is naive at best, suicidal at worst. As Bill Maher has said "you don't take a knife to a gun fight." If you do you end up dead. Trump's response to the killing of 11 people in a Jewish synagogue was it wouldn't have happened if there had been an armed guard. My take is if we need armed guards to make ourselves safe everywhere we congregate we need to get more offensive and less defensive. We may need to be much more proactive and organized and root these people out before they come for us. And we need to extend that mentality to how we react to current right wing politics. Perhaps in this political environment we need to take notice of how Israelis take care of this kind of thing and that is with zero tolerance and overwhelming power. We should all be sick and tired of lying politicians and the false equivalence that makes white supremacy and racism out to be just politics. It's not. It results in discrimination and murder. The political right's rhetoric is supporting this kind of "political movement" because it enables them to win elections and keep power. This is not normal politics and we should not treat it as such. We need to play the game that's being played not the one we'd like it to be.
1
Gary,
Israel, in its current form, is not a country we should emulate. The repressive policies they enact have no place in the USA, thank God.
I yearn for the Obama Era. Yes, I agreed with his policies, of course. But that is not the full reason. If we have learned anything these past coming-on two years, it is that ethics and civility and a moral compass juxtaposed with intelligence and true love for one's country does count. These attributes are crucial to a thriving and just democracy. The people who voted for Trump are of the same age group and, for the most part, the same generation as those who voted for Obama. The one advantage for our former president, however, was that he inspired our younger generations, the future leaders of this nation. That is huge. Bigotry, racism, and nativism has always been with us. And we are delusional if we think it will suddenly, if ever, go away. It won't. But we lived through, I think, eight years of progress beginning with Mr. Obama's successful feat of pulling us out of the Great Recession. This man has passion, this man is decent.. and eloquent. When I listen to him traveling around the country, I say to myself, "Yes, we can and must do it again!"
3
I am mad at Trump and would like to see some really clever politician get to him but it's not going to happen. He doesn't care what anyone says about him and he's not that smart when it comes to ethics or morality, so he just ignores the whole issue.. The best way to get to him is for Mueller to get him on some RICO charges, impound whatever monies, etc. he has and watch him scream. Regarding politics, Democratic leaders should just state sound positions, during speeches give some lessons in civics and history and some morality wouldn't hurt.
2
When Obama took the Oath of Office he swore: "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Trump is a direct threat to everything the Marine Corp taught me to uphold and defend.
Former President Obama, your call of duty is obvious. Call out the worst threat to democracy in 240 years. Spend every waking moment protecting our nation against this clear and present threat to America and Planet Earth.
I sense within every cell of my body that I'm living through the German experience of the late 1930s. I'm inside the nightmare, incapacitated to act. I'm 76 and ready to leave this planet at a moment's notice. My 7 grandchildren are another story. Until Pittsburgh last Saturday, I had some hope . . . Crystal Night Redux extinguished that glimmer also.
1
If the Dems had been in control of both houses of Congress when Trump took office, he would not have been able to do much. How did the GOP get control of Congress? Because the "idealists" thought the 2010 and 2014 midterms were too boring to turn out to vote in. Over several years, the GOP has quietly and determinedly gathered the levers of power into their hands. Over the last two years, many people have worked patiently and hard to take those levers back from the GOP. Congress is a loaded gun in Trump's hands. On Tuesday we can take it away from him. VOTE!!!
2
Duh! (Multiply by many thousands, back to January, 2009.) Within six months of 2009, I became totally disillusioned by the Obama presidency. Even Ariana Huffington referred to it as "Memento" (you may just do a simple search). Oh, yes, *now* he comes out with Medicare for all and confronts Republican lies. How anyone so intelligent could bring a piece of paper to read a brilliant speech at a gunfight rendered me mind-boggled. I'd thought that he actually could have done nothing different for three-six months into 2009, while keeping a precise log of every obstructionist effort by the Republicans. Then, he should have taken off the gloves. In response to the inevitable horror in mockery from Republicans about his change in behavior, he could have read aloud from that list--the need for change being self-evident. (FDR to Republicans: "I welcome their hatred!") Despite opposition from those Blue Dog Democrats (now converts to the GOP), FDR and LBJ achieved tremendous things such as S.S. and Medicare, of course. I dreadfully knew in 2009-2010 that we liberals were losing likely a last chance for the foreseeable future to achieve passage of laws that would be not only humane but solid. Am I bitter? Yep. Now, as ever, fight fire with fire? You bet!
1
I don't agree that the temper of our current moment is so very different than what emerged right after President Obama was elected. I remember the growth of the Tea Party, the ways the republicans foamed at the mouth, and the sinking feeling I had watching Republican gatherings as the 2010 election approached. What kept the fascists from coming out of their caves was precisely President Obama's style, dignity, and power. What we see now was all there then.
My problem with President Obama, who I voted for twice and probably would vote for again as the party is entirely unable to come up with anyone better for the working classes, which on Obama's watch, came to include teachers, is that he used his power poorly in some ways.
People can chalk that up to his civility, but I chalk it up to the same rationale that I feel was behind Clinton's campaign and that of many other prominent Democrats. He didn't really, at heart, want to disappoint large donors and corporations, so he refused to keep on the table the idea that we could negotiate drug prices. He refused to respond to large-scale, nasty attack campaigns against him, other Democrats, and our values. He came into his office refusing to actually fight for the LGBT community because it might upset people. He did not push forward legislation to truly protect workers from exploitation by employers.
He didn't call Republicans on their lies, and he did not expose Trump's collusion with Russia, and that last one is the one that I cannot forget or forgive. He did not have the right to remain silent. He could have done much, much more with his eight years in office then he actually did.
Does that mean that I would not prefer him to what's going on now? Absolutely not... I'd have him back in a heartbeat. That said, I was very disappointed in him when he was in office. I wouldn't chalk it up to a problem with his idealism at all. I find him and other top Democrats to be safely cynical.
2
@MLit I was in college when Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were assassinated for asserting equal rights for African-Americans. The election of President Obama was a victory over the forces that killed MLK and RFK. The past two years, and especially the past week, have shown us that those forces are still very much with us and were the real reason for the GOP's refusal to cooperate with him. President Obama wasn't cynical. He was very realistic about what he was up against. Remembering 1968, I am very, very glad that he is still with us and able to speak reason so powerfully.
@Alicia Lloyd Baby Boomers, please stop trying to use your own frameworks at every turn. Most of us never got the chance to make any decisions in response to slavery, Jim Crow, or the Civil Rights movement. And every time it looks as if we'll be able to make peace between groups that need to unite against the powerful, here come the Boomers to start acting like it's still 1968. If that is true (and I take your point), then Boomers are helping to keep it on life support with their quick-trigger cry of racism, sexism, white privilege every time they hear an opinion they don't like. It's your/our favorite way to shut people up.
I appreciate that you were there for the Civil Rights movement, and I thank you if you participated. However, if Democrats suggest that vast numbers of people should be happy with Obama's performance because racism, sexism, white privilege, I strongly disagree.
We put him there, and he did precious little that would interfere with fat future speaking fees or corporate donations. Part of the reason "those forces are still with us" is Obama's very selective and limited performance as president. His resentment of rural voters and strong demonstrated preference for urban populations and spending is part of this problem, and our party's rhetoric is still poisoned by it. We simply are not going to abuse people or humiliate or threaten people into agreeing. We have to listen to their concerns, not call them names.
1
Obama's "signature idealism"? Surely you jest. All you are doing is contributing to the false branding of our former president, a good human but an establishment corporate candidate if ever there was one. If you want to see genuine signature idealism, you need look no further than Bernie Sanders, who your paper regularly went out of its way to paint in a much harsher light than it ever did with Hillary when a candidate and the regular puff pieces published about her.
4
Obama's "No Drama" had a part in getting us where we are.
I was waiting for him to get mad about something. Just once.
28
Idealism, civility? Not really!!!
2
The “moment” should not overshadow the integrity of our political process. In that way he is more like Lincoln in temperament than most current politicians.
Conversation and civility happens closer to the center than the extremes. How one governs has always been essential in our country. The most important political identity we all have is as American.
15
When intelligence, poise in the face of crises, and basic human decency become political liabilities, we should all just pack it in.
Come on, Democrats! The way to counter incompetence, venality, and everyday thuggishness isn't to try to fight fire with fire. The way to fight it is to present a better option.
83
@NA
We Democrats do not want former President Obama to get down in the mud with what passes for political rhetoric in the GOP. He is the man we voted into the WH for 8 yrs. He is still that man; intelligent, witty, graceful and decent. Why would we want him to be Trump? There are even Republican candidates who don't want to be Trump.
4
When they go low, we go high. We should never forget that premise. Just because the fight got dirty it doesn’t mean we have to fight dirty.
3
What nonsense. Obama's calm, determined advocacy of liberal values is exactly what the country needs.
No screaming at Republican politicians eating dinner; organize and vote them out!
Do I need to add that Obama would crush Trump in any election?
120
Donald Trump cannot be who he is not and Barack Obama cannot be who he is not. We always want authentic people and in this hour, Democrats need an authentic person who can simply, clearly, and passionately "tell it like it is" about today's Republicans and the direction they are taking our country, about rampant corruption and moral rot in this administration, about the glorification of greed institutionalized by Republican policy, about the hypocrisy of the "Christian" political right, and more. I am glad to see President Obama helping Democrats get out the vote and reminding us of what a president should be. But now we need leaders with fire in the belly.
8
@abigail49 The problem with that is Republicans are rebuilding our country, Dems just want government to run it.
2
Reagan talked about the Shining city upon the Hill. Obama was the Shining city upon the hill.
If idealism, intelligence, grace and respect for the law is old hat we are lost.
You need more than a gun if your intent is civil war. You need a bone saw.
33
@HL
The Saudis have one used; no doubt they would loan it out.
From the Mishnah: "when no one behaves like a human being, strive to be one"
37
There is a fine line, I think, between stooping to Donald Trump's level and not allowing ourselves to be bullied. I think of Mitch McConnell threatening President Obama if he revealed to the voters before the 2016 election that Russia was involved in our election.
I think of the republicans refusing even to take a vote on Judge Garland.
I think of the republicans not allowing the Senators on the Judiciary Committee to see most of the records of Judge Kavanaugh.
We need to find a balance between behaving like the psychopath and lying down and playing dead.
73
@Jane
"I think of the republicans refusing even to take a vote on Judge Garland."
The rule on that was in effect before Trump ran. Let us try to be up front and honest. Biden pushed for the delay in 1992. And it was reported in the NY Times; see the link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/us/politics/joe-biden-argued-for-delaying-supreme-court-picks-in-1992.html
4
What a glaring difference between Obama, a competent gentleman who served us well while president, versus an awful beast that knows no decency, a dedicated liar that lost the ability to tell fact from fiction, a bully that is trampling on the rule of law, and effectively destroying this democracy. We already lost, thanks to this incendiary thug, the essential trust in each other, and the civility of our political differences by basing our arguments on the truth, and the facts. No more, as Trump, and his republican accomplices, will say and do anything to stay in power...to abuse it in a self-serving manner, intolerant to justice and closed to solidarity's aim, the inclusion of our diversity where each and any of us is counted and appreciated, our individualism foremost welcome. People are not dumb (if we can exclude his credulous and perhaps biased base, where what counts is a cult to personality), they recognize that the current malevolent diatribes from a dangerous clown, however disguised, is not a normal feature in our daily discourse. Urgent change is coming on Nov. 6, if we are willing to walk the talk.
12
There is no equivalence between the President's "going low" (his usual mode)-- which for him means smearing and slandering his opponents and critics, lying with every breath and whipping up hatred against the most vulnerable in society -- and the kind of kicking Eric Holder is referring to. For one thing, Trump's critics don't need to employ untruths to slime him; sadly, it's all too true. For Trump's critics, going low at worst means being a bit coarse while telling the truth. Let's stop talking as if there is any equivalence.
12
No matter how low the Democrats go, Trump and his minions will always go lower. MLK, Gandhi, and more recently Mr. Obama showed how to respond with dignity to such disgusting behavior, and the validity and appropriateness of their words and actions have been proven over time. Democrats who use the same tactics as Trump will never beat him at his game----He has been practicing for decades, and he will always be more cynical, disturbing, and deceitful than any normal, civil human being can imagine.
25
@James
James, Trump is everything you list. However, I have come to believe that he is also mentally disturbed, unbalanced. Perhaps showing signs of early onset dementia. What normal adult man would appear before a grieving audience and talk about having a bad hair day. Those are a dangerous characteristics in a President. We are frightening the world now, not with our military, rather with a President with so much power, and so little evidence of stability. Article 25 provides "unfit to serve" as a reason to remove a President. Congress can do this; and should do this. We have a dangerous, unstable man in the White House.
2
If Americans reject Obama’s humanity, distinction, eloquence, and intelligence, then they deserve everything they get.
48
@Chris I agree, we deserve all the jobs that our demand and natural resources support. We deserve not to be the punching bag of the world. We deserve for others to pay for their defense, and not depends on us. We deserve a country of laws and not illegal aliens.
His "STYLE"?
His "signature idealism"?
No. Stop that.
Obama: His basic decency. His intelligence.
There's nothing staged or phony about him.
63
Rita Jin’s, bravo!
Thanks for articulating what was bothering me about this article. And bothering me about many of the conversations we’re having these days.
3
Obama is a gentleman literally and would not do well against Trump who has few limits. Obama would have to learn to speak softly AND carry a big stick. It is not in his nature.
7
I voted for Obama twice. Obama had a great speaking style. He had class. Je promised change. He was very telegenic and photogenic. He seems like a great husband and a great dad. The family looks great together!
He and his party controlled all three branches of government from 2008 - 2012 and the Executive Branch and the Senate for longer.
None of that has helped me or those who suffered most from the Great Recession.
He never rolled up his sleeves and he never fought. He never got anything done. He abandoned the middle class by putting Joe Biden in charge of a task force to help them. Joe Biden came up with zilch on that tax force (remember that in 2020). Ironically he got the ACA named Obamacare after him. Though he stayed away from it, wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole while Pelosi was pushing it through congress. He rationalized away the promise of a Public Option. He fell at the Republicans feet and groveled so that they would like him and help him govern. But they didn't.
We were told he was a good poker player. That was a lie. He has his 60 million dollar book deal, he hangs out with billionaires on their private islands. He's a rock star now, with all the trappings of fame and fortune, that's all he ever wanted to be.
He is without a doubt not the man of this hour. Give me Bernie, Warren or Kamala any day. Obama didn't achieve anything but normalcy and a center right administration. That might look great compare dto Trump, but with a bar that low...
19
@Arthur Yes he delivered more government, less jobs, more excuses, less progress. That is why he is a failure. Cash for clunkers - massive waste of money which mostly helped foreign automakers. Shovel ready projects that were not and just bribed his favored states for maintenance they delayed. Obama Care that was foolish insurance, did little to nothing to improve care. Failure all around except in being nice and good looking.
1
Arthur, how cynical and tired you sound. Guess Trump's wearied you so much you've got no choice but extremes. Don't think Left-leaning Dems will prevail over Trump's bitter divisiveness.
criminal Justice reform. he did that. ACA. he did that. marriage equality. he did that.
2
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” Mohandas Gandhi.
16
Mane I’m crazy, but I think Barack Obama would be welcomed in Pittsburgh right now.
I would definitely appreciate a shiva call from the man, assuming he followed the rules - especially if he came in with his right- hand pocket, or place it would be, torn to show he’s a friend - and if nobody spoke to him, he covered his head, or, as a non-Jew stood apart as services were held - and he kept the cameras away.
Then again, I don’t think someone would have to teach him.
A visit by Trump yelling I III ME! as he got to the door, media in tow, would earn him a broken foot or nose as he tried to force his way.
Triggers of murder would never be welcome, no matter how big a giant Trump Foundation check he carried.
8
If we are to return to our better selves and ultimately a better America President Obama’s politics of hope are essential. If not, we’re stuck in the cesspool that his envious and bigoted detractors have spent years creating, chief among them tRUMP, McConnell, Graham and Ryan.
8
Obama is far too smart to get into a war of vulgar words and insults with Trump. He knows that hope will eventually replace the despair that Trump traffics in. America’s future depends upon the younger generations working together in racial harmony. Cultural and religious minorities shaping the new America. Trump’s political shelf life is short. His followers represent a white minority that desperately clings to power. Their time and influence are quickly waning. America will come back better than ever.
154
Fabulous comment. Thanks.
9
It's easy to say that from Ontario. But the rich of every political persuasion in the US have been given so much power in this country, I'm wondering if it's going to take some kind of physical force to get it back. I can't see them just giving in peacefully without a struggle. Force is used against people like me to extract a huge portion of my income in taxes. I don't even own my own home - I basically rent it from the gov't (who are lousy slumlords). My money is used to subsidize churches, and rich people who exploit workers and break OSHA and environmental laws. The same force that we use against poor and working class people should be used on the rich. No more double standards. Our police state is a weapon used against the poor and the taxpaying classes, but not against the freeloading rich parasite class. This is just as glaringly obvious in a "blue" democrat controlled state as in a "red" right wing state. Perhaps even more obvious, because the gap between rich and poor is, ironically, even greater among the so-called "liberals."
6
@Milton Lewis,
"His followers represent a white minority that desperately clings to power. "
That is a giant pile of shoddy thinking. Do you think that the suicide rate for middle aged white men is going through the roof over anxiety of losing their lordly privilege? That is ridiculous. That suicide rate is spiking because of hopelessness, despair, and shame. They have no power and never had any power. Now our past 30 years of misbegotten globalism and multilateralism have stripped away the last shred of dignity and last glimmer of hope that these millions of utterly powerless Americans had clung to. Blame anyone you want, but don't look down your nose at the powerless while blaming them for "clingi g to power".
3
President Obama's idealism - even though he can be pragmatic too - belongs to this era, if people got behind him.
Before he got Obamacare passed, Martha Coakley was running for John Kerry's senate seat. Even before she got elected, she said she might not support what ultimately ended up to be ACA because of some provision. With people like her, Mr Obama didn't need the Republicans' agenda of causing troubles for his presidency the number one goal.
Dealing with the Tea Party was bad enough, the Occupy Wall Street caused more trouble for him than the Republicans, especially when he had to hold not just the U.S. economy but really the world's together during some dicey moments.
Martha Coakley was not an exception but almost the norm. President Obama was instrumental in plucking Sen Elizabeth Warren from obscurity but did her ever help him out? If there is a C-Span archive, watch some of her interactions with Mr Obama's friendly individuals during the senate hearings. Forget about JP Morgan CEO, Jamie Dimon, how about Fed Chair Benanke and later Yellen. While they are not politicians but more a technocrats. She gave them as hard a time as the Republicans.
And yet, Mr Obama got re-elected. I wish I could re-elect him for the third term. This is not about idealism but fairness. He really took governing the whole country to heart. Everyone has to give a little for the country. Too bad. It's too late. After the tax cut, the Republicans are going after the entitlements
7
Use data - because every Democratic presidential administration has had a better economy than every Republican administration since World War II. Trump is blowing up the deficit and wages are stagnant.
Use before and after video clips - show Trump's insanity and lies in living color, because print versions of his idiocy are called lies by his supporters.
Use understanding - what most people want, including racists who have come out of the closet with Trump, are good middle-class jobs. Focusing on which bathrooms people use and immigration are not important issues for the masses. Our country needs a strong middle-class and people need a leg up that's real. After decent people get elected, then we will clean up Trump's civil rights abominations.
7
I think Astead W. Herndon, the author of this piece, misses the point in that he seems to be presenting a false dichotomy by arguing that the only options Trump's opponents have are to either join him in the gutter (of vulgarity, cruelty, and reprehensible behavior), i.e., "going low," or "going high" by keeping the higher moral ground, by being civil, measured, "moderate."
Again, I think this analysis totally misses the point. I can't remember the reference right now, but long ago I read an article (regarding a study) about the importance for leaders and people in position of power to talk about issues (especially important issues that resonate with their followers, their base, their constituencies) using the appropriate (as in real, accurate, honest) language that accurately describes or addresses the situation (or issue) at hand.
If I remember correctly, the thrust of the article had to do with the fact that when people, through common sense, perceive something (a situation, an issue, challenge) in a certain way, but people or institutions in position of power or influence fail to acknowledge this reality, this causes them to feel tremendous stress, disappointment, disillusionment, and confusion; a kind of "cognitive dissonance."
Party leaders, faced with a reality everyone around us can plainly see, are utterly failing to speak the truth; to properly describe what's happening; failing to use the proper adjectives and nouns. This will prove to be a huge mistake.
7
Give me a break. The whole dilemma seems terribly artificial to me. Let's face it, with Obama it wasn't always, "When they go low we go high". It was sometimes, "When they go low we cop out." Idealism does not equate with avoiding confrontation when the other side is doing something terribly wrong. Obama showed a sizeable lack of courage at times, and I'm not going to call that idealism. It was passivity and weighing things for where it put his self image. You can be a fierce fighter against injustice and still be a principled person. In fact, the most principled persons may often be fierce fighters against injustice. The proper response to Republican infamy can be much stronger than what the Democrats are doing without sacrificing ideals and principles. Sometimes a moral battle has to be waged for the Truth.
17
@Anne Sherrod
Remember JFK, Bobby Kennedy, MLK and Malcolm X were assassinated. It now takes a certain amount of courage, beyond moral, to want to be in the public sphere. We have a mix of vicious politics and a lot of guns.
Being civil is easy, if one has the right message. The right message would offer American what they have been asking for in just about every poll, affordable health care, education and maybe a few more bucks in their pocket, while pointing our the GOP has had Congress for almost 8 years now. The GOP is the establishment that is taking money from their lives. But, NOOoooo, the Dems have to be the herd of cats they always are.
4
Voters flocked to Barack Obama as a candidate because of his positive energy and his clear messages about his vision for America and its government. Let someone else be the attack dog. The Democrats can't win based only on negativity. BTW, I also appreciated that President Obama was NOT part of my own baby boomer cohort and wasn't bogged down in the drama over Vietnam that still ensnares so many of them. It's time -- again -- for fresh leadership and strong, positive voices in the Democratic Party.
12
@Dean Or because of something I don't want to mention? He thought 2% growth and a lot of regulation was a benfit to citizens. Total fail.
2
Given that Obama during his tenure tried to appease the republican opposition ending with Garland's nomination(he was a Democratic conservative, timid judge) to the scotus, his coalition will likely roll over and beg for compromise. That's my primary gripe with Obama-a weak president, except of course he got Bin Laden, something republicans ignore and something they promised they would do but then did a 180. When fighting fire with water doesn't work, then use fire. What's the problem with that, too assertive?
11
@lou andrews
First: Garland was a respected, moderate Superior Court Judge. He was not weak. He was not corrupt, as was Scalia, and now Thomas.
Second: Obama did not try to appease; he tried to cooperate, to find common ground. He found out there was no common ground, only unrelenting obstruction. Mitch got what he wanted: an incompetent tool who has now signed a tax bill which gives huge permanent tax cuts to corporations and the richest among us, his donors. We now have a corrupted White House with members of the Cabinet either in prison, or on the way there.
2
The “urgency of the moment” is no justification for the surrendering of one’s principles and turning into something that we are not and willing to become. As an ex-POTUS, Mr. Obama feels an obligation to defend our democracy and constitution which are coming under attack. But he’s under no obligation to become who some of us might want him to be. What we need from the Democratic leaders is not vitriol and an appetite for slug fests. What we need is a vision for the next twenty years and how that is inclusive of the disenfranchised. Sadly, that vision is lacking today. Demagogues fill voids. They do not create voids. It’s time we understood this basic deficiency in the Democratic party’s approach and addressed it.
3
I recently re-read a book called ‘Sapiens’ by an Israeli historian named Yuval Noah Harari. One of the most crucial insights in his book - which the Democratic Party must internalize - is that truth has had little relevance in the context of Homo Sapiens. We are story tellers at heart. We don’t have any intrinsic devotion to or affinity for the truth. We never had. The Democratic Party must fight Trump - not just by pointing his lies out but also providing a countervailing narrative. We have to tell the American story in a better, more compelling way than he’s doing at the moment.
5
Yeah, but under Obama the Democrats lost 1000 seats in the House of Representatives, the Senate, State legislatures and Governors all over the USA. More than under any other president. We also lost a Supreme Court see when Justice Scalia died and had Obama rallied the troops and nominated a really great candidate instead of the bland Merritt Garland perhaps he would have forced the Republicans to vote on that nominee. Oh, did I mention how voting rights were severely restricted under President Obama and as a result of the Republican control of states after the 2010 election Gerrymandering became the Republicans best advantage. Sorry, he led us to this moment. He should at the very least acknowledge that. But sure, try and rally the voters; we're desperate to take back our country.
10
We should not let our own conduct be guided by someone else's bad behavior. Not only will acting like Trumpers hurt Democratic candidates and causes, it just won't work. The vitriol Trump and Fox News spew every single day wouldn't work on people who want progress and the best for themselves and other people. The American right has a real anger problem and I think it's infected a significantly higher percentage of them than it has centrists or progressives. They seem to be motivated primarily by a desire to antagonize people. Most of the rest of the country isn't looking for someone to do it back to them.
I want to see the modern day right returned to the sidelines not by a Democratic mudslinger. I want the country's new champion to be someone who aspires to just causes and equality for everyone, even if a chunk of the country is still spewing venom at her and those of us who voted for her. I want that new leader to inspire people to overwhelm the angriest elements of our society at the polls. It will be hard and there will be more acts of violence but we shouldn't be afraid. We have to be our best selves, no matter what happens.
1
I’m not sure how an uncompromising tone with Trump makes it hard to reach out to conservatives; the only reachable conservatives are those who don’t take umbrage at the disparagement of Trump’s actions.
2
What the Democrats need is a leader who has a solid core of decency coupled with the ability to arm twist. Someone like LBJ. I, for one, am tired of giving concessions to the GOP with nothing in return. I'm tired of just sticking a foot in the door to advance policy. I want the door flung open and a bold announcement of where we're going and why.
3
@Anine, although arguably it was LBJ's overreach that gave rise to the modern Republican party and ascent of people like Reagan. He wanted both "guns and butter," hugely expanded Vietnam, killing 58,000 plus Americans, not to mention 2 or 3 million Vietnamese, a pointless war with tragic, real, human consequences (as well as financial) that was precursor to Bush-Cheney's Iraq.
In some ways, LBJ was the high point of modern liberalism but it seems likely there would not have been such a backlash in the years after and lurch of GOP to right, taking over country by 1980, had the more moderate and cautious approach of someone like JFK been followed.
3
Could we please stop referring to this president’s behavior as a “leadership style?” Leaders take responsibility. Leaders promote a collective vision and inspire positive action. Leaders bring people together. Most importantly, The President of the United States swears to lead by faithfully protecting our constitution and executing his office. Trump may be a great showman or even a brilliant rhetorician, but he is no leader.
8
"Civility" means too many different things. To some, President Obama putting his feet on his desk was "uncivil." In this article, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and Ms. Tlaib's tweets were described as using "forceful" language. I suppose Ms. Tlaib did curse in addition to making some powerful points, but I'm not sure why Ms. Ocasio-Cortez's comments were considered particularly "forceful"?
Personally, I don't care if politicians curse. But politicians using language that dehumanizes others is deeply disturbing to me. I didn't see that in Ms. Ocasio-Cortez or Ms. Tlaib's tweet. I cannot think of anyone who has dehumanized others more than President Trump, but Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment disturbed me as well.
I can understand the urge to dehumanize people who have dehumanized you, but it still scares me. And I don't know how to call Democrats on it without policing tone. But I have known too many Republicans to dismiss huge swaths of them at once, even if I disagree with many of them.
2
Is his idealism unfounded?
I think the question is really 'how' unfounded it is.
We will find out in a few days.
2
We need a voice like Obama's even more today than we did before! Now we need hope and change more than ever. I voted for Obama because he had the inclination and the skill to reach across ideological divides, to listen, to incorporate ideas from across the aisle (that's why the Republicans can't top Obamacare, because it already incorporates many of their ideas) and among different groups. It saddens me that the Republicans, in the name of party and with apparent racism, chose to obstruct all efforts to pass policies that would have helped America move forward. Trump only knows how to speak to his party and to degrade it. "Unity" for him is to agree and adore him. The last thing we need is a Trumpian Democrat.
1
There is a certain legitimacy to much of the political anger felt by those who have been pushed aside for far too long. Nevertheless, reform doesn’t come easy, and it doesn’t come quick.
What Trump unearthed has always been there. Now it’s visible. This is not the time to abandon all principles.
2
President Obama is an extraordinarily good and decent man. But he will go down in history as the James Buchanan of the 21st Century. He did not relate to the masses. He did not speak their language. He was a college professor when the United States needed a Franklin Roosevelt who could talk to factory workers, farmers, college-educated people and ordinary workers alike. His lack of energy and his passiveness lead to the Age of Trump.
13
You will not change Trumps base by following a similar pattern of rhetoric but you could alienate moderates and independents. Simply list Trump's flaws and lies as fact then move on to what matters which is policy and leadership. He has accomplished little in major policy and his leadership has had many stumbles. From foreign policy to his tariffs to the lack of any real headway with North Korea you can make a long list were he has accomplished minimal. Move away from the issue of him as a flawed human being because on that most people have formed their opinion.
3
If fighting fire with fire means countering lying, name-calling, and self-aggrandizing by lying, name-calling, and self-aggrandizing, count me out. However, being civil doesn’t mean quietly taking your lumps. We need to tell truth to power. We need to expose corruption. We need to demonstrate patience, open-heartedness and resolve in equal measures. We need to hold ourselves accountable. We need to listen. This means coming together on principles. If all we have is a “progressive” Trump to face the regressive Trump in office, we lose.
3
I honestly feel that the Republicans control the narrative in politics and in general governance. Recall that "taxes are bad," that gun owners have a right to own their guns no matter what, that the earth exists merely to have all of its resources extracted by private companies, that capitalism is always better than the common good, that the two main topics of the greatest importance to human life are never, ever discussed (climate change and population growth). Democrats are shut out of the discussion.
I am tired of Democrats' motivations being questioned, or whether there are divisions within the Democratic party, or if we are considered to be as bad or worse than the Republicans. Our concerns are not just quashed; they just don't exist in the news cycle.
My friends and I feel that the Republicans own their awfulness with great pride. They appear to be more violent, more intolerant, more toxic, more hate-filled, and more likely to lie and cheat about their deeds, actions or qualifications. Yet Mr. Trump calls Democrats "a mob" and the media parrots it nicely to everyone.
I want to see pushback. I want to see honest words thrown into the faces of the sanctimonious hypocrites who claim we are at as much fault as Republicans. I want us to go low when we need to so that the GOP/Trumpers understand that we are on to them and they WILL NOT get away with it this time around.
5
@S Stone, the problem is the Democrats will not touch population growth either. It seems to be the third rail of politics. Yes, they generally do support international family planning and should get credit for it but they don't like to talk about it. They prefer to pretend that climate change is the sole issue facing the environment and that a supply-side focus of covering every single remaining open space with solar panels and every mountain-top and ocean-side with wind towers is the answer. Regardless of habitat destruction, ecosystem destruction, elimination of natural resource protection zoning (as VT Democrats have done repeatedly to satisfy voracious "renewable" energy campaign donors), dynamiting of mountain-tops for concrete wind tower pads, filling in of streams and head-waters for access roads to wind towers and solar panels, etc.
The Democrats too often also happily sell out to campaign donor real estate development interests who demand unlimited growth (including domestically and perhaps why Democrats no longer support any restrictions or changes to enforce immigration). Ignoring population growth unfortunately remains the elephant in the room and, as you indicate, the Democrats show zero interest in making this a point of discussion.
1
Fight fire with comedy. The best candidate to run against Trump will be a person who can get the audience to laugh at Trump. Remember Obama and the White House correspondence dinner or Trump at the United Nations on September 25th. Channel the laughter at Trump and he will be a loose cannonball. Neither he nor Stephen Miller are capable of making a joke.
2
Make fun of him. He really really hates it, and it is so easy to do. Look at all the material we have to work with.
1
Winning by any political means neccessary is the only meaningful method. Politics is war without the violence.
Being authentic and honest and positive appeals to the better angels of our nature is one way.
But being cynical duplicitous and negative appeals to the worst demons of our nature is another. They are not mutually exclusive nor universal.
Political socioeconomic demographic educational ethnic sectarian color aka race biology, chemistry and physics on the local level matters. It is not science. There are too many variables and unknowns to craft double-blind tests that provide predictable and repeatable results.
1
Like John, I too Love President Obama
My family always talked about their love of JFK.
I never understood that until I voted for President Obama
7
@Paul. This is a resonant comment for me. I was 7 years old when JFK was killed. My family was Republican and I was too young to grasp what had occurred. But I remember convincing my skeptical African American colleague at work in the early part of the 2008 primary season that Obama could make it. I remember the total relief and euphoria when he made it again in 2012 when the race seemed so close. I also remember Mr. Romney's gracious concession speech. Mr. Obama gave me eight precious years of extra special pride in my country.
2
Follow Beto's example. Use the famous Obama cool to describe,without hyperbole or inaccuracy, the failures of policy and, more importantly, the failures of of Trump leadership , while at same time he not engage in trading insults but offers better fare.
To engage on Trumps level is like saying to your five year old " hit him back"without caring who is going to win.
4
@Patience
I have watched Beto's speeches; he reminds me of a time when I was young, and loved JFK. Beto has that same quality; smart, good looking, and cool. Nothing wrong with that; young voters need it; they respond to it; and, they are the future.
1
@Linda Miilu I live in Austin and know many young people who don't want to vote, or "Don't like politics."
It's not about going high or low, and it's certainly not about being rude and aggressive. It's something else altogether.
You win elections by offering voters a path to a better future. So let's not churn up the outrage and the hateful rhetoric; instead, let's talk about what we Democrats can do to improve the lives of Americans.
Right now, understandably, people are angry, and more than anything they want peace of mind. They want to feel safe, valued, and protected. They want to know they are important and they matter. They want their children to grow up happy and healthy. Give them that.
That's the way to fight. Not with fire, but with a strong message of capable and compassionate leadership.
Simply put: Candidates, keep your message focused on the specifics of what Dems can do to help others, and you'll find an audience. No need to go low or high; just speak truthfully.
1
@Linda
You are right; people do not feel safe, or protected from Wall St. crooks, corporations, Putin and the Russians, or from the Saudis. We feel exposed to all the criminality in the world here and abroad; we feel exploited by a Congress which gave us a chump change tax cut due to expire in 2027, and a permanent large tax cut to corporations. When the reduced revenue shows up in lack of funds to properly run the government, and maintain our failing infrastructure, we will be asked to pay higher taxes. We have the closest thing to a Plutocracy ever seen in my life time.
I don't much care for the civility debate. I want Democrats to fight - something that they are not doing under present Congressional leadership. The Republican party has shown that they will fight tooth and nail for their goals. They fight dirty and they play to win. And look at the state of the country now. This is not the moment for timidity. We don't have to lie and cheat like they do, but we do have to fight. Charles Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are not up for this fight, btw. They need to replaced.
2
Why must Trump be opposed this way OR that way, when he can be opposed in EVERY way.
5
it's time for new strong leadership. The old guard are not cut out for street fighting , we are dealing with lies and scrupulous politicians, no time to be nice.
1
@Bruce
Loggerheads, that will work...you give them fuel and justification for their paranoid fantasies
"Look the Dems are worse than us, the Dems are hypocrites' etc etc etc
You must know the playbook by now.
Correct the lies, point out the hypocrisies, challenge the policies - appart from that, ignore them and push your own vision.
1
@AquaThank you for sharing your thoughts. I am usually for the "highway" but sometimes I get so fed up about all the lies and still, it's seems to work for the republicons. How frustrating.
1
Now more than ever we need a clear, strong voice for decency. It does not however need to be deferential, it should not be afraid to challenge our prejudices. So speaking as an entitled white woman from California, I say yes we need Obsma’s voice, but more than Barak’s politeness, I crave Michelle’s clarity, her directness, her passion. I would vote for her in a heartbeat.
2
@Laurence Hauben
So would I; however, it does not seem likely. No one would blame her for not wanting to move back into a fish bowl, under attack 24/7. She served with dignity, humor and kindness for eight years.
Where are the swing voters? If they're reasonable people, caught in the cross-fire between hateful right and hectic left, then Mr. Obama might well have a good approach to convincing them to vote Democratic. From the clips I've seen and heard of him on the campaign trail, he's not mincing words about Mr. Trump's flaws or the Republicans' hypocrisy. For these reasons and others, we'd not like to see him change his elegant style.
2
I believe Obama will prove to be a positive influence simply because he models maturity, civility, and intellect. Trump's banter provokes knee-jerk reaction, (and there are times when reaction is justified) but we also need to keep the a larger picture in mind. Our future will require us to educate ourselves, be informed, and understand the consequences of elections that are decided purely by emotional reaction. Whatever works to get more people engaged in the political process should be encouraged. We are a diverse population, and thus there can never be a "one size fits all" method.
Most importantly, we need to vote. When I saw clips of Obama at rallies this past week I felt a huge sense of relief. Return of sanity! I am challenged to be engaged again after too long a sense of horror!
2
Sadly, I suspect a campaign of "hope" now seems to be as fruitless as the "our hopes and prayers are with you" response.
Honesty, calling out lies and hypocracies, exuding strength, forcefulness and persistence does not mean you are sinking to the level of our toxic president.
It means you are a leader.
2
Fight DJ Trump by clearly and calmly exposing his lies and his constant attempts to divide us as citizens of the USA.
Fight the Republicans with better ideas, better policies and better communication.
Better communication includes simple, clear messages stated and repeated in memorable ways. It means using messages that one neighbor can repeat to another neighbor, to connect with what they actually care about at a local level.
Better ideas include:
- If you get hurt or get sick, you shouldn't have to stay sick or go broke.
- You and and your parents should be able to grow old with dignity, with quality health care, and without going broke.
- Investing in public infrastructure is an investment in our children's future and our nation's future prosperity.
- We are a powerful and smart country. There are plenty of ways to care for our environment and stimulate the economy and create new jobs at the same time.
- We are a powerful and smart country. If people from other countries want to come here to make a better life, we can surely figure out ways to embrace them and make our country better together.
1
Since there have been schoolyards, the answer has been known. How often has the bully been tamed by reason and polite entreaties to his better nature? It didn't work when you were 11, it isn't going to work now. You may have grown up, but the other guy is clearly still living in the schoolyard.
1
@The F.A.D.
We already have a schoolyard bully in the White House; he is a semi-literate demagogue with a cult following, an embarrassment to millions of us. Why would the Democrats want to elect an ignorant demagogue with the reading skills and attention span of a gnat? We can do better than that; we had FDR, Truman, LBJ, and Obama. They are out there; we need to find them.
@Linda Miilu
Ah, seems that I did not write clearly. Was suggesting that fire needs to be fought with fire, and that one does not have to be an ignorant demagogue to do so.
Obama has that magic, he can send voters to the polls in record numbers.
The GOP loves him for his support.
One of the great things about President Obama was his poise and his calm and intelligent demeanor- a thoughtful man of wisdom who chose his words carefully. That is what we wish for and need in a President - one who is informed, reasonable, kind, and generous.
136
@Mar ...but Obama was not that effective in uniting the country, dealing with the deficit, and negotiating with others to get a bi-partisan healthcare bill passed....so you got 'make nice' but 'not do too much'
6
@Mark I agree but he sure failed at party building at all levels which has caused Dems to fight from a dark hole
6
I’m not sure why this is so hard...show strength, push back against wrongs, but retain your core values (honesty, empathy, etc.). How politicians communicate is key; they need to be respectful/diplomatic, but clear (know your audience). Finally, bring the discussion back to what Americans need to improve their lot. What am I missing here?
38
There is only one thing more powerful than fear: hope.
It seems oddly appropriate to be paraphrasing The Hunger Games during this election cycle when both parties are playing the fear card.
If giving people hope is being civil, I’m all for civility. If civility means letting others walk all over you then civility is not going to work. I do, however, think that our leaders should embody the kind of nation we want to live in and want future generations to live in. Whether that is civil or not depends on the voter and whether they are casting their vote out of fear or with hope for tomorrow.
22
The hero in hunger games was a fighter; are you?
No, actually fear is a greater motivator than hope.
Most democrat leaders are too timid to handle a bully like Trump and many in GOP. It's more like a nerd or a good boy in the class has no clue to how handle a bully in the school or neighborhood park. Dem leaders need to be more aggressive as many Americans have very poor quality education and can not concentrate or understand data and analysis much. SO they rely on theatrics and tone of the message than the substance.
A large part is also due to selfishness and corruption among a large section of educated American intellectuals in academia and industry, as nicely explained by Steven Brill- https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/02/books/review/steven-brill-tailspin.html.
Vast majority of working class Americans stopped believing those people and started trusting a con artists like Trump.
We must fix our public education system and restrict private/charter schools and home schooling (mostly religious in nature). Destroying public education surely serve many political leaders (mostly in GO) and economic elites to make higher education beyond reach of working class Americans.
22
The United States Supreme Court ruled almost a hundred years ago that no government can constitutionally prevent parents from sending their children to religious schools. If you want restrictions on that and home schooling, good luck trying to get a Constitutional amendment enacted by 38 states.
4
@Bonku Exactly. When you stand up and punch that bully in the face, even if you get in trouble for doing so, you generally end his bullying or at least redirect him away from you as a target. That's what Democrats seem to be incapable of doing.
1
I hear all over the place that Trump is going to stop the Central American migrant caravan from entering the US. What is the Democratic stance on this caravan. I don't believe that Dem's want to let in everyone but I don't hear them saying what they do want. Same with a lot of other issues. Either the Dem's are mute or confused, or the media isn't covering them like they do Trump. No wonder we're in this mess.
32
A couple of hundred refugees is not even news in a nation of close to 400 million. Trump’s being permitted to create an issue out of something inconsequential.
3
My take is that the Dems are fearful that if they criticize Trump’s obvious stunt, they can be portrayed as proponents of open borders whether it is true or not. On the other hand, if they even slightly agree with any immigration controls in principle if not practice, they’ll lose the vocal left of their party who will sit out the election out of spite.
4
@Horace
The short answer is there is no coherent Democratic stance on the caravan or most issues biting at our heels. With an election six days away, they are stunned and stupefied, exhausted from doing nothing for nearly two years. Hoping for the best.
We watch in horror knowing there is a chance they might get lucky next week and take the House. Also understanding there is a very real possibility they will fail.
It may just be the Democrats are a lost cause. If the voters decide in favor of the Republicans, what claims can the Democrats make to being viable or even relevant? Democrats represent less than a third of all registered voters, pinning our futures on such blatant political malfeasance by so few is foolish.
6
Democrats - whatever tactic or tone they feel best fits the moment - need to speak simply and consistently, not necessarily artfully or elaborately (as I may already be doing right now).
They need to adopt the simple, clear vocabulary that a police officer responding to someone's home to check on them and their safety might use. "This is what we're doing, this is what you need to do, this is the situation etc."
Clear and direct. Fewer words.
They can be angry or inspirational, depending on the situation. They can fight back directly or ignore Trump's bait.
But it has to be simple.
That's part of Trump's basic magic, his words cut through and his supporters - and all of us really - hear it loud and clear.
I adore Chuck Schumer but his quotes in any article are reliably long, well worded, with five dollar vocabulary. I agree with him fully on issues but there's a tune out that occurs.
Trump's quotes sear themselves into the brain.
I'm reminded of some of Bill Clinton's rhetorical style. He could be incredibly folksy and direct, homespun and lucid. You knew he was a smart guy (it has nothing to do with dumbing things down or denying your intellect) but I remember him going straight for the simplest expression and connection.
I adore and will always cherish Obama but his rhetoric went high and lofty. I loved it but you have to imagine that voters without a college degree or even high school degree could never hang in through one of his long speeches.
22
@Spencer Chandler
Clinton was a master politician, as was FDR. Those men are born, not made. Given the opportunity, they always rise to the top. Churchill was a born leader, not necessarily the best politician, as was proven after WWII ended. Truman was a fighter, and a leader. Maybe he is what we need right now.
Obama’s asset is being Obama and not being Trump. In any other instance, I want Democrats to slam The Dotard, and slam him hard, fast, and frequently, but that’s not how Obama rolls, and it’s not what Democrats want from him.
Show the contrast: What we had versus what we have now. Trump supporters will never respect Obama, and the weaker Republicans won’t neither, so why bother? They are all lost souls drowning in Trump muck. We have many other progressive liberal leaders to take on Trump in the national heavyweight championship fight. Obama needs to be the adult in the room, or all hope is lost.
That said, someone, please, if you see Hillary putting on her boxing gloves in hopes of future glory, point her to the exit and suggest she go take in a movie instead. Her moment has passed. She has stayed too late at the party. Voted for her, but we must look ahead, not behind us. Yes, Joe Biden, I’m also talking to you.
30
NYT 10/31/18
It doesn’t matter what he says, it’s working. The media - all of the media - pick it up and run with it, regardless of interpretation.
I see much of the media as passive, awaiting “news” and filling column space. Why are the media not seeking and pushing people and politicians to speak about healthcare, infrastructure, emerging industries, education and teachers’ pay, destruction of public lands and resources, veteran services and homelessness, urban regeneration, drug costs, pollution, or a host of other issues?
Forget about Trump. Each utterance is not newsworthy. If he stumbles upon something relevant, great, go get it. But he’s sucking the oxygen out of the room with his diversions and deflections.
Just stop. Serve the public interest. Right now the public is not interested in Trump’s ignorance of the country or the Constitution
184
@SMK NC i can only "recommend" once, but i like these sentiments a thousandfold! sooooo true!
9
@SMK NC
I strongly agree. The press is acting like a co-dependent to Trumps personality disorder. I so wish the mainstream press would simply state what Trump said or did, correct the lies, then MOVE ON to all of the other important issues at hand. To endlessly discuss Trump is enabling his pathology.
21
@SMK NC NO Trump utterance is newsworthy. In fact, no trump utterance is news. Because every Trump utterance today is exactly the same as every Trump utterance yesterday. In fact, every Trump utterance EVER is the same as every other Trump utterance.
The Media should have already much too long ago adopted the Saturday Night Live Chevy Chase Weekend Update approach to reporting on Trump. Every week for many weeks reported, "Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead."
Everyday, the New York Times should run the banner headline: "Bulletin: President Trump is Still a Liar and a Thief."
After all, the power of repetition seems to work for Trump. Why shouldn't it work against Trump?
12
There is a time and a place for everything. And now is not the time or place for Obama's willingness to smile and eat whatever violent, hate-filled, undemocratic, corrupt people throw your way.
When a patient is hemorrhaging, you don't take polite and overly cautious action to stop the bleeding.
And our nation is hemorrhaging all over the place.
There is an urgency that people in high office don't seem to grasp. This election and the next presidential election is a referendum on the soul of our nation and what America chooses to be.
I don't plan and will not accept having dirt kicked in my teeth for the next 30 years. You shouldn't either.
75
@SM . I agree with you. You can be civil and firm at the same time that what will be required will be to be back uncivilized disobedience which has overtaken the country however and wherever it persists. If the civil are getting brutalized, then do what you would in your own home.. protect your family no matter what.
4
The key thing is for some political leaders to constantly point out that Trump has nothing to offer but racism, anti-Semitism and hatred of immigrants. He always goes low.
36
@Walker77 "Trump has nothing to offer but racism, anti-Semitism and hatred of immigrants..." Unfortunately, that's apparently what many voters want.
1
President Obama is who he is: gracious, intelligent, skilled, a fundamentally good man; and he has never refrained from speaking his mind, albeit with dignity. That other rotten little man in the White House is who he is and he will never be anything else. If Obama was able to remain true to his values during 8 years of being treated by republicans like "the boy" who belongs at the back of the bus rather than leader of the country, he can remain true to himself now. Why should *he* change?
312
@Gustav Aschenbach President Obama has class. One cannot buy class, go to the "right" colleges, wear expensive clothing, it's just there. One either has it or they don't. It's almost innate.
I sure miss him.
23
Good men don’t sell arms to the Saudis to commit genocide in Yemen, or pardon CIA torturers, or sign bills exempting Big Pharma from legal consequences of pushing opioid pills, or fail to hold Wall Street fraudsters accountable, or send the military to destabilize Libya, or persecute whistleblowers who expose war crimes, or conceal illegal bulk domestic snooping programs.
Obama promised change but like Reagan, Clinton and Bush, worked for the rich and abandoned the poor. On his watch, there was a recovery that only the wealthy participated in.
5
@Xoxarle wow I thought this reply was about Trump until the 2nd paragraph.
1
Be civil, but don’t let lies and money/power grabs go unanswered. Organize. Vote.
14
I supported President Obama in both elections but he has since dropped the ball. He has been absent u Tim a couple of weeks ago and that's just laughable. He was of course busy with paid speaking engagements a la Hillary, and with writing his multi million dollar memoir. But something else he's also been busy with - he has raided the deep pockets of big donors for the construction of his presidential library in Chicago. Nobody wants to talk about this but it's one of the reasons why so little money is coming in to the DNC.
But he still gives great speeches.
9
My biggest criticism of Obama is that he was too much the gentleman. For years John Boehner lied about him. Then Trump lied about him, and he just took it, then finally came out with the birth certificate.
During that dinner where Obama finally faced down Trump, he should have walked over to Trump's table and handed him a copy of the birth certificate.
The Democrats should not try to go to Trump's level, because Trump has no level. He is below the bottom. But being "civil" won't do it either. The Democrats have to be aggressive. Not insulting, not demeaning, but aggressive in embarrassing Trump and his minions at every opportunity.
70
I think the Obama approach of being nice has been discredited. The only fools who still believe in this are unfortunately the geriatric leadership of the Democratic Party. Only way to fight the forces of evil that are the Republican Party is to be as nasty and vicious as them and feel absolutely no guilt about it. After all, they certainly don’t.
5
The problem with fighting Trump at his amoral level is that it will lower everybody to this level. Politics without any morality.
6
The country is craving stability and sanity in the Oval Office. Best for Democrats not to get into the mud with Trump. It's not what most people want and he always wins in the mud.
12
President Obama is one sharp shooter in possession of a brilliant mind, and a master at the retort. His reflexes are much faster than Mr. Trump's, and his energy-level much higher, healthier and inspirational.
He is in no need of a foul mouth with an opponent to get his message across: Our Country first, and there is reason to believe that President Obama will take no prisoners in saving our Nation from Fascism, with his extraordinary style, laced with strength and amazing grace.
15
I like Senator Maizie Hirono's approach, speak softly, speak the truth and firmly call out lies and stupidity. Her criticism of Republican perfidy and calls for them to "do your job" resonate. You could also look at Ronald Reagan, looking across the debate podium, shaking his head and saying "there you go again" as a different calling out. There, though, he was smiling. Today Democrats need to frown and dismiss the Republicans - perhaps shake your head at "just another lie." I confess that I loved Tammy Baldwin's calling out of cadet bone spur. There's probably room for all of the different approaches, as long as they contain plentiful scorn and focus on Democrat's support for the real needs of the American public.
9
I don’t believe fighting fire with fire is good in the case of Trump.
It’s true that you can block off a fire storm with a line of fire yourself; but that’s not how it works in politics. It’s more like you got a fire of any sort of size, very small, or very large, and when you take fiery rhetoric and use it, it’s more akin to throwing gasoline on the fire than trying to kill off an oxygen supply. You just make things worse.
On the other hand, if you use non-incendiary rhetoric, you basically poor water in the fire, and bring it down some amount.
The solution to Trump isn’t to emulate him; the solution to Trump is, in fact, the opposite. To set an example of how people in the government should behave, and let his rottenness do the work for you.
When you throw gasoline into the flames, you basically equalize the levels of rhetorical fire-throwing and make dumping Trump less easy if you’re seemingly only going to get a Democratic version of him in return.
It’s a counter-productive tactic.
4
@Big Blue The solution is not emulating him, but outthinking him, which shouldn't be terribly difficult. If you familiarize yourself with your opponent's tactics, you soon get a feel for how he thinks and what his next move is likely to be. Former President Obama did this brilliantly in crafting the ACA act, which was based on Mitt Romney's health care bill, and consequently a continuous source of embarrassment to republicans who desperately wanted it gone. Politics is a lot like chess, but Mr. Obama, a decent and earnest man, lacked the ruthlessness and resolve to find the methods to fully execute his agenda.
1
@Anita
LBJ had the ruthlessness and resolve; he also had something else which Obama does not have: a political life time in the Senate; he knew where the bodies were buried, and when he needed to he dug them up and used them. He used all the weapons he had, and they were many. I don't believe we would have had the Civil Rights Act, or the Voting Rights Act without LBJ, and Dirksen as well.
Democrats, or anybody in politics, must reject lowering themselves to the level of Trump's discourse; it poisons relationships and divides us.
While it may be a short term success for Trump and the GOP, it will come back to haunt them, and the rest of us if we fall into their trap.
Somewhere I heard someone say, "There needs to be new rhetoric, for we surely will not survive as a nation if we continue in this path." And that is frighteningly true.
There is a clear power-play tug-o-war being orchestrated preventing national unity and national progress; we are stuck in the 90's twenty years into the new century! This is the Republican Strategy for domination and Trump fulfills this strategy, albeit lacking in subtleties that GOP politicians have come to depend on for cover while wielding hatchets to rights, freedom, and justice.
The battle of Democrat v. Republican has to stop.
When Republicans Win, We all Lose.
When Democrats Win, We all Lose.
Instead of dividing, The People must unite. And this is difficult in times of peace where the only common enemy is "ourselves".
It is US, The PEOPLE who have the power to stop the conflict by being honest and respectful between each other and not relying on Politicians to "Duke it out" for bragging rights and victories that draw us closer to oblivion.
Who wants to be the victor on the top of a smoking ash heap that was the prize?
1
@Tony E
Since uniting around a divider is impossible, the only alternative is choosing a new leader to be steer the unification. Bottom line, there is no unity as long as Trump insists on staying in office.
1
Barack Obama is a reserved, civilized, decent and exceedingly well-mannered person. That is part of Obama's charm - his elegance, patience, tolerance and kindness.
Let Barack Obama keep being Barack Obama.
There are plenty of Democrats out there who are naturally suited to being attack dogs against Trump.
Let them do it.
70
I find myself agreeing with Mr. Toles-Bey in feeling that Mr. Obama is still playing by the Marquis of Queensbury rules while Mr. Trump is waging guerrilla warfare. I'm also 'seasoned' enough to know from experience that this only produces a never ending war, similar to what would've happened to us vs the Viet Cong except for the visceral recoil of the American public. We've had one civil war and our country was held together by force, but never by full acceptance. The Chinese (I believe) had a saying, to whit, if you enforce a policy, it will take three generations for it to become a way of life and if we now allow the trajectory of America to race toward one national party, one dominant race and one approved religion, we will no longer be America. Please vote wisely.
2
Funny how that whole "leftist mob" talking point we were hearing from so many republicans disappeared when people were murdered and bombs sent in the mail. I believe some day the country will be restored to sanity.
13
The hardest part of taking on the current GOP is that they are completely unified in making the USA an ecomuseum frozen somewhere between the 1930s and 1950s.
Democrats don't need to stoop to their level.
Democrats just need to organize and motivate their base better.
Show us something you believe in and get behind it with some passion.
Be forthright and assertive instead of always reactive and on your heels.
If they do this while showing that Trump is the most corrupt politician the nation has ever elected, then Democrats should be able to make gains.
7
Why is it necessary to have one style? Why is the media obsessed with differences between democrats?
4
The options are not limited to "fight fire with fire" or "when they go low we go high." Trump hammers on the theme that he alone looks out for the average American. Democrats need to hammer on the Trump policies that damage the average American: undermining health care reform; undermining consumer protections; damaging the environment; tax cuts for the wealthy and Medicare and Social Security cuts for the rest of us; trade wars that benefit his cronies while driving up costs and hurting American industries; and decreasing our national security by spurning our allies and cozying to totalitarian regimes.
27
@MEM...The Democrats need to hammer away at him that he is not good for the average American. They can fight fire with fire and get down in the gutter with him by mocking him out; making him look like a boob. They Democrats need to reconnect with the average American, many times they try to sound profound but the average American votes cannot comprehend this type of talk because it confuses them and they really need to get rid of Nancy P. and Hillary because they damage the party. They have had their day and in some ways it created the mess the Democrats are in today.
5
Those darn democrats better be careful about their tone, eh? Fabulously laughable.
20
Why be civil to a barbarian? Will you apologize to someone that is beating you over the head with a hammer for getting your blood on their shoes?
14
Kick 'em!
Or at least "Give 'em hell," Harry Truman style.
The Fox interview with Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill in which she criticized activists and even her colleagues--Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders-- was shocking. Have moderate Democrats learned nothing?
4
Obama san was most prescient when he famously said this at the 2016 Democratic Convention :
"Don’t boo -- vote."
Unfortunately, not enough Democrats or independents voted and we got the Trump Toilet.
November 6 2018
"Don’t boo -- vote."
D to go forward; R for reverse.
125
@Socrates good advice, particularly on Halloween.
Ghosts boo.
1
Tactics matter. The end goal is not to get into the mud pit with him, but respond to every lie and distortion with civil, humorous and yet poignant retorts, the kind that sticks with the public. And 44th is very good at that!
In fact those are the only ones that even get reported in the media because it stings and makes for a great story. In this battle, coverage is also important. And take some of the air out!
42
It really is quite simple.
NEVER, never allow your behavior to be dictated by the behavior of another.
You can remain human and dignified EVEN when acting dispassionately in your own (physical) self-defense.
Do not allow terrorists or extremists to have control.
Those who claim, "I lost it," did not loose it; they threw 'it' away.
157
I am torn. Like Michelle Obama, I would follow the policy of "when they go low, we go high." I was taught to treat people with respect and to be polite.
However, we are dealing with a vile human being. He's building a huge divide in this country. I want his lies to be called out directly to his face and with proof that he is lying. Keep after him on those lives. Don't let him walk away. I think this can be done in a somewhat polite way—we don't need to be as nasty as he is, but we should be strongly calling him out.
37
Do we infact have any fire with which to fight the polluting blaze coming from the Trumpies? Would that we did.
6
No, we should never fight fire with fire, nor sink to President's Trumps sewer-like level. Like Gandhi or MLK and the Civil Rights Movement, we need individuals who will march to the sea and make salt, or stand up and face the (virtual) batons and bayonets. Depending on what happens in the coming years should Republicans maintain control and political solutions fail, perhaps massive protests and a campaign of continuing non-violent resistance could start to effect change. Although wrenching, such strategies have proven effective in the past. But violent rhetoric begets actual violence - it is never the answer.
261
@jrinsc Speaking clearly and apologetically does not equate to violence and no one in the article or dare I say the comment section is espousing violence. You are conflating terms and muddying the conversation. A red-herring.
Perhaps you don't comprehend the amount of force required for an inert object to obtain momentum.
Reflective platitudes are necessary in society and we should embrace them but they are not a cure-all for political situation. A selecting the right tool for job is what gets the job done.
11
It depends on how much time we have. You are obviously feeling pretty relaxed about the whole thing, which I base on your speculation about the "next few years" of this horror show.
You haven't yet grasped the severity of the situation and the tipping point we are nearing. Tipping point concerning what? Everything. Democracy-wise, and environment-wise. We need to be taking action if we want to preserve a livable planet. Catastrophic climate change which is what will unfold if we don't begin to act NOW doesn't conform to election cycles. We have run out of time. Literally.
27
@Margaret and @SM - Although no one is suggesting violence in the article, Mr. Holder's statement of "When they go low, we kick them" suggests a kind of verbal violence. This kind of rhetoric never works, and only plays into the bully's hands, as witness the thoughts and actions of Gandhi and MLK. One doesn't need to be a verbal doormat to stand up for one's beliefs. As for not grasping the severity of the current situation, I'm as panicked as anyone. But if hard-ball political action can't turn things around (which seems likely), then perhaps the actions we need to take ought to be massive, non-violent, disruptive protest. What else do you suggest?
12
The Obama Coalition may be unsure. But the Sanders coalition isn't.
16
@Karen Thornton
Sure of what? The most surefire way
of staying in the minority?
3
@NA
"The most surefire way of staying in the minority?"
You're correct. The Sanders coalition should bow out in the face of the overwhelming electoral success of the Democratic Party, Inc. in holding onto the the House, Senate, and Presidency over the last 4 elections. And that's even before we bring up their hold on all of those governorships and statehouses.
3