Tuesday, June 30, 2009
News What Obama Must Do
Posted by Charles Mudede on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:52 PM
Dan Savage on Countdown with Keith Olbermann:
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This is where I totally agree with Dan (and we are not always in agreement): Obama has to stop pandering to the GOP. They mean nothing anymore. The whole bipartisan dream is dead. Obama has the power to permanently change this society. He cannot miss this opportunity.
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3
Obama will be ousted by the Frankin Wing (Super Lib) of the Democrat Party. He will be marginalized into a rubber stamp and kept away from any serious decision making by Hillary and Frankin, who is now assuming power as the Shadow Democrat President.
5
I have to say that this is probably the most concise, calm and poignant interview I've ever seen Dan give. Well played good sir.
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"Obama will be ousted by the Frankin Wing (Super Lib) of the Democrat Party. He will be marginalized into a rubber stamp and kept away from any serious decision making by Hillary and Frankin, who is now assuming power as the Shadow Democrat President."
THANK GOD
THANK GOD
7
Do you own any other shirts, Dan? You've been interviewed on national television for the third time in the same beige number. Spice it up!
8
That was very well done. Damn you're articulate.
I kind of got off on Olbermann calling you "Sir".
I kind of got off on Olbermann calling you "Sir".
9
Great stuff Mr Savage, well said.
What's with Obermann though? I think he's dead right don't get me wrong, but is this what passes for journalism on that show? I agree completely with Dan (and yes I know US politics is none of my business etc etc), but this conversation has a number of different view points, as evidenced by the debates on Slog over the last few weeks. Isn't the job of a journalist to stress test each view point rather than simply editorialising on everything?
What's with Obermann though? I think he's dead right don't get me wrong, but is this what passes for journalism on that show? I agree completely with Dan (and yes I know US politics is none of my business etc etc), but this conversation has a number of different view points, as evidenced by the debates on Slog over the last few weeks. Isn't the job of a journalist to stress test each view point rather than simply editorialising on everything?
10
So could Obama be brownnosing some in the "old" guard, sort of allowing a hazing where he promises to suffer for a little while in return for their support? I JUST DON'T GET IT!
12
Well, that was way more mature and thoughtful than pretty much anything Dan's posted on Slog for weeks now. I approve.
13
Terrific - Dan's a treasure. Hubba bubba. Well put that Obama has nothing to fear.
So, to the shirt: that is indeed a fine new teevee shirt. Good material, useful color, camera-friendly texture. However, a buttoned-down high collar will always narrow the wearer's face. That's extremely helpful for someone rounder, but for Dan, leaving the points unbuttoned and flaring the collar out a little would give a nice balanced effect.
So, to the shirt: that is indeed a fine new teevee shirt. Good material, useful color, camera-friendly texture. However, a buttoned-down high collar will always narrow the wearer's face. That's extremely helpful for someone rounder, but for Dan, leaving the points unbuttoned and flaring the collar out a little would give a nice balanced effect.
15
It was a pretty good appearance. I don't think the evidence suggests that Obama's pandering to the religious right though, as much as he's destabilizing the religious right--he's enormously popular with young evangelicals who don't share his views on a variety of policy issues. That is an opportunity for leverage--to peel those young evangelicals away from the influence of the older guard of evangelical leadership, insuring that the religious right doesn't rise again.
The GOP might be dead in the water, but if we want them to stay that way, we have to be tactical about how we relate to evangelical christians. We have to stand firm in our convictions about policy--but we have to address the material concerns that undergird their religiously-expressed anxieties (like good Marxist thinkers!)
The GOP might be dead in the water, but if we want them to stay that way, we have to be tactical about how we relate to evangelical christians. We have to stand firm in our convictions about policy--but we have to address the material concerns that undergird their religiously-expressed anxieties (like good Marxist thinkers!)
17
Well done!
But is there only one gay person in the United States willing to give interviews? Do they actually ever interview anyone other than Dan, or does that just never get shown on Slog?
But is there only one gay person in the United States willing to give interviews? Do they actually ever interview anyone other than Dan, or does that just never get shown on Slog?
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@16
I think it's because he normally dresses like a (straight, hungover) college student, which doesn't require, like, buttons and stuff. So he just has his one fancy teevee shirt. I kinda giggled about the ringer tee peeking out underneath this time around.
So anyway, it makes me happy to see liberals loudly, thoughtfully criticizing their liberal president. You almost never saw that with the conservatives and THEIR leader, who was wrong about nearly everything. It illustrates the intellectual and moral superiority of the people I agree with, which, of course, pleases me.
I think it's because he normally dresses like a (straight, hungover) college student, which doesn't require, like, buttons and stuff. So he just has his one fancy teevee shirt. I kinda giggled about the ringer tee peeking out underneath this time around.
So anyway, it makes me happy to see liberals loudly, thoughtfully criticizing their liberal president. You almost never saw that with the conservatives and THEIR leader, who was wrong about nearly everything. It illustrates the intellectual and moral superiority of the people I agree with, which, of course, pleases me.
21
I got a good laugh out of the USS Pueblo reference. Am I the only one who got that? (shit I'm old)
22
Damn. I must've totally missed Congress passing a DADT and DOMA repeal these past couple days. I had no idea Obama was the only holdup.
23
I enjoyed Dan's reaction at the end of the interview to "the President is god. damned. WRONG on this."
Oh, Olbermann!
Oh, Olbermann!
24
Why does the clip stop before we get to see Savage and Olbermann drop their trousers and kiss each others' asses?
25
Was I the only one who noticed Dan's shock at Olbermann's profanity right at the end there? LOL
@ Charles - so THAT'S what's holding all this progress up? Obama's pandering and trying to make gay issues okay with the gay bigots basically? If that's the case, BHO isn't the man I thought he was...
@ Charles - so THAT'S what's holding all this progress up? Obama's pandering and trying to make gay issues okay with the gay bigots basically? If that's the case, BHO isn't the man I thought he was...
26
I don't think that was shock -- I think that was the start of a reply, which got cut off by the end of the interview.
27
Dan can't wear beige-
it makes him look red-faced and flustered.
"Color For Men" by Carole Jackson
is helpful.
it makes him look red-faced and flustered.
"Color For Men" by Carole Jackson
is helpful.
31
You and Charles are living in a dream world, Dan. Obama's bipartisanship is deep, deep in his bones, and he simply is not going to thumb his nose at the GOP. Have you not read his books? Everything he does is about the "reasonable center," which is a big change from the Bush years, but isn't the radical shift toward a liberal utopia. If that's what you wanted, you should have thrown your vote away on Kucinich.
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For the record, Dan isn't the only one who thinks the gay community should put more pressure on Obama to deliver on all those tasty, tasty promises. One of the writers for the New Yorker recently wrote something about it (http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/20…). Worth reading.
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