The Populist rhetoric in President Obama's 2011 campaign for re-election
12/6/2011
OSAWATOMIE, Kan. (AP) - Declaring the American middle class in jeopardy, President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined a populist economic vision that will drive his re-election bid, insisting the United States must reclaim its standing as a country in which everyone can prosper if provided "a fair shot and a fair share."
While never making an overt plea for a second term, Obama's offered his most comprehensive lines of attack against the candidates seeking to take his job, only a month before Republican voters begin choosing a presidential nominee. He also sought to inject some of the long-overshadowed hope that energized his 2008 campaign, saying: "I believe America is on its way up."
In small-town Osawatomie, in a high school gym where patriotic bunting lined the bleachers, Obama presented himself as the one fighting for shared sacrifice and success against those who would gut government and let people fend for themselves. He did so knowing the nation is riven over the question of whether economic opportunity for all is evaporating.
"Throughout the country, it's sparked protests and political movements, from the tea party to the people who've been occupying the streets of New York and other cities," Obama said.
"This is the defining issue of our time," he said in echoing President Theodore Roosevelt's famous speech here in 1910.
"This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class and all those who are fighting to get into the middle class," Obama said. "At stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home and secure their retirement."
For Obama, saddled with a weak national economic recovery, the speech was a chance to break away from Washington's incremental battles and his own small-scale executive actions. He offered a sweeping indictment of economic inequality and unleashed his own brand of prairie populism.
He spoke for nearly an hour to a supportive audience, reselling his ideas under the framework of "building a nation where we're all better off."
...The president conceded that the country is in the midst of a consuming re-examination on his watch, prompting national movements against both government spending and an economy that many feel disproportionately favors the elite. Obama went on the offensive about income inequality, saying it distorts democracy and derails the American dream.
Responding to those who want to cut taxes and regulation in the belief success will trickle down, Obama said: "Here's the problem: It doesn't work. It's never worked."
Obama noted that Theodore Roosevelt was called a "radical, a socialist, even a communist" for putting forth ideas in his last campaign such as an eight-hour work day, a minimum wage for women, unemployment insurance and a progressive income tax.
..."In the end," he said, "rebuilding this economy based on fair play, a fair shot and a fair share will require all of us to see the stake we have in each other's success."
Obama also challenged the big banks that took bailouts from American taxpayers, pointing to "a deficit of trust between Main Street and Wall Street." He said banks that were bailed out had an obligation to work to close that trust deficit and should be doing more to help remedy past mortgage abuses and assist middle-class taxpayers.
http://archive.wtsp.com/news/elections/article/224858/36/Obama-sets-campaign-theme-Middle-class-at-stake
He used the Populist message in '08 as well. So what this means is, since he ran as a populist TWICE, and won TWICE, there is a huge majority out there open to the populist message and still hungry for a populist president.
At a place called "Democratic Underground", why are so many people saying the general public, or the 'masses' aren't ready for this?
We're MORE than ready. We're still waiting for it!!!
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Some seem to want to believe that for some inexplicable reason. But the results of the mid terms put that lie to rest once and for all. Progressive issues WON across the country wherever they were on the ballot.
So all we need now are candidates who will run on a progressive agenda. However, they will need to show sincerity, either by their past record or in some way that voters can determine it is not just campaign rhetoric.
The country is MORE than ready for Progressive policies.
Response to RiverLover (Original post)
Enthusiast This message was self-deleted by its author.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)I kid.
The sockpuppet employees saying that most likely collect their pay check directly from Pete Peterson or the Kochsters.
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BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)One active poster stated the TPP would be good for workers because there might be some protections in it...somewhere. Totally ignorant of what it would do to the workers of this country. But was very active in the thread, calling everyone an Obama hater.
Another very active poster thinks economics has nothing to do with racism/classism and we're all just a bunch of selfish elitists because we talk about it.
There are some posters who actually state, "Oh you just hate 1%ers." Their only explanation is hippie punching and spitting on OWS.
So when there is an economic or policy discussion, if cheerleader centrists even bother to comment, which is rare, it's pretty obvious that they don't have enough information to form a substantive opinion or they really only care about memes and pictures.
I think the new meme against Warren, that she is very open about economic issues but doesn't talk much yet about social issues is what has so many spooked. Their value systems are opposite of this and therefore they don't get the enthusiastic support of some here.
But it is important and we shouldn't stop talking about it. Because economic issues effect minorities and women the hardest and keeps them overworked, underpaid and powerless. Because if someone doesn't fix it, this country will see a permanent restructuring and we might not be able to fix it in our lifetimes or our grandchildren's lifetimes. Because you can't please people all of the time but you can keep your integrity and work for what you believe.