Rules for Radicals...

Larry Gude

Strung Out
...is, as you know if you actually care what Alinsky was really about, a guidebook for the weak to combat the strong. It's useful for people like Obama or Trump or anyone attempting to over come very powerful resistance.

What it is NOT is a rule book for what to do when you have power. Some, like Trump, once the goal is achieved, immediately shift to the task of achieving goals that they sought power for in the first place. The rules were a tool to get somewhere. Others, like Obama who really only sought power to have it, who did little to nothing with it, will tend to struggle sort of like Ahab who, once they have their whale, don't have the first clue as to what to do with it. For them, it was about the chase, not the catch. The rules are the thing.

This is my working theory for what Obama is about these days, what he is working on and why. This, simply put, is what he knows; how to achieve power. it is also my working theory for what the D's are up to. Obama wiped the party out because he didn't have much of a plan or ideas of what to do once he had power. The party, serving him, withered. Now, what is left, is the hard core leftists who innately look at things as he does; the resistance, the struggle, the fight; NOT what to do WITH power.

This is a double edged problem because for those people the marches and demonstrations, the witty insults and clever outrage are THE point, not winning the next election. All the practical people in the party lost their seats and Obama had long enough to put his kind of people, true believers, in power behind the scenes. So, there is no mechanism, no adults if you will, to give the wake up calls, to point out that all the outrage and emotion is not only NOT harming Trump, it is helping him and, even if there are a few seats to be won, all the things said about Trump won't prove out because they were never based on reason, only emotion so, Trump himself will be all too happy to deal with whomever wins.

So, there is the recipe for irrationally despising someone and doing everything you can to defeat him, in your mind, while in reality simply making them stronger.
 

tommyjo

New Member
Obama wiped the party out because he didn't have much of a plan or ideas of what to do once he had power.

Not sure that is a fair or reasonable assessment and it certainly seems more appropriate to the current administration.

Mr. Obama didn't seem to have much of plan for what to do once the economy stabilized. The point you failed to make was that the Republicans outright refused to work with him on any level. The Republicans proved that being completely obstructionist and then blaming the other side for not accomplishing much works (especially with the ignorant electorate this country is infected with).

Trump himself will be all too happy to deal with whomever wins.

Mr. Trump has yet to prove he can work with ANYONE. Mr. Trump has yet to prove that he has any actual policy proposals. The guy simply can't hold onto any position.

When his sheeplike followers are blathering all over themselves because the man FINALLY (after more than a month as the President) appeared to be the least bit Presidential...that should tell you something. The bar is set soo freaking low for this guy..."gee look Martha...he isn't foaming at the mouth! FOUR MORE YEARS!!! FOUR MORE YEARS!!". That is how far this country has devolved.

Chris Wallace comparing Trump to Reagan...please...Trump couldn't carry Reagan's jockstrap (because you know he has bone spurs in his foot...or ankle...or well somewhere!).
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Not sure that is a fair or reasonable assessment and it certainly seems more appropriate to the current administration.

That would require an election or two to see how things go for Trump. Given he's not what the D's say he is, that he WOULD work with them if that meant getting a deal, the antithesis of Obama, I think you, and many others, are missing the very simple and obvious triuth about Trump; he's not an ideologue. He'll make deals with anyone.

I suppose we could take the DNC view and take the position that Obama being potus for 8 years was merely coincidental with the decline of the party.
 

Larry Gude

Strung Out
The point you failed to make was that the Republicans outright refused to work with him on any level.

If you're saying he was a piss poor leader, I agree. if you're saying his pride was more important than making deals, I agree. If you're saying he couldn't then you, like many others, seem to miss the simple fact that the man won TWO presidential elections. He COULD have worked with GOP'ers. What we KNOW, fact certain, is that he didn't even want to work with HIS team. So, that construct is totally wrong, that the opposition party opposed too much. That's wrong and it has lead to the demise of the D party and all signs are that the illusion will continue. The emperor, and his new cloths, must be admired.

Who knows? Maybe it will start working?
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
.... like many others, seem to miss the simple fact that the man won TWO presidential elections. He COULD have worked with GOP'ers.


I believe 'I Won' [sit down and stfu] pretty much set the tone ..... and something about NOT needing Republicans
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
Sounds oh so bipartisan, doesn't it?

He actually agreed a lot with Trump. For example:
Pres. Obama said:
“Washington is broken. My whole campaign has been premised from the start on the idea that we have to fundamentally change how Washington works.”

Sounds a lot like "drain the swamp", doesn't it?

How about
Pres. Obama said:
“I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I’ll tell you right now that I’m gonna think I’m a better political director than my political director.”

I'll bet he knew more about ISIS than his generals, too.
 
Top