Pelosi And Dean Beat Back Conservatives’ Claim That America Is Still ‘Center-Right’
Pelosi And Dean Beat Back Conservatives’ Claim That America Is Still ‘Center-Right’
As ThinkProgress noted earlier today, several media talking heads have repeatedly insisted that the country remains “center right” — despite President-elect Obama’s resounding victory and significant gains in House, Senate, state, and local races. Watch a compilation here.
In separate press conferences today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and DNC Chairman Howard Dean wholly rejected the right-wing’s talking points. Pelosi explained that the “center” of the country is progressive and that it demands legislation like raising the minimum wage and making college more affordable:
PELOSI: What is interesting about the last couple of years in my view is that when we say from the center, we’re talking about what we did in a bipartisan way, to raise the minimum wage first time in ten years, to make college more affordable…honor the service of our veterans. … So all of these things that were initiatives of the Democratic Congress, I don’t know if you call them progressive, they are I think, but they had strong bipartisan support because they meet the needs of the American people from right to left.
Responding to RNC Chairman Mike Duncan’s claim that the U.S. is still “center right,” Dean used Nebraska as an example of progressive reach. Dean cited polling showed that Nebraskans “actually agreed with Democratic positions more than they did with the Republican positions”:
DEAN: I don’t think this is a center right country. … We don’t think this is particularly conservative country. We think this a country that is pretty much right down the middle and very, very moderate. When President Obama talks about working about working with people, the reason we think he can be successful in that is because that’s where the American people are.
Watch it:
Media Matters has more on why conservative America is a myth.
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It will only be an issue if Obama, Pelosi and et,al., choose to believe and govern as a center-right government. Ignore the bleating of the sheep from the right wing.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:03 pmUnfortunately, the Right doesn’t work with others at all. Obama will be facing a Congressional minority of “Roadblock Republicans” whose main goal will be to make him and the Democratic majority look bad at all costs, regardless of the damage to the nation. It will take shining a very bright light on their actions to keep them from working. All Republicans have to do to validate their ideology is make certain that government doesn’t work. The easiest way for them to do that is to toss in as many monkey wrenches as they can.
The current Democratic Congress hasn’t been terribly effective at being a majority. I suppose they feared the veto, but theyt could have made a much better show of it at least. Let’s hope that with a Democrat in the Oval Office, they can get some good works accomplished.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:17 pmI don’t understand this blatant attempt by the Republicans to suddenly declare their “centricity” and claim that all others are just like them, sorta kinda, nudge nudge, wink wink.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:49 pmWhen the Obama-ites come down from their drunken high, maybe they will see that things will not be much different. Pelosi is a Left Neocon, and you can paint her any way you want, but she, like Biden and Obama, are dedicated to their corporate sponsors. Obama’s statement about “main Street and Wall Street” is a blatant lie, since he voted for Wall Street on the Extortion Bill.
On the lies about Russia, this is what Joe “Zionist’ Biden has in store for all you “Anti-war” people.
http://finchannel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23584&Itemid=55
So the question is this, when and if Obama pulls a Clinton, and backs extremely Right Slanting ideas, will everyone who voted for him, take him to task? Somehow I doubt it. Teflon anyone?
I can’t say for certain what Obama and his cabinet will do in the next 4 years, as much as his supporters can say what he will do. However, if his voting records in the last 6 months are any indication, we can expect a vicious foreign policy, more surveillance, and kissing the butts of Wall Street.
Is he any better than McCain? Of course, the Supreme Court appointments themselves will keep a left-right balance.
I would also have to say I am glad that finally African Americans got a fair shake after centuries of torture at the hands of many crazy white people.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:56 pmDr. Hussein Matt Says:
Little Brain, your train to Planet Arous is about to depart. Please board with the rest of the cattle.
Typical Sheep/Robot approach. Sorry, Dr. Floor Mat, you are a kool-aid drinker as much as the Bush-ites, but the the danger in people like you will be as follows:
Obama backs arming Georgia more and War breaks out as cluster bombs are AGAIN dropped on innocent South Ossetians, and increases the Pentagon budget to over $1 trillion.
Dr Floor Mat says, “Wow I am so glad this new administration is antiwar”
The new Congress allows the the new “Pre-Emptive” Drug responsibility law to go into effect, thereby granting immunity of drug companies and the FDA from lawsuits.
Dr Foot Wipe says, “I am so glad this new administration is for the people”.
I could go on and I know this is a bit wordy, since you don’t seem to be able to think and post in more than two sentences, but you think real hard about how you are no different than the people you hate so much, the Republicans. In fact, it is amazing how people like you could just as easily be on Freerepublic, as I have posted the same criticisms of their guy McCain, and get the same response. Like here, I get a few intelligent people (NOT YOU!!) that actually contemplate what I say.
November 5th, 2008 at 9:14 pmHere ya go, Rug Doctor, since I know you are antiwar:
http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=102553
November 5th, 2008 at 9:15 pmI don’t think Obama will change the face of American politics much. I could be wrong, but I don’t think s. I voted for him but I have not drunk the kool-aid. I am a realist, he is a politican and he does whatever is popular. Plus I am bummed that 4 anti-gay ballot initiatives passed. Thanks a lot America!
November 5th, 2008 at 9:21 pmAnd this conservative america just voted in the person that they identified as the most liberal person in the history of the world
YIKES! They’re like Wiley Coyote as he realizes that he is in midair.
November 5th, 2008 at 9:58 pmdlat31 Says:
I don’t think Obama will change the face of American politics much. I could be wrong, but I don’t think s. I voted for him but I have not drunk the kool-aid. I am a realist, he is a politican and he does whatever is popular. Plus I am bummed that 4 anti-gay ballot initiatives passed. Thanks a lot America!
I understand your Point of View, and I am glad you are willing to admit that nothing will change that much, contrary to the “Change” message. My die hard leftist friends said it is the Supreme Court that made them vote for Obama, but they unlike Dr Foot-in-Mouth from above, were under no illusions that Obama is a Progressive.
Yes, it was terrible about the anti-gay measures. Fundamentalist Cro-Magnons still are in functional capability. What is baffling is that California voted overwhelming for Obama, yet voted es on a Constitutional ban. My opinion of that is Obama was not strong enough against the measure. In fact, he has stated he is against gay marriage. Nice……so much for those “Progressive” ideas. Obama-ites would say, “you can’t please everyone”. Yeah well, unless you are gay. Then Obama looks no different than Bush on the subject of Gay marriage.
November 5th, 2008 at 10:24 pmI read that today’s young voters are the most Democratic in U.S. history–more liberal than the FDR generation, more liberal than the 60’s generation.
November 5th, 2008 at 10:38 pmOf course the wingnuts think America is “center-right”. They also think that 75% of all Americans are unAmerican.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:08 pmPerry logan Says:
I read that today’s young voters are the most Democratic in U.S. history–more liberal than the FDR generation, more liberal than the 60’s generation.
A book was written about this 10 years ago. Everyone either ignored it or laughed.
The Emerging Democratic Majority
November 5th, 2008 at 11:15 pmAt what point do we as democrats say that framing the position of action is determined by the people, their needs and participation in their own emancipation and not the desultory pronouncements of the ones riding our backs to the bank (no more!).
November 6th, 2008 at 12:20 am.
Of course it’s not a Conservative Nation…
… The Fiscal deficit increased by $500 BILLION alone in the month of September.
ON NANCY’S WATCH… BTW!
.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:19 am.
“C H A N G E”
Only comes from We The People…
… Not those who govern.
Read the Constitution and you will see, that when the People neglect their responsibility to hold their Government accountable and responsible for the People’s needs and requests, sometimes even demands, those who govern do so at their own bequest…
It is The People who must ensure that this “CHANGE” happens…
… Least it will become a bad nightmare before our eyes.
.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:26 am…Oops,
Forgot to add:
… Witness the “CHANGE” from the 2006 elections? NOT!
Why? Because the streets remained EMPTY of The People!!!
.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:27 amI run the Alabama Democrats webpage on MySpace. We are not all “center-right” even in Alabama. Certainly not if you’re young and trying to get a start in life.
November 6th, 2008 at 8:40 am