Pressuring President Obama

One of the myths going around right now is that an Obama presidency would be a good thing because the more left minded of us could 'pressure' an Obama presidency better than we could a McCain Presidency.

Well, lets think about that for a moment. And to look at that premise, lets ask if after the Democratic victory in gaining control of Congress in 2006 led to the left being able to pressure the Democrats into gaining what they wanted from Congress.

This is a video you might remember. Its from the day a military mom tried to talk to Democratic committee chair Obey about ending the war. She is shouted down by Rep Obey who rants on about 'idiot liberals'.

Marine Mom and Rep. Obey. We Share your frustration



So, ask yourself this, given the fact that an overwhelming number of Democratic voters wants to see the Iraq war and occupation ended, how effective have they been at 'pressuring' the Democratic leadership in Congress to obtain real action in this area? Has the war and occupation been ended? Has the Bush policy been in any way restrained or stopped?

Nope. What you've seen instead is a Democratic leadership that promised immediately after the last election that war funding would not be cut. They've held to that promise even though large majorities of Americans now think the war was a mistake and that in one way or another we should withdraw from Iraq.

Ie, the course of the war in Iraq has been largely the same over the last two years as if the Republicans had retained the leadership of the Congress. There is little reason to think that the situation has been at all improved by having Democratic leadership in Congress. And this video shows the complete disrespect that the Democratic leadership in Congress has for the antiwar activists who dared to try to talk to them about this.

Note also that this conversation has to happen in a hallway. Presumably because that's the only way this lady could even talk to Rep. Obey. I'm sure she'd have accepted an appointment to come sit and talk in his office if Rep. Obey had offered one. Instead the only means of talking to the Representative was to try to intercept him in the hallway between meetings.

Can it be said that this military mom had any more access to Congress or ability pressure Congress because the Democrats hold the Speaker's office and the committee chairs? The answer to that would appear to be no.

Or, think a bit about the issue of impeachment. Has the large number of people who support at least an investigation into impeachment of George W. Bush been able to 'pressure' the Democratic leadership into doing this? Is there any difference in the outcome of this debate in a Democratically led Congress versus a Republican led Congress.

Now, the main difference with an Obama Presidency is that you'd never be able to intercept the President in a hallway like and talk to him. And its doubtful that any activist would get a meeting with the President to talk. If a member of the House of Representatives won't take a meeting like this, you know the President won't.

So, how is it possible to believe that if Obama is elected President that it would be any more possible to 'pressure' him than to 'pressure' a President McCain?

All of this is given as a secondary reason why people should vote for Obama. Its used in the times when the Democratic supporters have already lost the argument that Obama is actually proposing better policies than McCain. After they've lost that argument, through facts like Obama's recent AIPAC speech, they fall back on this argument that we'll be better able to 'pressure' a President Obama.

Yeah, right.