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434

Obama’s blunt message for Democrats: ‘Toughen up’ (www.cnn.com)

submitted 1 day ago by roguetrick@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

142 comments fedilink hide all child comments

“I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,” Obama said at the fundraiser

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[–] kreskin@lemmy.world 13 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

yes, its the navel gazing voters who are to blame here:

128 Dems shot down the trump impeachment push recently. https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-impeachment-aoc-al-green-democrats-vote-b2776294.html

16 Senate Dems Join GOP to Advance Crypto Bill—A Gift to Trump’s ‘Reeking Corruption’ https://www.commondreams.org/news/senate-democrats-genius-bill-advance

A Tale of Two Resolutions: 75 Dems Join GOP in Resolution Praising Trump’s Mass Deportation Regime https://jonathancohn.medium.com/a-tale-of-two-resolutions-75-dems-join-gop-in-resolution-praising-trumps-mass-deportation-regime-15cf590770ea

Democrats join Republicans in sanctuary city crackdown https://www.usconstitution.net/why-some-democrats-joined-republicans-in-a-sanctuary-city-crackdown/

Dems join Republicans to boost defense spending in Trump agenda bill https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/04/29/congress/dems-join-gop-to-boost-defense-spending-00317618

Texas Democrats join Republicans to place citizen voting requirement on statewide ballots in 2025 after blocking the amendment in 2023 https://news.ballotpedia.org/2025/05/16/texas-democrats-join-republicans-to-place-citizen-voting-requirement-on-statewide-ballots-in-2025-after-blocking-the-amendment-in-2023/

7 Democrats vote for GOP resolution condemning LA protests https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5373771-la-riots-gop-resolution-democrats/

Four Democrats join Republicans to pass SAVE Act bill that requires proof of citizenship to vote https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/house-vote-save-act-voter-id-b2731102.html

Six U.S. House Dems join GOP in condemning Harris, Biden administration over border policy https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/07/25/six-u-s-house-dems-join-gop-in-condemning-harris-biden-administration-over-border-policy/

15 Democrats Join House GOP to Pass ‘MAGA Assault’ on Nonprofits https://www.commondreams.org/news/hr-9495-passed

Some Democrats join Republicans in voting to strike down Biden’s EV mandate https://walberg.house.gov/media/in-the-news/fox-news-some-democrats-join-republicans-voting-strike-down-bidens-ev-mandate

Most Senate Democrats Join Republicans in Calling for Corporate Tax Break https://itep.org/most-senate-democrats-join-republicans-in-calling-for-corporate-tax-break/

Sen. Elissa Slotkin is lone Democrat to cross party lines in vote to revoke California’s EV emissions waivers https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/elissa-slotkin-california-ev-vote-senate/

8 House Democrats join Republicans in voting to strike down California’s electric vehicle mandate https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-democrats-join-republicans-voting-strike-down-californias-electric-vehicle-mandate

Full List of Democrats Voting to Block California Ban on Gas-Powered Cars https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-democrats-block-california-gas-car-ban-2066890 https://www.splinter.com/35-house-democrats-join-republicans-in-declaring-themselves-enemies-of-climate-progress

Democrats join GOP to kill air pollution, appliance rules https://www.eenews.net/articles/democrats-join-gop-to-kill-air-pollution-appliance-rules/

House Democrats bash Senate colleagues for backing GOP spending bill: ‘Huge slap in the face’ https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5194414-house-democrats-senate-spending-bill/

10 Democrats join with Republicans to censure Rep. Al Green for Trump speech protest https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/06/politics/al-green-censure-trump-protest-house

Senate Democrats join Republicans to gut Dodd-Frank banking regulations https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2018/03/16/dodd-m16.html

62 DEMOCRATS JOIN 207 REPUBLICANS IN VOTE TO CONCEAL GAZA DEATH TOLL https://theintercept.com/2024/06/27/congress-gaza-death-toll-democrats/

81 Democrats Vote With GOP for Military Budget Barring Gaza Death Toll Citation https://truthout.org/articles/81-democrats-vote-with-gop-for-military-budget-barring-gaza-death-toll-citations/

16 Democrats join most Republicans to force administration to send arms to Israel https://jewishinsider.com/2024/05/16-democrats-join-most-republicans-to-force-administration-to-send-arms-to-israel/

Over 20 Democrats join Republicans in House censure vote of Rashida Tlaib over Israel-Hamas war comments https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-house-democrats-hold-news-briefing-after-censure-of-rep-tlaib-over-comments-on-israel

‘Deep sense of outrage and betrayal’: House Democrats react to Schumer announcement https://www.npr.org/2025/03/13/nx-s1-5327600/house-democrats-outrage-spending

[–] goferking0@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 2 hours ago

Can't forget all the votes to confirm trump appointees

[–] Uruanna@lemmy.world 5 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

yes, its the navel gazing voters who are to blame here:

He was speaking at a private fundraiser, I don't think he was talking about the voters. It was about the party looking around for a strong leader and doing nothing while ignoring the various races that were actually going well against the right.

[–] Deflated0ne@lemmy.world 35 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Cuz the man who gave up Universal Healthcare to give us fucking Romneycare while having total control of the govt really knows how to play hardball.

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 27 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

I don't like Obama much - his drone strikes and war-hawkish policy nor bailing out the banks when he had them over a barrel, but i'm tired of this bullshit narrative.

House control: yes, no question.

Senate control: barely.

Obama would not have even been able to pass his bank ~~robbery~~ 'stimulus' without three Republicans crossing the aisle to vote for it in early 2009. Yes, very much a man with 'total control' of the government..

Obama had just 4 months with senate control, and that whole time it was on a knife edge. 60 (of 100) votes are needed to bring legislation to the floor to even be voted on without filibuster. So for 'total control' a party needs 60 seats/votes in the senate. The dems had 57 in Jan 2009 at the start of Obama's congress, with 2 independents (Bernie and Joe Liebermann) who caucused with them, taking them to 59. Republicans had 41.

That 59 included Ted Kennedy whom had a seizure during an Inauguration lunch of Obama's (he was privately dying of brain cancer) and he never returned to vote in the senate - dropping the number to 58. Also, Al Franken was not seated until july due to a very close election in his seat and multiple recounts - until then the number was 57.

Long story short by September 24th they finally had 60 seats.. But democrats are not a monolith. Just as there are Manchins and Sinemas and other 'Democrats' in recent memory that are barely left of Ted Cruz, there were several of similar ilk back then like Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, Ben Nelson - and their independent caucus member Joe Lieberman, mentioned earlier - who all fought against much of Obama's legislation, for example with respect to Obamacare they quashed any chance of a public option and single payer.

So did he have control: technically, briefly. Could Obama just run through any legislation he wanted during that time? Absolutely fucking not.

[–] monkinto@lemmy.world 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Right… and what are the current republican majorities?

This narrative is frankly anything but bullshit.

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

Most of the problem 'legislation' being passed at present are executive orders from the president & bullshit decisions from the supreme court. Nothing to do with the senate.

Trump isn't passing anything through the senate that hasn't had heavy concessions to the Democrats and independents.

What's got you confused?

[–] zenitsu@sh.itjust.works 4 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Obama the "war hawk" who just watched as Russia strolled into Crimea

[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 5 points 21 hours ago

He's a fucking coward. First time in my lifetime that Democrats had a 60-40 majority, and he totally compromised.

[–] Mister_Hangman@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

The audacity of hope through the governing of what’s possible.

[–] ordinarylove@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

says the asshole who started the drone war in Yemen

[–] KingPorkChop@lemmy.ca 7 points 17 hours ago

says the asshole who let McConnell and the GOP steal his supreme court seat

[–] fodor@lemmy.zip 46 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Mr. Obama, you caved on all of the major issues. You were a great candidate, an amazing speech giver, and a mediocre president. And that's OK -- we would be happy with mediocre today -- but you don't get to tell us what's good for the party when you are the perfect example of its biggest problem.

[–] johncandy1812@lemmy.ca 10 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Obama promised to close Guantanamo if elected. He noped out of it almost immediately.

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 3 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

That is a bit of an exaggeration.

[–] johncandy1812@lemmy.ca 3 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

To me, it never felt like Obama was truly committed. Also why promise it if you don't know if you can actually do it or is contingent on factors outside your control?

[–] Gates9@sh.itjust.works 60 points 1 day ago (2 children)

This motherfucker is half the reason we’re in the position we’re in. How many whistleblowers and journalists did he prosecute?

We see you

[–] AppleTea@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago

Dubba's third and fourth term.

It's kinda ironic, I don't know whether this reflects how the guy actually thought about his presidency, but when he was in office there was a lot of chatter about the kind of "legacy" his administration would have. I'm fairly certain now that he's gonna be one of those overlooked presidents, seen as a caretaker-administration to all the shit started by GW Bush and a preamble to a lot of what Trump has ran wild with.

Maybe the history books also mention he passed a healthcare bill inspired by the Heritage Foundation and insurance lobbyists.

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[–] Balerion@piefed.blahaj.zone 159 points 1 day ago (67 children)

Jesus. You know it's bad when even a spineless centrist like Obama is calling them on their shit.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 94 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"Stop whining and Vote Blue No Matter Who"

"Great, I'm voting for Mamdani for Mayor"

"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Not like that!"

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Exactly like that. Quit your bitching and vote for Mamdani.

[–] bear@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Mandani 2028

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

He can't, he wasn't born in the US.

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[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 118 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

This is one of those platitudes that is too vague to be of any real value.

It's like telling someone to be confident. "Just figure out what you need to do and do that thing!"

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[–] InternetRando@lemmy.myserv.one 18 points 1 day ago

That is rich coming from him.

[–] ileftreddit@piefed.social 34 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Bring back the Bull Moose party. We need FIGHTING progressives. I’ll do it if no one else will

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[–] devolution@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

Obama, just like the Republican Party is no more under Trump, the Democratic party is no more under Pelosi and Schumer.

There is no true two party anymore. There’s simply the fascists and the enablers.

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