Rachel Maddow on Obama's progressive mandate

ACCEPTING THE PROGRESSIVE MANDATE

On the idea that McCain made the 2008 election a referendum on conservatism, [David Sirota] wrote on 10/24/08:

John McCain is doing what no progressive political leader has been able to do in at least a generation, if not more: He's creating a New Deal mandate for the next president, should that next president be Barack Obama...[McCain] has polarized the argument and turned the election into a referendum on the economic Darwinism of the conservative movement...He is framing the choice as one between a Republican presidency to the right of Ronald Reagan on economics or a Democratic presidency to the left of Franklin Roosevelt on economics - and if Obama wins, he will have as powerful an economic mandate as FDR received in the 1932 landslide election, because the voting public will be expecting - no, demanding - far-reaching economic change.
Here's the Washington Post's E.J. Dionne on 10/31/08, titled "Referendum on Trickle-Down":

Economic populism is thriving right now, and if Obama wins, his election would not simply be a non-ideological verdict against the status quo. It would be a clear repudiation of conservative economic ideas and McCain's claim that a more egalitarian approach to growth constitutes "socialism." McCain's attacks on Obama's thinking have been so forceful and direct that they require this election to be seen as a referendum that will settle a long-running philosophical argument.
GOING BIG

On the "Go Big" idea, here's what I wrote on 11/7/08:

The election became a choice between continued conservative rule and a progressive agenda as far-reaching as the current crises...Obama rose on a promise to eschew triangulation -- and he won because America realized invertebracy and sail trimming will not solve problems. Voters rejected Clinton-style incrementalism in the primary, then scorned conservatism in the general election, meaning Democrats' best response to Bill McKay's "what do we do now?" question is a two-word answer: Go big.
Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly now points out that Paul Krugman, Dionne and even Fareed Zakaria (!) have subsequently said exactly the same thing.

EMULATING FDR

In calling for an Obama administration to be bold and progressive in the FDR mold, here's the last line of my column on 10/31/08:

[Obama will have] the very mandate for "direct, vigorous action" Roosevelt described in his 1933 inaugural address. Should a President Obama try to capitalize on it, he will have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Here's the last line of the 11/7/08 column by the New York Times' Paul Krugman:

[Obama] has the political mandate; he has good economics on his side. You might say that the only thing he has to fear is fear itself.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/elite-media-voices-begin_b_142709....

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[sirdaveysockrocker]

republicans refuse to be ignored, no matter how much the country wants to ignore them. thank god for rachel and keith to counter act this new ridiculous message of the right.

[sleonardelli]

For all those US right-wing YouTubers out there predicting Obama's failure; is that what U really want? Do U want the country to be left deeper in the sewer than it is now? Regardless of who U voted 4, U should B hoping Obama can bring the change he's promised. 4 all the Obama supporters who voted w/out researching the issues; U have 2 B realistic; change will not happen in 1 month, 6 months, 1 year. It will take a while B4 the US sees significant change.

[duanescot]

@joe035 No I really cant, what is worse is the support Romney is getting, that truly scares me. Realistically though, most americans now are incapable of critical thinking and no longer embrace TRUE liberty, so a majority supporting obama, newt, or romney does not suprise me. Who knows, the media tells us what they want us to hear and they have stone walled the good doctor, so hopefully his support is much higher than what the propagandists are telling the masses

[joe035]

@duanescot Can you believe that Gingrich is leading in the polls the man supported mandated healthcare. Either the media is lieing completely or people have become so desperate they'll vote for anyone the media props up.

[duanescot]

@joe035 Ron Paul supporter since I first heard the mans name back in what, 2006 now?

[joe035]

@duanescot Your logic is sound, you must be a Independant or Ron Paul supporter?

[jimmi161]

So if Obama had this mandate what great things did he do with it? Because after 2 years of a mandate things got worse and he lost his mandate.

[duanescot]

i dont see how any person in their right mind can rail on republicans, and then, with a straight face, stand behind the democrats agenda, well then again, unless they are looking to government for a handout that is. Both parties are bad for the country, the people with brains know this, and stand behind either, the morons continue to play the "one side good, other side bad", nothing more than mentally retarded BULLSHIT

[usam1981]

@sleonardelli How is that search for proof comming after two years.

[usam1981]

@sleonardelli How's that change doing for you now. Obama has indeed failed, we were right, and you were wrong.