Jeb Bush on the GOP.

[JimL]

Jeb Bush said he see's the ultra conservative and partisan standards of todays GOP as "disturbing." Finally a sane Republican (I didn't think there were any left) tells the truth. He also said that Ronald Reagan as well as his father, George H.W. Bush could not get nominated in todays GOP. Curious he left his brother out of the mix! Probably wants to distance himself from brother George before his own run in 2016.

[themuzicman]

I suppose he finds balancing the federal budget and fiscal responsibility "disturbing", too.

This man will NEVER get my vote. The first two Bush presidents were disasters, and he'd only be the third.

[Conductor42]

Really, I don't see why George Bush (the first) is so hated by both Republicans and Democrats.
It seems like the man's biggest fault was that he made a promise which was impossible to keep.
Other than that, he seems to have done things to the best of his ability.

And at least he knew how to fight a war properly.

[JimL]

I suppose he finds balancing the federal budget and fiscal responsibility "disturbing", too.

I don't know, he's a Republican so in reality, like his brother, he probably doesn't concern himself much with such things.

This man will NEVER get my vote. The first two Bush presidents were disasters, and he'd only be the third.

I don't know, I'll have to take a closer look at him, at least he is sound enough to recognize the inanity of the present group of republicans.

[The Moonshield]

Obama's Former Harvard Law School Professor Roberto Unger on the current Democratic party:

Robert Mangabeira Unger - "Beyond Obama"

The Democratic party poses no new direction. Its idea is to put a human face on the program of it's adversaries; to implement their program with a humanizing discount. Give the bond markets what they want, bail out the reckless so long as they are also rich, use fiscal and monetary stimulus to make up for the absence of any consequential broadening of economic and educational opportunity, sweeten the pill of disempowerment with a touch of tax fairness, even though the effect of any such tax reform is sure to be modest. This is less a project than it is an abdication.

Source

© source where applicable

On Obama specifically:

Robert Mangabeira Unger - "Beyond Obama"

President Obama must be defeated in the coming election.

He has failed to advance the progressive cause in the United States.

He has spent trillions of dollars to rescue the moneyed interests, and left workers and homeowners to their own devices.

He has subordinated the broadening of economic and educational opportunity to the important but secondary issue of access to health care in the mistaken belief that he would be spared a fight.

He has disguised his surrender with an empty appeal to tax justice.

He has delivered the politics of democracy to the rule of money.

He has reduced justice to charity.

His policy is financial confidence and food stamps.

He has evoked a politics of hand-holding, but no one changes the world without a struggle.

Unless he is defeated, there cannot be a contest for the reorientation of the democratic party as the vehicle of a progressive alternative in the country.

Source

© source where applicable

[JimL]

Obama's Former Harvard Law School Professor Roberto Unger on the current Democratic party:

Robert Mangabeira Unger - "Beyond Obama"

The Democratic party poses no new direction. Its idea is to put a human face on the program of it's adversaries; to implement their program with a humanizing discount. Give the bond markets what they want, bail out the reckless so long as they are also rich, use fiscal and monetary stimulus to make up for the absence of any consequential broadening of economic and educational opportunity, sweeten the pill of disempowerment with a touch of tax fairness, even though the effect of any such tax reform is sure to be modest. This is less a project than it is an abdication.

Source

© source where applicable

On Obama specifically:

Robert Mangabeira Unger - "Beyond Obama"

President Obama must be defeated in the coming election.

He has failed to advance the progressive cause in the United States.

He has spent trillions of dollars to rescue the moneyed interests, and left workers and homeowners to their own devices.

He has subordinated the broadening of economic and educational opportunity to the important but secondary issue of access to health care in the mistaken belief that he would be spared a fight.

He has disguised his surrender with an empty appeal to tax justice.

He has delivered the politics of democracy to the rule of money.

He has reduced justice to charity.

His policy is financial confidence and food stamps.

He has evoked a politics of hand-holding, but no one changes the world without a struggle.

Unless he is defeated, there cannot be a contest for the reorientation of the democratic party as the vehicle of a progressive alternative in the country.

Source

© source where applicable

Ungers problem is that Obama is not progressive enough, that he has tried to compromise, you know, be president of all the people, rather than being more of a hardline progressive, which I think most progressives would agree with. His reason that Obama should be defeated is not that he disagrees with the progressive agenda, the democratic agenda, he just doesn't believe that Obama is pushing back hard enough against the conservative obstruction. I don't wholly disagree with that, but I don't agree that he needs to be defeated, I think he needs enforcements, more democrats, true democrats, to be elected along with him in order to help move the progressive agenda passed the obstruction of the right and the monied interests that support them.

[Nathan Poe]

Jeb Bush said he see's the ultra conservative and partisan standards of todays GOP as "disturbing." Finally a sane Republican (I didn't think there were any left) tells the truth. He also said that Ronald Reagan as well as his father, George H.W. Bush could not get nominated in todays GOP. Curious he left his brother out of the mix! Probably wants to distance himself from brother George before his own run in 2016.

Another Republican trying the "maverick" label on for size in order to court the Tea Party vote... wake me when it's over.

[JimL]

Another Republican trying the "maverick" label on for size in order to court the Tea Party vote... wake me when it's over.

I don't think so Nathan, I think that it is basically the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party that he is dissing. They are the ones most beholden to the special interests that got them elected in 2010, as well as the ones pushing the no compromise obstructionist agenda. They have no choice, they are bought and paid for and will either do what they are told or will lose the support of those special interests. Thats the effect that outlandish amounts of money and the "Citizens United" decision by the conservative supreme court is having on our democracy. If it is not overturned we will soon be a corporatocracy, also known as fascism.

[NeilUnreal]

I'm a progressive independent and Jeb Bush is one of the few Republicans I could almost kinda vote for. Even I though I would no doubt disagree with some particular decisions he might make, I think he would make a good and unifying President overall.

-Neil