The Idiocy of Advocacy
By 4justice on April 3, 2009 at 10:35 AM in Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Democratic Party, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Karl Rove, Louisiana, MoveOn.org, National Debt, Obama Administration, Obama Attack Ads, Obama Comrades, Obama's Budget, PACs & Lobbying Groups, Political Strategy, Republicans, US Senate
Or perhaps this essay should be entitled “Some Advocates Are Idiots.” The idiots are MoveOn.org and Americans United for Change, who according to Karl Rove, the idiot par excellence, are targeting moderate Democrats in a vain attempt to garner support for Obama’s budget proposal. I quote the Wall Street Journal:
Americans United is going after Democrats who are skeptical of Mr. Obama’s plans to double the national debt in five years and nearly triple it in 10. The White House is taking aim at lawmakers in 12 states, including Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor. MoveOn.Org is running ads aimed at 10 moderate Senate and House Democrats. And robocalls are urging voters in key districts to pressure their congressman to get in line.
I refer to Americans United, Karl Rove and MoveOn as idiots, as all of them are hopelessly misinformed.
Rove believes the coordinated effort of the White House to pressure moderate Democrats through various advocacy groups will backfire. He is partially correct, but his reasoning is flawed. I quote Rove:
Every White House is faced with finding ways to nudge Congress without antagonizing it. But this overt campaign could infuriate members who won’t appreciate being targeted by a president of their own party. They could react by becoming recalcitrant. Should that happen, team Obama will have to recalculate its efforts, especially as the public sours on big spending plans.
Members of Congress will not simply become “recalcitrant” as a result of their personal disdain for Obama’s tactics; they will become recalcitrant as a result of all the Republican support they will receive from their constituents. Hence why I believe MoveOn and Americans United are idiots: attempting to incite certain Democrats to pressure certain Democratic moderates, their efforts will simply alert Republicans who probably never supported these Democrats that their Senator or House Representative is indeed a moderate. And not only will this engender Republican support for the moderate Democrats in question; it will also compel the Republicans and Democrats who voted against Obama in certain states to oppose Obama’s budget in a more active and vigorous manner. Moderate Democrats in Congress will then have electoral justifications to oppose Obama, and Republicans, Independents and Democrats who oppose Obama will have a new political signifier around which they can mobilize.
Consider Mary Landrieu and Blanche Lincoln, two Senate Democrats who represent southern states. Mary Landrieu 
beat her Republican opponent John N. Kennedy by 6 points last cycle, warding off a Republican surge that delivered a 59-40 victory to John McCain. The reaction against Obama in Louisiana almost derailed her reelection efforts, but she managed to win by citing her centrism and independence. Not only has that centrism and independence been confirmed by the ads Democratic organizations are launching against her; the Republicans who opposed her will now support her out of sympathy. As a result, she will receive supportive telephone calls from Louisiana Republicans who will urge her to oppose Obama’s budget. Moreover, her approval ratings will increase, complicating liberal advocacy groups’ efforts to render her unelectable. And yes, many Democratic groups would be satisfied if Mary Landrieu lost a reelection. Some Democrats, in fact, believe she deserves no respect. But to the chagrin of these Democratic activists, their botched efforts to make her political life difficult will only garner her more support from the Republicans who would otherwise oppose her.
Blanche Lincoln will run for reelection in 2010, 
and the results of the 2008 Presidential election in Arkansas are certainly not in her favor. In fact, McCain clobbered Barack Obama by a margin of 20 points in Arkansas, a margin that would make any Democratic incumbent nervous. Republicans are targeting her for her potential support of Card Check, while some Democrats derisively characterize her as the Democrat of Wal-Mart. This is certainly a stressful position for a Democrat who hopes to cobble together the coalition required to win in 2010 in a state that rejects the current Democratic President to whom she will be tied. But now that liberal advocacy groups are airing advertisements and complaining about Lincoln on the telephone lines of Arkansans, Republicans will rally behind her, and they may even cast votes for her in 2010. Americans United and MoveOn think they are blackmailing Lincoln with the threat of political death, but they are in fact increasing her popularity in her state, thereby handing her justification to oppose Obama’s budget and agenda. Some actions have inadvertent consequences.
Rove is incorrect when he claims moderate Democrats will react personally to Obama’s efforts to manufacture grassroots opposition to their centrism, and MoveOn and Americans United are incorrect when they believe their Washington, DC, advocacy will yield results in Louisiana and Arkansas. All of them are idiots, as all of them are misinformed, and all their efforts are misguided. But at least Democrats who struggle to win south of the Mason-Dixon line will remain in office as a result of the idiocy of some groups’ version of advocacy. For similar to Bill and Hillary Clinton, these Democrats understand the predicaments and the paradoxes that sustain the Democratic Party in the South. Republicans and the operatives surrounding Obama, on the other hand, do not. Obama, after all, admires Reagan, and Reagan, to be sure, is anything but an expert on Democratic politics.
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Why would Republicans rally behind Lincoln? Wouldn’t they sense an opportunity to rally behind their own party’s candidate, if one were to oppose Lincoln? I think you’ve got it right about MoveOn.org and the other leftist Democrats undermining the Democratic party but I think it’s a stretch to think that Republicans will rally behind them. They’ll just field their own candidate posing as a moderate Republican.
Also, Reagan knew at least a little about Democrats–he was one for many years. That served him well when he ran as a Republican.
Those advocacy groups don’t seem to understand that people in Congress have to answer to the constituents in their home states, they seem to think that moveon, etc elected them, therefore, they are answerable only to moveon and like-minded groups.
Most of those groups seem to be made up of people who live on the west coast or in the NE, and would be happy if the rest of the states dropped off the map anyway.
Anyway, I don’t think Rove is an idiot. He might be using his analysis to deliberately get those groups to miscalculate, since they do put alot of weight in his words, since they tend to view him as an evil genius.
It depends on the dynamics of the individual race. If they see an opening to run their own candidate, they will.
Otherwise they could rally around a more centrist Democrat, as we saw in CT with Liebermen, when these same groups tried to oust him.
Interesting: Brad Woodhouse, formerly of Americans United for Change is now Obama’s communications director? Hmmm…So, does this mean that AUC is actually posing as a front group for Obama, sort of like ACORN?
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Americans_United_for_Change
Also, please note.
As far as I can tell, Americans United for Change is a different organization than Americans United for Separation of Church and State:</strong
Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a longstanding First Amendment watchdog, which has, at least until now, called itself “Americans United.”
http://www.au.org/site/PageServer
Yes, they are IDIOTS. As a matter of fact, we could accuse them of treason. They seem to want to change or country and destroy Democracy and replace it with Communism. They seem to want only the voice and decisions of the presideNOT Obama.
See, they have become like our worst of politicians drunk with power. They have overstepped and want total control and will do so at any cost. They are seeking a dictatorship and that is again our countries principles. We are supposed to have checks and balances and have and protect the minority voice.
Apparently these radical groups have a different view for our country.
Now everyone knows these groups, Move On, Americans United for Change, etc (democracy for america-even though founder Howard Dean says he wants no part of it) have been trying to promote the destruction of what American stands for, her founding principles and values and want to turn us in to a Communist country.
Only supporters of this belief will support their actions.
I signed up to get email updates to track what they may be doing, but as of yet, only received an email from Taylor Marsh stealing my email address from that list to send out from Taylor Marsh. (and Glen Greenwald I believe heading this effort)
Maybe Taylor Marsh removed my email from both lists knowing i didn’t drink the koolaide after my reply. lol
I knew MoveOn went over the deep end when they were rigging their polls and not disclosing full and correct information on their email pleas for signatures and support. Like Rush Holts non paper trail legislation and Nancy’s funding war bill after claiming she would stop the war at with all tools at her disposal. Their fake polls that they would send out just hours before a deadline to get their desired affect. Massive desception and manipulation even way back at the beginning of the presidential campaign.
Now we see clearly their intent.
How many people are seeing them with their eyes wide open?
And it seems our presidenot is supporting this action.
And, it seems also that Jesse Jackson Jr’s tactics and threats of the Primary election have been revived in the Obama administration.
Remember when they threatened Congress members of opposition and the money to run against a sitting Congresscritter for not endorsing Weary Barry?
Then the threats spread to State Democratic Party leaders.
Yep, Weary Barry’s only “change” is making the presidency a pay for play scheme and extortion.-OH BOY!
America is neither far right wing nor far left wing..we are for the most part centrists, some just to the right of centrists and some just to the left..but centrists nonetheless. The last 3 election cycles have seen a huge block of reactionary votes cast not for a candidate/party..but against another candidate/party.
Masses of Clinton-weary voters jumped onto the candidate Bush, because they were sick of scandal…
Masses of Bush-weary voters jumped onto the candidate Obama / democrat band wagon because, among other things they wanted a president who could speak in a coherent sentence, and reacted to a ghastly foreign policy…and provide them with a change/respite from Bush….Vast masses will vote against Obama and the democrats because within 2 months most of the country are already Obama-weary and Obama-leary. I do not believe that republicans will back moderate democrats with their vote..however they will back them with word to oppose Obama..which fits into their plans very well…
I was and am no longer a democrat, and I am not a republican either..but I would not back anyone from a party..[no matter who they were] that is so radical, so anti-american, do duplicituos, and so corrupt
“Masses of Clinton-weary voters jumped onto the candidate Bush, because they were sick of scandal…”
Actually, Bill Clinton had the highest approval ratings for any president at the end of his term since the end of World War II, 66% — there was NO voter flight from from Bill Clinton’s scandals to candidate Bush. See Bill Clinton’s Wiki page here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton
Furthermore, Al Gore WON the popular vote in 2000 by over 500,000 votes — he got more votes then candidate Bush nationwide, so the country preferred Gore to Bush in 2000. Plus, IF the Supreme Court had not stopped the recount in Florida, Gore might have won the Electoral College vote as well. You can read all about that here:
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2001/112101a.html
Just FYI.
MaggietheCat: glad to see a real Democrat on this post. Of course, anyone who was in enough denial to support George W. Bush in the first place is likely still in denial. Bill Clinton is the last American political hero. He won the nomination fair and square, he was eminently qualified to the job. No president since can make that claim. And yes, Al Gore did win in 2000.
Truthteller, great post, but MY VERY LONG COMMENT is STUCK IN THE SPAM FILTER…..A G A I N
THANK YOU!
Truthteller, very good post. I have been a dem for over 42 years and have not changed my registration but I feel like a lost puppy with no home. Do you think in the near future we may see a viable 3rd party made up of these more centrist dems and repubs? If so, I am so in!
Newt Gingrich told Republicans that yesterday.
Well these Dem Senators voted for the POTUS’s budget finally. Only Evan Bayh and Nelson voted No. PBO is still too strong for most to dare to go against him…It is rather depressing how little public outrage there is with the gigantic budget. Of course the MSM is to blame….What is worse is that PBO’s proposal had cuts in Medicare something the Dems in Senate properly opposed. PBO and the Repubs will destroy tge future of SS and Medicare….
There is a faction, like my self, who have been long time Democratic voters and who will never again vote a straight Democractic ticket. We( Hillary voters) in Texas who had the misfortune to go thru our caucus process, is going to find it very hard to vote for any of this bunch that treated us so badly. I will cast my vote for any moderate Republican and just not vote on the races that has a consevative running. We will make the difference in close races.
What is really going to happen? These moderate Dems will get clobbered and the Repubs will elect someone who is an extreme conservative. But that may not be too bad for Dems because in moderate to liberal geography the Dems have successfully destroyed the Republican party’s moderate candidates. There are literally no Repub in the north east. Few in the Pacific northwest or west coast.
I heard that Obama’s grass roots door knocking campaign to get people to sign a petition supporting his budget has been pretty much a bust so that leaves the dirty work up to a few lefty organizations.
Obama likes to project his nice guy image while sticking it to those who dare not toe his line. I still have hope though — HOPE that this nefarious scheme backfires on him big time!
Agree Truthteller, Rove, MoveOn and Americans United are idiotic, and irrelevant beyond considering their respective strategies. You are absolutely correct that Hillary and Bill Clinton do understand political paradoxes and realities.
What a crappy piece of commentary this post is?
I am not sure exactly what your point is? You sight two Democrats from two fairly meaningless southern states and somehow suggest that it is a bad idea of adminstration officials or independent organizes to lobby members of congress for their vote for a piece of legislation?
You think that Mary Landrieu will get more votes if she listens to Republicans. Are you on crack?
You have no concept of where this country is right now and what the people want?
You would choice siding with a weak and useless Republican party over a very popular President? You think that is a winning strategy. You must be on crack.
You think the rest of the country cares about what a few southern red states think? You think that it is even important that the democrats win in those states?
Barney: the only person on crack is OBAMA! That’s why MoveOn.org loves him.
Why is it that all the defective obamabots like you come here to off-gas? That assembly line that you duds come off needs a bit of process-flow diagramming to determine where in the line they forgot to put in your motherboard.
Frankly your words are trite and reek of too much Kool-Aide and not enough fresh air.
The problem is that our country is in economic distress.
Being popular doesn’t make one a good President.
Bush was popular and look at the results.
I like Jimmy Carter personally but don’t think he was a very effective President.
Using JFK’s popularity is a straw man. He didn’t finish his term due to being murdered. It follows there would be a mystique about him after that.
This isn’t American Idol. Obama is planning to send more troops, other than the 17,000 he has already sent to Afghanistan.
Obama has intensified the bombing in Pakistan.
There’s your anti-war President at work.
The saddest thing is that MoveOn.org should have any influence in the government whatsoever. There’s no democracy in this country anymore, just two stupid parties doing every unethical thing they can think of to amass power and use it against the American People.