I love you Cenk Uygur. I love the 305 Kossacks who tipped your jar. And I love the 3 who want to hide it. And though I agree with some of the criticism he receives and am often frustrated and disappointed with some of his choices, I love President Obama.
I love you all so very much, I'd like to share some pie with you.
I'd like to share some pie with all of you because I love you, pie is good, and I want good things for all of us. That includes Armando, Big Tent Democrat, and countless others who might not need more pie or who shouldn't be given pie for a variety of reasons. I've got pie for people I couldn't stand and pie for people that other people couldn't stand. Francis X Holland -- I've got pie for you.
If you're Republican, really Republican, Fuck You. I don't have pie for you because you're part of the Borg Collective and don't really appreciate pie. The reason we have pie fights is because pie, like free speech, is good and because sane, well-intentioned people don't put razorblades or bricks in their pies. Republicans, on the other hand ...
Maybe you don't know better, but because you know NOTHING else ... there's no point in wasting pie or speech on you.
Which brings me to my point. It's just dumb to be preoccupied with "standing up to" or "for" President Obama. Our problem with Obama isn't primarily a problem with Obama; it's a problem with Republicans and Tea-hadists and their ruthlessness in destroying people, the communities they live in, this country, and indeed the world. Republicans LOVE when we focus on Obama -- it's what they do to get to us and it works! They know that if they can destroy his presidency (albeit in part by exploiting his weaknesses or mistakes), we lose. And if he succeeds, we have a much better chance of succeeding. That's why their opposition, so often, isn't really about the position he takes. It's more about the fact that he took it and so they will "stand up to the President."
So, if what you really meant was stand up against the Republicans, or stand up for a budget that's tolerably progressive, or even stand up for whatever it is we believe in ... it would be better to just say that. Congress is where the bills he signs or vetoes are written and that is where we should be focusing. But that's really not the point. Personalizing what we stand up to or for or against doesn't really do us much good--and plays into Republican hands--at the Congressional level any more than it does with President Obama. Maybe we take out a Moderate, a Centrist, a DINO, whatever. Sometimes we'll end up with Donna Edwards (yeah!), sometimes we'll get Leiberman (boo!), and other times we'll inadvertently help the Republican win. That'll never, ever change because that's a structural feature of a two-party, first-past-the-post system. There are always votes to be picked up and lost by shifting left or right and someone will always seek to exploit that, both in primaries and general elections.
So if it's dumb to focus on "standing up to/for/against" Democrats in general ... what's a Democrat to do? Well, just because Obama and many of our fellow Democrats are unwilling to do it, there's an easy distinction to be made between Democrats and Republicans. Democrats are more or less okay with if not committed to Social Security, Medicare, human rights, and pie. Republicans are hell-bent on getting rid of it all -- including pie. That's why we pretty much love ourselves (even if it's love-hate or dysfunctional) and why we pretty much hate them (or their behavior because some of us don't hate people, just what their sorry asses choose to do with their selves).
So tell Republicans, "Fuck You. Fuck the people you vote for and Fuck the people who vote for you. No pie for you and keep your own phony pie to yourselves cuz I can't trust you or your minions or your overlords to not put a razor blade or brick in it." And beat the hell out of them in every way that is legal and morally tolerable. The alternative is even more suffering for people who don't have the wealth or political power or good fortune in life to be able to make it without some help from the rest of us (that's most of us, at one point in our lives or another).
Tell the world, what you do stand for. Tell your fellow Democrats when you disagree, what you think they need to do, what you are willing or able to do, what you won't do. And then fight like hell for what you believe in--even some of your fellow Democrats disagree. When they do the same, understand that as long as it's not razor blades and bricks, it's pie. Obama and those who agree with him should be able to survive criticism, opposition, and even defeat in struggles over policy or even a primary fight. His critics should be able to handle the same. Whatever the case, the real stand is for a more humane, inclusive society in which everyday people can live decent lives even when they have bad luck or make mistakes. The real stand is against Republicans and anyone else who is actively opposed to that.
So have some pie. I'll take some too. There's enough for all of us and it's okay if Obama gets some in the face. Pie fights have consequences, some good, some bad. They help us work out difference or at least find out more about the strengths, weaknesses, and priorities of our fellow Democrats. On the other hand, feelings can be hurt, relationships disrupted, someone could lose an eye or suffer a heart attack. Even worse, while we're flinging/dodging pie now and eating it later, we might take our focus off of the Republicans and allow them to stick a shiv in somebody's back. Pie fights are real but in the end, the one that counts is with the Republicans.