Bill Maher: “Democrats Are the New Republicans”

I don’t agree with everything Bill Maher says, but I do agree with the following:

The more I watch him in action the more I realize Obama is hardly a liberal and the Democrats even less so. Which is why I remain an independent.

9 thoughts on “Bill Maher: “Democrats Are the New Republicans””

I saw this last Friday, and I kept thinking about it over the next few days. I admit that I tend to agree with Bill most of the time, but he really hit the nail on the head with this one.

Thanks for posting the video.

The Rude Pundit also nails the “Obama is a liberal meme:”

“So the Rude Pundit wasn’t naive when he voted for Obama, either. He never expected everything to be solved. And if you ever thought Obama was some bleeding heart liberal, then you were just a pawn of the right’s remarkable ability to define the terms of the argument. You bought into their bullshit line. He is more liberal, yes, than anyone in a long, long time, But Obama’s heart ain’t draining.”

I don’t vote. Two reasons. First of all it’s meaningless; this country was bought and sold a long time ago. The shit they shovel around every 4 years *pfff* doesn’t mean a fucking thing. Secondly, I believe if you vote, you have no right to complain. People like to twist that around – they say, ‘If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain’, but where’s the logic in that? If you vote and you elect dishonest, incompetent people into office who screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You caused the problem; you voted them in; you have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote, who in fact did not even leave the house on election day, am in no way responsible for what these people have done and have every right to complain about the mess you created that I had nothing to do with.
– George Carlin

Yeah, I really like Bill Maher. I think it is true that the Democrats are not liberal enough. Chomsky and others make that point often, that we really only have one party. If Republicans think Democrats are crazy socialists, imagine what they would think of an actual socialist party.
Classic Carlin quote, bog brother.

I dunno. I think the country as a whole isn’t liberal enough for a more liberal Democratic party to be successful. Baby steps.

MM, actually I’d argue the country as a whole is probably ready for a more liberal Democratic party. A good majority want a public health plan yet the Dems are talking about being open to eliminating that option from their reform bill.

I DO think the country is getting more and more liberal every year, because essentially that’s the nature of the whole conservative/progressive discussion, but I don’t think we’re at the point where taking a much more liberal stance on issues won’t simply harden a still substantial conservative base. I mean, take for example these things like votes for gay marriage recently. I don’t think we’re fifty years ago where gays have any substantial worries about hiding their sexual orientation in most parts of the country these days, but it’s clear that we’re still a bit away from communicating the essence of the progressive argument enough that it’s a done deal to expect perfect equality. It should, and I wish it would, but I look around and when I see conservatives seriously talking about national health care I see them doing so because they’re poor like the rest of us right now and worried enough to do something. That doesn’t mean they’re less conservative overall, it just means that even libertarians will start championing welfare if they start missing meals and house payments otherwise.

I believe much of what you are saying is true MisterMook. Though I think it has gotten to the point where Democrats are either so conservative or so timid about upsetting conservatives that even when they can get away with passing liberal legislation because the country supports it they are still hesitant. I think that is the underlying point.