Joel Kotkin: Thunder on the Left

The Orange County Register ^ | October 17, 2014 | Joel Kotkin

[2ndDivisionVet]

Much has been written about the right-ward shift of the Republican Party, but far less about a mounting left-wing movement among Democrats. While the media tends to dismiss the right-wingers of the GOP as “wingnuts,” it typically refrains from categorizing even the extreme left of the Democratic Party in a similar manner.

President Barack Obama has accelerated this leftward trend in two ways. First, his administration, particularly in contrast to that of former President Bill Clinton, has laid the rhetorical basis for a move to the left by shifting the party agenda on social, environmental and economic policies. Clinton may have declared that “the era of big government is over,” but under Obama an ever-expanding federal government has become the essential raison d’être for the party.

Yet if Obama’s soaring rhetoric set the stage, his weak record of achievement has sparked mounting concern among left-leaning activists. Obama’s success has hinged in part on the far-left portions of the party controlling their more-fevered passions, particularly about ever-increasing income inequality and bans on fossil fuel use.

But now many on the political left are openly critical of the president, notably for his close ties to the moguls of Wall Street and Silicon Valley. These moguls have been the predominant beneficiaries of his economic policies while middle-class incomes have continued to languish – and even fall....

[Zhang Fei]

These liberal critics, correctly, in my view, have been mortified by the Obama administration coziness – taking a page from Bush – with large financial institutions as well as increasing inequality.

This is rank BS. Obama has levied $25b in fines on JP Morgan alone, for a shotgun marriage with Washington Mutual arranged by the Feds. Leftists won't be satisfied until Obama nationalizes all private industry.

[Zhang Fei]

In regular shotgun marriages, the groom has impregnated the bride. Apart from being dragged kicking and screaming to the altar, JP Morgan Chase had nothing to do with WaMu’s mistakes.

[Steely Tom]

I live by one simple rule. Here it is: before doing anything, I first ask myself the following question: "would Joel Kotkin be doing this right now?"

[DemforBush]

“Much has been written about the right-ward shift of the Republican Party, but far less about a mounting left-wing movement among Democrats”

YES! I’m glad someone is finally writing about this. The Democratic Party that I left many moons ago was considerably more moderate than what we have now. The Scoop Jacksons and Zell Millers have been replaced by radicals like Patty Murray, Chuck Schumer, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.

[MarkRegal05]

I like the message of the article, but really wish that commentators on the right would refrain from making positive comments about the Clintons when trying to make a point about Obama.

[2ndDivisionVet]

He’s mot necessarily on the right:

Joel Kotkin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Kotkin

[sauropod]

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