Discussion for article #237303
Gary Hart could give a speech. Martin O’Malley is the single worst public speaker I’ve ever beheld.
This is interesting. My memory of Hart’s electoral demise was all about “Monkey Business,” (the boat where he was photographed with his mistress after daring the press to find him). I thought that was what did him in, and I always thought he was just not very smart after that.
He now writes for Huffington Post from time to time. Out of curiosity, I read one of his essays and I found that he is very astute and I always learn something new; either factual, or just getting a different perspective.
Well, he’s not the first man to make bad decisions where sex is concerned, but his timing was unfortunate for him. I think we all have to be careful assigning roles based on previous events. The electorate is vastly different than it was when Reagan was elected. He started the economic mess and the “I’ve got mine” attitude that birthed the TeaParty. But those who voted for him back then seemed to think that he was positive and hopeful, and good for the country. His anti-government rhetoric was always delivered with a grin. Compare that to the bile that comes from Cruz, Walker, et al. Compare the voters of that era to the TeaPartiers who pretty much want someone elected who will essentially, not govern.
It seems to me we have a whole new kettle of fish these days. O’Malley Is a mystery to me, and I make an effort to inform myself. I have read Maryland Democrats’ description of him in both laudatory, and also terribly negative terms. In fact the negative ones I’ve read refute point by point, the positives that others mention (his actions towards immigration, the policing issues, etc). Time will tell, but hopefully he will rise or fall on issues, and will not get into any Monkey Business.
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I’m confused.
We have Ed Kilgore, a senior fellow at PPI, the Third Way think tank, telling us what to think about Hillary and all the other Democratic candidates. Is it just my cynicism, or does this article smell of No Labels type agitprop?
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“Gary Hart redux” can’t be about a vague mirroring of a 30-year-old candidate’s positions – this is click bait because it definitely reads as “a similar scandal just breaking.” Beyond that, who cares what labels you attach? Either he interests you or he doesn’t.
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It’s worthwhile learning what neoliberalism actually is–the pervasive ideology of “free markets” brought to us by Friedrich Hayek and the Mont Pelerin Society, and promulgated by Thatcher, Reagan, Clinton, Bush and Obama. Remember Thatcher’s famous quote referencing Hayek, something like “There is no such thing as society”. Read economist Philip Mirowski to understand how this ideology has become so deeply embedded in contemporary power structures and popular culture that we are barely aware of it and do not fully understand how it works. Contrary to classical liberal economics (laissez-faire), neoliberals have happily seized the levers of government (think Naomi Klein’s disaster capitalism) and are engineering the destruction of democratic institutions, national sovereignty, and civil society. The utopian language of “free markets” is still used as a mask for monopoly capitalism but neoliberals are only interested in the consolidation of economic power in the hands of a very few.
While neoliberals are often socially liberal-- in other words it’s better to seduce then coerce–they are now being forced to resort to more and more forms of visible coercion. The “trade” deals that Obama and the GOP are pushing are neoliberal policies that abrogate our Constitution and give up democratic control of policy to global corporations. They are getting close to their end game with global financial institutions and monopolistic international corporations having control in most nations. Once this “takeover” is complete, and the system becomes more visible the real coercion will begin. Think Iraq. Think Central America.
There is no benevolent invisible hand. Capitalism only works if there is a thriving democracy to keep it honest and humane.
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undercut by southern white Carter/Mondale loyalists and African-American support for Jesse Jackson, Hart soon succumbed.
And here I’d thought his hubris and Donna Rice had brought him down in one swell foop.
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filed under wrong topic, sorry
Read the article - it’s talking about Hart’s '84 campaign. Donna Rice didn’t pop up until 1988.
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So, this article discusses neoliberalism and interesting inter-party politics, but I’m interested that the other readers also feel (as do I) that the title was more ‘click bait’ than anything else. I was / am a supporter of Hart, despite his screwup; I don’t believe that O’Malley has the breadth that Gary brought to the table when he ran.
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[quote=“joelopi
nes, post:7, topic:22460”]
And here I’d thought his hubris and Donna Rice had brought him down in one swell foop
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84? 88? I know that gay sex was a no-no back then, but even straight sex could get you sent to hell or someplace bad…
Sorry, I seem to be stuck in a quagmire.
I’m not understanding this article at all (unless is it is, in fact, some sort of agitprop as was suggested above). Kilgore is saying that O’Malley smacks of neo-liberalism but Clinton doesn’t? He hasn’t brought up Hart’s egotism and inept campaign running but instead brought up all sorts of other issues as to why he went down in flames. In my opinion, this article borders on worthless.
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How embarrassing. You’re right, of course.
My memory had telescoped his pitiful career, and I forgot that he ran twice. Speaking of hubris. I seem to have fallen into a hole, and all for the sake of a pretty lame joke.
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Fair enough - it’s far enough back that it’s easy to telescope. It’s amazing how far away 1984 feels right now.
Yep. But not the novel.
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He’s a total douche as well.
After mentioning that HRC had been seen incognito at Chipotle’s, the president said this
Not to be outdone, Martin O’Malley kicked things off by going completely unrecognized at a Martin O’Malley campaign event," Obama said.
There’s a reason people aren’t thinking about him yet, and his record in Baltimore will be under scrutiny going forward.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/jamie-stiehm/2015/06/02/martin-omalleys-baltimore-record-is-key-to-his-2016-bid
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Love that first quote!!!
On this note, someone explain to me why anyone is taking his running for president seriously.
He just lost a reelection bid in one of the bluest states in the country, and to win he has to win all of the purple and a few red states. And post-Ferguson, I just can’t see many city voters in blue states getting excited by him. Is he serious about running, does anyone like him, or is he just using this to get second place on the ticket?