pudge's Journal: Teamsters Endorse Obama

The Teamsters have endorsed Barack Obama, most likely because Obama denies the right of employers to hire and fire at will. According to Obama's own Blueprint for Change (pdf), he is for the Employee Free Choice Act, but oddly, does not believe in the free choices of employers: "Obama will ensure that his labor appointees support workers' rights and will work to ban the permanent replacement of striking workers."

Free choice for everyone who isn't those guys!

Read Obama's Blueprint. Many people think Obama will have more crossover appeal than Clinton, but Obama denies the rights of employers; thinks a college education is not a privilege but a right (which means you are going to be paying for it); wants to ban all civilian concealed carry except for retired law enforcement (Second Amendment be damned); wants to take our money to make a five-star rating system for credit cards (because we are too stupid to choose a credit card without government's help); the list goes on. And I didn't even begin to mention his foreign policy.

He would be, bar none, the most leftist major party candidate for President in this nation's history. If this election is about issues, then Obama wouldn't stand a chance. I'd say that I want him to be the Democratic nominee, but I am not at all certain that this election will be about issues ...

Cross-posted on <pudge/*>.

Most lefitist?

[Stargoat]

For their time, Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft were a good deal more anti-business and "left". And FDR was significantly more left as well.

Re:

[pudge]

For their time, Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft were a good deal more anti-business and "left". And FDR was significantly more left as well.

TAFT?!?!

I won't even bother comparing FDR or TR to Obama, because you think TAFT was on the LEFT. Granted, he had some policies that were moderate -- favor of the income tax, trust-busting, and so on -- but to call that "anti-business" or "left" is nonsense. TR and his bull moose party broke from Taft and the Republicans because he wasn't leftist ENOUGH.

Re:

[Stargoat]

Heh. At the time, Taft was castigated for his use of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Taft's use of Sherman had much more effect on society than the most audacious of Obama's half-baked ideas would. He used it about 4 times more than Roosevelt did.

Re:

[pudge]

Heh. At the time, Taft was castigated for his use of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

Yes, as I already mentioned. And? Reagan was castigated by the right for many things as well, including immigration, which is at least as hot a topic today as antitrust was back then. Again, this does not make him leftist. Taft was further to the right than any of our recent presidents in our lifetimes, except for Reagan, maybe going all the way back to Coolidge.