Her blog, Firedoglake recently closed down. While I sympathized with her, I did say that I don't think her brand of liberal activism was very effective.
"But what I notice about lots of liberal activist groups-but especially FDL-is that I don't feel at home because I'm a liberal Democrat and many activists are liberals first and foremost and maybe Democrats of convenience."
Yes, Hamsher basically became the Dr. France Townsend of American politics in America. Townsend was a doctor that wrote an anti Social Security article when FDR first proposed it and never stopped opposing it for the next 5 years. In time every opponent of SS both of the Left-Huey Long-and the Right-Father Coughlin-was on the Townsend bandwagon.
http://www.ssa.gov/history/towns5.html
But the comparison is even closer than I realized:
"Hamsher is known as a strong advocate for a public health insurance option.[31] In June 2009, she challenged the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) to pledge to vote against any health care reform bill that lacked a public option.[32] Some of these pledges were videotaped.[33] The CPC released their own letter shortly thereafter signed by 60 members, although the letter was vague as to whether it applied to the conference report.[34] Ultimately none of the CPC members honored their pledge.[32] Hamsher was one of the few liberals who opposed the bill until the end.[31] She co-founded a non-profit organization, Public Option Please, to continue the fight for a public option and more generally for universal health care.[35]"
"Hamsher and Rep. Anna Eshoo had an online debate in which Hamsher argued that proposed protections for so-called biologic drugs were too generous to patent-holders to the detriment of patients.[36] Hamsher also wrote an open letter demanding that Hadassah Lieberman step down as a paid "Global Ambassador" for Susan G. Komen for the Curedue to her husband Sen. Joe Lieberman's threats to filibuster health care reform.[37] Hamsher was criticized for appearing on Fox & Friends and asking viewers to sign her petition to "kill the Senate bill." Hamsher responded, "It scares the bejesus out of the D.C. establishment of both parties to think that the left and right might align against the corporate interests."[38]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firedoglake
"But what I notice about lots of liberal activist groups-but especially FDL-is that I don't feel at home because I'm a liberal Democrat and many activists are liberals first and foremost and maybe Democrats of convenience."
"A cause celeb at FDL back in 2011 was primarying Obama. That's why I got tired of FDL-they seemed more interested in blowing raspberries at Obama and his 'Obamabot' supporters all day than anything else really."
"But for me that I'm a Democrat is just as important as I'm a liberal. I'm not with the party until a more liberal party comes along. Bernie has no interest to me for that reason-plus hes really not more liberal than Hillary on any important issues-or at least those important to me. "
"But how do you rack up electoral and Supreme Court victories by giving the Democrats the raspberry?"
"Anyway, I think we liberals have had some victories recently on Obamacare, gay marriage, some big executive actions the President has taken. I see that the writer is for the public option. Hamsher's tactic was to denounce ACA to the heavens and vow to primary any Democrat who supported it. "
"Did that turn out to be a winning tactic? Hamsher literally was saying the same thing as GOPers-that the ACA was so flawed we should just table it and go back to the beginning."
"Which is absurd. The ACA as passed was s starting point. She and her little darlings at FDL seemed never to get that when Social Security passed it initially covered only 5% of Americans. It expanded since then. At some point in the future Obamacare could take on the public option in certain states or even nationally-assuming Democrats ever have Congress again."
"Hamsher essentially played the part of the Frances Townsend movement in the 1930s where eventually left wing and right wing opponents of SS came together. "
- See more at: http://lastmenandovermen.blogspot.com/2015/08/what-does-failure-of-firegoglake-tell.html?showComment=1440602043157#c327957105008123554Yes, Hamsher basically became the Dr. France Townsend of American politics in America. Townsend was a doctor that wrote an anti Social Security article when FDR first proposed it and never stopped opposing it for the next 5 years. In time every opponent of SS both of the Left-Huey Long-and the Right-Father Coughlin-was on the Townsend bandwagon.
http://www.ssa.gov/history/towns5.html
But the comparison is even closer than I realized:
"Hamsher is known as a strong advocate for a public health insurance option.[31] In June 2009, she challenged the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) to pledge to vote against any health care reform bill that lacked a public option.[32] Some of these pledges were videotaped.[33] The CPC released their own letter shortly thereafter signed by 60 members, although the letter was vague as to whether it applied to the conference report.[34] Ultimately none of the CPC members honored their pledge.[32] Hamsher was one of the few liberals who opposed the bill until the end.[31] She co-founded a non-profit organization, Public Option Please, to continue the fight for a public option and more generally for universal health care.[35]"
"Hamsher and Rep. Anna Eshoo had an online debate in which Hamsher argued that proposed protections for so-called biologic drugs were too generous to patent-holders to the detriment of patients.[36] Hamsher also wrote an open letter demanding that Hadassah Lieberman step down as a paid "Global Ambassador" for Susan G. Komen for the Curedue to her husband Sen. Joe Lieberman's threats to filibuster health care reform.[37] Hamsher was criticized for appearing on Fox & Friends and asking viewers to sign her petition to "kill the Senate bill." Hamsher responded, "It scares the bejesus out of the D.C. establishment of both parties to think that the left and right might align against the corporate interests."[38]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firedoglake
Her position was blatantly that we're better off with no ACA at all than ACA without the public option. A truly logically incoherent position.
So with 20 million more Americans with health insurance she's saying we would have been better with the pre 2009 status quo? This is absurd and shortsighted. For one thing Obamacare provides for the possibility of adding the public option.
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