Government
Van Jones’s Advice: ‘Cute’ Obama Needs To Buck Up, Parallel ‘Most Liberal President Ever, LBJ’
- Posted on May 17, 2012 at 6:43pm by
Benny Johnson
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Van Jones gave a talk at Google HQ earlier this month, where he had some sound advice for his former boss: Obama needs to start acting like “most liberal President ever” — LBJ.
During the speech, Jones seemed disillusioned. He once referred to himself as a “post-hope Democrat.” His major issue was with Obama and his vaulted expectations. Once referring to the president as “MLK,” Jones lamented the failure of the president to listen to the grassroots, as super liberals FDR and LBJ had done before him. Jones also condemned the leftist movement for being overshadowed by the Tea Party in its effectiveness.
Watch a segment of Jones’s advice to the President below:
Some Key Jones Quotes:
- “Think about the most liberal president ever, right? LBJ, right? I think we all have to agree that LBJ is probably the most liberal president: war on poverty – not the other war [laughs] — like two big civil rights bills, probably the high point of American liberalism.”
- “Did LBJ lead the civil rights movement? No, not at all. In fact, there was a vigorous civil rights movement in the streets, grassroots people, and there was a head of state, LBJ. LBJ was willing to listen to and respond favorably to the movement, but there had to be a movement to do the moving.”
- “I think what happened to some of us was, Obama kind of looks like a social movement leader. You think he’s cute. Talks good. Um, you know? And I think there was this, there where, this is MLK and he’s President, right? How cool is that?! And so you kind of sit and you kind of wait for him to do what a social movement leader would do, which is to go and challenge the consensus, disrupt everything and stick up for the … but that’ not what any US president has done.”
- “LBJ didn’t lead the civil rights movement. The people had to do that. FDR didn’t lead the labor strikes that led to the New Deal. We the people did that. Lincoln wasn’t even an abolitionist. That was Frederick Douglas, John Brown, a bunch of other people. Nixon — you thought I was just making funny — but Nixon, famously, didn’t lead the environmental movement, but he signed into law the EPA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act. So you can have an arguably crappy president, but if you have a strong enough movement, the environmental movement, you can actually get a lot of good things done.“
- “So, really, we thought we had all we needed when we got to Washington DC. We had the House, with Nancy Pelosi — best Speaker ever. We had 60 votes in the Senate. And we had Barack Obama as president. We thought we had all we needed. It turned out, that’s 1/3rd. That’s the big takeaway. That’s only 1/3rd of what you need.”
- “You also have to have popular movements — the Tea Party was out there as a popular movement. They had a big impact event though they didn’t have governmental control. And you have to have Big Media coordination. Fox and the rightwing bloggers played a huge role in impacting policy — even though they had none of those levers or power.”
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natoir
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 1:06pmVan Jones is one smart cookie.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 10:27amLBJ the most liberal? If I remember right, the liberal hippies hated him. August, ‘64 Gulf of Tonkin Incident. South Vietnam was losing to the North. The idea was to fight Commies. Obama IS a Commie.
Report Post »huey6367
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:49amLBJ was the most liberal President up to that date. Now it is the Obie. At least LBJ was smart enought to see the writing on the wall and not be humiliated in the ‘68 election. So he stepped aside.
Why can’t Obie be like LBJ?
The second coming of Reagan lies with Romney. God Bless Mitt Romney.
Report Post »moussiagilda
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 7:16amObama cute? As cute as Van Jones. As cute as Rosa DeLauro.
Report Post »Arc
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 4:48amJust remember, When they start TURNING on one another, WATCH THE OTHER HAND.
Report Post »AllSmyles
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 1:31amF orget
Report Post »O bama’s
R hetoric
W ith
A
R omney
D ecision
Free2speakRN
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 12:25amWhen LBJ signed one of the Civil Rights Bills, he said, (paraphrase), “Well, now we got the Black vote for 200 years!” Maybe not as polite. I see he got You, Jones.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on May 18, 2012 at 2:52amT’is true… Civil Rights identified an Ethnic Minority… permanently distinct from Assimulated American… and gave unto them Entitlements & Privileges… from a Nation of Guilty Bastards!
Report Post »hillbillyinny
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 9:16pmThe tide has definitely changed! Don’t give up the ship now conservatives, the pseudo-Dems are definitely getting discouraged. Their “guy” isn’t who they thought he was, AND he’s not even who they really wanted!
So keep busy getting people out to vote, understand that “At Least the Repub Candidate isn’t a Commie”! And let’s take the Senate too–especialy here in NY!
Jones “complimenting” the Tea Party–knew he was jealous of them!
Report Post »lovenfl3
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 9:35pmI agree, just look at the Biden meltdowns, two days in a row. This campaign is in paic mode and it’s only going to get worse. They know what the “real” poll numbers are too. We only know what we’re being told they are. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t5bgM61ULc
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:50pmI think obama should stand on his principles; enunciate them clearly ……so that a landslide loss of ninety percent our more might be laid before him in November.
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:44pmthis hemmoriod bores me…
Report Post »vox_populi
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:37pmVan Jones analysis is pretty spot on, frankly. Too many Lefties thought that electing Obama was the end of the struggle, when in reality is was the beginning.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:30pmThe Hate Society sidles up.
Report Post »Great…
NOBALONEY
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:25pmVan Jones’ version of the civil rights movement . Omits what happened in the fifties, and sixties, John and Robert Kennedy’s actions that led to legislation in Congress; which paased after the death of JFK, but not before Senate southern democrates tried to filierbuster the bill.
Report Post »David Barton‘s ’American History in Black & White’ is a must read. Tells the truth about Johnson as to civil rights legislation President Eisenhower tried to pass. Democrates like Johnson, and “scoop‘ Jackson of Washington were considered ’hawks’, because of their stand in the Vietman war. A war that became very unpopular, and was the reason for Johnson not running for a second term.
mrsuperpat
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:21pmRomney needs to buck up and realize he is loosing delegates instead of conspiring with the RNC to bend the rules. You can see the level of corruption and possibly the destruction of the GOP.
Report Post »http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2012/may/16/rnc-romney-campaigns-will-erect-new-organization-b/
Tri-ox
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:14pmYawn – - – obama is gay, was born in Kenya, eats dogs and hates America. Real Americans have had enough of obama and his lovers/talking heads/occupiers/radicals etc., etc., etc..
Report Post »venerablebede
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:04pm“Van Jones’s Advice: ‘Cute’ Obama Needs To Buck Up, Parallel ‘Most Liberal President Ever, LBJ’”
So Obama is going to reinstate the draft and invade Vietnam?
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:09pmYep, and when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act, the first thing out of his mouth was “This will keep the N-words voting Democrat for the next 200 years!” Oh yeah, another thing, it was almost only Democrats that voted against this act in the Congress. Had it not been for the Republicans in office the bill would not have passed.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:40pm@RJJinGadsden
Remember that LBJ was the deciding vote stop the Civil Rights Act while in Congress back in the late 50′s and once he was POTUS he signed it into law. LBJ is no friend to Van Jones. I think LBJ was an outright bigot.
Report Post »ALL4FREEDOM
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:00pmI agree with Van Jones!!! Obama should act EXACTLY like LBJ and not seek re-election!!!
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:29pmHe’s to much of a Narcissist to do that
Report Post »venerablebede
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 8:00pm“Van Jones’s Advice: ‘Cute’ Obama Needs To Buck Up, Parallel ‘Most Liberal President Ever, LBJ’”
So Obama is going to Invade Vietnam?
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:56pmJones there is nothing the narcissist can do to change what he is- The worst POS that ever held that office
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 7:56pmOle eight ball keeps the rhetoric going stirring up the populace and the powder keg he’s brewing could blow up in his face,that would break my heart.
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