Your thoughts on Obama - now and then

[TimothyC]

Well I figure the United States got somewhat less than what the majority of voters voted for in 2008. I was honestly expecting the same policies, but better execution. Not that I agree with the policies (being a Sheppublican, and thus will probably vote for Herrick-Collette 2020).

When he was running, I basically expected another go of Clinton: Here we have a Democrat from one of the strongholds of the GOP(Kansas this time, but), a law scholar, and the main difference was he had huge ears.

President Obama was from a GOP stronghold?



I didn't know that Chicago with the massive(ly corrupt) Democratic Machine was a GOP stronghold.

EDIT for shits and giggles: "You can see Russia, here in the 57th state, where we work 24 hours a day, 364 days a year." Name the politicians harmed in this quotebash.

The first part is Palin, the second part is Obama, and I want to say the last part was Biden, but I'm not sure.

[SirNitram]

Well I figure the United States got somewhat less than what the majority of voters voted for in 2008. I was honestly expecting the same policies, but better execution. Not that I agree with the policies (being a Sheppublican, and thus will probably vote for Herrick-Collette 2020).

When he was running, I basically expected another go of Clinton: Here we have a Democrat from one of the strongholds of the GOP(Kansas this time, but), a law scholar, and the main difference was he had huge ears.

President Obama was from a GOP stronghold?



I didn't know that Chicago with the massive(ly corrupt) Democratic Machine was a GOP stronghold.

You're illiterate, aren't you? I explicitly pointed out where he's from: Kansas. That he worked in Chicago is notable, but you're just sad in this.

[MKSheppard]

You're illiterate, aren't you? I explicitly pointed out where he's from: Kansas

He's spent pretty much the last 10-20 years (depending on how you count things) in Chicago in some form or another.

[TimothyC]

You're illiterate, aren't you? I explicitly pointed out where he's from: Kansas. That he worked in Chicago is notable, but you're just sad in this.

How the heck is he from KANSAS? The man was born in Hawaii, and lived there and Indonesia for much of his early life. His mother was from Kansas, but President Obama is from either Hawaii or Chicago depending on how you parse it. Seeing as he spent most if not all of his Political life in Chicago, and how a cursory search of Wikipedia yields two occurrences* of "Kansas" but Eleven for "Hawaii" and Twenty-Eight for "Chicago", saying he is from Kansas is just about the most moronic thing I've read that you've posted in quite some time.

*Not counting citations.

[TimothyC]

Post Window edit: It just occurred to me the degree of the stupid in saying President Obama is from Kansas is just as bad as saying he's from Kenya.

[Phantasee]

It's like saying my cousin is from the Old Country when she was born in small-town BC, grew up in Edmonton, and moved to Vancouver after marriage.

[SirNitram]

Hmmm. I am in fact incorrect, then. But I still wouldn't characterize him as from Chicago, but feel free. I just measure such differently, but I was wrong on Kansas.

So I amend my earlier statement: You still elected a guy preaching reaching across the isle, centrism, uniting folks. And are all shocked when he got his things done with.. Reaching across the isle, centrism, and trying to unite folks. And you're all shocked and ranting because, of course, he did just those things.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I don't really feel like Obama is 'from' anywhere. He was born in hawaii, raised abroad, and educated in New England before landing in Chicago. One mother, no siblings, and as far as I know no cousins in the US. He seems like a man without roots.

[ray245]

I don't really feel like Obama is 'from' anywhere. He was born in hawaii, raised abroad, and educated in New England before landing in Chicago. One mother, no siblings, and as far as I know no cousins in the US. He seems like a man without roots.

He has a younger half-sister, spend only a few years in Indonesia( most of his childhood is still spend in the states), and was raised by his grandparents.

He's hardly a person without roots.

[Sarevok]

^^

While that may be true he spent too much time in too many different places without considering one of them his home in a way even his enemies would recognize. Say what you will about Bush but he IS a Texan and what he stands for is clear as daylight. Obama is a good symbol of how multiculturalism works. But as a leader the man is difficult to trust. Liberals in USA were cheering for him because he represented them. But diametrically opposed muslims in other countries were also sympathetic to him because they believed he really is a muslim who is hiding is identity to get elected. Due to not having any identifiable roots he could not please any of his supporter bases.

[Simon_Jester]

Well, his opportunity to please his supporters came and went, because that opportunity took the form of deeds.

Bush could please certain voter blocs just by visibly being a very religious man, by talking like a working-class man, and yes, by being a Texan. All he had to do was show his credentials as "this is who I am, this is where I'm from" and he gained a huge advantage among those support groups.

Obama might be able to do that for blacks, but I'm not sure he can do it for anyone else. If he wants to please other groups that supported him, he has to enact policies that will please them. To some extent he's done that, to some extent he hasn't (which is why people to the left of him are shouting about him).

[Gil Hamilton]

It seems pretty clear that Obama, where ever else he is from, is from Chicago politically. That's where he's done all his political work and the environment that lead him from community organizer to Senator. And when discussing where a Politician is from, what else matters with regards to their policy?

Take McCain. Dude lived damn near everywhere and wasn't even born in the United States, but I doubt very many people would say that he's from Panama. Nowadays, I doubt very many people would say that he wasn't an Arizona politician. Funnily, once upon a time, when McCain was starting out in Arizona, he nearly lost because he was openly a carpetbagger campaigning on his wife's money to most Arizonan republicans and was running against a homegrown hero, which lead to his famous reply that longest he had spent in any place was a Vietnamese POW camp, because he was a Navy brat with an Admiral for a father, hence why he was born in Panama. Nowadays, the only people who accuse him of not really being from Arizona are the really Conservative republicans, who consider him a RINO and preventing them from getting an actual conservative.

Obama is from Chicago the same way McCain is from Arizona (starting out in Mesa, of all places), since that's where they did all their important business politically.

[Sarevok]

What do you think about the claim Obama carries on the bad habits of Chicago politics ? Like non transparency and backroom dealings ?

[Eframepilot]

What do you think about the claim Obama carries on the bad habits of Chicago politics ? Like non transparency and backroom dealings ?

Untrue. He's been more transparent and had fewer backroom dealings than any earlier administrations. Which is admittedly setting the bar pretty low.

[Cosmic Average]

I thought he'd make an okay president... Certainly better than the other options. I voted for him in the primary and in the presidential election.

Now, I regret it all. The tax cuts sealed it. He's an awful president. Just the worst.

[Rye]

I thought he'd make an okay president... Certainly better than the other options. I voted for him in the primary and in the presidential election.

Now, I regret it all. The tax cuts sealed it. He's an awful president. Just the worst.

I can't see how that's anything but really asinine hyperbole. Sure he's lame and far too forgiving to the right, but how can you regret it? You think DADT would've been repealed under McCain/Palin? Are you fucking mad?

[Cosmic Average]

You think DADT would've been repealed under McCain/Palin?

False dichotomy. If I could, I would have had Mike Gravel or Hilary Clinton as President over the Obama we got.

[SirNitram]

Calling him the worst is far more insulting to the intelligence, or does compromising with the right outweigh, oh, The Trail Of Tears?

Alot of what he's passed is a clear policy victory, especially against such nigh-gibbering opposition. No, none of it is perfect. But he's already done more than Clinton, with a worse enviroment, and I don't remember this hate for Clinton, save from the clique of D.C. media 'personalities' who were upset he wasn't one of them.

[Aaron]

I'd say at this point I consider him about on par with Bush, from the outside looking in. Thanas has done a pretty thorough job of chronicling his continued abuse of civil liberties and things like helping China kill the recent climate summit. His two big wins; getting rid of DADT and partially unfucking healthcare are impressive but I expected much, much more. Probably because during the run up to the election the media here and abroad was busy playing up the "I'm not Bush" angle.

That said, at least he doesn't sound like he's stuffed a bag of marbles in his mouth before he speaks.

[Metahive]

I'd say at this point I consider him about on par with Bush, from the outside looking in.

For this to be justified he'd still have to gratuitously start an illegal war, have the worst terror attack on american soil happen on his watch and piss away most of the world's sympathy within months.

Could we please stop with the mindless hyperbole just to get a few cheap shots in?

[Aaron]

Mindless hyperbole.

But yeah, your right. I'll give him credit for not starting a pointless war but ending it. I can't say I'm impressed with his begging us to "step up" our role in Afghanistan but I suppose he doesn't have much choice.

Edit: Which is why I said "about on par." As in close but not quite.

[Metahive]

Whenever I hear someone say that Obama is just as bad as Bush I can only conclude that in their minds 4000+ dead american servicepeople and some hundred thousand dead Iraqis and many more displaced, impoverished or forced to flee the country altogether just because Bush wanted to impress his daddy and/or hand fat deals over to his buddies in the military-industrial complex don't account for much and I find that extremely disagreeable.
Yes, Obama has taken some questionable stances on civil liberty issues and for shame mostly continued Bush's policy therein, but I daresay having the blood of so many people on his hands catapults Bush into a much higher league of douchebag than the one Obama is currently residing in. Perspective, people!

[FSTargetDrone]

While that may be true he spent too much time in too many different places without considering one of them his home in a way even his enemies would recognize.

I don't think anyone should care about convincing his enemies where he is from. The governor of Hawaii is trying to "release more information about President Barack Obama's Hawaii birth and dispel conspiracy theories that he was born elsewhere". To what end, I ask again and again. You will never convince the birthers about his birthplace, so why bother trying? Is it worth it? Does it even matter? I hardly think so. The people who believe any number of conspiracy theories about the man will never see it any other way. These people are no different from Truthers, the only variation is the specific nutty ideas they have about the events in question. It is a waste of time.

[Thanas]

Then: I'd prefer Clinton because I know where she stands. However...who knows? Hopefully he'll do something good.

Now: Hello, Bush 2.0. Now with less foreign wars, but still abuses.


To elaborate: His handling of the Golf Spill was less than ideal, I disagree with the way the war in Afghanistan is conducted, as Wikileaks has shown he cares little about climate change, has expanded the Bush era programs of abuse of civil liberties, continues to support tinpot dictators etc....

Really, the only big wins are a) DADT repeal (which he did not fight for and which congress pushed through) b) Healthcare (which he did not fight for) c) Iraq withdrawal (which is not really a withdrawal, more an uncontrolled outsourcing to mercenaries) d) bailing out the economy (that I'll give him). The rest of his wins do not register or he does a really bad job at PR.

[Patrick Degan]

Barack Obama: a man who still hasn't figured out that the people he's trying to reach out to have cast him as Piggy in the GOP-remake of Lord Of The Flies.