Bill Maher Takes On Obama: "This Isn't What I Voted For" (VIDEO)

On his HBO show Friday night, Bill Maher complained about President Obama's frequent public outings. He compared the president to Lindsay Lohan: in the papers a lot but not doing very much. "This is not what I voted for," Maher said, arguing that Obama has maintained his personal popularity but failed to make real progress on health care, banks, or climate change. "What he needs in his personality is a little George Bush ... What we need to do is to marry the good ideas that Barack Obama has with a little bit of that Bush attitude and certitude."


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[MeloMaloPaulino]

thanks bill

[Dooku05]

Bill: Don't even think of running for office. You are not Al Franken and you do not live in Minnesota.
I want Barack Obama on TV 24/7. He is not just the face of America, he is the face of the new world. His presence causes Iranians to look to their own problems instead of screaming at us. I can only stand to look at you once a week, and lately I tune in to see your guests instead. Last year, I hated many of your guests. This year, I find they make more sense than you and I've found that I have read several of their books.
I have several personal agenda items I want addressed, including health care, but I know it would be foolish to act like Bush in bullying Congress for that one item. Barrack would lose all ability to handle global warming, energy, economic and war issues. My health care is urgent for me, but when I have a neighbor whose brother was executed in Iran, I pause. I am also a veteran and I fear for our soldiers. I fear for my descendants if global warming becomes runaway. Your preferences cannot be prime.

[peacethinker]

Maher is terrific ... So many of his Real Time closing comments are home runs!!

[aggressivelyliberal]

I guess with Hillary Clinton not around to complain about and compare her to horrible conservatives he has to go after Obama.

[MeloMaloPaulino]

In my opinion he's right on both Hillary and Obama. And you know, you Democrats should give Bill some slack here considering how much Bill defends Obama. And remember that Bill voted for him and announced his backing of Obama live on his show. As passionate Liberals we have the right to demand for a party that represents our views in action as well as words, and the Dems have failed to do this time after time. Don't you wanna kick some Social Conservative ass in this country already??? Not even with a mandate? And two previous terms of Neo Conservative policies? Give me a break.

[MeloMaloPaulino]

We need a new Liberal Party that is honest about pushing a progressive agenda.

[avocados]

Bill Maher is just jealous and looking for attention. I'm glad the President is out there doing the most he can to make our country and the world a better place. And I'm pleased to see him with his family as they are great role models. He's obviously a great husband and father. The problem with Bill Maher is that he is clear about what he dislikes in life but fairly clueless in what he supports or believes in. I find him kind of depressing and sad.

[MeloMaloPaulino]

Sounds like you want President Barbie and Ken?

[Jeff Cunningham]

While I still adamantly support President Obama, I must agree to some degree with Bill Maher. That said, I have already seen a lot of positive changes -- most notably, Obama is directly responsible for saving my mother's job; money from his stimulus bill went to the local school system and saved her position. We are still in a recession, but by all accounts, it appears the worst is over. While we are still at war in Iraq, Obama has outlined a plan for withdrawal.

I wish he'd repeal DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell. I wish he'd take a harder stance on gay rights. I wish he'd be more transparent with regards to some of the secrets the previous administration kept from the American people. I wish he'd be more forceful in his insistence for true health care reform. I wish he wouldn't worry so much about getting Republicans on board. You have the majority in Congress; use it.

I still support Obama because I know he's working hard and has a lot on his plate. But I'm not so blind as to not notice when he's making a mistake or doing something with which I disagree. That said, part of this falls on Congress. We need to contact our Congressmen as often as possible and insist they push through legislation that we want.

Thoughtful discourse and involvement is the best support we can give. Contact your elected officials, write the White House, let them know what we want

[Mitsoulee]

Bill Mahr is the most uninteresting man in America. Why does anyone care what he has to say?

[Jakealoper]

I like Maher too. But he claims to be a libertarian so I wonder why he hsan't spoken out against big government, mega spending and deficit busting policies of Obama more, instead of just focusing in on trivia? You can't have it both ways.
Just because a lot of cons are reactionary fundamentalist dimwits does it mean we have to ignore the good points?

[1Lia]

Amen, Bill. I voted for Obama, but like you, I'm very concerned that he will cave on too many issues. Health-care is a big one, and from what I've seen, the dems are doing way too much caving to the reps and the insurance companies. If he fails to deliver a public plan on health-care, I think the bloom will be off the rose.

The reps want it shot down. One minute they're saying that a public plan would be so awful, that we'd basically be better off dead. The next minute they're saying that there's no way the private companies can stay alive if a public plan option is available. Which is it people? Personally, I'm sick of being at the mercy of my health insurance company. They jack up the rates for my business *every* year, and if I fail to sell their piss poor product to enough of my staff members, they will drop me. Enough already! Get on 'em Obama! It's time to take the bull by the horns.

[superstition]

"I believe that freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in pieces to suit political convenience."

-- Coretta Scott King

"For too long, our nation has tolerated the insidious form of discrimination against this group of Americans, who have worked as hard as any other group, paid their taxes like everyone else, and yet have been denied equal protection under the law."

[Jakealoper]

And what are you talking about?

[jonnai]

I love Bill Maher I think that he is so funny. I do agree I am so sick and tired of all of this ByPARTISMSHIP. I feel that BARACk should just stop trying to get the republicans vote on things that truelu matter to americans such as education, healthcare, jobs, ect. JUst past it and even if he has to do a 51% although he does not have to go along with the51% vote.He needs to do what we all voted him in the white house to do. I voted for him because i felt that he could.Change the bankruptcy laws. So that people like my self could have a new start. But what about student loans we should be able to file our student loans under the bankruptcy also.

[vooter]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!! Hmmm, let's see...it appears that the brilliant Bill Maher wasn't quite brilliant enough to figure out that there is only ONE PARTY in the United States--AND HE AND THE REST OF US AREN'T MEMBERS. How anyone could vote for a Democrat or a Republican and think that things would somehow be "different" is completely beyond me--what are you people thinking??? How can you not have at least an inkling as to how utterly corrupt and criminal your government is? How can you not be in the streets like the Iranians? As Henry Ford once said, "It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning." When will this truth seep into your brains, folks? When?

[listen2elvis]

WELL SAID. Thank you.

[bluestems]

This is very short-sighted. Obama has done much to set the wheels in motion for real change, not only in agendas but the political process as well. And let's not forget he's done this while dealing with stopping an economic collapse, structuring a stimulus plan and new measures to prevent a repeat; as well as repairing our foreign relations.

Lots of critics for his first six months... but I think he's done a fabulous job so far.

[Pete2069]

Show me results from his actions that have benefited the American citizens. I am talking about the ones where Americans are keeping their jobs , our manufacturing plants , wages and jobs,,,,,, Not the one where this Global Empire continue to receive our money with the bail out and auto dealer receive our money so they can continue to send our jobs and manufacturing plant overseas. while hiding their income from paying taxes and making people believe they are losing money instead of gaining greater wealth then ever before..

[Jakealoper]

Until his well intentioned hollow foreign policy exploits and his deficit ballooning economic policies come home to roost!

[walk0nwalls]

I don't like Maher much and those opening jokes reminded me why but his political point was apot-on astute and ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY ARE YOU LISTENING OBAMA?!

[Corral]

Maher is one of the top political comedians, in my opinion. He is usually spot on in his satire. But, what he said about Obama being in the media too much really isn't the problem. What is actually bothering many of us is that Obama isn't fighting the fight we thought we were electing him for....it isn't that he isn't working enough, for heavens sake. Gosh, he has jumped into every issue head on. We thought he was going to jump in with passion to right all of Bush and Cheney's wrongs. We thought he felt the passion we feel for these issues. We assumed he meant it in his campaign when he was outraged about the wiretapping, the lack of health care, gay right inequities, all of it. We didn't want him to compromise. We expected CHANGE.