Is This as Good as It Gets From Obama?
Yeah, I'm disappointed, too. I thought we were sweeping into power; I thought change meant Change. I believed all that talk about another First 100 Days, a la Roosevelt. Well, that didn't happen. The question is, is this as good as it gets from Obama, or is he pacing himself? He may have a four and eight-year plan and they included a first year of just gettin' to know you and not gonna rock the boat too much. Well, Mission Accomplished on that.
It's still too early to lose hope in a guy as smart and talented as Barack Obama. But I would counsel him to remember: If you're going undercover to infiltrate how Washington works, so you become one of them for a while, to gain their confidence, well, it can be just like all those movies where a cop goes deep, deep, DEEP undercover with drug people and -- fuck, he's a drug addict, too!
Logic tells me that really smart guys like Obama and Rahm Emanuel know better what they're doing than I do. They certainly know things I don't know. I think we have the same general goals and beliefs. And this is what they do for a living -- I wouldn't even try it. But I will never stop having this doubt: that maybe if they had really charged in there riding the forceful energy of the historic election, and acted like it was an emergency moment -- which it was -- they could have gotten some big victories right up front, and there really could have been an historic "first hundred days" for this administration and the country. Instead of what happened, which is the Obamas got a dog. It could have worked -- the country had given its endorsement to "...and now for something completely different." There might have been a way to knock the Republicans back on their heels right away, with the argument that "The American people demanded we make these changes, and you are unpatriotic to stand in their way."
We'll never know. Because that moment passed, and now it could follow the pattern of World War I and devolve into boring, static trench warfare where nothing really gamechanging happens while both sides slowly bleed to death.
That said, I do not forget that if the election had gone the other way, we'd right now have a barter economy and be at war with Honduras.
So, one year after the election, what do you think Candidate Obama would think of President Obama? Tweet your response (our Twitter hashtag is #OneYearLater), or post it in the comments section.
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Anybody paying attention knew what Obama was about when he appointed his cabinet. Any progressives there?
What we have is the best government that money/Goldman Sachs can buy, beginning with candidate Obama.
What's the solution? Well, stop letting them have use of your money. Get out of the national banks and credit cards, and go local. Join your local credit union. Shop at locally owned businesses. Yes, they can be more expensive than WalMart, but you are investing in your own community. Stop feeding the Empire.
Candidate Obama primised us Hope; President Obama seems to expect us to keep hoping.
Cut this man some slack. He faced the worst economy in 80 years. He is trying to deliver a health care package. He's trying to extricate us from two wars he did not vote for.
Frankly, I think we should all take a deep breath and give the guy a chance. Nine months is not that long in the grand scheme of things, especially considering the horrible hand he was dealt from the beginning. Having said that, however, I think it's fair to keep a certain amount of pressure on him, particularly with regard to certain issues. My biggest concern is that he seems a little too Wall Street friendly, and I fear he won't implement strict enough regulation on the financial industry. Whenever I'm frustrated that things are happening quickly enough and need to put things in perspective, I just think of the alternative to Obama. We could have had McCain and Palin. There's a lot of stuff that Obama's done that has received little to no attention from the media.
I'm so sick of all this "give the guy a chance" crap.
A) America's largest problem is the debt, the falling dollar, and the havoc it's wreaking on the economy. Obama has tripled the annual budget shortfall from 500 billion to over $1.5 trillion. Give the guy a chance?! He just had one! He tripled the deficit instead of balancing the budget!
B) He just signed a spending bill over the summer for another 105 BILLION to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars! More time?? HE JUST SHOWED US WHAT HE'S ALL ABOUT. He could have signed a 90 day withdrawal order the day he took office. We would have been out of the middle easy 6 months ago.
C) The stimulus and bail outs?? If he wanted to stimulate the economy he should have froze all congressional spending and passed it back in a total income tax freeze.
Stop crying about more time. Time is irrelevant, the direction is the problem.
Yes, exactly. The direction is not encouraging. I immediately thought that we were in serious trouble with this president when he sought bipartisanship in enacting his programs. Despite all of his degrees, it seems that he must have been asleep during his political history classes.
Apparently a significant number of posters to this site actually drank the Republican kool aid when they declared President Obama the most liberal member of the Senate. Some even apparently hoped he actually was a socialist.
Maybe next time you'll all actually listen to what is said by the candidate instead of what is said about him/her.
I don't think anyone thought Obama was more liberal than Kennedy or Sanders (boy do I miss Kennedy). We were hoping for more change, but I also know I could feel a lot more disappointed right now than I do.
I'm not ecstatic with Obama's performance either, but let's give him some more time. He seems to be the ultimate pragmatist. Maybe he can get more done with his style than someone whose hair is on fire and who is willing to go down in flames fighting for something he/she cannot get. We may be more emotionally satisfied with the latter, but we also may be better off in the long run with Obama's approach. If health insurance reform is passed into law, it can be incrementally improved over the years, as we have done with Social Security. Just getting it passed with some semblance of a public option would be a huge accomplishment. I don't like the failure to prosecute war criminals (leaving that task to more civilized countries), the continued existence of a Guantanamo-like prison (Bagram) in Afghanistan,the weak bailout, the failure to nationalize the banks and break them up so they cannot become "too big to fail," the use of Wall Street insiders, who bear significant responsibility for the near-depression, as his advisers, or allowing the military to discharge openly gay soldiers, particularly those whose skills are greatly in need. But I do not see these things as betrayals. He didn't promise any of that during his campaign (other than the repeal of DADT, which will be accomplished soon enough). Maybe our expectations were unreasonable. Maybe the electorate is at fault for not realizing who or what they were voting for.
This is what he's done so far: "while dealing with these crises (prevention of another great depression) during his first ten months, the president has kept his sights squarely focused on the middle class. He passed a Recovery Act that saved and created a million jobs -- and made historic investments in green energy and technology jobs. His actions spurred a 73 percent increase in lending to small businesses; helped hundreds of thousands of responsible Americans keep their homes; and cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. He's expanded health care for children, passed equal pay for equal work legislation, and expanded stem cell research. And he is now closer than any president in decades to passing health reform that bans insurance companies from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, outlaws insurance discrimination based on gender, and caps what patients can be charged out-of-pocket. This effort will be key, because job growth -- and the kind of robust economic growth our country needs to create a strong job-producing climate -- won't come without finally getting health care costs under control. Health insurance reform is a key piece of job-growth strategy, as employers of every size can attest." (by David Plouffe ) Obama works quietly...he is not on an ego trip! You have to pay close attention, or you will think nothing has happened.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-plouffe/president-obama-and-candi_b_343985.html&cp
"That said, I do not forget that if the election had gone the other way, we'd right now have a barter economy and be at war with Honduras."
Bill, Bill...hiding behind humor. The situation is many months past being funny anymore.
I think if McSame had won, we'd be doing exactly what we're doing now, only without the hatched stinklet eggs of "the teabaggers" and the incredible advancement of Glenn Beck and Michelle Bachman.
I want to quit calling President Obama "smart" and "talented" now. When can we go ahead and do that? What is wrong with us?
See Nelson Montana's Profile
There's some truth to this, though I think Palin would be grandstanding her agenda.
And let's not forget everyone's darling Al Gore picked Lieberman as a VP.
Obama was the only choice, but he's turned out to be all show and no go.The latest health care bill is a compromised mess disguised as a victory. The big winners are the insurance companies. And the crowd cheers.
"Obama was the only choice, but he's turned out to be all show and no go."
I'm sorry, but this kind of Chicken Little "the President is falling!" nonsense has got to stop. Obama's first 10 months may not have been perfect, and there are certainly some decisions I would have him change, but to dismiss his entire Presidency is arrogant and massively short-sighted.
This is a partial list as of June 2009 --
Reversed restrictions on stem cell research
Appointed an assistant to the president for science and technology policy
Created a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners
Expanded loan programs for small businesses
Extended and indexed the 2007 Alternative Minimum Tax patch
Expanded eligibility for State Children’s Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP)
Expanded funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners
Directed military leaders to end war in Iraq
Sent two additional brigades to Afghanistan
As promised gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in the first 100 days of his administration
Granted Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba
Restored funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program
Released presidential records
Now requires new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions
Pushed for enactment of Matthew Shepard Act, which expands hate crime law to include sexual orientation and other factors
Created a White House Office on Urban Policy
Supported increased funding for the NEA
Funded major expansion of AmeriCorps
Nelson,
If you honestly believe that the latest health care bill is a "mess" then you're not paying attention. The problem is that liberals wanted to essentially cover everyone through some government run program. Yet, Obama never promised any such thing. He promised to make health more affordable and expand coverage.
Thus, the big winners here, sir, are the THIRTY-PLUS MILLION AMERICANS who will get health insurance who weren't even eligible before. But I suppose you'd rather have zero people covered as long as Obama tried, and failed, to pass a litmus test approved plan that demolished the Insurance Industry.
After all, some of you blogger types have had the same answer to every problem this year: BURN IT DOWN! The banks are over extended and in danger of collapse? Well, BURN IT DOWN! Obama inherits Guantanamo, and now has to deal with what to do with the terrorists living there, BURN IT DOWN!
Unfortunately, the problem is that most progressive bloggers don't really believe in anything accept spitting at the system.
You're only marginalizing yourself now.
Mr Montana, you are so right, about what you're saying! But what keeps bothering me (most) about this dead-beat, trickster-governmental situation. Is that you have an unknowable amount of people (even some on this web-site) who just can't see the ineffectiveness and/or the uslessness of this current government...And I mean, both-Democrates, Republicans and Obama-alike! It dosn't take a rocket-scientist, to see where Obama's going with his imputs and/or his dodges (in his first term, as president) . Nor does it take years for him to set some kind of an exemplifying-tone, standard, and/or a perception as to where he plans to take his first-term, as chief commander. Suddenly, I can now see why the government treats us like they do...And why they feel that-they can pull any kind of trick...Or wool over-our-heads, that they want too. There's a serious flaw in some of our (meaning the publics) critical observation skills! And maybe we need to fix that, before we can say anything!
Every move is calculated.
We will be hung out to dry until just before elections and then there will be the attempt at some movement. Cynical gamesmanship.
I did not vote for this president to be an extreme progressive/liberal. I am not pleased when those I call "fringe liberal extremists" start wanting Pres. Obama (or Clinton when he was in office) to be more liberal. There aren't enough moderate Democrats (progressive in our social policy beliefs, but conservative in economic policy) to my liking. But maybe I'm only kidding myself. I'm probably just a closet Libertarian.
We're the people we were waiting for and the change we can believe in. We weren't waiting for Obama, we were waiting for ourselves and, you see, we failed. We waited for ourselves but we didn't show up. Get a grip. Obama is just the President of the United States. It's all our fault.
In a nutshell! Fanned.
transparency, no..... bills on line 72 hours before signing, no ..... people being able to get money from IRA ans 401K without fees to the unemployed, no...... increase in taxes, yes
Agreed. He also said that taxes would not go up for anyone earning under $250k (not income, capital gains nothing). he also said that he would get us out of Iraq, first thing on the agenda and "you can take that to the bank". I guess that bank must have closed.
Huh? The 18-month timetable for withdrawing combat troops from Iraq is two months longer than he promised during his campaign. I don't see that as a major problem. Taxes have not been raised on those making less than 250K. What am I missing here?
Obama was the choice for the last election and will be the one for the next.
In conventional times, he should have been able to campaign to the center but govern from the left instead of the other way around.
But that task has been made very difficult because of the way the right have cleverly tilted the playing field. The wacko fringe, who would likely be imprisoned in any other self-respecting democracy, is at times to right of dictators of the past. This provides extreme cover for the other extremists who inhabit the perceived mainstream. So the center is not really the center anymore. Its like being at the real north pole with the magnetic north pole to the south of you.
It may take at lead four years to get the field itself back on an even keel, so people need a little patience.
The president campaigned from the center and has governed from the center as well.
I am now convinced more then ever that progressives need to play more sports and participate in the military. I notice a whiny defeatist mentality that should have been yelled out of them in Junior High School. Its the kind of mentality that nobody who played sports or joined the military could ever survive with. Its so dam annoying.
I hope what you really mean is we should storm the steps of the WH.
I couldn't agree more. You want to make big changes happen? Then stop bitching about Obama and start making yourselves seen and heard in a way that mainstream Americans can understand.
Why haven't there been two million people marching on Washington for universal health care? Why haven't there been a million people on Wall Street demanding that we start helping homeowners keep their homes, not just bailing out investment bankers? If we want these things so much, then we need to insist on them, and not just on message boards. The morons on the right have no trouble getting their points across, as incoherent and/or surreal as those points are. Why can't we?
If I didn't know better, I'd say the left couldn't be bothered to try. It's so much easier to whine about so-called betrayal.
Did you think democracy was going to be easy? Did you think the ruling class would give up just because we asked nicely?
What a pat notion.
My Granddad was in the Cavalry in WW One, my father was a 17-year-old Sailor in WW 2, a pilot in Korea, an Army captain at 30, a civilian flight instructor (helicopters) at Fort Sill in the first year of Vietnam involvement. My son is a 22-year-old sergeant, an infantryman in Iraq, 30 miles from Iran at present, his second tour, his next will be Afghanistan. I didn't play sports because my family moved around too much, as my father was a pilot for Petroleum Helicopters. Growing up, I had everything "yelled into" me, and more, that I needed, thank you very VERY much.
You're having it too easy with that pat, supercilious comeback to our dissatisfaction with President Obama, Benton. Much too easy. I strenuously object to how easy that was for you to spout.
Obama is what he is and it is up to us to see this and to deal with it. Yes he gives excellent speeches, he’s bright and much better than the other side’s choices but don’t read into him what he’s not. He’s not progressive like Kucinich he’s mainstream. He was after all taken from the back bench in 2004 and brought into the limelight. In the primaries he was allowed to run against Hillary to give the appearance of choice. The simple fact is that the money was on both of these horses and on the Republicans too. The powers behind the scenes were going to cash a winning ticket regardless.
A critical evaluation of the first 10 months would indicate that Obama has done everything to prevent meaningful change. The two biggest items (meaning money) are Wall Street and the MIC. Nothing, absolutely nothing has been changed in those two areas. Now there can be changes around the edges but not in the Government’s submission to Wall Street and the MIC. Notice that Gates remains on board with no substantive changes in the relationship between the Executive Branch and the Pentagon. Notice that Obama’s economic advisor and Treasury Secretary are simply Wall Street’s consigliores.
The health care debacle has dragged on for months and who knows what kind of battered, compromised abomination will finally be settled upon. This is not how effective leadership works. This is how compromised or ineffectual leadership works.
Let's deal with our politicians the same way we are treating the War-Lords in Afghanistan. Discussions, persuasion, voting, none of this seems to work. What's the price for your loyalty? There is a sum out there, and I wish someone would figure out how much it is, that every Republican and every Democrat would vote to pass the Health Bill. OK, let's try it their way: how much will it cost to have you vote our way? Obviously the piddling amounts I give to the various DNCs and clones is not enough -- and let's face it, they too, are asking for bribes.
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