Today's provocative statement: If this were a dictatorship, Barack Obama could fulfill every one of

[Writer]

your ideological dreams.

DISCUSS!

[TeamJordan23]

1. I was telling my friend the other day, I would not mind a dictatorship under Obama. nm

[Clio the Leo]

3. Well unfortunately, "dictate" is one of the few words....

... he can neither spell nor knows the meaning of.

[Jim Sagle]

20. self delete

[ZombieHorde]

5. I would mind very much. nt

[LostinVA]

10. I sincerely hope you forgot the sarcasm icon

[rockymountaindem]

11. Don't be ridiculous n/t

[renate]

17. I know what you mean, I think

I trust him to make the right decisions for our country by getting input from people with all kinds of viewpoints. I trust him to have a good heart (look at what he gave up personally, in terms of wealth and self-aggrandizement, to be a community organizer). I think he would always act for the best for all, rather than for CEOs and trust-fund babies, if he were The Sole Decider.

So I wouldn't mind a dictatorship under Obama in the sense that I think he would genuinely try to do what's best for the country and not just follow a knee-jerk ideology like certain previous presidents I could name. I realize you weren't saying you think an Obama dictatorship would be the ideal form of government.

[Jim Sagle]

21. Please delete this - you're embarrassing all of us.

[ProgressIn2008]

30. I have no idea if this is sarcasm or not. Which speaks volumes. nt

[Clio the Leo]

2. ;-) NT

[ZombieHorde]

4. He is against gay marriage and for the war on drugs.

Why do people think we elected DK?

[NYC_SKP]

6. For the War on Drugs?

Care to elaborate?

[ZombieHorde]

7. Although he has stated he supports decriminalizing marijuana, he has since retracted that support.

It is usually safe to assume those who would lock up stoners are supporters of the war on drugs.

[stillcool]

15. What 'isn't' safe to assume?

Where/when/how did he 'retract' his support of decriminalizing marijuana?

[vaberella]

19. Exactly...unless the new amendments made on medical marijuana count.

But it wasn't Obama...that was congress. And correct me if I'm wrong, isn't that suggested not done yet.

[ZombieHorde]

26. Stop the Drug War dot Org has been chronicling Obama's back and forth on this subject.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle_blog/2008/feb/01/nevermind_barack_obama_wants_to_">StoptheDrugWar.org

Some of the comments are fun if you enjoy people screaming at each other over Ron Paul and Nader.

[stillcool]

27. My state just decriminalized pot this past election....

I think that it is the best way for some laws to gain traction. Start at the state level, and when enough states join on it's easier to get support to pass legislation in Congress. I don't understand why Obama would feel the need to straddle the fence on this one. Just because he has an opinion doesn't mean he is forced to act on it.

[ZombieHorde]

28. Which state is your state?

I agree with the opinions in your post. nt

[stillcool]

29. Massachusetts...

It was wonderful to hear some cops come out in favor of the law. I find it hard to believe that at this time there is opposition. Forget about the medicinal advantages. The Reagan years, with all the cocaine dumped on the country to support the Contras was so fucked up, in so many ways, but I find it hard to believe that anyone living and breathing in the 80's could possibly have an objection to pot.

[vaberella]

18. He's not against gay marriage.

Do you know Jeremiah Wright advocated for Gay Rights? Actually he created a singles night in his church for gay couples. Obama was a supporter of the church for what it did in the community and the rights it supported of the people. Yes, Obama has said that "marriage" is for the man/woman. But he supports fully and has said several times that he believes in Civil Unions. Civil Unions are basically "marriage". That's what it is. Basically anyone who does this bullshit "marriage" thing has to do a civil union, ie they need to go to their Courthouse and get their marriage certificate so they can do that "church" or minister followed "marriage", but basically they were married already by law. So Obama fully supports the Gays to "marriage" he just uses language to keep the more conservative idiots shut.

[Bluenorthwest]

22. If he supports marriage equality

he should say so. It is insulting for you to play semantic games with my family's rights and money. You do not understand the law, and your John McCain air quotes around "marriage" don't change that. Sorry.
Civil Unions are not marriage. Period. And Obama recently picked Kaine to head the Party, and Kaine opposes civil unions as well. So that makes Obama's support of civil unions weak and highly questionable. He has said so many different things, who knows what he means.

And in case you have not noticed, Rev Wright is not the President. Cheap.

[Flying Dream Blues]

31. With all due respect...I think or at least what I hope is meant is that

in this country, the recognized form of marriage for purposes of anything to do with government for ANYONE of any orientation will be a civil union. Once you have that paper, you are married in the eyes of the government, with all the civil rights that entails. After that, you are free to have that marriage sanctified (or not, as you please) by the church of your choice. This effectively takes the CHURCH out of the business of marriage for any legal or governmental aspect. That way, no BS "morality" can get in the way of civil rights, and would be a much better system in our country, providing the division between church and state. As it stands right now, the religious zealots think they have the right to decide who gets married. Recognize ONLY civil unions as the form of marriage for legal purposes and you end-run them. I think it's brilliant and fair, and I hope it happens soon.

Gay Rights ARE Civil Rights!
:hi:

[WinkyDink]

8. "If this...dictatorship", we'd still have Bush.

[Danger Mouse]

9. What.

What.

[eridani]

12. He doesn't need to be a dictator. All he needs to do is shitcan the Repuke compromises--

--that have made the stimulus bill far less useless. Let the shitstains rilibuster--then he could get on the bully pulpit stand and urge the public to give them hell.

[PurityOfEssence]

13. Corporatist Theocracy, even with reasonable labor laws, is still crap

I'm a capitalist, but the profit motive should not be king in every instance. We should have socialized medicine and more securities regulation, and social services should be administered secularly and by governmental agencies, instead of "private" industry.

One of the depressing parts of human nature is how deeply people long for the moment when they no longer have to think or pay attention. The agonizing horror of having to make judgments when everything's not completely cut-and-dried hounds people to hell-on-earth.

Sorry, but I'm not in the market for a deity.

[azmouse]

14. No thank you to any dictator.

I like my country's style of government (imperfect though it may be) as it is.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

16. My chief ideological dream happens to be opposition to dictatorship. Discuss.

[rug]

23. No, it wouldn't, there would be revolution.

[Peacetrain]

24. Oh Lord...

That is the right wing wet dream...

[yurbud]

25. this implies that the only way he can get things done is with GOP support, which is false

and if Democrats stray from the fold, they deserve a good bitch-slapping.

Unfortunately, the Democratic Congressional leadership seems to only give that slap to progressives who disagree with the GOP.