Mr. President, you've lost my respect. You’ve lost my admiration. You’ve lost my vote.

[Cyrano]

I'm disappointed with you. I'm saddened by you. I am angry that I believed in the hope you promised us, and then turned your back on us.

As that lady at a town hall meeting said, “I’m tired of defending you.”

You asked us to be patient. Patience doesn’t include being repeatedly sold out.

You promised us change. But you didn’t mention it was change for the worse.

You implicitly asked for our trust. And then you betrayed us.

I have no idea how you view your performance in office. And I no longer care.

Please step aside in 2012 and allow us to vote for someone who will stand up for us.

You held out to us the dream of greatness. Yet, you’ve become a small, pathetic man. And nothing saddens me more than that.

[canadianbeaver]

1. This canadian agrees with your points.....sadly. eom

[LaloBorges]

105. So...who are you going to vote for?

Sarah Palin?
Mitt Romney?
or any other Republican?

Go for it...all the idiots that decided to vote for republicans in November they did to punish who, what? Give more to the republicans even though some of the agenda that Obama had and has not been able to get through is the republicans fault but, go ahead, keep throwing crap at this President, go ahead and punish him...

What a bunch of bull people!

If you are upset then send letters to the White House, tell them what you want, what you think, but stop throwing so much crap which only helps to fuel the ignorant (and we know who those are) and make things more difficult for Obama.

He is not perfect, and I am also upset and disappointed about some things he has done and some others he has not done, but I know the alternative, one we will have to live with for two more years (the republicans), is much worst.

So please tell us, which candidate do you have have your eyes on for 2012? Not voting is not an option, and although unfortunate, voting for an independent is a vote for the republicans.

I don't mean that we need to support everything Obama does like the repubs did when Bush was in office, but don't throw Obama under the bus because all you are doing is throwing yourself.

Have people forgotten that we are in this mess because of the republicans?

[NaturalHigh]

131. So your solution is to gripe all we want but be sure to get out there and vote for Obama.

Your "so who are you going to vote for" meme is getting old.

By the way, Not Voting is an option. That's the one I'm leaning toward for 2012.

[joshdawg]

343. Not voting, like you are advocating, is

a vote for republicans. Doesn't make sense to not vote.

[Maraya1969]

386. Please READ

http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com /

I am also very frustrated but you cannot say that Obama has done nothing. The particular things that mean a great deal to me have not been accomplished but think of this:

At least the Dems and Obama are trying in the face of a large group of people who just want them dead and say "NO" to everything. And Obama is not a dictator and needs the approval of the Houses to sign into law.

AND there is health care. It is not everything I wanted but it is the first time in 45(?) years that it got passed.

Pissing on him is playing right into the hands of the Republicans who have had a smear campaign going on against him since he took office. You are helping them get a Republican into the Presidency by talking like this.

[joshdawg]

419. No, I'm not talking about getting a Republican

into office. You made the statement about not voting. The right-wingers turn out in force. Just look at the last national election and see all the loonies who got into office. A lot of Democrats didn't vote because they were like you, disappointed in the performance of Obama and the rest of the Dem lawmakers. If you don't vote for a Democrat(and Obama is still a hell of a lot better choice than ANY right-winger), chances are that a republican will gain office. Do you really want that to happen?
Not voting is not an option.

[Maraya1969]

458. I did't look just yet but I am

ot abot ot votig, (missig a letter right ow shit). I will vote Democratic always.

[obxhead]

154. I will vote for another Dem in the primary

if one chooses to run against him.

If Obama is in the general election I will vote 3rd party or simply not vote.

I don't care about all the Palin fearmongering that goes on here. It hasn't worked for me with any other issue or person the tactic has been used for and it will not work in your attempt to make me vote Obama in 2012 either. I suggest you try a more productive tactic in trying to get Obama's base energized.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

189. +1

:hi:

[GoCubsGo]

383. IF there is a primary.

I have yet to hear anyone say they're running against him. Just saying...

[piratefish08]

385. +1

same here.

[StreetKnowledge]

195. Oh do I hate this argument.

"He is not perfect, and I am also upset and disappointed about some things he has done and some others he has not done, but I know the alternative, one we will have to live with for two more years (the republicans), is much worst.

So please tell us, which candidate do you have have your eyes on for 2012? Not voting is not an option, and although unfortunate, voting for an independent is a vote for the republicans.

I don't mean that we need to support everything Obama does like the repubs did when Bush was in office, but don't throw Obama under the bus because all you are doing is throwing yourself."

So in other words, keep on voting for the guy who says he's with us and then tosses us under the bus within days of inauguration? America is headed for third world status and massive civil violence anyways. I'd rather know my enemy than elect a person who sells us out. And you know what the better option would be? Making sure Obama is NOT our nominee in 2012. WE CAN do that, you know.

[defendandprotect]

262. + 1 --

[TheEuclideanOne]

393. I thing that the mass civil violence comes many years later

We can go down the path of the corporations getting richer and the rich getting richer and the poor remaining poor for generations. At a certain point, the rich will all have to hire bodyguards because the poor are angry and violent and there is a whole lot of them. It does not happen immediately, though.

I think that your argument points our why so many people are angry. When Bush was ruining the country, we could at least hold out hope that once the country is no longer under the control of his administration, that things would change. Obama was the cavalry. You know that he "gets it" based on what he ran on. So what happens when the cavalry comes, but does the same thing the enemy has been doing? I think gives a feeling of hopelessness because who can come to our rescue now? (sorry, not meaning to get melodramatic).

There is also another very important element of the argument that you dislike so much. It is about feeling like you are being played. In part, I believe the Obama Administration has taken the position that they know that democrats will not vote for Republicans, so they can do what they want. After all, they can fail on all levels, but "Who are you going to vote for?" Sarah Palin? But they learned recently that this strategy lost them many different seats. His supporters did not vote for the crazies, they just did not vote.

I have not been keeping track, but it has probably been about 2 months (maybe 1) where I have been able to say something positive about Obama. Sad.

[MissDeeds]

400. Well said

It's pathetic that some try to justify Obama by saying, "well, at least he's better than (fill in the blank)". Really, do we have to set the bar that low? "Better than" does not equate to "good enough".

Obama has lost the support of many who helped elect him. We need a primary challenger (or several challengers) or we may very well lose the WH in 2012.

[newspeak]

437. the sad thing about the mid-term elections

is that (heard it on TV) that the majority of Americans did not realize that the repukes took control of the house. Now, that says something about the public. That's why, unlike Studs Terkel, I don't have faith anymore in the american people. The powers that be THINK we are sheep and can be driven like sheep, especially with our MSM. During Little Boots, you could turn to every channel, and it was the same repetitive bullshite, over and over again. I'd be worried about the media picking your candidate--if they have little negative to say or "catapulting" the propaganda, like everyone wants to have a beer with the next moron--I'd steer clear from voting for them.

If they're repeating over and over again about the cost of a haircut or someone is screaming, then I think I'd look closer at that candidate as a potential runner.

[Maraya1969]

463. READ THIS:

http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/

Have you ever read about his accomplishments?

[Name removed]

210. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[vduhr]

217. I agree with you completely....

All of these people who didn't vote in November and are complaining about Obama...? HELLO...we weren't voting for Obama in November, we were voting for holding on to the majority of the House of Reps and Senate! WTF people! So what did you accomplish by staying home? You made it even more difficult for anything to get done in favor of the people and added fuel to the fire of the Republican arrogance. Every time I hear a damned Republican tout that "the American people have spoken", I want to puke. You helped remove the one person that was good for the House of Reps - Nancy Pelosi and put John Boehner in her place for God's sake! How does that help anything??? You set us back for who knows how long now because you have taken away what little power we had gained by being the majority. The Reps and Senators that have actually worked so hard, and stood up on the floor and spoke for us, now have less ability to get done what you want. The President does not have complete control of the country, that is why the government is set up the way it is. The Executive Branch is separate from the Legislative Branch. Do you honestly think we would have gotten even the Health Reform we did get if Dems did not have the majority? We would have gotten NOTHING...N O T H I N G! Now the Republicans, whom you gave more power to are going to repeal even that, AND NOTHING WILL BE LEFT TO BUILD FROM. You knocked the foundation we were trying to build right out from under us. Then you say you will vote third party or not at all in 2012? Then you might as well figure that the Republicans will be running and ruining this country for a very long time. Seems Republicans are not the only ones that have a short-term memory I guess. And please, if you don't vote, you shouldn't get to complain about what will happen after that. Hell, if you didn't vote this time, you shouldn't get to complain either. No matter what you have to choose from, you have to choose what is the best available and try to build from there, otherwise you are doing nothing. I'm getting really tired of these, jump-on-the-band-wagon, mutual criticism Obama threads too!

[Historic NY]

232. K&R

[Kajsa]

245. +1

n/t

:thumbsup:

[rpannier]

278. Wow, your first two lines are something I agree with wholeheartedly

All of these people who didn't vote in November and are complaining about Obama...? HELLO...we weren't voting for Obama in November, we were voting for holding on to the majority of the House of Reps and Senate!

I said that to people back in September and October -- not just DUers, but others.
I can understand people who were represented by Bobby not-so-Bright being disenchanted, but there were a lot of good, smart people who lost their seats.

I guess disenchanted with Obama trumped voting for someone who did a pretty good job

[Kall]

285. Um

Do you honestly think we would have gotten even the Health Reform we did get if Dems did not have the majority? We would have gotten NOTHING...N O T H I N G! Now the Republicans, whom you gave more power to are going to repeal even that, AND NOTHING WILL BE LEFT TO BUILD FROM.

You didn't get health reform, you got the Mitt Romney health care bill. Obama even came out and said that was his goal a few weeks ago. If you wanted that, Mitt Romney could have given it to you. And then you could have scorned it as the corporate giveaway that it was because a Republican President passed it, and Democrats wouldn't have soiled hands from passing the piece of corporate crap. There's nothing to build on from it - it ain't Social Security, where a government program was established to provide a social responsibility to people. It's a mandate to buy a private financial product. And you've probably noticed, they're not exactly building on even Social Security to make it better these days.

"Nothing" would have been an improvement, because the private insurance industry is the entire problem and you just entrenched it. Have you apologized to one of the people who stood in opposition to it for castigating them as unsatisfiable political neophytes because if you didn't pass the Senate health care bill, they personally wanted 30 million people to drop dead, and if this miserable health care bill wasn't passed Democrats would LOSE THE HOUSE OMG OMG OMG.

"We are tired of watching as year after year, candidates offer up detailed health care plans with great fanfare and promise, only to see them crushed under the weight of Washington politics, and drug and insurance lobbying, once the campaign is over." -- Barack Obama, 2008 edition, talking about his health care plan that had no individual mandate, a public option, drug reimportation, bulk pharmaceutical purchases for Medicare, and no tax on health care benefits.

By the way, the Republicans can't repeal it unless The Great Invertebrate signs the repeal. And the Republicans aren't going to repeal it. Their insurance industry donors don't want them to.

[ThomCat]

301. Exactly! Obama passed the Republican health care bill.

He has even come out and admitted that he ran with the Republican proposal, instead of any Democratic proposal, because he was trying to show the republicans that their ideas were welcome.

If republicans had been in charge the bill would have been almost the same. There would have been a few changes in on covered benefits lists, a few changes in numbers. But the bill would have been essentially the same.

The big difference is that the many of the people who love this bill, and swear it is the greatest thing ever would hate it and would be attacking it every single day as the worst piece of legislation ever written. They've already shown that they only judge laws and policy based on whether or not it comes from a democrat or a republican. If it comes from a D it's golden, but the exact same law or policy from an R is evil. What a warped way to think. :(

[Fruittree]

350. Actually if the republicans had been in charge

there likely would not have been a bill. It may not have everything everyone wants but it's going to help some of us.

[newspeak]

432. yes, it would still have been passed even by a majority of repukes

I really believe it is all kabuki theater. After all, the bill bails out the corporate insurance industry. Of course, they would have taken out any regulatory measure on the health industry, allowing them to be the greedy sociopathic pigs they are. I always say if the corporations could take your money without providing any service or merchandise, they would. It's all about profit and wall street.

Of course, I may talk down about corporations, especially global corporations, but I have no problem with corporations who actually care about their employees, the environment, their communities and don't mind abiding by regulations. Having said that, there are very few corporations today that fit in that category.

[BenzoDia]

378. Wrong, the Republican bill did not have a mandate and was planning to use

PCIPs to cover people with pre-existing conditions, whereas the Dem bill allows them to get insurance through private insurers along with the healthy (which would be paid for by the mandate).

Also, Obama's bill will provide funding for pilot programs for states to experiment with different kinds of health programs. That will open up the opportunity for states to try out single payer systems. This is important, b/c progressive states will take advantage of this. And when they succeed, others will follow.

Obama's bill is not the end of the Health Care reform. It is only the beginning.

Everyone, let's stick together on this, or the Republicans will cock block it all.

[TheEuclideanOne]

395. The Obama administration is making it almost impossible to stick together on this.

The program that you mention sounds like a phenominal idea. Your post is the first place where I have ever heard of that program, though. It is maddening how poor the administration is on promoting what they have accomplished. It is like Obama laid down a mandate at the beginning of his administration swearing everybody to secrecy on the things that he has accomplished. The results of that are very predictable as we are seeing.


And..... Welcome to DU!!!!

[ChiciB1]

415. Yeah, That Idea Holds Water. Seems Like THEY Were Going To Re-Visit

NAFTA too! Gee, when IS THAT going to happen?? Don't hold your breath about "fixing" HCR! I'm not.

[sendero]

359. It's astounding..

.. .how many people fall for the old bait and switch. Bush was a master at it, and Obama seems to have learned the technique well.

To call HCR or the Financial reform package any kind of success is LUDICROUS.

[ChiciB1]

413. IMO, We didn't Get Anything WORSE That We Already Had! Mr. Compromiser

has made sure of THAT! Sorry, I simply don't agree with you about voters who stayed home. HE HAD the younger vote, but THEY stayed away. Their FIRST foray into politics SHOWED them it didn't make ONE DAMN bit of difference. They felt burned & spurned... so they said SCREW IT!

How do I KNOW THIS?? My grandson, who just started college let me know what THEY were saying. THEY were among some of the MOST disappointed! His very first time to vote and we GOT THIS??

Sorry, not only does what you say not hold water with me, it doesn't hold water with too many, many others. People are turning against OBAMA in DROVES! I see it more and more HERE every day and at other blogs too! Not to mention the people I talk to all the time!

TOO many have HAD IT and OBAMA simply doesn't seem to GET IT! WHEN is he going to LEAD is the very basic question most ask! No, he doesn't control the CONGRESS, but he MOST certainly could and should make it known if VERY clear terms that he WILL NOT stand for what the Repukes are rolling him on! He COULD stand for what "his base" really wanted from him, but HE IS NOT!

NUFF said for now!

[vduhr]

431. First, I really hate it when people...

say it must be so because I know someone, who knows someone, who said...

Second, you don't get it. Staying home and not voting is simply not the answer, regardless of how many people you can come up with that did not vote for the reason that they are dissappointed (especially when they have only voted once in their lives). So they didn't get the candidate they thought they would get. And again, the election in November was not to re-elect Obama - that election is in 2012. The rationale for not getting out and voting in November and handing the majority over to the Republicans because you are mad at Obama is just not there. You ever hear of the saying "Two wrongs don't make a right"? If you don't get what you want, you don't take your toys and go home in a huff. It's just stupid.

[ChiciB1]

452. Pfft! I VOTED... THEY DIDN'T I CAN'T MAKE THEM! Obama LOST THEM! n/t

[Name removed]

238. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[quarbis]

259. Where were you 2001-2009?

Any republican actually be better???? I know not possible.

[TroglodyteScholar]

286. Welcome...

...and enjoy your stay.

[quarbis]

409. I've been here since 2001.

I don't normally post unless I feel it's important.

[JDPriestly]

270. Maybe Bernie Sanders would have a chance since by 2012

the TeaBaggers will have revealed how bankrupt their solutions to our problems are.

[newspeak]

438. I saw Bernie Sanders on TV the other night

my first thought was "I wish he'd take a run for president", I'd vote for him in a heartbeat.

[MrMickeysMom]

282. I'll tell you what I've been trying to do before deciding...

Frankly, I've written the letters... plenty of them. I've also called the WH operator and and other cabinet members. I'm going to cut and paste from a previous post here to explain what I've done in order to understand this president, something my husband continually tells me I need not do, since he is living up to what he thought he would do all along..

I've been trying to finish Lincoln (Team of Rivals, Doris Kearns book, really good) and started reading Ravi Batra's book on Alan Greenspan this holiday.

1) Batra's book makes clear explanations of how the tax code and pay as you go programs like Social Security have been gutted. Madness comes over me with his ability to make good clear explanations of how Greenspan/Reagan/Bush have been punching the little guys since 1981, in particular 1983, then 1990, when they started really breaking the law to serve themselves.

2) I've been reading Lincoln to TRY to understand if there is something Barack Obama knows that must be SO far above what I see in his actions... SOMETHING, ANYTHING that would be better understood by me when explained in the genius of Lincoln's ability to pull together what he did, sacrifice what he did and accomplish what he did. I do this because of the craziness and need to find reason, plus, I know the President has been an avid reader of Lincoln.

So, in the midst of the all reading, I say to myself, "How come he doesn't act like Lincoln?" When I see the rules long broken by congress in the flattening of the income tax brackets and gutting of the middle class so well explained by Batra's book, it hits me - Mr. Obama wants the same job security, too. It's just not ours...

Listen, if you think "this mess" was all due to Republicans, then by all means, do a little reading (referenced, accurate and clear, Batra's book would be good.

Members of congress have rolled over and given us hurt over and over and over again. You want to know why so many independents can't stand D's or R's?

Then, read it and weep... ;(

[FedUp_Queer]

289. Male Cow Excrement

You know...how about we take stock. What exactly has Obama changed?

Iraq? Still there (and torturing...at least according the DOD's own reports from WikiLeaks docs).

Afghanistan? Still there and escalating; more drone attacks.

Wall Street bailouts? Still there.

Foreclosures? Still there, no marked improvement.

Health care? No public option. No medicare for all. Forced to buy what the insurance companies are selling. (Yes, a few good crumbs.)

Gitmo? Still open. Indefinite detention, Bagram expanding.

Warrantless wiretapping? Still happening. NOW, the government should be immune from suit according to this President...oh, and he's defending Ashcroft as IMMUNE FROM SUIT.

Tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires? You betcha....oh, but let's freeze government workers' pay.

DADT? Still there. Let's face it, it ain't going anywhere.

DOMA? Never even got that off the ground, never even got to start.

Wall Street v. Main Street? Three words: Geithner, Summers and Rubin.

For all those people saying: "Oh we can't POSSIBLY vote for the GOP because, my gosh, it's so much worse. Really? What's "so much worse?" No, the time for letters and phone calls has passed. The time for pitchforks and torches and million standing at the gates of the White House, the Congress, the New York Stock Exchange has come. I'm no talking violence. I'm talking striking the fear of God into the powers that be. We need to make them fear US for once. Truly, there is no choice. What exactly IS the difference between now and two years ago? A few things, yes. But on all the big stuff, the fundamentals, there ain't a damns bit of difference.

Oh, and we can NOT forget the story today that the WikiLeaks docs show: Obama worked with Bush people to squelch any torture investigation. Vote, my ass. For what?

[joshdawg]

344. I agree with you.

The only thing worse than having a bunch of know-nothing republicans in office, is to have a bunch of idiot republicans in charge, which the House of Representatives will have come January. (shudder)

I'm not completely satisfied with Obama, but the alternative is mentally unstable. Palin? Any republican?

[avebury]

372. Obama needs to step up

The only way that Obama has any chance of succeeding is to take on the Republicans and Tea Baggers head on and show the nation how bad they will be for the country. He needs to get a massive groundswell of the voters on his side. He needs to stop being such a wuss and take back control. The Democrats in Congress need some discipline to work together against the Republicans. I would like to see Alan Grayson be given some kind of role in taking on the Republicans and Tea Baggers and organizing the Democrats. He make a great enforcer.

[toppertwot]

420. SEND LETTERS TO THE WHITEHOUSE?

I did that for two years hand running and they never ever addressed any topic presented, and Obama only got worse & worse! Obama is BUSH LIGHT! I gave up, and I am a 73 year old honest & true life long Yeller Dog Democrat, but I do NOT want any more of this Obama crap-ola. I too would like to see another Democrat run for President.

[Phlem]

444. Seriously?

That's the only other option ever!?

Not in a million years would I and I'm guessing 99% of educated Democrats would ever do.

That's a tired annoying response.

Try again.

-p

[Riverman]

450. No, Not in the Mess Because of Republicans, it is the predatory system

of the banksters and their funded republican and democratic puppets put in office to represent their self-interests in greater and greater confiscatory takings from the rest of us. And oh how they are so good at that, while we argue over why the people we elected turn their backs on us, as they empty our wallets, bank accounts,workplaces and neighborhoods!

[DimplesinMI]

121. K/R...........

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[Mhak]

164. It hurts to say that I agree. But I do.

I hoped above all else that I was voting for someone who would stand up and FIGHT against the corporatism that bleeds the middle and lower class dry, and then discards them. I wanted to see the change he promised, I wanted to see him force GE and Exxon to pay the taxes that they didn't pay at all last year, forcing the grunts of society like myself to pick up their slack. Me, a guy who makes less than $50k a year, picking up the slack of companies who make billions.

I had hoped Obama would put a stop to that. But he hasn't. He's lied down like a beaten dog whenever the Republicans bark loud enough. The worst part is that my only other choices in 2012 are going to be the beasts themselves, who want to look me in the face as they steal the little money that I work hard for. This country is breaking my spirit day by day.

[JDPriestly]

272. The only candidates who were willing to take on the corporations

were Kucinich and Edwards. Those were the choices. Maybe we can talk Kucinich into running again. He might have a better chance this time.

[elzenmahn]

297. How 'bout Feingold?

He's available...

[MrsCorleone]

325. "the only candidates who were willing to take on the corporations were

Kucinich and Edwards."

Lol! :rofl:

I wonder how fast you would have turned on Kucinich. Days, weeks, 23 months? :rofl:

[Jester Messiah]

382. I hear that. Nothing quite so sad as "what might have been." [nt]

[Maraya1969]

379. DUPE

http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/

[leftstreet]

2. I doubt he was planning a 2nd term n/t

[indepat]

49. Just what my bad dream screamed

[politicalmajority]

149. I Am Sure Obama Is Looking for a Corporate Director Job Starting in 2012.

We can abandon Obama with no guilty feeling. He abandoned us even before we elected him in 2008.

[thanks_imjustlurking]

158. I wouldn't know whether to feel vindicated or ill. nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

173. Probably already signed sealed and delivered.

:puke:

[SammyWinstonJack]

170. Ever!

[Skink]

3. All I know is I thought I wasn't voting for Alan Simpson.

[tomp]

358. excellent point! his appointment showed obama's true colors.....

.....and intentions. as, i might add, did his embrace of colin powell before the election, and as did his vote against holding the telecoms accountable for their illegal activities re wiretapping.

obama is a NOT stealth republican. he is a democrat, and for the most par,t colluding with republicans is what democrats do. obama is just less artful about it than most. absolutely transparent.

[truebrit71]

4. Worse than that, he's proven his critics right. Pretty speeches and bugger all else...

...

[sharp_stick]

5. The number of recs

this tripe gets is kind of sad.

[krawhitham]

10. Yep Yep, but that is what DU is turning into

[shireen]

102. what is DU turning into?

really. spell it out.

[bluestate10]

133. Where there is little discussion of policy and alternatives.

There seem to be several camps in DU. Moderates like myself, vastly outnumbered. Liberals, a surprisingly small representation, Far left liberals, seems like the majority. And extreme far left, a small, but vocal group.

I came to this forum for a mature discussion of policy and alternative policy. I have not seen that dynamic take place.

[Subdivisions]

186. self-delete. n/t

[shireen]

322. There's room in DU for serious policy discussions as well as emotional expressions.

There's been a lot of substantive discussion about the Obama presidency, from just about all perspectives. But not all threads need to be serious policy discussions. Sometimes, people just need to let off steam, like this OP. There are many pro-Obama posts without policy discussions here as well from people showing their support for the president. Personally, i tend to be respectful of those threads, and don't respond negatively--they deserve to have their say too.

[StarsInHerHair]

326. so what basic tenets make one a "far left liberal"?

I really want to know about the 'unreasonable goals' of the "far left".

[Art_from_Ark]

375. My understanding of "far left liberal" in today's usage

is a rather denigrating reference to someone who probably would have been a "mainstream" or maybe "slightly left" Democrat back in the '60s and '70s. I imagine that people like Frank Church and Mike Mansfield would probably have been called "far left liberals" today. The "unreasonable goals" seem to be a reference to the kind of society we were on the verge of having if Bobby Kennedy had been allowed to live and become President back in 1968.

[wisteria]

388. OH, I agree, it seems we have a whole vocal group that should be at FDL.

I support our President, and I am mature enough to understand that I can't always get everything the way I want it. Compromising is what moves things forward. Now, I realize that it appears the Republican's don't seem to compromise, and they get what they want, but this isn't always true and our Democrats are a mixed lot, who do not know how to frame issues and gain the support of the public on Democrat issues, and this makes it easy for the Republicans to not have to compromise.
The President is the President of all the people in the United States and he has to answer to them all-not just the "disappointed" group here at DU.

[derby378]

480. There's compromise, and then there's apostasy

We should not put so much stock in the alleged transformative healing power of compromise. Compromising with the Nazis resulted in the occupation of the Sudetenland and the invasion of Poland. How did that work out for everyone?

[SlimJimmy]

430. Agreed. The moderate Democrats on this forum are a minority that

is denigrated on a regular basis.

[JamesA1102]

436. Ain't that the truth! NT

[newspeak]

441. yeah, and FDR and Wellstone democrats

must be the far left democrats. I've seen what Clinton's policies have done to this country--for God's sakes I voted for him to stop NAFTA-GATT, which was poppy's baby. Everything from stopping the Iran contra BCCI corruption, elimination of the fairness doctrine, the telecommunications act, the deform welfare bill happened under Clinton. Now, it's the same damn thing. All I have to look at is his choosing of those who were going to be the main players to straighten out this corrupt economic mess, and what I see is Goldman Sachs, big time.

So is being a moderate now, like an old republican? Or is being a "new democrat" like an old republican? I'm kind of confused.

[SlimJimmy]

468. FDR was very close to being a socialist in policy, I would classify President Clinton

as a very successful Democratic president, and a moderate. I wish we had him back. And good luck with trying to call President Clinton a Republican. That made me laugh out loud.

[StarsInHerHair]

505. Clinto could be called both a moderate GOP and moderate Dem

he's right where the two parties met, and I imagine Obama is chasing that false dream now.

[creon]

380. To be expected

The disenchantment is to be expected, as Congress and the WH did not get the results that the country required.

The economy - jobs - come first. We needed a big stimulus and did not get it.

Second, was strong financial reform. We did not get it.

People were angry and afraid in Jan 2009 and people remain angry and afraid.

[UrbScotty]

18. Agreed.

[Cyrano]

20. The number of times you will defend the indefensible may be even sadder.

[MNBrewer]

24. Rec for complaining about recs

[Bobbie Jo]

32. It's sad, alright.

Sad...among other things.

The echo chamber gets louder by the day.

[CakeGrrl]

75. No kidding, but I'm sure the OP's ego is bolstered by all the co-signing

at calling the President "small" and "pathetic".

I'd love to see some of these people get the chance to say what they say here to his face.

:puke:

[Subdivisions]

84. '...these people...'?

I'll tell it to his face.

Indeed, I told him to his face that I believed in him.

He let me down. And I'd tell him that to his face given the chance.

[liberation]

100. Funny ain't it?

Scratch the skin of these so-called "moderates" and the glorious reactionary comes through... lockstep marching and whistle tone included.

[CakeGrrl]

150. Whistle tone? Have you SEEN me? I think not.

:rofl:

But pronouns aren't always dogwhistles. To clarify for you, I meant "the people who lavish adjectives like 'small', 'weak', 'pathetic', 'wimp' and so on" on the President. Not that that should have been rocket science to figure out, but misinterpretation seems to be the fuel of many argumentative posts around DU lately.

[nckjm]

165. So, what's your "sleep" factor?

I think it comes down to one's sleep factor (assuming you've heard of this term used regarding financial investment). I do think your sliding scale is probably a good one. If one goes to bed with a full belly, money in the bank, good health (and good health insurance if one's good health should falter), a good job, discretionary cash flow at the end of the month....all these things make for a good sleep factor. And would make it fairly easy to be a moderate. Would you describe MLK as a moderate? Women who fought for the right to vote, were they moderates? Were they "liberals"...were they "far left" liberals, maybe even "extreme" liberals? I'm living in a war zone...the sleep factor is pretty poor in my corner of the USA. The Repub/Bush/Democratic/Moderate "bomb" hit my neighbor's house last month (he and his family now live in their car)...tomorrow it might hit my house. I'd say I'm feeling fairly "extreme". And I don't have time nor energy to waste on the current "small", "weak", "pathetic" wimpy President I once believed in.

[CakeGrrl]

257. Mine? Not great on paper.

I'm unemployed at the moment, as a temporary project got tabled for lack of funds. I'm interviewing for another.

In this time window, I'm technically without health coverage.

So no - I can't "afford" to sit back and not be concerned with the state of the economy or our political landscape, if that's what you're getting at.

But I'm not to the point of railing to fellow keyboard warriors on a message board. That accomplishes nothing but wailing at the wailing wall. Maybe it's cathartic in the short term, but changes nothing.

[liberation]

253. ... Projection being what it is.

your post would not work as well without the misrepresentation of what I wrote.

LOL

[CakeGrrl]

266. Sorry for any confusion. I think I'd best leave this thread anyhow

A lot of bad juju in the air.

[Cyrano]

87. As the OP, I would welcome the opportunity to say these things to

the President's face. Evidently, no one around him has had the temerity to inform him that he's well down the road to a failed presidency that can only be surpassed by that of the previous occupant of the Oval Office.

As far as my ego being boosted by recommends, I couldn't give a rats ass. I have no interest in showing up on the front page, the back page, or as a sidebar. I have opinions, as do you. I express them. Some agree and some don't. I make no assumptions about you and I would appreciate it if you didn't make presumptions as to what bolsters my ego.

Further, it gives me no pleasure to call the man I believed in and voted for, "small and pathetic." It took me until now to arrive at my current beliefs of his character. I really believed I was voting for a man who was endowed with greatness. It seems I was mistaken.

[BigBearJohn]

345. disgusting, isn't it?

[Forkboy]

96. Upon meeting the President some of us would do more than ask him to sign an autograph.

[Daemonaquila]

302. Still one difference left...

If I met Shrub, I'd probably spit in his face.

If I met Obama, I'd shake his hand and politely ask him to not run in 2012.

[tomg]

110. I have been a democrat for forty years.

i have never voted Republican, not once. I have worked in prisons. I was a draft resister who faced a serious jail term in the anti-war movement. My wife is a union rep and a teacher. My mom, back in the real day, walked a picket line. My aunt fought McCarthy. My grandfather - and this goes way back - was union. My brother is a union rep lawyer.

I would say it to President Obama's face. I would say "We believe in you. Step up to the plate." I would do it respectfully, but as of now, I would do it with sorrow. I still hope to God he realizes he can be great. We would have his back. If he caves on the cuts - and I don't personally have an economic horse in that race - I and so many people like me are done. I have too many friends - and yes, many of them are republicans who don't know their best interests, but they are our friends - who are hurting. President Obama says "I don't have the votes." We don't need the votes. We need courage. I am not a politician. i am a teacher. That is it. but I am something else.

I am the base. Use me. Or lose Me.

As Emilio Zapata said and one of my students ( whose mom and day are "illegal') reminded me today "better to die on your feet than live on your knees."

[Enthusiast]

349. Interesting.

I would tell the President that I no longer believe in him. I would tell him to prove me wrong, because I so want to believe.

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

118. Set up the schedule

I'll tell him face to face. no problem.

Small, pathetic, no balls, etc.

I'm there.

Slips his pants on the same way we do.

Prez. Obama asked us, begged us, to "hold his feet to the fire"

If he can take it, why can't you?

[tomg]

126. I looked at your post a few times.

You are assuming (at least from the implications) that what we have to say to our president, we would say gladly. That is where you are wrong, If what I am reading is correct. In Elia Kazan's film "On The Watewrfront" we have the heartbreaking line where Terry, the Marlon Brando character, says "I could have been a contender" and instead he woumd up in "palookaville." It is heartbreaking. I don't want President Obama to go there. Yes, incidentally, I know the political implications of the movie, Elian Kazan's poltics and
all that.

i still want to believe in him and in the American possibility. But I don't know how much hope I still have.

[woo me with science]

134. Why would any of us hesitate to say it to him directly?

He is supposed to be our representative, not our king.

However, your perception of the attitude we should take when approaching him (not "daring" to speak :scared:) is quite telling.

[Forkboy]

145. Plus fucking 1.

Some people act like he's royalty. I've always said there's a large portion of America that would gladly welcome a monarchy.

[Name removed]

241. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[quakerboy]

314. I think that would make everyone happy

Obama could respond in a way that satisfies the desires of his ardent supporters. And those who feel ignored could be heard in such a way that they could not claim to be frozen out of the process.

I doubt you meant it as a constructive answer to the divisions we have, but damn all if it doesn't seem to me to be a really great answer.

[ScreamingMeemie]

412. I would love a chance to say it to his face...

The blind support is what makes one :puke: Some of "those people" would cut off their own hand and eat it if Obama asked them to. That is what is truly nauseating...the dance of the sheep. Sorry. Please give us the chance to say it to his face.

[emilyg]

136. Wake up and smell the

betrayal.

[Joe Fields]

294. tripe my ass.

a leopard can only camouflage itself so long, before you can finally see it for what it is.

[tomp]

360. i, for one, am heartened by it. objection to this post is sad to me.

you don't want to make me sad, do you?

[Frank Booth]

445. Agreed.

There are plenty of reasons to be upset with Obama. This OP offers none.

The one thing that's always bugged me about DU is how melodramatic, poorly-written, pointless screeds get more attention than anything else.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. What happened?

What did I miss today? :shrug:

Perhaps it's in LBN somewhere............

[xiamiam]

228. obama leaned on spain to leave bush torture probe alone..for one

wikileaks..the rest is everyday buildup

[flyarm]

7. Glad some people are waking up to what others of us have screamed from the roof tops about! eom

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dappleganger]

90. Yes, it certainly woke me up.

Go look through my history during the elections, I was a strong Obama supporter, too.

Arne Duncan and his ilk put me over the edge.

[Joe Fields]

299. I don't really know what to say, flyarm. No one would listen to me

during the primaries. I shouted that he was an empty vessel, bought and paid for by corporations, long before the primaries were over. His deal with Excelon while he was an Illinois state senator was all the proof I needed that this man was an impostor.

I shouted many times here that this man's campaign playbook came straight from the movie "The Candidate," starring Robert Redford. No one would listen to me.

"Oh look at the shiny new object offering hope and change. WE should all vote for HIM...":puke:

I felt like a pariah during the primaries, because I still called myself a democrat, but found only DK to support for a painfully short while. No one else deserved the mantle, and I still steadfastly believe that.

I could not vote for Obama, and ended up wasting a write in vote for Al Gore, the only one qualified to be president, even though he didn't run. And Gore probably would not have gotten us out of the damned wars either.

This is one of those times where I take no comfort in being right. I just wish more people would have listened and paid closer attention.

[Jester Messiah]

384. Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.

But yes, I think even the most patient among us are getting fed up. Candidate Obama was such a fantastic orator, and oratory is key to politics. So I thought, anyway. What we really needed is a street-fighter, a leader not afraid to draw some blood. Obama is not that guy.

[flyarm]

408. believe me, nothing would make me happier than if I was 100% wrong then and now!

I would be so happy if I had been wrong, but the facts wouldn't change. Obama was a fraud then, as he is now.

I had not one doubt of that. I looked everywhere for some doubt..but I guess I am too much of a researcher and realist and the more I wanted doubt, the more I looked and the more scared I got of this guy!

Like I said , no one would want to be more wrong.

I just wish others had looked into this guys background ..they just didn't. They wanted a savior or some such bullshit. And many many Americans shirked their responsibility to the Constitution by just going along and not doing the work nessesary to be responsibilie to their obligation under the constitution.

Consequently we have a President under the flag of the Democratic party..who is more republican than most republicans!

[donco]

9. I sincerely hope that this time next year

we can look back and see how wrong you were.

[Cyrano]

46. I sincerely hope you are correct.

[Name removed]

213. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BigBearJohn]

347. Maybe we should give him 6 more years. He's bound to improve by 2016

(sarcasm)

[NorthCarolina]

82. Good luck with that.

Like they say, hope in one hand and shit in the other, see which one fills up faster.

[tomp]

361. hoping against hope, and evidence. that will not happen. it will get worse.

guaranteed.

[Abq_Sarah]

11. Political realities slap hopes and dreams in the face

No President can step into the WH and demand that the Congress obey him. President Obama knows this. Perhaps people would have been happier if he hadn't aimed so high but I don't blame him one bit for trying to push hard, even if it meant eventual compromise.

[Caliman73]

174. The problem with that is the we typically got the compromise first.

Then we got the narrative about needing to do this or that after the good of the people was taken off the table. President Obama has accomplished some things, but on those things that the middle class and working class need most, he has come up far short and it is because he has negotiated from a point of weakness. The public option should never have been taken off the table. Medicare for All should have been the rallying point. 40% of the stimulus was in tax cuts instead of infrastructure and work programs? See, those are things that the President should have been pushing and pitching. He had a ally in the House even though the Senate was a bumbling mess. It is not about Congress obeying, it is about how you frame the issue, and President Obama has typically framed the issues using center right terms thrown out by the Republicans when he has the largest pulpit from where to talk about the little people like FDR did.

[Kall]

293. When did he ever aim high?

The way he's done things for the last 2 years is to start with aiming for something ideal for Republicans (ie. aiming for the Romney health care bill, as he said himself in an interview a few weeks ago) then whittling THAT down until the final product is a pile of crap.

Or maybe he aimed high with the number of troops he sent to Afghanistan. I guess I could see that.

[newspeak]

443. except if you are darth cheney and little boots

because I saw Lincoln Chaffee on TV say that before they were even sworn in, I believe it was Cheney, had a little meeting with all of the repug congress critters and told them that there would be no compromising with the democrats. That it was going to be the Little Boots-darth cheney agenda, and that those lockstep repug congresscritters were going to take their orders from their royal majesties tweedle dee and tweedle dum. And, doggone it, that's exactly what it looked like for four years. They catapulted their agenda with help from 9/11.

[CountAllVotes]

12. when I read a post like this

I think of *.

How quickly we forget. I see you too have a very short memory.

President Obama was dealt a really crummy hand and he must play it. Who could do a better job?

I also ask this question and receive the same answer which is, "someone that knows what they are doing".

If the President of the United States doesn't know what he is doing, no one does FYI.

[bluethruandthru]

31. No one "dealt" Obama the catfood commission!

Against the sound advice of Nobel Prize winning economists he created a commission of republicans and repubs-lite to "fix" a deficit that does not need to be dealt with now.

[Carolina]

79. TOUCHE!

He avoids the Nobels (despite receiving one for peace that he surely does not deserve). Instead, those who brought the system to its knees have his ear, his cabinet posts and his favor. He is the worst!

[NaturalHigh]

135. Thank you!

I always scratch my head whenever people hate the catfood commission but are outraged when someone criticizes Obama.

[Name removed]

363. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Toucano]

39. Obama asked for the job. He knew the nation was in a shit storm.

I think he overestimated his preparedness.

[Name removed]

111. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wildbilln864]

172. I think ...

you are projecting!

[RaleighNCDUer]

196. Rahm was Obama's choice. As were Geitner, Summers, and Holder.

And Arne Duncan.

He does know exactly what he's doing. And it's not what we elected him to do.

[tinrobot]

310. Why is he giving in to the same people who dealt him that crummy hand?

I can't think of any good reasons.

[Iggo]

337. He's one of them.

There's a good reason.

[StarsInHerHair]

329. why? to win the presidency is just a popularity contest, it's not

like the DMV where you have to pass tests. It's an office that is bought & not earned, whoever can reach out to the most voters and is charismatic-that doesn't make them smart, look at Palin-she's charismatic to some on the Right.

Obama's campaign staff seemed to have the solutions, they seemed to have the answers and he fired them when he got into office. Perhaps we should look there.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ProSense]

14. "Please step aside in 2012 and allow us to vote for someone who will stand up for us."

:rofl:

[Kaleva]

40. That one sentence turned the entire OP into a comedy piece.

[Cyrano]

48. You find humor in our unemployed, our devastated country, and

the hopelessness that exists among so many?

Obama was not the cause of this. Yet, I am amazed by those who fail to see that he is (intentionally or not) continuing the failed policies that got us here.

I fail to see comedy in the suffering of so many.

[dionysus]

58. no, just the OP.

:rofl:

[Greyhound]

97. Yes. Until it hits them in the face it's all just a game.

It's like the macho-man that declares he would "kill anybody that fucked with me". When the opportunity presents itself they find the acting much harder than the threatening.

[Kaleva]

188. I find comedy in the fact that the President Obama bashers are so few in number

that the only way they can possibly field a candidate that would have a chance at winning the primary is for President Obama to decide not to run.

[Forkboy]

279. Does an opposing candidate have to win to damage Obama?

Just wondering how far these laughs take you?

[Joe Fields]

304. I would like to know how old you are, when you first started following

politics, and how deeply you research issues, events, policy decisions, etc...

Are you up for a real debate with someone actually armed with facts? If so, give me your best shot.

PLease....

[Kaleva]

317. Show me you are actually armed with facts and then we'll talk.

So far, you've offered nothing.

We could debate the use of the death penalty here in the US. I'm against it as I believe some innocents have been executed, it doesn't deter capital crimes and it costs a great deal of money. I think it would be a great idea for President Obama to commute the sentence of all those currently on death row to a sentence of life imprisonment without the chance for parole.

[pecwae]

355. There are too many

who make light of and dismiss the suffering of others. Sadly, those people are not limited to conservative Republicans.

[Name removed]

404. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[asdjrocky]

78. Another neighbor just lost their house.

Funny, ain't it?

[ProSense]

114. The OP is funny as hell.

Someone lost a job today. That's not funny. The OP, on the other hand, is friggin hilarious.

[asdjrocky]

125. No, you and your defense of the indefensible is sad.

I really don't know how you do it time and time again, it cuts to the soul, it really does.

[ProSense]

138. I'm

still laughing.

[Forkboy]

146. That makes two of us, just for different reasons.

[Javaman]

399. Don't bother...

"prosense" is long known to be a defender of the indefensable. Just search some of the posters past comments and you will understand it's uselss trying to reason with the poster.

[asdjrocky]

155. That's fine.

You're very funny. I hope you're very happy with yourself.

[YOY]

461. Double plus funny, isn't it Pro?

n/t

[tallahasseedem]

176. Agreed...

fucking drama queen at it's finest.

[Caretha]

373. “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

[FiveGoodMen]

471. Then they come back at you again and again and you have to fight all over again

Not what I'd call winning.

[ChiciB1]

418. And Another Neighbor Of MINE Just Lost His Too! Also, Another Neighbor Of Mine

has a rental house that she just rented to, and THOSE people just lost their house too! They are morticians and just moved in across the street! Simply "walked away" from their home and decided it wasn't worth the trouble to fight.

The neighbor who just put his home up for a "short sale" even went to court to try to get a loan modification and was DENIED. So his realtor asked the judge if he had seen anyone getting a loan modification in this area. The judge thought for a while and said "maybe one" but HE wasn't sure it went through the complete process!

THAT'S progress we can COUNT ON!! Oh YEAH!

[bunkerbuster1]

139. I didn't think it was funny, but just painfully naive.

When we elected Obama in 2008, it was with the understanding that we'd try to get him a second term. We don't do that, we get Gooper scum in the white house.

Obama would have to do a crapload worse than he's done for me to ever want that.

[RaleighNCDUer]

204. Problem is, no matter what WE do, HE has done fuck all about

getting himself a second term.

Yeah, he's got two more years to work on it - with the House in the hands of the Republicans. Good luck with that.

[RaleighNCDUer]

201. Yeah, it is pretty absurd to think

and any mainstream Dem gives a fuck about the people that elected them.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dionysus]

17. ding ding ding

[MNBrewer]

26. I doubt you recall correctly.

[blondeatlast]

52. Zackly. nt

[Cyrano]

81. You recall incorrectly.

[Angry Dragon]

93. So if I voted for him and waited to see what happened

and did not like it.........then I can complain??

[mahina]

16. So, which issue that you feel sold out on are you working to solve locally?

I'm interested. Events, details, strategy, a link or two to organizing that you are doing would help.

I'll start...

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4846213

Publicly financed elections

http://www.pdamerica.org/

Stop the wars, health care for all, among many others.

Let's see what people are doing to fight! Anybody can throw stones, but picking them up to build something actually helps.

[UrbScotty]

19. +1

[lukasahero]

25. "Work" What is this "work" you speak of?

People here don't want to work - they want to whine.

[vduhr]

239. And it would be interesting to know.....

just how many of these whiners didn't vote in November and handed the House back to the Republicans.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

47. We can't even

get him to come to Appalachia to look at the devastation caused by Mountaintop Removal coal extraction. We can't get him to look at even ONE of the more than 500 mountains that are gone forever. We can't get him to see where even ONE of the more than one thousand miles of headwater streams used to be. We can't get him to meet with even ONE of the families poisoned by coal sludge in their ruined wells. He did come here, however, after the UBB Disaster and utter the WV Coal Association's marketing slogan for them: "Coal Keeps The Lights On."

Still, we work. We meet with officials of his administration. We go door-to-door through the halls of Congress, hats in hand, begging for a legislative remedy. Over a hundred of my friends and neighbors were arrested in front of the White House on September 27, the vast majority of them liberals/progressives, all of us BEGGING him to take decisive action to stop the attacks on our homes and communities.

That's what we're doing here in Appalachia. And still, every DAY, more than 3 MILLION pounds of high explosives rock the foundations of our homes, our schools, our churches. Every DAY, more of our water is forever ruined. Every DAY more of the oldest mountains on earth are reduced to dust and devastation.

We're not throwing stones. We're getting BOULDERS thrown at us.

[benfranklin1776]

242. Amen. Your's is a tremendously difficult struggle and it would be nice if you had some cover

Thank you though for having the courage to fight this fight as it is one of the greatest environmental and human tragedies of our lifetimes that you are working to correct and you and your group's courageous fight to end this horror is in the very best tradition of the progressive movements of our nation.

[GrpCaptMandrake]

473. Thank you kindly

The heart and soul of the issue is that it's a human rights tragedy. We're trying daily to make that clear.

The group I'm affiliated with is Coal River Mountain Watch We maintain steady pressure on the Coal Mob, but you're right: the more who stand with us, the stronger we are.

[defendandprotect]

263. Just really sad .....Mountaintop removal is shocking to most of us ....!!!!

[GrpCaptMandrake]

474. It's gratifying to know

that you know about it. Thank-you. Please tell others. Awareness is the biggest challenge. Generally speaking, folks tend to forget all too easily that Appalachian people are Americans, too.

[live love laugh]

85. Good question. The OP is all over the place without any specifics. nt

[1monster]

208. Health care for all at an affordable price was the promise. It has not been delivered.

What we got was mandatory health care for all and the price is still going up. The sky's the limit. SELL OUT! Not even the public option which was the consolation prize.

The war in Afghanistan is still going on and on and the promised evacuation of our forces there has been pushed back for at least another year and 50,000 of our "noncombat" troops are still in Iraq.

Obama's new education plans for schools, teachers, and students that sounds incredibly like the Repugs educational plan.

The failure to even investigate the criminal activities of the past administration, Pentagon, and military contractors.

I could find many, many more issues where Obama has either sold out or wimped out, but I don't have the time.

Try a little harder to find where Obama stood up for us as opposed to giving the corporate nation whatever they wanted. I'll even start for you.:


I will give credit where credit is due: Obama led the fight to get federal student loans out of the predatory hand of the banks.

[panzerfaust]

354. Oh. THOSE specifics ...

The weakest president in three generations.

[RaleighNCDUer]

211. And how is Obama working FOR those things?

He's solidifying the role of Wall Street in DC - so much for publicly financed elections. Stop the wars? We're doing well to not be attacking Iran and NK, and I wouldn't make any bets about next week. Health care for all? The POS bill left 30 million without insurance, and there are 50 million with insurance who can't afford to use it.

What other initiatives of Obamas can we bear to suppport?

[treestar]

21. this is content free, we don't know what he did wrong

And you are looking for someone else to take care of you ("us" I think is "me" - how can you speak for the rest of us). You're looking for someone else to stand up for you? And you expect the President of the United States to do it?

Our system is not like that. Daddy Castro might have done it? You were born in the wrong country.

[Cyrano]

29. Thank you for your opinon "ex-Senator Alan Simpson."

And, yes, when you heave a grenade, expect one in return.

So how about we agree to disagree, and declare a truce right now rather than waste anymore computer memory and electricity?

[Boudica the Lyoness]

57. You expect TSA

to make you safe with their security theater.

[tomp]

365. that is insanely stupid, not to mention retarded and idiotic.

opposition to obama = pro communist or pro dictatorship.

you're just plain dangerous. people like you make me think there really ought to be limits to free speech.

[BrklynLiberal]

22. ...

[FiveGoodMen]

33. In that cartoon, Lucy is Obama and Charlie Brown is his supporters

No one's pulling the football from Barack; he knows what he's doing. And it isn't representing us.

[BrklynLiberal]

35. All the interpretations of his actions result in the samething...the Middle Class, the poor,

the elderly, the unemployed, etc...are being screwed so the uber wealthy and the corporations can maintain their standards of existence.

[Cyrano]

55. Charles Schulz, the creator of "Peanuts" had an innate wisdom

that transcends any political period or ideology.

"Peanuts" was first published in 1950 and ran in thousands of newspapers through 1999. Today, many papers continue to publish "Peanuts" because it is timeless.

The world really needs more people like Charles Schulz and his beloved characters. There will always be Lucys who pull away the football. And there will always be Charlie Browns who believe she won't.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

122. And personally, i'll always want to being a charlie brown in this world then being a Lucy n/t

[Caliman73]

184. I would rather be one who learns from mistakes and changes his behaviors.

You don't have to be unrelentingly naive nor a bully. You can believe and try to see the good in people and things, but to continue to trust in something that has repeatedly deceived and damaged you is not healthy. I like Charlie Brown, but he needs to think a bit and understand who Lucy is.

[jberryhill]

224. And not listen to everyone screaming "LOSER" /nt

[jberryhill]

223. +1

[Gamey]

226. That's exactly the kind of hope and optimism which built this great country!

BTW, it's than, not then.

[Individualist]

23. K&R

[MineralMan]

27. I don't believe the President reads DU. You can email him at the

White House, though, where he's still the President of The United States. I believe I'll wait until 2012 to make my decision.

[Cyrano]

42. If the truth be known, I too will wait. Much can change in two years.

Hope springs eternal, which makes me either a fool, a dreamer, or both.

[blondeatlast]

54. Damn , that was some speedy backpedaling. nt

[Cyrano]

59. There's a difference between backpedaling and holding on to some

last vestiges of hope.

[blondeatlast]

61. I read your OP--you are backpedaling.

And FWIW, I'm a severely disppointed Obama fan--but I'm not declaring for whom I'll vote for a whle yet.

[Cyrano]

70. Believe what you will -- FWIW

[defendandprotect]

267. Much more can be destroyed in two years ....

[Dr.Phool]

43. Who you gonna vote for this time?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[MineralMan]

152. I won't be voting until 2012. How about you?

I assume that President Obama will run for another term. I will vote for him, as I did in 2008. I don't see anything funny about that.

[RaleighNCDUer]

214. That depends on if he fucks with SS.

If he does, I'm fucking done. I will not support someone who is doing me, and the country, deliberate unnecessary harm.

Of course, he still has a chance to rediscover the principles that got him elected.

[newspeak]

446. if he screws with SS

even though he appointed the cat food commission, he can now blame the repugs for passing any privatization plan or any other plan that screws retirees. That's why I did vote--I wanted a majority of democrats in both houses to see what actually "progressive" policies they'd pass for the people. There's always an excuse even when we have a majority, slim but a majority.

[FLyellowdog]

169. Today I emailed AND called him. nt

[Lorien]

258. Forget email and phone calls. Hard copy letters are the only thing that catches their attention

I have a journalist friend who said that one hard copy letter has the weight of 10,000 emails with his station managers. It's the same everywhere. Send the letter. Send several, in fact.

[Name removed]

366. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MineralMan]

470. Making it personal does nothing.

[old mark]

28. K&R.

[mstinamotorcity]

30. You vote your way

and if President Obama wants to run I will vote for him again!!!!!

[hfojvt]

34. thanks for this

A few days ago I was arguing that Obama's critics here expressed hatred of the President. That person replied that I must be looking at all criticism as hatred.

Yet here you are expressing no substantive criticism, pushing for not a signle policy proposal or against any other, but expressing plenty of contempt. Yes "you have lost my respect" "you betrayed us" "you have become a small, pathetic man" - I call that hatred.

So here you are providing a shining example proving that I was right and that the hatred you express is so far at +46 and perhaps making its way to the very front page of DU.

It's hard for me to believe that the people who post on Free Republic have less respect for him.

[BrklynLiberal]

36. Heart breaking disappointment is not the the same as hatred...

The big difference here is that those of us who agree with CP do NOT WISH the President ill. In fact,we wish him incredible success and hope that somehow, someway, things will turn around and he will be able to fulfill his promises. I do not hope that he is a one term president, but if that is how it turns out, there will be no one to blame but he, himself.
Voicing criticism and disappointment is not the same as hatred...

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cyrano]

65. Your posts really leave me speechless and I have no way to respond

to your accusations of my supposed "hatred."

Let me just say that I do not hate Obama. Beyond that, believe what you will. There is nothing more I can add to change your perception of my beliefs/motives/feelings.

[Name removed]

91. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cyrano]

147. I lost you somewhere along the 10 yard line.

But I must certainly admit you're verbose. Didn't anyone ever mention to you that "Brevity is the soul of wit"?

I dislike being called a liar (which is where I stopped paying attention) and there's probably some DU rule against it. But rather than crying to a moderator, I reached the conclusion that your opinions, however high you hold them, mean nothing to me.

"Here endeth the lesson."

[hfojvt]

305. seemed like the most direct way to make a point

when insults are thrown at you, you probably do not have any problem recognizing them as hateful.

Do you suppose that Obama feels the same way about YOUR opinions (they mean nothing to him) if he even hears about them? Perhaps he would dislike being called a traitor?

[Ghost in the Machine]

234. Speechless that you don't seem to comprehend anything about emotions...

Maybe you can't control, or differentiate, your emotions but that doesn't mean everyone can't. You said above: "Yet here you are expressing no substantive criticism, pushing for not a signle policy proposal or against any other, but expressing plenty of contempt. Yes "you have lost my respect" "you betrayed us" "you have become a small, pathetic man" - I call that hatred."

What you're not understanding is that just because *you* "call that hatred", doesn't mean it really is hatred. I can, and have, lost respect for someone before, but I never hated them. I lost that respect for them *because* they betrayed me, but I still didn't hate them. After betraying me and losing my respect for them, they became just a small, pathetic person to me.. but I still didn't hate them. I still don't hate them to this day.

You don't realize that when it all boils down, you're sitting here trying to tell someone else how they feel. You're offering your *opinion* about someone elses *emotions*.

Please explain how, exactly, that you know the OP's emotions. For a bonus, you can tell us whether I'm laughing, smiling, shaking my head in disgust or screaming red-faced, spittle flying at the monitor as I
pound furiously on the keyboard....

Thanks in advance!!

Ghost

[hfojvt]

295. the emotions really do not matter in this case

If somebody writes "Damn, I really hate Obama." they may, in fact, be sitting there calmly typing, but they are certainly expressing hatred of Obama. That, at least is clear, right? Can we agree on that at least?

In the same way, the string of statements "Obama has betrayed us" "Obama has lost my respect." "Obama has become a pathetic, small man". Those are also statements of hate, regardless of the emotions of the person typing them. You don't call somebody vile names and express contempt for them without expressing hatred.

I feel like I am in bizzaro world when there is disagreement with something so blindingly obvious.

[Daemonaquila]

307. Your emotional range is apparently limited.

If you can't understand that someone can be disappointed and angry without hating, I actually feel sorry for you that your understanding of emotion is so lacking.

[hfojvt]

327. maybe your own intelligence is just too limited

to have noticed the part where I said, the emotion does not matter.

We are exchanging insults here, are we not?

The words matter, the emotions do not. Words convey meaning. That's how we communicate. It seems to me that the meaning was pretty clear, although I may only hear from detractors. Some people like to twist around to claim plausible deniability. I still think that 2 + 2 means the same thing as 8 - 4.

[JuniperLea]

476. Wow...

Strong words you got there for "Ignored!"

This makes me very happy... clearly I made a very good decision.

[Ghost in the Machine]

323. Ummmm... hatred *is* an emotion, so yeah they do matter...

"If somebody writes "Damn, I really hate Obama." they may, in fact, be sitting there calmly typing, but they are certainly expressing hatred of Obama. That, at least is clear, right? Can we agree on that at least?"

Yeah, we can agree on that. The rest? Not so much... I can be totally disgusted with someone, yet still not hate them. Other people are capable of this too... I'm sorry you can't seem to grasp that concept,... but I don't hate you for it.

Hatred is a product that destroys the vessel in which it is contained.


Peace,
Ghost

[hfojvt]

332. strangely enough

my desk dictionary lists "hatred" as a synonym for disgust. Therefore I think it is fair to conclude that when somebody says "I am totally disgusted by person X" that they are expressing hatred. That's what the words mean. If you want to split hairs to claim that you are free from hate because hatred = 3.14159 and total disgust is only 3.141589. Well, I am not buying it.

But again, the emotion does not matter. What I am claiming is that "I hate Obama" and "Obama is worse than worthless" are almost indistinguishable in meaning. If I understand and interpret those words, I am not saying anything about the emotional state of the person writing them. Not in either case. All I am doing is inferring meaning. The meaning that 2.9994 is essentially equal to 3.

[RaleighNCDUer]

216. Bullshit. Say you have a 16 year old son - and he is picked up by the cops

for burglary and drug possession. How do you feel? You lose respect for him? Feel betrayed? Feel he is so much less than you hoped he'd be? Yes, to all of that. But do you hate him? Of course not.

We don't want him to lose - but following his current trajectory he WILL lose if he doesn't turn his shit around and start upholding the principles he ran on in 08. If he dosn't intend to change course, then the best option is for him to step aside and let someone run who CAN win.

[Daemonaquila]

309. Stop. Right. There.

"The best option is for him to step aside and let someone run who CAN win."

No, no, NO - a thousand times NO!

We keep playing this zero-sum game. "Let's find the electable candidate!" Electable candidate wins. Electable candidate betrays the voters because he's "electable" (i.e., thoroughly vetted by and beholden to large corporations, lobbyists, et al). We bemoan our terrible fates. We look for another "electable candidate." Rinse, lather, fracking repeat. Can the party PLEASE learn that it needs to find the a candidate with real cred and real ideas, and put all its strength into MAKING him electable for reasons that have nothing to do with his big-money connections (i.e. paymasters)?

[RaleighNCDUer]

477. I don't disagree - I just maintain that a truly electable candidate would

be one who says everything that Obama did in his campaign, and then actually follows though on them. If Obama had done what he said he would - stand up to Republican criminality, restore the country's honor by closing Gitmo and stopping renditions and torture, looked out for the middle class instead of the ruling class - he would not have a problem today.

[TBF]

104. Respect is earned, and frankly betrayal by someone you trust is harder to take

than betrayal by your known enemy.

It will take the democratic party quite awhile to recover from this.

[Name removed]

268. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BigBearJohn]

351. Quick! Run inside. DU is falling! DU is falling! DU is falling!!!

[Name removed]

336. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

37. He's a centrist professional politician who gave us slogans and polticis-as-usual.

“Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote,
He's a-runnin' for office on the ballot note.
He's out there preachin' in front of the steeple,
Tellin' me he loves all kinds-a people.
(He's eatin' bagels
He's eatin' pizza
He's eatin' chitlins
He's eatin' bullshit!)”

Bob Dylan

[Hawkowl]

38. +100

Let him step aside for the good of the party, for the good of the nation. Let him go on the multi-million dollar lecture circuit doing the only thing he is good at: making speeches.

[Carolina]

80. He's not even good at speeches any more

because the hope is gone, the change is non-existent and it all sounds like bullshit.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ganja Ninja]

44. I'm simply not going to vote for this man again regardless of who runs against him.

I'm hoping another Democrat will challenge him in the 2012 primary. If not I'll write in someone else in the general election.

[AnArmyVeteran]

53. I don't know anyone in my life with less guts & heart than Obama, no one.

[dionysus]

60. why, he the worstest man inthe whole wide world!1!11!1!!!1eleven

[asdjrocky]

66. No, just a really crappy President.

We deserved so much better.

[hulka38]

306. you played out that joke a long time ago

[blondeatlast]

62. I'm bookmarking this thread; can't wait to see your reaction to the idea President Huckabee or

Palin.

[asdjrocky]

64. Fear = Bullshit

[Forkboy]

103. This card is so overplayed that's it's lost any potency.

Whether we agree or disagree on any particular issue, I can tell you that using this approach to make your point is simply not going to work on very many people anymore.

[tallahasseedem]

183. There is nothing that is being overplayed...

these statements are the reality that we are facing if Obama runs in 2012 and is not elected. Deny it all you want, you are guaranteeing a Republican (or Tea Party) victory. Congratulations!

[Forkboy]

203. No, it's being overplayed.

I'm talking about it's impact, and how it plays. Your statement could be 100% true and still not change mine.

Congratulations!

I've been voting for Dems since I was old enough to vote in '86. Do I also have to perform fellatio on them to be a good Democrat in your eyes? :shrug:

[benfranklin1776]

251. And why is it the issue is always framed as those are the only two possible choices....

Blindly support a neoliberal (translation fake progressive) dem who uses then abuses the progressive base or an even worse Rethuglican. How about a third choice, a Democrat who is not afraid to be a Democrat and stand up for working people against corporate power and enact policies that benefit the vast majority of Americans and not the monied priviliged few.

[Forkboy]

275. That's just crazy talk!

:)

[benfranklin1776]

284. Yes well as Patsy Kline would say.......

.....I'm craaaazy for feeling so blue.......

:-)

[Forkboy]

291. My mother's favorite!

She loved Patsy. I'm more of a Dead Kennedys guy. ;)

[SwampG8r]

414. amen

[FedUp_Queer]

499. BINGO!!!

What "62" says boils down to nothing more than "don't vote for 'them' because they're worse than 'us'". It's to the point now that that is just so passe. In addition, for all that talk, please someone really SHOW the differences. If, for instance, Obama had at least fought for a public option or medicare for all and lost, then the "we need more democrats" argument would hold water. But, as it stands, on warrantless wiretapping, Iraq, Afghanistan, Gitmo, Bagram, government immunity and the list goes on. In keeping with some of the people on here who say we the "disappointed" need to offer alternative actions, here goes:

1) Propose single payer, public option, negotiate and make the GOP stand there and filibuster;
2) Encourage hearings on Bush era crimes (appoint a commission to see if there were crimes, if necessary);
3) Stop torturing;
4) Close gitmo by putting the people there on trial, if they are not guilty, send them back to their countries of origin;
5) Pull out of Afghanistan, stop the drone attacks;
6) Close military bases in Europe, Japan, Okinawa etc. use that money for stimulus;
7) Call the Republicans' bluff on the tax cuts (an oval office address stating the facts: the GOP wants tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires to the tune of $700 billion versus $65 billion for people who need it in the way of unemployment benefits).

If he starts fighting, just fighting, those of us among the "disappointed" just ask for a fight. If he fights and loses, then we have the case for more Democrats. If he doesn't even fight, there is no case.

[tallahasseedem]

182. It will be...

interesting to say the least. The haters are going to have a hand in electing Palin.

[Ganja Ninja]

368. No the Democratic party will hand it to her if they try to run Obama again.

The results are already easily predictable. They can find another candidate or lose in 2012. The base of the party is disillusioned with Obama. They need to recognize that.

[slay]

68. Bernie Sanders, Alan Grayson, Howard Dean

or Kucinich who I would love to see but people are so shallow about image and stuff when it comes to him. if things continue like they are we need to talk one of these guys into running in 2012. if not liberals should organize and pick one to write in so it can be a coordinated effort. obama's seriously got to side with the people and quit playing around w/huge corporations and the republicans. if he can't choose the side of the people we'll have to choose someone who will.

[woo me with science]

45. He lost me when he started lining up ordinary Americans to have their crotches searched.

Last straw.

[Daemonaquila]

308. And it keeps expanding.

It's now moving to buses and trains. Lovely, no? We really needed a Dem president for THIS right?

[CakeGrrl]

51. Don't be lazy. Unseat him with the power of the grassroots if you can't deal.

Or write Darrell Issa and give him some suggestions and encouragement to ramp up impeachment proceedings.

A meeting of the "minds".

:puke:

[Rex]

56. I can't wait to see who runs against him in 2012.

[BzaDem]

67. There will be no serious challenger. Feingold, Grayson, Dean, etc will all enthusiastically endorse

him. They knew that you need to be saved from yourselves.

[Rex]

112. If he caves to Repukes for two years you can bet there will be

a serious challenger.

[BzaDem]

116. Nope. Not one. It will be interesting to see the reactions here when they realize that there won't

be any serious opposition to Obama's nomination.

[Rex]

123. I bet there will be, I for one will already say how shocked I will be

if you are right.

[RaleighNCDUer]

222. In that case, challenger or no, he will not be re-elected.

Question is, does he want to be?

[slay]

63. Sigh.. yeah.

i agree w/ya. sucks. :(

[BzaDem]

69. You know, when the lady at the meeting found out what Obama actually did, she said she regretted her

remarks and fully supports the President.

So you'll have to find another example.

[Cyrano]

72. She may have changed her mind, but I believe she had it right the first time.

[BzaDem]

73. It was pretty telling though that according to her, she said what she said out of ignorance.

And here you are, defending her position, that she admitted she had because she didn't know the facts. Not because she simply had a different opinion.

Perhaps that's a signal to you that you need to rethink your own assumptions?

[woo me with science]

117. Have you talked to her lately?

She just lost her job.

[BzaDem]

She went on TV AFTER she lost her job, and explained that her initial statements were made because

she didn't know the facts. After looking into the facts, she now supports Obama and realizes that much of what happened actually isn't his fault.

She went on Hardball. Look it up.

[woo me with science]

180. Oh, I believe you.

I am certain someone made sure she has a good job by now.

:rofl:

[dbmk]

342. So when she says something bad about Obama..

.. shes 100% right.
And when she says something good about him, she must be paid off.
Ok.

[woo me with science]

429. No, they couldn't POSSIBLY have any reason

to look out for THIS person's interests.

:rofl:

FWIW, there are ways of making sure people are taken care of without a crude "payoff." But anyone who thinks they are not making sure she does not repeat her initial embarrassing episode is a very naive grasshopper.

How unfortunate for the other 2 million.

[Name removed]

167. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BzaDem]

187. I believe anyone who would support the great depression that would ensue if TARP weren't passed

is either ignorant or doesn't care about anyone besides the rich (who would be the only ones who would easily survive such a calamity).

Obama's doing exactly what he campaigned on with the wars. HCR is the greatest expansion of our social safety net in 40 years (and you will be running away from your current statements in the future, just like liberal SS opponents in the 30s ran away from theirs). Obama doesn't have the power to unilaterally repeal DADT, or unilaterally close Guantanamo, or stop all foreclosures. The cat food commission won't get any plan with a MAJORITY, much less 14 votes. Obama did not campaign against having a patriot act -- he wanted changes. I'm opposed but not that concerned with the TSA regulations, and they will be modified over time.

So yes, it is quite easy defending Obama, because I actually know something about how government works. I don't just whine about "campaign promises!" without having the SLIGHTEST understanding about our constitutional system and the powers of the presidency.

She got it right the second time. The hilarious thing is that you are defending her for getting it right for the first time, EVEN THOUGH SHE ACKNOWLEDGED her first judgment was made because she didn't have any of the facts. That should be a signal to YOU that your judgment is mistaken because you do not understand how government works.

[StarburstClock]

71. I don't think the current admin realizes how hypocritical they are via wiki leaks

They let torturers go, allow CIA agents to be outed by a VP and allow WMD lies and a conspiracy to commit war and yet expect people to take them seriously when a bunch of gossip is released that they call "treason". Not to mention giving criminal banks control of our markets, spying on Americans via constant wire-tapping, the TSA groping and irradiation, continued outsourcing of jobs, saying they want to "work with repukes" and continuing 2 hideous wars that are nothing but military money machines.

The little credibility that the government had left is quickly evaporating.

[Cyrano]

74. IMO, there is no way that Obama can justify Bush/Cheney walking

around free. This does little to reinforce anyone's belief or confidence in democracy.

[BzaDem]

76. Do you actually think there is EVER going to be a President who prosecutes Bush?

[Forkboy]

77. No. Do you believe that makes it right?

[neverforget]

318. surprise! crickets.....

[Forkboy]

319. Not a surprise at all. Just the opposite. The fleeing was expected.

And now that the fleeing has been pointed out, expect an answer, and an excuse that they were away washing the dog or something, even though they're posting all over DU as we speak. :)

[craigmatic]

83. He's lost everything but my vote. I'll support him in 2012 because I fear the repub alternative more

[cottonseed]

86. Don't you write one of these every couple months?

You've seen one you've seen them all. A vote of non-confidence from a site that believes Nader is a viable presidential candidate isn't surprising.

[Cyrano]

95. Nope. I don't know who you've been reading, but it ain't me.

Living in Palm Beach County and having gone through the 2000 election, I believe that Nader should be fed to the sharks, along with Scalia, et al. Well, maybe that's a bit harsh. Perhaps they can just be used as snacks for manatees.

On a more serious note, I've been an Obama backer from day one. But I really want a president who knows how to use the power of the bully pulpit and who will stand up and fight for the people who elected him. Obama doesn't seem to know how to do either.

[Enthusiast]

353. Duh

Manatees are vegetarians. :hi:

[KansasVoter]

88. This post would get you banned over at GPD! :-)

[Vincardog]

89. Please step aside in 2012 and allow us to vote for someone who will stand up for us.

[DeSwiss]

92. K&R n/t

[1776Forever]

94. Gov. Howard Dean n/t

[CakeGrrl]

277. Did you miss his statement that he has no plan to run in a primary? n/t

[Tx4obama]

98. Too bad we're allowed to UNrec threads only once. n/t

[apples and oranges]

99. So you're voting republican in 2012?

Good luck with that!

[TBF]

106. Get a grip - the last thing we can turn to now is electoral politics.

It's time for us to fight back.

[BzaDem]

108. Good luck fighting back in some magical system "outside electoral politics."

:rofl:

[Smarmie Doofus]

101. Reluctantly recommended. n/t

[LaloBorges]

107. So...who are you going to vote for?

Sarah Palin?
Mitt Romney?
or any other Republican?

Go for it...all the idiots that decided to vote for republicans in November they did to punish who, what? Give more to the republicans even though some of the agenda that Obama had and has not been able to get through is the republicans fault but, go ahead, keep throwing crap at this President, go ahead and punish him...

What a bunch of bull people!

If you are upset then send letters to the White House, tell them what you want, what you think, but stop throwing so much crap which only helps to fuel the ignorant (and we know who those are) and make things more difficult for Obama.

He is not perfect, and I am also upset and disappointed about some things he has done and some others he has not done, but I know the alternative, one we will have to live with for two more years (the republicans), is much worst.

So please tell us, which candidate do you have have your eyes on for 2012? Not voting is not an option, and although unfortunate, voting for an independent is a vote for the republicans.

I don't mean that we need to support everything Obama does like the repubs did when Bush was in office, but don't throw Obama under the bus because all you are doing is throwing yourself.

Have people forgotten that we are in this mess because of the republicans?

[liberation]

113. LOL...

Funny you went out of your way to provide 3 GOP alternatives, but not a single liberal primary for the democrats, or actually lefty political platforms like the Greens.

Freudian slips being what they are, we usually end up knowing more about some of you.. than the people you are supposedly berating.

[BzaDem]

124. The only purpose of the Green party is to help the Republican party to win elections.

So I don't care that they claim to be to the "left."

[Daemonaquila]

311. They have a much better purpose.

They remind the Democrats that they are not entitled to the vote of anyone left of the Rethugs. Go Greens. Please field a good candidate in 2012.

[budkin]

109. So goddamn sad... it seemed like anything was possible on November 4, 2008

[Common Sense Party]

331. It did? Why? n/t

[pasto76]

115. vote for the other guy then, see how you like it.

[NaturalHigh]

143. I probably just won't vote.

Feel free to continue in lockstep with the Obama cult if you like.

[tallahasseedem]

171. No vote = No bitching

you're an embarrassment to Democracy.

[NaturalHigh]

218. LOL

Would it make a difference if I voted for Obama and then bitched about his administration?

[vduhr]

247. Yes it would.

If you stay home and don't vote, you are giving a vote to the Republicans, which is exactly what happened in November. If you stayed home in November, then you don't get to bitch about what happens as a consequence to your non-action.

[NaturalHigh]

264. I might vote, but it likely will not be for Obama.

I would rather vote for someone who hasn't yet proved to be a disappointment.

[vduhr]

280. Hasn't yet proved to be a dissappointment?

Obama had not yet proven to be a dissappointment when he ran. How will you recognize that person if you didn't recognize it in Obama? That's just not realistic, especially when talking about politicians.

[Forkboy]

281. I';m not going to vote and still bitch, just to prove this insipid saying wrong.

;)

[U4ikLefty]

303. Bazinga!!!

Well played on this thread BTW :thumbsup:

[tomp]

367. illogical bullshit.

takes the bullshit illogical two party duopoly (one party with two right wings) to it's bullshit illogical conclusion that anyone who doesn't go along with the bullshit duopoly is to blame.

you ought to be ashamed of yourself but i know you are intellectually or characterologically impaired from the quality of your post and therefore will not be.

[info being]

410. I believe in American Democracy as much as I believe in the Phillies

[The Hitman]

119. It's people like you that will make President Palin possible

Seriously.

[NaturalHigh]

140. That threat is getting old.

[The Hitman]

144. How'd that Nader 2000 campaign work out for the country?

I'll keep up with my "threat"

[NaturalHigh]

151. Fair enough...

but some of us will still consider the threat petty and laughable.

[Forkboy]

168. You tell us. How did your threats of this type work for you then?

[The Hitman]

185. I couldn't vote in 2000

But if I could, I would have voted for Gore. Granted that wouldn't have changed the election. But I would have.

But its a 2 party system. You're not going to change that short of moving to a European parliamentary-style regime. People on this site who claim to back away from the Democrat are betraying our best interests given the reality of the situation.

[Forkboy]

193. I voted for Gore, too.

Do you assign any blame to the SCOTUS, who actually put Bush in office (Gore won, with or without the Nader votes, after all)? Do you blame any of the thousands of Dems in Florida that also voted for Bush? Do you dislike them with the same intensity you do Nader, and do you also hold their feet to the fire for their choice? After all, if they had voted for Gore instead of Bush he would have won. Why throw all the hate at Nader?

It seems to me that out of the whole debacle that was the 2000 election that Nader's running was the most Democratic part of it all. We're told since grade school that any one can run for president. It wasn't Nader's job to ensure that he did so when it was best for a party that he doesn't even belong to. That's democracy at it's core, and yet he's villified, while the totally undemocratic parts of the 2000 election get the blind eye from almost all of his detractors.

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge Nader fan at all. I have numerous Green friends who tried to get me to vote for him without success. But he did nothing wrong in running. And if one wants to hold him responsible for Bush then these same people need to hold ALL factors accountable, or they lose me. There's zero intellectual honesty in blaming Nader and Nader alone for Bush coming into office.

Lastly, I'm nervous of using the term "reality", because we all have our own version of it. I don't agree with many people's idea of it, I'm sure you don't either, but it is what it. That's the actual reality of the situation. ;)

[The Hitman]

197. He did nothing wrong in running

But our turncoats put Bush in power.

[Forkboy]

199. Who are our turncoats?

[The Hitman]

200. Democrats who forgot the 2-party system and voted for Nader.

[Forkboy]

207. But not those Dems who voted for Bush?

After all, they were operating within this two-party system that you're talking about, right?

[newspeak]

451. that is such bullshite, I'm actually getting tired of it

It also is the reason, people really have very little choice, because they don't want any type of third party, especially a progressive populist, getting in the way of their MO (be as corrupt as you like and I'll make sure I've got your back). It's amazing how many people forget that actual democrats voted for little boots or that the butterfly ballots confused some (you did hear of "jews for buchanan?) Or that there was actual voter intimidation at the polls in Florida or the felon lists that put non felons on list so they couldn't vote. Then, there was the supreme court ruling where at least two of those justices should have recused themselves for conflict of interest. And, even, after all of that, Gore actually won Florida.

But hey, it's the greens fault--it will always be the greens fault-for any third party that may one day have a chance will be squashed by the powerful duopoly. And, I'm not talking about just the Greens, it could be any third party. If the people get really disgusted and finally realize how the game is played, they may create their own party--maybe a worker's party--but those in power will make sure they won't have a chance in hell-they'll have corporate support to squelch it and the willing to believe the shite about the third party boogieman.

After all, the status quo must be maintained.

[truedelphi]

237. if you wanna be mad at someone for Election 2000, consider

The fifty percent of all Americans who were eligible to vote and didn't bother.

Don't blame people who vote third party.

[YOY]

462. You brought a bb-gun to a howitzer fight little man.

n.t.

[Daemonaquila]

313. That's even moldier.

Seriously, if the threat of "President Palin" is all the Dems have left, the party is doomed. You might as well give up on that line of crap and start finding reasons for left-of-center folks to vote FOR a candidate instead of trying to get their vote as a protest against the other shmo.

[truedelphi]

236. it really is.

Like an old typing test once insisted "now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." (I learned to type before there was women's lib.)

And all of us should. We should rally around Grayson/Feingold or Feingold/Grayson and get a decent set of Dems in the WH.

[midnight]

426. Both really good men who understood this banking crisis, and

worked tiresly to hold the banks accountable...

[StreetKnowledge]

202. The Enemy we know versus the Enemy we don't.

Knock that threat off. Obama is becoming indefensible from our point of view. I find it pathetic that people here are not flying off the handle at him now. Considering how hard we all worked, the fact that we keep getting sold out should have this place screaming bloody murder.

Are we so scared of the far right that we can't make it clear that betrayal is something that will not be rewarded?

[ClassWarrior]

229. No, it's people like HIM who who will make President Palin possible.

We've been giving him all the wind at his back that he needs. It's not our failure. It's his.

NGU.

[YOY]

231. Slow death. Fast death. Still death.

Maybe you're the type who prefers that his cousin steal him blind over a serial criminal.

In the end it doesn't matter.

Either way...you've been robbed.

Me...I think I know a few other family members I'd prefer to watch my back than no-good cousins like that one.

[BulletproofLandshark]

276. That canard is older and more used up than the guy in your avatar. n/t

[MattSh]

340. It's elected Democrats that hide their heads up their ass that will make President Palin possible.

Let's put the blame where it belongs. And in belongs in DC.

[NorthCarolina]

405. NO Democrat is working harder to elect a President Palin than Obama.

Seriously.

[lovemydog]

120. Specifics?

What are your specific reasons?

Preferably, based on policy?

[Cyrano]

127. Sorry, I've lost count.

However, when the word "compromise" morphs into the phrase "unconditional surrender" as it has every time Obama has used it over the past two years, exactly how many specifics do you need?

And then there's the word "bipartisanship" which has come to mean giving the Republicans everything they want before any "negotiations" begin.

[Name removed]

128. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cyrano]

132. Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not now and have never been an

anti-Obama Freeper.

I was inspired by him. I voted for him. I supported him. I defended him against his detractors, and I admired him for the longest time.

But I recently woke up and found that he was giving away the store before the Republicans, Wall Street, the bankers, etc., even walked in with a gun to hold it up.

I really don't know who Obama is representing. But it's not me. And my guess is, it's not you either.

[woo me with science]

148. Yeah, AMAZING how that huge flash mob of freepers just happened to show up

and completely overwhelm the recs of the REAL DU'ers.

Shocking!

[Capn Sunshine]

156. not that there's anything wrong with that.

Funny how people imbue themselves into an innuendo. :rofl:

[HipChick]

192. The Divide and Conquer meme is getting old..

[woo me with science]

215. Thank you!

This "freeper" certainly agrees.

[DollyM]

129. I know the feeling . . .

I think that he tried to "play nice" with the Republicans and bend and give in to what they wanted thinking that it would make for good relations down the line. WRONG! I know Obama knows how to play hard ball, he needs to step up to the plate and get back some of the attitude that he had before he became president.

[COLGATE4]

130. K&R X 1000!

[PBS Poll-435]

137. It's alright, Annette, you will be back. (Don't get lost on Dupont Circle)

:rofl:

[Name removed]

141. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Yeahyeah]

142. You know Obama's planning two more years of this.Gonna be Mr. Popular.

[sarcasmo]

153. Voted for him once and won't vote for him again.

[katandmoon]

163. +1

[Name removed]

157. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nckjm]

166. spot on, inchhigh

I wake up with the same sick feeling I did everyday when G Bush was in office. I thought the nightmare was over. The Repubs never lost power.

[inchhigh]

407. Wow. Message removed???

For suggesting that Obama just might actually be a bad President?

FWIW, he dilivered a larger majority to the Republican in the House than any President in history, isn't that correct?

We should be either happy about those results or silent?

I've been pounding on doors since Jimmy Carter, and I have frequently noted that history may see HIM as the greatest President of the 20th Century.

IN light of recent events, should we really feel good about some of his successes?

7. Signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
> which basically sold outr the middle class for the benefit of the wealthy

9. Announced the "Making Home Affordable" home refinancing plan:
> which almost NOBODY actually used

11. Invested heavily in education both as a way to provide jobs now and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity:
> you mean invested heavily in busting Teachers Unions and SOLD OUT education

14. Limited lobbyist's access to the White House:
> to his house, but not his head.....

28. Played a lead role in G-20 Summit that produced a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis:
> Honestly, can ANY Democrat feel good about this? OUR Tax dollars bailing out Wealthy FOREIGN Banks?


76. Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals:
> and GAVE them about $3 Billion


Don't have time to go on but I guess there's not much point since this probably will be removed also.

[Jamel]

179. WORST PRESIDENT EVER?

Are you kidding?

Since coming into office on January 21, 2009, President Barack Obama has:

1. Signed an Executive Order on government contracting to fight waste and abuse:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/economy_in_government_contracting

2. Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtKAKlurRAY

3. Renewed dialogue with NATO and other allies and partners on strategic issues:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/04/Afghanistan-and-NATO

4. Announced a plan to responsibly end the war in Iraq:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/washington/28troops.html

5. Provided funding to families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/pentagon-will-help-families

6. Ended media blackout on war casualties and the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7986203.stm

7. Signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
http://www.recovery.gov/About/Pages/The_Act.aspx

8. Launched Recovery.gov to track spending from the Recovery Act, an unprecedented step to provide transparency and accountability through technology:
http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/home.aspx

9. Announced the "Making Home Affordable" home refinancing plan:
http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/

10. Launched a $15 billion plan to boost lending to small businesses:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-small-business-owners

11. Invested heavily in education both as a way to provide jobs now and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education

12. Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with more than $1.4 billion to improve services to America’s Veterans:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/veterans

13. Signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Office of Urban Affairs:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070201410.html

14. Limited lobbyist's access to the White House:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/obama-outlines-lobbying-restrictions

15. Issued an Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Memorandum-for-the-Heads-of-Executive-Departments-and-Agencies-3-9-09

16. Answered questions at the first online town hall from the White House that were submitted and voted on transparently by the public at WhiteHouse.gov:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h2uzQs2_XBgeHotRBvNhY7DR572g

17. Established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities:
http://www.serve.gov/

18. Launched Business.gov – enabling conversation and online collaboration between small business owners, government representatives and industry experts in discussion forums relevant to starting and managing a business:
http://www.business.gov/

19. Appointed the first ever Federal Chief Information Officer to provide management and oversight over federal IT spending:
http://www.cio.gov/

20. Signed the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act on February 4, 2009, which provides quality health care to 11 million kids – 4 million who were previously uninsured:
http://themiddleclass.org/bill/children039s-health-insurance-program-reauthorization-act-2009

21. Issued an Executive Order repealing the Bush-Era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/09/obama-administration-stem-cell-funding

22. Signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis:
http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.4442889/k.EC4B/Christopher_and_Dana_Reeve_Paralysis_Act.htm

23. Announced creation of a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record for members of the U.S. Armed Forces to improve quality of medical care:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/09/The-Care-They-Were-Promised-and-the-Benefits-That-They-Have-Earned

24. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/washington/19gates.html

25. Committed to phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdates weapons systems, which weren't even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/06/gates.budget.cuts

26. Provided federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1908954,00.html

27. Provided new federal funding for science and research labs:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/science/18sfstimulus.html

28. Played a lead role in G-20 Summit that produced a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis:
http://www.g20.org/

29. Signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop fraud and wasteful spending in the defense procurement and contracting system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon_Systems_Acquisition_Reform_Act_of_2009

30. Ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay and a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/22/guantanamo.order/index.html

31. Appointed Special Envoys for Climate Change, Southwest Asia, the Middle
East, Sudan, and a Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan:
http://www.america.gov/st/peacesec-english/2009/January/20090122175146idybeekcm1.328677e-02.html

32. Empowered states to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/us/politics/26calif.html

33. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after years of neglect:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/stimulus/2009/01/08/poll-americans-strongly-back-increase-in-infrastructure-spending.html

34. Increased minority access to capital:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/16/increase-minority-access-to-capital

35. Developed a comprehensive new strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan that will help defeat Al Qaeda and authorized the deployment of more than 21,000 troops to Afghanistan:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032700836.html

36. Signed the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act which gives the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud, from lending to the financial system, and creates a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial practices that brought us to this point:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/05/obama-signs-hou.html

37. Signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures, providing $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness, and helping to stabilize the housing market for everybody:
http://www.zillow.com/blog/mortgage/2009/05/21/president-obama-signs-helping-families-save-their-homes-act

38. Increased, for the first time in more than a decade, the fuel economy standards for Model Year 2011 for cars and trucks so they will get better mileage, saving drivers money and spurring companies to develop more innovative products:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22650.html

39. Issued a Presidential Memorandum to the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators. Through this step, over the next three decades, we’ll save twice the amount of energy produced by all the coal-fired power plants in America in any given year:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ApplianceEfficiencyStandards

40. Unveiled a program on Earth Day 2009 to develop the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. These regulations will enable, for the first time ever, the nation to tap into our ocean’s vast sustainable resources to generate clean energy in an environmentally sound and safe manner:
http://www.earthday.org/

41. Announced a new U.S.-Mexico border initiative:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Administration-Officials-Announce-US-Mexico-Border-Security-Policy-A-Comprehensive-Response-and-Commitment

42. Concluded cyberspace policy review:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-by-the-Press-Secretary-on-Conclusion-of-the-Cyberspace-Review

43. Announced a strategy to address the international nuclear threat:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-By-President-Barack-Obama-In-Prague-As-Delivered

44. Established a new "U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue":
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-On-Bilateral-Meeting-With-President-Hu-Of-China

45. Announced new policy steps towards Cuba:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/world/americas/05cuba.html

46. Increased minority access to capital:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/16/increase-minority-access-to-capital

47. Issued a Presidential Memorandum on the Freedom of Information Act instructing the Attorney General to issue new guidelines to the government implementing those same principles of openness and transparency in the processing of FOIA requests:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Freedom_of_Information_Act

48. Funded the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015:
http://www.facebook.com/NMAAHC

49. The Executive Order on Presidential Records brings those principles to presidential records by giving the American people greater access to these historic documents, severely curtailing the ability to use executive privilege to shield those documents:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential_Records

50. Signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, a hallmark piece of legislation:
http://www.democrats.org/a/2009/04/edward_m_kenned.php

51. Signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act to protect Americans from unfair and deceptive credit card practices:
http://www.newsunfiltered.com/archives/2010/02/pew_finds_credi.html

52. Signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to provide a coordinated Federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and
families:
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/obamas-council-on-women-and-girls

53. Launched a U.S. financial and banking rescue plan:
http://www.america.gov/st/econ-english/2009/February/20090210163128saikceinawz0.7537805.html

54. Ordered secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_site

55. Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Accord

56. Launched U.S. Auto industry rescue plan:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/31/content_11102980.htm

57. Provided better body armor to our troops:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-03-26-body-armor_x.htm

58. Authorized cutting the missile defense program by $1.4 billion in 2010:
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=62548

59. Restarted the nuclear nonproliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols:
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/sep/25/world/fg-obama-nuclear25

60. Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic:
http://jonbowermaster.com/blog/2009/04/obama-calls-for-limits-on-antarctic-tourism

61. Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, and addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ-SMqh7q3o

62. Supported the first steps of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide:
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2009/2009-02-16-02.asp

63. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/nov/19/chain-email/chain-e-mail-claims-obama-has-visited-more-countri

64. Managed several natural disasters successfully, including severe winter ice storms and flooding in several states:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drlsi3Ng4jw

65. Provided new car tax credit:
http://www.soundmoneymatters.com/new-car-tax-credit

66. Provided attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles:
http://www.hybridcars.com/federal-incentives.html

67. Purchased fuel efficient American-made fleet of vehicles for the federal government:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2009/06/gsa-buys-210-million-worth-of-fuel-efficient-vehicles-from-us-carmakers.html

68. Endorsed Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax havens:
http://www.financialtaskforce.org/2009/10/27/the-foreign-account-tax-compliance-act-of-2009

69. Nominated Sonia Sotomayor to Supreme Court. She's confirmed and becomes the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/06/sotomayor-confirmed-by-fu_n_253146.html

70. Helped reverse a downward spiral of the stock market. On January 19, 2009, the last day of President Bush's presidency, the Dow closed at 8,218.22. Today, the Dow closed at 10,309.24:
http://stockcharts.com/charts/historical/djia1900.html

71. Earned an unprecedented success rate of 96.7% on winning congressional votes on issues where he took a position. He did even better than legendary arm-twister Lyndon Johnson who had a 93% success rate in 1965:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122436116

72. Provided affordable, high-quality child care to working families:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/244/provide-affordable-high-quality-child-care

73. Restored America's reputation as a global leader that will do the "right thing" in world affairs:
http://pewglobal.org/docs/?DocID=12

74. Issued an executive order to create the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/18/news/economy/obama_debt_commission/index.htm

75. Increased funding for student loans and pell grants for 2010 students:
http://www.ourfuture.org/report/2009031325/obama-s-budget-supporting-students-not-banks

76. Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals:
http://www.law.com/jsp/law/international/LawArticleIntl.jsp?id=1202433002570

77. Provided tax credit to workers thus cutting taxes for 95% of America's working families:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/sep/18/barack-obama/a-credit-for-workers-cuts-taxes-for-middle-class

78. Cracked down on companies that deny sick pay, vacation and health insurance to workers by abusing the employee classification of independent contractor. Such companies also avoid paying Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance taxes for those workers:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/business/18workers.html

79. Signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act that made it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/28/hate.crimes/index.html

80. Appointed the first Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Vice-President-Joe-Biden-Announces-Kareem-Dale-As-Special-Assistant-to-the-Preside

81. Signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act authorizing advance appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs by providing two-fiscal year budget authority thus enabling better medical care for veterans. Endorsed by the American Legion, American Veterans, Blinded Veter...ans Association, Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, Military Officers Association, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America and Vietnam Veterans of America:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-at-Signing-of-the-Veterans-Health-Care-Budget-Reform-and-Transparency-Act

82. Held impromptu press conference to urge Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross and other corporate health insurance companies that raise premiums in high amounts without explanation. Rep. Henry Waxman launches probe. In this case, Anthem Blue Cross wanted to raise premiums 39%. They have now put the increase on hold for two months (as of February 2010). Legislation preventing such increases pending:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100218/hl_nm/us_usa_healthcare_insurers

83. Designated $1.5 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in the states hardest hit by the housing crisis: California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. The MBA forecasts that foreclosures will peak in the last quarter of 2010:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35476054/ns/business-stocks_and_economy

84. Protected 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors through the Recovery Act that would have otherwise been lost:
http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/02/02012010a.html

85. Extended discounted COBRA health coverage for the nation's unemployed from 9 months to 15 months. Workers laid off between September 1, 2008 and February 28, 2010 qualify:
http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/how-to-get-extended-cobra-health-coverage-subsidies

86. Extended unemployment benefits for 2,000,000 unemployed Americans by 20 weeks. At the time the bill was signed 7,000 unemployed Americans were losing their unemployment benefits each day:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/05/news/economy/Extending_unemployment_benefits/index.htm

87. Eliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education which was significantly increased during the Bush Administration to $176 million annually:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/20/bush-teen-pregnancy-cdc-report

88. Rescinded the Global Gag Rule:
http://www.guttmacher.org/media/inthenews/2009/01/23/index.html

89. Appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history including more women appointees than any other incoming president:
http://www.diversityinc.com/content/1757/article/6319

90. Committed to no permanent military bases in Iraq through the Defense Authorization Act. For your reference:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/132/no-permanent-bases-in-iraq

91. Provided tax credits to first-time home buyers through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 to revitalize the U.S. housing market:
http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/

92. Provided the Department of Veterans Affairs the largest spending increase in 30 years to improve medical facilities and national cemeteries, and to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended care facilities:
http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1671

93. Strengthened the Endangered Species Act:
http://www.stopextinction.org/media/releases/89-release-president-obama-restores-endangered-species-protections.html

94. Empowered states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves. Fourteen states have allowed some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Maryland, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/19/new-medical-marijuana-pol_n_325426.html

95. Enhanced earth mapping:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/345/enhance-earth-mapping

96. Increased funding for national parks and forests in 2010, and plans to do it again for FY 2011:
http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/press_releases_folder/2010/02_01_2010_obamas_budget_includes_key_funding_for_land_and_water.php

97. Changed failing war strategy in Afghanistan:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/12/01/obama.afghanistan/index.html

98. Allocated special funding to the Labor Department to provide green job training to veterans:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/466/create-a-green-vet-initiative-to-promote-environ

99. Allocated funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police or firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/188/increase-funding-for-local-emergency-planning

100. Created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy 3.5% through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2311303720100223

And counting

[RaleighNCDUer]

219. Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam,

spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,spam,

[vduhr]

250. How mature of you.

[Daemonaquila]

316. Jeezis - that's almost all TRIVIAL.

If that's the best you can do to support Obama, that's a joke. Oh, noes - he saved the jobs of a bunch of cops and gropers! Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. President - you were buying fuel efficient cars for the government, OF COURSE you couldn't take time to actually end the war and bring the troops home! Oh, dear - your administration did a better job than Brownie managing relief after some ice storms, OF COURSE you were too tied up to actually close Guantanamo! A new Smithsonian Museum? CLEARLY you have more important things on your mind than irradiating and sexually assaulting innocent citizens by the tens of thousands daily.

There are a handful of important things on that list that MIGHT have not been done by another random administration. Living up to the rhetoric and false hope he gave his voters in 2008? Nope.

[Roci]

333. I've said this before

and I'll say it again. Laundry lists of achievements like this don't resonate with the common people out there who are still unemployed, under cared about, and have run out of the hope that elected Barack Obama two years ago. If you walk up to the average "voter on the street" and ask them what President Obama has done in two years, without any sort of prompting, you MAY get a "list" of two, maybe three things the President has done. But as far as Average folks know, not a whole lot has been done to better the lot of the people whose address has gone from "123 Main St. to "FORECLOSED" and their job description shifted from "IT Professional" to "part-time-big box-store greeter" who can barely afford to shop where he works part time, if he(or she) is lucky to be working at all after 99 weeks.
So I'm sorry, but you can take your list, roll it up and stick it in the mailboxes of all the 99ers who won't see a check next week, even if it is to feed their kids. Maybe they will feel better about all that the President has done for them, but somehow I doubt it entirely.It all depends on your list being printable on edible paper, because next week, it might be the only thing a whole bunch of hungry kids have to eat while they find out the very hard way that there is no Santa, at least no one on Pennsylvania Avenue, let alone a bunch of "Scrooges" up on top of Capitol Hill.

[Pisces]

159. NOthing is more pathetic and sad than these threads.

[YOY]

233. Except those who defend RW BS.

n.t.

[Number23]

271. Really? I'm starting to think that they are freaking hilarious.

[newtothegame]

160. Yeah but the section about his election will be SOO COOL in the history textbooks. nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

220. Sorry, Texas contols the textbook industry.

He won't even get a mention.

[katandmoon]

161. K&R

[MissDeeds]

162. Yep

I agree.

[blueknight]

177. i voted for him

worked for him, donated to him, admired him, now i feel used and abused by him. he will ONLY get my vote, and that is ONLY because i think palin would be worse ( but not by much ) i will never work for him, or donate to him again. and if someone calls me and ask me to, i will kindly tell them to fuck off.

[HipChick]

175. "Who will stand up for us"? Nobody ever will..the pony dream is getting old

The corporate Republican machine will never let it happen

[Individualist]

181. nor will the corporate DLC machine.

[sarcasmo]

191. Don't forget there is strong Corporate Democratic machine too.

[The_Casual_Observer]

178. Go ahead & vote in a republican & finish the whole god damn thing

once & for all, full speed. My guess is after that you'll be outside the gated community, but at least you can have the satisfaction of your little vote.

[RaleighNCDUer]

230. In case you haven't noticed, we're ALL outside the gated community.

And that includes a fuck load of people here who think they are IN the gated community - you know, the ones shouting down the liberals.

[Joe Fields]

300. How many times will you allow someone to kick you in the teeth?

Before you finally get it?

[SusanaMontana41]

494. Exactly. n/t

[Phlem]

442. I'm sick and tired of

"Go ahead & vote in a republican ". Really?

jeeeeeeezzzzzzzuuzzzzz

-p

[CONN]

190. +1

.

[Name removed]

194. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

198. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HipChick]

205. How'd That Pissing on Obama Thing Work Out for You?

[Forkboy]

212. People could also ask how pissing on the Left worked out for them.

Your question assumes that we're not all in the same boat, but we are, and it also absolves one side while laying all the blame on the other. It's a two way street, and until BOTH sides get that this pattern will repeat.

[cwydro]

206. Yep. nt

[humbled_opinion]

209. Obama Derangement Syndrome on full display

LOL.... Didn't you know he is morphing into Raygun. The Repukes will groom him right and get him all primped and proper and he will deliver for them. The sad part is that the wingnuts and the media have portrayed Obama as a far left liberal so if Obama is so far left, why doesn't everyone here LOVE everything he has done? Now you get it... the right has moved the center further right, next up paint rational thining Americans as far leftwing nut jobs.... It never ends.... Obama has set back progressive causes by a full generation and the real shame is that he truly should have been able to adequately communicate his our principles for the Independent minded people to support. Maybe Obama really doesn't believe, maybe he is more of a conservative then a liberal.

[Pisces]

298. Glenn Beck Freeper disassociative disorder is on full display.

It is disgusting how people will denigrate the President at the drop of a hat. What a sick, twisted bunch of fools

[Bluebear]

315. Someone's the fool here, alright, Pisces.

[WillyT]

221. Sadly... K & R !!!

:shrug:

[GeorgeGist]

225. I'm thinking that Obama's notion of bipartisanship is ...

between the center and the right; which means always moving right.

[Goldstein1984]

227. Glad you could join us.

[AlinPA]

235. The Senate has a lot to do with passing legislation. A hell of a lot. nt

[Yurovsky]

240. He got screwed by spineless Senators...

and more than a few House members, with a "D" behind their name.

We made the mistake of running "moderate" DLC corporate types in 2006 & 2008, and it came back to bite us in the ass. The tide had swung BIG TIME by 2006, and if we had run more progressive candidates in those "swing" districts, this whole mess wouldn't have blown up in Obama's face.

Americans want action. "Moderate" (read: CONSERVATIVE) Dems ensured that any action would be limited in scope, and corporate interests would be protected. I hate those bastards even more than I do the GOP, because they betrayed their party, and America.

[LaPera]

243. Shameless-Obama is going to cave at the planned last moment & give his republican friends tax cuts

for the wealthiest 2% just as the republicans are demanding Obama do..... The same 10 year Bush deficit raising tax cuts that have produced no jobs, Obama is going to cave to the republicans and on it goes....as Obama caves and getting just a few more month's of unemployment insurance - Claiming it as a victory, while giving the republicans & the rich many more years of the unfair deficit raising tax cuts for 2% of the rich - enough time until the republicans get back into the WH and then make the tax cuts permanent.... Obama is a republican enabler & stooge.....Obama always backs down from what he original says then trade-offs and his trade-offs are always inferior to what he gets in return and what the Republicans demand - Shameful!

[Name removed]

244. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[whatacountry09]

246. Oh, Cyrano...

I couldn't agree with you more; however, if you think ANYONE WE elect will stand up for 'us'... it is my opinion that you are mistaken. For example - Alan Grayson - he believes what we do and I would bet my life that if we had the opportunity to vote him in... he would be forced to do exactly what Obama is doing. This America we live in now is no longer a government run by, for and of the people - it's by, for and of the wealthy - Corporations, et al. So, it matters not who we vote in - this is the "new" plan for America and GW started this and it is my belief that there is no turning back... America will just continue on this disaster of a path he started.

[GreenTea]

248. Kick & Recommend!!

:kick:

[Beacool]

249. Wow, how times have changed!!!

So many people not feeling all hopey anymore. Well, next time look at a candidate with cold eyes and don't get swayed by grandiose speeches.

;)

[Name removed]

254. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dlfuller]

252. you nailed it

the minute the campaign ended everything changed

[Lorien]

255. Write to the White House. Hard copy letter with a stamp. Venting here is fine, but

Obama needs to hear this message EVERY DAY from millions of us!

[woo me with science]

274. +100000

This is true. Emails are better than nothing, but the letters on paper get more attention than emails.

[4dsc]

370. I don't think he'll listen

Sorry but I don't think President Obama will listen to the base anymore, not that he's done much of that over the past two years.

[NoSheep]

421. Ditto.

[Name removed]

256. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[defendandprotect]

260. Most of us are in agreement .... now what? What's Plan B ....????

We have a HUGE liberal voting bloc -- what are we going to do with it?

When does the discussion begin?

[Poll_Blind]

261. As bitchy as I am towards the President, I urge you to hold out and to at least see what happens...

...during this lame duck session.

PB

[MindandSoul]

265. I regretfully agree! And I really don't like it, I'm really sad about losing my hope and

my admiration for this man.
I still think he is a deeply good and intelligent man. . .Maybe too good and too intelligent!
He is being swallowed by stupidity and greed. . .and he doesn't seem to have the strength to fight back!

[ohwinston]

269. One term is enough

Threats to the electorate over future Supreme Court
nominations will not sway my vote.  Obama's
time has come and gone and with it the future of the
Democratic party.  

[southern_belle]

283. so you don't care if the SCOTUS

is packed with Scalia's, Thomas', Alito's and Roberts???

WOW!!!

[donheld]

273. +1

[crim son]

287. K&R! n/t

[TeaBagsAreForCups]

288. k/r

[MrMickeysMom]

290. When Bush lowered the bar so well, he thought he'd be right...

...Not too controversial, not too high in principle a la the Chicago School of Law, Milton Freidman conservatism. Why, he'd surely fit somewhere inbetween Neofascism and Neoliberalism.

If he has something up his sleeve to pull off a hell of a 2nd 2 years, I'll tell you all how wrong, wrong, wrong I am. But until then, I've read everything I can get my hands on to find reason with the likes of his hero - Honest Abe Lincoln.

Hey, ya'll, I've read all about Abe Lincoln, and he is no Lincoln.... sad to say.

[bhikkhu]

292. Its a 4 year job that's a complete crapfest

imho. Of course he ran and won, and he's doing a decent job of work with the pile of crap he has to work with. I don't consider him a failure for not having delivered 1998 back to us on a platter immediately, and I won't consider him a failure if he doesn't get re-elected, or even if he doesn't run. The RW certainly has no monopoly on cluelessness or misplaced drama.

[tavalon]

296. I think Obama has done some good things behind the scenes

That said, he has not led this country, nor this party, well. He no longer has the fire that he had during his campaign. Campaign Obama is who I voted into office and I wanted him to remain that way. He didn't.

[Liberal Left]

312. Feingold-Kuicnich 2012

Good team. Why not vote for leaders we can trust.

[CakeGrrl]

320. Because they couldn't get the votes LAST TIME THEY RAN?

Where were the Wisconsin Progressives to get Feingold's back this midterm? Where was their support? Where was his BASE?

[Kaleva]

330. The base Feingold had. It was the moderates who stayed home...

and the conservatives who came out in force that defeated Feingold.

[BzaDem]

334. Feingold said that he was happy to lose re-election if that was the price for enacting the health

care bill. He intensely advocated for its passage, cast the deciding vote, and thinks it was a major accomplishment.

Still want to vote for him?

[LittleGirl]

321. first time I've unrecommended a post

Sorry, there are two years left and I'm not quitting on Obama. I think he tries to compromise too much but I also think there are things we are not privy too either.
have a nice holiday season.

[truth2power]

352. Unfortunately, even the things we are not privy to,..

when we do become privy to them reflect poorly on Obama.

[burning rain]

324. The idea of O stepping aside in 2012 in fanciful.

How likely is it that someone with the ego, drive and wiles to claw his way to the top is going to just give it up?

[BzaDem]

339. So is the idea of a primary challenger. n/t

[burning rain]

500. Only the idea of a primary challenger prevailing is.

.

[motorcityliberal]

328. Armchair presidents need not apply pt2

Never seen a so called political movement idea of fighting for change is either sitting at home or voting for some loser on the Green Party ticket, the only thing I grown tired of is the the passing the buck among progressives about President Obama being the root cause for progressive not being fired up this sums up my feeling "There is no doubt that Democrats will suffer losses next Tuesday. Almost always, the party in the White House loses some Congressional seats during the midterms. That’s the contrary nature of so much of the American electorate: If I can’t find my socks this morning, it’s the fault of the party in power. But whether Tuesday is the electoral blow-out that so many in the media are predicting, or closer to a normal midterm result, is not up to Obama, and will not be because of “what Obama did or didn’t do,” and anybody who comes around next Wednesday or beyond trying to sell that used car will get interrogated from this corner: How many phone calls did you personally make? How many voters did you personally turn out? Hit the phones, or pound sand. Armchair presidents need not apply. Between now and Tuesday, we’re all Mr. and Mrs. President. That’s how democracy was designed to work. The only missed opportunity this week will be your own." From Al Giordano's the Field blog a week before the midterms.

The House Democrats did their job by passing truly progressive legislation and what did they get in return from guys like you? Low voter turn out. President Obama didn't fuck up you did by not saving a Democratic house. But again whining and making declaration of helping the Republicans to gain more power on a message board is easier than actually working for that change you claim you want.

I'm not here to scare you about a President Sarah Palin because you know what her presidency could do to this country but I will say this you're either in or you're out and if you chose to be out then you give up all your rights to complain about having Sarah Palin as president or whomever the Republicans pick to be their flag carrier.

[BDavinciNY]

338. Thank You MCL

Your statement was well said. I'm personally sick and tired of these Obama bashing treads. I roll my eyes every time I read this whinefest. Please stop fracking whining. I understand that for all Obama's achievements doesn't mean much for those who don't have a job, a home, or anything. Damnit if you want something you got to go out there and demand it for your politician. You also got to support and vote for the ones that support you not all this whining. Everytime a topic like this comes up I bet you some freeper or conservatard is pissing in pants that the liberals are hating Obama for not doing what promised in the campaign. That freeper is happier than a pig in shit. Not just threads like this but other progressives in the media like Cenk Ugyur who nearly 95% of the time is bitching about Obama does or didn't do. I will support Obama today, tomorrow and in 2012 because I know the alternative with Pres. Sarah Palin or whoever the Rethugs pick to be the Corporate ass kisser in chief would be dismal. So suck it up and quit whining. We must pound the pavement much harder to get what we want with the people we do have in the next congress. There are no blue dogs anymore. We must heavy advocate what we want. Change is a process not an instant gratification.

[motorcityliberal]

467. Telling real truth to real power

It's like some of these folks live in a fantasy world where if only Dennis Kucinich or Howard Dean were president they would be steam rolling the Republicans right now, the Republicans would be pulling this same stunt no matter who was sitting in the oval office. I have to repeat this the House Dems did their job by passing truly progressive legislation and what did the progressive do? Stayed home and rewarded the Republican obstruction in the senate by making sure more House Republicans were elected. So for the next two years thanks to progressive taking their ball and going home, President Obama will be either explaining to Darrell GTA Issa what he had on a pizza last Tuesday night or will be vetoing every wing nut bill that leaves the house.

As for Cenk Ugyur I take whatever he says with a grain of salt, sorry TYT fanboys and Ihavenobias your boy doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Before Ihavenobias come up with some long winded spin job to defend his boy here's a example of Cenk speaking out his ass "The other “Progressives Against Obama” member I’ll take to the woodshed today is radio and TV host Cenk Uygur, for whom the Kagan nomination likewise is not really about Kagan but about Obama himself. He writes:

“My problem with her is my problem with Obama. Cheney and Bush moved the ball 80 yards down-field (sic, as anyone who knows the NFL spells it downfield, without hyphen), whether that was on executive power, warrantless wiretapping, pre-emptive wars or just about any other issue you can think of. And Obama's bold and brilliant response is to move the ball 10 yards in the opposite direction. Not good enough. Not remotely good enough…

“He is never going to throw the ball down the field. If you like two yard pick-ups by a running-back going straight up the middle, you'll love Obama. It's the Eddie George presidency. What he doesn't seem to get is that the other side is eventually going to get the ball back and then it won't seem like a major accomplishment that we went from our own two-yard line to our own twelve-yard line. It'll be viewed as a tremendous disappointment.”

Actually, Mr. Uygur, you ought to get to know the games of football and of politics before nominating yourself as head coach or quarterback. You should at least know the rules of the game. In football, moving the ball ten yards downfield is precisely good enough. It is called gaining a first down, that which allows your team to remain in possession of the ball and keep battling downfield toward touchdowns and field goals, while denying the opposing team time on the clock to do so.

The name-dropping of running back Eddie George is also revealing as to just how greatly Uygur’s comparison fails epically: Eddie George, at Ohio State University, won the Heisman Trophy in 1995, and he rushed for more than 10,000 yards in only eight years in the NFL (presidents, by law, can’t last more than eight) and George helped bring his middling team to the Super Bowl in just four years, one first down at a time. In his first season with the Houston Oilers-cum-Tennessee Titans franchise (when George earned the NFL’s Rookie of the Year title), the team won just eight games to eight losses. By 1999, the Titans had 13 wins to three losses and went to the Super Bowl.

What got them there? First downs and ball possession, largely thanks to Eddie George: That team won by running the ball up the field three or four yards per play.

Guys like Solomon and probably Uygur (the jury is still out on the latter) are a bit distinct from pond scum like Greenwald and Hamsher, who are only in it for their own protagonist careers. The former are more akin to those fans in the bleachers always screaming at the quarterback to throw the long ball even against teams skilled at interceptions.

Meanwhile, the new star quarterback keeps controlling the ball, marching the team downfield, winning first downs every ten yards, and the Kagan confirmation is another touchdown that soon will happen. And then Obama’s second draft pick for the US Supreme Court can begin tag-teaming Justice Kennedy along with Justice Sotomayor and concretely move the Court to the left.

Thus, those who claim that the Kagan nomination “moves the court to the right” reveal only their gross ignorance about the dynamics of the US Supreme Court in the present day. And the unflappable head-coach-in-chief is absolutely correct to ignore the cat-calls from the armchair quarterbacks in the bleachers who have never won a game, and thus have no idea how it is really done." Again from Al Giordano's The Field blog.

Lastly what's pisses me off about this narrative of I'm not voting for President Obama is the same people making this claim will be the same assholes whining and crying about the next Republican president.

[Chulanowa]

335. That's what you get for expecting FDR, Abe Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and Bagger Vance all in one guy

[BulletproofLandshark]

357. We merely expected a Democratic president to act as such.

It seems that was too much to ask for.

[peace frog]

389. It's not your parents' Democratic Party

We've been keeping the *old* Dem platform alive in our minds and hearts, but in reality it simply does not exist today. The progressives have been driven from the fold and the general attitude by the new Dem PTB is "good riddance to those liberal scum". As someone commented upthread: Wake up and smell the betrayal.

[elias7]

427. Most on the mark post of the day, IMHO

n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

341. *

[Imagevision]

346. I believe this new world order BS. has already kicked into play -Repugs Dems, a front...

[ObaMania]

348. +1

Think it's time to change my screen name to nObama.

[JTFrog]

356. I'll never donate to this new DU.

How fucking embarrassing this place has become.

[Major Hogwash]

362. It's a marriage made in heaven, a forum designed for Democrats ripping the shit out of Obama

How quaint.

I wonder if there will be a merger between DU and fire dawg lake.
Or maybe FR and DU.
That wouldn't make us bipartisan, would it?

A lot of the PUMAs are still posting here.
And they are more detrimental to the Dem party than Rush Limbaugh.

[democrank]

364. I`m a Paul Wellstone-type Democrat.

If Wellstone was alive today, I can`t imagine he`d be cheering for President Obama`s right-of-center, trash-the-Progressives-and-reach-out-to-McConnell habits. I don`t think Wellstone would have grabbed his pom poms when Obama called Junior Bush a "patriot" or cheered over Obama`s refusal to bring Junior Bush and Cheney, the war criminal twins to justice. I can`t Wellstone clapping over President Obama`s declaration that the Gulf oil spill simply disappeared or his cozy relationship with Wall Street.

We either stand for something or we deceitfully morph into Republicans.

[Hubert Flottz]

369. Stupid is...

Expecting the corporate powers that be, would ever let someone be president who would change anything that the powers don't want changed. When Obama wanted to put Judd Gregg in charge of anything, I knew where Obama stood.

I never expected much when I voted for a "centrist" democrat, but the corporations saw to it that the only choices we had were "centrist" democrats.

That sucking sound is that big Blue Dog, humping your leg.

[freewill88]

371. ME TOO! Read This!

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/obama-spain-bush-torture-prosecution/

Obama White House pressured Spain to drop Bush torture prosecution, leaked cable shows

By Daniel Tencer
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 -- 10:42 pm

The Obama administration went to the mat to defend its predecessors from a torture prosecution in Spain last year, a leaked State Department cable shows.

The cable, released by WikiLeaks this week, shows that senior US diplomats teamed with Republican lawmakers -- including a former Republican Party chairman -- to put pressure on Spanish officials to drop a criminal investigation into the Bush administration's use of "enhanced interrogation techniques."

[orbitalman]

374. K & R x 1000

[BenzoDia]

376. No, Obama should be disappointed by us

Jumping on a bandwagon of 'hope' and not 'reality'. For 3 years this man worked in inner city Chicago, breaking his balls to build job centers and get asbestos removed from public housing. 3 years of back breaking work for small gains for a forgotten people.

We gave him 2 years to fix a broken country and turned our backs on him, voted a bunch of Tea Partiers and Republicans into the House and Senate. Politics is a long-term game, but we sold him out after 2 years. Embarrassing.

[creon]

381. It is

agree

[Name removed]

479. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[laughingliberal]

483. Oh, right! Because he pays our salary and we are accountable to him? A little backwards. nt

[laughingliberal]

484. "We gave him 2 years to fix a broken country and .... voted a bunch of Tea Partiers and Republicans

into the House and Senate."

Who's this 'we,' of whom you speak? I voted a straight Democratic ticket on Nov 2 and helped derail bat-shit crazy Sharon Angle's bid for the Senate.

[BenzoDia]

487. 'We' as in people who supported Obama for president, but didn't show up for Nov 2

or voted the other way. Not everyone, of course, but I feel it's important to move as a unit.

I guess the thing that surprises me is that people were expecting some kind of magic to happen when Mr. Obama got elected. I didn't get the impression that he was promising magic, just his best.

[laughingliberal]

488. I showed up on Nov 2 and voted a straight Democratic ticket. Most here have said they did,

too. If you're trying to call out people who voted for teabaggers or Republicans or who stayed home, I think this is the wrong venue.

[BenzoDia]

492. No, I'm not calling people out here on their voting choices.

That kind of brow beating is just not my style. 'We' as in everyone.

[BenzoDia]

486. Hey Yoy, guess we went too far. But here I'll continue:

The only thing I think anyone should think, is that Mr. Obama is doing what he can to deliver on his promises and will make compromises where he thinks it makes sense. When we elect someone, we're trusting them to do the best we can, given what they have available. He can talk till he's blue in the face and won't change some people's minds. It'd be pointless for him to expend that much energy.

Health Care - Yes it has similarities to RomneyCare he says so himself, and yeah he struck a deal for the mandate and pre-existing condition insurance. But he couldn't get the support he needed. So je made a good compromise that will keep us from getting kicked off of our insurance, give coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, provide federal subsidies to the poor, and give federal funding for pilot programs. Personally, I think privatized health care has some major advantages. Note that Switzerland offers insurance through private insurers and the WHO has them ranked really well in world rankings. However, each company in Switzerland provides a basic non-profit plan, which is pretty awesome imo.

Gitmo - The leaked embassy cables have shown that we've tried to get other countries to take prisoners and they won't. We've even played hardball with them and they still won't help. And honestly, some of the prisoners are dangerous. Is it right? Not completely, but this is a tricky balance between security and fairness.

Unwinnable war - Troops have been significantly reduced. But with Iran banging on the door, crime, and sectarian violence then there is the need for stability. Even Tariq Aziz has been quoted as telling us not to leave as we'd be leaving Iraq to the wolves. Obviously, we would've been better off not going in the first place.

[creon]

377. Your options

Stay home; do not vote
Vote for a third party candidate
Vote GOP
Vote for Obama

I have no problem with people who have a negative view of Obama as he and Congress did not do what was necessary.

The critical pov is a result of that failure.


The long term answer is to elect a majority of progressives to Congress. That is the only way progressve legislation is going to be passed.

[steve2470]

387. I hope the Dem wins in 2012. Nuff said nt

[Iggo]

390. He's lost my primary vote, that's for sure.

With hard work and positive results, he can earn it back.

But it's not looking good right now.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

391. Obama = Blue Dog = DINO

LINK: http://dissentingdemocrat.wordpress.com/2010/12/02/who-let-the-dogs-out-who-who/


"For the uninitiated, a Bluedog is of the lineage of the Bourbon Democrats, Dixiecrats, Boll Weevils, DINOs and the so-called New Democrats. Simply understood as a Republican who believes that they are more likely to get elected on the Democratic ticket. Nowadays, Republicans run as Democrats because their own party has been captured by Nuts, Psychos and the Christian Taliban. When you have a political party come out against Common Sense, Reason, and Science, a reasonable person will jump ship and pretend to be something else.


The midterm election results represent a nationwide repudiation of Bluedogs."

Now that real Democrats and progressives know what Obama truly IS - 2012 will be a repudiation of HIM, most likely. NOT GOOD to have a Blue Dog atop the ticket in 2012. We're screwed in all ways from all directions. Probably gonna be one of those elections where I vote for my cat. Pfft.

Don't get me wrong, I'm Progressive/Dem - almost socialist (and not afraid to admit it). I supported Obama with gusto and have never voted Repig and never will. But - well, I have a deep-seated disrespect for DINOs and Blue Dogs. And I am not voting for one.

[Name removed]

392. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dionysus]

448. classy.

[William769]

394. "The Leader of the free world".

Thats a heavy cross to bear. Only leaders need apply.

LBJ had a Democratically controlled Congress (filled with Southern Democrats), Civil Rights Legislation got passed. If LBJ had not been a leader guess what? This thread would be moot.

The morel of the post? You be the judge.

[WatchWhatISay]

396. And you have wasted a golden opportunity for the Democrats to

reclaim this country from the Crazies

[Name removed]

397. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LynneSin]

398. I respect your opinion but I have this to say about your post

I understand there is a good chance of a few primary contenders against Obama and even I might entertain supporting one of them.

But should Obama prevail I would hope that we do our best to get him re-elected.

Even on Barack Obama's absolutely worst day ever there isn't one republican out there that shines above him.

[irislake]

401. Maybe you hate Ralph Nader but

you shoulda held your noses and voted for him while it was possible. He was dead right about your two party system. However, if he had got in I guess they (the real power elite that picks your leaders, including Obama) would have assassinated him.

I think the U.S. is in big big trouble and I am no longer laughing about what Alex Jones etc say about those internment camps. After all a government capable of 911 and the cover-up and all the lies and murderous activities all over the world is capable of anything.

I fear for my son who lives in Texas. Wish he would bring his wife with him and move back to Canada. I wouldn't even dare talk openly to him by phone or by email. Maybe when he comes here for Christmas I will express my fears.

I think the elite have been planning this big coup ever since the failed coup against FDR. They have got everything arranged.

Shudder. Shudder.

[bigwillq]

402. K and R (nt)

[efhmc]

403. Tax cuts for the rich will end it for me.

[Deep13]

406. We need a new ticket.

The lesson of the last decade is that amatuers have no business in the White House. It takes a special kind of Democratic fuck-up to make Bill Clinton look progressive, but here we have it.

[ProSense]

416. " takes a special kind of Democratic fuck-up to make Bill Clinton look progressive"

Bill Clinton's policies will never be viewed as progressive. Never.

Progress:

Elizabeth Warren Recruits Dodd-Frank Enforcers From 50 States

U.S. publicizes names of federal subcontractors

[Deep13]

423. A tax hike, no protracted wars, military reductions, vetoed the bankruptcy "reform"...

...bill twice, negotiated and signed Kyoto treaty.

No applause for GATT, telecom deregulation or welfare "reform," of course.

The most damaging policies of W. Bush were the two protracted wars and the tax cuts. We still have the two wars and it looks like we are going to get screwed agains on the tax cuts.

[ProSense]

424. NAFTA, repealed Glass Steagall, Welfare Reform, DADT, DOMA

"A tax hike, no protracted wars, military reductions, vetoed the bankruptcy "reform"..."

Obama inherited two wars. He is also responsible for the biggest reduction in military system ever.

[Deep13]

433. Six months in he can claim the wars as inheritence.

Two years in and they're his. This is especially true since ending the Iraq war at least was a major campaign promise.

Agree on Glass Steagall.

DOMA was an effort to stop a Federal Constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage forever--essentially a prop 8 on the national level. DADT was at the time seen as a less draconian alternative to the outright ban on gays in the military. It was based on the understanding that there would be no witch-hunts for closeted gays in uniform. Of course, the military broke its promise on that and we have the present situtation. I remind you that on DADT, Obama has been a lot of hot air with no repeal in sight. I'm not aware that he has done anything about ENDA which in my view is more important than either DOMA or DADT.

I don't think NAFTA is especially bad. It's Chinese slave labor, its depressed currency that and corporate greed that is costing Americans (and also Mexicans) their jobs. We can't expect Mexico to control its drug supply problem or our illegal immigration problem if their can't build their own civilian economy. And they can't do that isolated from their neighbors.

[ChiciB1]

411. Couldn't AGREE MORE!!! Have Been Thinking & THIS Is Very Weird I Know..

BUT even IF it were Palin or some other IDIOT who "might" seem so much worse, perhaps they'll be so BAD that it "might" wake up some of the FOOLS out there!

As it is, I no longer know WHAT to say to people when they ask me about OBAMA and what is going on. I CAN'T defend him, nor can I defend so many Democrats either. IF the American people can't stand up to this crap that has been going on, sitting and doing nothing, then I suppose we will get the GOVERNMENT they want to dole out.

We're getting it anyway and I SURELY don't see OBAMA fighting for the less fortunate people of this country. So many say it could be worse, but when HE is UNWILLING to stand his ground, to take on the Repukes and say ENOUGH, why should I stand by and support HIS Repuke politics??

I have disagreed with much that has gone on, but I had not gotten to the point where I would actually say that I WANT SOMEONE ELSE!! I WANT a LEADER, and he IS NOT a leader. The best I can say about him right now is that he IS a compromiser! And he seems "addicted" to his COMPROMISING as as a way to lead this country!

So, now I say ENOUGH! I don't know WHERE to look or WHO to support, but I am one very, very upset Democrat and would join a viable THIRD Party in a nanno second! If it weren't for Florida being a Primary state I would have already changed to NPA, but have put it off so far.

We got sucked into believing another run of the mill CORPORATIST and I have so little faith in ANYONE coming to our aid!

And PLEASE, no more lists of WHAT they says he's done. When it comes down to the really BIG issues, he's FAILED us! He has really FAILED us and his Party!

JMHO!

[MilesColtrane]

457. "perhaps they'll be so BAD that it "might" wake up some of the FOOLS out there!"

I believe that was Nader's reasoning for acting as a spoiler in 2000, and look what it got us.

[glinda]

417. Any Progressive President will accomplish little if he does not have a progressive majority.

[Doc Martin]

422. Ditto

[davidwparker]

425. 100% Right - 0% Wrong

I will know the party's desire to keep the WH by its desire to have a primary.

It does not need to be bloody, expensive, or long. Just put another name on the ballot and let's vote.

[BonnieJW]

428. When I see Obama on TV lately,

he seems almost fearful. It makes me think there is a threat to his family. I know that sounds far-fetched, but that's what I see. What would cause him to refuse confrontation with repukes? He keeps "reaching out" to the other side. He wants discussions with the Chamber of Commerce. Why would he need to placate these villainous people?

[timefortherevolution]

435. My thoughts exactly! WHO IS ON OUR SIDE...

You don't feel as though Obama is.

I always feel he's circulating his resume with these corporate repubs.

[Beacool]

465. Maybe what he seems is that he's over his head.

:shrug:

[timefortherevolution]

434. As someone laid off, without health insurance,

a tiny house, I can tell you that Obama is WEAK!

The wealth in the hands of so few calls for decisive leadership.

Tell me, where is Obama's sense of urgency?

[russspeakeasy]

439. I looked in my closet this morning and saw President Obama

oh, never mind. It was an empty suit.....Never
again......Never.

[truedelphi]

478. I think we share the same wardrobe. n/t

[cyborg1966]

440. I see what you're getting at

There are a lot of things that Obama has done/not done that have disappointed me.

I am disappointed that he didn't push for single-payer health care and backed off on the public option. What he passed is essentially Mitt Romney gone national.

I am disappointed that he hasn't followed through with closing Gitmo.

I am disappointed that he has basically let the far right define him as "Kenyan," "Marxist," "Socialist," and far worse racial epithets, without standing up to them.

I am VERY, VERY, VERY disappointed he hasn't pushed for repeal of the odious UnPatriot Act.

I am disappointed that he has allowed a pretty face and vacuous brain case from Alaska to eclipse him.

I am disappointed that he has fallen into the trap that too many Democrats since Clinton have fallen into of being "Republican lite" and not refuting the ludicrous 1981 Reagan mantra of "government is the problem, not the solution" that right-wingers love to quote.

BUT...

At the risk of parrotting so many others, what other choice is there? Remember in 1980 when Ted Kennedy mounted a primary challenge to President Carter? Remember how THAT turned out? A long national nightmare of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," a running-in-place-veto-everything with Dan Quayle a heartbeat away from the Presidency administration, a hobbled Bill Clinton from 1994 on, the even worse nightmare of George W. Bush being appointed to the Presidency by SCOTUS, an illegal war in Iraq, a botched war in Afghanistan...

I like Dennis Kucinich and Russ Feingold too. But if you think that the right wing hate media has successfully demonised Obama, imagine what they would do with these gentlemen.

It may be a hold-my-nose-and-vote-for-Obama-again vote for me in 2012. But for my part it will be a vote AGAINST everything that the Republican Party of today stands for.

[cjbgreen]

453. My Concerns

His position on education and support to privatize education
His removal of Howard Dean and distancing himself from all progressive positions while stating public support (public option), transparency, BP disaster
His position on war crimes
His position on tax cuts
His freezing federal employee pay (easy for him to say his staff took pay freezes when their salaries are triple digit.
His support for off shore drilling
His negative statements about his base
His appointments to financial committees, health care etc. that result in recommendations that parrot republican values
His lack of support for DADT
His escalation of war
I support his efforts against nuclear proliferation.
He saved the automobile industry
He does not frame the issues concerning education, health care, war, the need for government.
I do not know what he believes. I wanted to believe that he was smart and knew how to move this country in a healthy direction. If he is smart, does he lack understanding and compassion?
I will vote but if necessary I will write in a name I can believe in.

[MilesColtrane]

460. "His support for off shore drilling"

Oil drilling permit plans for Eastern Gulf Coast are dropped


]

[cjbgreen]

472. Thank you

I appreciate your addressing this, I noticed a similar news article after I posted.

[fascisthunter]

447. To the People attacking those who are dispirited

and accusing people of lying or being trolls, or hating Obama... learn to be civilized. You may want to pretend we are all haters but I think attacking folks in this accusatory manner is breaking rules, it's divisive and should be avoided. If you want to talk about policies and details then do so, but this knee-jerk reactionary disdain toward those of us who have serious issues with our own party leadership and this Admin. is getting very old, and it isn't well founded. Most folks who have issues with this president actually list policies and positions, giving you context to debate over. The accusers are not doing that here.

[Riverman]

456. What I was Feeling and about to post after reading thru this! I put one

name on my ignore list. The predatory system is the problem and is very good at distracting us with bullshit and enjoys it, and profits massively as we bash each other over the head while they rob us to death!

[fascisthunter]

464. I hear ya... too many folks are suffering...

from policies this government supports and passes.... I can only guess those attacking us are the ones living pretty well and aren't feeling the burdens most are experiencing. That said, I'm gonna just leave it at that. It's sad... I think the only way things are going to change is when everyone feels the pain.

[FailureToCommunicate]

449. MILLIONS of us were warmed that freezing Inaugural Day because of hope

for change. NOW we're getting cold feet:
Sure, some good laws and regulations have happened...
Sure, a stubborn oligarchy-controlled Congress has set too many roadblocks...
But you (Obama) and your appointees dither and compromise BEFORE negotiations begin!

I too get tired of defending your administration.

P.S. Oh, and one last thing: the rest of the WORLD wants New Start treaty, and Climate action, BTW.
Make that Peace Prize mean something.

[Poboy]

454. Good OP.

[flyarm]

455. K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Name removed]

459. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dionysus]

466. reminds me of that south park episode...

[earth mom]

469. Sorry, but, the Bankster Bailout, Bogus Peace Prize, BP Ecocide Cover Up, Cat Food Commission

should have clued you in way before this.

[Poboy]

475. .

[JoePhilly]

481. "Step aside" ... ?? ... only on DU is such nonsense cheered.

[LawnLover]

482. So you're voting for Palin? Wow.

[laughingliberal]

485. Old, tired, ineffective argument. nt

[LawnLover]

493. Real, scary, potentially disastrous

If you won't vote for Obama in the primary, that's one thing. But if you fail to vote for him in the general and he loses to someone like Palin or just about any other Rethug, then you should hide your head in shame and blame.

[laughingliberal]

497. I've never said I wouldn't vote for him in the general. But it's 2 years off.

And if the only strategy we have is to keep telling people that don't like what Obama's doing that they're helping to elect Palin, that's pretty piss poor.

Perhaps a year of trying to pressure the President to do better might be in order. And perhaps the people who keep egging him on in his failing strategy of "Cave-ins R Us" should be the ones hanging their heads in shame.

[LawnLover]

501. Pressuring the President is one thing

but saying he's lost your vote is another thing altogether, if there's no viable alternative in two years. And there won't be.

So doing the whole "I've lost faith, he's lost my vote" meme is either disingenuous or just silly. Maybe both.

[RegieRocker]

489. Obama

has had a long hard road to travel and if you don't know, not all democrats are on his side. He's fighting more than just the Republicans.

[BenzoDia]

495. Agreed. This is true. n/t

[Monique1]

496. RegieRocker

Thank you for posting - this needs to be heard.

[LawnLover]

502. As evidenced by the tax cut vote. nt.

[Paladin]

490. Well Said---I Regret To Say....... (n/t)

[Richard Steele]

491. K&R

[Odin2005]

498. Ditto here.

He lost me with the healthcare debacle. Just another corporatist.

[TeaBagsAreForCups]

504. Indeed.

[LawnLover]

503. Funny, I think of the smallness as coming from those

who can't accept the fact that he's a flawed human being doing his best to deal with the bullshit he's been dealt. Most, if not all, of you wouldn't last thirty seconds trying to clean up GWB's mess.

It's very easy to be a backseat driver.

I look at the list of what he's accomplished so far and am pretty damn impressed. Do I think his record is perfect? No. But calling him small and pathetic is, in itself, pretty small and pathetic.