Should we criticize politicians?

[RegieRocker]

Poll question: Should we criticize politicians?

If not explain how that works for you. Should there be a percentage of promises kept as an acceptable level? Should we only criticize the opposition and leave our parties elected officials to have free reign to do what ever they choose?

[Skip_In_Boulder]

1. President Obama told us to hold him accountable

That means we must point out the good that he has done as well as the not so good.

[Donnachaidh]

2. politicians are NOT royalty

And anyone who thinks they deserve *respect* because of the job they hold is an idiot. Judge them on their ACTIONS, not their speeches.

[Shagbark Hickory]

3. We should also prosecute them when they break the law.

[QC]

4. You don't want Farmer Jones to come back, do you? n/t

[dmallind]

5. Should we be able to tell the difference between realistic criticism and wild frothing poutrage?

RC: Obama did not fight well enough for the public option. A more experienced leader with a more acute perception of Republican opposition tactics would have started by demanding single payer with no private options at all, and compromised on a Medicare option for all who want it. Inatead he started in the middle and ended up with some moderate coverage reforms that leave the insurance companies too powerful still.

WFP: Obama just threw healthcare under the bus cozying up to his corporate masters. This healthcare is just a giveaway to the insurance companies and forces us all into bondage for the corporations. Nobody at all is helped by this fascist capitulation and he's just like Bush. The right-wing corporations are only pretending to hate it to whip up the Tea Paerty so they can install an even more right wing puppet than Obama next time.

RC: The debt deal is another example of Obama's excessively blue negotiating style. By opening the door to cuts without increasing marginal rates he conceded too much and naievely expected Republicans to take a balanced deal. Instead they framed the debate as starting there and ended up with just cuts, albeit not as draconian as they wanted, and Obama let them "kick the can" on revenue increases he should have been able to get included if he had started from an all-revenue stance.

WFP: He's worse than Bush! These cuts will dismantle the entire welfare system - which is what Obama and his bankster puppetmasters have wanted all along. He has just taken the first step to ending all SSI and Medicare and transferring all their assets to Goldman Sachs. Old people will die in the streets just so the Koch brothers can get another yacht.