Would being President change your world view? Did it change Obama's?

[Cid_B]

I hear lots of hem and haw about candidate Obama vs President Obama.

Obviously he has made decisions that are contrary to the message he gave as a candidate(Gitmo, Afghanistan, Libya, detention and questioning techniques and of course fiscal policy)

Do you believe that

A) President Obama really wants to follow through on those campaign messages but does not have the power due to the other forces in the world (political, economic, military)

or

B) President Obama changed his viewpoint on many things, particularly defense related, once he sat in the chair and saw on a daily basis what those programs provided?

or

C) He always felt the way that he is acting now and put on a bit of a show as a candidate?

Also, do you think you would change your world view if you were privy to whatever you think the top of the food chain receives in information?

[zaj]

1. When a progressive gets elected President...

... that progressive runs into the cold hard reality that the majority of congress doesn't consider themselves progressive. It's hard enough to govern exactly like you campaign, but when 55-65 members of Congress reject the progressive/liberal it's nearly impossible for a Progressive to do it.

It's a lot easier for a conservative. It's the hard, ugly reality of our modern political discourse.

[RKP5637]

2. Yep, I agree with your analysis!!! n/t

[athenasatanjesus]

3. A) there's a reason that while he was campaigning he preached that the people will need to help.

If we wanted real change.

[Forkboy]

4. Honestly, I think it's a bit of all three.

I don't see those as mutually exclusive.

A) I think Presidents are no longer as powerful as corporations in this country, nor do I see in Obama someone who really wants to reign them in anyways. I was reading something a few weeks back, and I forget what it was of course, but it was talking about how presidents are in some ways hostages to big monied interests. I think there's some truth to that.

B)He definitely seems to have changed his mind on some things, though I don't know what the motivation was. It could be what you say, it could be part of my response on part A, it could be your option C. Who knows?

C) Well, his policies were there to see for all of us. There was an element of show in his campaign, for sure, but there is in everyone's campaign. This is why we should always go by actions over words. He had actions to go by already, so his words on the campaign meant little to me (though to be fair, there isn't a single campaign theme from anyone that resonates with my cynical self). Hope and Change was a sales pitch, nothing more, nothing less. And it worked, because people are starving for both. The hopeful part of me (what little nugget is left somewhere inside of me) would like to think he was genuine. The cynical part of me thinks the slogan was test marketed or something.

As for whether it would change my worldview, I don't see how it couldn't. The question is, to what degree? That I can't answer. I suspect I'd toss half of DU in a gulag by month 2 of my presidency, and all of the fucking Republicans on Day 1. :)

[TheKentuckian]

5. Who cares? I tire of excuses for the wealthy, powerful, and connected and hard, unforgiving, and

cold for steerage.

Nobody gives a wet fart when poor folks have obstacles.

[ddeclue]

6. Excuses excuses excuses..

the President can pretty much have his way in spite of Congress if he is willing to be heavy handed with them like LBJ or FDR. Obama is a wimp and unwilling to take on Congress like LBJ or FDR.

[Terra Alta]

8. I wish Obama were more like FDR.

The country sure wouldn't be in the shape it's in now, if he were. Also, the poor and sick wouldn't be suffering like they do now. Maybe Obama will develop a backbone but only time will tell.

[white_wolf]

12. Even FDR had to be pushed to the Left.

He was very status quo in the beginning but he was forced to the left. Of course the threat of communist revolution tends to have that effect on a person, we don't have that today.

[MedleyMisty]

15. We shall see

Lots of protests. Lots of anger. Outside DU, talk of revolution is actually fairly mainstream - I remember a mention of the second American revolution in a statement by a Wisconsin farmer.

We shall see.

[OmahaBlueDog]

11. FDR had a helluva time with many members of the Congress and the SCOTUS

..and FDR made decisions during WWII that would make Cheney and Yoo blush.

[DonCoquixote]

17. How

Especially when the Mary Landrieus of the world can oppose Obama and get cheered on by their constituents?

[Raine]

20. Punishment and rewards

there must be all kinds of appropriations for things that the Landreius of the world would like to bring to the people they represent. It seems like they could be brought into line with some witholding or releasing for those things. I thought that was how government worked ... one hand washing the other. :shrug:

[DonCoquixote]

22. and whaty if what they want

is to get oil drilling in the gulf back pronto, like landrieu does. I love Bernie sanders, but when Mary cozied up to him, I do wish he told her to go jump in the lake, especially oily lake Pontchartrain.

[Terra Alta]

7. I think Obama wants to follow through with his progressive campaign promises

but something makes him give in the the Repukes in Congress, even before when Dems had control of the House. Obama is a weak President and I would have more respect for him if he developed some sort of a backbone.

[Magron]

9. Obama was shafted by his own party

The Democrats have been heavily infiltrated over the past 30 years or so by social conservatives. As Bill Clinton said.. 'Where are all the Democrats?' Well..they're not in elected office anymore. We'd all be wise to finger the ones who helped shaft the single payer health care option and other attempts in the last couple years and try to see they don't get the party's nomination again.

[OmahaBlueDog]

10. Becoming President supposedly changed Eisenhower's views

There is the now famous story of Mamie and Ike refusing to come into the WH for the traditional pre-innaguration cup of coffee with the Trumans. Supposedly this stemmed from Ike's bitterness over Truman's orders for the American armies to hold in place while the Russians took Berlin. I read that he and Truman patched their relationship up several years later -- in part because Ike realized the kinds of crappy decisions a President gets stuck making.

[jaysunb]

13. I've lived under 12 Presidents

and they all seem to have a different opinion once they take office. 44 men have had that unique view, but we never find out until they (or others) write their memoirs what or why their initial approach and understanding got altered or derailed.

It must be a bigger job than we could imagine.....

[TheIdiot]

14. Being president is a big job, indeed...

and it takes a big man (or woman) to do the job justice.

We elected a small one.

[EC]

16. I don't know about Obama, but I think

Hillary definitely learned one can get more done for good, if they do it like her husband is.

[piratefish08]

18. as soon as they show you where they hide the aliens, you go along to get along.

[Raine]

19. C ... he had to show a difference between him and republican

to get elected. Now he does what he wants and/or what the corporations, wall street and the billionaires tell him to do.

[LWolf]

21. I think Obama was always a hawk.

There are differences between candidate Obama and President Obama, but I don't think the war is one of those differences.

We heard a lot about how he was "against the war from the beginning," based on a speech he gave before he was in Congress to vote.

To be specific, he was "against" the war in Iraq, not the war on "terror." He was aggressively hawkish about the war on terror.

"I understand that President Musharraf has his own challenges," Obama said, "but let me make this clear. There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again. It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out an al Qaeda leadership meeting in 2005. If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will."

In other words, a unilateral act of war in Pakistan without their permission.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=3434573&page=2

Obama was never anti-war. He said, "I don't oppose all wars." He said he opposed "dumb wars." We apparently disagree on what a "dumb" war is.

Those that thought he was somehow going to get us out of the current "war on terror" weren't paying attention. Or they allowed themselves to be led astray by inspiring but vague talking points instead of hearing between the lines.

Were I president, I might change my views as new information came in, but I wouldn't change my ability to recognize when I'm being played, who my enemies and friends were, and I wouldn't change my value system.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

23. If you want to make a poll, donate.

But that would mean putting some of your hard-earned money in the hands of some liberals. I understand your reticence to endure such intense pain.