Reply #10: I wouldn't say that.

[backscatter712]

Say what you will about the tactics and deals with the devil Obama took to get a health care reform bill into law (and yes, I'm also mad about the deals with the devil,) but taking on health care reform at all was a HUGE risk!

Also, both Gorbachev and Obama had huge problems with right-wing reactionaries. In Gorbachev's case, it was in the form of old-school Communist hardliners, who attempted a coup close to the end of his adminstration.

Oh, and both Obama and Gorbachev inherited clusterfucked wars in Afghanistan.

So, I'd say yes, there are indeed commonalities. Let's hope that a collapse of the United States isn't another commonality.