What should President Obama have done differently?

[FLyellowdog]

Don't say "stood up to the Republicans" or "been stronger" or "kept his campaign promises". What exactly and specifically should he have done in every instance but didn't do that's causing us all this angst? Has every decision been wrong?

I too am beginning to have my doubts about this presidency and I never thought I'd stop supporting Obama. I haven't given up completely, but things are getting so confusing and out of control that I'm having difficulty in continuing to defend him.

Thanks ahead of time for helping me understand.

[thunder rising]

1. Specifically, Lieberman .. out. HCR demand loyalty or no money. Blue Dogs, fuck 'em. We needed a

champion. We got Obama

[FLyellowdog]

2. I don't understand how Lieberman is the cause of all our problems.

Is that what you're saying?

[Clio the Leo]

8. The same guy who was on every cable station today urging repeal of DADT?

The same Liberman who's the co-author of the DOMA bill? Him?

10/19/09
"Joe Lieberman Could be Taking the Lead on "Don't Ask"
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5382265-503544.html

[thunder rising]

13. With us on everything but the war .. and HCR and anything else the didn't benefit Israel

As far as DADT ... let's see what happens. I don't see Lieberman actually going to the wall for it like he did backstabbing every Democratic effort in the first year.

BTW: I don't recall Lieberman saying anything about DADT in the first year. He's only on it now cause it ain't gonna happen.

[Clio the Leo]

14. And as for DOMA? .... is that just pure BS too? nt

[Clio the Leo]

3. I, too, am waiting to hear specifics...

.... the closest I've heard is "he should give a prime time address." I suppose that's a good suggestion, but that would then put the ball into the court of the American people .... he might get a WHOLE bunch of folks in the blue zones to lobby their Congress people, but will he be able to motivate those who live in the red areas? The ones who didn't even vote for him in '08? I'm not sure.

That's what I think a lot of people dont understand. He won by 10 million votes, but those 10 million votes weren't even distrubted across the country. And the way our Congress is set up, Chuck Schumer and Barbara Boxer (who may represent as high as a quarter of Obama supporters) have as much power (or as little power) as Max Baucus .... who represents almost NO Obama voters.

He can make speeches all day, but the fact of the matter is a WHOLE bunch of this nation hates the man .... and a prime time address isn't going to change that.

[thunder rising]

15. I gave you specifics and you spewed BS about Lieberman. Obama coddled the BDs and the Reps and we

sucked eggs.

[Clio the Leo]

19. um .... you brought up Lieberman love. nt

[thunder rising]

21. And you defended the lizard.

[Clio the Leo]

23. That's true ..... he IS a lizard.

But he's a lizard with some use to us.

[treestar]

57. "Just words, Mr. President. We want action."

The same people who think the "bully pulpit" is a magic wand say that when he does use it.

Frankly when i see the words 'bully pulpit' I know I'm looking at someone who wants an all powerful leader to follow.

[LonePirate]

4. He should have given a televised prime time speech every single month explaining bills and issues

That would have stunted the right wing lies about every single issue and it would have rallied America around his point of view and his ideas. We would not have lost the House in this election and then we would be able to jettison the filibuster in January. Progress would have snowballed at that point and we would finally be moving this country forward.

[Clio the Leo]

5. How does he convince some Americans to support his legislation when he couldn't ....

.... couldn't even convince them to vote for him in '08. (See my reply up thread.)

[LonePirate]

9. He needed to talk to the base and to the independents to keep them strong and blunt the lies

He shouldn't waste time talking to the right wingers who hate him.

[Clio the Leo]

12. How much of that base is represented by Max Baucus and Ben Nelson?

Again, that's the problem.

The United States Senate is a f*cked up institution.

[thunder rising]

18. Excuse me???? you really need memory courses. He won a clear majority. And a Congress.

[Clio the Leo]

22. Almost 50 members of the Democratic party in the House represented McCain districts...

... I dont need a "memory course" .... I have a chart...

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/08/us/politics/1108-health-care-vote.html

If we operate under the presumption that he had a Congressional majority that was made up entirely of progressives, we're setting ourselves up for disappointment.

[thunder rising]

25. ROFLMAO .. It was Obama's job to shape the arguments ... crickets. The facilitator failed.

[Clio the Leo]

26. So you are you going to find to beat him in 2012?

Serious question. ... I'm all for criticism .... as long as it's followed by something proactive.

[thunder rising]

28. I donated thousands from '03 to '08. This time I only voted a Dem ticket; next time I stay home

[Clio the Leo]

34. So there isn't anyone who can do it better?

Good. Glad we agree.

[FLyellowdog]

7. Do we know why he/his people didn't go that route?

[underpants]

16. I agree- he didn't (hasn't) used the biggest megaphone effectively

Plus he had to know (we all did) that the media was going to hammer him using the rightwing as cover

[polichick]

6. Just a few specifics...

He shouldn't have chosen corporate insiders for a cabinet.

He should've prosecuted for war crimes - and not kept and expanded war powers for himself.

He shouldn't have traded away the public option and should have put single payer on the table.

He shouldn't have fought the break up of the big banks and against the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall.

He shouldn't have expanded offshore drilling.

Anyway, the list goes on a while - but no, he didn't do everything wrong. imo he's a Dem who is very comfortable with the current corporate structure, so he'll tweak a few things but doesn't want to change things too much.

[FLyellowdog]

11. Thanks, Polichick.

I really haven't been asleep for these two years, but are all of these specifics things that he had literal control over or are some of them things that he simply didn't support?

[polichick]

17. Yes, the WH lobbied for these things - or controlled them entirely...

For the longest time, I (like everyone) wondered if he was naive, playing chess, needed a psychologist, just a bad negotiator - but finally for me it came down to "if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck..."

[thunder rising]

20. And a reply about DADT ... he shouldn't have appealed the reversal! Nor the Patriot Act suits.

[FLyellowdog]

24. Do we know why he did those things?

Has the President ever made his thinking clear on those decisions?

[polichick]

27. self-delete - wrong place

[FLyellowdog]

33. Is his biggest mistake that he thought he could

be a facilitator when in fact Congress refused to be facilitated? Reaching out assumes that those to whom one is reaching actually want to be reached. I don't think the opposition ever wanted to compromise on anything.

Obama was doomed the day he was elected as would Hillary have been as well. He because he's black and didn't want to look like an angry black man and Hillary because she wouldn't have wanted to be seen as an hysterical bitch.

I'm thinking we need a strong (I can't believe I'm saying this)male who will shoot first and ask questions later. You know sort of like "Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!"

If bullying is the only way to win...

The whole thing just sickens me.

[Clio the Leo]

30. Here's the view of one Obama "apologist"....

.... the one Ms. Rachel Maddow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAp6bFhxSE

Also...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/11/30/president-obama-dod-report-don-t-ask-don-t-tell

http://www.gaycitynews.com/articles/2010/11/30/gay_city_news/news/doc4cf5d5b2cda27336188990.txt

One mistake this administration has made is not realizing that Americans apparently have to have their news spoon fed to them in tiny, bite sized pieces.

[TheWraith]

36. He didn't: the DOJ did, which they are REQUIRED TO DO.

The President does not get to decide which federal laws to obey or defend. Period.

[FLyellowdog]

37. Thanks for clarifying.

[Tesha]

49. Are you still arguing that position?

It's been disproven many, many times. His duty was
done after the first trial.

Tesha

[Exilednight]

53. That's a complete lie and has proven to be on several occassions on this board. n/t

[TheWraith]

31. Could you clarify how those things are true?

"He shouldn't have chosen corporate insiders for a cabinet."

Who?

"He shouldn't have traded away the public option and should have put single payer on the table."

Really? Which Republicans would have voted for a total government takeover of health insurance if Obama had asked them to?

"He shouldn't have fought the break up of the big banks and against the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall."

And when did he do that?

[FLyellowdog]

38. Thanks for asking the good questions.

I'm still waiting for specific answers. I can't decide if we've simply jumped the shark or what.

[Tesha]

50. We didn't *NEED* any damned Republicans.

For a brief shining moment, we actually had an alleged
60 Democrats (or Democratic equivalents) in the Senate.

But as it turns out, quite a few of those Democrats are
from your side of the party and aren't actually good for shit
as it turns out.

Tesha

[midnight]

10. Restoring the Glass-Steagall Act...

First efforts to loosen Glass-Steagall restrictions

Beginning in the 1960s, banks lobby Congress to allow them to enter the municipal bond market, and a lobbying subculture springs up around Glass-Steagall. Some lobbyists even brag about how the bill put their kids through college.

In the 1970s, some brokerage firms begin encroaching on banking territory by offering money-market accounts that pay interest, allow check-writing, and offer credit or debit cards.

Fed begins reinterpreting Glass-Steagall; Greenspan becomes Fed chairman

In December 1986, the Federal Reserve Board, which has regulatory jurisdiction over banking, reinterprets Section 20 of the Glass-Steagall Act, which bars commercial banks from being "engaged principally" in securities business, deciding that banks can have up to 5 percent of gross revenues from investment banking business. The Fed Board then permits Bankers Trust, a commercial bank, to engage in certain commercial paper (unsecured, short-term credit) transactions. In the Bankers Trust decision, the Board concludes that the phrase "engaged principally" in Section 20 allows banks to do a small amount of underwriting, so long as it does not become a large portion of revenue. This is the first time the Fed reinterprets Section 20 to allow some previously prohibited activities.

Oct.-Nov. 1999 Congress passes Financial Services Modernization Act

After 12 attempts in 25 years, Congress finally repeals Glass-Steagall, rewarding financial companies for more than 20 years and $300 million worth of lobbying efforts. Supporters hail the change as the long-overdue demise of a Depression-era relic.

On Oct. 21, with the House-Senate conference committee deadlocked after marathon negotiations, the main sticking point is partisan bickering over the bill's effect on the Community Reinvestment Act, which sets rules for lending to poor communities. Sandy Weill calls President Clinton in the evening to try to break the deadlock after Senator Phil Gramm, chairman of the Banking Committee, warned Citigroup lobbyist Roger Levy that Weill has to get White House moving on the bill or he would shut down the House-Senate conference. Serious negotiations resume, and a deal is announced at 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 22. Whether Weill made any difference in precipitating a deal is unclear.

On Oct. 22, Weill and John Reed issue a statement congratulating Congress and President Clinton, including 19 administration officials and lawmakers by name. The House and Senate approve a final version of the bill on Nov. 4, and Clinton signs it into law later that month.



http://www.softpanorama.org/Skeptics/Financial_skeptic/Casino_capitalism/glass_steagal_repeal.shtml

[mtnsnake]

29. Find a way to win the war of soundbites

Republicans have been running rampant with their attacks of Obama since Day One, and their messages of gloom are being sucked up by the media and everyone else. What they (Republicans) have been doing to this man, as far as the messages that they are sending across the airwaves about him, is nothing short of sad and pathetic. On top of everything else he's trying to do, Obama must find a way to start combating the war of words that are polluting the media even if it means throwing an occasional tantrum to get the point across at what liars the Republicans are.

[Clio the Leo]

32. Yes! I agree 100%

Am reading Ambinder's book in how the President has a bit of a stubborn refusal to do this. Believes it's wrong to talk DOWN to the people. I think this will do him well in the long term and it's a reason why he's the most popular man in DC, more popular than Reagan and Clinton were at the same time in their presidencies .... but it sure does SUCK in the short term.

I really dont think he'll do it though .... at least wish he'd send some surrogates out there for him. Cant we put Carville to use?

[FLyellowdog]

40. So are we saying that Obama hasn't really done such a bad job...

of running the country but has done a terrible job of letting the people know who well he's done? If that's the case, why so much complaining here? All I want are enough facts to let me know the truth about our President. And I'm not intellectually elite enough to figure it all out.

[playstation]

35. How about not doing this- Obama And GOPers Worked TOGETHER To KILL Bush Torture PROBE

It's little things like this that probably he shouldn't do.

A WikiLeaks cable shows that when Spain considered a criminal case against ex-Bush officials, the Obama White House and Republicans got really bipartisan.



" In its first months in office, the Obama administration sought to protect Bush administration officials facing criminal investigation overseas for their involvement in establishing policies the that governed interrogations of detained terrorist suspects. An April 17, 2009, cable sent from the US embassy in Madrid to the State Department—one of the 251,287 cables obtained by WikiLeaks—details how the Obama administration, working with Republicans, leaned on Spain to derail this potential prosecution....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9669039

{I don't know, it could just be me}:shrug:

[FLyellowdog]

41. Yes, there IS that.

Where do we find the rationale?

[craigmatic]

39. Not taken corporate money during the campaign because he didn't need it now he

has to do what they want. If he'd just used our donations he'd be his own man in office instead of just a corporate crony.

[FLyellowdog]

42. How do we KNOW that his decisions would have been different?

Isn't there a chance that his corporate decisions have been based on accurate and compelling information that required such decisions? I know I'm naive, but sometimes people do what they do because they believe it to be the right thing.

[craigmatic]

43. We don't but the fact is that he did take the money. We may never know if it could've been different

but just taking the money puts his judgement into question for me. I think I figued out why Obama was so easy on BP though. I've been watching the History channel all day and they've been running a marathon about the presidents and one show about Air Force One and guess which oil company supplies the jet fuel to the government planes. They didn't even censor out the corporate logo.

[FLyellowdog]

45. President Obama doesn't benefit in any personal way from BP.

Oil company contracts are based on government bids which he doesn't control. Therefore, there would be no reason for the President to go easy on BP...And there are plenty of other companies out there who would be more than happy to supply fuel to Air Force One. (Plus BP is only one of many who have these contracts.)

Trying to tie Obama into some nefarious association with BP is a bit of a stretch and only results in manufactured concern if not outrage.

We shouldn't make up reasons to be disappointed in the President. Let's leave that to the Freepers.

[craigmatic]

46. I didn't say he did. I said that they

provide fuel for air force one. It doesn't prove Obama benefitted personally but we should still question authority even it is one of our own in power. It's that that seperates us from the freepers.

[rug]

44. Crafted discrete, specific health care bills and put each up for a vote

Kept his mouth shut on December 1, 2009.

And several dozen other things.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

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

[Orsino]

48. Elected a better Congress than we did. n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

51. He should not have even bothered to try and deal with the Republicans on health care

None of them were actually interested in dealing, they just wanted to let the debate go on for longer to run out Obama's honeymoon by the time the vote was cast.

The same thing happened to Clinton. Bob Dole said he would support the key prevision in Clinton's bill (the employer mandates) and then he reneged.

[mstinamotorcity]

52. Nobody wants to look in the mirror

the CHANGE must come from us!!!!

[Exilednight]

54. You're correct. This is why I support a primary challenge to Obama .........

If change is going to come from us, the only real power we have is to change who represents us in the White House and Congress. The WH is not getting the job done, and neither are many members of Congress.

Time for change on all levels.

[mstinamotorcity]

55. Then the meaning

is lost. And you don't get it.The White House was corrupted before President Obama got there and before George Dubya got there. And the Congress is 80% bought and paid for. No matter what the President or Congress does it will be in their interest. Until we the people think and act different can there only be CHANGE. And when you think of real power it is not only in your choice of ballot.

[Exilednight]

58. When dubya left, his cornies went with him. If it's sitll corrupt, like you say it is, then .......

it's Obama's fault.

[mstinamotorcity]

59. No its ours!!!!!!!

Once you vote, you must take action.

[treestar]

56. Should have checked with DU before making every appointment

Every day he should be on the teevee shouting at the Republicans and saying he is not going to give an inch. He should not have signed anything that did not have the complete approval of the "progressives." Thus no progress is made but by god it was entertaining! And Obama showed a spine!

Except that nothing got done and DU would be full of posts saying he should have gotten SOMETHING passed!