My Obama thread and other stuff. Just my rant really.

[crackerjack101]

I'm not American.
I'm pretty cynical, and always have been, about all things political.
I rarely believe anything anyone in the public forum says.
Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
All politicians are by definition power mongers.

But

For some reason over the last few years I seem to feel that I warm to this guy.

It's not just about his policies, which must always be a matter of compromise and "politics" whatever that means.

But his personality, his ego, his communication skills, his humour and his logic.

I add this clip to start.

Shoot me down in flames as you will. I'd appreciate your input.

[crackerjack101]

The point he makes at around 23 seems sensible.

[crackerjack101]

He said "great parents and moral responsibility" what a difference that would make in the UK.

Why aren't parents held responsible?

Why are teachers blamed?

[Airportwo]

The 563 drone strikes he authorized doesn't exactly make me warm to him!

[crackerjack101]

The 563 drone strikes he authorized doesn't exactly make me warm to him!

More info please.

[crackerjack101]

[crackerjack101]

[David48atTD]

I'm a fan.

[crackerjack101]

[crackerjack101]

I'm a fan.

Indeed. As an anglo Aussie with nigh on 20 years in the NT I just feel he's a decent bloke.

Non Aussies might not understand this.

[crackerjack101]

This vid intrigues me given the folk who are now involved in the investigations that are going on.

[Airportwo]

here u go https://www.thebureauinvestigates.co...ikes-than-bush

[cyrille]

Saying Obama authorised more drone strikes than Bush is a bit like saying you have more cds than John Lennon.

The difference between the rhetoric and reality of Obama's presidency is certainly relevant before declaring him a top bloke, though.

[hallelujah]

Drone strikes, nobel prizes, Obamacare bla bla bla.

Bet he cleaned his oven though.

[crackerjack101]

Drone strikes, nobel prizes, Obamacare bla bla bla.

Bet he cleaned his oven though.

Nope. It's a little known fact that the Obama family, one and all follow the well known maxim that the dirtier the oven the tastier the food.

[bsnub]

The thing about Obama is he tried to compromise to much even within his own party. He was in favor of universal health care but once elected he settled for Obamacare and even abandoned the public option. He was supposed to be a liberal beacon for change but ultimately didn't follow through. The longer he was in office the more status quo he became. So know the new "great liberal hope" is Bernie Sanders.

America will not reverse its decline until it addresses the massive income inequality in the country. Providing the basic pillars that the other western democracies provide for their citizens has to be the first step in that battle. Universal healthcare, expanded safety nets and universal education need to be the first steps.

America is in a fight for its soul at the moment. The battle is between progressives like myself who want the above described things and oligarchs like the Koch brothers and the Walton family who spend billions of dollars via conservative media and "think tanks" do dumb down the population and convince the sheeple that these things are bad and "socialism". If you really want to know why so many Americans vote outside their own best interests you can start by googling "Jim Crow" and how it directly helped to get the orange cheeto who is in the office today.

"If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he'll empty his pockets for you."

~Lyndon B Johnson

[cyrille]

so many Americans vote outside their own best interests

Dunno if it helps, but believe me...America is not alone.

Excellent quote.

[Dragonfly]

More info please.

he is the pinnacle of hypocrisies and a great manipulator, yet very charming

great for a President role

[Dragonfly]

The thing about Obama is he tried to compromise to much even within his own party. He was in favor of universal health care but once elected he settled for Obamacare and even abandoned the public option. He was supposed to be a liberal beacon for change but ultimately didn't follow through. The longer he was in office the more status quo he became. So know the new "great liberal hope" is Bernie Sanders.

indeed, that was his problem. Tried to please everybody.

[Norton]

A young, eloquent, black senator from Illinois was a shoe in to win. Like all Presidents he soon discovered compromise was needed once he took office. Just the way the US system was designed to do.

So to some he is judged a failure, to others, he did the best he could given the DC swamp.

I'm in the latter group.

[crackerjack101]

A young, eloquent, black senator from Illinois was a shoe in to win. Like all Presidents he soon discovered compromise was needed once he took office. Just the way the US system was designed to do.

So to some he is judged a failure, to others, he did the best he could given the DC swamp.

I'm in the latter group.

Sounds about right to me.

[bsnub]

So to some he is judged a failure, to others, he did the best he could given the DC swamp.

He compromised some of his key talking points during has campaign. I do not consider him a failure he just did not deliver the changed he said he would. He will go down in history as a great president of that I have no doubt. I also have no doubt that Trump will go down in history as Americas worst president and there is not even going to be a close second by the time it is all said and done.

[happynz]

Trump will go down in history as the most corrupt resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The prize holder for being an evil piece of shit has to be W's VP Dick Cheney.

[david44]

If you can fake sincerity you'll do well in politics, perhaps why so few women at the apex of power in USA, sure Yellen, Boxer Pelosi Clinton came close.

I agree with CJ snubby and Norts he was far superior to the alternative, the fact he could'nt deliver niversal health care says more about the senate and drug company lobbyists, I read a long time ago and the figure maybe inxcorrect that around a a third of teh huge sums involved in health end up with insurance and pharma not the sick.
USA is the only developed nation where the poor cannot afford to be sick, at least in the third world you can afford to see a dentist etc.I took a friend to Santa Barbara clinic with fever and as unable to drive etc settled his bill a huge sum at the time which his dad kindly repaid

[Airportwo]

America is a "corporation" run by and for the corporations that control it - he did his bit, remember all the bankers that he jailed!