Pros and Cons of Obama's interview today on MTP

[mtnsnake]

(Edited to take out one too many "today's" in the subject title. lol)

This is just my take on it, and I don't think there's a discussion about it yet, so I'll break the ice. Overall, I thought it was a real interesting MTP interview. What a pleasure to have a president who is incredibly intelligent and who actually knows what he's talking about. He's also smart enough to deflect certain questions so that, whenever necessary, he can give answers to questions that aren't really answers to the question. Sometimes you just have to do that, and Barack is excellent at doing so when necessary.

Pros:

It was good to hear Obama say that diplomacy is going to take precedence again. He spoke with great confidence about his National Security Team and how he they would be conveying that the Untied States is going to be a diplomatic nation, as opposed to a warmongering one.

I liked what he had to say about the affairs in Asia and how we need to have more of a working partnership with those countries. He seemed to back off a little from his earlier stances about going into Pakistan without getting permission first. I thought that was good.

I also liked it that he talked negatively about having any longterm occupations in other countries because he said that there are no countries on earth who want to be occupied for long. Obama has a good sense of empathy and that's important. Bush had no empathy what-so-ever.

Cons:

It was a little disappointing to hear him hint that we might not be getting all the troops out of Iraq as soon as he had hoped, when he was asked by Brokaw if he was still going to get our troops out of Iraq as he had outlined during his campaign.

I wasn't too excited to hear him imply that the wealthiest of all Americans might not have to worry about seeing their taxes raised for at least a couple of years, when Brokaw asked him if he was going to change his stance from raising their taxes right away to not raising it on them until at least 2011.

There was very little discussion about health care, but I don't think Brokaw brought that subject up too much, if at all.

All in all, I thought Obama did an excellent job today expressing himself.

[frazzled]

1. I was happiest to hear him say that

the arts, culture, and science will be in the House! I was surprised, too. Not so much about science being reprioritized, but that there would be lectures in the White House. That music and art and literature will be important parts of the national ethos again.

I have been loath to bring up the idea of the arts being put back on the burner again, because I realize it seems like a low priority in these difficult times. But the arts are part of our national soul, and they contribute largely not only to our economy, but to our international stature and to our health as an advanced nation. I am thrilled there will be poetry readings in the White House. That smart and informed and culture will be cool again.

I was gratified by that last statement, and he really looked enthusiastic about it.

[tabatha]

2. Do you know what arts and music have going for them

in addition to being a necessary part of human growth.

They are minimally destructive revenue earners (except where a great deal of travel is undertaken).

[Born_A_Truman]

10. I am going to suggest that he incorporate artists in the energy grid design

That may sound far-fetched, but if we are going to have massive windfarms and solar farms I would like to see artists involved in the landscape if at all possible. I know in California the cell towers in certain areas are works of art (pine trees, etc).

[tabatha]

22. Great idea.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. I hope he tosses Bush's crayon and fingerpaint pictures out.

[CTyankee]

19. Poetry, how wonderful! I missed him but I was with my grandkids so...

that's wonderful news! I'm so happy!

This is looking more and more like a JFK White House in my lifetime. It is such a blessing to me as I remember the days in JFK's administration.

A great time to be an American, isn't it?

[elkston]

3. I am one of the biggest supporters of Barack, but I wish we could just END Iraq

I KNOW he feels its an illegal occupation, but politically he doesn't want to take the risk of saying that. He knows that he cannot eventually do the right things for this country if he is not in office and there are too many "center-right" voters at the moment.

I don't see why we need to leave behind thousands of troops either. I say maybe a few thousand (under 3,000 for sure) to help in training for a fixed period of time and after that, nothing.

We really just need to wash our hands of this area. We shouldn't have gone in the first place and I am pissed at Bush & company for putting us in this awkward position.

P.S. Another thing I liked about what Obama said was when he stressed that lopsided economic growth (i.e. only the rich get richer) eventually causes a bust, as we are seeing now. He gave good examples and drove home the fact that demand-size economics where prosperity is felt everywhere is the true way to grow the economy.

P.S. #2 -- Oh yeah, and when he mentioned bringing Jazz musicicans into the White House! YES. That place is going to be swinging HARD with America's one TRUE music!

[goclark]

5. One thing I'm sure of ~ he wants us Out of Iraq

Why would he want to keep us there? :shrug:

That said,he is working to keep us OUT of everywhere in terms of our troops.

Since we don't have clearance to know what he knows, I'm willing to let him handle it.

It's all I can do to stay positive in this terrible economy.

The WAR has now moved to the US and it is called The Economy War of 2008.

:cry:

[mtnsnake]

6. Amen to that

I think if enough of our voices our heard, we can hold his feet to the fire on that one, and we MUST. It's up to us to make sure that he keeps his promise of getting all our troops out of Iraq in the time frame he has talked about all during his campaign. We need to speak up, and he probably wants us to.

Thanks for adding your 2 P.S.'s, btw. Good post!

[RBInMaine]

9. It's not that simple. I t would take at least a year anyway just to get all the people and

equipment back, pack up/transfer facilities, ... Look, we didn't make this mess. Give the man a chance though. He is going to need some time to draw down smartly and get the thing ended as prudently as he can. I am strongly opposed to the war, but I do want to see as stable an Iraq as we can leave.

[karynnj]

11. He actually did call it an occupation when he was speaking of Afghanistan

and he then made the point that no country, not Afghanistan or Iraq welcomes a foreign country occupying them.

I do think it is, as you said, hard to get support from enough people if you say a war we are in is illegal or, worse, immoral. He has spoken - as Kerry did in 2004 - of international law as something that was not followed.

[mtnsnake]

12. Yup, he did, but Elkston said "illegal occupation"

not just occupation. :)

[karynnj]

16. True - that's why I added the fact that I think he has in the past

referred to following international law as a change. That and the word "occupation" lead me to hope he still views it that way.

I never felt as certain that he would be as likely to work to end the war as quickly as reasonable - as I was with Kerry even in 2004. But, here Obama did nearly use some of what he said it the clip from before the election.

I hope that he was sincere in things he said when running, but I do see that as Senator he opted not to vote for Kerry/Feingold and spoke negatively about it, then switched to calling for withdrawal within a specific time in late 2006 or early 1007, only slightly becore HRC did. (Unlike his comment on MTP that he was for a timeline when most people weren't - he wasn't. He switched after the majority of people did, and near the point where the majority of the Senate did.)

At this point, he is not yet President. I think we need to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least unlil he does something that shows he is not moving in the direction of pushing a conclusion of the war.

[mtnsnake]

17. I agree we need to give him the benefit of the doubt

At the same token, you have to take pretty seriously the things he's saying during the transition time. If he changes his tune in his rhetoric, even before he starts getting to work, then it's worthy of at least a little bit of concern. The Iraq War issue, more than anything else, should be handled the way he promised during the campaign because that is the issue that pretty much set him apart from all the other candidates as the peace candidate. As much as I support him and love the guy, I'll be holding his feet to the fire on what he said about getting all our troops out of Iraq. That useless war has to come to a stop with no ifs, ands, or buts. Obama knows our country shouldn't have gone there in the first place, and I'm hoping he's gonna get us out as planned...and right on schedule.

[karynnj]

18. I hesitate to say it - but I agree with you 100%

The hard thing on places like this is to avoid the extreme of either screaming before there is cause or turning a blind eye because he is a Democrat, who we supported.

Like you, I am concerned by the changes in rhetoric, but also remember that even in the debates, his positions, as HRC's, were always a bit less assertive than I would have wanted. I think though that EVERYONE, even Bush, have come to see that we need to end the occupation. (My biggest concern is that he will be persuaded by advisors to go slower than he spoke of before the elections.)

[mtnsnake]

21. Cool!

Coming from you, that makes my night. Even when you and I don't agree, and that's pretty often, I always think you're one of the most respectable posters on this board.

[karynnj]

23. Thank you - that does mean a lot to me

because it is so easy, especially when people have different views to write off everyone you disagree with.

I think after Obama is President, many things will change. The focus here since 2005 was who would be President. As, obviously, only one person could be, it led to factions that naturally fought. I think it will be interesting to see how DU evolves.

I do think it will have both a function of discussing various programs and trying to build up knowledge on them to make us better advocates for them. That is the positive side. As you said the other side is to pressure Obama to change if he supports things we would have screamed at Bush for.

[navarth]

4. I don't expect any war crimes tribunals any time soon either.

...although I'd be fine with them happening EVENTUALLY.

[RBInMaine]

8. Compare him to Bush. Enough said.

[jenmito]

13. Don't worry. The God of Peace will get our troops out as quickly and safely as possible. n/t

[mtnsnake]

14. Yeahhhh baby!

He will. Good one, jen!

:hi:

[jenmito]

15. Thanks, mtnsnake...

I was hoping you'd like that. :D

[leftstreet]

24. ...

:spray:

[uponit7771]

20. I didn't see the interview but 1.) Obama can't ax the agreement Bush made with Iraq which is only

...7 months MORE than what he originally said and Obama never said he was going to raise taxes on the rich the second he got into office, that's a right wing media meme.

That's the MsM's current meme to make it look like Obama isn't holding to his campaign promises. Obama has ALWAYS maintained that he could just let the rich tax cuts expire in 2010 and 16 months afte