Obama's Biggest Single Failure So Far

[ruggerson]

Poll question: Obama's Biggest Single Failure So Far

We're a month away from the one year mark.

The Obama administration has had successes and failures.

This poll asks you, in your opinion, what is the administration's single biggest failure so far, at this early date in his term?

I know it's hard to pick just one, but that's what this poll is seeking.


(There is a second poll asking about the biggest success)

[Brickbat]

1. I voted "health care" because it affects the most people and could have really united the country in

an exciting way, I think. But I feel strongly about EFCA, gay/civil rights, and the economy in general.

[jonnyblitz]

2. it's really hard to pick just one. nt

[Mari333]

3. all of the above.

fail fail fail fail fail fail fail.

[ixion]

15. yep...

that's the option I was looking for. :(

[shadowknows69]

30. Afraid I have to go with that too. We needed a backbone of steel

We got a smile and handshakes with the enemy.

[dkf]

4. Jobs jobs jobs

He should have stabilized it before healthcare. I've always thought so.

[OhioChick]

7. Agreed. Can't buy health care with no job. n/t

[ruggerson]

12. so then

I gather you voted Economic policies

[dkf]

19. I put other.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Jobs, jobs, jobs, and the endless wars will be his ultimate undoing

In the shorter term, Obama Free Give Away to Health Industry is his biggest failure.

[HughMoran]

5. I voted Gay RIghts

...those who vote for the "popular" issue this week are doing the poll a disservice IMO.

2nd on my list is not prosecuting Bushco.

[Walk away]

25. I know this is difficult to believe, but health care IS the most important issue..

...for many of us. This bill will destroy me financially. I am straight but I would gladly give up most of my civil rights in order to have a place to live and health care. If that sounds like the topic du jour them we are not explaining ourselves well.

[HughMoran]

28. The bill will save me thousands of dollars a year

So, perhaps my perspective is different. We'll see later how many people here are truly destroyed financially.

[Walk away]

34. That is interesting. How will it do that? I am over 50 and live...

in NJ. As the bill stands now it will negate existing state regulations and allow my insurance to raise my insurance X3. Because I have had cancer it could go higher than that. I am trying to recoup my lost savings and pay a mortgage. The government isn't going to help me pay my premiums that may climb to two thousand dollars a month.

How will this bill save you money? You must be young and healthy.

[HughMoran]

35. Rates are $36k/year for familiy plan at my small business. My rate is $19k/yr or $1500/mo

Nothing could be higher than buying insurance in a pool of just a few people.

[shadowknows69]

31. Ben Franklin had something to say about people who would give up liberty for safety.

Gay rights are as much a civil right as health care should be. I'd give up my safety, not that I have any, to preserve another's right to be equal.

[Walk away]

36. Check back with me when you have survived cancer twice and are over 55yrs.

And would not be able to afford to pay 3 to 5 times as much for your health insurance.

[shadowknows69]

38. Not that this is a contest, but try not having health insurance for 25 years

And I've had dozens of friends and family go far too soon because of THAT particular affliction. I've lived with my share of pain and shared the pain of many.

[Walk away]

44. I am a two time cancer survivor who doesn't bother to go for my cancer..

checkups because I can't afford insurance AND the out of pocket expense for treatment. If it comes back I have resigned myself to dying this time. I am hoping to do it in my own home but that will be impossible if I have to pay a fine for not buying the insurance I won't be able to afford.

This bill does nothing for me except cause me hardship. I fought cancer but I can't fight a government who does not give a crap about the middle class.

[shadowknows69]

52. I'll pray for both of us. For whatever that's worth.

[LWolf]

6. Other:

All of the above.

[placton]

8. my dart at the huge target hit HEALTH CARE

but so many many choices - and this doesn't scratch the surface!

[Toasterlad]

9. Definitely Gay Rights

He at least paid more than lip service to most of those others, epic failures that they were.

[Cleita]

10. I do believe healthcare, if what has emerged from Congress is the

final bill he signs, however, the fat lady hasn't sung yet.

[ruggerson]

14. Agreed

I'm withholding judgement until all is said and done.

[mix]

11. Education, Afghanistan, Health Care: failures nt

[FLAprogressive]

13. Pretty much everything

[enid602]

16. additional failures

Not reinstating higher taxes for the very rich.
Not repairing Bush´s Medicare/prescription drug legislation so that it gives Congress the right to negotiate fair pricing on drugs.

[cascadiance]

37. Pretty much all of these... and some more...

I'm with for the short term the biggest glaring failure is health care that will get most voters upset with him. I also feel that some serious prosecution of former administration and rolling back the unconstitutional executive power grabs are pretty damn bad too, especially when it is obvious they are protecting the administration when Don Siegelman isn't set free and Rethuglican Ted Stevens is, and Siegelman is far more innocent of anything than Stevens is.

Others:

- not passing EFCA
- need to restore tax rates on wealthy BEFORE Reagan!
- renegotiating or ditching "free trade" agreements and institutions like NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT, and the WTO.
- with all of these other failures, it is obvious to America that corporate corruption is the source of most of this, and therefore add to this list not making efforts to put in serious public campaign financing, which all of these other failed efforts SHOULD provide public support for doing. I would accept these other failures if it were to allow us to push through this legislation that would allow us to reset and restart with a whole new set of rules to kick out the lobbyists and their blood money!

[MercutioATC]

18. Walkback on reforming NAFTA.

Reform trade and create real tax incentives for domestic hiring and we'd solve over half of our economic woes.

[Better Today]

20. I think the poll will end up "favoring" healthcare because it's what's

in the news today. I think if banker's salaries were in the news this weekend, you'd find it would be the economy. I would be interested in seeing this poll re-issued during the holidays, maybe after the 1st where there probably won't be any in-our-face topic that could inadvertently rule this poll.

[ruggerson]

21. good point

but there will always be something big in the news on any given day that people are happy or unhappy with.

[Better Today]

24. True, but today is an unusually BIG day for healthcare/insurance topic.

[villager]

22. Meaningful action on global warming is both off this administration's radar -- and your poll!

n/t

[ruggerson]

43. yep, should have been included

I ran out of slots.

[tonysam]

23. Education--a Complete Fricking Disaster

The further deterioration of public schools is accelerating thanks to this administration's tenacious support of GOP policies regarding privatization, charters, and the demonization of teachers.

[Bluebear]

26. It all looked so good....

[defendandprotect]

27. I vote for ALL of the above . . .

[Libertas1776]

33. I'll second that motion n/t

[Parker CA]

29. Equal/Human/Gay/Civil Rights. nt.

[Sebastian Doyle]

32. All of the above

The lack of health care reform will probably have the worst effect overall, closely followed by the worthless economic team ($ummers/The Elf/etc.) But all of those listed are serious failures so far :evilfrown:

[B Calm]

39. Not getting rid of NAFTA

[Ladyhawk]

40. When am I allowed to say, "I told you so"?

Just droppin' by to watch the tires burn for a bit...

[natrat]

41. opening his bs sellout mouth every day is his failure

[earth mom]

42. Global Warming should have been Obama's Number 1 issue.

Working toward that goal would solve this countries dependency on foreign oil, which would in turn stop the wars for oil. It would also create jobs, and help the economy.

A total win win.

Without a healthy planet, we and future generations are well and truly screwed. :cry:

[Dangerman]

55. If it's true...

We does Obama continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

[earth mom]

56. Money and Greed is the answer. Weapons manufactures and all the other businesses that profit

from those wars overseas don't want the gravy train to end.

They would be hurting, if not out of business, if Obama did the right and ethical thing which is why they've made sure to lobby Obama & Congress to make sure that those wars don't end-EVER.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

45. I said Health Care

I have no statistics, but I'd bet the current health care disservice or lack of availability is killing more people than the two wars.

[Mira]

46. The one that cuts the deepest with me so far is not prosecuting/investigating

the previous criminal office holders. Why has been discussed ad nauseam.
But it completely defies any comprehension for our image world wide to have these weasly killers go free and in the case of Cheney allowed to crawl out and leave slimy turds on our doorsteps.

I would have to chose Afghanistan as the second one.

And then Health care and the others.
They are not yet finalized, and there may be some hope
somewhere
for
them

[Stinky The Clown]

47. The poll presupposes all of those were mistakes.

[Bluebear]

49. +1

[Nikki Stone1]

48. A lot depends on what you believed he would do once in office.

I had low expectations when I saw his choices for staff and cabinet positions, especially Rahm and Geithner. He also left Robert Gates in place. It was clear that Afghanistan was not going to really change and that the Wall Street giveaways weren't going to change either. The one thing I thought he might try to do right was healthcare, but then I saw the Baucus bill.

I feel like we're in Reagan's third term.

[jillan]

50. Other - Leadership.

It was pretty pitiful watching Dem Senators, congresscritters on the msm saying they want Obama to get more involved the fight for HCR.

[Starry Messenger]

51. I voted Equal/Human/Civil/Gay Rights

Since I believe that all of those others fall under this category. There is no such thing as a "single issue", they are all interconnected.

[Waiting For Everyman]

53. In a word, "corporatism". All of it. n/t

[bigwillq]

54. Failing to secure equal rights for all people

Not doing enough to attempt to prosecute BushCo.
Health care is up there but not the most important

[amborin]

57. all, but also Other: the Environment & Global Climate Change: Fail

[OneBlueSky]

58. hard to pick just one . . . pretty much every issue I'm passionate about -- . . .

the war, the environment, healthcare, etc. -- he has failed to deliver on . . . I really thought that his background as a community organizer would at least put him on the side of the people rather than the corporations . . . how wrong I was . . .

[old mark]

59. His main failure is not having the confidence of those in his own party. He has

pandered to the GOP, the center, the moderates, the religious and everyone but the liberals of his own party who supported him.
He has failed to get any kind of message across to us that he wants our support, and evidently thinks he will just pick us up again with no effort on his part.
Republicans complain they were not included in governing, but at least they were invited and they had the option of turning him down.

We were excluded and ignored from the beginning, as if the mainstream Dems don't want to be identified with what passes for the real left these days.

Better wake up, Democrats - a lot of your own people may not show up in '10 for the election
and then we all will be fucked worse than we are now.


mark