For those that don't support our President.

[babylonsister]

Who might have done better? He's healed the world with his words in a very real sense. He's shown that diplomacy works and every issue he's ever talked about he has never flinched from. Plus, he's the epitome of what a President should be, he can and has spoken for US, unlike the guy he followed.
He's been our President for less than one year. Think of the opportunities! I still love Barrack Hussein Obama and love the possibilities.

Who might be better?

[cliffordu]

1. Get ready for an avalanche of BS....

[babylonsister]

6. Damn. You called that! nt

[itsrobert]

79. You mean there wasn't enough in the OP's post?

n/t

[Clio the Leo]

2. Joe Lieberman is Iran, Ben Nelson is North Korea....

... and that makes Olympia Snowe China I think.

he uses the same approach with them as he uses with the nations of the world ..... and I certainly respect him when it comes to foreign policy.

You just caused me to have a light bulb moment. ;)

[Hieronymus]

7. He sold out to the insurance companies, big time, and has done nothing

but talk about "don't ask, don't tell".

[liberal N proud]

3. Sarah and John of course

:sarcasm:




:rofl:

[Skittles]

4. it's for those WHO

and what is the point of asking WHO would be better? What the fuck difference does it make NOW?

[babylonsister]

14. Huh? So just hate it to be able to do so? Are you doing anything

besides railing against this admin on DU?

[Skittles]

19. I'm doing PLENTY

and I'm sick of some DUers assuming I am doing NOTHING

[LooseWilly]

I'm feeling so cynical right now, I think you might be right. This might be as good as it can get.

Optimist: This is the best of all possible worlds.

Pessimist: You're right.

[Sebastian Doyle]

5. Who might be better?

<------ well, this guy for one.

[babylonsister]

8. Didn't he try that and it failed? Let's get with reality. nt

[dgibby]

63. Yes, he did.

Maybe, just maybe this is why he failed:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7249025

[babylonsister]

11. He tried it and failed. I think the 'media' ruined him, but that's what happened. nt

[dgibby]

64. Robert Gibbs had a big hand in that.n/t

[tblue]

29. Love him! I have a thing for guts. nt

[rwheeler31]

9. We have very sincere people who think

this is easy.

[HughMoran]

10. Nobody - we've had a lack of good leaders for a long time

Obama is clearly, by far, the best person for the job.

Put one of these hot-head stone throwers in office and see how fast we go down.

Bunch of wniney armchair quarterbacks - that's all they got - they couldn't lead a flock of sheep.

[Hieronymus]

12. LBJ passed Medicare in his first 6 months, and didn't have the majority

that Obama has.

[liberal N proud]

15. Republicans were a little more reasonable in LBJ's day

Politics are so polarized now and the GOP is all about obstruction. Then you through in the wolf in sheep's clothing LIEberman and it makes it tough to do anything without giving it all way.

[BadgerKid]

21. GOP obstruction is the tactic

to "prove" government doesn't work so privatization must be the solution.

[liberal N proud]

26. It also their plan to regain power in Congress and the White House

[Windy]

40. WRONG!!! LBJ had a 68 seat majority to work with and a more mature repub party to deal with

wow.

[rebel with a cause]

66. He also had the FBI working overtime getting information on

those that opposed him which he threatened them with if they did not get in line. :shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

46. Right....LBJ just had a dead murdered President to hold up.

Meanwhile, Obama has this 21st century media.

Comparing apples to oranges doesn't ever work. :eyes:

[cliffordu]

48. Doesn't translate - he invoked Kennedy every chance he got

and he'd been around the Senate as long as anyone and knew where the bodies were buried. He was a 6 foot 4 inch badass old school texas wheeler and dealer and grown men all over the hill were physically afraid of him.

My wife typed up transcriptions of recordings done in the '70s of the things people remembered about LBJ from his childhood in the Texas hill country. He was really something.....

[spoony]

13. Healed the world. Holy...

:nuke: <--------Just think of the healing he could do with a bomb THIS big!

[babylonsister]

16. Who would be a good alternative in your opinion? Can't wait to

hear your learned opinion from you, mr. negative about anything pro-Obama. Here's your chance. Go for it!

Oh, and I can do that, too. O8) O8) O8)

[spoony]

24. That's an awful long name you just tried to give me.

I think one name has already been said in this thread that I'd be happy to see in the White House: Dean. I like Kucinich, too. And Sanders. How many more do you want?

And really, do you REALLY think waging three wars has healed the world?

[babylonsister]

28. Dean and Kuchinich tried and weren't elected.

I am not happy with war in any shape or form. That flame on me? That was put up there during Iraq and will go away when we are out of war. So, no.

I spent 8 years with lies from the previous admin, I've read about some lies from the present one, but I cannot discount that this admin is better than the other. OK?


And no, waging wars are bad, but this stuff is only an occupation. :eyes:

[spoony]

32. We aren't occupying Pakistan. We're bombing them.

We aren't just occupying Afghanistan, we're escalating.

To be honest, just being better than Bush is not enough.

Also, you never said anything about people who'd run before. You act like they couldn't run again.

[shellgame26]

75. babysis is right

I supported Dean back in '04 and Kucinich in '08 and the harsh reality is that THEY DID NOT WIN! No doubt the media plays a big part but we have to realize that MOST AMERICANS ARE NOT DU. They just aren't that progressive. I'm sorry.

[dkf]

17. All he has to do is support expanding Medicare through reconciliattion.

Heck I never knew that is how George W. Bush got his tax cuts passed. Apparently it wasn't a big deal back then.

[babylonsister]

30. Do tell, how would that have worked? nt

[dkf]

37. Dean says it has been used over 20 times in the last 20 years.

Sounds good to me.

[babylonsister]

44. Sounds great. Do you have a link? nt

[dkf]

47. Hardball Transcript from yesterday.

DEAN: Well, luckily, there‘s a procedure that‘s been used 23 times in the last 20 years, including recently by George Bush to pass tax cuts. That‘s what should have been done. It wasn‘t done...

MATTHEWS: But you can‘t do any of the reforms in insurance if you do it that route.

DEAN: You don‘t need the reforms in insurance...

MATTHEWS: You‘re not going to do anything on preexisting conditions.

DEAN: Chris, there are no reforms on insurance! That‘s just what I‘m telling you. If you can charge somebody three times as much for an insurance policy, how are they suddenly going to afford it? Even if you now say, Well, the insurance company‘s got to offer it, you can‘t afford it.

MATTHEWS: So you would go—you would go through this reconciliation process and basically rip the Senate apart. You‘d just do that.

DEAN: No, the Senate will—rip the Senate apart? It‘s been used before. It‘s been used—this process has been used 23 times.

MATTHEWS: OK. To create a new federal program like this?

DEAN: Twenty-three times.

MATTHEWS: When has it ever been used to create a federal program?

DEAN: I would use it...

MATTHEWS: No, when has it ever been used to create a federal program as big as a seventh of the American economy?

DEAN: I would simply expand Medicare. That‘s simple. That‘s all you have to do.

MATTHEWS: By reconciliation?

DEAN: Yes. Absolutely.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34464825/ns/msnbc_tv-hardball_with_chris_matthews/

[DJ13]

18. I think the Obama defenders are missing the point

Its not that suddenly everyone has stopped supporting Obama.

Its that suddenly everyone feels like Obama has stopped supporting the ideals that gave him their support.

The steady drip drip drip of "we cant" with no visible effort on Obama's part to try has just worn people down.

Having Rahm pressure Reid to cave in to Lieberman was the last straw.

A great many still WANT to support President Obama (me included), but he has to show people he supports them over the corporations before they will.

[Zenlitened]

22. Well said. - n/t

[racaulk]

42. This!

:applause:

[Zenlitened]

20. Who might be better? Well, Barrack Obama might be better.

Believe it or not, for many of us that's what the criticism on important issues is all about: to make him a better president.

[tblue]

33. For me, it's that I think he has everything it takes to be OUTSTANDING.

I don't accept these lowered expectations of him. I don't think he's at the top of his game, reached the pinnacle of his success, or has maxed out on his abilities. I don't buy it. I think he's amazingly talented, brilliant, and a very decent man at heart. That's why I have such a hard time being told to accept less and smile. Not gonna happen.

[Zenlitened]

36. Agreed.

That's why I have such a hard time being told to accept less and smile.

:thumbsup:

[Jamastiene]

57. He is not living up to his potential.

Agreed

[rollingrock]

23. That's like asking to choose between cancer and AIDs

they're both pretty bad.

[BlueIdaho]

25. I'm afraid that's just a little too pink cloud for me sister.

I believe the President has made some serious blunders during his first year in office, but I also believe he's had a load on his plate so maybe he's batting 500 - not bad. Listen this guy is not the second coming of Christ (if you believe in that sort of stuff) and no, he did NOT deserve a Nobel prize so soon in his young life. I don't "heart" him but I do respect his intellect and his work ethic. At this point I honestly think he is the victim of his own press clippings and the DLC jackals that surround him in the White House. I'm really afraid He's started believing all the messianic horseshit the true believers blather about endlessly. But this is not the end.

If anything, this health care disaster (I think its time to face facts - he's really bungled this thing from the get-go) may be the best thing to happen to him. Jack Kennedy's first year in office (Bay of Pigs anyone?) was far worse than Obama's - but he learned from that year and became a top tier president. If, and I do mean if, the President has the courage and honesty for a little self reflection he may be able to use this defeat to become the leader we thought he was.

Lets hope so...

[tblue]

34. Spot on, BlueIdaho!

I was thinking, it's a good thing this is happening in '09. If it were a year from now, holy cow, holy cow!

[IndianaGreen]

27. Think of the escalation in Afghanistan, and his neocon policies in Latin America

Ask Brazil's Lula, to name only one, how threatened he feels about the new bases the US is building in Colombia under the pretext of War on Drugs.

Land mines. Rendition. Wall Street bailouts while the banks continue to rape the America people. The list could go on.

It was Obama who chose the PhRMA deal over giving the people the choice to import cheaper drugs from overseas.

It was Obama who put single payer off the table.

It was Obama who appeased the traitor Lieberman until HCR became the great health insurance protection bill.

It was Obama who continues to protect Bush officials accused of law breaking.

It was Obama who decided to govern differently from the way he said he would during the campaign.

Words are cheap when they are not backed by deeds.

[tblue]

31. I'm glad he's got you.

Not to rain on your parade, babylon. I know you're trying to pull us together. It hurts my heart not to feel the confidence in Obama that you have. I wish I could believe in him the way you do.

I'm not giving up totally, but he's shaken my faith repeatedly, and this week especially. Please don't try to force people to be on one side or another. Let us express our hurt. That's what I feel. Not hate or venom. Just a deep disappointment. You don't, and I'm happy for you. I would never presume to tell you or anyone else how to feel. You might be able to make people do something, but you can't make anyone WANT to do anything. Doesn't work that way.

[Forkboy]

35. Irrelevant. Obama is the President, not others some may have wished for.

Whether others could or couldn't do better isn't refutation or praise of how Obama is currently doing. Of the candidates we had I don't know who would be better and who would be worse...and it doesn't matter. None of them won. Obama did.

[Milo_Bloom]

38. So your are saying all we can hope for is bad?

No wonder we are in the mess we are in, we have such incredibly low standards for our leaders.


Aw shucks, it's not he could stand up to wall street, credit card companies, war halks, phara or the insurance industry.. I mean, come on, you act like his word carries some weight or something.

[styersc]

39. Oh Christ.

I hope you're sitting on an absorbent towel.

[racaulk]

43. !

:spray:

[paulk]

41. you know - it's possible to "support" our President

on some issues and not on others.

It's a tough concept, I know...

[FrenchieCat]

45. You get a rec from me,

And I'm sure that from certain posters, you get their special offering; one sentence Kool Kids Catch Phrases that they believe are zippy and cute.

The fact that you are on automatic unrec is a symbol of how worrysome you are to the those who hate because that's all they know, and that you are effective with those who are sane, and understand reality as it is....as opposed to some dream some had about what the Magic Negro was going to do for THEM.

[Forkboy]

49. Speaking of catch phrases, you're wearing "Kool Kids" out.

The race card was a nice, though not unexpected, touch. :thumbsup:

[FrenchieCat]

50. Yep.....The Kool Kids don't allow Black folks to bring up race in any discussions....

I keep forgetting.

[Forkboy]

51. LOL....you've gone 'round the bend.

Try bringing up his race when it actually matters, not when it's a non-sequitor, lazy ass hammer for you to vainly try to whack people with. Duh. :crazy:

[FrenchieCat]

53. Must have really moved you, for you to feel the need to

to want to discuss my comment on the magic-less Negro.

As for who is vain; the verdict is still out on that. Could be you. doh!

[Forkboy]

54. You said it in this thread. Hello? Earth to Frenchie...come in Frenchie!

As for who is vain; the verdict is still out on that. Could be you. doh!

If you're the competition I'm not worried.

[FrenchieCat]

55. I know you must be way better than me.

That undisputable fact has fumes that can be smelled over the computer screen.

[Forkboy]

58. Well you are making it pretty easy.

:shrug:

[QC]

77. Around the bend and over the falls....

[saracat]

52. Because for you it is always about race. no one else has even mentioned race

in the current conflict except for you. It is about Healthcare reform and lack of leadership, no matter what the race of the president.And the CBC is as upset about this as many others so just put the race card back in your wallet. The president is well beyond that.And it is pathetic to reduce the importance of these events to that argument.Obviously, you don't have a better one to fall back on.

[pecwae]

76. Wow, you can tell someone's race

over the Innertubes? That's a pretty cool superpower you got! How's it work?

[xultar]

62. ROFFPNMFPLMFAO!

[OneGrassRoot]

84. Wow, what does that acronym stand for?

Inquiring minds want to know. ;)

I think the last five are "laughing my fat ass off," but maybe I'm too focused on my own fat ass and that's not even what it stands for.

:rofl:

[spoony]

67. That's the third race card thrown at DU progressives I've seen today

It's hard to tell if they're independently out of their gourds or if it's a collective effort.

[Forkboy]

68. Hell, Frenchie has done it three times in the last hour.

:rofl:

[CBR]

80. I don't really understand why Frenchie cannot bring up race --

Obama is a minority, that is an obvious fact. The way he is perceived, described, supported etc... is intertwined with his race. His race is only a part of it but to deny that it is a part is wrong. Do I think that opposition to the Senate bill is because of racism? Not necessarily and certainly not for many; however, the reaction to the President, the eagerness to dismiss him as incompetent and the willingness to abandon him so quickly, I believe, are products of a reality in which African-Americans are held to a higher standard and higher expectations.

Race is really never discussed thoroughly on DU -- outside of incidents (i.e. Cambridge)-- and that is due to the lack of minority voices. It is a shame. DU often has a similar reaction as the larger society when minorities bring up racial dynamics -- it is worse to be called a racist than to actually assess your own racist tendencies. For example, person 1 says, "Some of the opposition to Obama may be rooted in a racial standards." Person 2 replies, "Race card!"

[racaulk]

85. I completely agree with everything you just said.

However, I don't think that addresses why Frenchie received the push back she did for her comment.

I don't think this is a case of holding African Americans to a higher standard (although I agree that this is unfortunately true for our society at large). I think this is a case of Barack Obama (1) holding himself to a higher standard and (2) asking us to do the same because of the office to which he was elected, not because of his race.

I think the discussion of race relations is a very worthwhile pursuit, including here on DU. But dismissing your perceived opponents as having a dream about "what the Magic Negro can do for ME" is hardly a productive way to participate in that conversation, wouldn't you agree?

[Bette Noir]

56. Howard Dean. Bernie Sanders. Any progressive.

[RoyGBiv]

59. I'm not reading the thread ...

I see the names, and I know what has been said simply from that.

But I support our President. I do not always agree with him, but I support him and think he was and will continue to be the best choice as the head of the Executive branch of our government.

I cannot think of anyone better.

[rebel with a cause]

69. +1

:thumbsup: couldn't agree more.

[Hekate]

60. KnR for Babs. Sorry my Rec doesn't show.

Oy yoy yoy. :eyes:

Hekate

[Ildem09]

61. healed the world?

What news are you getting?

A) choose your words better, this whole messianic complex is a little freaky

B) Eastern Europe Is not very keen on Obama, his polling in Romania and Moldova are fairly low, but that's to be expected those were the very few countries that loved B*sh

C) We still have trouble with Iran, North Korea, and the real tin-pot dictators in Africa

D) Afghanistan

E) his Neo-liberal institutionalist approach is certainly far more viable a strategy for engagement in regards to the global community over that of the Classical Realist thought of the Bush years.. so no argument on that front

F) Dean, Sanders, Obey, Brown, Newsrom, Weiner, hell anyone from the CPC would be better than Obama on Domestic Issues, whilst the area of IR is a bit more complex and I've yet to make up my mind on his approaches there

[Lindsey]

70. Excelent post!! He's been in office less han one year....

and was left with a a horrific mess.

[Ildem09]

73. sure

however, i still have issue with his decision in Afghanistan it was wrong during the campaign and its wrong now.... Hello the Soviets sent a surge of 300,000 and they had the resolve to do things we do not and they lost horribly. we cannot and will not win or achieve any semblance of winning. fundamentalism will come back once we leave or Afghanistan will balkanize into several smaller more clan based states. regardless its a cluster fuck.

Obama has been Disappointing on torture is just BS. either were going to uphold Civilized values or were going to go all out.

He needs to get rid of Rahm and Tim Geithner hell anyone that has ties to Wall-Street. I'm giving him till 2012 to impress me but so far I'm not. I really want to be though

[jgraz]

65. Oh, I dunno. Maybe ... this guy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZG8Zq8V54k

Too bad that guy never made it to the White House. :(

[winyanstaz]

71. Kucinich, Gray, Franken, and Dr. Dean...just to name a few.

[AllentownJake]

72. Healed the fucking world?

You people are officially fucking nuts.

[Ildem09]

74. dude yeah

the messianic cheer leading is a little freaky. I can understand a little hero worship but this is ridiculous

[Starry Messenger]

81. THANK YOU!

Talk about magical thinking.

[asdjrocky]

78. Healed the world?

Oh come on. Maybe someone should tell that to Somalia.

You have to know that there is no way to take that comment seriously.

[bigwillq]

82. No one here really knows for sure

if anyone else would be better. We can speculate that this one would be tougher or this one would be stronger, but we really don't know.
To me, it's not an issue of who would be better. The issue lies with how Obama is currently governing in some areas. He was the one we elected. He should be held accountable, as should the other elected officials.

[calico1]

83. I support him....

I just wish he would have less of a "hands off" approach and be more forceful. As Anthony Weiner said a president sometimes has to get his hands dirty. He is right.

I like Obama but he needs to realize that being Mr. Nice with everyone doesn't always work. Especially in politics. I want him to be tougher and use the bully pulpit that he decisively won in the election.