How is Obama doing do far?

karlog · 20-09-2010 05:49PM #1

I haven't been keeping track of world affairs(if that's what you call it) lately. Mainly because it doesn't interest me but i'd like to know how the new president of the U.S is doing. Has Obama brought change to the world or does it look like hes going to?

I couldn't of picked a worse forum to ask this question but i'm sure someone will give a serious answer.......................I hope so anyway.

biko · 20-09-2010 05:54PM

After Hours -> US Politics forum

Mark200 · 20-09-2010 05:56PM

Plenty of people are now saying "Ah he's just another Bush blah blah blah" but in my opinion he's trying his best to bring about the key changes he campaigned on, and is doing a very good job given the circumstances. There's a handful of things I disagree with him on, but overall I'm a huge supporter of his.

Links234 · 20-09-2010 06:03PM

I really like Obama

biko · 20-09-2010 06:12PM

Has Obama kept his campaign promises?
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/20/campaign.promises/index.html

Mark200 · 20-09-2010 06:30PM

http://www.politifact.com/

That's a good site too. It has an 'obamameter' on the right. Although occasionally some of their ratings are questionable.

DOC09UNAM · 20-09-2010 06:31PM

I think Kanye is doing a fine job.

Denerick · 20-09-2010 07:34PM

Considering the mass idiocy he has to deal with, pretty good given the circumstances.

mgmt · 20-09-2010 07:46PM

He's obeying his SEIU overlords just fine and doing a good job of following Bush's necon agenda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAYb0fTZsVw

kev9100 · 20-09-2010 08:35PM

Pretty damn good imho. He has passed HCR after years of trying, passed a Wall Street bill that will hopefully worsen the impact of the next "great" recession, is ending the Iraq War responsibly and averted a depression through the stimulus. That's not too shabby in my book.

Overheal · 20-09-2010 09:56PM

Not the Messiah that most of his voters appeared to expect. Just another politician. But, as far as presidents go, we've had far worse.

coonecb1 · 20-09-2010 10:21PM

Firstly, I think it's important to remember the circumstances he inherited:

1) A systemic banking crisis and related economic "Great Recession"
2) 2 wars in the middle east, a no-win situation in either case
3) A massive deficit due to Bush's fiscal irresponsibility

(Remember what Bush inherited? Unprecedented peace, prosperity and a $300 billion SURPLUS!)

Given that, I think he's done as follows:

Positive:
1) Passed a healthcare bill, albeit a flawed one, allowing Americans a chance at healthcare even if born into unfortunate circumstances
2) Pulled out of Iraq (effectively) without loss of too much face
3) Prevented another Depression (thus far)

Negative:
1) Guantanamo is still open
2) He has shown excessive bipartisanship in the face of bitter and unrelenting obstruction by the GOP
3) Refusal to implement another stimulus due to Republican pressure, resulting in still high unemployment

Overall, I think he's done a 70% good job. The problem is, he's trying too hard to reach compromise with the GOP, who are only interested in blocking everything he does.

metrovelvet · 20-09-2010 10:49PM

His health plan is a disaster and the dumbest idea ever that is going to completely financially destroy the country. It is financial jihad suicide.

Idiot.

Denerick · 20-09-2010 11:00PM

His health plan is a messy compromise. Considering the previous system was plagued by duplication, price gouging and downright exploitation, I think it was a noble attempt to achieve universal healthcare. A public option clearly would have been the most logical policy, but what can you do when the opposition accuse you of being Stalin and Hitler in the same breath? The man operates in a political system dominated by fools and imbeciles, I'm amazed he managed to pass anything at all.

mgmt · 20-09-2010 11:03PM

Denerick wrote: »

His health plan is a messy compromise. Considering the previous system was plagued by duplication, price gouging and downright exploitation, I think it was a noble attempt to achieve universal healthcare. A public option clearly would have been the most logical policy, but what can you do when the opposition accuse you of being Stalin and Hitler in the same breath? The man operates in a political system dominated by fools and imbeciles, I'm amazed he managed to pass anything at all.

Your only contribution to this thread is calling Americans idiots.

Denerick · 20-09-2010 11:05PM

mgmt wrote: »

Your only contribution to this thread is calling Americans idiots.

Ah, but no-one ever seems to ask why so many people outside the US accuse American politics of being idiotic.

20Cent · 20-09-2010 11:09PM

Denerick wrote: »

Ah, but no-one ever seems to ask why so many people outside the US accuse American politics of being idiotic.

Sarah Palin, Christine O'Donnell, assorted nutty Republicans, Fox news etc etc .............

Regarding the op I think Obama is doing ok. To make real change he needs two terms so going gung ho in the first would mess up his second. The health care bill, financial regulation bill, getting out of Iraq are all major achievements. Disappointed at how much he is pandering to the Republicans but thats a strategy to stay in power.

metrovelvet · 20-09-2010 11:24PM

Obama is an orator. That is all he is.

Denerick · 20-09-2010 11:27PM

metrovelvet wrote: »

Obama is an orator. That is all he is.

I always felt his oratory was over-rated. He is a cold, distant, analytical soul, I believe many Americans got carried away by the romance of his race and eloquence.

Obama is an intellectual. That is where his comfort zone is. Politics is not always the best place for an intellectual, but I for one am glad that the most powerful man in the world is at least competant.

Overheal · 20-09-2010 11:27PM

Denerick wrote: »

Ah, but no-one ever seems to ask why so many people outside the US accuse American politics of being idiotic.

mgmt wrote: »

Your only contribution to this thread is calling Americans idiots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcCPlkw6dO0

mgmt · 20-09-2010 11:43PM

He left Iraq without a government in charge:rolleyes: (He should have withdrawn, but what was the point of the occupation if there is no stable government)
He put 30,000 extra troops into Afganistan. (Why??? Get the fock out!)
Renewed the patriot act.
Closed Gitmo, but introducing internment without trial aka 'prolonged detention'.
Got a noble peace prize for absolutly nothing and then goes on to sell $60billion of arms to Saudi Arabia
Stimulas bill a failure

metrovelvet · 20-09-2010 11:47PM

Denerick wrote: »

I always felt his oratory was over-rated. He a cold, distant, analytical soul, I believe many Americans got carried away by the romance of his race and eloquence.

Obama is an intellectual. That is where his comfort zone is. Politics is not always the best place for an intellectual, but I for one am glad that the most powerful man in the world is at least competant.

I would tend to agree with you about his oratory, and also very typical of a Harvard and Columbia background. He has that polished northeastern patina of young men who spent a lot of time on speech and debate teams. And lawyer training is always good for this.

He is the crowned prince of the Northeastern liberal aristocracy.

America voted for Hamlet. You know what happens at the end of that.

metrovelvet · 20-09-2010 11:55PM

mgmt wrote: »

He left Iraq without a government in charge:rolleyes: (He should have withdrawn, but what was the point of the occupation if there is no stable government)

He put 30,000 extra troops into Afganistan. (Why??? Get the fock out!)

Renewed the patriot act.

Closed Gitmo, but introducing internment without trial aka 'prolonged detention'.

Got a noble peace prize for absolutly nothing and then goes on to sell $60billion of arms to Saudi Arabia

Stimulas bill a failure

You forgot the disastrous health care bill.

ANd here's the cherry on the sundae. Asking private citizens to report "unacceptable private conversations.'

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/

Overheal · 21-09-2010 03:22AM

metrovelvet wrote: »

You forgot the disastrous health care bill.

ANd here's the cherry on the sundae. Asking private citizens to report "unacceptable private conversations.'

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/

youll have to help me there: you've linked to over an hour of footage.

Manic Moran · 21-09-2010 03:24AM

According to the Politifact Obameter,

122 promises kept
39 compromised upon
22 broken
82 stalled
238 in the works
3 other.

About what you'd expect. Nothing fantastic, especially considering his party's total control of Congress, but then again, not too bad either considering his party isn't exactly a monolithic block.

NTM

metrovelvet · 21-09-2010 07:17AM

Overheal wrote: »

youll have to help me there: you've linked to over an hour of footage.

Skip the footage, just keep reading.

These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

simplistic2 · 21-09-2010 04:24PM

Denerick wrote: »

I always felt his oratory was over-rated. He is a cold, distant, analytical soul, I believe many Americans got carried away by the romance of his race and eloquence.

Obama is an intellectual. That is where his comfort zone is. Politics is not always the best place for an intellectual, but I for one am glad that the most powerful man in the world is at least competant.

Hahha yeah an intellectual! The man is a bimbo!

Heres a video that will clear up some of his drivel...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI-O8hLef7Y

Mjollnir · 21-09-2010 05:40PM

simplistic2 wrote: »

Hahha yeah an intellectual! The man is a bimbo!

Heres a video that will clear up some of his drivel...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI-O8hLef7Y

Golly, that's astounding. A video that simply contradicts everything he says, and in subtitles.

I'm going to live my life now in a completely different manner now that I've seen that.

FreudianSlippers · 21-09-2010 05:42PM

Ending the Bush tax cuts is what is on the news a lot right now and here's what I don't understand / am confused that more people haven't questioned.

Obama gets up and says this tax increase will only effect "millionaires" in the US. Then he says that the tax increases will be in effect for everyone that makes over $200,000.
Since when did $200,000 become more than a million

eoinbn · 21-09-2010 05:54PM

OisinT wrote: »

Ending the Bush tax cuts is what is on the news a lot right now and here's what I don't understand / am confused that more people haven't questioned.

Obama gets up and says this tax increase will only effect "millionaires" in the US. Then he says that the tax increases will be in effect for everyone that makes over $200,000.
Since when did $200,000 become more than a million

Since when does one have to make a million every year to become a millionaire?

metrovelvet · 21-09-2010 07:55PM

eoinbn wrote: »

Since when does one have to make a million every year to become a millionaire?

I dont think he can tax on old savings that have already been taxed. He would have to be taxing on current profits.

How is Obama doing do far?

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