Barack Obama on the View Thursday...

[zuluking]

Finally, a job he might be good at.... what?.... oh, he's still president.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by Azure

The census workers aren't even as concerning as the thousands of IRS workers being added to an already bloated and over-regulated tax system.

Didn't they hire 700,000 workers for the census down there?

The national debt in America went from 10.6 trillion to 13.2 trillion, only half way through Obama's presidency.

[Weiser Wonder]

Anyone actually watch it? The questions were tough, he ended punching Whoopie right out. There was a little blood but they stitched her up in time for the cooking segment.

Actually, it was about as lame as anyone could expect, nice little love in.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

Anyone actually watch it? The questions were tough, he ended punching Whoopie right out. There was a little blood but they stitched her up in time for the cooking segment.

Actually, it was about as lame as anyone could expect, nice little love in.

Was Hasselbach or whatever her name is there, or did the Secret Service use Obama's one free presidential killing?

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I take a different view. I think it is all but certain that the Democrats will lose one or both of the Senate and House this fall. I also think that this will turn out to be a very good thing for Obama, and will make it likelier that he will win in 2012.

It's important to remember that the memory of the voting population is extremely short. What happens over the next year is only important in terms of establishing a media narrative, and the narrative of the embattled president working hard to protect the interests of Americans against an evil Congress determined to thwart him is a story that the Democrats would love to be telling voters in 2012.

Defending the record of a president who had all three branches of government under his control (even though that really isn't true--nor should it be) is a much harder sell.

If they were taking a long view, the GOP would realize that the way back into the White House is to lose the mid-terms this fall.

Well, you've got to expand on that!

Basically, we have had a constant election cycle ever since the Presidency was hyper-politicized during the Clinton Administration. The Republicans play the game better and they will not let American voters forget Obama's mistakes.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

Didn't they hire 700,000 workers for the census down there?

The national debt in America went from 10.6 trillion to 13.2 trillion, only half way through Obama's presidency.

It's way too simplistic too look at it like that. He inherited an absolute mess and the debt was trending down already. I'm no economist, but I highly doubt that's the kind of thing you can turn around in two years given the current state of affairs.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Sliver

It's way too simplistic too look at it like that. He inherited an absolute mess and the debt was trending down already. I'm no economist, but I highly doubt that's the kind of thing you can turn around in two years given the current state of affairs.

There are means that a President can take to eliminate an inherited deficit, but overall, I agree. But then you'd have to agree that that was the reason for increasing debt during Reagan's Presidency.

[Weiser Wonder]

Republicans play the game better but have far less support on the actual issues. Polls show that Americans strongly favor more liberal policies, as long as you don't call them "liberal policies." So the Republicans have to overcome the obstacle of being on the wrong side of the polling on just about every issue. Remember, the Republicans have only won the popular vote in 1 out of the last 5 elections. That was for a sitting wartime President, who almost never get voted out.

Right now, I don't see how Obama gets voted out. There are no viable challengers.

[metallicat]

Yeah I watched it, it was lame. Barack is a likable guy, there is no doubt, but that was eye-rolling boring.

[Weiser Wonder]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Was Hasselbach or whatever her name is there, or did the Secret Service use Obama's one free presidential killing?

I was actually listening to it as I was working away from the TV, but she didn't seem to say much. Which is good, I know I don't want to watch Hasselbeck try to take Obama to task, it would just be awkward for everyone.

[Mr.Coffee]

My thoughts that relate:
I like how people criticize Obama when in reality he entered into presidency with a grocery list of gigantic obstacles. He had an economic meltdown, 2 wars, serious healthcare issues, education issues... what were you really expecting? Because he makes a speech you think he can deliver? The fact is, at this point in the American political system, nobody can. The fact is that you can't fault Obama for the economy souring up... many countries are facing a lot of problems, look at Greece.

I like how people criticize one guy and his administration because of a "watered down" policy when in reality the only way to engage a policy is to water it down in order to avoid it from being outright rejected by your opposition. The very nature of the American political system harms an administration's ability to actually do what they want and therefore, nobody can deliver what they say they will do.

Lobbyists have too much power. Corporations have too much say in government and it always ends up hurting the general population the most. This will never change. Companies lend money to political campaigns. NO political party, Republican, Democrat, or otherwise, will EVER change or enact policy outlawing private funding for political campaigns (which is what I think truly needs to happen) because administrations get to keep whatever leftover money they have after their political campaigns.

There is no incentive to make real change in the United States government. That's the problem.

[Mr.Coffee]

Oh yeah and also, the presidency has become way too grossly campaign focused and way less "run the country" focused. These days a president is a celebrity, not a president.

2 years of campaigning? Give me a break.

[C_Rush]

kind of meh. no real hard questions. a lot of clips of obama's inauguration, seemed like a "rah rah, remember when we were stoked about electing a black president" sit in as opposed to tough questions about the wars and deficit and BP.

[Weiser Wonder]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

My thoughts that relate:
I like how people criticize Obama when in reality he entered into presidency with a grocery list of gigantic obstacles. He had an economic meltdown, 2 wars, serious healthcare issues, education issues... what were you really expecting? Because he makes a speech you think he can deliver? The fact is, at this point in the American political system, nobody can. The fact is that you can't fault Obama for the economy souring up... many countries are facing a lot of problems, look at Greece.

I like how people criticize one guy and his administration because of a "watered down" policy when in reality the only way to engage a policy is to water it down in order to avoid it from being outright rejected by your opposition.

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

The very nature of the American political system harms an administration's ability to actually do what they want and therefore, nobody can deliver what they say they will do.

Lobbyists have too much power. Corporations have too much say in government and it always ends up hurting the general population the most. This will never change. Companies lend money to political campaigns. NO political party, Republican, Democrat, or otherwise, will EVER change or enact policy outlawing private funding for political campaigns (which is what I think truly needs to happen) because administrations get to keep whatever leftover money they have after their political campaigns.

There is no incentive to make real change in the United States government. That's the problem.

That's the thing though, he watered down the healthcare bill for no reason whatsoever. All the Republicans voted against even though he conceded on several issues. Which makes me think the Obama admin isn't that progressive and is somewhat corporatist.

I agree the system is broken but the biggest problem isn't the campaign contributions as they aren't really supposed to use that for private use. The problem is, politicians can leave office for well paying lobbyist "jobs" when they decide to retire. Tom Daschle did it. Evan Bayh is going to do it. Along with nearly every Republican. It's a huge problem.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by peter12

There are means that a President can take to eliminate an inherited deficit, but overall, I agree. But then you'd have to agree that that was the reason for increasing debt during Reagan's Presidency.

I know nothing about Reagan's presidency other than his hair looked really greasy.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I know nothing about Reagan's presidency other than his hair looked really greasy.

He had some fine brown suits!

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by C_Rush

kind of meh. no real hard questions. a lot of clips of obama's inauguration, seemed like a "rah rah, remember when we were stoked about electing a black president" sit in as opposed to tough questions about the wars and deficit and BP.

Was Barbra Walters there? If she wasnt then its no wonder there was nothing of note, the rest have no substance just fluff.

[ernie]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

[B]
That's the thing though, he watered down the healthcare bill for no reason whatsoever. All the Republicans voted against even though he conceded on several issues. Which makes me think the Obama admin isn't that progressive and is somewhat corporatist.

The way US politics works is that there isn't really some sort of party whip to vote the way the party wants. That's good and bad. It's good because in many instances the senator or congressman actually listens to to constituents. It's bad because you can get excessive pork added to bills to buy votes and a broad party vision doesn't exist. I truly believe Obama has a vision as every president does...the parties simply don't buy into the vision at times. IMO, the healthcare is one change they needed people to buy into things for the eventual greater good but too many were concerned with lining pockets and getting re-elected.

The bill was watered down not to get Republicans to vote for it but to get Democrats to vote for it. The healthcare revolution hasn't happened in the states like it did most everywhere else decades ago. In the states it is ingrained in far too many people that healthcare is a privilege and not a right. Many people firmly believe that the only thing universal healthcare will do is cause more lazy people to collect welfare checks now that they don't have to work to pay hospital bills (I'm not kidding. I wish I was).

[oilyfan]

Originally Posted by Sliver

It's way too simplistic too look at it like that. He inherited an absolute mess and the debt was trending down already. I'm no economist, but I highly doubt that's the kind of thing you can turn around in two years given the current state of affairs.

This was in the New York Times today: "Second Depression Averted Due to Bailouts"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/bu...ression&st=cse

[CaptainCrunch]

Yup, the U.S. economy went from falling off of a cliff screaming all the way to a dashing death on the jagged rocks below, to a dying man leaving a trail of entrails and blood and tears crawling across a desert with a sword rammed through his back.

The American economy is still contracting in on itself, its jobless rate is artificially inflated by government jobs, and the next round of mortgage forclosures are going to hit consumer confidence like a shotgun blast to the face by a mafia hitman.