General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOkay, so, why was Obama so bad?
Really. I see clips here and there of people saying Obama was the worst ever, but I haven't seen anything as to specifically why. Granted I'm not on social media, so I miss a lot of the chatter, but I'm just really curious as to what RWingers are saying. Or if there are any specifics.
Moderators: I'm not asking DUers to post RW talking points. My question can be answered without them.
Rorey
(8,445 posts)At least not in public.
StarryNite
(9,464 posts)I don't get it.
CBHagman
(16,992 posts)...but if they find his legacy useful, they will attempt to appropriate it. That's what they do with others (e.g., JFK, MLK, Truman).
CrispyQ
(36,544 posts)They don't investigate what they hear on rw media and just believe it without getting all the facts.
Obama Didnt Give Iran 150 Billion in Cash on factcheck.org
42bambi
(1,753 posts)demmiblue
(36,907 posts)jcgoldie
(11,656 posts)What could be worse than that?
still_one
(92,479 posts)MiniMe
(21,722 posts)sop
(10,274 posts)Different Drummer
(7,658 posts)DD
PTWB
(4,131 posts)Patriotic.
Hopeful.
Kind.
Sympathetic.
Empathetic.
Intelligent.
Competent.
Caring.
Charismatic.
Capable.
Genuine.
Honest.
Hes everything that Trump isnt.
But Obama is...
Black.
So they hate him.
LizBeth
(9,952 posts)own that so when they say they had to "put up" with Obama 8 years and now time we do with Trump, I want to know why Obama was so bad. And crickets.
DBoon
(22,405 posts)and John Kerry and Al Gore and all the other strong credible leaders we have
JHB
(37,163 posts)They've addicted themselves to "righteous" outrage, and so gleefully swallowed piles of fantasy and horseshit like it was chocolate to feed that addiction.
Oh, wait, not just "they addicted themselves," though they snort axe-grindings willingly enough. They have pushers in Republican messaging and conservative media who have deliberately fostered this addiction in order to elect Republicans and push a radical conservative agenda.
Arkansas Granny
(31,537 posts)Shortly after Trump took office, a man I know made the remark that the economy was really growing since the election. I said that the economy has been on the upswing for several years. His reply was "No, it hasn't." With that he walked away and wouldn't discuss it further.
They have concocted their own narrative and they won't be swayed by facts.
FM123
(10,054 posts)From a friend of a friend:
A Trump supporting Facebook friend told X, "We suffered for eight years. Now its your turn.
X wrote a brilliant response asking how exactly his friend had suffered under Obama:
"I am surprised you would wish suffering upon me. That of course is your right, I suppose. I do not wish harm on anyone. Your statement seems to continue the US v THEM mentality. The election is over. It is important to get past campaigning and campaign rhetoric and get down to what is uniting, not dividing and what is best for ALL Americans.
There will never be a President who does everything to everyones liking. There are things President Obama (and President Clinton) did that I do not like and conversely there are things I can point to that the Presidents Bush did that I agree with. So I am not 100% in lock step with the outgoing President but have supported him and the overall job he did.
And, if you recall, during the Presidential Campaign back in 2008 the campaign was halted because of the "historic crisis in our financial system." Wall Street bailout negotiations intervened in the election process. The very sobering reality was that there likely could be a Depression and the world financial markets could collapse. The United States was losing 800,000 jobs a month and was poised to lose at least 10 million jobs the first year once the new President took office. We were in an economic freefall. So let us recall that ALL of America was suffering terribly at the beginning of Obamas Presidency.
But I wanted to look back over the last 8 years and ask you a few questions. Since much of the rhetoric before Obama was elected was that he would impose Sharia Law, Take Away Your Guns, Create Death Panels, Destroy the Economy, Impose Socialism and, since you will agree that NONE of this came to pass, I was wondering:
Why have you suffered so?
So let me ask:
Gays and Lesbians can now marry and enjoy the benefits they had been deprived of. Has this caused your suffering?
When Obama took office, the Dow was 6,626. Now it is 19,875. Has this caused your suffering?
We had 82 straight months of private sector job growth - the longest streak in the history of the United States. Has this caused your suffering?
Especially considering where he the economy was when he took over, an amazing 11.3 million new jobs were created under President Obama (far more than President Bush). Has this caused your suffering?
Obama has taken Unemployment from 10% down to 4.7%. Has this caused your suffering?
Homelessness among US Veterans has dropped by half. Has this caused your suffering?
Obama shut down the US secret overseas prisons. Has this caused your suffering?
President Obama has created a policy for the families of fallen soldiers to have their travel paid for to be there when remains are flown home. Has this caused your suffering?
We landed a rover on Mars. Has this caused your suffering?
He passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Has this caused your suffering?
Uninsured adults has decreased to below 10%: 90% of adults are insured - an increase of 20 Million Adults. Has this caused your suffering?
People are now covered for pre-existing conditions. Has this caused your suffering?
Insurance Premiums increased an average of $4,677 from 2002-2008, an increase of 58% under Bush. The growth of these insurance premiums has gone up $4,145 a slower rate of increase. Has this caused your suffering?
Obama added Billions of dollars to mental health care for our Veterans. Has this caused your suffering?
Consumer confidence has gone from 37.7 to 98.1 during Obamas tenure. Has this caused your suffering?
He passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Has this caused your suffering?
His bi-annual Nuclear Summit convinced 16 countries to give up and destroy all their loose nuclear material so it could not be stolen. Has this caused your suffering?
He saved the US Auto industry. American cars sold at the beginning of his term were 10.4M and upon his exit 17.5M. Has this caused your suffering?
The deficit as a percentage of the GDP has gone from 9.8% to 3.2%. Has this caused your suffering?
The deficit itself was cut by $800 Billion Dollars. Has this caused your suffering?
Obama preserved the middle class tax cuts. Has this caused your suffering?
Obama banned solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons. Has this caused your suffering?
He signed Credit Card reform so that rates could not be raised without you being notified. Has this caused your suffering?
He outlawed Government contractors from discriminating against LGBT persons. Has this caused your suffering?
He doubled Pell Grants. Has this caused your suffering?
Abortion is down. Has this caused your suffering?
Violent crime is down. Has this caused your suffering?
He overturned the scientific ban on stem cell research. Has this caused your suffering?
He protected Net Neutrality. Has this caused your suffering?
Obamacare has extended the life of the Medicare insurance trust fund (will be solvent until 2030). Has this caused your suffering?
President Obama repealed Don't Ask Don't Tell. Has this caused your suffering?
He banned torture. Has this caused your suffering?
He negotiated with Syria to give up its chemical weapons and they were destroyed. Has this caused your suffering?
Solar and Wind Power are at an all time high. Has this caused your suffering?
High School Graduation rates hit 83% - an all time high. Has this caused your suffering?
Corporate profits are up by 144%. Has this caused your suffering?
He normalized relations with Cuba. Has this caused your suffering?
Reliance on foreign oil is at a 40 year low. Has this caused your suffering?
US Exports are up 28%. Has this caused your suffering?
He appointed the most diverse cabinet ever. Has this caused your suffering?
He reduced the number of troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Has this caused your suffering?
Yes, he killed Osama Bin Laden and retrieved all the documents in his possession for analysis. Perhaps THIS caused your suffering?
From an objective standpoint it would appear that the last eight years have seen some great progress and we were saved from a financial collapse. Things are not perfect. Things can always be better. We are on much better footing now than we were in 2008.
I look forward to understanding what caused you to suffer so much under Obama these last eight years."
Arkansas Granny
(31,537 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,297 posts)...in a great posts.
UE was not 4.7% when Obama left office. It was 3.5%. It was down to 4.8% for people without a HS diploma.
The former was a 50 year low. The latter an 80 year low.
UE6 was only 6.8%, a 20 year low.
So, economically, his term was even better than the post suggests. And the post makes a great case that he left PINO with a fantastic economy.
FM123
(10,054 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,297 posts)I forgot to post a link from October 2016.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/u-s-unemployment-rate-falls-50-year-low/
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)JT45242
(2,307 posts)He was a smart uppity black man.
The reason why they called it Obamacare and Obamacore in public was that they couldn't call it n-care and n-core.
Simply out, his crime was being black and more educated and capable than poor racist white folks.
JackintheGreen
(2,036 posts)Im not saying any of these are true, but they are reasons given
He gave unsecured billions to Iran
His faith was performative (tied to secret Muslim claims)
He bailed out corporations and banks (TARP)
He wore a tan suit (disrespected the office)
He was from Chicago (so obviously he was corrupt)
He supported te gays
He opened the borders
He allowed mass illegal immigration
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)Organizing the folks.
They knew what that meant, and they are fretting the results this summer.
Thanks, Obama!
grumpyduck
(6,275 posts)It seems like the overarching reason was...
that he was black.
Proud Liberal Dem
(24,450 posts)I know that some of the left were upset that he maybe wasn't progressive as he could have been and/or as he portrayed himself during the 2008 campaign or that he attempted to be too "conciliatory" with Republicans long after it was clear they weren't going to work with him, however, I always felt that he still got a lot done in terms of moving the needle politically to the left and supporting movement on LGBTQ rights, climate, etc., given that he had a Democratic Congress for only about 2 years of his 8 year Presidency and had to deal with massively obstructionist Republicans whom hated his guts for the remainder of his Presidency, which even extended all the way to denying him another SCOTUS pick (despite there being plenty of time to at least hold hearings and have a vote). Most criticisms of him are/were IMHO greatly exaggerated or unwarranted.