Are people in this county totally clueless about all the things that HAVEN'T happened to

[gateley]

them because of Obama stepping in and doing something?

Just saw the post about a Gallup poll giving all the swing states he won to the GOP if the election were held today. He'd still get the popular vote, but the electoral college math would give the win to the GOP.

I understand that if the economy is bad, the person in charge usually gets the hook -- people don't look beyond that (or at HOW we got to that point) but damn!

If this continues to trend this way I pray for a third party/Republican-ish candidate like Trump or, as someone suggested, Ron Paul, to water down the Republican ticket.

This really bums me out -- and makes me so angry at people who aren't paying attention!

[Old and In the Way]

1. I don't read too much in the polling now.

Wait until the Republicans have a real candidate to run. Everything now is hypothetical bullshit. It is frustrating because it probably would have been a helluva lot worse had McCain and Palin gotten elected...unfortunately, we don't get a chance to compare the other road not taken. I think Obama is going to slowly ramp up his campaign and when he does, it's not going to be much fun for the No Nothing Party.

[jberryhill]

2. There was that giant asteroid that didn't hit us

[gateley]

10. I'm sure the people who were able to hang on to unemployment benefits and those who can

now get health care despite preexisting conditions and the military personnel don't have to hide their sexuality will find your cute little response hysterical.

[jberryhill]

11. They didn't get hit by an asteroid either!

So, it's all good.

[JDPriestly]

3. Obama has been too conservative.

As Truman said, if given the choice between a real Republican and a Democrat acting like a Republican, voters will choose the Republican.

Obama has not given people a reason to vote for him. He does not convey in emotional terms to the American people the sense that he is on the side of the people, fighting for them, sharing their struggle.

The personality trait that got him elected -- his coolness in the face of anger and criticism and negativism -- has made him seem detached, distant, personally unaffected by the misery that Americans are going through due to the financial fraud and errors of the financial sector.

Obama seems to be strangely unwilling to ever get angry at anyone -- even when voters need him to get angry on their behalf.

Obama does not seem to feel strongly about much of anything. At least he does not express strong feelings about everything.

I think that people perceive him as distant.

Then there are people like me who are extremely disappointed in his DLC policies, his willingness, even enthusiasm about disregarding basic human rights and the fact that over and over he says one thing and does another.

The one thing that will save Obama is the sordid selection of candidates competing for the Republican nomination.

But Obama has to overcome his own personality to beat them.

John McCain was really weak, probably even more of a cold fish, less able to connect emotionally with voters than Obama. So Obama did all right there. But the current bunch of Republican candidates, although incredibly uninformed, really either downright stupid or simply primitive in their thinking are better able to connect with their voters. This is especially true in that any one of them is closely connected with a segment of the Republican base, in a way that Obama is not connected with much of his.

It's very sad really because Obama had so much support at the time of the election and the inauguration. But he just sold out too much to Wall Street and Wall Street let him down.

[TheWraith]

4. You're amazingly wrong about just about everything. nt

[NavyDem]

6. +1

[boxman15]

15. +2

[Andy823]

18. +3 nt

[Number23]

20. Alas, par for the course

[gateley]

12. Sometimes I thought he may have been too conservative, too, but when I really think about

the situation I'm yelling at him about -- when I try to put myself in his shoes as much as I can -- I generally come to the conclusion that he has done what he can to get what he can get.

It's too easy for us to sit out here and say "if I were POTUS I'd just let those banks fail, implement single payer immediately, throw those Wall Street crooks in jail..." whatever. But there are ramifications to each action we'd ideally like him to take that we don't take into consideration. OR, the laws are already in place that protect those Wall Street crooks, for example.

So although I'm disappointed at the EXTENT of some of the things we've achieved, I do see the pattern of us marching in the right direction.

And I have to disagree that people perceive him as being cold - just the opposite, but that may be because I don't perceive him that way. I think he's warm and funny but strong. Just my observations.

[JDPriestly]

13. Obama and Bush should have requested much stronger legislation requiring banks

to take the losses from the part of their debts that were due to downright gambling -- the various forms of derivatives -- and bailed out many of the homeowners.

The course that was taken -- and while Bush and Henry Paulson set much of that course, Obama was a part of the crew, very much on board in the final deliberations before the elections in 2008 -- has resulted in greater uncertainty than would have occurred had losses been taken more widely right then and there in 2008 or in early 2009.

This dribble, dribble, dribble of bankruptcies and foreclosures is keeping the corpse of our economy alive. But the life, the energy, the blood flow is not really there.

As soon as the economy creates a few more jobs, the banks come in with another slice of the foreclosure knife. And then the pundits observe yet another downturn or a crisis in some part of the world.w

This is not working.

And Obama does not seem to comprehend the scope of the problem.

[WI_DEM]

16. you haven't been paying attention then

because Obama has been the most progressive president this country has had since the hey day of LBJ. As for 'having to overcome his personality' to beat the Republicans--I have to wonder who on the GOP side has a better personality, ability or ideas than Obama? Yes, they connect to their depraved base but they certainly won't connect with independents and Democrats (according to every poll I've seen) overwhelmingly support this president--including self described liberals.

[TheWraith]

5. Just look at DU.

And think about all the people right here who think that Obama somehow personally fucked everything up. The level of ignorance you can find even among people who believe fervently that they're NOT ignorant is mind-boggling.

[NavyDem]

7. Outside of the BOG

The rest of DU is looking a bit like a cesspool to me. Seems like I'll have to rebuild my ignore list so I can filter out all the negative garbage.

[HowHeThinks]

8. Pot,

kettle, black. Many people have legitimate concerns about some of Obama's actions. For you to say that they're "ignorant" for not supporting everything he's done, or hasn't done, is.............ignorant. We rail against the GOP for walking in lock-step with their leaders whether they're right or wrong. But somehow that indignant judgment doesn't pertain to Democrats when they do the same?

Obama has done far more good than bad, but to say he's been infallible is ludicrous. People have a right to their own opinions, and if they don't happen to agree with your opinion that's no reason to demean them. We're the "big tent" party, remember?

[NYC Liberal]

9. Who has said Obama is infallible?

Opinions can also be wrong, you know. Having right to opine on this or that issue also means other people have the right to speak up when that opinion is wrong.

[HowHeThinks]

24. Well........

when the OP is SO UPSET that people aren't paying attention to the wonderful things President Obama has done, it seems to imply that everything he's done is correct, that we shouldn't have an opinion about the things he HASN'T done, and if we do, we should keep that to ourselves.
That's my point here: there have been many betrayals by President Obama to the Liberals he once said he represented. To gloss over these betrayals and walk in lockstep behind someone who deceived us (and yes, there has been deceit in the Obama White House) is something I'm not prepared to do. Is he better than the GOP alternatives? Absolutely! But the OP was railing against those who complain about President Obama. It's my opinion that I'm perfectly justified in my disappointment with some of the things Obama has done, and has not done. To be called on the carpet for not walking in lockstep behind him puturbs me.
Hey, I'm NOT voting for any of the GOP's sub-standard fools for President. I'll stand behind Obama's re-election, but don't tell me I can't be critical of him. 'kay?

[dionysus]

21. strawman. no one ever said he is infallible or perfect.

[boxman15]

14. That Gallup poll was an average of all 12 swing states

Conveniently, Gallup did NOT list all 12 states and their individual results. They found Obama on average was down about 4-5 points. That more than likely means he is currently winning in some of those states.

Once they pick a candidate, Obama's poll ratings will go up. The choice will be clear as day then. It's way to early to get worried about this.

Plus, Obama is beating both Gingrich and Romney by healthy margins in swing states like Virginia and Florida according to some very recent polls. I don't know about the rest, but I'd be willing to bet he's winning in many of those swing states. Gallup's poll seems like an outlier and is deceiving.

[gateley]

17. I know I probably knee-jerked panicked, but seeing how many DUers alone are not going to

vote for Obama (for whatever Final Straw they feel he's broken) I'm getting scared.

But thanks for the shot of reality - I'll take a deep breath.

[Andy823]

19. Don't get scared.

Those here who keep on saying they "won't voter for Obama" probably never voted for him in the first place! Granted some may have and are now unhappy, say they have had enough, but when they actually think about things will come to the conclusion that "not" voting is just like voting for a republican, and when the time comes they will vote for Obama.

There are a lot of people who come here for one reason, to discourage people from voting for Obama. They troll the internet pretending to be democrats, liberals, and progressives, but in reality they are simply trouble makers, or right wing trolls.

Those who are serious about "not" voting for Obama need to really think about what a world with another republican in charge of this country would be like, and they only have to look at the states that are now controlled by republicans who won in 2010 because so many who voted in 2008 decided to stay home and "teach Obama a lesson"! The republican agenda is clear, and that agenda has nothing to do with working for the "real" people in this country, but working for the rich and the corporations allowing them to actually run the country.

President Obama has done a lot since he was elected, and set us on a path to correct the mess Bush and company did to this country. Allowing republicans to regain the WH would be a total disaster, and I don't think the majority of people in this country are going to go for the right wing agenda, so take that deep breath and keep thinking positive!

[ellisonz]

22. Yes, yes they are. Sad isn't it? n/t

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

23. There are plenty here on DU who are clueless and starting threads about how "Obama

needs to be dumped!"

If this is how Democrats feel, then we've already lost.