A Clinton Admin will likely operate more or less the same as the Obama Admin has.

[Garrett78]

I was prompted to start this thread by reading yet another post that was very pro-Obama and anti-Clinton.

Assuming Clinton becomes POTUS, differences in governance could (and likely will) result from unforeseen events and cultural shifts, and there are always going to be personality (as well as personnel) differences. But for the most part, I fully expect a Clinton Administration to govern the same as the Obama Administration has. *Note: To some, that's a good thing and to others not so much. I'm not making a value judgement one way or the other.

It's important to keep in mind that the POTUS doesn't create systems. The POTUS operates within systems. Systems aren't static, of course, but mass movements are required to alter them. For example, the institution of marriage has experienced shifts, not because of Supreme Court decisions but because of mass movements.

The US is extremely individualistic and oriented toward the Cult of Personality, which results in people vastly overestimating the power and influence of individual actors.

[Gomez163]

1. Good.

[MFM008]

2. so tell me again

why have the Obama years been so HORRIFIC?
Yeah he could have been a bit more liberal on some issues
but its not the BUSH years.

[insta8er]

8. You mean like warrantless eavesdropping on innocent Americans?

Bankers who pay a fine and don't go to jail for tanking our economy? Renewing and expanding the patriot act? Yes he is not Bush, but we had Hillary to help fill that void, she made sure we sold weapons to those who shouldn't have them (oppressive regimes) she lobbied for regime change that made a mess in Syria and gave us ISIS.

[thesquanderer]

18. Obama has also been on the side of TPP, chained CPI, questionable drone strikes...

Of course he's done a lot of good as well... supreme court nominations, Obamacare, opening up to Cuba, the Iran nuclear deal...

[thesquanderer]

17. "Better than Bush" is a low bar indeed.

I think we can safely assume that any Dem is better than Bush.

Obama has been a mix. I think that, in the end, both Obama and Hillary (assuming she is elected) will be seen as having had competent but largely unremarkable presidencies (outside of the obvious historical "firsts" of being first black and first female presidents).

Admittedly, Obama was largely stymied by an intransigent Republican opposition. Though I don't know that he really aspired to be a terribly transformative president in the first place. Arguably, it was enough to just stop the bleeding after the previous administration. He was dealt a pretty bad hand.

I'm a little less optimistic about Hillary because of the Clinton habit of getting embroiled in one scandal or another. Obama's administration has been pretty clean. Ironically, the only real scandal of his administration may well be Hillary's, depending on what comes of the email investigation.

But Hillary, too, is likely to have an uncooperative congress, and she's only geared toward incrementalism in the first place. So even though the country is in better shape than it was when Obama took office, my expectations are low.

[HooptieWagon]

3. Probably far less competent.

Clinton values loyalty more than competence. I expect her administration will closer resemble W's. I shudder to think of a Cabinate consisting of DWS, Robt Kagan, David Brock, Blumenthall, and the rest of the Clinton grifters.

[ViseGrip]

4. She's looking at Bill Gates for VP? He's head of the global 'seed bank'!

Makes sense for the 'globalists'. Watching us via his technology, TV's, cars, cameras, email, websites, and the rest of the tracking devices.

Makes me shiver.....

[bettyellen]

5. hopefully she will help us regain a majority, so she will have more than 5 months in her 8 years!

[Garrett78]

9. I think he'll lose in an epic landslide.

That's assuming he becomes the nominee, which certainly seems likely.

[Garrett78]

13. Let's chat in November.

[Human101948]

16. Congratulations on your second post!

Hope you have a long career at DU.

[BootinUp]

10. You will no doubt be surprised. nt

[Armstead]

7. I trust Obama more and enjoy him as President

Don't always agree with him, for sure....but generally trust his instincts and do agree with him on much.

And he doesn't make my skin crawl

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. The second-most transparent administration in history!

[BootinUp]

14. I absolutely agree. She is indeed running on that as a promise. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Obama undoubtedly shut down the drug warriors in DC who wanted him to take a hard line

With CO and WA in 2012 when they legalized cannabis for recreational use by adults.

Do you honestly believe Hillary with her drug war track record would have handled it as well?

Obama has committed his administration to the principle and necessity of strong encryption, despite the complaining of authoritarians. Hillary wants a "manhattan project" to make sure no one can send encrypted snapchats.