2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBefore I die, I'd like to feel admiration for a living President
I was born in '82, so all I've known is a couple of center-rightists like Billy Boy "the Triangulator", Barack "Eat our peas" Obama, and the "Crawford Caligula" himself, Dubya. Anti-authoritarian I may be, it's fairly depressing.
Before I croak, I want to see a man or woman along the lines of an FDR, a JFK or an LBJ (of '63-'65, before the ground troops) in the White House. Someone with an honest-to-God vision, ready to kick keister and move the country forward. If Bernie's not the one, it has to be his spiritual heir.
Actor
(626 posts)randome
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hellofromreddit
(1,182 posts)Some people don't like Obama because he has not delivered on issues important to them. That doesn't make them mean-spirited.
elleng
(130,156 posts)randome
(34,845 posts)Whatever one feels about Obama overall, we should not overlook the good that he's done.
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randome
(34,845 posts)Born in 1982? I was born in 1958 and I don't know if I've ever seen a President who 'satisfied' me. Every single one has had some good traits and some bad. Some successes and some failures.
Every. Single. One.
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pintobean
(18,101 posts)On Mon May 9, 2016, 09:31 PM an alert was sent on the following post:
A-men. What a petulant, mean-spirited OP.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1930288
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OP has an opinion, is being out to made Mean Spirited. Personal unfounded attack.
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ecstatic
(32,567 posts)DerekG
(2,935 posts)Applying band-aids to each and every existential crisis that this country and world faces?
Sorry, but I'd like a leader, not a 21st century Herbert Hoover.
Actor
(626 posts)Saved your ass and mine, but I know who doesnt appreciate him and why.
nuff said
DerekG
(2,935 posts)You'll see what happens when gangsters are handed bonuses, instead of indictments.
floriduck
(2,262 posts)he finally be the president I had voted for. Geitner to SOT, Larry Summers as his economic advisor and Hillary Clinton as his SOS. That was just a telegraph from him that said, "I don't need you voters anymore. I have the Third Way in my corner."
If you're headed down some racial relations rathole, you, sir, are way the fuck off.
deathrind
(1,786 posts)I have the upmost respect for President Obama. He has been a good president. He has done a lot of good...but...as soon as he said "we need to be looking forward not backwards" as if holding people accountable for the criminal actions they committed (breaking the law) was some sort of flippant tag line stitched to a windsock. I knew he would be...only good.
Yes- Geitner as SOT was a kick to the gut of America.
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)horrible appointment after another with Obama.
Demsrule86
(68,355 posts)Obama has had a very successful presidency...quite amazing really. I am proud to have worked in 08 and 12 to help elect this great man. And I will miss him...Bernie shrieking about the banks does not hold a candle to pres. Obama. He saved our economy and gave us health care; he saved the autos when St. Bernie would have allowed autos to fail because the banks received money in the final version of the bill...sorry give me a president who moves the progressive agenda forward. I think I will skip the pie in the sky that Sanders is peddling.
sheshe2
(83,356 posts)Thank you she. I can't believe this OP.
sheshe2
(83,356 posts)Yes the OP...
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)... condesceding expecting unicorns and shit.
Unicorns don't exist, imperfect presidents do and Obama is one of the best of the imperfect in US history
Drunken Irishman
(34,857 posts)brush
(53,475 posts)See what I just did there? Bet you didn't know that.
The idolization of FDR gets greater as time passes but he had flaws, and strengths, as all other presidents have had.
It's easy to pick out alleged flaws like you've done in this OP, and it's even easier to overlook strengths.
It's easy to pick out obvious flaws in your OP too.
I'm still searching, without much luck, for its stengths however.
basselope
(2,565 posts)When did I miss that?
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)That happened at the same time that the War on Terror ended and Social Security was made viable for the next 100 years.
basselope
(2,565 posts)shut down the private prison industry.
I forgot, I slept late that morning!
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)I was a toddler with JFK and preschool with LBJ, Obama is worthy of that type of admiration.
BlindTiresias
(1,563 posts)We are an ossifying empire, they tend to produce poor leaders and malevolent elites.
GreenPartyVoter
(72,377 posts)reminded me of my best friend's mother. I adore him now in his post-Presidency years. I like Obama on many levels, but he is just not left enough in his policies for me, and in fact scares the pants off of me sometimes with things like TPP.
So I share your feelings, wholeheartedly!
missingthebigdog
(1,233 posts)It's too bad you can't look past the smears of the wingnuts and see the good in Presidents Clinton and Obama, but someone who can't see the good in President Carter is, perhaps, beyond help.
Protalker
(418 posts)I also liked Ford. I know he pardoned Nixon to spare the country the impeachment and trial. Still he and Carter we're good people. They became friends.
Blue Meany
(1,947 posts)NWCorona
(8,541 posts)The behind the scenes maneuvers against Carter can't be overlooked.
fun n serious
(4,451 posts)Don't believe the hype of the authoritarian zealot purist.
Response to fun n serious (Reply #11)
Post removed
fun n serious
(4,451 posts)He is the FIRST president to endorse marriage equality.
basselope
(2,565 posts)Response to fun n serious (Reply #23)
TM99 This message was self-deleted by its author.
zappaman
(20,605 posts)"Bitter, party of one, your table is ready."
basselope
(2,565 posts)A title formerly held by Bill Clinton (Granted to him by Michael Moore).
mcar
(42,210 posts)sheshe2
(83,356 posts)Number23
(24,544 posts)For the OP and the handful of folk acting as though there was even a moderately intelligent point made within it.
redstateblues
(10,565 posts)To lump him in with Cruz et al makes you look like you don't pay much attention to politics
basselope
(2,565 posts)Barack Obama shares much more in common with traditional republicans than he does with traditional democrats.
He is the best republican president of my lifetime.
redstateblues
(10,565 posts)Ask a few Republicans about your "theory" Sounds like a Naderite pronouncement. By any chance did you support Ralph "not a dimes worth of difference"Nader? It's amazing how few Naderites will admit it.
basselope
(2,565 posts)But, then, I haven't voted for a democratic candidate since 2000 either.
There IS a difference between DLC democrats and radical republicans. DLC Democrats are moderate republicans and radical republicans are off the deep end.
If you look at several republican presidents (Eisenhower, Nixon and even to some extent Ronald Reagan, they had policies very VERY similar (if not to the LEFT) of Obama and Clinton (both Clintons). Obama and the Clintons fit right in with them. Bill Clinton was the natural progression of Reagan, he continued deregulation, brought us the 1996 telecom act, free trade, everything they wanted. Did he return the tax code to sane levels? No, he increased it SLIGHTLY... now people freak out when the top tax rate gets near 40% when it was 90% under Eisenhower, 70% under Nixon.
Hillary vs Trump is the choice between which road to hell do you want to take? They are VERY different.. but they both lead to the same place eventually.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)basselope
(2,565 posts)A LARGE amount of once proud democrats left the party, when the party left them.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)... type to vote for Sanders cause that's who Sanders catered to... their fears and their boogymen
basselope
(2,565 posts)Clinton has no path to victory against Trump, so the democratic party will have to "reassess" after losing what seemed unloseable.
The democrats will hold enough seats in the Senate to stall Trump from actually DOING anything and likely even the GOP would fight him. By 2018, house and Senate will flip Democratic (Hopefully building on the Sanders movement and not the same old DINOS.
This will leave the democratic party with the chance to build on that and get a progressive in 2020.
redstateblues
(10,565 posts)Let's see how many BSS will be around in the mid terms. Probably the same as the last mid terms
basselope
(2,565 posts)After 2008-2010 showed us that Obama was going to give the GOP whatever they wanted ANYWAY, progressives stopped caring.
We COULD have had a public option.
Obama chose to throw it away and thus, threw away our votes.
jwirr
(39,215 posts)mythology
(9,527 posts)The demographics of the race mean Clinton is substantially advantaged against Trump. And as we've seen in Democratic primaries, demographics matters a lot. It's why Sanders has lost to Clinton and it's why Trump will lose to Clinton.
basselope
(2,565 posts)Sorry, but if you analyze the polls and the states in question, it is pretty easy to see.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)He's the "REAL DEAL"..I say this to you as a DU'er who has been through the Presidents Before what YOU Mention. Because I was born before '82...but can well understand where you are coming from.
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)CrowCityDem
(2,348 posts)Old Codger
(4,205 posts)Mostly depends on your opinion really, I am a little older than you so have had the privilege of seeing at least 3 good ones, I actually shook hands with Truman, never met Ike but history seems to think he did ok...and JFK never really had a chance...since then not so much....
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)Yes, he was President before you were born, but trust me, as someone who was an adult then, he is head and shoulders above anyone since. And after he left office he founded Habitat for Humanity and continues to help build houses for the poor. As well as monitor elections around the world. I just wish he'd monitor elections in this country.
Jimmy Carter got blamed for many things that weren't his fault, and got no credit for the good he accomplished. He's remembered for historically high interest rates. Well, you can pretty much blame Richard Nixon, whose wage and price controls in 1971 are almost totally forgotten. But back then, sensible observers pointed out that they were a temporary fix that would only make things much worse down the road. And they did. We got some pretty high inflation, then the very high interest rates.
Meanwhile, Carter's biggest flaw was his inclination to micro-manage things. Still, he gave us the Camp David peace accords. Nothing like that has happened since. Subsequent Presidents have merrily gone to war every where and every chance they get.
yourpaljoey
(2,166 posts)brewens
(13,400 posts)a good honest man as President. It is why we see the same revolting attacks on a man like Bernie Sanders.
redstateblues
(10,565 posts)Demsrule86
(68,355 posts)Had Kennedy not cost Carter the presidency, we might have avoided all the terrible wars who knows. And believe me, Trump is worse than Reagan who while repugnant was not crazy.
brewens
(13,400 posts)laserhaas
(7,805 posts)zappaman
(20,605 posts)Very much.
sheshe2
(83,356 posts)Thank you Obama standing strong and calm against all the hate.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)They have a job to do, like the rest of us. Do it well and I will respect you, that's really all to it. Obama has been a decent president---he's done some great things, and some not so good things. Pretty much like all the rest.
Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)between Hillary supporters and Sanders supporters. I was a Hillary supporter in 2008. None the less, I hold a deep admiration for President Obama. Despite unparalleled obstructionism, the man has carried himself with an integrity and distinction that I don't believe I could have matched.
Conversely, the Sanders supporters will hate Hillary every day she serves in office. In fact, this poster probably favored Obama over Hillary in 2008, yet she attacks Obama while the 2008 Hillary supporters defend him. They are radical by personality. They will never be happy. That's all you need to know folks.
RadiationTherapy
(5,818 posts)Jeez, dude. Take it easy.
Trust Buster
(7,299 posts)The Sanders supporters of 2016 will hate Hillary's guts every day she serves. The distinction is stark. Don't kid yourself.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,706 posts)brooklynite
(93,880 posts)...or it someone else's job to get acceptably progressive candidates into office to get them in position to run for President?
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)Truth is, as someone who lived through LBJ, you're always likely to be disappointed. The early FDR probably would have disappointed on a grand scale. We often don't get what the sanitized versions of these people are created later. Conservatives forget everything that Reagan REALLY did. True for FDR as well. You have people chiming in about Carter, but at the time he was a disappointment to many that voted for him.
In reality, presidents are generally judged on how long their works last. It's why you don't hear alot about Clinton in this thread because so much of what he did was either gone, or unpopular 10 years later. GW was a washup as soon as he left office. LBJ has done better because of civil rights and the Great Society programs. Ditto for FDR. The vast majority of presidents don't accomplish much that lasts. They manage the executive branch and keep things moving along. Hillary has represented this as some sort of goal to be pursued. Bernie got in to do the kinds of things that change the country and out last their own administrations. The party appears to want the former. It remains to be seen if the country wants that, or will be attracted to bold goals, however unrealistic they are.
doc03
(35,151 posts)and Obama. I think Jimmy Carter is a great man but his presidency wasn't so great, in those times I don't know if he was that bad
a president or just happened to be there when things were tough. Bill Clinton as a man was an embarrassment to the entire country though. Obama has been a great president in really tough times and his personnel life is to be admired.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)Retrograde
(10,073 posts)He started out well, winning election in a landslide and pushing his Civil Rights platform, but not many people felt a lot of admiration for him in 1967 or 1968: "Hey, Hey, LBJ/How many kids did you kill today?" was a common chant at anti-war protests. We hear a lot about the good things FDR did, but popular histories tend to gloss over the not so admirable parts - internment of US citizens of Japanese ancestry in some parts of the country, refusal to desegregate the military, attempts to pack the Supreme Court.
Presidents, like most people, aren't perfect. Clinton was the voice of a new generation when he was elected back in 1992: he did some things well, others not so well. And it's the same with just about everyone who held the office. I find Obama - despite many shortcomings and areas where I disagree with him - to be one of the more admirable presidents of my lifetime in terms of his consistency and apparent faithfulness to his oaths.
StevieM
(10,499 posts)But he pushed through changes that permanently changed America, and changed it for the better.
FDR's court packing scheme didn't happen in a vacuum. The right wing on the court were seriously threatening the New Deal. They were basically like the four justices that tried to strike down Obamacare--almost five, until Roberts backed down at the last minute.
After FDR threatened to pack the court one of the justices switched sides. Justice Owen Roberts started voting with the liberals. And soon thereafter Justice Willis Van Devanter retired. The popular phrase at the time was "a switch in time saves nine."
YouDig
(2,280 posts)MineralMan
(146,192 posts)There is no hope for what you want. Sorry...
redstateblues
(10,565 posts)Demsrule86
(68,355 posts)And would have to hold my nose to vote for him which I would do to save this country from the likes of Trump.
Jitter65
(3,089 posts)I think you may be able to be at peace with Hillary.
kerry-is-my-prez
(8,133 posts)not bad - especially with straightening out the mess Reagan left us.
LaydeeBug
(10,291 posts)she gets back up and fights no matter what they throw at her.
pnwmom
(108,925 posts)Response to DerekG (Original post)
brush This message was self-deleted by its author.
lordsummerisle
(4,650 posts)going to miss Obama when President Trump takes office next year...
madamesilverspurs
(15,784 posts)On steroids.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)Bobbie Jo
(14,341 posts)underthematrix
(5,811 posts)get a degree in history and take a course in critical thinking.
pnwmom
(108,925 posts)Statements like yours do nothing to promote your fav candidate. They just alienate minority voters even more.
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/obama-job-approval-democrats
PragmaticLiberal
(904 posts)For a President who has "sold us out" etc etc., does anyone here really doubt that he'd win another term (if allowed)?
pnwmom
(108,925 posts)what Bernie is to the Democratic party.
Sparkly
(24,141 posts)Not sayin' it's a bad thing. Just sayin'.
Turin_C3PO
(13,650 posts)I admire the fact that he at least tried to get Americans health care with the ACA. It's not perfect but it saved me from certain death.
I admire his standing firm in the face of Republican threats to shut down our government.
I admire him for being such a deeply caring family man.
I admire him for his many other economy saving measures, such as the 800 billion$$ stimulus, and the car buy back program that allowed me to trade my crappy 12 mpg pickup for a new Nissan Versa, only owing $5000, policies that protect LGBT rights, and many more. A true liberal in every sense of the word
I admire him for staying true to his Christian Faith and not let the right wing fundamentalist define his spirituality
I admire him for standing in the face of so much bigotry, venom, and hatred, all the while staying cool and calm as always, seeming to forgive them for their aggressive ignorance.
Most of all, I admire him for being the first Black President and serving as a role model to African-Americans across the country. This is a great man folks.
Thank you President, I'm gonna miss ya!
VOX
(22,976 posts)Sad to say, but with all the $$$$ driving politics; and the way the media belch and spew and divide and infantilize; and with the dumbing down of the average American, no one president will ever be universally revered in this country.
Just look what the repubs did to Obama, in what should have been a transformative presidency, something that every (non-racist) American could have been proud of.
apnu
(8,722 posts)ecstatic
(32,567 posts)in addition to the wonderful things they did. Yet somehow, you are able to keep their accomplishments vs failures in perspective.
I'm so glad I got to witness President Obama's presidency first hand. I couldn't be prouder and I'm already sad that he won't be in office next year. I hope one day you'll find the perfect president you've been longing for.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)... DNC the most because he convinced people he can throw stones and if it wasn't him it could be someone else.
That type of thinking gets people disappointed really fast
We'll see, if he continues a true revolution (whatever that means now) after the election and turns it into something tangible like a majority dem house then he would've walked the walk
You just can't comprehend the history being made while you're living it.
I can.
The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)Last edited Tue May 10, 2016, 01:56 AM - Edit history (1)
as is Jimmy Carter. Bill Clinton is also quite a wonderful guy, despite his womanizing. If you want saints, you will have to wait for heaven.
akbacchus_BC
(5,700 posts)ever, they considered him too soft. As for Bill Clinton, he is the orchestrator of the ills plaguing black communities. Going on Arsenio Hall show did not make him a President for black people. He messed up black people and the gay community. And now he will be back in the White House!
The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)It think you fail to take the long term. Black people have had it difficult in this country long before Bill Clinton. Your standard of perfection is an impossible way to go though life.
akbacchus_BC
(5,700 posts)Harper was useless. And if you think a Trump presidency will make you feel admiration, I will take Harper in a heartbeat. At least Harper is educated and not a jackass like trump!
Sheepshank
(12,504 posts)Your cries for nirvana are a tad unrealistic, and couched in terms of other letting you down instead of you attempting to set unrealistic expectations.
Corey_Baker08
(2,157 posts)raven mad
(4,940 posts)JFK; Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.......... and I haven't missed an election, local, state or federal, since I first turned 18 in 1972.
bobGandolf
(871 posts)What he accomplished with the GOP trying to sabotage his every move, and most Democrats standing by mute, borders on miraculous.
BernieforPres2016
(3,017 posts)Hyperbole much?
Obama is a corporatist who rarely pushed for anything he wasn't sure he could get through.
bobGandolf
(871 posts)for your opinion.
Skinner
(63,645 posts)I suspect that someday you will too.
TwilightZone
(25,342 posts)That might be one you could approve of.
Orsino
(37,428 posts)We don't want the kind of Depression that made him as progressive as he was, nor the kind of war that made him imprison Japanese-Americans.
But yeah, some candidates start progressive, or become so via extraordinary personal journeys. These we might admire most of all.