Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumIf I understand Obama, the person least upset by "criticisms" of Obama is Obama
From the day Barack Obama announced his candidacy in February of 2007 I jumped on board and never regretted my support for a moment. A key reason was the man himself.
I dont think Ill ever see a politician with a better temperament, more emotional intelligence, more empathy for all people including his opponents and more generosity of spirit. I dont think Ill ever see a politician who was more comfortable in his own skin. He was an anomaly; he never needed to grow a thick skin which can lead to cynicism and world-weariness because his understanding of what truly mattered kept all the darkness out.
At the same time, I think fetishiizing the Obama presidency is silly. And it wouldnt surprise me if Obama himself agrees. He was in power for eight years, not everything he did looks pristine four years later and candidates should feel free to point out what they would do differently without being treated as apostates, so long as the criticisms are reasonable.
I get that criticizing Obama is bad politics in a Democratic primary, but so is using him as a mute button. If your worried about his legacy, I dont think anyone is doing his presidency any favors by using it as a shield, turning reverence into paralysis, or just to score a political point or two. I think hed agree.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
bigtree
(89,607 posts)...this.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
theaocp
(4,361 posts)Polarization is just that.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
JI7
(90,233 posts)but about their own disagreements with those attacks and criticisms.
many people DO want to keep ACA.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)without turning the conversation into a how dare you criticize Barack Obama moment. Thats all Im saying.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
JI7
(90,233 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BeyondGeography
(39,958 posts)I don't doubt that it will continue. Whether it's effective politics from here until next November is another question.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
still_one
(95,780 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BannonsLiver
(17,657 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Agree 💯
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)by other Dems is a hallmark of a great leader.
Like when Speaker Pelosi's reply when asked what she thought of Dems running in 2018 on "not supporting her for House Speaker" - "Just win, Baby!"
Being prickly works against being a good leader.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Bradshaw3
(7,950 posts)Obama was the greatest president in recent history but he wasn't perfect - no one is. And like the OP said, a person was is as honest and level-headed about himself as Obama is, would agree.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
treestar
(82,383 posts)is negative. I know people in life who are like that. Only see what is wrong. Maybe that is why I react negatively to it. In a world where Orange Creature is in the Oval Office, going on about the imperfections of Democrats is insanity.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Bradshaw3
(7,950 posts)We can't ever use the ridiculously low bar set by this WH as a standard for what Democrats can do. BTW, I think the whole "controversy" about them "attacking" Obama is overblown, as this writer shows:
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/08/2020-election-when-will-obama-stop-dividing-democrats-by-attacking-obamas-record.html?via=homepage_section_features
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
treestar
(82,383 posts)Is just as bad. I live around a person who always has at least one complaint since nothing can be perfect. The only thing I didnt like was .... Maybe that is why I react this way.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Bradshaw3
(7,950 posts)To get healthcare coverage for all, or to have an immigration policy better than what we have had.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
treestar
(82,383 posts)so they are subject to that bar too. Any Democratic President would sign that.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ooky
(9,532 posts)Looks like "attacks on Obama" is the newest Republican talking point.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
wyldwolf
(43,891 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Response to BeyondGeography (Original post)
Skittles This message was self-deleted by its author.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)how badly the CNN-styled circular firing squad debate format displayed our candidates to the nation, and that too many didn't rise to overcome it.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
bigtree
(89,607 posts)...which stated that, Hillary Clinton 'will say anything and change nothing...'
Barack Obama understands hardball politics.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)overlapped with his. Just like our candidates now, they both had to create differences to run on and insist they were very significant and immutable when usually they were really neither.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Princetonian
(1,501 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
peggysue2
(11,430 posts)It isn't about protecting Barack Obama's legacy or how President Obama feels regarding the criticism. It's the way our candidates looked and sounded dissing our last Democratic POTUS. On a public platform in front of the very voters we need to win in 2020, a former president, I might add, who is incredibly popular across the board with the vast majority of Dems and Dem-leaning Indies (95-99% approval).
All this to take a potshot at the former VP while hoping to boost early primary numbers for those lagging behind. At the moment, that strategy doesn't appear to have worked but it looked and sounded desperate while providing Trump and his cohorts ammunition as we roll into the GE.
As stated, CNN set this up and a number of candidates were all too willing to take the bait. It was a mistake in an election season where we cannot take anything for granted.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden