General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Seriously, did so many people truly believe that president Obama could change the course.... [View all]caseymoz
(5,763 posts)Let's see if I understand you: he has the power now to assassinate American citizens, and has done it. And you're telling me he's not powerful enough to order even a little more transparency in government? That he wasn't powerful enough not to appoint Geithner? Or keep Summers on, and not be so generous with TARP? Not put his foot down on banker bonuses? Not powerful to stop pushing court cases that expand executive powers? Not powerful enough to order that cases concerning illegal detainment be dismissed if they involve any secret information whatsoever? That he wasn't powerful enough to get reforms done even for the short time when Dems had the house and 60 in the senate?
This list goes on and on.
You should only judge what Obama's doing as "strategy," or "the best he can" if it eventually works or if you find out in retrospect. Right now, the preponderance of evidence you can actually see, rather than presume, says he's a centrist (read: Right of Reagan, left of Bachmann) who has no intention of fulfilling most of his promises.
You think I'm wrong? How do you explain his vote as Senator during the 2008 elections, exempting telecoms that spied on us from prosecution or lawsuits? That was one everyone was expecting him to vote against, and it wouldn't have hurt him to do the obvious, though doing what he did might have hurt him. His supporters were stunned at it. It was a risk, but he felt compelled to take it. Why? Who did he owe the favor to? Or, perhaps, who was he sending a message to? Or did he actually believe the telecoms shouldn't be prosecuted?
And really, if you think that any President we put in office would have been just as stymied and paralyzed, why even waste a shrewed, fighting dynamo like Obama in that futile position, then? Maybe the Republicans have the right idea. Let's put some stupid ass in there to take up space fighting the useless battle and then put Obama in charge of a mess he can do something about, like, say, the Library of Congress. There's no use wasting a talented, honest, faithful, dedicated guy like Obama in the morass like the Presidency. So, you see, your argument is self-defeating.
You just don't want to admit we were all taken. I don't blame you.