A civil request: Please defend President Obama on these policies and actions. [View all]

[Armstead]

I'm serious.

Here's my perspective. Lemme get this out of the way. I really like President Obama. I agree with about 80 percent of what he says publicly -- and sometimes I want to stand up and cheer, when he's made some of his speeches (like his Inauguration) or other statements in interviews. I agree with him, for example, on his earlier goals of trying to restore the ability of "blue" and "red" America to actually negotiate compromises through moderation. He's obviously done some good things, like supporting equality of LGTB, etc.

Having said that, he also angers me and has disappointed me on a fundamental level, because of the backdrop of many of his actions and policies below the surface. I believe many of these are totally contrary to his pronouncements what he says he supports. They give more power to Big Corporations and the Oligarchy, which further opens up our society to all kind of damage by the powerful. That puts his positive accomplishments into the category of "painting the house while ignoring the decaying foundation." Therefore on DU I guess I have to fall into the camp of Obama critics.

We get into stupid simplistic arguments and name calling sometimes over these things. It becomes personality driven, rather than based on the actual substance.

In my mind this causes great damage for a number of reasons. Among them is the fact that we lose site of actual issues that are potentially damaging to the very goals President Obama publicly says he stands for, such as strengthening the position of workers, a reduction in the growing income gap, restoring participatory democracy, etc.

Hence, a request, taken outside of their association of personality or partisan politics. Can those who support President Obama provide a civil and objective defense of these current "hot button" issues and questions?

1) Media and Internet Policy. President Obama has stated his support for Internet Neutrality. However, he appointed an industry and Comcast insider to head the FCC, at a time when two fundamental challenges to that -- and to overall media diversity -- are being weighed. A) The plan to begin to destroy the basis of Net Neutrality by allowing ISPs to set up service quality by price. B) Comcast's attempt to take over Time Warner, and thus become dangerously big and powerful, and too close to becoming a monopoly over the Internet, cable and broadcasting.

2)Obama's quiet support for awful "free trade agreements" like TPP and TISA (More)that are being negotiated in secret and which will undermine the ability of civil government to control the behavior of corporations. We've already seen the effects of these things, such as NAFTA. But instead of counteracting them, the administration is supporting pushing for more of that snake oil.

There are a number of others, but I'll limit it to those two. In the spirit of Obama-like civility, I will behave myself in terms of response,and I would hope that others will respond accordingly too. I honestly want to know why these should be defended.