Bill Press: Critics wrong when they accuse Obama of doing nothing

[POAS]

From "Reading Eagle";

You've heard of the gang that couldn't shoot straight. President Barack Obama is the man who can't shoot straight. His first 20 months have zipped by with nothing to show for them. He's broken every promise he made. He's achieved not one major legislative accomplishment. It even took him three months to plug an oil leak.

That's the rap on Obama, from commentators on both the right and the left. It's ubiquitous, it's loud, it's earnest and it's dead wrong.

(snip)

Yes, we could list the things Obama has not achieved: global warming legislation, immigration reform, the Employee Free Choice Act. But even Obama's detractors should admit that what he has achieved so far adds up to no mean record of accomplishment, especially given the fact that he's forced to deal with one of the least effective collections of senators ever. Indeed, it's hard to tell which are worse: Senate Democrats, half of whom are afraid of their own shadow, or Senate Republicans, all of whom simply follow orders and automatically vote against anything Obama favors.

Yet there remains this huge disconnect between Obama's reputation and record, as reflected in the latest Washington Post/ABC poll, in which 58 percent of Americans say they've lost faith in Obama. That says more about us than it does about him. It says we are impatient, expecting miracles overnight. It says we are unrealistic, demanding a level of perfection no politician can deliver. And it says we are like spoiled children, not happy with just one piece of candy. We want the whole box. Now.

[RandomThoughts]

1. That poll was worded to hurt President Obama.

People do not have 'faith' in people.

It was a poll to damage and get bad information.


The people did not say that, they were asked that.

It is like 'when did you stop beating your wife' question

[POAS]

3. Bill Press chose that poll

to make his point. Why, I do not know but "there it is"!

[sandnsea]

2. I like the last line, liberals should stop being fickle

"It also says liberals such as me should stop being so fickle and recognize how lucky we are. Remember President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney?"

[Exilednight]

15. That seems to be the running answer for any ........

criticism of Obama: A verb, an adjective and Bush/Cheney.

[FrenchieCat]

20. It's the correct answer, which is why you keep seeing it over and over again......

Those who don't like the answer for whatever their political reasons,
....well, they'll try to frame the obvious as simply a meme,
that shouldn't be repeated too often.

I think it should be repeated adnauseum till it seeps into every little brain
capable of understanding those things which would be easy to understand,
if it wasn't for their unchecked political biases.

[Exilednight]

22. It's meme cry of the fierce defender who believes Obama can do no wrong.

nothing more, nothing less. This president refuses to take a firm stand on anything of substance.

[FrenchieCat]

24. I disagree.

I believe you are wrong.

[Exilednight]

25. Let's take a look at his track record .....

Firm stance on public option? No
Firm stance on no mandate? No
Firm stance on gay marriage? No
Firm stance on financial regulation? No
Firm stance on torture? No
Firm stance on closing gitmo? No
Firm stance on Afghanistan? No
Firm stance on Iraq? Still open ended, but I bet he weakens his position before all is said and done.
Firm stance on BP? I will give him credit for this one. He's held tough with BP thus far.


But let's be honest, this president puts everything "on the table" before he even starts negotiating. I would give him more credit if he at least put up something that resembled a fight.

[FrenchieCat]

26. You don't have to give him any credit......cause he's doing more things than just for you.

Firm stance on public option? He didn't believe that this was a make-it or break-it proposition; and said so. You believed it was; so don't vote for him cause he disagreed with you that this was the only answer, and it had to be in there, or settle for nothing.

Firm stance on no mandate? He decided to change his stance on this; and anyone has that right..especially when you can only get legislation out there as liberal as the 60th vote.

Firm stance on gay marriage? He didn't run on supporting Gay Marriage. He may be out of step with what you believe he should support, and in that case, next time, vote for someone who does.

Firm stance on financial regulation? I think the Financial Regulations that passed did much more than you want to acknowledge....if only you really knew what they did....that would help your opinion.

Firm stance on torture? I believe he's stood up against torture, and you don't want to believe it.

Firm stance on closing gitmo? Senate voted again funding for Gitmo twice to date....and just like he can't pull a job for every unemployed out of his ass, Barack Obama needs congressional support to get her done....and thus far he has failed....but it has little to do with how firm his stance is on this.

Firm stance on Afghanistan? His stance on Aghanistan has been most consistent. You may not agree with it, but it hasn't budged.

Firm stance on Iraq? We are down to 50 Thousand, which is what he stated it would be around this time. You may want zero troops in there, but that's not what the deal ever was, other than in your mind.

Firm stance on BP? I will give him credit for this one. He's held tough with BP thus far.


Me thinks you just will always find something wrong and "Not firm" when it comes to Barack Obama.
That's what you've demonstrated thus far, and I find you firm on that.

True liberals aren't "Firm"....instead they tend to be open minded.

[Exilednight]

27. Alright, let's take a closer look.

Firm stance on public option? He didn't believe that this was a make-it or break-it proposition; and said so. You believed it was; so don't vote for him cause he disagreed with you that this was the only answer, and it had to be in there, or settle for nothing.

Without the PO, nothing was put in its place to control the rising price of insurance premiums. Personally, I prefer a single payer system, but I know that is not going to happen anytime soon. He failed to address the core problem.

Firm stance on no mandate? He decided to change his stance on this; and anyone has that right..especially when you can only get legislation out there as liberal as the 60th vote.

Yes, he changed his mind, and this was the main wedge issue between Hillary and Obama.

Firm stance on gay marriage? He didn't run on supporting Gay Marriage. He may be out of step with what you believe he should support, and in that case, next time, vote for someone who does.

He is out of step on this, but he can always change his mind.

Firm stance on financial regulation? I think the Financial Regulations that passed did much more than you want to acknowledge....if only you really knew what they did....that would help your opinion.

Again, fin-reg did not address the core issue. There are some decent consumer protections, but no real transparency of the banking industry.

Firm stance on closing gitmo? Senate voted again funding for Gitmo twice to date....and just like he can't pull a job for every unemployed out of his ass, Barack Obama needs congressional support to get her done....and thus far he has failed....but it has little to do with how firm his stance is on this.

Just because Gitmo is funded, it doesn't mean that he has to use the money. All he needs to do is sign an executive order and move them to US soil. rethugs can cry all they want, but once it's done they're won't be much they can do about it.



Firm stance on torture? I believe he's stood up against torture, and you don't want to believe it.

He signed an executive order that stops "enhanced interrogation". Sadly, he's done nothing more. When a new president takes his place, they can again resume "enhanced interrogation" as outlined by the unPATRIOT ACT.

Firm stance on Afghanistan? His stance on Aghanistan has been most consistent. You may not agree with it, but it hasn't budged.

Watch the news this past week? It looks like Obama is going to have to backtrack on his promise.

Firm stance on Iraq? We are down to 50 Thousand, which is what he stated it would be around this time. You may want zero troops in there, but that's not what the deal ever was, other than in your mind.

And what constitutes a "troop". How many private contractors are left? How many CIA? And do you have any idea how many troops 50,000 is? That's an entire division and then some.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Obama has gotten a LOT done in his first 1-2 years

and they're nothing to sneeze at, particularly given the solid GOP obstructionism that now demands a super-majority for ANYTHING to move an inch forward. Sure, we can sit around and debate on the merits of what he has accomplished and harp on what he hasn't gotten around to.....yet but it's undeniable that he has made some significant accomplishments in a relatively short amount of time and that he deserves some credit for taking on some fights that he was advised against (i.e. civilian trials for terror suspects, closing Gitmo, health care reform) even if he has occasionally had to make some "tactical retreats" on a few things (hopefully, just temporarily) because of a few intransigent members of his party.
Hopefully, the people whom have already "lost faith" in Obama will reconsider and realize that turning things around from 20-30 years of nearly constant Republican (mis-)rule is going to take a little longer than 1-2 years and that Obama does NOT have the power to make massive changes to our country unilaterally.

[firedupdem]

5. Rec'd n/t

[Metric System]

6. The problem is that people like Bill Press don't get heard. Ingraham, Limbaugh and Beck seem to be

the loudest voices, and certainly the most repeated by the corporate media.

[Ramulux]

7. This guy just doesnt get it

This guy is saying the same exact thing as Gibbs with the same basic misunderstanding. No one with a brain says Obama has done nothing and no one is mad that he hasnt kept ALL his campaign promises. We are mad because he is governing COMPLETELY different than how he said he would govern and failing to understand what he needs to do to not only get things fixed but to get the American people on his side. Obama just doesnt seem to understand that liberal policy is good policy and these shitty coporatist compromise bills of his dont fix the fundamental problems within their repective industries.

[NJmaverick]

8. Medical Care Prices Fell for First Time in 35 Years

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x411812


doesn't fit with the claim:

"these shitty coporatist compromise bills of his dont fix the fundamental problems within their repective industries."

[Usrename]

19. Actually, prices didn't fall at all.

The article says prices went up.

They just didn't go up faster than the general inflation rate, which has been the historic trend.

But, no one is saying that prices fell for medical care. Not yet anyhow.

[janx]

9. Get it?

Did you read the same article that I did? Note this excerpt:

________________________

I said that, not as an Obama apologist. Indeed, I've been as critical of Obama as many conservative commentators, although for different reasons. He's spent too much time sucking up to Republicans and too little time paying attention to his political base. He settled for too weak a bill on both health care reform and Wall Street reform. He's dragged his heels on getting rid of the don't-ask, don't-tell policy in the military. And he escalated the war in Afghanistan when he should have pulled the plug on it.

________________________

:shrug:

[impik]

14. He is governing EXACTLY the way he said he would

He always talked about compromising, he always talked about bi-partisanship, he always talked about post-partisan politics. Right or wrong, that's a different story, but anyone who actually LISTENED to him during the campaign, knew exactly how he's going to govern.

And let me remind you that he is NOT a king, and he needs 60 votes for every fucking thing.

[Skittles]

16. I knew how he'd govern and I don't like it

sucking up is not the same as compromising

[POAS]

17. Of course your entitled to that opinion

but you may perhaps agree that in the larger community of Democrats and voters in general not all will see compromise as "sucking up". It is first of all a value judgment based on personal expectations. Some will see any level of compromise as "sucking up" where-as others will never see it. It is all in the perspective and even prejudice that is brought to a given subject.

Secondly it should be clear to all observers that whatever label is put on it, compromise or "sucking up", nothing gets done legislatively without some degree of "it", at least not in democratic forms of governance.

[Skittles]

23. it accomplishes nothing

repukes are like rabid dogs - they do not "compromise" so acting as if they would is a GIANT waste of time

[tomp]

18. actually i hold all candidates to all their promises. nt

[Kahuna]

10. Approval from one of the "professional left?????"

:wow:

[POAS]

11. My first exposure to Press

was when he and Carville played the "good cop/ bad cop" routine against the righties on Crossfire. He's been a strong advocate on the left for a long time.

[Kahuna]

12. I used to watch Crossfire religiously. I'm sorry that it isn't on anymore. nt

[POAS]

13. In part we have Jon Stewart to thank for that.

Getting rid of Crossfire certainly made cable news more civil, didn't it?

The time Novak walked off the set was a classic!

[JNelson6563]

21. Bill is correct.

Notice how the right wingers almost always achieve their goals? They move as a solid block. The left reminds me of a room full of toddlers with attention issues. All yelling bloody murder for attention to their issue and only their issue. Fuck the others, if I don't get MY way on MY issue the rest of you can go to hell.

Idiots.

Julie