The Untold Story Of The Actual Obama Record

[Pirate Smile]

The Untold Story Of The Actual Obama Record



I can't put it better than this longtime Dish reader:

-snip-

The truth is that this President has done a good job in what has been one of the most difficult periods of modern history. He saved the economy from ruin (until the Tea Party took over Congress) with a stimulus that was as large as possible given the political realities, presided over a stock market that fairly quickly recouped many of its losses, presided over almost consecutive monthly increases in private sector job growth (unfortunately balanced by monthly decreases in public sector jobs which I attribute to the GOP further starving government), enacted the only meaningful healthcare reform ever in our history, passed financial reform (no matter what the Left says, he did this), saved the auto industry (which Romney is on record opposing), fired the first salvo of the Arab Spring with his address in Cairo no less, drawn down our footprint in Iraq in a responsible way (and headed toward almost total withdrawal), stopped numerous terrorist attacks in this country, stopped torture as policy, repealed DADT, joined the international community in a measured and responsible way to bring down an odious tyrant in Qaddafi, and killed a whole generation of al Qaeda leaders. And taking out Osama bin Laden the way he did will go down as one of the bravest military actions in American history.

I know this President is not popular, and it is very unpopular to defend him in such a way. I don't care. For this country to dump him for anyone on the other side would be a terrible thing. Progress is slow and painful, but we are doing it. Is that fashionable to say? No. Again, I don't care.

-snip-
If you'd told me in January 2009 that the banks would pay us back the entire bailout and then some, that the auto companies would actually turn around with government help and be a major engine of recovery, that there would be continuous job growth since 2009, however insufficient, after the worst demand collapse since the 1930s, that bin Laden would be dead, Egypt transitioning to democracy, al Qaeda all but decimated as a global threat, and civil rights for gays expanded more rapidly than at any time in history ... well I would be expecting a triumphant re-election campaign.

But we are where we are - and the economic pain is real and the president must take his lumps. The good news for those of us who still back Obama and hope for his re-election is that even with all this positive record essentially dismissed and little of it capitalized on politically, Obama is still neck and neck with any likely opponent. And he is his own best messager.

At some point, he needs to shuck off the restraint, and tell the actual story of the last three years - against the fantastic and self-serving lies and delusions we keep hearing in Republican debates and Beltway chatter. If he does it with panache, he won't need a jumpsuit onto an aircraft carrier. And many of his missions may even actually be accomplished.

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/10/the-untold-story-of-the-actual-obama-record.html

[JTFrog]

1. K&R

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. I wish I could rec this a thousand times.

:kick:

[intaglio]

3. and the naysayers will be here in ...

3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

[MH1]

4. Well said. nt

[babylonsister]

5. Thanks. Recommend. nt

[dembat]

6. The Untold Story Of The Actual Obama Record

Andrew I have read your postings many times, but this is the
first time I am responding. You are toally right President
Obama have accomplished so many of his promises and more, I
cannot see him losing the general election.

[Hutzpa]

7. K&R

:kick:

[Kind of Blue]

8. Thank you, Pirate Smile!

Looking forward to reading fully in a coupla hours.
KnR!

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Well as always it is those with all rights who are so willing to wait for

justice and equality. I often wonder if the Sanctified Ones will make retroactive recompense when they finally evolve to decency, as they are so willing to call delay progress when it is not their rights that are denied. I doubt they have the ethics to do that, although they are willing to let others languish and suffer for the sake of their community's dogmas and superstitions.
Bigotry looks son different to the bigots.

[chknltl]

10. KnR

nuff said

[livetohike]

11. K&R n/t

:kick:

[Number23]

12. Rec'd

[rury]

13. K&R 400 million times!!!!

OBAMA 2012!!!!!!!!

[Pirate Smile]

14. kick

[deacon]

15. He's a good man and a good president no doubt. n/t k/r

[Whisp]

79. Yes he is. I have no doubts about that either.

I believe he is doing the best he can with what he was handed. I have enormous respect and love for him.

[Tx4obama]

16. K&R n/t

:kick:

[caseymoz]

17. He lost me until the part about dumping for anyone on the other side. However,

Do you think Roosevelt didn't have any opposition? The guy almost had a coup against him. Look what he accomplished by 1935!

Obama's just a hair to the left of Mitt Romney and a smidgen less mendacious. He's almost on the other side.

And meanwhile, he's adopted policies on secrecy, on executive power, on spying on citizens, and on free speech that no democracy should tolerate. He's taken money from Big Finance and has employed some of its heaviest hitters in key position, Geithner being the main one.

TARP got paid back because the Fed was funneling those banks money, more money than the TARP giveaway, under the table. Actually, their balance sheets are not any better. If you notice, they're now laying people off. Our auto industry recovered because Toyota stumbled and then Japan was rocked by an earthquake and nuclear disaster.

Yes, the candidates on the other side are worse, but I can't even call Obama moderate, or honest. He's no prize, and I'll say that all the way to the election. His telling the "actual" story won't change my mind. I already expect him to spin hard for the election. What will change my mind is if he changes some policies and takes specific actions between now and then. I don't expect him to do any changing except in token and symbolic ways.

[clixtox]

20. What a party pooper!

Oh well, somebody had to cut through the crap...

[BigBearJohn]

22. I agree.

[Maraya1969]

24. Do you mind linking up to some of the lies you say he told?

I mean you do want to stand behind your words right?

[caseymoz]

27. How many?

I mean, this isn't difficult, but it's late at night now. Tell me how many lies you need documented before you'll agree that he lied and I'll fetch that many tomorrow and Saturday.

Warning: the higher you make the number, the more you'll demonstrate you won't believe it no matter the number. Thus you'll show how much an Obama's supporters are attached to fictitious image of him.

And, you know, you could check on your own with, say, a Google search, and you can even weed out the conservative sources you don't trust, but the very fact you won't even do that, says something.

[Maraya1969]

32. 10

[caseymoz]

83. I can give you 10 instances where he broke his promise for transparent government alone.

Would that be fair? One promise, many times? I guess not. 

Okay, here's the start:

1) He's not really ending the war in Iraq, per se, as he promised. A contractor army under the State Department will be there:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/21/97915/state-dept-... 

Sneaky, and that's not Congress thwarting Obama, that's Obama doing something duplicitous. This withdrawal, BTW, is in a treaty signed by Bush, that Obama tried hard to renegotiate:

http://www.salon.com/2011/10/21/about_that_iraq_withdra... /

2) He signs trade pacts that violate this promises he made: 

Candidate Obama: "It is absolutely critical that we engaged in trade, but it has to be viewed not just through the lens of Wall Street, but also Main Street, which means we’ve got strong labor standards and strong environmental standards and safety standards, so we don’t have toys being shipped in the US with lead paint on them. There are also opportunities in our economy around creating a green economy. We send $1 billion to foreign countries every day because of our addiction to foreign oil. For us to move rapidly to cap greenhouse gases, generate billions of dollars that we can reinvest in solar and wind and biodiesel that can put people back to work. How do we get it done? The changes are only going to come about if we’re able to form a working coalition for change. It has to be a priority for whoever the next president is to be able to overcome the dominance of the special interests in Washington, to bring about the kinds of economic changes that I’m talking about."

http://www.foe.org/friends-earth-denounces-passage-unju... 

Oops.


3) Speaking of the environment, how about ozone standards?

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/02/news/la-pn-obam... 

But was that really a promise? Yes:

http://www.etidbits.com/obama-asks-epa-to-withdraw-draf... 

"Charles D. Connor, the President and CEO of the American Lung Association, was also not pleased by the decision made, noting that it is looking to revive its litigation to sue Obama’s administration, which they had previously suspended because of assurances that the administration was going to go forward with the regulation."

He made them stop litigation by promising them better regulation and then went back on it. 

Again, this wasn't Congress thwarting him:

"In a statement, the president said: 'I have continued to underscore the importance of reducing regulatory burdens and regulatory uncertainty, particularly as our economy continues to recover.'"

Thank you President OBusha. 


4) Remember this promise?

“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government” 

He's broken this one so many times. Could I be counted three on this list for listing just a few? 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/10torture.html?hp 

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/04/shu... /

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/12/obama-t... /

But the coup de gras has to be the treatment of Julian Assange and Wikileaks,with the saddest being what's happening to Bradley Manning, who is still being held in solitary after 500 days, before trial:

http://www.bradleymanning.org /


7) Though it's not a campaign promise, when a President swears the Oath of Office, he is bound to uphold the Constitution. That is central to his office. A President breaks that promise when he orders the summary execution of an American citizen:

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/09/30/american-citizen... /


I need to sleep, but I'll find another three easily. And you can't really refute these.

[SwampG8r]

91. usually you wont get a reply from that one

facts burn them like sunlight on dracula
another may arise with a new disclaimer and a new number
all while disregarding these egregious examples
but that one....that one will suddenly be too busy to reply

[caseymoz]

86. Continuing with 8-10

8) Here's candidate Obama talking about Immigration:

"The American people want fairness, want justice. They recognize that the idea that you’re going to deport 12 million people is ridiculous, that we’re not going to be devoting all our law enforcement resources to sending people back."

But let's look at what President Obama has done:

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/08/18-0

And here's the lead: "Over one million immigrants have been deported since President Obama took office, making his deportation track record the worst in the history of the United States." Did you read that? The worst in the history of the US.


9) How about non-interference in scientific research, as the Bush administration was accused, rightfully, of censuring, quashing, or even tampering with scientific research funded by the government that went against ideology. Best example of that was global warming.

Now here's what Obama had to say about that:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-30/whistle-blowers-say-obama-fails-scientists.html

“The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions,” Obama said in the March 2009 memorandum.

But when push came to shove with the BP-Halliburton Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This is what happened:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/usf-says-government-tried-to-squelch-their-oil-plume-findings/1114225

And there are many more instances of political interference into scientific research by administration insiders:

http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/abuses_of_science/mms-badscience.html

http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/abuses_of_science/mountain-or-molehill.html

Again, this isn't Republicans in office blocking what he can do, this is what's happening in the Executive Branch which is under his direct command.


10) About the financial crisis. This is what Obama said during the 2008 campaign:



"We’ve got to make sure none of that money is going to pad CEO bank accounts or t promote golden parachutes. We’ve got to make sure we’re helping homeowners, because the root problem has to do with the foreclosures taking place all across the country. This is a final verdict on 8 years of failed economic policies--a theory that says w can shred regulations & consumer protections and give more to the most, and somehow prosperity will trickle down. It hasn’t worked. The fundamentals of the economy have to be measured by whether or not the middle class is getting a fair shake."

http://www.issues2000.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Budget_+_Economy.htm

Then what happens immediately when he gets in office, the CEO's get bonuses.

http://www.advisorone.com/2011/10/21/dennis-kozlowski-ceo-bonuses-for-tarp-recipients-i

And Obama dragged his feet and did nothing. He definitely had the power to do something.

And BTW, Obama hired two key architects of those "8 years of failed economic policies" to be Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner. And Timothy Geithner's former employer? Goldman Sachs, who also received a lot of TARP money.

http://www.salon.com/2011/09/19/geithner_7/


Now, I hope you study all those links and statements very carefully. At least I hope you could understand now why I feel justified at being very disappointed with Obama.

[caseymoz]

88. Maybe you're just away and busy, but all I hear are crickets.

It is shocking.

[johnaries]

80. Typical. How about all those "lies" that Obama tried to do but were

blocked by Congress? Please list as many "lies" as you can find so they can all be debunked. Don't give me this "name me a number" bs with a "warning" - that's just an excuse that almost anyone can see through.

PLEASE be specific. Those of us who welcome the truth are looking forward to it!

[caseymoz]

82. The ones I listed directly above were not blocked by Congress.

They're specific. And you can't refute any of them.

And I named a number because I don't want to be fetching information forever for people who, for some reason, haven't been paying attention. Is that unreasonable? Inattention is the only way you could have missed these events. Maybe inattention due to hope or awe.

I was tired. I didn't like even the thought of finding all the things I read late at night. I'm tired again. I hope I get an earlier start on this tomorrow, but now it doesn't look like it.

[caseymoz]

81. delete- wrong place

Would that be fair? One promise, many times? I guess not.

Okay, here's the start:

1) He's not really ending the war in Iraq, per se, as he promised. A contractor army under the State Department will be there:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/21/97915/state-dept-planning-to-field-a.html

Sneaky, and that's not Congress thwarting Obama, that's Obama doing something duplicitous. This withdrawal, BTW, is in a treaty signed by Bush, that Obama tried hard to renegotiate:

http://www.salon.com/2011/10/21/about_that_iraq_withdrawal/singleton/

2) He signs trade pacts that violate this promises he made:

Candidate Obama: "It is absolutely critical that we engaged in trade, but it has to be viewed not just through the lens of Wall Street, but also Main Street, which means we’ve got strong labor standards and strong environmental standards and safety standards, so we don’t have toys being shipped in the US with lead paint on them. There are also opportunities in our economy around creating a green economy. We send $1 billion to foreign countries every day because of our addiction to foreign oil. For us to move rapidly to cap greenhouse gases, generate billions of dollars that we can reinvest in solar and wind and biodiesel that can put people back to work. How do we get it done? The changes are only going to come about if we’re able to form a working coalition for change. It has to be a priority for whoever the next president is to be able to overcome the dominance of the special interests in Washington, to bring about the kinds of economic changes that I’m talking about."

http://www.foe.org/friends-earth-denounces-passage-unjust-trade-agreements

Oops.


3) Speaking of the environment, how about ozone standards?

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/sep/02/news/la-pn-obama-ozone-20110902

But was that really a promise? Yes:

http://www.etidbits.com/obama-asks-epa-to-withdraw-draft-of-tougher-ozone-standard=8443

"Charles D. Connor, the President and CEO of the American Lung Association, was also not pleased by the decision made, noting that it is looking to revive its litigation to sue Obama’s administration, which they had previously suspended because of assurances that the administration was going to go forward with the regulation."

He made them stop litigation by promising them better regulation and then went back on it.

Again, this wasn't Congress thwarting him:

"In a statement, the president said: 'I have continued to underscore the importance of reducing regulatory burdens and regulatory uncertainty, particularly as our economy continues to recover.'"

Think you President OBusha.


4) Remember this promise?

“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government”

He's broken this one so many times. Could I be counted three on this list for listing just a few?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/10torture.html?hp

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/04/shut-up-its-still-a-secret/7304/

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/12/obama-threatens-to-limit-us-intel-with-brits/

But the coup de gras has to be the treatment of Julian Assange and Wikileaks,with the saddest being what's happening to Bradley Manning, who is still being held in solitary after 500 days, before trial:

http://www.bradleymanning.org/

7) Though it's not a campaign promise, when a President swears the Oath of Office, he is bound to uphold the Constitution. That is central to his office. A President breaks that promise when he orders the summary execution of an American citizen:

http://news.firedoglake.com/2011/09/30/american-citizen-anwar-al-awlaki-assassinated-in-yemen/


I need to sleep, but I'll find another three easily. And you can't really refute these.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

69. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

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[SwampG8r]

90. lies is not in that post

the word lies is not there nor is the accusation of same.

[oldbanjo]

45. What can he do with Congress cutting his throat.

He needs to get the AG to file some charges against them.

[caseymoz]

84. No, it's what he's done in the executive branch, himself, that bothers me.

He and his appointments and employees. Such as: he's not being blocked by Congress when he puts Bradley Manning in solitary confinement for more than 500 days, without trial.

[uponit7771]

48. NO!! FDR had a 70% dem congress for a majority of his term...

[redqueen]

57. Thank you! They wouldn't have bothered with a coup

if Congress wasn't cooperating.

FDR had the luxury of a compliant Congress. Overwhelmingly compliant. He wouldn't have passed all he did in the first 100 days otherwise.

[caseymoz]

85. And Obama had both houses of Congress the first two years.

And for a short while, 60 votes in the Senate. Two appointments on the Supreme Court, one of which he decided to waste on a moderate.

And if he were in any way serious about getting anything done, he would have gotten together with Reid and had the filibuster eliminated. But no, he decided to get along with Republicans.

Maybe it'll work in the end. Maybe he'll get behind the Occupy movement. If he does, it'll be as a hindmost, not as a leader.

[cui bono]

55. +1

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MindandSoul]

70. Is it just me. . .or is this forum being invaded by liberterian trolls?

[Name removed]

71. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BlueCaliDem]

18. If I could rec'd this over and over again, I would! K&R! eom

[ellisonz]

19. K & R

:dem:

[Firebrand Gary]

21. K&R

[autorank]

23. No mortgage relief, no jobs program, more endless war

800 bases overseas.

Bush tax cuts still in place

Don Siegelman (former Dem gov of Al) continued prosecution with Republican US Attorney still in place.

"Free trade" still on a roll with union murdering Columbia getting special access to our markets

No hard stand on Wisconsin union busting

Monsanto exec in key regulatory role

Tim Geithner still has a job

US poised for full economic meltdown thanks to reanimation of zombie banks and giveaways to the top 1/10th of
1%

Health care program that raised direct purchase insurance for self employed by 100% of more

Yeah, it has been a ball, just terrific, keep telling yourself that.

How many million citizens out of work does it take the government to realize it's a crisis?


?hl=ad&t=1317994862
"The seasonally-adjusted SGS Alternate Unemployment Rate reflects current unemployment
reporting methodology adjusted for SGS-estimated long-term discouraged workers, who were
defined out of official existence in 1994. That estimate is added to the BLS estimate of
U-6 unemployment, which includes short-term discouraged workers.

"The U-3 unemployment rate is the monthly headline number. The U-6 unemployment rate
is the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) broadest unemployment measure, including
short-term discouraged and other marginally-attached workers as well as those forced
to work part-time because they cannot find full-time employment." http://shadowstats.com

[sheldon]

25. Still bought and paid for. Still letting $$ make the decisions

Still letting CRIMINALS have a free pass.

[hue]

43. "no jobs program..."

You are pinning this on Obama??? Obama's job program is a great start to getting the US employed, but who refuses to pass it??
There are many jobs just waiting to be done: for just one example our transportation infrastructure is in dire need of repair and this is included in Obama's jobs plan. It would supply jobs to many thousands of unemployed. But Repubs will do everything to put a neg spin on Obama and cause His jobs plan to fail. They will vote against everything positive for our country so Obama will not get elected again--no matter what the cost to the US. The 1% FEARS Obama.
As far as Obama's "no hard stand on Wisconsin union busting" you don't know all that has been going on with the federal investigation that is still under way in Wisconsin--and neither do I. But I do know that the feds are working hard to put together a solid case against W. They have been doing this since W was county exec. Yet Wisconsinites continued to vote for W. (even after the hiring of Wackenhut etc.)
I mean I wouldn't pin the blame on Wisconsin's union busting mess on Obama.
You seem so critical of Obama yet who is actually better than Obama in each issue that You present?

[SkyDaddy7]

50. Its no use folks like that will blame Obama...

if their cat died.

[caseymoz]

87. No, not unless she were executed like al-Awlaki, or died in prison after secret arrest.

And I guess, with Obama's interpretation of executive power, both are possible.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

26. I can't recommend this enough

+Infinity

[BumRushDaShow]

28. +infinity!!!! K&R

In America, he is undervalued, underestimated, and marginalized.

[Harriety]

29. He's been trying so hard. It breaks my heart to see the media skewer him.

[fasttense]

30. The Bailout has NOT been repaid. That repayment claim is a RW talking point and, of course, a lie.

The banksters would like you to believe they did their duty and paid back all the interest free money we gave them. It's an out and out lie.

But it's not all of Obama's fault. TARP was approved under the bushes and it was their program. Obama merely followed through with the program with Giethner's help.

Here are the real numbers:

Recipients:
926

Total Committed:
$633,575,722,738

Total Disbursed:
$579,952,314,483

Total Returned:
$277,816,965,263

On average each institution was back stopped by US taxpayers for over $684 million.

On average each institution was given $626 million of our US tax payer dollars (practically interest free). What could you have done with millions of interest free money?

On average each banking institution has paid back 47.90% of the loans. That's not even half of what was bestowed on to them by the 99% of Americans. And that total return includes penalties and interest (very few institutions paid any interest at all) that they were required to pay.

Here is a websites that tracks the real numbers, not the propaganda the banks are giving out to CNN and corporate news.
http://projects.propublica.org/bailout/list/index

[MannyGoldstein]

36. That's a great chart, thank you. nt

[Pacifist Patriot]

40. This should be it's own thread.

[Jim_Shorts]

56. But But, Erin Burnett told us we made 10 billion on the bank bailout

It becomes more clear to me every day that our MSM is just a mechanism to prop up our corrupt corporatocracy.

Here is Burnett putting a OWS protester in his place and she thoughtfully added the caveat that we didn't make money on the GM loan.(they double checked the numbers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--pvo3yV8Y8


Thank you for pointing out ANOTHER RW talking point.

[bowens43]

31. another Obama apology/excuse piece.......

" I ran out of gas! I--I had a flat tire! I didn't have enough money for cab fare! My tux didn't come back from the cleaners! An old friend came in from out of town! Someone stole my car! There was an earthquake! A terrible flood! Locusts! IT WASN'T MY FAULT, I SWEAR TO GOD!!!"


the guy is at best a mediocre president who put forth little effort to enact his stated agenda.

Better then the alternatives? Probably.

[NYC_SKP]

33. The content of your reply is, IMHO, bullshit.

We hear a great deal of frustration from good progressives, which is fine, but in the end when we look at the awful unsustainable economic and other practices that led up to Obama's first term, the fact that we haven't had a total economic crash is remarkable.

There hasn't been a time of such strife since the great depression and we may even be in a more stressful state now, yet nobody alive today remembers that (or very few) so it's just all too easy to call him mediocre.

To those who do, however, I call bullshit.

Good day.

:donut:

[MannyGoldstein]

34. Some of us think that we're in the midst of a total economic collapse

Real unemployment more than 15% and rising, poverty and hunger increasing rapidly... and http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2149820">more banker bailouts likely on the way.

[NYC_SKP]

38. And placing all this at Obama's feet is what, helpful? accurate? ridiculous?

I'm going with ridiculous.

The shit has been coming for decades, unsustainable growth and diminished regulation.

Things haven't been right since Carter.

Blaming Obama without giving credit where due is just outright ignorant.

[cui bono]

58. It's not about blaming Obama for what has happened, it's about making him be responsible

for actions he did not take. Didn't even try.

As well as blaming him for all the things he has done so wrong. Like installing Wall Street into the WH right off the bat. How can so many people still be blind to that? How can you support a president who did that? Did the Republicans make him do that?

Supporters want to blame all his shortcomings on the Republicans and then claim that he has done so much for us. Well you can't have it both ways. And no one can take all these accomplishment posts seriously if the supporters don't take Obama seriously.

[MannyGoldstein]

78. Unemployment, poverty, and food insecurity have increased under Obama

and are accelerating.

Many of us feel that if he'd worked as hard for the 99% as he did for the 1%, surrounded himself with good people instead of Wall Street insiders, we'd be in much better shape today. We'll never know the answer - but it's our perception.

[stockholmer]

64. +1000, for a nice reality check

[grantcart]

53. "Someone venting without knowing the facts"

[hue]

35. Obama is leagues above any other candidate in every way. eom

[ClassWarrior]

37. I totally agree. K&R.

NGU.

[stockholmer]

49. and that is exactly why the US is fucked, on so many levels

Also, he is only better than the other sham party's front runners, he is leagues below so many potential primary challengers.

[shellgame26]

41. K&R

[BigD_95]

42. True

Some times I think we are too hard on him. If we dont pull together soon we will be stuck with one of those crazy Republicans. Then what?

I voted for Obama. I havent been real happy I admit. But we dont have a choice now. We must get him reelected and then get a more progressive guy after Obama's 8 years. We can not let a Republican win the White House with all these tea baggers pulling the strings. Its ugly now. If that happens there might not be any coming back.

[nevergiveup]

44. K & R

Nice to see the naysayers could not bury this post. Maybe there is hope after all.

[ClassWarrior]

46. Hey!! Where'd you get that handle??!

:fistbump:

NGU. <----- (Never Give Up, my DU motto since 2004.)

[nevergiveup]

52. I too first came to DU in 2004.

After the election I met so many folks who were ready to throw in the towel. I would tell them that giving up was not an option. NGU has been my handle from day one at DU. I share the motto with you with pride :fistbump:

[tropicanarose]

47. K&R

[stockholmer]

51. pure rot -----> "the banks would pay us back the entire bailout and then some"

Ffs, do some BASIC research before you post tripe like this:

"If you'd told me in January 2009 that the banks would pay us back the entire bailout and then some, that the auto companies would actually turn around with government help and be a major engine of recovery, that there would be continuous job growth since 2009, however insufficient, after the worst demand collapse since the 1930s, that bin Laden would be dead, Egypt transitioning to democracy......"


just simply delusional


:thumbsdown:

[TheWraith]

77. The only "delusional" thing is pretending like reality is something completely else.

Or believing that we somehow secretly gave banks $16 trillion dollars which don't exist.

[flamingdem]

54. Nice that in a study the media disses him 6 times to every 1 positive time nt

[NBachers]

59. God, what a fucking relief to read this after wincing through some of the other threads in DU today

It actually gets painful to see how many people think Obama and progressive Democrats are not their best hope in this election cycle.

Call me simplistic, cheerleader, black / white, up / down, or whatever: Every non-Democrat vote is a Republican victory.

The only hope we have at this point is to re-elect Obama and produce large majorities in both houses, then push them to enact reasonable legislation.

Letting Republicans win by default and then bitching about them isn't going to save our nation, or the planet.

[bertman]

60. WHAT FUCKING RECOVERY??!! I don't know where you live, but where I live there is

a Depression going on for a large percentage of the working people. Just because Andrew Sullivan thinks it's a Recover in a Recession, doesn't mean shit to them.

Egypt has NOT transitioned to Democracy. It is still under the control of the same regime but without Mubarak.

If the President decides that "he needs to shuck off the restraint, and tell the actual story of the last three years . . ." then he needs to tell how he has failed to FIGHT for most of the things he said he would fight for when he was campaigning.

Andrew Sullivan is spewing propaganda.

[12AngryBorneoWildmen]

61. I irrigate wounds with raw sewage.

Thank you. I and many sometimes need a slap in the face. I've got to temper my dreams with what is possible, considering the treasonous cretins, e.g Mitch McConnell and Eric Cantor that actually have the power to destroy the country. I know....don't judge a book....blah...blah...but how can you sit with someone and see Mitch's turtle-visage on the tube and turn and tell your viewing friends, "I voted for that guy." "I irrigate wounds with raw sewage."

[zipplewrath]

62. Just enough false to undermine the point

The sad fact is, one can make a case for Obama without the overstatements contained in this piece. Alternately, the false statements are the basis for the critics so it undermines the larger point.

The theme here is "he's done enough". Fine, but over reaching and crediting him with things he was either tangentially connected, or that he never accomplished destroys the whole point and merely gives a basis for recycling the same basic complaints.

[JEB]

63. GITMO

still open.

[Pirate Smile]

76. Because of Congress.

[moodforaday]

65. "fired the first salvo of the Arab Spring" - WTF?!

"fired the first salvo of the Arab Spring with his address in Cairo no less"

Yeah, Obama instigated the Arab Spring, dream on! Never mind that the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain were all directed against their corrupt rulers supported by the US. Never mind that Obama is still supporting and selling arms to brutal regimes in Yemen and Bahrain that murder their own citizens by the dozen because they dared to protest. Never mind the war on and murder of Libya's Gaddafi, the only one of the bunch who actually ruled his country independent of what Washington wanted. (Not that he was a hero or anything, but he was the one leader not in the American pocket.) Never mind that Obama and Hillary Clinton kept triangulating for weeks, until it was undeniable where the rebellions in Arab states were going.

To even suggest that Obama somehow inspired the Arab people to revolt is really to spit in their faces all at once. I understand propaganda, but this is beyond shameless.

[LittleBlue]

66. Oh wow it's story time

Yay "accomplishments" like the Arab Spring..... yeah..... and high unemployment but hey at least we're treading water, that's an accomplishment.

God this is pathetic.

[Cronus Protagonist]

68. That's a lot of presiding... is that the same as presidenting?

:shrug:

[SpankMe]

73. Only 150-some recs in 24 hours for such an important perspective.

Bummer.

I have become a critic of Obama as I don't think he's stood up to Republicans as much as he should in certain areas. But, as this year comes to a close and next year blows in I think it'll be time for all of us to turn around a little and move back to being supportive of the president (as unanimously as possible)in his re-election bid.

There are, indeed, times when I've been really harsh on him and the Dems for their lack of a spine. I've thought seriously about what kind of support I'd give to a primary challenger to Obama.

But, the conservative side of our country has lurched so drastically to the right that I have come to view them as a destructive and fundamentally evil force. No cognitive therapy in the world will convince me that these people "have a valid point" and that they have actual, sympathetic reasons for acting the way they do. Their actions are driven almost completely by misinformation and personal prejudice.

We must do everything possible to stop these parasites from ruling the country. This means supporting Obama and all Democrats everywhere.

[libinnyandia]

74. Caught up in a dysfunctional system

The 20 smallest states population-wise have the same population as California. They have 40 senators. California has 2. The sysrem is so screwed up that it is almost impossible to bring about real change. Some of the states like S.Dakota, Nebraska, Arkansas, Montana are red states and elect Democrats who are working under much different conditions than say, New York, California or Connecticut. Some states who usually are blue in presidential elections have GOP senators, in some cases 2. How anything can be achieved is surorising to me.

[Hutzpa]

75. That is the problem

the system is so skewed to gridlock that it is surprising to see Obama's
achievement under such conditions.

[mikekohr]

89. Hugh Kick

Obama and 25 in 12

[ismnotwasm]

92. Nice

I'm just about ready to return to DU and posts like this help that decision. I'm not a proliferate poster in any case, still I've kind of missed it around here
I have to tell you in my casual conversation with people I'm surprised how many truly like Obama, nobody thinks he's perfect of course but they understand what he started out with and what he has to work with now.
Between the insane rightwingers and certain intense progressives I was starting to think everybody hated him, and for polar opposite reasons. A confusing time for many I think.

He seems to stay on target even in the face of the abysmal and ridiculous Republican current choices. I mean I thought Palin was embarrassing but they're managing to trump (no pun intended)her now in the batshit crazy/petty and nasty political arena