Obama Scorecard...

[Postman]

NAFTA -- F

Afghanistan -- F

Iraq -- D

Torture Investigation -- F

Bush Administration Crimes Investigation -- F

Wall Street Accountability -- F

Stimulus -- C-

[MadMaddie]

1. That's 6 out of what 100 things he has done right?

Where are the rest of the things that he has done?

:shrug:

[Postman]

4. It's a pretty big 6.

Tell me what he's done right...

[atreides1]

7. You have a good point

Why don't you list the ones that were missed?

[NJmaverick]

Your reasonable question is interfering with his agenda

Can't you see he has some serious Obama bashing to peform? Facts and reason will only get in his way.

[Postman]

18. So I take it you're pleased with his performance on the 6 I listed..

Escalation in Afghanistan - which will be his Vietnam.

Keeping a significant troop OCCUPATION of Iraq in place.

Awarding bankers on Wall Street while fucking over middle class workers on Main Street ala GM

NAFTA, Bush Torture, Bush crimes ---- ALL OFF THE TABLE

A Stimulus package that has been described by the likes of Paul Krugman as "too small" to succeed

....yeah my "agenda" sure is right wing anti-Obama bashing....

[MadMaddie]

21. I didn't say that but I think it is necessary to look at the complete

picture and not narrow it down to 6 of your pet peeves. I am not pleased with some of these issues but I don't consider them closed.

[omega minimo]

29. "PET PEEVES"??????!!!!!

:wow: :wow: :wow: :banghead:

[Postman]

30. Really....

Life in America is a "pet peeve".....

Beam me up Scotty.

[NJmaverick]

44. BUT... BUT... They are not pet peeves they are his wedge issues

he is trying to bash Obama with!!!!! How could you play them down?!?!??! It's not like the nation is facing major disasters or there were any wars when he got into office. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??!!??

[Orwellian_Ghost]

80. The slaughter and illegal occupation of Iraqis

is just a "pet peeve?"

Just 'issues' for you maybe but people's lives are being destroyed.

Disgusting.

[cliffordu]

47. yes, actually you are right about your last line

But even a blind pig finds a truffle on occasion.

[readmoreoften]

Um. I dunno. If you get those things wrong, not much left to get right?

I'm not sure what's left:

Student Loans: A- (good ideas, but didn't accomplish them)

Stem Cell: A

Separation of Church and State: D- (office of Faith Based Initiatives? No thanks.)

LGBT issues: D (no substantive assistance but some showy moderateness in a low level appointment, a line in a speech, and by signing the UN resolution--after he was assured the statement against the death penalty for homosexuality wasn't legally binding in any way...)

Education: D-

[Balbus]

2. How come you don't have the dog on that scorecard?

[Dramarama]

5. It was a credit/no credit course

[liberalmuse]

3. That's actually Bush's scorecard.

President Obama has been in office for less than 100 days, not even a school quarter, if you will, so it's a little bit premature to start grading, teach.

[omega minimo]

31. How many days in to break the campaign promise on NAFTA? Who are you kiddin?

[CTLawGuy]

6. Your post

F

[CTLawGuy]

24. mine

Closing Guantanamo - A

Stopping torture - B+

Getting us out of Iraq - A

payroll tax cut - A+

reversal of Bush tax cut for top rate earners - A

SCHIP - A+

stimulus - B+

Restoring credit to the banking sector - B-

Lilly Ledbetter fair pay act - A

rescuing Somali pirate hostage - A+

Opening dialog with hostile/aloof nations (Cuba/Iran)- B+

[Postman]

26. yeah, those Somali Pirates are a bitch on our job situation....

give me a break.

[CTLawGuy]

37. neither is torture

...

let's put the republicans back in power, that'll teach em a lesson :eyes:

[Postman]

41. The Republicans ARE in power.

They're better known as Wall Street.

[CTLawGuy]

46. go vote for Nader

oh wait, that's why we got Bush and torture in the FIRST place.

Al Gore doesn't seem so bad now, does he?

[Postman]

52. If you believe Nader caused Bush to get elected you're crazy.

[CTLawGuy]

55. 90k votes for Nader in FL

500 vote difference. you do the math.

But if you think actual torturing under a new Repub president would be better than not torturing but not prosecuting past torture, then go ahead, put the Republicans back in the WH.


100% or 0% aren't your only two choices.

[Postman]

59. Gore lost his home state of TN

AND I wouldn't vote for a Republican if his name were Jesus Christ.

[CTLawGuy]

62. Nader lost his home state of CT

so what. No matter what Gore's or any Dem's faults, they are light years better than Republicans.

Obama's stopping of torture as a policy is light years better than Bush's implementation of that policy, even if those steps aren't very satisfying. If we are not guarded in our thoughts and actions, we will end up with another torturer in office, and then we will beg for Obama back.

Even if we get 40% of what we want it is better than 0%.

[dionysus]

85. if you didn't think it helped you're niave.

[EFerrari]

27. Payroll tax cut, reversal of Bush tax cut, SCHIP,

Lily Ledbetter and diplomacy are in his column.

Gitmo isn't closed. Panetta is reserving rendition so that means we might not torture but might deliver prisoners to someone that does. We're not out of Iraq and renaming combat units as something else while leaving them in place is not really drawing down.

And as far as that whole pirate thing, why is he going to have access to our courts but none of the guys at Gitmo will? That's a double standard on water wings.

Still, good job making up a list of the positive stuff.

[CTLawGuy]

gitmo is being closed

it takes time to figure out what to do with those being held there. It takes time to plan how to get everything out of there and where to reassign everyone. You can't snap your fingers and just close it.

[EFerrari]

50. Right. I haven't needed to think magically since I was two.

But, it's not closed and we have three separate reports, iirc, that prisoner treatment has worsened there since 1/20.

I'll be as happy as anyone to put this in the "done" column when it is done.

[CTLawGuy]

58. if that is true

then something should be done about it. But Obama has said it will be closed in approx a year and I believe him.

[EFerrari]

65. I look forward to it.

Here's one link to one of those reports. And, yes I hope someone is paying attention.

Exclusive: Lawyer says Guantanamo abuse worse since Obama
Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:23pm EST
By Luke Baker

LONDON (Reuters) - Abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has worsened sharply since President Barack Obama took office as prison guards "get their kicks in" before the camp is closed, according to a lawyer who represents detainees.

Abuses began to pick up in December after Obama was elected, human rights lawyer Ahmed Ghappour told Reuters. He cited beatings, the dislocation of limbs, spraying of pepper spray into closed cells, applying pepper spray to toilet paper and over-forcefeeding detainees who are on hunger strike.

The Pentagon said on Monday that it had received renewed reports of prisoner abuse during a recent review of conditions at Guantanamo, but had concluded that all prisoners were being kept in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

"According to my clients, there has been a ramping up in abuse since President Obama was inaugurated," said Ghappour, a British-American lawyer with Reprieve, a legal charity that represents 31 detainees at Guantanamo.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51O3TB20090225?sp=true

[ClusterFreak]

54. I've read a few of your posts recently...

You're part of a dying breed here it seems.

You seem to favor reason over hysteria.

Keep up the good work.:thumbsup:

[CTLawGuy]

60. thanks :)

honestly, I'm not happy about it either, but I also think, "if this is the only thing we have to complain about, we are lucky as hell". The last thing we want is to become so disillusioned with the fact that we aren't getting 100% of what we want that we fritter away what we DO have at election time, and end up with 0%. Also, I trust Obama and I believe he has good intentions in doing what he does, even if I don't agree with it. He has considerations that don't occur to most of us.

But the bottom line is, putting the Republicans back in power will NOT stop torture, it will bring it back. no more Naders.

[ClusterFreak]

75. Exactly...no more Naders...

And also...I wonder if Obama is simply going for political cover in this whole thing...throwing his hands in the air in a mock gesture of "what can you do?" all the while Dems in congress (i.e. Conyers, Leahy) and perhaps A.G. Holder do the dirty work. If so, Obama - as usual - is several chess moves ahead of the rest of us. This guy has got where's he's got in this life by outsmarting the very best, so what else is new under the sun these days? Not much, I believe.

I don't care what any of the DU naysayers say....Obama rocks my ass. Still.

[snot]

67. Thank you for addressing the substantive issue.

I don't agree in all respects, but I wish more here put at least this much effort into their posts/replies.

[sammythecat]

79. A B+ for stopping torture?

It's his fucking duty to stop torture. It is also his fucking duty, as far as I'm concerned, to make sure it never happens again and he has, so far, made it clear he has no intention of doing that.

[NC_Nurse]

8. So you're pissed I take it? Any positive grades?

I don't think he's done everything wrong.
What about reversing oil leases on Nat'l park lands? I think that's an A.
Stopped the gag order on family planning funds for international orgs. - A
Put money in the budget for healthcare reform - A

I don't like everything he's done either, but it's early yet. Give it some time. It's not over yet, I think there will be investigations.

[Thrill]

9. YAWN

[ihavenobias]

10. I agree he deserves low grades for those things, but this thread would have much more impact

if you had included some of the GOOD things.

You know, like High Speed Rail investment and reaching out to countries we used to shrug off and vilify, etc. If you did that it'd be much harder for partisan Obama supporters (I'm a supporter who's very critical when it's required) to bash this thread.

[EFerrari]

13. It's sort of natural, though, for people to attend to negative things

rather than positive things.

Can someone put up a complementary list, like winding down Gitmo and using diplomacy and so on?

[omega minimo]

33. I'm not crazy about the dog choice.

:yoiks:

[EFerrari]

35. I don't like Larry Summers, either.

:yoiks:

[Postman]

22. You sound like the rightwingers when they complained of the media not reporting all of the "good"

that was happening in Iraq...

But, yes, he has done some good things.

[ihavenobias]

28. No, I sound like a reasonable progressive (I know, I'm biased). :)

Not a hater who has nothing but negative things to say, and not a partisan ass-kisser that refuses to say ANYTHING critical of the president.

Somewhere in the middle, which is where more people should be IMO. Right wingers are black and white, all about absolutes (generally and relatively speaking of course). We're supposed to better than that, appreciating nuance, etc.

[omega minimo]

42. + sense of humor and patience!

:toast:

[omega minimo]

39. ihavenobias made a good point in a respectful way. And this is your thread, your list. And they're

BIGGIES. Certainly not "pet peeves." I saw the NAFTA news logging on tonight. That's one of my BIG ONES. Breaking a campaign promise. Double plus ungood.

[dionysus]

87. so why did you leave all the good thing off of your list? they get in the way of your tantrum?

[babylonsister]

11. My glass is more than half full...

Stem Cell Research -- A+

Lilly Ledbetter Act -- A+

Foreign Diplomacy -- A

Environment -- A

Science -- A

Stimulus Plan -- A

And that's just for starters.

[Dramarama]

15. Gift Giving

A++

[readmoreoften]

25. I'm not sure he can take credit for the Lilly Ledbetter Act. That's not exactly his work.

But I agree with Stem Cell as A.

Foreign Diplomacy is good.

I don't think there's anything fantastic he can do for the environment considering his NAFTA and military-industrial positions.

And I agree with the OP on the stimulus plan. It's a C. Public works projects are good, but hardly enough.

I'd add a few Fs and Ds: Education and Separation of Church/State being two big ones.

[EFerrari]

32. Foreign policy is mixed. Blowing up civilians on the Pakistani

Afghan border is not a community builder. And asserting that Cubans don't have freedom of religion is just sort of strange.

[blindpig]

89. That is a hoot.

Met a couple guys down there who said they were Baptist(not the southern variety) and when told there were gangs of evangelists up here chomping at the bit to come and 'save' them they laughed heartily.

[Natalya Slosky]

12. Give the man some time FFS.

He hasn't even been in office 100 days yet -- it's premature to give him a "scorecard" based just on three months. Would you rather have Dumbya (or McIdiot) in office? I don't agree with everything Obama has done, especially when it comes to prosecuting Bush criminals, but overall I think Obama has done a great job. Give him a break.

[omega minimo]

48. Great talking points.

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. Heh. Imagine a McCain/Palin scorecard.

On second thought, I wouldn't want to even think about that...........

[polichick]

16. You forgot all the subject areas he gets As in - not a complete picture.

[Drunken Irishman]

17. I give this post an F.

And your simplicity of it should force you to retake political debating 101.

[DonCoquixote]

19. Score for Obama critics

patience -f If you believe 30 years of GOP damage can be waved away in three months, you are not grounded in reality

Good intentions - C , You want to see that the will of the people is being done, but you also have a lot of malice that comes from days you were not in power. Chances are you still think either Hillary Clinton or Dennis Kucinich should be where Obama is.

Tact- F Minus , Sure, let's go ahead and charge right into the media which has a vested interest in making sure the masses stay stupid, like charge against Bush before there is the media froth up that will be needed.

Wall Street - C+ Ok, Geitner is a weasel, but frankly, so are Krugman and Steiglitz..Obama has said outright that there is no magic bullet for the economy, and that it will take lots of time, which is NOT what anyone wants to hear. I give the C Plus because I do think we need to be nastier to Wall Street, but we also can't forget that while we do need to establish guidelines, all buying the banks out might do is sink us even MORE in debt.

Stimulus recognition=hard f minus. Obama has delivered on the promise of investing in America more than anyone since LBJ, and more than st. Jimmy Carter or Clinton ever did.

Afghanistan, b you one decent grade, yes, we do need to let these savages keep killing themselves like they want to do, and always will do.

[EFerrari]

20. Savages? Oh, my. n/t

[omega minimo]

53. errrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrgh......................

:facepalm:

[DonCoquixote]

64. Yes, Savages

and no, I do not mean Muslims, as anyone reading the Haddith would see that the Taliban is about as halal as a bacon and Ham sandwich.

[BeFree]

23. He coulda got A++

If he'd just said NAFTA will be totally reformed, we will back out of Afghanistan and Iraq, a complete investigation of torture and Buchco will be underway ASAP, that he was gonna get out of our way and let us at the bankers and that the stimulus package won't be waste like most other government programs, then I'd be one happy mofo.

But I'm not. Not happy at all. Hard to believe anyone is happy, except the bankers, corporatists, warmongers and bushco. Yep, they be happy, happy, happy.

[Natalya Slosky]

49. I am none of those things and yet..

I am still happy. Am I happy with EVERYTHING Obama has done? Heck no. But odds are, I wouldn't be completely happy with ANY President(except maybe Kucinich.) I AM happy, however, that it is Obama leading us, and not McPalin. That fact alone makes me happy.

[omega minimo]

57. I don't believe you.

[BeFree]

61. I'm so glad

What temperature is the earth these days? Does it make your head cooler to have it buried like that? I may have to try that sometime. Maybe then we'd both be happy? :smile:

Welcome to DU Natalya Slosky. Neat moniker.

Imagine how we'd all be feeling if Palin was sitting there in the east wing just waiting for MC to kick the bucket. Yes, we are a bit better off.

[omega minimo]

56. There it is. ++++++++++++++ and John Yoo is happy happy too. Oh wait, he IS Buscho.

[mashimaro]

34. K for Wall Street as in Kissing AIG's ass

didn't they pay him nearly a half a million while he was campaigning... they gave the same amount to McSame.

[Postman]

36. Until there is public financing of campaigns - exclusively -

these double-talking puppets will be owned by Wall Street and not the American people.

[NJmaverick]

38. Well I tend to look at the big picture, and not look at the world through a narrow tunnel

or with the goal of bashing our new Democratic President. First off I think Obama has done as well as he can, given the no win nature of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. He has balanced our security concerns with his desire to end the conflicts. That is the sort of practical and pragmatic approach I expected from him.

NAFTA is a minor issue in the scheme of things, and only a fool would worry about it this early and in the middle of major disasters.

I wouldn't be so irresponsible as to jump the gun and presume to grade him on the torture or Bush crimes. Only a fool rushes to judgment when we have not seen what is going to eventually happen.


The stimulus is doing a very good job and done an excellent job of keeping the Country out of another great Depression.


As for Wall Street Accountablity, see the bush crimes and torture.


Now don't let this reasonable dialog get in the way of your Obama bashing.

[omega minimo]

63. With tunnel vision you can get somewhere. Wearing blinders, yer just stuck.

Your post is not "reasonable dialog." (sic)

It's hiding your head in the sand.


"NAFTA is a minor issue in the scheme of things...."

Pardon me but that statement is just plain ignorant and the fact....

"...and only a fool would worry about it this early and in the middle of major disasters..."

.... the fact that Pres. Obama betrayed a campaign promise on what is actually a CRUCIAL and CENTRAL issue is damning................ :evilfrown:

People who are concerned about urgent matters and early pronouncements from the administration, who aren't wearing rose colored glasses and pretending we've dodged a Depression -- PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT REAL ISSUES ARE NOT OBAMA BASHING.

It's nice and comfy to be so smug about, b/c then you don't have to think about what's really going on RIGHT NOW and what may be coming, according to the farsighted that no one listens to until it's too late, if then.


BTW putting the same people who caused the financial debacle in charge of correcting it -- that's just ducky too when your head's in the sand.

[Avalux]

40. Not much substance to this post. You want us to take you seriously?

Give reasons for your grades instead of throwing them out there simply for reactions.

[EFerrari]

43. Us? Who is in your delegation?

[Avalux]

51. Those of US who don't believe in the sledgehammer approach. n/t

[cliffordu]

45. This thread.....

"incomplete"

[CLANG]

66. My take

Torture Investigation -- A+

Bush Administration Crimes Investigation -- A+

Ever hear of the rope-a-dope? Obama is the slickest pol that's ever lived. You just wait....

[progressoid]

68. Good start but incomplete

[mvd]

69. How can a report card be issued yet? Look at what mine would be

NAFTA -- incomplete, some bad signs

Afghanistan -- incomplete, C so far

Iraq -- incomplete, B so far

Torture Investigation -- memos released, incomplete, D so far

Bush Administration Crimes Investigation -- incomplete, F so far

Wall Street Accountability -- incomplete, C so far

Stimulus -- incomplete, B+ so far

You left out other things, and with a big curve due to Bush, my grade's still a B at this point.

[mvd]

73. Here are other things (so far)

Health care - incomplete, points for SCHIP

Stem cells - A-

Fighting for equality - B-

Diplomacy - A-

Following the Constitution - A

Education - C-

Science policy - A

Drug policy - D

Tax policy - B+

Torture POLICY - A

And a big one - accomplishments for his time in office - A-

[mvd]

81. I have a change I'm happy to make!

Bush Administration Crimes Investigation -- incomplete, F so far changes to just incomplete

Overall grade goes back to B+.

[Dinger]

70. My Grades:

NAFTA -- F

Afghanistan -- C

Iraq -- C-

Torture Investigation -- F-

Bush Administration Crimes Investigation -- D- (I still have hope)

Wall Street Accountability -- D-

Stimulus -- B

Education -- D

Warrantless wiretapping -- D

Guantanamo Bay-- A

Auto Industry--D-

Health Care-- Inc.

Public Financing of Elections-- Inc.

Environment-- Inc.

payroll tax cut - A

rescuing Somali pirate hostage - A+

Opening dialog with hostile/aloof nations (Cuba/Iran)- B+

[Dinger]

71. Self-Delete (nt)

[XemaSab]

72. Not being Bush: A+

n/t

[Dinger]

74. Touché (nt)

[EFerrari]

76. Oh, man, no kidding!

I'd give extra special extra credit for that. :rofl:

[mvd]

78. True

a big :thumbsup: to that

[pnorman]

77. Here's a more "nuanced" scorecard:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/GinaMaria

Seemingly LOST in all this holier than thou posturing, is how the so-called "loyal opposition" grades him ---FFFF! And they are pulling every scummy stunt, and telling every filthy lie, to bring him down! And they HATE his family, including his "brats"!

Take a deep breath, and THINK!

pnorman

[Deja Q]

82. 3 months...

If anything, along with the stimulus (which is a B for me), they could have put in provisions to reverse tax breaks for companies THAT offshore. Otherwise it would have been an "A".

3 months... it is going to take longer to sort everything out, like it or not.

[NeedleCast]

83. Your Score Card Matched Most Right-Wing Score Cards of Obama

Interesting how that works.

[dionysus]

84. poutrage FAIL: banky required;

[DevonRex]

86. Hmm. That matches the tone and substance of RWers.

:shrug:

[cali]

88. lol. whatcha gonna do now that he's made it clear that

he's not against prosecution re torture?

you obama haters are a riot.

:rofl: