Is Obama going crazy?

[erodriguez]

The republicans are blasting him left and right. Yet Obama is constantly trying to compromise with those thugs.

There must be someone telling him that they will never work with him...that they have stated time and again that their main objective is to destroy his presidency.

I keep running through the scenario that the President has actually lost his mind, like a person who suddenly lost a loved one and continually denies her loss.

He is still living in his bi-partisan dreamworld. I can imagine him sitting in the oval office; his advisors telling him one thing, but he's caught up in a fantasy, not listening, and giving strange orders.

I know it sounds like a shakesperian tragedy. But it's just hard to understand what the man is thinking.

[tabatha]

1. I think they are goading him to be mad.

He has to keep his cool.

[ProSense]

2. Maybe that's

what Nancy Pelosi thinks, but is keeping it a secret.

[breadandwine]

3. Wrong genre possibly.

His advisors are boning up on Kafka.

And theater of the absurd.

[babylonsister]

4. Yes, he's certifiably nuts. Go figure. nt

[erodriguez]

5. Am I going crazy? Or has this post been deleted/moved from general discussion?

[glinda]

6. I think the CIA and Pentagon are drugging him.

[Pisces]

7. These threads created to demoralize democratic support are laughable.

[erodriguez]

9. I'm not trying to demoralize democratic support at all...I just happen to be demoralized

and I honestky want to understand wtf is going on.

[snagglepuss]

31. I can assure you that any demoralization democrats feel is not as a result of

any thread on DU.

[Goldstein1984]

8. I think he's just in over his head.

He wasn't ready for the job.

You can't win 3-dimensional chess when you still get beat at checkers.

[snagglepuss]

33. I agree. How he's acting reminds me of my first attempt at downhill skiing before I was

ready. I could barely snowplow when a friend, who was an experienced skier, took me up on the lift. The conditions were poor due to ice which I had never skied on. What happened is that I went done the mountain with my skis completely parallel, my friend who had done competetive racing couldn't catch me because I was practially flying. All I could do was focus entirely on my knees to insure they were bent. I kept my cool but it was absolute hell because I didn't know what I was doing but I knew that if I fell at the speed I was going the consequences could be dire so by sheer luck I survived without falling or injuring myself or others.

[MissDeeds]

10. I don't think he's going crazy

but do feel that something is at work in regard to his almost obsessive need to please those who are his adversaries - in this case Republicans. He is constantly trying to win their approval or to appease them. It's very strange. I've often wondered what in his background has made him so intent on pleasing those who vilify or disparage him - even at the expense of those who are his supporters.

[Raine]

30. I think he has father issues

seriously. :-(

[whathehell]

11. Perhaps we are going crazy....

Perhaps he is deliberately trying to drive us mad!

Just thought I'd add another possible scenario..:eyes:

[erodriguez]

14. hehe

[DeSwiss]

12. If he's not crazy.....

...and he's not stupid. Then all that remains is that what he's doing is intentional.

"Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes

[ProSense]

13. If he's doing it intentionally

then at least he's as strong as teh Bush...some people on the left admire that.

[erodriguez]

16. I like your signature. It fits wth your post.

[uppityperson]

15. crap, hit rec and meant to hit unrec.

[erodriguez]

17. damn that fat finger!

[Hardrada]

24. Rec? Thanks for reminding me, UP, I will do so too.

[HipChick]

18. I think people are missing the point..

I would pretend to be trying to be partisan...and when the rethugs want to act like a fool..call them out..the party of NO!..

[erodriguez]

19. Do you mean bipartisan? Part of a gameplan?

[erodriguez]

20. Well I guess it is one of either three choices...maybe 4...maybe 5

1. He is crazy
2. He is not smart
3. He is so smart most people can't decipher his strategy
4. He is plain wimpy
5. He is a closet republican

[erodriguez]

22. I'm hoping against my better judgement that it is 3

It's not 2.
It may be 4.

I highly doubt it is 5.

There is an off chance yhat it is 1.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. Just when you think the intellectual level on DU can't sink any lower

Holy fucknut.

:wow:

What is going on in this place? What a fucking tragedy.

[erodriguez]

23. hah

[Hardrada]

25. Not everyone who has read Hegel and knows an ablative absolute on sight

loves BHO.

[HipChick]

26. Anti Obama all the time...

[alcibiades_mystery]

27. I'm fine with criticism of Obama here

It's the character and complete stupidity of some of it that's really degrading the quality of this board. There are brilliant, thoughtful critics of Obama on DU, and I read them with interest. But this:

I can imagine him sitting in the oval office; his advisors telling him one thing, but he's caught up in a fantasy, not listening, and giving strange orders.

It's thoughtless drivel.

It seems like posters in GD are now rewarded for coming up with the most openly nasty and childish shit you can imagine, and sticking it to the President. It's disgraceful. This is the new "Big Tent" policy? Has this increased civility, or good discussion? It seems that it has, rather, authorized the worst personalities to act in the worst possible ways, while attracting hordes of others who will join in and reinforce their ridiculous behavior. Absolute mob mentality taking hold in GD.

It's just sad now.

[snagglepuss]

34. "Going crazy" is a colloquial term but that doesn't invalidate the question.

The point is that people thought they knew who he was when he campaigned. People expected a fighter, a man of principle a man who really cared for Main St more than Wall St. Frankly I think the Nobel Committee is asking the same question because he is so different than what people expected. The difference is baffling. So baffling one has to wonder about his mental state.

[alcibiades_mystery]

35. Utter nonsense

I'm learning very quickly that it's not worthwhile discussing anything with absolute fanatics.

[treestar]

48. "People expected"

The right wing again thanks you for this one. Why are you so hell bent on helping the Republicans?

And it's crazy to use "people expected" as a substitute for "I expected."

the "fighter" thing is so Republican. And meaningless. No President "fights." Look at the Constitution. It does not say that the President is supposed to "fight for the people." It's more practical than that. This "fighter" sounds suspiciously like a King.

[erodriguez]

37. I think this anti-intellectual meme is drivel. I'm certainly not being nasty.

I'm not being childish. I'm posing a question that actually promotes discussion. A question that has crossed my own mind.

Do I think Obama is crazy? Probably not. However, when a person is under great stress, they may say and do things that don't make sense to others.

You obviously don't agree with me and are upset that since the mid-terms people have been questioning Obama. It is not just the DU. It is ubiquitous. And truthfully to label the sentiment as ridiculous makes no sense. There are many thoughtful democrats out there who are seriously questioning Obama's continual quest to compromise with the right in spite of their vicious opposition.

Many DU'ers and Democrats in general are having a crisis in faith.

That is the sad part.

[erodriguez]

39. Here are just a few links to people that are seriously questioning the president

Krugman: calls it a moral collapse

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/opinion/03krugman.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


Reich: obama is legitimizing what the right has been saying

http://robertreich.org/post/2060506381


Bob Cesca, a very pro Obama person: compares Obama to wimp Marty McFly

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/why-exactly-is-president_b_790819.html

[alcibiades_mystery]

41. I'm

upset at the stupidity of so many of these so-called "crisis of faith" OP's. That's for sure.

One can question Obama without making stupid arguments.

[erodriguez]

43. There is that meme again

I have to tell you, I tried to explain my point of view. But once again you call it stupid. For one who is arguing that the discussion on this board should be substantive and thoughtful, you seem to be responding to me in an unthoughtful and mean manner.

I wil not respond to any more of your comments because I am not crazy enough to think that I will ever change your mind.

[alcibiades_mystery]

45. You won't change my mind

with your ridiculous flights of fancy. I can assure you of that.

Why don't you try a discussion of actual policy, and back it up with some evidence, rather than going with the whole "Here's how I feel about something, and here's a silly little situation I imagine" thing, which does nothing but pile a load of stupidity over an insupportable and largely emotional speculation.

[laughingliberal]

49. It's all they got. nt

[tigereye]

38. I don't think O is crazy - but he needs to stand up firmly for his convictions

and that doesn't seem to be happening. He has to stand up to Boehner, McConnell and their ilk. Don't let them run the show, I don't care how many House members they gained.


here's the Robert Reich take on it...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9671827&mesg_id=9671827

[laughingliberal]

51. Well, as consistent as he is in pandering to the supply siders, I'm not sure he isn't standing...

up for his convictions.

[Bluerthanblue]

53. it's getting pretty outrageous-

:shrug:

and pretty ugly.

[Iggo]

28. What? Of course not!

Lame.

[Raine]

29. No, he's doing exactly what he wants

and always planned on ... I was the one who was crazy for believing in "hope". :argh:

[Ramulux]

32. As others have said

He isn't crazy, he just holds very different beliefs than the ones he claimed to hold during the campaign. He lied to us to get us to vote for him, its that simple.

Anyone who has payed one second of attention to the news over the past few weeks knows that he is getting killed on this issue and that the republicans are being flat-out disingenuous. If Obama is somehow unaware of all this, he is purposefully living in a bubble, so that he doesn't have to pay attention to all the criticism towards him from the left.

[TBF]

36. Actually the whole drama makes more sense if you realize he's a willing participant -

in this tragedy.

It's something I see more people waking up to every day on this website - he knows what he's doing and it has nothing to do with looking out for the interests of workers.

[blindpig]

40. Nope, he's 'on game'.

It is those who expect a leopard to change it's spots who are losing their minds, rather than accepting the reality and acting upon it.

[Starry Messenger]

42. No. I think this was the plan.

I think all the wheezing about bipartisanship is just cover for wanting to pass a rather conservative agenda. This is happening in Europe in different forms. It makes more sense if you look at that picture, at least it does to me. In England the liberals formed a coalition government with the Tories, after receiving a large mandate to defeat them (nutshell). That government is handing down similar things now, like austerity and education "reform". Why? Because they want our money. It's really that simple, IMO.

[erodriguez]

44. Sadly, you have a good point there starry

Thanks for your input.

[bemildred]

46. Yah. Very old story here too.

I am disappointed, but not surprised. We are getting the usual token displays of concern and tweaks of indefensible policies. But what it comes from essentially, is that the government does not view its job as being carrying out the public's wishes, but rather that its job is to bullshit us enough to get away with doing whatever it likes.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

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

[Tatiana]

50. Well I don't think he wants to give in to the stereotype of the "angry black man."

But, by trying to keep his cool, he is coming across as dispassionate and disengaged with the suffering that is going on across this nation.

Every President, Republican or Democrat has exhibited some fire and passion when attacked by the opposing side. Look at how Clinton vigorously defended himself against the various smears (Paula Jones, Vince Foster, Whitewater, WH Interngate, etc.). He didn't back down. He wasn't cowed. The "Decider's" stubbornness will be part of the historical record. Even Pappy defended his wayward and stupid son.

But from Obama... nothing. The only time he ever exhibits any fire is when he wants to chastise supporters of the party he belongs to for pressing him to keep his own campaign promises.

It is bizarre and strange.

[bvar22]

52. Obama is NOT crazy or stupid.

All that "Bi-Partisan" bullshit is just that....Bullshit.
Don't get all caught up in the Kabuki Theater.
Obama is doing exactly what he has been paid to do.
Judge on the RESULTS.

"By their WORKS, you will know them."


"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[okieinpain]

54. well from what i've read around here he's a weak, spinless,

wimpy, bastard. that Hilary would have kicked his ass if she ran, oh snap she did run didn't she.....