Is Obama really a bad president?

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JMorton6

Senior member
Jan 25, 2009
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I don't know much about him, but most of what I've heard has been good. And yet a lot of people seem to hate him. What am I missing here? He looks like a godsend compared to the carnival of freaks running for president.
 
Jan 25, 2011
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I predict this thread will be filled with rational, reasonable posts full of facts and no hyperbole at all.
 

classy

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
15,219
1
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I don't think he is a bad President, but to me he has done a C job at best. And we need a someone who can do better than a C. I feel he really hurt us with the healthcare law. I also think he could have done more about the the tax situation. He hasn't kept his word on some things either. I think his biggest mistake is, he wanted make a mark and he chose healthcare. As a country we didn't need that at this time.

If he had of just come in and put certain things in order, get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, shutdown the many tax loopholes to name a few, he could have turned the country around for the long term haul. To many things with him have been bandaids. Great election fodder, but lacking true substance.
 
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werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
463
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I don't think he is a bad President, but to me he has done a C job at best. And we need a someone who can do better than a C. I feel he really hurt us with the healthcare law. I also think he could have done more about the the tax situation. He hasn't kept his word on some things either. I think his biggest mistake is, he wanted make a mark and he chose healthcare. As a country we didn't need that at this time.

If he had of just come in and put certain things in order, get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, shutdown the many tax loopholes to name a few, he could have turned the country around for the long term haul. To many things with him have been bandaids. Great election fodder, but lacking true substance.
Pretty much. But government is so big, so intrusive, and is supported by so many entrenched (and often well-funded) interests that I'm not at all sure it's possible to have a better than 'C' President any more.
 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
35,203
28,218
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I don't think he is a bad President, but to me he has done a C job at best. And we need a someone who can do better than a C. I feel he really hurt us with the healthcare law. I also think he could have done more about the the tax situation. He hasn't kept his word on some things either. I think his biggest mistake is, he wanted make a mark and he chose healthcare. As a country we didn't need that at this time.

If he had of just come in and put certain things in order, get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, shutdown the many tax loopholes to name a few, he could have turned the country around for the long term haul. To many things with him have been bandaids. Great election fodder, but lacking true substance.
What tax situation are you referring to?
 

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
20,984
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I vote that Obama is overall is good president, but falls far short of what we the American people need.

The myth is and remains, if Obama has the backbone of a chocalate eclair, more convinced and united republierats must offer the American people better options?
After all, Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and FDR did not achieve the status if our greatest if Presidents by being gutless wonders. And at the same time, no republirat President ever achieved greatness, with stupid economic policy.

Just color me disgusted. As we in the USA will have fun fun fun, until the people of the world stop loaning us infinite money.
 

blankslate

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2008
8,581
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I give Obama a C+ to B- No one is prepared for the presidency when they assume office. maybe some people are more prepared.

However a lot of it also depends on how well you can get along with the legislature as well.

I've seen President Obama try to compromise only to get his open hand slapped away. He even put Social Security and Medicare reform on the table... Those are considered sacred cows by the left FFS. Any congress in the 80s or 90s would have jumped on that immediately.

I vote that Obama is overall is good president, but falls far short of what we the American people need.
I think one reason he falls short is that if he really espoused the the policies that could shore up this country Randbots would immediately denounce him as a combination of Marx/Stalin/Hitler and nothing would get done at all.

That's not to say that he didn't make mistakes he did.

The President knows this and in any case he would be considered a moderate republican back in the 50's 60's and 70's
 

MovingTarget

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2003
8,999
109
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Not really...I'd say B- overall. He's good, but not great. I think that we can do better, but anyone that could do better has the sense to stay out of politics. The current republican candidates, as a matter of the policies that they support get a D or F by comparison.
 

GoPackGo

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 2003
6,414
468
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I think he has done a pretty good job...the Congress of the last 2 years has been terrible.
 

jmarti445

Senior member
Dec 16, 2003
299
0
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I give him a B-. Only thing I see bad with his presidency is the way the healthcare bill was handled but hey our economy is back on track, Unemployment is starting to get back to where it was in the Bush years and ultimately he's done the best job I think he could have possibly done.
 

Jadow

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2003
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I don't think he's horrible. Don't like he bows to foreign monarchs and apologizes for America frequently. Not a fan of his domestic policy either. However he showed some stones with Bin Laden, and he seems like a good family man.

Hope he's a one term president, but he's ok.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,716
47,399
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I don't think he's horrible. Don't like he bows to foreign monarchs and apologizes for America frequently. Not a fan of his domestic policy either. However he showed some stones with Bin Laden, and he seems like a good family man.

Hope he's a one term president, but he's ok.

Do you really base your opinion on the idea that he bows to foreign monarchs and apologizes for America? If so, why?
 

Karl Agathon

Golden Member
Sep 30, 2010
1,081
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Reasonable job all things considered. Made some mistakes but so do we.

That about sums up my thoughts on the matter as well. One very positive thing that stands out for me personally are some of his latest steps to counter a rising belicose and belligerent Red China.
 

5150Joker

Diamond Member
Feb 6, 2002
5,559
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www.techinferno.com
Obama is the same as every other American president - he's controlled by special interest groups. A president is almost as useless as the Queen of England. Same goes for Congress.
 

RocksteadyDotNet

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2008
3,152
1
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How much difference can a prez really make? Seriously.

In the modern world where corporations/business/capital have so much power, and consumer sentiment is so important, what can one man really do?

Especially with a hostile congress?
 

between

Senior member
Jul 12, 2008
504
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I suppose he hasn't started another war, which is something positive.

He is doing a lot of scary stuff, though. Killing US citizens with no judicial oversight, killing a large number of Afghani and Pakistani citizens with his drone attacks, etc.
 

monovillage

Diamond Member
Jul 3, 2008
8,444
1
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How much difference can a prez really make? Seriously.

In the modern world where corporations/business/capital have so much power, and consumer sentiment is so important, what can one man really do?

Especially with a hostile congress?

The Democrats still control the Senate, of course they're a bit hostile to some of the idiocy that Obama has come up with.

How's your cute little brown-eyed mullet Julia Gillard doing as the PM?
 

RocksteadyDotNet

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2008
3,152
1
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The Democrats still control the Senate, of course they're a bit hostile to some of the idiocy that Obama has come up with.

How's your cute little brown-eyed mullet Julia Gillard doing as the PM?

Yeah, I meant hostile House.

Julia? She's kinda fucked. She wont be P.M. by the next election, and Labor will most probably get smashed.

Its funny, we totally survived the GFC, no neg growth, unemployment toped at 5.5%, and the gov is going to get kicked out.

People are never satisfied. lol.
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,890
642
126
I don't know much about him, but most of what I've heard has been good. And yet a lot of people seem to hate him. What am I missing here? He looks like a godsend compared to the carnival of freaks running for president.
What you're missing is a simple question. Are you better off now than when he took office? Answer it honestly.

Are the policies he implemented the best course of action and policies that have been proven in the past to improve our way of life? Answer it honestly.

When you judge him by what the average Joe considers to be important, he's an abject failure. Unemployment, gas prices, food prices, energy prices, the list goes on.

Why will he get the votes he gets? Because he's a Democrat. Because he's black. Because he's not a Republican. Because he's promised more free stuff to more people. He can't run on his record. His campaign will be an even more emotion based campaign than his last.
 

IBMer

Golden Member
Jul 7, 2000
1,137
0
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What you're missing is a simple question. Are you better off now than when he took office? Answer it honestly.

Are the policies he implemented the best course of action and policies that have been proven in the past to improve our way of life? Answer it honestly.

When you judge him by what the average Joe considers to be important, he's an abject failure. Unemployment, gas prices, food prices, energy prices, the list goes on.

Why will he get the votes he gets? Because he's a Democrat. Because he's black. Because he's not a Republican. Because he's promised more free stuff to more people. He can't run on his record. His campaign will be an even more emotion based campaign than his last.

I don't and never have received any "free things" from the government and I'd still rather vote for him than any of the current GOP Candidates who claim they want small government but then want to implement religious ideology into law. I'll freely admit that Obama was not the change I was looking for. He is still a corporate shrill like most politicians have been, but at least isn't trying for the same old idea that wealth trickles down which is the only platform Republicans seem to think will work. I think most of Obamacare is a failure and a boon to the insurance companies (something republicans won't admit, they think its hurting those companies and that's why healthcare costs are increasing), but I also know that this wasn't completely Obama's fault, it was congress's fault and it also had republican hands in it. Other than that I think he has done a decent C job with all the opposition he has had from the right and their caricature of him (it is a caricature of him).
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,890
642
126
I don't and never have received any "free things" from the government and I'd still rather vote for him than any of the current GOP Candidates who claim they want small government but then want to implement religious ideology into law. I'll freely admit that Obama was not the change I was looking for. He is still a corporate shrill like most politicians have been, but at least isn't trying for the same old idea that wealth trickles down which is the only platform Republicans seem to think will work. I think most of Obamacare is a failure and a boon to the insurance companies (something republicans won't admit, they think its hurting those companies and that's why healthcare costs are increasing), but I also know that this wasn't completely Obama's fault, it was congress's fault and it also had republican hands in it. Other than that I think he has done a decent C job with all the opposition he has had from the right and their caricature of him (it is a caricature of him).
So, if I understand you correctly, he's got your vote because you're afraid the right will rule the nation based on religious ideology? Well OK then.

I find it extremely interesting, those that fear the religious base the nation was founded on who fully embrace the Islamic faith. Are you one of those or are you scared of religious principles altogether?

I've got to get my day started but here's a link for all to read. I found it interesting.

Obama versus the Democrats
 

EagleKeeper

Discussion Club Moderator<br>Elite Member
Staff member
Oct 30, 2000
42,591
5
0
Decent president
He got into office by knowingly promising more than he knew he could deliver
He also refused to fulfill some of his stated goals that he could deliver on outside of Congress.
Enjoys finger pointing to cover his failures - No buck stops here type of person.

Has no problem dumping money into projects without looking at will it resolve the problem or is a short term bandage that will peel off quickly.

He is not one to lead by example - even when he had Congress under his control - he still let Congress crack the whip.
 

nonlnear

Platinum Member
Jan 31, 2008
2,497
0
76
I'm generally not a fan of his policies, but I can't bring myself to say he's a bad President. Bush Jr. was worse IMHO, but they have been pretty similar in areas that matter to me (government transparency, expansion of executive and federal powers, misguided education policy, etc.) Obama did at least get rid of DADT, and is better on environmental issues. I am have a lot of trouble believing Romney would be much different than Obama in any area that I care about so I'll be voting for Gary Johnson. Most people will surmise that that is effectively a vote for Obama, and I'm OK with that.