Obama being exposed as a phony and a loser

[MooseNSquirrel]

So, for Bush, the economic downturn was immediately his fault as soon as he took office, but for Obama, 2.5 years isn't long enough to even get something turned the right direction at all?

Double standard much?

You know, the old 'blame bush' drum you keep beating is old and very worn out. It's long past due for Obama to take some responsibility already

Bush wasn't an economic genius, no, he still spent too much and signed some questionable bills (Patriot Act for example). But Obama is not any better. He's proven that much.

Until we have a President who can actually have the brilliant idea of a balanced budget and can do some basic math, we will be stuck with someone who fails at basic economics.

A balanced budget during the worst economic downturn in 80 years?

Speaking of economic geniuses...

Wait I get it. Forgive me. I see what you meant was Obama should have raised taxes to go along with all his spending in order to keep the budget balanced. Something everyone would have gone along with.

 

[airdata]

How about " Presidency ruled out to be a farce ". It's a more fitting title.

It doesn't matter who is in office. They're simply a fall guy. Blame everything on Obama, and wait for the next puppet to come along to carry on w\ the same policies and take the blame for the shortcomings of their term.

 

[shira]

I just love these criticisms that Obama is "failing to lead." But lead where, exactly?

The Republicans say tax increases are off the table - no way, no how. So where, exactly, is Obama expected to lead the government?

Oh, I get it: If Obama "leads" in precisely the direction that the Republicans want the country to go, then Obama is a good leader. If on the other hand he says he wants a combination of cuts and tax increases, then he's a bad leader. Got it.

 

[nageov3t]

I just love these criticisms that Obama is "failing to lead." But lead where, exactly?

The Republicans say tax increases are off the table - no way, no how. So where, exactly, is Obama expected to lead the government?

Oh, I get it: If Obama "leads" in precisely the direction that the Republicans want the country to go, then Obama is a good leader. If on the other hand he says he wants a combination of cuts and tax increases, then he's a bad leader. Got it.

Obama could lead by setting a counter point to the GOP (eg: "we have to put tax increases on the table, no matter what") and then -- and this is the key point -- not backing down as soon as any opposition whatsoever appears.

 

[SparkyJJO]

A balanced budget during the worst economic downturn in 80 years?

Speaking of economic geniuses...

Wait I get it. Forgive me. I see what you meant was Obama should have raised taxes to go along with all his spending in order to keep the budget balanced. Something everyone would have gone along with.

Last I checked, wracking up debt on credit cards doesn't get someone out from under bad personal economic times. No different on a national level. Spend within your means - if your means don't allow for what you want to do, well, then cut how much you spend, and be wise on what you cut as well or you get yourself in deeper water by spending what you have on stuff that isn't necessary.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

Obama could lead by setting a counter point to the GOP (eg: "we have to put tax increases on the table, no matter what") and then -- and this is the key point -- not backing down as soon as any opposition whatsoever appears.

This.

He has not done this.

 

[Axon]

He did lead - he made the call to concede to what was essentially economic terrorism. Unfortunately, threads like this prove that Americans just want a guy like George W., who takes fast, unwavering action - good or bad, and usually bad - without thinking it through. If we had defaulted, things would have been significantly worse.

I'm not an Obama fan, by the way.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

He did lead - he made the call to concede to what was essentially economic terrorism. Unfortunately, threads like this prove that Americans just want a guy like George W., who takes fast, unwavering action - good or bad, and usually bad - without thinking it through. If we had defaulted, things would have been significantly worse.

I'm not an Obama fan, by the way.

The right move to make was to hold fast to the Gang of 6 plan, it was clearly the best plan by a longshot that Congress put forward.

It had revenue increases and spending cuts that would have satisfied S&P and stopped a downgrade. He didn't do that, he didn't convince the American people that we should want that, he failed to lead.

 

[Axon]

The right move to make was to hold fast to the Gang of 6 plan, it was clearly the best plan by a longshot that Congress put forward.

It had revenue increases and spending cuts that would have satisfied S&P and stopped a downgrade. He didn't do that, he didn't convince the American people that we should want that, he failed to lead.

I suppose it's a matter of opinion, but tea partiers would never have agreed to anything Obama wanted, things are just that polarized right now. And the American public is, frankly, not sophisticated enough to be rallied in that fashion.

Now, keep in mind I'm not saying Obama is good or bad (I happen to think he's a B- president thus far), I just think he did the best he could in a situation that his political opponents made impossible.

 

[xj0hnx]

He did lead - he made the call to concede to what was essentially economic terrorism. Unfortunately, threads like this prove that Americans just want a guy like George W., who takes fast, unwavering action - good or bad, and usually bad - without thinking it through. If we had defaulted, things would have been significantly worse.

I'm not an Obama fan, by the way.

Leaders make wrong calls, it's part of the job, but to be a leader you have to have at least a hint of conviction in your call, right, or wrong, Obama does not.

 

[Axon]

Leaders make wrong calls, it's part of the job, but to be a leader you have to have at least a hint of conviction in your call, right, or wrong, Obama does not.

I get your point, but discretion is often the better part of valor, though it certainly doesn't cover someone in glory. You have to think a little bit beyond the "line in the sand" stance here. An absolute, uncompromising stand off would have lead to a full U.S. default. Tea Party was not going to bend, they're that ridiculous.

Look at what we're going through even with the deal. Embarrassing downgrade of our credit rating, dow spiraling down, congress approval ratings at an all time low. It would have been worse in a default, so at least Obama spared us that.

As to other decisions, I agree to a certain extent.

 

[Siddhartha]

Obama had a Dem congress for his first 2 years. They threw nearly $1T at the economy and it didn't work. They passed a botched abortion of a health care bill that fixes none of the fundamental problems with our healthcare system. The Reps are way far from perfect, but stop blaming them for the country's ills. BOTH parties got us into this mess. The dems faught Bush on raising the debt ceiling or have you forgotten that? The dems had congress and did nothing to reform the banking mess.

The Congressional Republicans, very early in 2009, announced they were going to obstruct anything Mr Obama and Democrats proposed and IIRC they followed that strategy.

I put the mess directly on the GOP, the Bush Tax Cuts and the two wars. The Democrats were against the Bush Tax cuts. Mr Gore would not have invaded Iraq and I doubt if he would have invaded Afghanistan.

 

[BeauJangles]

I have to disagree with that.

not necessarily in terms of policy, but I think that the Clintons understand the right wing machine far better than Obama does, and I don't think that she would have been willing to capitulate and make compromises requiring her to give up 90% of her agenda.

Joe Scarborough said something that resonated with me this morning... "LBJ would have eaten [the Tea Partiers] for lunch. If a president can't make 45 congressmen irrelevant to the process, he doesn't deserve the job."

Obama was seemingly caught unaware of the political game that has to be played in Washington. For better or worse, politics isn't simply about rhetoric, big ideas, and massive sweeping change. Change is incremental and at every turn you have to play your hand right to get what you want.

Clinton understands the political chess game far better than Obama does. I think that, despite being disliked by Republicans, she could have swung a debt deal with more teeth that wasn't as conciliatory.

 

[xj0hnx]

I get your point, but discretion is often the better part of valor, though it certainly doesn't cover someone in glory. You have to think a little bit beyond the "line in the sand" stance here. An absolute, uncompromising stand off would have lead to a full U.S. default. Tea Party was not going to bend, they're that ridiculous.

Look at what we're going through even with the deal. Embarrassing downgrade of our credit rating, dow spiraling down, congress approval ratings at an all time low. It would have been worse in a default, so at least Obama spared us that.

As to other decisions, I agree to a certain extent.

We weren't going to default, that was political theater, and the tea party is not in charge of anything, at best they would be annoying to a leader with a spine. They are a small group of freshmen Congress fail, if the President of the United States, and the rest of Congress was stopped by a small group of freshmen tea partiers then he has some real issues.

 

[FerrelGeek]

The reps were in the minority. They didn't have the votes to obstruct anything. Obama only got his worthless healthcare plan through by bribing (dem) senators with 'opt out' cards. The dems went on a spending spree faced with a serious shortfall in revenue - caused by a severe loss of jobs. If we want to increase revenue, we need to figure aut what to do to get business hiring again. Obama and the comgress did nothing of any real substance in the first 2 years to promote 'private sector' job growth.

The Congressional Republicans, very early in 2009, announced they were going to obstruct anything Mr Obama and Democrats proposed and IIRC they followed that strategy.

I put the mess directly on the GOP, the Bush Tax Cuts and the two wars. The Democrats were against the Bush Tax cuts. Mr Gore would not have invaded Iraq and I doubt if he would have invaded Afghanistan.

 

[FerrelGeek]

We weren't going to default, that was political theater, and the tea party is not in charge of anything, at best they would be annoying to a leader with a spine. They are a small group of freshmen Congress fail, if the President of the United States, and the rest of Congress was stopped by a small group of freshmen tea partiers then he has some real issues.

Correct.

 

[Red Dawn]

Obama being exposed as a phony and a loser .

He's being exposed as a Republican?

 

[JockoJohnson]

The right move to make was to hold fast to the Gang of 6 plan, it was clearly the best plan by a longshot that Congress put forward.

It had revenue increases and spending cuts that would have satisfied S&P and stopped a downgrade. He didn't do that, he didn't convince the American people that we should want that, he failed to lead.

You mean his teleprompter. All of the time taken on TV and he says nothing. He needs better speech writers so he can appear to be more of a leader and not a community organizer.

Oh shit, does that make me racist for saying something bad about our President?

 

[Red Dawn]

You mean his teleprompter. All of the time taken on TV and he says nothing. He needs better speech writers so he can appear to be more of a leader and not a community organizer.

Oh shit, does that make me racist for saying something bad about our President?

Does it matter to you if he's black? If it doesn't then it doesn't.

 

[OrByte]

I'm having a hard time seeing how this thread really adds any value. You haven't focused your criticism on any particular issue - it just reads like a wholesale screed against President Obama. You're certainly entitled to your opinion, but you really haven't posted much in the way of intelligible criticism.

Can't blame the OP, he has been listening to talk radio

They are all spewing the same rhetoric...spazzing out over "Leading from Behind"

meh

 

[JockoJohnson]

Does it matter to you if he's black? If it doesn't then it doesn't.

Of course it doesn't matter to me...I actually wish the guy the best of luck and hope he gets the country out of this mess--for all our sake.

However, there are certain posters that love to claim racism every time someone says anything bad about Pres. Obama.

 

[Stuxnet]

He was exposed as a phony and a loser when he introduced the 13T spending plan several years ago.

It's only now that the morons of the country can see it because they've actually started to experience its consequences.

 

[bradley]

We've had the same figurehead for the last ten terms. "Phony" and "loser" have become relative terms. And the plutarchy in charge don't see it changing any time soon. True 'change' would involve brain fragments on the backseat of the Presidential limo.

 

[kage69]

You mean his teleprompter. All of the time taken on TV and he says nothing. He needs better speech writers so he can appear to be more of a leader and not a community organizer.

Oh shit, does that make me racist for saying something bad about our President?

No, it makes you an idiot for going along with talk radio spin. Given who we had for the last president Obama;s occasional low grade gaffes are a marked improvement, but I doubt I'll ever hear someone like you admit it.

Regardless, everytime I provide one of you teleprompter nuts with this link all I get is crickets.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/29/obama-goes-to-the-gop-lio_n_442331.html

Would you care to reconcile your position with factual video proof to the contrary, or will you perform the dittohead routine to a T?

 

[bradley]

The teleprompter will become the gold standard for every future President, soon to be followed by some sort of major innovation in its technology and usage.

Otherwise, it's very easy to discern just how often President Obama relies on his teleprompter, and the words of others. One simply needs to use their FF button to examine near perfect synchronization of the classic teleprompter head shuffle.