So, what has Obama done in a year?

[Jiggz]

The only problem is, how do you distinguish between there being initially 11 inches of water in the jar and removing two inches and there initially being 9 inches in the jar and removing 0 inches, especially when you don't know how much was there to start, how much you removed, or how much is left in the end. While I agree you can't just use the graphs to say the stimulus was a failure, it does make one question the conclusion that 2 inches was removed if they were unable to get the initial status correct.

Get to the point! Just like Obow-man a year later you are still pointing finger to your rear! Except this time it's your brown eye pea you are pointing on because nobody is on the rear anymore!

 

[Fear No Evil]

Well he certainly hasn't done anything for gay people. I guess when your a democrat being a bigot is overlooked.

 

[werepossum]

Well he certainly hasn't done anything for gay people. I guess when your a democrat being a bigot is overlooked.

That last part's certainly true, but I don't think you can fairly hang that on Obama. Walks-On-Water hasn't done anything against gays, either, he's just been neutral. Pretty much like me, I haven't done anything for or against gays this year either.

 

[palehorse]

Beginning the process of withrawal from Iraq

- wolf

That process was actually begun by Bush. Obama simply picked up where he left off based on the exact same dates and agreements. In fact, that is one of the many reasons Obama has kept Sec. Gates around.

 

[Sinsear]

So what has Obama done in a year?

 

[her209]

If you want to play race politics.

The intent of my original questions was policy matters like health care, not bull shit "made up" stuff like giving a meddle to Harvey Milk or being the first President to use Twitter.

So far we have credit card legislation and a "stimulus" that is still debatable.

She certainly was an issue to the Republicans.

 

[BigDH01]

I don't think Obama has done anything memorable at all (less a series of stimulus packages that began under the previous administration). For all the slurs and anti-Socialist slogans thrown his way, we have a President that hasn't been good for privacy, increased troop presence in Afghanistan, and has failed to pass even the terrible and current "hand-out to private insurance" healthcare bill. There's the 90 billion dollars over the next 10 years "populist" tax on major banks that will do almost nothing to wrangle power from these brokers. There has been no legislation to restrict behavior that caused this mess. The attacks on him are quite extreme considering he's been almost entirely ineffectual.

 

[woolfe9999]

So if even if the unemployment was above 100% the stimulus bill was still a success (as far as your comprehension is concerned) since it was NEVER mentioned the said bill would be a failure if unemployment was above 8%! I see! OK keep reaching up there sweetheart just make sure you do not say "failure"!

If unemployment was near 100% right now, then the bill would be a failure for not being big enough. In fact, the best argument against the bill based on the 10% unemployment figure is that it should have been larger. The fact that the bill is on pace to create as many jobs as they said it would create means that higher than expected baseline unemployment suggests that a larger stimulus bill was in order, which is in fact what many economists argued at the time. Carping about the 10% in relation to this bill is a self-defeating argument if coming from the right.

- wolf

 

[BeauJangles]

Most presidents suffer from a lack of living up to expectations in their first year. Compare him to guys like FDR or Lincoln or even JFK and you'll see a pattern of getting less-than-expected done in the first year.

Now, Obama has really fucked up a lot of things too, so he isn't immune from blame or anything.

 

[waggy]

he has been in office only a year. i did not expect much. The bank bailout may be a good thing only time will tell.

As for gitmo and the 2 wars a year is not enough to close them down. i am willing to give him another 5-7 months.

Main thing i am agains this his continue blaming of bush. its been a year the economy, unemployment and the wars are his.

 

[woolfe9999]

That process was actually begun by Bush. Obama simply picked up where he left off based on the exact same dates and agreements. In fact, that is one of the many reasons Obama has kept Sec. Gates around.

Sorry, but the current President "owns" every problem and every accomplishment, right? If it doesn't matter that Obama inherited a recession and massive debt from a previous administration, and he's going to get blamed for it, then it also doesn't matter that an accomplishment was set in motion by a previous administration, does it?

I'm sort of kidding here, because what you say is correct and I agree. I do, however, have a problem with the hypocrisy of crediting Bush for something Obama is doing because Bush started the process, but blaming Obama for a recession and massive debt he inherited from Bush. I'm not saying you in particular are blaming Obama for the recession since I really don't know your position on that, but many people are, and I'd like to see some consistency in our reasoning about what gets pegged to Obama versus Bush.

- wolf

 

[AMDScooter]

 

[piasabird]

I also like how he brought all the troops home. Oh Yeah, he plans to send more troops to Afghanistan. I Guess O'Bamma is just a baby killer like Bush. That must really bust people's bubble!

 

[PJABBER]

ROTFLMAO! You are killing me! :awe:

 

[palehorse]

Sorry, but the current President "owns" every problem and every accomplishment, right? If it doesn't matter that Obama inherited a recession and massive debt from a previous administration, and he's going to get blamed for it, then it also doesn't matter that an accomplishment was set in motion by a previous administration, does it?

I'm sort of kidding here, because what you say is correct and I agree. I do, however, have a problem with the hypocrisy of crediting Bush for something Obama is doing because Bush started the process, but blaming Obama for a recession and massive debt he inherited from Bush. I'm not saying you in particular are blaming Obama for the recession since I really don't know your position on that, but many people are, and I'd like to see some consistency in our reasoning about what gets pegged to Obama versus Bush.

- wolf

ok, cool... that's good to know.

For the record, I do not blame Obama for the recession itself -- that honor goes to about a million souls and shitty decisions over a 20-year period, with GWB being among the worst of those.

That said, I do blame Obama for making it exponentially worse. I believe that he inherited a steaming pile of shit, dropped trow, squatted above it, and then proceeded to add his own smelly turds to the mix.

That's how I see it. Nice visual, eh? lol...

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Sorry, but the current President "owns" every problem and every accomplishment, right? If it doesn't matter that Obama inherited a recession and massive debt from a previous administration, and he's going to get blamed for it, then it also doesn't matter that an accomplishment was set in motion by a previous administration, does it?

I'm sort of kidding here, because what you say is correct and I agree. I do, however, have a problem with the hypocrisy of crediting Bush for something Obama is doing because Bush started the process, but blaming Obama for a recession and massive debt he inherited from Bush. I'm not saying you in particular are blaming Obama for the recession since I really don't know your position on that, but many people are, and I'd like to see some consistency in our reasoning about what gets pegged to Obama versus Bush.

- wolf

I don't blame Obama for what he inherited. It was pretty much crap, but what specific action has he taken which is substantially different than what came before him?

He's concentrated almost solely on health care to the exclusion of the economy, or so it appears to me.

If that's true, then he's not worthy of much praise along those lines.

 

[woolfe9999]

I don't blame Obama for what he inherited. It was pretty much crap, but what specific action has he taken which is substantially different than what came before him?

He's concentrated almost solely on health care to the exclusion of the economy, or so it appears to me.

If that's true, then he's not worthy of much praise along those lines.

Well, I already debated the stimulus bill upthread. I hardly call a $750 billion economic stimulus bill doing nothing about the economy, whether you agree with it or not.

One thing I am curious about, what exactly do people think Obama should be doing about the economy that he hasn't done? I keep hearing that using government to fix the economy, or to do anything really, is a bad idea. Then I hear that Obama and Congress should be "focusing on fixing the economy." What does that mean? Tax cuts? A third of the stimulus bill was tax cuts. Should we have more?

Edit: I will add another obvious thing: the TARP. While the TARP started under Bush, Obama's Treasury had jurisdiction over the remaining funds when he took office, and it was in his discretion to end it and not pay any more out. It was a politically difficult decision for him to continue TARP, as it is very unpopular and undoubdtedly it has cost him approval points in the poll. So I think that continuing TARP is an accomplishment whether you agree with TARP or not, because it wasn't a simple or easy decision to continue it under the circumstances. If it had been a popular program, then it would have been a no-brainer to continue what Bush and the prior Congress had started, and then he wouldn't really deserve credit, but that wasn't the case.


- wolf

 

[woolfe9999]

He reversed restrictions on stem cell research.

He created an education fund to encourage states to innovate. This BTW has received a lot of bi-partisan support, including from the likes of Newt Gringrich. His appointed eduation secretary is getting a lot of praise.

Here is the politifact's list:

http://www.politifact.org/truth-o-meter/promises/rulings/promise-kept/?page=1

There are a lot of things in here related to energy in particular, in terms of conservation, weatherizing homes, and funding for developing alternative sources.

For balance, here is the broken promise list:

http://www.politifact.org/truth-o-meter/promises/rulings/promise-broken/

Presidents do a lot of things besides pass major, controversial legislation, and most of it flies under the radar, including a lot of promises not kept.

- wolf

 

[palehorse]

Well, I already debated the stimulus bill upthread. I hardly call a $750 billion economic stimulus bill doing nothing about the economy, whether you agree with it or not.

One thing I am curious about, what exactly do people think Obama should be doing about the economy that he hasn't done? I keep hearing that using government to fix the economy, or to do anything really, is a bad idea. Then I hear that Obama and Congress should be "focusing on fixing the economy." What does that mean? Tax cuts? A third of the stimulus bill was tax cuts. Should we have more?

Edit: I will add another obvious thing: the TARP. While the TARP started under Bush, Obama's Treasury had jurisdiction over the remaining funds when he took office, and it was in his discretion to end it and not pay any more out. It was a politically difficult decision for him to continue TARP, as it is very unpopular and undoubdtedly it has cost him approval points in the poll. So I think that continuing TARP is an accomplishment whether you agree with TARP or not, because it wasn't a simple or easy decision to continue it under the circumstances. If it had been a popular program, then it would have been a no-brainer to continue what Bush and the prior Congress had started, and then he wouldn't really deserve credit, but that wasn't the case.

- wolf

Two words: spending cuts

Or, more specifically: Take an axe to entire agencies and programs. Tear them down to the ground and stop funding them completely.

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

 

[Modelworks]

I personally loved his speech on getting tough on bankers. It didn't come off at all like a "Hey America ! I'm with you guys ! not that other crowd" speech .

 

[woolfe9999]

Two words: spending cuts

Or, more specifically: Take an axe to entire agencies and programs. Tear them down to the ground and stop funding them completely.

Rinse and repeat as necessary.

That is how you want to fix the economy at the present time, by cutting spending and laying off massive numbers of federal employees? In other words, you want the opposite of stimulus.

Look, I support spending cuts to fix the deficit. Now just isn't the time.

Now who has an actual job creation idea that they think Obama should pursue, since people are saying he is focusing on healthcare when he should be focusing on jobs?

- wolf

 

[soccerballtux]

That is how you want to fix the economy at the present time, by cutting spending and laying off massive numbers of federal employees? In other words, you want the opposite of stimulus.

Look, I support spending cuts to fix the deficit. Now just isn't the time.

Now who has an actual job creation idea that they think Obama should pursue, since people are saying he is focusing on healthcare when he should be focusing on jobs?

- wolf

Recessions are supposed to shake out the weak players, making room for the stronger, more efficient companies (aka not GM, Chrysler, etc.) to grow.

By passing the largest stimulus bill in HISTORY he has ensured none of the above can happen.

When debt is already 100% your GDP, you do NOT stimulate more. Japan has shown us this.

 

[palehorse]

Well, he did accomplish one thing for sure... he managed to make me completely regret voting for him.

oh, and he also eroded the last bit of "hope" I had in our cesspool of Federal politicians.

so there ya go... two things.

joy.

 

[Craig234]

Well he certainly hasn't done anything for gay people. I guess when your a democrat being a bigot is overlooked.

Would you do me a favor and just post the time or somethign so I can see one post without a lie?

Obama has disappointed on the gay issues IMO.

However, he has better positions on them than Republicans, for hopful action later than we'd like.
He's ntthe one out pandering to bigots with teasing talk about a constitutional amendmens against them.

But as unpleasant at it may be, there are some political issues, Dealing with the biggest threat to the economy since the great depression, trying to pass a healthcare bill are priorities affecting the timing.

The public isn't exactly ready for this either yet. That's not an excuse not to do it, but like Kennedy delayed civil rights for blacks while trying to pass his agenda, Obama might be making choices which to do now.

That's hardly 'approving bigotry' on some issues. On the issue of Obama opposing the word marriage for gays - for all its political benefits - he's wrong and I oppose him on it.

You sound like a smirking hypocrite here backing right-wing people who are far more anti-gay trying to sacore points for smaller problems with Democrats whle you back the far bigger problems.

 

[Craig234]

Well, he did accomplish one thing for sure... he managed to make me completely regret voting for him.

oh, and he also eroded the last bit of "hope" I had in our cesspool of Federal politicians.

so there ya go... two things.

joy.

I was worried about this. From the time of the campaign, after our nation failed by Bush being in office twice (elected once), I was concenred that the Democratic president not disappoint with halfway correction.

Well, we didn't get halfway. A third?

It increases people's cynicism for that to happen. As Glenmn Greenwald said, it's one thing when Bush did wrong, and worse when the democrat does the same and puts a bipartisan stamp of approval on it.

Obama has done some things better, and it's important to note he hasn't done bad things a Republican would have.

He's not the progressive leader many of us would have liked.

I'd encourage you not to get cynical about it. Pay attention to Bernie Sanders if you need a federal politician to feel better about, for one.

A better progressive -= and trying to force Obama to improve - are better than more Bush-like policies.

Americans have had to act like citizens and stand up to a lot worse - are you going to not make the effort? Americans should instead get more active and be better citizens, not the couch potatoes.