What grade would you give President Obama so far?
The President has demonstrated extraordinary leadership. He is responsible for enactment of the most important piece of legislation in many years - in almost record time. He has reached out to the minority in an effort to include them in the process. The fact that they have not, except to a very limited extent, chosen to join him says a lot about them. The impact of his recent disappointments has been blown out of proportion by the 24 hour news cycle. The amazing thing is that in just three weeks in office the new President looks like he was born to the job. We are taking this extraordinary fact for granted.
#1 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 4:50 PM ESTAre you serious? Although I don't doubt his intellect he certainly hasn't done his homework when it comes to making final decisions as they relate to his cabinet or inner circle. In fact, it's been disastrous.
Also you've lauded him for leading the charge to enact the most important piece of legislation in recent years. What he and the Congress have done is to reward corporations and citizens for bad behavior. If you purchased a home and secured a mortgage to finance it, you're obligated to repay the debt. If you're a bank and made bad decisions your company should die on the vine. Either way the government shouldn't come to the rescue if you're going 'belly up' or you're successful in making your monthly payments. I thought America is supposed to be a capitalistic democracy?
One other thing, I'm an independent and believe Democrats and Republicans are both to blame. Both parties will do anything to stay in power and ensure their members are re-elected term after term. A pox on both their houses.
Finally, it's time for the President to be reminded of his campaign promises and silence his cabinet and members of Congress when it comes to making decisions that will impact us long term. We're in the midst of a crisis and shouldn't be concerned about party loyalties.
This is pretty AMAZING...how some people memory is vague! Seems like you make have been BrainBushWashed...remember the dumb president before Obama! Okay, he continued or shall I say picked up the mess his father never finished. Well he sort of go us in this HELL! So its definitely not President OBAMA fault. He is sorting out thing tangled web of lies Bush drugged out brain created in Iraq. This is what started this horrible nightmare, we Americans are living today. YOU people elected Bush who isn't smarted than a 5th grader. So suffer the consequences. SO JUST BACK OFF MY PRESIDENT HE IS ONE OF THE BEST PRESIDENTS OF OUR LIFETIME. LET HIM HAVE THE SPOTLIGHT (ENJOY YOUR SHINE BARACK OBAMA) its deserving!!!! He is doing a immaculate job, thus far!!!
President Obama has done an outstanding job of reaching out to Republicans, and I'm very disappointed that they (the Republicans) think that it's more important to continue politics as usual instead of thinking about the welfare of the country. I think that the President's trips to the various locations this week have been very successful and moving! I am extremely disappointed in the media's *take* on it all (except for 1600, Countdown, and Rachel Maddow).
#2 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:40 PM ESTIf the GOP refuses to play "Let's fix the country" then we will just have to save all video and audio for 2010 and target those that distorted the truth about the bill and what it's intent is for our country. Organize, keep records, write letters and ask for responses then when it's election time we'll at least be ready to hopefully ride them out. Cantor, McConnell, and Boehner should be first. I know one thing, they don't show very good sportsmanship!
Are you F-ing kidding me? The Republicans were completely shut out from having any input whatsoever in creating the stimulous bill. Then when the most socialist, pork laden spending bill in American history oozed out of Pelosi's little club, its no wonder no Republican wanted to touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Holy crap there's some ignorant posts here!
Holy crap there's some ignorant posts here!
This is unnecessary and a violation of the CoH.
I had high hopes for the President, but I have been miss-lead, as we all have so far. President Obama speaks of working together for the common good while his party bluntly states we will not work with the other party. Is he the puppet master pulling their strings while he gives the elusion of working together?
As far as the stimulus package, where is the real stimulus. Everything the government gets involved in, causes side affects.
Take the housing market, government STRONGLY encouraged lending to people that could not normally afford a house and backed the bad loans with Fanny May and Freddy Mac. Cause: Housing prices soared, Greed set in to banking, and investment industries causing the mess we have today.
Another area is college tuition. When the Government gives out grants to low income students it makes it harder on the middle class. Cause: When more people go to college the demand goes up so costs go up. Then with more employees with degrees the value of the degree goes down in the private sector.
Would it not be better to work for what you get?
And just a note, there are some 22 million federal and state employees. If our government officials along with tax funded employees took a 10% pay cut right now, for a period of time, it would provide for 2.2 million jobs with no added government spending.
#3 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:45 PM ESTSpeak for yourself. The President has done a great job these past 3 weeks. He has tried very hard to reach out to the Republicans. I am convinced it wouldn't matter what he did, they would disagree to be obstructive. It is also interesting that the only "plan" (if you think you can call it that), the republicans have put forward is more of the same tax cut proposals which cost the country trillions of dollars (more than the stimulus package).
The economic debacle occurred on Bush and Greeenspan's watches. Greed, hubris and spending, spending, spending were the result of a lack of oversight by the government.
With your analogy related to tuition costs, you sound as though you don't want low income people to have an opportunity for higher education. How small of you!!
Why should only the government employees take a 10% pay cut? Why shouldn't everyone who has a job?? That might help companies to reduce the number of layoffs they feel they must make. For someone who thinks that government is responsible for many of the problems, you appear to be looking to government to fix them.
Read the bill and stop looking at Fox News. Everything you have stated in your comment is false!
You clearly are looking out only for self and not for the country. Our country needs all the educated minds it can get. To deny education because of finances is elitism at its best. Just think, some of those minds you want to deny could hold the cure for cancer,a new solution to address our dependence on foreign oil or a myriad of other issues facing our nation and the world.
Of course you are so elitist that you probably think only those with money have minds or ideas capable of moving us forward in this world.
Oh yeah, nobody should be denied anything because of their financial situation. That's just sooo elitist. I mean, if you can't afford a car, then the government should just give you one right? Can't afford that big screen TV? Hey, that's no excuse to deny yourself the Blue Ray experience. Can't afford a house? Don't worry, Fannie and Freddie will give you a loan no matter what your credit history looks like. OOh no, we can't deny a person their right to a house based on a persons financial situation or ability to pay. That would be elitist wouldn't it?
THAT'S THE MENTALITY THAT GOT US INTO THIS MESS YOU MORON!
Speak for yourself.
[K Fergus, in response to comment made by Common Citizen; Post #3 & 3.1]
Ya know K Fergus, whenever I see someone use this phrase, my blood boils!
What do you think we are all doing here at Newsvine, or on any other forum like this for that matter, except "speaking for ourselves"? If you do not agree with something someone says, say so, and say why. Telling someone to "speak for themselves" is like telling them to "shut up".
Like you, I don't agree with Common Citizens assessment of Obamas performance, and I believe he was speaking for himself when he made his comments. Then it was your turn to speak for yourself, and tell him you disagree, and now it's my turn to speak for myself and tell you what I think, and like that. You see how it works "K"? Everybody speaks for themselves at first, then they find out how many others agree with them.
Why don't you ask us how you think the Congressional Republicans are doing? THEY are the problem, because they are determined to make the Obama administration a failure, and they don't care what happens to the country while they fiddle around!
#4 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:48 PM ESTI agree the Congressional Republicans want him to fail. I don't know why they think anyone wants to listen to what they think should be done to get us out of this mess, as they didn't do anything to stop us from getting into it.
I think the Repubs,down deep, hope for Obama's failure, and are marching in almost perfect lock-step, because they feel obsolescence creeping up on them, at least the current breed of Republicans. Their obstructionist unanimity in the House is perfectly astounding. I haven't watched Star Trek much in recent years, but I know what the Borg are (is?). Only three thinking Republicans in the Senate were willing to act as rational human beings???!!! Hooray for them, whatever other disagreements I may have with them. A loyal opposition is a good thing: ideally it promotes intelligent and useful discussion, but to be genuine it must consist of people capable of not parroting the leadership of a bunch of sore losers, including loopy talk show hosts.
The only fiddling around has been on the part of the dem's. Their "fiddling" will last decades. You know what you guys are sure fast to jump right on the republicans, you are accusing them of the same b.s. that the dem's did to George Bush. And who really needs across the aisle politics when you have the majority, come on get real. Ohh the republicans are coming the republicans are coming. Get real, we are in this mess because whiny fast food instaneous want it now "americans" can't deal with their own choices. When the markets were good they were all capiltalists because the money was good, when the markets are bad they turn into socialists saying take care of me, bail me out. They and those who represent them will be the reason this fails. Good thing his initials are BO, because he stinks!
The libs control the White House, the congress and damn near the Senate, and yet everything is still the Republicans fault. After four years of this liberal supermajority driving our economy into the ground with their myopic spending and endless tinkering with the free market you morons will still be blaming it all on Bush. The only thing Bush did wrong was listening to idiots like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd (Democrats) who denied there would ever be a problem with the Fannie/Freddie morgage machine. The worst mistakes of the Bush administration (big spending and bailouts) are being duplicated 10 fold under the new Obama administration.
Republicans don't want Obama to fail, they want free market capitalism to survive. If Obama gets in the way of that, then his failure will be epic.
President Obama is incredible and perfectly suited to this job! The fact that the hardline GOPs are fighting against him is no more his fault than when I struggled to get my toddler into bed at night. I would like him to address the as-yet ignored issue of America's FICO scores and the detrimental effect this economic crisis has had on the nation's credit ratings. Perhaps he could "reset and reboot" everyone to a "decent" level... Why is no one talking about this??
#5 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:48 PM ESTI can't believe all the women posting here with the Obama goggles on. This guy could be setting fire to every major city and you'd be talking about how good he handles a torch and how the evil GOP are pournig water on his efforts.
Now you want him to go earase your bad credit rating so you can go out and rack up some more debt at the mall? You want a "decent" credit rating? Pay your F-ing bills on time and stop spending money you don't have!
..............who are you talking to? Our bad credit rating, as you so blithely put it, was jacked up by the folks at the banks buying the actual debt over and over and over, bundled with too high oil futures to the glee of Exxon, thrown in with two wars being waged off the nation's balance sheet, useless FEMA trailers purchased, Blackwater kowtowed to, and all the while that was happening we were being told by Gee Dub to go to Macy's with no worries............................We All Bear Responsibility. We were asleep and lulled at the wheel while the powers that be. Is this the perfect solution? Maybe, Maybe not. But guess what-------I have no Obama Goggles on---I have the broken, owed upon, too weak glasses on that I can now afford THANKS TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE POLICIES THEY HAVE BREACHED MY LEVY WITH.
President Obama has done wonderfully considering the Republican road blocks that have been set up. It's as though the Rep's would rather have the IS go in the toilet than lift a finger to help. Shame!!
#6 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:48 PM ESTPresident Obama has shown himself to be extremely intelligent, thoughtful, pragmatic and concilatory to the other side. He's had a few blips, but nothing major. The media is always making a mountain out of a molehill.
#7 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:49 PM ESTAs a republican/voted Dem 2009. I am ashamed of the GOP. Greggs statement of he was only going to get those three votes, PROVE that the GOP would have voted no nomatter what Obama did for a stimulus to help the U.S people. Guess I won't go back to my party any time to soon!
#8 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:49 PM ESTThe stimulus package is exactly what we need, and although no one thinks it's perfect, it's still going to make a huge difference. It will put people back to work, increase the demand for products, increase personal income. The Republicans ran up a huge deficit and got NOTHING for their spending. How they can argue against this deficit spending, which will produce tangible results and real value, I do not know. I don't know how they sleep at night.
#10 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:49 PM ESTYeah, the stimulous IS going to make a huge difference. It's going to make a huge difference in what a dollar can buy in about two years from now when the hyper-inflateion sets in after foreigners stop lending us money to pay for these insane spending sprees. It's going to make a huge difference when unemployment numbers dig into double digit territory because Obama is already raising taxes on businesses to pay for this spending orgy, which means businesses will have even less money to spend hiring people. It's going to have a huge difference in how much your kids pay in taxes down the road, and your kids kids. It's going to put us on the fast track to an inevitable national bankruptcy. You think things are bad now? You are going to pine for these days by the end of Obamas term unless there's a serious shake-up in the next congressional election and some representatives with half a brain take over and put a stop to this insanity.
If you agree that Republicans were stupid for all their spending, why is it OK when Democrats do it? It doesn't matter WHICH party is doing the spending, it will ALWAYS produce waste and unintended consequences while putting us all in debt.
I think he has done an exceptional job with getting this stimulus package passed. The reaching out to Republicans is a good thing, even though they slapped him down. He looks magnanimous and they look churlish; a win-win for him and a lose-lose for the Republicans in the not too distant future.
Of course I assume that those who voted against this will adamantly refuse that those federal dollars be spent in their districts. But of course that would be principled; not a good match with political posturing.
#11 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:49 PM ESTI was just laid off of my job. The Republicans keep showing that they don't care about regiular American workers. They only support the bandits.
#12 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:49 PM ESTBandits, by definition, take money or property that doesn't belong to them. They redistribute wealth by force, from the people who earned it, and give it to themselves.
Socialism is the ideology of bandits masquerading as social justice. Liberals are socialists, and Democrats are liberals. Therfore it is the Democrats who are the true bandits. Obama is the Bandit in Chief-- champion of wealth redistribution.
Republicans are now a minority that do not have the numbers to stop the liberal supermajority of bandits. So you liberals really need to stop whinnig about them at this point. Bush is gone and the Republicans are a minority. All the problems going forward are going to be 100% on the Democrats. Own it.
with the support of the less than intelegent commentators( good god mita, willis, keith, a that other girlly girl ms. madow, your programs give much laughter, and I watch only to hear what is said "daily" about the FOX NEWS NET WORK / FAIR AND BALANCED... Keith always has something to laugh about / almost daily.. . please if you really need watchers / your supporters, change the whole crew.... Cris m. nneeddsstooggooottooo. ebonics.....
i'm just a simple person living to pay your way though your life ....thank you for the continued support for laughter... a joke is a joke only if someone laughs...you are a joke.
#13 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:50 PM ESTI think the FOX comedy team of Hannity, Bill O win hands down. I wonder if Hannity is for America as he sure doesn't act like he is. His hate spewing is loud and obnoxious. Thank God he isn't anybody important.
I agree with amwa09. I turn Fox on sometimes for a chuckle. I was disappointed that even during the inauguration they felt the need to make disparaging remarks about Barack Obama and his family. The one that sticks in my mind was a reference to his mother as, "...his hippie mother who dragged him all over the globe."
Kieth Olberman is correct when he calls them "Fix" news. They chop media clips up to make points they want to try to make. It's sad, really sad.
With all the haggling, hatred and lies that are perpetuated on 24/7 cable news shows (especially Fixed News), Olberman and Maddow are refreshing. I enjoy the laughs but also applaud the intelligence they demonstrate. We have far too many shows that selectively present the side of the far right; I like the way Olberman and Maddow take them down a peg.
Keith and Rachel - keep up the good work.
i like that he's still hoping for bipartisanship, and am having fun watching the republicans paint themselves into a corner. there's a difference between true partisanship and politics and i don't think they understand the distinction. sucks to be them.
i was disappointed in the daschle appointment and think obama's team should have anticipated the flack, especially on the heels of tim geithner. and the thing with gregg was a mis-step, although i'm not so sure that wasn't a deliberate republican set-up. but other than that, solid performance and doing just what he said he would do. his continued involvement with real people is refreshing and honest---very unlike the pre-screened, VFW rah rah gatherings bush went to. i'm just so glad that 8 years is over!!
#14 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:50 PM ESTI guess change is good for the better, when a baby Poops in the pants, it take a bit of intelegents on how to clean "it". PooP
Okay lets see who fesses up to reading the "stimulus" package...
I think that President Obama has been an outstanding president. He has maintained an extreme amount of patience for Washington's politics at a time when America needs action. He only asked congress to get together and "play nice" but we're still seeing too much maneuvering.
#15 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:50 PM ESTReaching out to Republicans should not mean "Jump on board with me or else", it should mean "what are your ideas, lets come up with an idea". He did NONE of that. The repubs were shut out of the initial drafting of the bill in the house. BHO showed no leadership by giving it to Nancy Pelosi to write. This is why he gets a D.
#16 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:51 PM ESTListen Scott, how can you say "what are your ideas, let's come up with an idea?" after the republicans have already proven these last eight years that they didnt' and DON'T have any good ideas, because the ideas they had: tax cuts to the very rich -- DIDN'T WORK! President Obama has been in office 3 weeks. He is probably the most intelligent president we've ever had. He's for education. He is what I consider to be a TRUE Christian in every sense of the way. There is not a mean bone in his body. He's a good father and a good husband and if there were a lot more people like him in the world, it would DEFINITELY be a better place. He gets an A plus here.
I've been watching politics for fourty years and have never seen a President do so much in so little time while maintaining a calmness during a storm.
Barack Obama has a stunning abillity to lift this country of overly sensative, immature, selfish, ignorant, and greedy citizens to a higher standard.
#17 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:51 PM ESTThank you for proving me right. Lots of ignorant selfish citizens.
timothy rooney
Your racism is showing through. The country doesn't need more ignorant comments like yours.
I won't respond again to timothy. He's shown he's not mature enough to be allowed to vote. I can't believe he's using ebonics as an argument. It really is hard to embrace these people. Maybe Lincoln was wrong and they should have been killed long ago.
These are the America haters that want Obama to fail. These are the people who are stupid enough to endorse tax cuts to the top 1%. How stupid does an individual have to be to see the effects of "trickle down" after it trickles down their leg and continue to back those failed policies? It's pathetic. I guess they have nothing else to live for than the delusion of a racist skin headed. Like I said, lots of ignorant citizens remain. We have to love them anyway? Really?
He is absolutely the best president the country has had since kennedy. has the mindset and intelligence to get beyond the muck and see the future.
President Obama has done a great job. The Republicans should be ashamed of themselves for their voting record on the Stimulus bill. It is so badly needed and they turned their backs on all of us! We will remember that come voting day!!
#18 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:52 PM ESTyou must still be high from the koolaid, you dont even know what the bill say's.
Yeah, and you do?? I don't think so. So far your arguments have shown nothing by racism and bias. They in no way resemble rational arguments.
I'm so proud of his calm, optimistic approach to the tremendous problems our nation (and the world) faces as a result of the last 8 years of Republican "rule." The Republicans continue their small-minded and petty approaches that favor the wealthy, and finally (!) American citizens are awakening to the fact that tax cuts for rich people are meaningless to the rest of us. The Republicans are so tone-deaf they don't even realize that intelligent people who have previously identified with their party are appalled at the road it has taken, and continues down, and are leaving, realizing that President Obama has the character and intelligence that we've all longed for in our leader over the past 8 years. Go, President Obama!
#19 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:52 PM ESTHe is doing what he promised...thank you
Dems are moving ahead, Repubs act the way I'd expect a cornered animal to act....reactionary, with only self interest, not for the greatest good of all Americans. Things will change with or without them. I expect them to become more desperate daily!
#20 - Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:53 PM ESTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
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He has demonstrated extraordinary leadership. The only negatives are minor blips which get blown out of proportion in the 24 hr news cycle