List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

[WildspitzE]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Obama is accomplishing something that is very necessary for the resuscitation of America. He is demonstrating that real change cannot come from inside the system. Obama never could have been a source of "change" because he is a Democrat, and that makes him a creature of the system, just as any Republican would be. A President who relies upon the system for political and financial support cannot possibly reform it, because he has not the power. How can he go to a Congress packed with incumbents and ask them to cease gerrymandering congressional districts and give up earmarks? How can he assemble an economic policy team that doesn't call on the mainstream economic "luminaries" who created this mess and hope to have his appointees approved? By being charismatic and raising people's hopes for change, and by failing, Obama is discrediting the idea that change will come from inside one of the major political parties. As I have said before, the system has to fall apart -- and the current elite has to be completely discredited through failure of basic institutions and jarring hardship upon the American people -- before it can be reformed and repaired. Until the system fails so dramatically that none can ignore it -- and none can pretend that either the Republicans or Democrats have the answers -- the voters required to effect REAL change will not be stirred out of their narrow partisan ruts. Obama is doing America a great service by demonstrating how little difference there is between the Democrats who serve special interests and the Republicans who serve those interests. If he had fought harder to change things, just imagine how much more slowly we'd hit the wall, and how much longer voters would entertain the illusion that change is possible from within the two major parties.

A big +1 !

[rjwjr]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

*Ahem* Yes. That is so. I suggest we find someone tolerable to back, so we can out-shout the brown shirts when the time comes.

EJ for Prez?

[swgprop]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Obama is accomplishing something that is very necessary for the resuscitation of America. He is demonstrating that real change cannot come from inside the system. Obama never could have been a source of "change" because he is a Democrat, and that makes him a creature of the system, just as any Republican would be. A President who relies upon the system for political and financial support cannot possibly reform it, because he has not the power. How can he go to a Congress packed with incumbents and ask them to cease gerrymandering congressional districts and give up earmarks? How can he assemble an economic policy team that doesn't call on the mainstream economic "luminaries" who created this mess and hope to have his appointees approved? By being charismatic and raising people's hopes for change, and by failing, Obama is discrediting the idea that change will come from inside one of the major political parties. As I have said before, the system has to fall apart -- and the current elite has to be completely discredited through failure of basic institutions and jarring hardship upon the American people -- before it can be reformed and repaired. Until the system fails so dramatically that none can ignore it -- and none can pretend that either the Republicans or Democrats have the answers -- the voters required to effect REAL change will not be stirred out of their narrow partisan ruts. Obama is doing America a great service by demonstrating how little difference there is between the Democrats who serve special interests and the Republicans who serve those interests. If he had fought harder to change things, just imagine how much more slowly we'd hit the wall, and how much longer voters would entertain the illusion that change is possible from within the two major parties.

Wonderfully stated Ash, I so wish his failure would incite change. But I don't think it will. There is something fundamentally wrong in our country and I don't foresee an awakening any time soon. If there was an iota of lucid thought among the masses wouldn't Sarah Palin be a distant memory?

[Raz]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Obama is accomplishing something that is very necessary for the resuscitation of America. He is demonstrating that real change cannot come from inside the system. Obama never could have been a source of "change" because he is a Democrat, and that makes him a creature of the system, just as any Republican would be. A President who relies upon the system for political and financial support cannot possibly reform it, because he has not the power. How can he go to a Congress packed with incumbents and ask them to cease gerrymandering congressional districts and give up earmarks? How can he assemble an economic policy team that doesn't call on the mainstream economic "luminaries" who created this mess and hope to have his appointees approved? By being charismatic and raising people's hopes for change, and by failing, Obama is discrediting the idea that change will come from inside one of the major political parties. As I have said before, the system has to fall apart -- and the current elite has to be completely discredited through failure of basic institutions and jarring hardship upon the American people -- before it can be reformed and repaired. Until the system fails so dramatically that none can ignore it -- and none can pretend that either the Republicans or Democrats have the answers -- the voters required to effect REAL change will not be stirred out of their narrow partisan ruts. Obama is doing America a great service by demonstrating how little difference there is between the Democrats who serve special interests and the Republicans who serve those interests. If he had fought harder to change things, just imagine how much more slowly we'd hit the wall, and how much longer voters would entertain the illusion that change is possible from within the two major parties.

Excellent, ASH. Excellent.

You are absolutely correct in what will be necessary for the government to once again serve
the electorate instead of functioning as a protectorate for the FIRE interests.

I just hope we don't end up with a Huey Long - or something far worse than the "Kingfish".

[audrey_girl]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

very good post ash

thank you

fyi:

antiwar.com:

http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2...nvincing-flop/

michael moore:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michae..._b_373457.html

"Do you really want to be the new "war president"? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do -- destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they've always heard is true -- that all politicians are alike. I simply can't believe you're about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn't so."

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Obama is accomplishing something that is very necessary for the resuscitation of America. He is demonstrating that real change cannot come from inside the system.

Bush did as much .

[c1ue]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Obama is accomplishing something that is very necessary for the resuscitation of America. He is demonstrating that real change cannot come from inside the system. Obama never could have been a source of "change" because he is a Democrat, and that makes him a creature of the system, just as any Republican would be. A President who relies upon the system for political and financial support cannot possibly reform it, because he has not the power. How can he go to a Congress packed with incumbents and ask them to cease gerrymandering congressional districts and give up earmarks? How can he assemble an economic policy team that doesn't call on the mainstream economic "luminaries" who created this mess and hope to have his appointees approved? By being charismatic and raising people's hopes for change, and by failing, Obama is discrediting the idea that change will come from inside one of the major political parties.

I'm not sure I necessarily agree.

There have been Presidents who have made changes within the system, similarly Presidents who have changed the system in order to obtain change.

No one can force a person once elected President to toe the line - only personality permits this situation to occur.

For someone who campaigned on the premise of change; who had (and still has) huge popularity; and who is not an entrenched member of the political establishment - Obama has little excuse.

While it is easy to ridicule Bush II - politically what he accomplished was notable: even before 9/11 he significantly changed the Republican party as well as the overall American nation and economy. Yes, likely for the worse but the point is that change is absolutely possible. Certainly no one is going to confuse the scale of Bush II's mandate with Obama's.

From my view what Obama is doing is simply multiplying the cynicism by which almost all Americans view the political process.

The result is not going to be good.

[Slimprofits]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Havn't been here for a while. Must say I was used to a higher level of discourse on this site. Typically the criticisms had teeth and the comments were well reasoned. None of this: yoou're a dumb ass liberal, no you're a greedy conservative type trivializing of the conversation. Too bad. There are plenty of other places on the web for that shit.

Keep in mind that once we marginalize the other than the opportunity for productive communication disappears.

Just my two cents.

I'm frequently rude when it comes to politics, but in equal amounts to the representatives and fanatics of both parties. Feel free to ignore me.

This list wasn't worth putting much effort into, not even I bat 1.000.

[bcassill]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Obama Administration Report Card for 2009:

intentions: wonderful
approach: feeeeeeeeeeeeel good
communication: wonderful
accomplishments: almost zero, or zero:rolleyes:

Obama's energy plan is a good example of almost zero--- as in, almost zero new energy provided. Obama's war plans are an example of almost zero--- as in, almost zero change from the Bush plans. Obama's budget plan--- little-changed from the Bush deficit-spending plan.

Obama's education plan has not been defined yet, but it probably would be a re-play of the Bush plan. The strategy of the Obama Administration heretofore has been to put a happy-face on the old and failed-Republican approaches.

In an ideal world you want to elect feel good morons into political office since that is where they will do the least damage (i.e. get nothing accomplished). Meanwhile, the rest of us can enjoy an idiot free life.:p

Unfortunately, the Vampire Squid of 85 Broad Str. dazzled them with BS and lots of campaign contributions. They're still incompetent (notice the economy?), but now they're working for the bad guys.:eek:

[Sharky]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Is there anything on that list that increases individual freedom or protects individual rights?

As far as I can tell, every single "accomplishment" involves more regulation, more taxes, more spending, more loss of rights, more government -- and less freedom. By what moral authority could that possibly be considered positive?

[blazespinnaker]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Evolution not revolution. Dramatic change is a romantic idea until you have to live through it. Obama has to respect the 43% or whatever that didn't vote for him. Just because he won doesn't give him the right to scrap everything .. this is why we have branches of government and checks and balances.

Seriously ASH, you can do better than this..

Obama is accomplishing something that is very necessary for the resuscitation of America. He is demonstrating that real change cannot come from inside the system. Obama never could have been a source of "change" because he is a Democrat, and that makes him a creature of the system, just as any Republican would be. A President who relies upon the system for political and financial support cannot possibly reform it, because he has not the power. How can he go to a Congress packed with incumbents and ask them to cease gerrymandering congressional districts and give up earmarks? How can he assemble an economic policy team that doesn't call on the mainstream economic "luminaries" who created this mess and hope to have his appointees approved? By being charismatic and raising people's hopes for change, and by failing, Obama is discrediting the idea that change will come from inside one of the major political parties. As I have said before, the system has to fall apart -- and the current elite has to be completely discredited through failure of basic institutions and jarring hardship upon the American people -- before it can be reformed and repaired. Until the system fails so dramatically that none can ignore it -- and none can pretend that either the Republicans or Democrats have the answers -- the voters required to effect REAL change will not be stirred out of their narrow partisan ruts. Obama is doing America a great service by demonstrating how little difference there is between the Democrats who serve special interests and the Republicans who serve those interests. If he had fought harder to change things, just imagine how much more slowly we'd hit the wall, and how much longer voters would entertain the illusion that change is possible from within the two major parties.

[doom&gloom]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

riding to the rescue!

[MarkL]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Obama is accomplishing something that is very necessary for the resuscitation of America. He is demonstrating that real change cannot come from inside the system. Obama never could have been a source of "change" because he is a Democrat, and that makes him a creature of the system, just as any Republican would be. A President who relies upon the system for political and financial support cannot possibly reform it, because he has not the power. How can he go to a Congress packed with incumbents and ask them to cease gerrymandering congressional districts and give up earmarks? How can he assemble an economic policy team that doesn't call on the mainstream economic "luminaries" who created this mess and hope to have his appointees approved? By being charismatic and raising people's hopes for change, and by failing, Obama is discrediting the idea that change will come from inside one of the major political parties. As I have said before, the system has to fall apart -- and the current elite has to be completely discredited through failure of basic institutions and jarring hardship upon the American people -- before it can be reformed and repaired. Until the system fails so dramatically that none can ignore it -- and none can pretend that either the Republicans or Democrats have the answers -- the voters required to effect REAL change will not be stirred out of their narrow partisan ruts. Obama is doing America a great service by demonstrating how little difference there is between the Democrats who serve special interests and the Republicans who serve those interests. If he had fought harder to change things, just imagine how much more slowly we'd hit the wall, and how much longer voters would entertain the illusion that change is possible from within the two major parties.

Lots of good stuff here Ash... but in sum total I'm not quite as negative as you. The USA is a huge huge ship... and it takes incredible amount of time and energy to alter it's course, even if you're the President, precisely because of the reasons you listed.

No President can effect the amount of change that's expressed in the visionary statements required by campaigns. As with all President's, if he does a good job on just a small portion of his vision without mucking up something else, he'll be considered a success. As with all Presidents, they should be compared against each other, not the requisite lofty visions of campaigns.

I think that there is a reasonable liklihood that a "sudden stop" or "USA Crisis" may come. But I do not think it's required. I also think there is a reasonable possibility that we can and will muddle through. We have before. As I interpret EJ's projections, they are not in conflict with either future.

I hope we can muddle through... in 2009 we've certainly skated (so far) across some very thin ice without a sudden stop event occurring. If we don't muddle through, there will be tremendous sadness, death, and destruction.

But Ash, if we don't make it and the ice breaks, don't count on the American voter suddenly getting a brain. History teaches us that often during a crisis, the opposite occurs. The most glaring example is Hitler whose move to power most historians correlate to Germany's economic and inflationary crisis.

[Raz]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

Evolution not revolution. Dramatic change is a romantic idea until you have to live through it. Obama has to respect the 43% or whatever that didn't vote for him. Just because he won doesn't give him the right to scrap everything .. this is why we have branches of government and checks and balances.

Seriously ASH, you can do better than this..

Blaze,

I find myself in agreement with you far more often than not, so will you offer a way to oust the RepubliCrats?

They have a stranglehold on the moneymachine that funds them from congressional district right on up to D.C.; they each have a TV cable or network (FOX and NBC), and their owners (FIRE) will gladly let the entire economy and society crash into rubble before they will let go of Uncle Sam's teat.

So, other than what ASH describes, how will it change?
He doesn't want to see such conflagration and collapse - and I certainly don't.
But how else can it end?:confused:

[we_are_toast]

Re: List of Obama accomplishments: 90!?!?

I'm not sure I necessarily agree.

There have been Presidents who have made changes within the system, similarly Presidents who have changed the system in order to obtain change.

No one can force a person once elected President to toe the line - only personality permits this situation to occur.

For someone who campaigned on the premise of change; who had (and still has) huge popularity; and who is not an entrenched member of the political establishment - Obama has little excuse.

While it is easy to ridicule Bush II - politically what he accomplished was notable: even before 9/11 he significantly changed the Republican party as well as the overall American nation and economy. Yes, likely for the worse but the point is that change is absolutely possible. Certainly no one is going to confuse the scale of Bush II's mandate with Obama's.

From my view what Obama is doing is simply multiplying the cynicism by which almost all Americans view the political process.

The result is not going to be good.

I agree.

Big changes can come from within the system and Bush II is a good example. He blew huge bubbles, collapsed the worlds economic system, handed over regulating authority to those who needed the regulating, started 2 wars, and was the champion of the FIRE economy who rammed through almost anything he wanted through congress. Now that's big change!

Obama has made many small accomplishments but is acting far too timidly. Big changes can come from a strong leader, or a crazy leader, but they are entirely possible from within the existing system.

I don't believe we need to destroy the system in order to save it. Obama appears to be a behind the scenes, negotiating type of person. He needs to start using the bully pulpit, pounding on the podium, and strong arming members of congress in order to implement a powerful agenda.