Posted: Jul 14, 2011 5:12 am
People on this board have long bemoaned Obama's willingness to compromise. You claim that this is not the president you supported. I hate to break it to you, but it is your fault for expecting a god rather than a human being who is intelligent. People who follow politics closely and understand political strategy like virtually everyone on MSNBC support Obama (even though they occasionally express disappointments here and there, as should be expected with any leader, something many of you fail to recognize) and realize that it is impossible to achieve all desired goals when you have a Republican controlled House. Of course, none of you have the faintest idea of what it takes to actually run for office and win, so you suggest he do things that are politically suicidal but "correct" according to you. If he just defended them to the death, he would get reelected, right? Make the case, Obama! Well, in case you haven't noticed, the American people don't respond well to logic. Simply taking hard line positions on what is true is not the best political strategy, hence why Obama has not endorsed things like gay marriage when anyone with a brain is well aware that he supports it privately (and will support it publicly after being reelected in 2012).
Here is an example of Obama's fine character from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/1 ... 97834.html:
Of course, I am well aware that this is just another political strategy by Obama, and he does not think that this will bring his presidency down at all. What you fail to understand, Obama haters, is that in order to get elected president, one by their very definition has already sold out on a number of issues and lied to the American people to get there. The process that puts elected officials in office virtually guarantees that the officials will not be honest with people and try to run the country as best they can. That is what makes Obama so extraordinary - how little he politically panders to people and how pragmatic he is. Compared to other elected officials over the course of American history, Obama is probably the single most erudite, honest person to ever see the white house. None of you care because your heads are up your asses, and as long as he isn't trying to push medicare for all and completely pulling out of the Middle East, he is a traitor to the cause. Well, anyone who expected more from Obama was just fooling themselves. I knew that he would govern from the center, I knew he would cave in occasionally to absurd Republican demands, I knew he would not live up to the far left's unfounded expectations and support things that he didn't even run on to appeal to primary voters, and I still supported him (in fact, his bumper sticker is still on my car. I intend to add a 2012 sticker in the near future). Why? Because I am not a sucker for obvious political hackery. I wanted a thoughtful president who broke down a racial barrier and established a better reputation for the U.S. around the world - and it worked. Global opinion of the U.S. is five times higher now than it was prior to Obama being elected. African American self esteem is at an all time high about their potential to achieve. We have a man in the White House who is arguing against mindless Republican hacks that we need to raise taxes on the wealthy to make society more equitable. Ah, but, who really cares? That isn't important - the events in Washing affect no one. Go do a protest vote and vote third party in 2012 or don't vote at all. After all, voting for the lesser evil is still voting for evil, right? Wrong. Voting for the better of the only two viable candidates is the only moral decision one can make in the voting booth. Any other action is not only stupid, it is morally reprehensible. If Obama loses his far left voters and loses the 2012 election, you royally fucked over our country and deserve a round of applause for turning it into a shit hole along with the right wing lunatics who also chose not to vote for Obama.
Here is an example of Obama's fine character from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/1 ... 97834.html:
"Eric, don't call my bluff. I'm going to the American people on this," the president said, according to both Cantor and another attendee. "This process is confirming what the American people think is the worst about Washington: that everyone is more interested in posturing, political positioning, and protecting their base, than in resolving real problems."
Democratic officials had a different interpretation. "The meeting ended with Cantor being dressed down while sitting in silence," one official said in an email. "[The president] said Cantor could not have it both ways of insisting on dollar-for-dollar and still not being open to revenues."
"I have reached the point where I say enough," Obama concluded, according to Reuters. "Would Ronald Reagan be sitting here? I've reached my limit. This may bring my presidency down, but I will not yield on this."
Of course, I am well aware that this is just another political strategy by Obama, and he does not think that this will bring his presidency down at all. What you fail to understand, Obama haters, is that in order to get elected president, one by their very definition has already sold out on a number of issues and lied to the American people to get there. The process that puts elected officials in office virtually guarantees that the officials will not be honest with people and try to run the country as best they can. That is what makes Obama so extraordinary - how little he politically panders to people and how pragmatic he is. Compared to other elected officials over the course of American history, Obama is probably the single most erudite, honest person to ever see the white house. None of you care because your heads are up your asses, and as long as he isn't trying to push medicare for all and completely pulling out of the Middle East, he is a traitor to the cause. Well, anyone who expected more from Obama was just fooling themselves. I knew that he would govern from the center, I knew he would cave in occasionally to absurd Republican demands, I knew he would not live up to the far left's unfounded expectations and support things that he didn't even run on to appeal to primary voters, and I still supported him (in fact, his bumper sticker is still on my car. I intend to add a 2012 sticker in the near future). Why? Because I am not a sucker for obvious political hackery. I wanted a thoughtful president who broke down a racial barrier and established a better reputation for the U.S. around the world - and it worked. Global opinion of the U.S. is five times higher now than it was prior to Obama being elected. African American self esteem is at an all time high about their potential to achieve. We have a man in the White House who is arguing against mindless Republican hacks that we need to raise taxes on the wealthy to make society more equitable. Ah, but, who really cares? That isn't important - the events in Washing affect no one. Go do a protest vote and vote third party in 2012 or don't vote at all. After all, voting for the lesser evil is still voting for evil, right? Wrong. Voting for the better of the only two viable candidates is the only moral decision one can make in the voting booth. Any other action is not only stupid, it is morally reprehensible. If Obama loses his far left voters and loses the 2012 election, you royally fucked over our country and deserve a round of applause for turning it into a shit hole along with the right wing lunatics who also chose not to vote for Obama.