The meter is running: Obama's first year

[strawman]

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

Of those promises that are settled, 30% are either broken or required significant compromise, and about 70% that have been kept.

Which is better than his approval rating (49% and dropping...)

So he's doing pretty good for the first year. Trying to push through all the unpopular stuff now, so that he can focus on the feel good stuff when re-election time comes around, and so it can actually have time to pass.

 

[GasBandit]

Those are some rosy, rosy glasses you are wearing there steinman.

"Of those promises that are settled," indeed. You fail to mention that even by that article's count, only 105 of his allegedly 511 promises have had favorable resolution (kept or compromised). The plurality of them are still "in the works," which in politics is, as often as not, a status that never resolves.

Plus, most of those were his bread crumb promises... hospitals in Louisiana, funding for local emergency planning, yadda yadda. How's he doing on his BIG promises? His claims to being a great unifier? We're more divided than ever, though perhaps that's a good thing as to be united with Obama is to march in lockstep to ruin. Closed Gitmo in 2009? No, the date's been pushed back AGAIN into 2011. Health care reform? Well, there's a bill passed in both houses, but it has very little to actually do with reforming health care and a great deal to do with doling out money to pet districts. Got us out of Iraq yet? That was a big thing during the campaign... as was "the real fight is in Afghanistan!" Has he thrown our full weight into afghanistan, or has he dragged his feet, reluctantly giving his generals a fraction of what they want only when they go public and make him look like the weakling he is? Speaking of which, have Iran, North Korea, China, or even Russia come to the bargaining table with him yet, for the sit-downs he promised on the campaign trail? Or have they continued to smile to his platitudes and do exactly as they pleased all along, knowing that the tiger has voted away its fangs?

The buyer's remorse keeps mounting.

 

[Covar]

The important thing is that healthcare is passed and that none of the "benefits" go into effect until Obama is a lame duck.

 

[Krisken]

Those are some shit colored glasses you're wearing Gas. If every Obama campaign promise was kept, you'd still find a way to spin it in a negative light.

I give Obama a lot of credit for trying to repair all the crap

did to our national reputation. If some of you want to pretend that amounts to nothing, keep going with it.

 

[Dave]

The important thing is that healthcare is passed and that none of the "benefits" go into effect until Obama is a lame duck.

Health care upgrade is a fucking joke due to the insurance companies and lobbyists getting their mitts on it and the Democrats not having the balls to do what's right for the country and not their own party (even though this hurt them more than helped them).

The public option is gone. That would have caused private insurers to have to bring down costs and control how they gouge people. Now they have no incentive to lower rates and they will continue to rise.
The prescription drug portion of the bill is gone. Pharmaceutical companies didn't like this because it allowed people to get drugs from cheaper sources instead of having to pay exorbitant prices here. It would have driven down costs there due to competition. Now we're going to get higher and higher drug costs.
People have to show proof of insurance to the IRS. GREAT idea! Now people will stop paying taxes because they know it'll be years before they get audited thanks to their not having insurance. What happens if they can't prove it? THEY GET FINED!! What the fuck? The reason people don't have insurance is because it's too expensive! And THESE are the people we're going to fine? Again I say What the fuck? Bad, bad, BAD idea! Don't even get me started on why it's the IRS. Holy shit.
Abortion. For the record, I am neither for nor against abortion. I think it's a bad idea but I see the need in times of incest or rape. I don't think it's murder but I don't think it's morally right, either. Having said that, it's a legitimate and LEGAL MEDICAL PROCEDURE! To say that this will not be paid with government money while other procedures will is not only stupid and probably unconstitutional but is a very, very bad precedent.
Tax Credits for Small Businesses. Big fucking deal. So they get tax credits. If they don't offer health insurance they lose nothing! Riddle me this, Batman. Will small businesses GAIN more through tax credits than they stand to lose with paying insurance premiums, etc? I don't think so.

This whole thing is a good idea, but the way they went about doing it is stupid, dangerous and puts it all on the backs of people like me who can't afford insurance right now and just makes insurance companies and pharmaceuticals richer and richer. Fucking Democrats got put into office to do a job and they fucked us in the ass. Nice job, dipshits. Have fun being run out of office in the next election cycle.

 

[fade]

I find it hard to reply seriously to arguments like this. The underlying implication is that somehow he's actively weaseling out of these promises, which just doesn't pass the sniff test. In fact, that's been my approach to political arguments lately. Step back. Does it pass the sniff test? Is the only way for the opposing argument or its implications to be true is if the person being attacked is stupid, incompetent, or morally repugnant. Since most people who've made it to a high office aren't really any of those things, what's the real reason? Have his, like pretty much every other candidate in the history of this country's, attentions been redirected? Have outcomes not been as expected? Has he faced strong opposition? Misinformation and public opinion based on misinformation? Etc., etc.

He's not blameless, mind you. He shouldn't have made these promises in the first place. He should've make some concrete promises and given abstract hope on others. It turned deeply divided partisan sentiment even further against him.

On the other hand, I find the accounting of promises, especially insofar as to assign an actual number to them downright silly. I also want to understand why he had to get these things done first in the first 90 days, then in the first six months, and now in the first year.

 

[GasBandit]

Those are some shit colored glasses you're wearing Gas. If every Obama campaign promise was kept, you'd still find a way to spin it in a negative light.

I give Obama a lot of credit for trying to repair all the crap the bush administration did to our national reputation. If some of you want to pretend that amounts to nothing, keep going with it.

LOL @ "Repairing our reputation." Our reputation has gone from "scary but strong" to "weak and in a tailspin." Way to repair that image.

As for damage, I'm more worried about the damage Obama is doing by outspending Bush, when Bush was previously thought to have been crazy to spend so much.

The underlying implication is that somehow he's actively weaseling out of these promises, which just doesn't pass the sniff test.

No, the underlying implication is that obama supporters and the press (but I repeat myself) are trying to give him credit for things he hasn't accomplished.

 

[Dave]

The problem with spending, Gas, is that the huge amounts he spent are widely thought to have kept us out of another Great Depression. And that's by economists, not the Liberal Media.

Now, though, it seems like he's passing stuff to be passing stuff to say he did it. I'd rather have no legislation than bad legislation.

Example. The original health care bill with the public option had everyone covered. Yes, it cut the shit out of medicare and medicaid, but if they are covered it's just medical coverage and is indistinguishable from what they'd had. In some cases of Medicare it's better than they had. The money used to cover those in Medicare & Medicaid would still be used for health care. It would cost a bit more but nothing like what the alarmists were spouting.

Now, though, the costs are still there but the benefits have been stripped to favor big business. It's like the Republicans all over again. Screw the little guy and the citizens they purport to represent and give all the benefits to the already rich. nicely done.

 

[Krisken]

Replace "strong" with "treats their allies like shit", and you got that just about right. The Bush administration understood the "carry a big stick" part, but no idea how to "walk softly". There is more than one kind of strength.

 

[GasBandit]

Replace "strong" with "treats their allies like shit", and you got that just about right. The Bush administration understood the "carry a big stick" part, but no idea how to "walk softly". There is more than one kind of strength.

Exactly what allies are you claiming were treated like shit? The ones who wouldn't back us when it might shed light on their own under the table dealings with a certain baathist in the middle east?

 

[Krisken]

Replace "strong" with "treats their allies like shit", and you got that just about right. The Bush administration understood the "carry a big stick" part, but no idea how to "walk softly". There is more than one kind of strength.

Exactly what allies are you claiming were treated like shit? The ones who wouldn't back us when it might shed light on their own under the table dealings with a certain baathist in the middle east?[/QUOTE]
Are you talking about the countries who listen to their people when it comes to going to war with countries that never attacked them?

 

[tegid]

No, it actually went from 'arrogant idiotic assholes' to 'hey they are powerful but nicer'.

 

[Terrik]

Not what what my Chinese friends are telling me. The US definately seems a lot weaker than before to them. They actually liked bush because he had done a lot a for Sino-US relations wheras they are getting cranky with obama and the percieved trade protectionism.

 

[tegid]

Ah yes, sorry! I'm talking about my perception as a European. I don't know how the rest of the world views the US

 

[North_Ranger]

Hmmm. For some reason this thread reminds me of a guy who wants a ten-minute egg in two and a half minutes. But that's just me

 

[fade]

Hmmm. For some reason this thread reminds me of a guy who wants a ten-minute egg in two and a half minutes. But that's just me

That's kind of what I was saying. Everyone else gets four years, but if Obama can't do it in 90 days, he's a fraud.

 

[Terrik]

Well, to be fair, if you look at some of his "broken promises" on the list, quite a few of them have to do with government transparency, like the C-SPAN coverage and letting citizens see bills beforehand and so forth. Those are promises that definitely COULD have been kept within 90 days..or even 1 day.

 

[Krisken]

Well, to be fair, if you look at some of his "broken promises" on the list, quite a few of them have to do with government transparency, like the C-SPAN coverage and letting citizens see bills beforehand and so forth. Those are promises that definitely COULD have been kept within 90 days..or even 1 day.

Which is one of the things that really bothers me. The government transparency should go a lot further than it has.

 

[strawman]

Boy you are a testy lot. He's gotten through about 1/4 of his promises in 1/4 of his presidency, and has kept the lion's share of them.

That's all I was saying.

We'll see how many are done by this time next year, and if any aren't in proces by then, chances are they will be his campaign promises for his next term.

If he gets one.

What makes me laugh is the democrats have congress and the white house, and they can't get anything with teeth passed. It's ludicrous. Republicans can't even filibuster, and yet the democrats are passing watered down legislation.

Whoever thought that the democrats got their act together and won because of that in 2008 were dead wrong - people were just sick of the republicans, it wasn't because the democrats were finally getting their wagon back on track.

 

[Espy]

Hmmm. For some reason this thread reminds me of a guy who wants a ten-minute egg in two and a half minutes. But that's just me

That's kind of what I was saying. Everyone else gets four years, but if Obama can't do it in 90 days, he's a fraud.[/QUOTE]

Actually if memory serves me right examining how a president does every year of his short 4 years in office is pretty normal.

 

[Troll]

Hmmm. For some reason this thread reminds me of a guy who wants a ten-minute egg in two and a half minutes. But that's just me

That's kind of what I was saying. Everyone else gets four years, but if Obama can't do it in 90 days, he's a fraud.[/QUOTE]

Actually if memory serves me right examining how a president does every year of his short 4 years in office is pretty normal.[/QUOTE]

Examining? Yes. But this time people are more prone to condemn than examine (people in general, not in this discussion).

 

[Espy]

Hmmm. For some reason this thread reminds me of a guy who wants a ten-minute egg in two and a half minutes. But that's just me

That's kind of what I was saying. Everyone else gets four years, but if Obama can't do it in 90 days, he's a fraud.[/QUOTE]

Actually if memory serves me right examining how a president does every year of his short 4 years in office is pretty normal.[/QUOTE]

Examining? Yes. But this time people are more prone to condemn than examine (people in general, not in this discussion).[/QUOTE]

I 100% disagree with you. I think it's terribly normal and human nature, which also means I wouldn't get to worked up over it.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

Yeah, we harped on Bush every chance we got.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

hmmm, I should've went with my original "jumped on Bush" line for the juvenile double entendre . . . and I still like how y'all's 2000 presidential election was sex versus violence

 

[Troll]

Hmmm. For some reason this thread reminds me of a guy who wants a ten-minute egg in two and a half minutes. But that's just me

That's kind of what I was saying. Everyone else gets four years, but if Obama can't do it in 90 days, he's a fraud.[/QUOTE]

Actually if memory serves me right examining how a president does every year of his short 4 years in office is pretty normal.[/QUOTE]

Examining? Yes. But this time people are more prone to condemn than examine (people in general, not in this discussion).[/QUOTE]

I 100% disagree with you. I think it's terribly normal and human nature, which also means I wouldn't get to worked up over it.[/QUOTE]

Okay. Do I seem worked up to you?

 

[strawman]

hmmm, I should've went with my original "jumped on Bush" line for the juvenile double entendre . . . and I still like how y'all's 2000 presidential election was sex versus violence

Hey, it's two of our big three - sex, violence and drugs. You know they are pandering to the masses when they pit our pleasures against each other.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

sex vs violence vs drugs . . .

Bush vs Gore vs ????? . . . quite the 3 way that is.

 

[Espy]

Okay. Do I seem worked up to you?

Well you are all sweaty.

 

[makare]

I'm very pleased with Obama's presidency. I think he is doing the best possible with the crap he was left with.

I am also glad that Obama doesn't feel the need to stomp all over the world like Bush did. If Bush made America look strong it was reactionary. We were attacked during the time we looked strong so what was the benefit of it? Maybe instead we should look reasonable and like we want to be a part of the world instead of ruling over it.

 

[Kitty Sinatra]

I don't think Bush made the US look strong, anyway. I remember 2 major intelligence failures:

1) The inability to find Bin Laden after 9/11 - they made a show of him being American Enemy #1 but never came close to getting him. Whether y'all came close or not is insignificant because it appears you never did.

2) Colin Powell's UN presentation. He went there, in front of the world, with intelligence that showed Iraq had WMD. Iraq didn't.

All of America's vaunted high-tech spy stuff, nothing but failure in the eyes of the world.

Then there's the military, boots-on-the-ground stuff. Iraq never really went all that well after the air strikes. It seems like you have lots of firepower, but little staying power.

I just don't see how Bush made the US look strong.

 

[fade]

Hmmm. For some reason this thread reminds me of a guy who wants a ten-minute egg in two and a half minutes. But that's just me

That's kind of what I was saying. Everyone else gets four years, but if Obama can't do it in 90 days, he's a fraud.[/QUOTE]

Actually if memory serves me right examining how a president does every year of his short 4 years in office is pretty normal.[/QUOTE]

That's true, but not what I said.

 

[Espy]

Hmmm. For some reason this thread reminds me of a guy who wants a ten-minute egg in two and a half minutes. But that's just me

That's kind of what I was saying. Everyone else gets four years, but if Obama can't do it in 90 days, he's a fraud.[/QUOTE]

Actually if memory serves me right examining how a president does every year of his short 4 years in office is pretty normal.[/QUOTE]

That's true, but not what I said.[/QUOTE]

My mistake then, it sounded like you were saying "everyone else gets 4 years before" they are judged on their performance. What did you mean?

 

[WolfOfOdin]

Things could be better, but things could also be a hell of a lot worse. if anything I'm pleased that our President, if nothing else, presents a less "if you don't agree with us FUCK YOU COWARD" mindset to the world at large. I'm not happy with the lack of transparency at all though...I could do with a lot more of that. I'm also horribly dismayed at how badly the healthcare bill was gutted...christ, as long as you scream socialism, it seems you can blackball anything.

 

[@Li3n]

I just don't see how Bush made the US look strong.

Same way the idiot everyone avoids because he's so annoying looks strong...

 

[North_Ranger]

I just don't see how Bush made the US look strong.

Same way the idiot everyone avoids because he's so annoying looks strong...[/QUOTE]

Or a hillbilly with a shotgun...