This is going to be an open thread and unlike anything I've done before because I am very interested to see where we are at this point. There is no main post. I am only going to posit this question and then look to the comments to see what the responses are. Here is the question in four parts:
Does President Obama deserve to be re-elected for another term? Why or why not? Will you vote for him? Did you vote for him in the last election?
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TruePatriot1
Barbara Joanne
UncleChri
Tommy T
rwnutjob
Caroline K
Salon.com
Comments
Most will want Obama re-elected because the alternative is a Republican. Most people vote against, not for a candidate. The Republican candidate will be heavily "againstified" by having to appeal to a base that is ever redefining-down the basest meaning of base. As you represent this base base, you'll be helping to ensure Obama gets 4 more. Team Obama thanks you for this valuable service.
I will vote for him.
I voted for him last time.
The Obama platform promised “Change for America”. Mr. Obama couldn’t get change if he offered a $10 bill for a Happy Meal.
Mr. Obama promised “bipartisanship” and “open government”. Not even Representatives were afforded the opportunity to read the ACA bill before it was voted upon; and the course of this bill through the Senate to avoid potential Republican obstacles is stupendous in its ingenious exercise of arcane procedural rules.
Halfway through his term, Mr. Obama seems to have finally awakened to the fact that America is in serious financial trouble. In fact, he is one of the last to jump on this bandwagon.
Yet, he calls the budget passed in the House this past Friday, which incorporates $6 trillion in cuts over the next ten years, something that is “. . . . bad for America. . .” The proposed budget isn’t even balanced; but Mr. Obama claims that its cuts in social programs are too deep. The man is a socialist who believes that throwing federal money at society’s ills will produce a beautiful village.
Mr. Obama has continued, not terminated, the policies of the previous administration regarding regime change in foreign lands. He’s thwarted the will of Congress by unilaterally declaring laws unconstitutional before courts ruled on such matters. He’s reversed long-standing policies against the advice of his most experienced counselor’s.
He seems ever more to have been sucked into the muddled thinking that pervades Washington DC, which is likely part of the proof that if one doesn’t stand for something, then one will fall for anything.
I’d give anything for a truthful, courageous, presidential candidate who possesses common sense and an undistorted view of history. Therefore, I won’t be casting my vote for Mr. Obama.
The only possible candidate that could defeat Obama is Trump. Have I lost my mind? Not yet, but I'm working on it. At any rate, I maintain Trump could defeat Obama because our domestic situation is so bad.
Now, Donald has his baggage, however, desperate times call for desperate measures. Whatever else can be said about Trump, he is, first and foremost, a businessman. There is no argument that he can run a large corporation in a successful manner. While Trump, like most, will sell out now and again, he has enough national pride to be willing to make the effort to straighten out our economy. Some of his suggestions are actually similar to the methods Hitler used to get the German economy back on track in just two years.
Bottom line is if the United States collapses, it doesn't matter who is in the White House. Trump has the experience, political savvy and balls to get us back on track economically. The rest of the world can pound sand until we get ourselves squared away.
If Trump doesn't run or runs and loses, Obama will destroy us for sure. But there are enough single digit IQ voters to give Obama a second term. The particularly depressing part is there are also some pretty smart folks who will vote for him too for purely selfish reasons.
It's Trump or nothing.
Trump is a clown, albeit a rich one. The idea a businessman has an "up" on running a country is hilarious, as it's businessmen who ran it into the ground. One has to be a Serf in search of Serfdom to want to live in Trumpmerica. At the very least, I accuse them of trying to make Jefferson spin in his grave.
rwnj -- you're fired!
The Democrats are probably praying the Right makes the GOP play the Trump tard. Obama would win in a walkover...against the comb-over.
Whichever Republican ends up as the main candidate in 2012 will be taking one for the team, and the election to watch for is 2016!
Yep..I voted Obama and unless something special happens, I will again.
Why? He saved the country. How convenient to forget many in the middle, and a few on the right with common sense, voted for him out of sheer fear- what would McQuack, who said, verbatim, as the Cheney ("deficits don't matter") meltdown was nearly collapsing the whole world, "I don't know much about the economy." A real confidence builder for those watching their mutual funds zero out. With Snow Snooki as the VP candidate, and McQuack a cancer survivor, the possibility of Bible Spice ru(i)nning the economy, and the free world ... well, that's how our Black Hawaiian Fearless Leader finished the job, and why he is reaching back out to those same voters again right now.
Why else? Well, he was forced to use up all his original political capital, first by pushing the stimulus that saved us all through, while those who followed the meth originated so called economic theory/fantasy world railed against it ... and crippled it, to hurt him with no thought for the American people, treason and sedition is what it was, and, the rest was used to push through HRC, for the far left, but truly for all of us. So, he needs to get back to work. Also, he is, as I keep pointing out, undercover on wall street, though you guys don't see why, because you didn't go to Punahou, so he has to finish that, with Ms. Warren at his side.
Of course I'll vote for him ... that my Hawaiian Surfer Bruddah! I imagine if, God forbid, Virginia's Cuccinelli or another homie was on the ticket you'd vote for him, though I hope you wouldn't.
Of course I voted for him!!! And, I am not a Democrat, never was.
rwnj's worship of Trump is a Tea Party Quaalude dream starring a tweakin' Ayn Rand and Trump Galt...sound-tracked by Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will.
All will be well after the anschluss of the Sedated-land.
Let's not leave Chris out of this. Undistorted history?
Chris said that? He always says 'socialist,' even on Foodie posts...but implying others distort history?
Fortunately, familiarity with his history-lessens will prevent dying laughing...though it cannot prevent laughter.
An intelligent Republican can't make it past the base without scaring the sane 2/3rds of America. None of them can put the whackjob grease back into the tube.
Anyway, I supported Obama last time ) though I slightly preferred Hilary’s experience) and shall certainly support him again. To me, the main issues in the coming years are combating global warming, reversing the ever-growing divide between rich and poor and eventually getting back to a balanced budget.
I see no hope whatsoever that any Repub will do anything helpful about global warming. Many refuse to acknowledge it’s happening or pretend that man’s activities have anything to do with it. That’s an automatic disqualifier for me.
I have yet to see any Repub acknowledge that something is not quite right in a society where the rich have gotten a lot richer and the poor poorer, and more numerous. They seem wedded to the notion that “smaller” government is inherently better, that cutting taxes is the noblest public policy conceivable and that a fend-for-yourself society is prima facie superior.
The same arguments apply to balancing the budget. The Repub’s latest proposal (Ryan’s) has fanciful assumption on unemployment dropping to an unprecedented low very soon and reckons that the fiscal imbalance should be remedied by relatively poorer people getting less health care.
A final point, to which several of my lefty OS colleagues give insufficient weight, is Supreme Court appointees. Another Repub Pres will nominate someone like Scalia, Roberts or Thomas. They’ve done damage enough with their Citizens United ruling and a bunch more of slightly lesser impact. Their malign influence lasts for decades.
I don’t expect you’ll agree with much of this, and maybe not any of it. But thanks for asking.
Paul, I blew a load just thinking about that, thanks.
Was chatting with a customer today who indicated he would vote for Trump. I think Trump's chances are good, but with the voting public at an all time high in terms of pure stupidity, ignorance and lack of common sense, who really knows how 2012 is going to turn out.
In the same poll 64% said the country was on the wrong track.
A Gallup Poll from 4/11/2011 asked: What is your confidence in Democratic leaders in Congress on the Economy? 41% in favor
There is a very good possibility that the GOP will gain MORE seats in Congress in the next 2 elections. There is even a chance for a 60 seat supermajority in the Senate. All of which is very bad news for Obama.
If gas prices continue to climb and the unemployment numbers don't come down considerably he is doomed. People vote with their wallets/pocketbooks.
There is also a potential embarrasing moment coming for Obama and the Dems as well. One provision that was passed in the news "spending cut" budget bill is that the waivers granted for Obama care to date must be audited. If this program is soooooo good then why is everyone trying to get a waiver to get out of it? This could be damaging information depending on when that audit is finalized.
However, the biggest problem I think Obama will have is himself. He is no longer the "outsider with no record" and the historic aspect of the last election will not play in this one. He will need to stand by his record and that is the one thing he does NOT want to do.
There is also the thousand of hours of sound bites that are now part of the public record that are going to be played over and over and over again in political ads. This is going to get ugly.
Then again there is the very real possibility that with what some see and the largest "war chest" in the history of Presidential Campaigns he just might be able to buy himself back into office.
We'll see.
NO!!
Why not?
Due to some here in Salon with opinions about posting too many facts and causing a long post, these liberal progressives need to research how many promises he made during his campaign and broke. So much for open transparency, this man is the most untrustworthy habitual liar ever to grace the Oval Office. That really says a lot, because between Republicans and Democrats, there have been a lot of habitual liars in office, Obama is definitely the leader of that pack. Independents, which I am registered as and knew enough not to vote for this sweet talking community organizer, were lied to blatantly by Obama during his last campaign. The man has no moral character or values.
Will you vote for him?
No, I doubt any red blooded Patriotic American will be duped by this socialist again. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us.
Did you vote for him in the last election?
No. To be honest, I was intrigued by him in the very beginning. When he stayed away from many questions about his past and began to stay away from debates, I knew that man was trying to use charisma to sweet talk Americans into an agenda of evil. When he took an American Presidential campaign global, to woo citizens of other continents and countries, I knew he was dangerous. Obama will not get the Independent vote again.
During the next election, Hope and Change will be anyone but Obama!