I thought he intended to try to sort out the health situation. People living in tents in the woods while undergoing chemotherapy, British charities turning up in mid-America to offer free health care, doctors suggesting treatments you don't need to help buy themselves a golf course and so on. Has Obama made any headway in that regard?
He seems like Blair to me. Came in with a mandate for change but let fear of his opponents cripple him. Tried to appease them and surprise, surprise could never quite get them to move their position. So a failure in my opinion.
I thought he intended to try to sort out the health situation. People living in tents in the woods while undergoing chemotherapy, British charities turning up in mid-America to offer free health care, doctors suggesting treatments you don't need to help buy themselves a golf course and so on. Has Obama made any headway in that regard?
This policy although the moral thing to do was always going to come up against very strong opposition by those with vested interests in the American health care system. The right wing leaning of the nation as a whole was also suspicious of this "commie" idea.
he will be a billionaire weeks after his time in office is up ----great charm, great speaker, great presence ----people believe him even when its bollox. The mega multi nationals will be queuing up to get him on board, offer him the World.
With out doubt the most racist election victory ever more than 90% of black Americans voted for him because he is a black man---even leading Republican black people.
Great orator, well meaning and probably a lovely man, elected on a tide of optimism and a craving for some new type of politics ... BUT .. the reality turned out to be that he is far too left wing for the majority of American voters ..
'Obamacare', however watered down it may prove to be in the long run, is a great boon for poorer Americans. I suspect that his election and subsequent internal policies have forced the Republicans and the Tea Partyists to re-evaluate many of their more gung- ho ideas. His overseas/foreign policies have not been so successful, though he has managed to get the US out of Iraq and Afghanistan before they became latter day Vietnam like military disasters.
All in all, and as 'all political lives end in failure', he has done a decent job in difficult times.
Very much overrated in this country. Most likely because of his race, is election was seen as a flagship moment for equality around the world, and quite right to. But in the US, if I stand corrected, this 'overratedness' ends. Seen as 'too left'. USA is a right wing country or at least right of centre Obama too left to appease the majority
That's my whole point, people should have voted on their faith in his abilities as a politician, not his colour, he seems to be there because he ticked a box.
Of presidents I can remember, I place him higher than the Bushes and Carter, lower than Clinton or Reagan.
He's been hampered by the relentless rise of partisanship but at the same time managed Congress very poorly, even in the first two years when the Dems had control of both houses and he had a huge amount of momentum.
He did brilliantly in saving the American economy when he came in and has been proved right e.g. on the car industry, which is now thriving. OTOH, the presentation and implementation of Obamacare has been a disaster. His flagship policy and the websites didn't even work. Awful.
There are good signs that the Republican leadership realise the need to reign in the tea party types and that the GOP establishment have regained the upper hand leading to the budget being passed without significant problems. If Obama can get a reasonable immigration bill in place (something in the GOP's interests as much as the Dems) than his Presidency will have been positive overall IMO. If not, he will go down as a mediocre leader at best.
he will be a billionaire weeks after his time in office is up ----great charm, great speaker, great presence ----people believe him even when its bollox. The mega multi nationals will be queuing up to get him on board, offer him the World.
With out doubt the most racist election victory ever more than 90% of black Americans voted for him because he is a black man---even leading Republican black people.
"most racist election"
Laughable.
most Black and hispanic Americans vote democrat anyway. The difference was that more registered to vote.
Most woman voted for Obama (55% to 44%) and as they are a far bigger proportion of the population than African -Americans (about 12%) it was them who swung BOTH elections.
Obama won twice in a fair election (unlike Bush) but because he is black it is "racist". But when a white man wins and most of their votes come from white people ( as they inevitably will as 72% of the population is white) that isn't "racist" somehow.
Of course race is an huge issue in the US but just as SOME black people voted for a Black candidate SOME white voters wouldn't vote for a Black candidate. And since about 12% of US is African American and 72% white Obama had to appeal to and win votes from more than just Black voters, which he did. So clearly not a "racist" election.
What annoys the right wing here and in American is that a Black, centrist has done a decent job despite the tea party loons trying to block every single piece of legislation. He got bin-laden, a limited improvement in healthcare and cleared up after Bush's economic mess. Not perfect, Guantanamo is still open but he's done OK.
he will be a billionaire weeks after his time in office is up ----great charm, great speaker, great presence ----people believe him even when its bollox. The mega multi nationals will be queuing up to get him on board, offer him the World.
With out doubt the most racist election victory ever more than 90% of black Americans voted for him because he is a black man---even leading Republican black people.
84% of black Americans voted for Clinton. Black people vote Democrat in the States. It's a shame that you think that black people are so devoid of intelligence that they are only able to decide how to vote on the basis of someone's skin colour. And that people like Colin Powell, an exceptionally intelligent and brave man, endorsed Obama because he was black and not (as Powell stated himself) because of the selection of Palin and McCain's terrible campaign.
Only in office because he's black IMO, most knee jerkers will claim that is a racist statement, but it was frightening the amount of people interviewed before and after who said they voted for him purely on the basis of his colour, seems a lot of the black community whom never voted before, did in droves on both occasions for that reason. Sod the policy's and economic plan, international relations etc, etc. Spoke with many American friends on FB on the subject, black and white, most agreed on that point. But, you could also argue, that vote was equalled out by people not voting for him because he is black, or the alleged non American birth right, or alleged Islamic leanings.
Seems a decent fella on the whole, but a weak politician.
he will be a billionaire weeks after his time in office is up ----great charm, great speaker, great presence ----people believe him even when its bollox. The mega multi nationals will be queuing up to get him on board, offer him the World.
With out doubt the most racist election victory ever more than 90% of black Americans voted for him because he is a black man---even leading Republican black people.
As ever the voice of the Daily Mail .. you never let us down.
he will be a billionaire weeks after his time in office is up ----great charm, great speaker, great presence ----people believe him even when its bollox. The mega multi nationals will be queuing up to get him on board, offer him the World.
With out doubt the most racist election victory ever more than 90% of black Americans voted for him because he is a black man---even leading Republican black people.
He seems like Blair to me. Came in with a mandate for change but let fear of his opponents cripple him. Tried to appease them and surprise, surprise could never quite get them to move their position. So a failure in my opinion.
You're kidding right? Blair changed the Labour party into the Conservatives and took us into a pointless war because his mate Bush wanted him to, lying to Westminster and the public in the process. I'm sure the fact he's now making millions in America is just coincidence. I think that was change enough.
He is a total let down. He started office in fanfare of hope and reconciliation amongst all Americans of any colour creed or background. He will leave office with all the impact of a damp fart.
He is a total let down. He started office in fanfare of hope and reconciliation amongst all Americans of any colour creed or background. He will leave office with all the impact of a damp fart.
He is a total let down. He started office in fanfare of hope and reconciliation amongst all Americans of any colour creed or background. He will leave office with all the impact of a damp fart.
Gun Laws = nowt Obama care = nowt
He is a useless prick.
What's that saying about taking one to know one ?
I thought the thread was about EVERYONES opinion of Obama. You have mine and I did not expect yours of me.
A terrible president. Down there with Bush jnr if i'm honest.
Apart from the hugely controversial Obamacare, what has he done??? His willing overlooking of the NSA's mass surveillance and condemnation of Edward Snowden, failure to protect whistle blowers and the surge in drone strikes makes a mockery of his nobel peace prize.
"Obamacare" is a disaster, and will have to be repealed, no matter which party is in charge next. Considering that this was Obama's key domestic legislation, his Presidency must also be considered a disaster.
"Obamacare" is a disaster, and will have to be repealed, no matter which party is in charge next. Considering that this was Obama's key domestic legislation, his Presidency must also be considered a disaster.
Obamacare is a disaster in the sense that it has a provision that requires companies with a certain number of full-time staff to provide health insurance. Companies wisened to this though and are cutting employee hours back to avoid healthcare costs.
Unfortunately, Obamacare can't be easily repealed. If you repeal it then the three million Americans who have gotten health insurance due to Obamacare are going to lose that insurance.
It was a terrible law at the absolute worst time for it to be implemented. Despite what the Obamas say, it is having an impact on hiring and the economy.
Realistically though, we're just going to eventually have to go to a single-payer system, because that's probably the easiest fix to the mess Obama has put us in.
I'm a Democrat myself, but Obama banked his whole presidency on healthcare, and it failed because it has caused the Republicans to have something to constantly attack him on.
he will be a billionaire weeks after his time in office is up ----great charm, great speaker, great presence ----people believe him even when its bollox. The mega multi nationals will be queuing up to get him on board, offer him the World.
With out doubt the most racist election victory ever more than 90% of black Americans voted for him because he is a black man---even leading Republican black people.
"most racist election"
Laughable.
most Black and hispanic Americans vote democrat anyway. The difference was that more registered to vote.
Most woman voted for Obama (55% to 44%) and as they are a far bigger proportion of the population than African -Americans (about 12%) it was them who swung BOTH elections.
Obama won twice in a fair election (unlike Bush) but because he is black it is "racist". But when a white man wins and most of their votes come from white people ( as they inevitably will as 72% of the population is white) that isn't "racist" somehow.
Of course race is an huge issue in the US but just as SOME black people voted for a Black candidate SOME white voters wouldn't vote for a Black candidate. And since about 12% of US is African American and 72% white Obama had to appeal to and win votes from more than just Black voters, which he did. So clearly not a "racist" election.
What annoys the right wing here and in American is that a Black, centrist has done a decent job despite the tea party loons trying to block every single piece of legislation. He got bin-laden, a limited improvement in healthcare and cleared up after Bush's economic mess. Not perfect, Guantanamo is still open but he's done OK.
Quite possibly one of your best posts in my CL time H.
he will be a billionaire weeks after his time in office is up ----great charm, great speaker, great presence ----people believe him even when its bollox. The mega multi nationals will be queuing up to get him on board, offer him the World.
With out doubt the most racist election victory ever more than 90% of black Americans voted for him because he is a black man---even leading Republican black people.
"most racist election"
Laughable.
most Black and hispanic Americans vote democrat anyway. The difference was that more registered to vote.
Most woman voted for Obama (55% to 44%) and as they are a far bigger proportion of the population than African -Americans (about 12%) it was them who swung BOTH elections.
Obama won twice in a fair election (unlike Bush) but because he is black it is "racist". But when a white man wins and most of their votes come from white people ( as they inevitably will as 72% of the population is white) that isn't "racist" somehow.
Of course race is an huge issue in the US but just as SOME black people voted for a Black candidate SOME white voters wouldn't vote for a Black candidate. And since about 12% of US is African American and 72% white Obama had to appeal to and win votes from more than just Black voters, which he did. So clearly not a "racist" election.
What annoys the right wing here and in American is that a Black, centrist has done a decent job despite the tea party loons trying to block every single piece of legislation. He got bin-laden, a limited improvement in healthcare and cleared up after Bush's economic mess. Not perfect, Guantanamo is still open but he's done OK.
Quite possibly one of your best posts in my CL time H.
''He got Bin Laden'' Hmmm - balance this wonderful achievement on one side of the scales, and on the other place the eye-wateringly staggering price ($10 billion per MONTH?) in terms of equipment and deployment costs and the unforgiveable loss of brave young lives, the anguish of their families that will last a generation, and killed and maimed innocent civilians in countries across the globe.
Agree with that sentiment. You can hardly lay the blame at Obama's feet though, can you? Since the war was started by the muppet show that preceded him.
Good point, Leroy. And he was a vocal opponent to the war in Iraq from the early 2000's.
But in Oct 2007 his headline speech was that he would withdraw all troops in 16 months.“I will remove one or two brigades a month, and get all of our combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months. Let there be no doubt: I will end this war.''
Still breaks my heart seeing ex soldiers from my old mob limbless and facing a future which looks bleak for them and their families. So many cope with incredible bravery
ooooooooooooooo dear some one mentioned something bad about the love child of the left and they all get their collective thongs in a twist .
Your white guilt isnt mine face up to it you waste of air.
"your white guilt" What a pathetic cop out.
Some one doesn't share your view that Obama only won due to a "racist election" and your knee jerk is "oh, a white person disagrees with me. I can't actually think of a reasoned response to what they said, so I'll have to say it is leftie white guilt".
A-R-T-H-U-R - you do realise that I was referring to the whole of Henry's post? Why you've chosen to isolate one tiny quote I don't know but that certainly wasn't the point I was applauding. As Leroy pointed out, Obama was not the reason America was involved in Iraq and Afghanistan, he had no viable choice but to play the cards he was dealt with on that one.
Comments
So a failure in my opinion.
With out doubt the most racist election victory ever more than 90% of black Americans voted for him because he is a black man---even leading Republican black people.
'Obamacare', however watered down it may prove to be in the long run, is a great boon for poorer Americans.
I suspect that his election and subsequent internal policies have forced the Republicans and the Tea Partyists to re-evaluate many of their more gung- ho ideas. His overseas/foreign policies have not been so successful, though he has managed to get the US out of Iraq and Afghanistan before they became latter day Vietnam like military disasters.
All in all, and as 'all political lives end in failure', he has done a decent job in difficult times.
He's been hampered by the relentless rise of partisanship but at the same time managed Congress very poorly, even in the first two years when the Dems had control of both houses and he had a huge amount of momentum.
He did brilliantly in saving the American economy when he came in and has been proved right e.g. on the car industry, which is now thriving. OTOH, the presentation and implementation of Obamacare has been a disaster. His flagship policy and the websites didn't even work. Awful.
There are good signs that the Republican leadership realise the need to reign in the tea party types and that the GOP establishment have regained the upper hand leading to the budget being passed without significant problems. If Obama can get a reasonable immigration bill in place (something in the GOP's interests as much as the Dems) than his Presidency will have been positive overall IMO. If not, he will go down as a mediocre leader at best.
Laughable.
most Black and hispanic Americans vote democrat anyway. The difference was that more registered to vote.
Most woman voted for Obama (55% to 44%) and as they are a far bigger proportion of the population than African -Americans (about 12%) it was them who swung BOTH elections.
Obama won twice in a fair election (unlike Bush) but because he is black it is "racist". But when a white man wins and most of their votes come from white people ( as they inevitably will as 72% of the population is white) that isn't "racist" somehow.
Of course race is an huge issue in the US but just as SOME black people voted for a Black candidate SOME white voters wouldn't vote for a Black candidate. And since about 12% of US is African American and 72% white Obama had to appeal to and win votes from more than just Black voters, which he did. So clearly not a "racist" election.
What annoys the right wing here and in American is that a Black, centrist has done a decent job despite the tea party loons trying to block every single piece of legislation. He got bin-laden, a limited improvement in healthcare and cleared up after Bush's economic mess. Not perfect, Guantanamo is still open but he's done OK.
Gun Laws = nowt
Obama care = nowt
He is a useless prick.
Apart from the hugely controversial Obamacare, what has he done??? His willing overlooking of the NSA's mass surveillance and condemnation of Edward Snowden, failure to protect whistle blowers and the surge in drone strikes makes a mockery of his nobel peace prize.
Your white guilt isnt mine face up to it you waste of air.
Unfortunately, Obamacare can't be easily repealed. If you repeal it then the three million Americans who have gotten health insurance due to Obamacare are going to lose that insurance.
It was a terrible law at the absolute worst time for it to be implemented. Despite what the Obamas say, it is having an impact on hiring and the economy.
Realistically though, we're just going to eventually have to go to a single-payer system, because that's probably the easiest fix to the mess Obama has put us in.
I'm a Democrat myself, but Obama banked his whole presidency on healthcare, and it failed because it has caused the Republicans to have something to constantly attack him on.
Bring on Hillary!
Quite possibly one of your best posts in my CL time H.
Hmmm - balance this wonderful achievement on one side of the scales, and on the other place the eye-wateringly staggering price ($10 billion per MONTH?) in terms of equipment and deployment costs and the unforgiveable loss of brave young lives, the anguish of their families that will last a generation, and killed and maimed innocent civilians in countries across the globe.
But in Oct 2007 his headline speech was that he would withdraw all troops in 16 months.“I will remove one or two brigades a month, and get all of our combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months. Let there be no doubt: I will end this war.''
Still breaks my heart seeing ex soldiers from my old mob limbless and facing a future which looks bleak for them and their families. So many cope with incredible bravery
Some one doesn't share your view that Obama only won due to a "racist election" and your knee jerk is "oh, a white person disagrees with me. I can't actually think of a reasoned response to what they said, so I'll have to say it is leftie white guilt".
Sorry I included your post in my pasting.
I was just commenting on that one point.
I agree wholeheartedly with the rest of Henry's post.