But what has he done for me lately?

November 1, 2010 8:13 PM

What the f#ck has Obama done so far?
posted by anastasiav (97 comments total)

Huh. Apparently he's done just as little as I thought he had.
posted by serazin at 8:19 PM on November 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

Of course, he's done just as much as I expected him to. So there's that.
posted by serazin at 8:20 PM on November 1, 2010 [5 favorites]

Can this thread not be about Obama?
posted by mazola at 8:21 PM on November 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

Loosely related: Where's my Fucking Polling Place
posted by msbutah at 8:23 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Loosely related: Where's my Fucking Polling Place

Gosh. They make this less and less convenient every year. UNHANDLED EXCEPTION is nowhere near my house!
posted by schmod at 8:24 PM on November 1, 2010 [12 favorites]

Related.
posted by Rhaomi at 8:27 PM on November 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

Appointed nation's first Chief Technology Officer
posted by Joe Beese at 8:27 PM on November 1, 2010

Why wasn't this fucking posted a fucking month ago, fuckface?

A more serious version: The Obameter - Tracking Obama's Campaign Promises
posted by Old'n'Busted at 8:27 PM on November 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

He had a golden opportunity to seize the means of production. Now the dems are going to get their asses handed to them because that spineless wimp Reid would not embrace the glorious workers struggle and finally shut down all corporations.

I'm sick of these weak kneed centrists, it's almost like they never intended for the proletariat to rise up and topple the decadent running dog capitalists.
posted by Ad hominem at 8:30 PM on November 1, 2010 [56 favorites]

Tangentially related: America, please don't make these guys have to shoot a Wassup 2012 video.
posted by googly at 8:31 PM on November 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

I would love to find out that this site was set up by Joe Biden.
posted by shakespeherian at 8:34 PM on November 1, 2010 [5 favorites]

Why wasn't this fucking posted a fucking month ago, fuckface?

It showed up on Projects two hours ago.
posted by mathowie at 8:34 PM on November 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

I have a friend who carps about "how little Obama has done" while he's collected unemployment for 8 months straight. You'd think with conservatives trying to hold spending in as if it were urine, that he'd be a little more appreciative.
posted by ShawnStruck at 8:36 PM on November 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

It showed up on Projects two hours ago.

Interesting. I picked it up off Facebook, from someone I'm pretty sure has never heard of Metafilter. Small internet.
posted by anastasiav at 8:41 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I take some comfort in knowing that it will be less than a week before Americans who voted for the GOP realize they've made John fucking Boehner the speaker of the house.

But really people, if you wait to vote for perfect candidates you will never vote. Lesser of two evils and all that jazz.

Really, really bummed out Feingold though.
posted by bardic at 8:45 PM on November 1, 2010 [6 favorites]

I approve of the idea and objective but I must admit I'm a little weary of the recent rash of single-serving sites with domain names in the format word...wordfuck(ing)word...word.com -- I understand the need to make it seem like a lark, but.

Added a couple of implementation thoughts to the Projects post.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:46 PM on November 1, 2010

Yes, but the domain was made on Saturday. Comon! He had two+ days! He could have thought of it sooner! Not fast enough! Vote the bum out!
posted by Old'n'Busted at 8:47 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Er, no I didn't because suddenly my office firewall is blocking me.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:53 PM on November 1, 2010

All of these recent one-off sites with loads of cursing and little information, e.g., thefuckingweather, whatthefuckisfordinner, etc. are really becoming tiresome. I'm pretty sure I've made a similar comment before, so I'll spice this one up for today's internet info-consumer: fucking fuck fuck fuck fucking spend some fucking time on something for once in your fucking life and learn how to express yourself without talking like my fucking redneck neighbor.

And with that, I'm back to yelling at people to keep their infographics off my lawn.
posted by sanko at 8:55 PM on November 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

fucking spend some fucking time on something for once in your fucking life and learn how to express yourself without talking like my fucking redneck neighbor.

But it's ironic.
posted by scratch at 8:57 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

TOO MANY TO LIST
posted by davejay at 8:59 PM on November 1, 2010

For some reason clicking on the posted link redirects me to (a non-functional version) that translation party site...
posted by you zombitch at 9:00 PM on November 1, 2010

It must be getting hammered, because I can't access it at all.
posted by codacorolla at 9:06 PM on November 1, 2010

I can't wait for this fucking trend to evolve into single-serving sites with a side of cock.

whathasobamadoneandacock.com
isjamesbrownstillaliveandacock.com
isparisinjailrightnowandacock.com
istwitterdownandacock.com
thefuckingweathercock.com
internetrulesandacock.com
doesthemailruntodayandacock.com
posted by carsonb at 9:07 PM on November 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

Huh. Apparently he's done just as little as I thought he had.
posted by serazin

It is because you don't put attention. --- You don't have any idea that in 1944 to the U.S. enter the second world war they put to england some restriction that prevented for them to continue with the English empire. The fucking english people have not forgotten that offense, they keep mingling on it and one dya in the future they will get their revenge. But you forgot that in 2003 we went to war in Iraq based on LIES, Nine billion dollars were lost "Mysteriously" and now is being used to attack the Obama administration ... the rest of the world don't forget that. --- If you haven't put attention to the attitude of the fucking repug's that they are against anything that have any small Obama remarks, they are against!!... we, real people that think and put attention.. Don't forget and keep pushing the issues and keep voting our democratic line.
Is very easy to be against and complaint for everything, probably you were one of the stupids that - "just to be In" voted for Obama in 2008 and now you are against. You have to pull up your pants (if that's what you use) take a firm position and maintain it against all the opposite winds.
posted by CRESTA at 9:17 PM on November 1, 2010 [5 favorites]

Metafilter:thefuckingweathercock.com
posted by clavdivs at 9:18 PM on November 1, 2010

Hey all... yeah, the sites getting hammered, but it should be back in a few minutes.
posted by the jam at 9:22 PM on November 1, 2010

You have to pull up your pants (if that's what you use) take a firm position and maintain it against all the opposite winds.

Take a firm position indeed.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 9:28 PM on November 1, 2010

Answer: not nearly as much as he could have done, nor as much as he said he would do.

It's really about as simple as that.
posted by stevenstevo at 9:31 PM on November 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

It seems his dancing feet are always on my couch.
posted by bwg at 9:39 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Anyway, I think a better question is what haven't Jon McCain and Sarah Palin done
posted by codacorolla at 9:40 PM on November 1, 2010 [15 favorites]

drive a pontiac?
posted by clavdivs at 9:42 PM on November 1, 2010

Boehner. Huh. Huh.
posted by cmoj at 9:48 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Metafilter: Your dad. Daily.
posted by Pants McCracky at 9:50 PM on November 1, 2010

You've heard the lies, now believe the facts
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:52 PM on November 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

Political spin is rarely this positive and informative. Bravo! That said, I'm still voting 3rd party tomorrow.
posted by waxboy at 9:54 PM on November 1, 2010

You can vote at these fucking locations:
Fuck off...I can't find your fucking polling location.

Good thing I voted early, I guess.
posted by immlass at 9:56 PM on November 1, 2010

I expected a hyper-educated president. I'll miss the 'street cred' slang of English; but well... I guess it all sounded cool; and I really hoped for some umph from the CnC instead of the same old lame. Gitmo still open, DADT still in effect; AIDs research still underfunded; yeah, I voted for the words and got no action. Pfffffff. I wanted a 'king' so to speak; the dude is shaping up to be another 'pawn' of the traditional that helped to get him elected.

Cue health care industry bailout in one year.
Cue media industry bailout in two years.

I voted for Obama. I did *not* vote for some proxy of effect that seems to be what is going on.
posted by buzzman at 9:57 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

But this use of "fuck" appropriately conveys my anger/love.
posted by unknowncommand at 10:18 PM on November 1, 2010

Gitmo still open

"On January 22, 2009 the White House announced that President Barack Obama had signed an order to suspend the proceedings of the Guantanamo military commission for 120 days and that the detention facility would be shut down within the year. [...] On May 20, 2009, the United States Senate passed an amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 (H.R. 2346) by a 90-6 vote to block funds needed for the transfer or release of prisoners held at the Guantánamo Bay detention camp."

DADT still in effect

DADT repeal filibustered unanimously by Republicans.

AIDs research still underfunded

Funding for PEPFAR was increased by $165 million in 2009, and is currently on track to meet the original goal of $50 billion in 2013 just a year late. In the middle of the biggest recession in a generation. Disappointing, but as always, Obama is a far better ally in this fight than the slash-happy Tea Party caucus is going to be.
posted by Rhaomi at 10:24 PM on November 1, 2010 [33 favorites]

pull up your pants (if that's what you use) take a firm position and maintain it against all the opposite winds.

My new philosophy.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 10:46 PM on November 1, 2010

Aw, gee. The mean ol' Republicans are being uncooperative. Looks like my party's majorities in the House and Senate just aren't large enough to do all those great things I promised. But don't worry, Citizen! I'll make it up to you with sharply increased drone attacks and escalating TSA bullshit at the airports.
posted by ryanrs at 10:51 PM on November 1, 2010 [4 favorites]

Huh. Apparently he's done just as little as I thought he had.

Wow, it makes me sad when people get like that. I think Obama's doing a fantastic job, and is as good a president as we can expect all things considered. I just don't get the liberal all-or-nothing despondency; let's say you were president, what exactly would you do differently? How do you propose to deal with the GOP fillibustering everything? What about having to go against blue-dog Democrats who are, for all intents, as GOP as you can get?

I'll make it up to you with sharply increased drone attacks and escalating TSA bullshit at the airports.

I am with you on the drone attacks, but I'd like to think that focusing on more important things like ensuring people can afford college and healthcare takes precedence over avoiding security theater.

Honestly, the self-defeating attitude strengthens my resolve to be more positive. I'm more optimistic today than I was in 2008, and you know why? Because now I have more than words to show that he's good at his job and, more importantly, is doing what's right for this country. Do I agree 100%? No, obviously. Obama is not me. But he's definitely the right guy for the job at the right time, and I think history will judge him likewise.
posted by spiderskull at 11:12 PM on November 1, 2010 [23 favorites]

Another thing: I am not going to be pushed into cynicism by the right. Everything they've done (through FOX and through e.g. the Palin choice) seems like it's a ploy to make the left so cynical that they don't get involved in politics. Fuck that, I'm not losing sight of the big picture, and I sure as hell am not giving up. FOX doesn't get to win this round.
posted by spiderskull at 11:14 PM on November 1, 2010 [19 favorites]

Swearing in print isn't actually inherently funny

I respectfully disagree. What The Onion is satirizing there, and similarly brilliantly with their "Holy Fucking Shit: Attack on America" 9/11 issue, is the inability of family newspapers to say naughty words. They're not trying to be funny in a Beavis & Butthead giggly way. (The other headline from the "historical headlines" book that I find hilarious is the one that sets the opening of World War I in such large type that they need to break it into two lines:
WA-
R
. But that's a pretty esoteric joke.)

This is a perfectly good site idea that radically restricts its audience and comes off as trying too hard

You realize there are oodles of perfectly earnest sites that help people find their polling place, right? This is not a niche that begs for expansion. Anyway, the earnest voters probably already know where their fucking polling place is.
posted by dhartung at 11:18 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I had a rant written here, and I read it, and reread it, and it really came to one thing when I boiled it down to a core idea:

There is a vast right-wing conspiracy, and there are a lot of people who actually fucking believe they are telling the truth.
posted by mephron at 11:35 PM on November 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Old'n'Busted: A more serious version: The Obameter - Tracking Obama's Campaign Promises

If their general coverage is as inaccurate as their coverage of ENDA (the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would bar job discrimination on the basis of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender status), the site is not very trustworthy. They a) mistakenly identify GLBT as "gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transexuals" (check that last letter, especially) and b) say that ENDA is "in the works". Obama hasn't done a single thing to push for its passage, and it's mired in committee, same as it has been since before Obama became president. He has most definitely not "place[d] the weight of [his] administration behind" it, nor is he in any real way responsible for it making the (small) amount of progress it has. It'd certainly be nice to see him actually push for it; if he did, I might consider it a real work in progress. As it is now, I despair of it ever passing.
posted by jiawen at 11:42 PM on November 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

"They prescribe that men loyal to the Union, and willing to shed their blood in her behalf, shall no longer be held, with the Nation's consent, in bondage to persistent, malignant traitors, who for twenty years have been plotting and for sixteen months have been fighting to divide and destroy our country. Why these traitors should be treated with tenderness by you, to the prejudice of the dearest rights of loyal men, we cannot conceive."

19th Century version Of WTF in American Politics.
posted by clavdivs at 11:43 PM on November 1, 2010

posted by Ad hominem

I suggest we stage a peaceful, orderly revolt.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:45 PM on November 1, 2010

All I know is that, after being unemployed with zero income and living off of canned beans for 6 months, I was eventually hired by a government agency making more money than I ever have. I was told by several people that the recent hiring of about 1100 of us was because of the Recovery Act funds that were given to them. It's been a year, and we're still hiring.
posted by KogeLiz at 1:05 AM on November 2, 2010 [2 favorites]

serazin:Huh. Apparently he's done just as little as I thought he had.

spiderskull: Wow, it makes me sad when people get like that.


I wonder if serazin perhaps meant that the site doesn't actually display any accomplishments at all - just the text "What the fuck has Obama done so far?" and a big button that says "Big fucking deal. What else?" (and does nothing when clicked.)


(this is probably due to me blocking google and/or facebook javascript, but I can't be bothered to unblock it to find out.)
posted by namewithoutwords at 1:47 AM on November 2, 2010

I don't have a dog in this fight, and I'll happily agree that the McCain/Palin ticket was no better, but seriously, guys. Look at your country. Domestically, you've got something like the highest rate of incarceration in the world. The housing market is lurching from one crisis to another. Your major industries have disappeared, together with half of Detroit. You still haven't figured out what you want on the site of the former World Trade Center.

Overseas, your foreign policy is in disarray. Your troops are scattered over the globe, and nobody knows what they're there for. The only successful battalions are the ones playing Bomb the Villagers via remote control. Your so-called allies happily admit to taking bags of cash from your enemies, and why shouldn't they? Iran is nothing more than oil wells and cheap gold braid but it's got more international credibility than you do.

I guess Obama inherited the pseudo-wars and the economy, and he can't fix things overnight, but at least he's reformed things that are under the control of the executive ... right? I mean you've stopped outsourcing your torture, right? And you've renounced the use of extraordinary rendition? And the airports are running normally, and passengers get treated like grownups again, right? And the Chief of the Army won't fire gays anymore?

I was going to post a long snarky thing about the promises your President allegedly kept, but forget it. Look at them. They're filled with stupid bits of flimflam like "appointing a Chief Technology Officer". Your country has real problems and your government is just dicking around.
posted by Joe in Australia at 2:29 AM on November 2, 2010 [6 favorites]

Iran's got more international credibility than you do.

Repeated so you can gauge the credibility of the above poster.
posted by joe lisboa at 3:56 AM on November 2, 2010

Repeated so you can gauge the credibility of the above poster.

The world's a big place mate, some of those funny looking fellas don't even speak English!
posted by fullerine at 4:05 AM on November 2, 2010

UNHANDLED EXCEPTION is nowhere near my house!

Lucky. It's right down the street from me. Core dumps and dangling pointers everywhere. It's ugly.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 4:17 AM on November 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

If you really really have no idea what has thus far been done in two years, then compare this with the previous two years before Obama took office

http://kaystreet.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/obama-administration%E2%80%99s-achievements-thus-far/
posted by Postroad at 4:42 AM on November 2, 2010

I do wish people would stop complaining about the Democratic majorities not coming. It's not a simple numbers game, especially in the Senate, where things were constantly held up by Republicans and Democrats. Having a simple majority isn't enough, ya gotta be able to break a Senate filibuster.
posted by nomadicink at 4:52 AM on November 2, 2010

George Bush Jr had achievements too!
posted by nomadicink at 5:13 AM on November 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

If Obama is so great, why didn't HE kill Hitler?

What's he hiding?
posted by blue_beetle at 5:30 AM on November 2, 2010 [4 favorites]

I cannot in good conscience blame the president for the bad behavior of his political party. He doesn't have many options about who to work with.
posted by LogicalDash at 6:30 AM on November 2, 2010

I'm sick of these weak kneed centrists, it's almost like they never intended for the proletariat to rise up and topple the decadent running dog capitalists.

This completely non-ironically why I'm upset at Obama et al. I want a legitimate left-wing socialist party. We want to continue to keep BP and the Wall St crew because massive multi-national corporations are really the pinnacle of our civilization? Capitalism is the god of the United States, not a natural imperative.
posted by fuq at 7:11 AM on November 2, 2010 [3 favorites]

WHADDAYA MEAN HE HASN'T DONE IN A YEAR AND A HALF WHAT WE EXPECTED TO BE DONE IN FOUR YEARS?

GRR SO MAD
posted by Edison Carter at 7:23 AM on November 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

ALSO: LANGUAGE, PEOPLE! THE INTERNET IS NO PLACE FOR EFFWORDS!
posted by Edison Carter at 7:27 AM on November 2, 2010

Palin said the other day that the American people have given Obama two years to turn things around, and he hasn't done it yet.

Someone needs to tell this woman that terms for things like presidents and governors are four years, not two.
posted by shakespeherian at 7:27 AM on November 2, 2010 [2 favorites]

Reading grousing about Obama makes me really dislike people.
posted by anniecat at 7:48 AM on November 2, 2010 [4 favorites]

Hey, Joe in Australia? You're in Australia. Think about that one for a minute. I know we have some issues here in the good old US of A, but... Australia.

This message brought to you by a guy who sure the heck isn't in... Australia.
posted by mikeh at 8:25 AM on November 2, 2010

I voted for ROBOT MONSTER because I feel he's a candidate who can really get things done.
posted by Edison Carter at 8:55 AM on November 2, 2010

"It's been a year, and we're still hiring."

Can I get an application?
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 9:09 AM on November 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Of course! He is both a robot and a monster, like Mechagodzilla. You may have questioned its motives, but no one ever doubted Mechagodzilla's prowess.
posted by Mister_A at 9:15 AM on November 2, 2010

If Obama is so great, why didn't HE kill Hitler?

Have you ever seen them in the same room?

WAKE UP SHEEPLE
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 9:33 AM on November 2, 2010

namewithoutwords: I wonder if serazin perhaps meant that the site doesn't actually display any accomplishments at all - just the text "What the fuck has Obama done so far?" and a big button that says "Big fucking deal. What else?" (and does nothing when clicked.)

Aw man, if this is the case, then I sincerely apologize. I should know better than to jump to conclusions. In any case, my rants really shouldn't be aimed at specific individuals -- it's more the collective behavior of the left that upsets me. I mean, I understand why people are disappointed, I just wish folks took a larger view of the situation.
posted by spiderskull at 10:15 AM on November 2, 2010

tl;dr
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:22 AM on November 2, 2010

At least he's built more than he's destroyed, something you couldn't really say about the previous administration. If you see it in those terms than Obama could have done nothing at all and still be ahead of Bush.
posted by Summer at 10:25 AM on November 2, 2010

Seriously, I expected him to fix every fucking single problem we had. Every one. But he and his stupid Democratic cronies didn't, they just cherrypicked a few and left us with all the remaining ones, the starving children, the spineless unions, the military-industrial complex, the heartless, moneygrubbing banks, and the racist, selfish minions who want to hack back to the path GWBushCo had us on. So fuck him, just fuck him.

Of course, it does feel kind of good to have had two years where the concern was not going fast enough in a progressive direction, rather than mounting horror at the speed of decline down the regressive slope. But I guess we'll get back to that soon.
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:34 AM on November 2, 2010

Any foreign-policy accomplishments?
posted by John Cohen at 10:56 AM on November 2, 2010

Hasn't started any new wars. That's a step up.
posted by nomadicink at 11:12 AM on November 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

If you're in office 24 hours and are still torturing people when you could stop it with a phone call, you should be tried for war crimes.
posted by Galaxor Nebulon at 11:43 AM on November 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Obama isn't torturing anyone, so we're good on that front.
posted by nomadicink at 11:45 AM on November 2, 2010

Obama isn't torturing anyone, so we're good on that front.

Sez you. He told me last week he'd have a surprise by this coming Friday, but he won't give me any hints. Which, if you're curious like me, is sheer torture.

Goddammit, Barry.
posted by Edison Carter at 11:48 AM on November 2, 2010

Hasn't started any new wars. That's a step up.

If you want to draw the line there, OK. But that's rather arbitrary. He has he taken new military action.
posted by John Cohen at 11:55 AM on November 2, 2010

Sure, but every President does THAT.
posted by nomadicink at 12:22 PM on November 2, 2010

And Obama has done a LOT of that.

And I asked about "foreign-policy accomplishments," not just "wars."
posted by John Cohen at 12:24 PM on November 2, 2010

In other words, as far as I can tell, that website is just listing domestic achievements.

Most of those are signing legislation that are presumably favored by the website writer and reader.

If there are people out there who are inclined to like Obama's legislation but are under the mistaken impression that Obama hasn't signed any important legislation, and this website lets them know he actually has, great. But I think most Americans know he has signed legislation.

It's important for the President to promote and sign laws, but Congress is the main body in charge of legislation. The main thing the President is in charge of is foreign policy. If a website whose sole purpose is listing Obama's accomplishments and it has nothing about foreign policy (I don't know if that's the case, since I don't see a way to view the whole list), that's noteworthy.
posted by John Cohen at 12:29 PM on November 2, 2010

Why don't people judge actions instead of making some blanket assertion about the quality of his presidency? From my perspective, I really hate the drone attacks, I'm angered by Afghanistan (and the complacency of most Americans -- we're in a god damned war, and you can't even tell), and I feel the healthcare reform bill wasn't strong enough (which I blame Congress for). So I judge those specific actions as decisions I'm strongly against.

But I also like a lot of the administration's other accomplishments -- wall street reform is hugely important, credit card laws will have real benefits to Americans ("professional cards" notwithstanding), student loan/funding reform, sensible mortgage restrictions, even the small changes in the current health insurance bill have started helping the people most in need ,etc etc etc. Those actions I judge as positive.

So as a whole, it's not a perfect presidency. But I'm glad as hell to have this administration, and barring something disastrous, I look forward to a next term. That's where the unimpeded progressive politics will happen -- mark my words.
posted by spiderskull at 12:54 PM on November 2, 2010

It's important for the President to promote and sign laws, but Congress is the main body in charge of legislation

While this is true, the President is enormously influential in the process: both engaging the public and convincing/pressuring legislators to vote. There's no way Congress would have passed Health Care Reform without him. On that and a couple other pieces of high profile legislation he did a lot and is certainly a major player in it getting passed.
posted by wildcrdj at 1:04 PM on November 2, 2010

wildcrdj has it. The way politics works in the US in the 21st century, and for a while before then, is that the president highlights issues and makes proposals, which Congress then fights about. Think about all the big domestic legislation of the past 10-plus years: No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D, the failed effort to privatize Social Security, TARP, health insurance reform, the economic stimulus, credit card reform-- all were cooked up in the executive branch.

Now, you can argue that this is a bad thing, or a temporary consequence of ephemeral factors, but that is how it works around here these days.
posted by ibmcginty at 1:41 PM on November 2, 2010

Get Bold, Barack
posted by Joe in Australia at 3:01 PM on November 2, 2010

How Dare You Call Obama a Keynesian
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:14 PM on November 2, 2010

Meanwhile, Fox News has reported that there was ... GASP... a Black Man standing outside a polling station in Philadelphia. Surely Congressional hearings are called for.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 8:28 PM on November 2, 2010

If the best we can say about Obama is that he's better than George Bush, that's not very much, is it?

Obama is a dynamic speaker, a skilled diplomat, an extremely sharp, bright person, and deeply symbolically important given this country's racist history. Yet is our collective imagination so small that we can't aspire to someone better? Are we so cowed by the previous administration that we refuse to question one of the most powerful human beings on the planet?

Obama opened his presidency by appointing a timidly "centrist" (in other places called center right) cabinet including the same anti-regulation bankers who destroyed our economy to head up the economic team. (And he doesn't even begrudge that illustrious profession their outrageous salaries.)

He continues this unwinnable war in Afghanistan, this terrible drone fighting, and of course not just Guantanamo but also other secret detention sites.

His administration has actively fought reforms to Don't Ask Don't Tell and he has always publicly opposed gay marriage.

His health care reform started off extremely timid and got watered down from there.

I could go on ad nauseum, but this is annoying already. My point is, we're not going to get anything if we constantly start with a compromise position. We need to push our leaders, particularly our Democratic leaders who are actually pushable, to create real, inspiring, meaningful programs of large-scale change. If you go to your boss asking for a raise, do you start with the assumption, "Oh, he's trying, but life is hard for the boss, so I'll only ask for a 2 cent increase." or do you go in asking for a bit more than what your realistically hope for? We need to pressure elected officials for what we really want, not be satisfied with bullshit that is barely better than George Bush.
posted by serazin at 8:29 PM on November 2, 2010

Best off keeping the ones who are more likely to go in the direction you want in power, then. That way there's at least a chance of getting what you want. Let the other team in and you can be guaranteed that you won't get what you want and in fact might get a whole lot of shit that you definitely do not want.

And what's so bad about Australia?
posted by h00py at 9:09 PM on November 2, 2010

Obviously this is mostly a reflection of the intellectual bankruptcy of the Republican/Tea Party, but the incoming Speaker had this to say about the role of the president vis a vis Congress: "While our new majority will serve as your voice in the people's House, we must remember it's the president who sets the agenda for our government."
posted by ibmcginty at 7:57 AM on November 3, 2010

All this reminds me of mediaeval times when a new monarch would have to execute 20 enemies, start a new foreign war and viciously put down all rebellions within six months of ascending the throne if he wasn't to be deposed by his bastard brother/the King of France/the most powerful lord. Obama hasn't shown his teeth.
posted by Summer at 8:13 AM on November 3, 2010

Well we won't have to worry about Obama accomplishing anything in the next two years, since he's going to be too busy fighting off impeachment proceedings. And then in 2012, when we get a Republican president, I guess the "left" will be really happy, since they always seem to prefer Republicans in control.

Really at this point, the only difference between the Republicans nd the far left in America is the Republicans like their tax cuts.
posted by happyroach at 12:29 PM on November 3, 2010

My position before and since Obama got elected has been that there's actually a good chance that he will do important good things domestically, and that the President really doesn't have a whole lot of flexibility with the US foreign policy agenda, so it's kind of pointless to expect much on that front. I don't think anyone in Pakistan seriously thinks that the identity of the individual in the White House will make any significant difference to the number of drone attacks visited upon us.
posted by bardophile at 2:14 AM on November 6, 2010

Hey, look, a counterpoint!
posted by Apocryphon at 12:40 PM on November 9, 2010 [3 favorites]

Point and counterpoint as FPP? I'd read it. Except I already have.
posted by Galen at 8:12 PM on November 17, 2010