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pkang0202

Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 3:42 pm Post subject: Obama the Candidate v. Obama the President |
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| Seems to me they are 2 completely different people. Thoughts? |
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Troutslayer
Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Location: Dark Side of the Moon
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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Pleanty....buuuuuuut, I'd like to see those who claimed him to be their poltical messiah come out and share their thoughts first.
slayer of trout |
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sqrlnutz123
Joined: 15 Jun 2009 Location: South Korea
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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| As with any political candidate what they say they're going to do and what they actually do are not the same. Very few exceptions. I doubt he ever had any intention of "Hope and Change"-ing. It was all a sham to get himself elected. |
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djsmnc

Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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Anyone with sense already knew the outcome.
Of course, by the time it got to this point, there was really nothing the aforementioned sensible ones could do. |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject: Re: Obama the Candidate v. Obama the President |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
| Seems to me they are 2 completely different people. Thoughts? |
Oh, man.
See, I was ready to agree with you when I opened the thread, but you haven't done any of your homework. How about some statements he's made versus actions he's taken?
I'm not going to just be a dick, I'll add some articles.
[url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-091015rossi_briefs,0,3945215.story]
Chicago Tribune: QB Obama[/url]
| Quote: |
He criticized Gauntanamo, but now has admitted he can't close it when he promised.
He criticized rendition as a candidate (sending terrorists to other countries for questioning), but has continued the policy as president. He criticized the Bush administration for changing their policy on Iraq, yet he is now considering changing his policy in Afghanistan, which is just six months old.
He criticized and disagreed with the Bush surge strategy in Iraq as a candidate, but follows it faithfully now and it continues to work while Afghanistan gets worse under his own strategy.
He criticized Bush on Iran, but Iran continues to thumb its nose at the world and the IAEA says that Iran now has the knowledge to build a nuclear bomb and could have one in just six months.
Obama criticized Bush economics and promised that his massive $787 billion stimulus would keep unemployment no higher than 8 percent. Unfortunately unemployment is now 9.8 percent, forecasts say that it will exceed 10 percent, and we now are trillions of dollars in debt to boot. |
And MSNBC's the Candidate v the President
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In office two months, he has backpedaled on an array of issues, gingerly shifting positions as circumstances dictate while ducking for political cover to avoid undercutting his credibility and authority. That's happened on the Iraq troop withdrawal timeline, on lobbyists in his administration and on money for lawmakers' pet projects.
He spent most of the campaign promising to bring combat troops home from Iraq 16 months after taking office, though he left himself wiggle room.
After directing his commanders to map out a responsible pullout, President Obama adjusted that timeline to 19 months and said 50,000 troops, about one-third of the current force, would remain.
While campaigning, Obama frequently swiped at lobbyists, saying, "When I am president, they won't find a job in my White House."
Then he took office and had to fill thousands of positions. He did allow former lobbyists to join his administration. But he imposed ethics rules barring them from dealing with matters related to their lobbying work or joining agencies that they had lobbied in the previous two years. In several cases, he has made outright exceptions.
Obama the candidate pledged to curb spending directed at lawmakers' pet projects; they're known in Washington as "earmarks." Obama the president signed an "imperfect" $410 billion budget measure that included 8,500 earmarks.
He had little choice. The measure, a holdover from last year, was needed to keep government from shutting down. But to blunt the fallout, Obama outlined guidelines to ensure tighter restraints on the spending and made a new promise: Future earmarks won't become law so easily. |
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sqrlnutz123
Joined: 15 Jun 2009 Location: South Korea
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Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 2:14 am Post subject: Re: Obama the Candidate v. Obama the President |
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| Quote: |
Oh, man.
See, I was ready to agree with you when I opened the thread, but you haven't done any of your homework. How about some statements he's made versus actions he's taken?
I'm not going to just be a dick, I'll add some articles. |
What are you talking about?? Just cause someone doesn't post a string of boring articles to support their position, they're a d****? Anybody who's not been living under a rock knows Obama didn't follow through on numerous huge campaign promises. This is especially evident in his case because of the fervor that surrounded him. This isn't writing 101, we don't need to cite references on this board. So, despite your best intentions, you have become exactly that which you ascribe. |
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zipper
Joined: 22 Jul 2009 Location: Ruben Carter was falsely accused
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Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| The republicans and Democrats seem to complement one another quite well. Until Americans get alternative parties with a stronger political voice in Government the current parties will always complement each other's political initiatives and policies. |
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pkang0202

Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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| zipper wrote: |
| The republicans and Democrats seem to complement one another quite well. Until Americans get alternative parties with a stronger political voice in Government the current parties will always complement each other's political initiatives and policies. |
But Obama was suppose to bring "CHANGE" and the "YES WE CAN!" |
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Kuros
Joined: 27 Apr 2004
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Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:53 pm Post subject: Re: Obama the Candidate v. Obama the President |
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| sqrlnutz123 wrote: |
| Quote: |
Oh, man.
See, I was ready to agree with you when I opened the thread, but you haven't done any of your homework. How about some statements he's made versus actions he's taken?
I'm not going to just be a dick, I'll add some articles. |
What are you talking about?? Just cause someone doesn't post a string of boring articles to support their position, they're a d****? |
Read my post again. I wasnt calling him a dick. I was saying I wasnt going to be a dick and just criticize without adding anything to the thread.
| sqrlnutz123 wrote: |
| So, despite your best intentions, you have become exactly that which you ascribe. |
Yeah, uh, I pretty much admitted I was being a dick. But
I've still contributed more to this thread than your hijack.
| sqrlnutz123 wrote: |
| Anybody who's not been living under a rock knows Obama didn't follow through on numerous huge campaign promises. This is especially evident in his case because of the fervor that surrounded him. This isn't writing 101, we don't need to cite references on this board. |
It took me 1 minute to google those articles, and an entire 2 more minutes to post them.
-------------------
Anyway, I dont know that we should be surprised at some of Obama's reversals or 'moderations.' Some of his campaign promises were made in the heat of the Democratic 'Bush-bash' primary, where the contenders could be polite to each other just by taking swipes at the incumbent. Others of his reforms will be passed down the road.
But what really bothers me is the campaign promises he has stuck to: passing an economic Stimulus and holding to Bush's TARP. |
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huffdaddy
Joined: 25 Nov 2005
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Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 3:51 am Post subject: |
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http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/
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The Obameter Scorecard
* Promise Kept 47 - 9%
* Compromise 12 - 2%
* Promise Broken 7 - 1%
* Stalled 13 - 3%
* In the Works 123 - 24%
* No Action 313 - 61% |
(percentages mine)
Total 515
% of term completed: 19%
Not sure how that compares to other POTUS, but it looks like he's making good progress. Why would a person who didn't vote for him in the first place be concerned about him keeping his promises anyways? Trying to stir up discontent? |
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blade
Joined: 30 Jun 2007
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pkang0202

Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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I'm with Huffdaddy on this. It looks to me like Obama has made progress on several fronts that are important to me. Nine months vs 48 months. Isn't it a bit early to be demanding completion? It seems the same people who say Obama hasn't delivered on his promises are the same people who say he is trying to do too much.
Beyond that, I think anyone who insists on strictly holding candidates to promises is probably too naive to live more than 10-15 meters away from Mom or some other responsible adult. The measure is: How close to the promise was the candidate able to come by the end of his term, given the political reality that presidents are not dictators? Politics moves by increments, not leaps and bounds.
Some things he's delivered on:
1) Fundamental change in how the executive relates to the legislative branch. This is profoundly different than the imperial presidency we've all grown used to in modern times. During the campaign he talked a lot about doing business differently in Washington, but I don't recall him talking specifically about this.
2) A year ago the economy was teetering on the brink. Things have improved about a million % since then. (TARP is a part of that.) Obama should get a lot of credit for helping to create a more secure atmosphere.
3) His less aggressive foreign policy is moving in the right direction. By all accounts the level of anti-Americanism has declined.
4) We're closer than ever before to getting some kind of health insurance reform. No honest observer can say that Obama has rammed his views down Congress' throat. The minority--the loser in the last election--has had enormous impact on the legislation as currently proposed in spite of large Democratic majorities.
Kudos to the OP for posting this: "FoxNews.com reviewed some of Obama's biggest campaign promises, and how his actions have measured up. The verdicts are ranked as promise kept, partly kept, work in progress, not yet addressed and promise broken."  |
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mises
Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Location: retired
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| 1) Fundamental change in how the executive relates to the legislative branch. This is profoundly different than the imperial presidency we've all grown used to in modern times. During the campaign he talked a lot about doing business differently in Washington, but I don't recall him talking specifically about this. |
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/11/01/state_secrets/index.html
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| 2) A year ago the economy was teetering on the brink. Things have improved about a million % since then. (TARP is a part of that.) Obama should get a lot of credit for helping to create a more secure atmosphere. |
They've blown a newer, bigger bubble:
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Nouriel-Roubini-Big-Crash-indexuniverse-1323647540.html?x=0&.v=1
Nouriel Roubini:
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There�s a huge bubble, because we have zero rates in the U.S., zero rates around the world and a huge carry trade. Everyone is borrowing at zero interest rates in dollars and getting a capital gain because the dollar is weakening, so they are borrowing at negative rates. And then they invest in risky assets:commodities, equities, credit. We�re creating a bigger bubble than before.
It�s going to go crashing down, in an ugly way. ... I don�t know when the correction is going to occur, it could be a while longer, but eventually it will be a pretty ugly correction, across many different asset classes. |
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| 3) His less aggressive foreign policy is moving in the right direction. By all accounts the level of anti-Americanism has declined. |
Richard Perle would disagree with you. The policy is the same. The advertising just changed.
http://maxkeiser.com/2009/11/01/sunday-video-club-afshin-rattansi-interviews-richard-perle/
He's a week or so away from announcing an escalation in Afghanistan. ?
| Quote: |
| 4) We're closer than ever before to getting some kind of health insurance reform. No honest observer can say that Obama has rammed his views down Congress' throat. The minority--the loser in the last election--has had enormous impact on the legislation as currently proposed in spite of large Democratic majorities. |
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/29988909/sick_and_wrong/print |
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pkang0202

Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
Kudos to the OP for posting this: "FoxNews.com reviewed some of Obama's biggest campaign promises, and how his actions have measured up. The verdicts are ranked as promise kept, partly kept, work in progress, not yet addressed and promise broken."  |
Are you discrediting the source just because its from FoxNews? Come on, I thought the article was written pretty well. If FoxNews was the mouthpiece of Republicans, why not just say Obama has failed on all fronts? |
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