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...that's my assertion. And it is NOT meant to defend Obama. He could have done plenty of things better - such as sold the health care bill more transparently and moved more quickly on the oil spill.
But here's why I think that:
1. ECONOMY - This economy is going to take years to recover. It is impossible to make all of those lost jobs quickly reappear because you can't make the consumer quickly recover. Furthermore, in any attempt to "fix" the economy, the incumbent policy maker is faced with a horrible catch 22 situation: either put the gas pedal to public spending and incentives to help prop up consumers and corporations now and pile on the deficit...or cut public spending to avoid the deficit problems but then encourage a depressed economic equilibrium for years. Take your pick! Neither is popular.
2. OIL SPILL - I think Obama should have moved more decisively on this, but I am a skeptic of the notion that the situation on the ground today would look significantly better under anyone else. Bureaucracy is bureaucracy, and it is largely immune to political affiliation. There still wouldn't be enough floatable boom, there would still be some confusion at the local level, BP would still be unable to fix the leak, and oil would still be washing up on shore - it's just humanly impossible to have 100% containment with such a gargantuan disaster.
3. AFGHANISTAN / IRAQ - This whole quagmire of a situation was LOST from Day One. With respect to the goals of the US, the situation is hopeless and failure is assured. You simply cannot stabilize nations such as these and institute an American-style democratic republic into it - just not ever gonna happen. Imperialism/colonialism has never worked as expected in the history of the whole world, and it's not going to change now. Furthermore, now that we're in it, the consequences of pulling out and letting the place turn into an anarchy are very bad - but that's the inevitable result since Bush started this mess. Anyone who inherited this inherited a losing mess.
Those are three of the biggest things in our environment today, and they are all being rules by factors largely beyond the control of any presidential figure. So that's why I say...nobody who had the misfortune of being president right now would be popular - Democrat or Republican.
...that's my assertion. And it is NOT meant to defend Obama. He could have done plenty of things better - such as sold the health care bill more transparently and moved more quickly on the oil spill.
But here's why I think that:
1. ECONOMY - This economy is going to take years to recover. It is impossible to make all of those lost jobs quickly reappear because you can't make the consumer quickly recover. Furthermore, in any attempt to "fix" the economy, the incumbent policy maker is faced with a horrible catch 22 situation: either put the gas pedal to public spending and incentives to help prop up consumers and corporations now and pile on the deficit...or cut public spending to avoid the deficit problems but then encourage a depressed economic equilibrium for years. Take your pick! Neither is popular.
2. OIL SPILL - I think Obama should have moved more decisively on this, but I am a skeptic of the notion that the situation on the ground today would look significantly better under anyone else. Bureaucracy is bureaucracy, and it is largely immune to political affiliation. There still wouldn't be enough floatable boom, there would still be some confusion at the local level, BP would still be unable to fix the leak, and oil would still be washing up on shore - it's just humanly impossible to have 100% containment with such a gargantuan disaster.
3. AFGHANISTAN / IRAQ - This whole quagmire of a situation was LOST from Day One. With respect to the goals of the US, the situation is hopeless and failure is assured. You simply cannot stabilize nations such as these and institute an American-style democratic republic into it - just not ever gonna happen. Imperialism/colonialism has never worked as expected in the history of the whole world, and it's not going to change now. Furthermore, now that we're in it, the consequences of pulling out and letting the place turn into an anarchy are very bad - but that's the inevitable result since Bush started this mess. Anyone who inherited this inherited a losing mess.
Those are three of the biggest things in our environment today, and they are all being rules by factors largely beyond the control of any presidential figure. So that's why I say...nobody who had the misfortune of being president right now would be popular - Democrat or Republican.
Oh, yes it is. If McCain had been elected it would be ALL HIS FAULT. It wouldn't matter what the topic was. The lengths we'll go to fool ourselves into thinking we are not partisan.
ANYBODY in office right now would have poor popularity
Not if the current officeholder were to refer to his predecessors in descriptive common-speak of the vulgate when addressing the subject of a profane act originating from that predecessor's watch or allowance.
Course, then again, I'm not sure even Hitler did that.
Oh, yes it is. If McCain had been elected it would be ALL HIS FAULT. It wouldn't matter what the topic was. The lengths we'll go to fool ourselves into thinking we are not partisan.
Actually, that's not my intention and that is also not particular opinion with respect to McCain. Please don't try to speak for me; I can speak for myself, thank you.
Actually, that's not my intention and that is also not particular opinion with respect to McCain. Please don't try to speak for me; I can speak for myself, thank you.
Oh, so you're not trying to fool us, you're trying to fool yourself. I'm sorry I got in the way. Please, proceed.
Oh, so you're not trying to fool us, you're trying to fool yourself. I'm sorry I got in the way. Please, proceed.
Look, I know who I am and what I stand for. You obviously don't, and you don't speak for me - so how about you keep your opinions focused on the topics at hand and not on what you think you know about me and my intentions, ok? I'll extend you the same courtesy.
For the record, my opinion is: Obama has made mistakes and is, on the whole, in a very crappy situation beyond his near-term control. If McCain were president, he would also make some mistakes and would be in a very crappy situation beyond his near-term control. Not much difference either way, so I wouldn't assign either one of them much more or less blame than the other. People tend to focus on instant gratification and would be unhappy with the circumstances either way. People also tend to like to think that the grass would somehow be magically greener on the other side - unfortunately, I don't think it works that way in these particular circumstances.
That could have been true even in the great Depression but wasn't.No one thinks we are in for anyhting but a long slow recovery and that reflcts the hoding going o from private to corporate. Its may take decades for the hardest hit areas to see some recovery.
Look, I know who I am and what I stand for. You obviously don't, and you don't speak for me - so how about you keep your opinions focused on the topics at hand and not on what you think you know about me and my intentions, ok? I'll extend you the same courtesy.
For the record, my opinion is: Obama has made mistakes and is, on the whole, in a very crappy situation beyond his near-term control. If McCain were president, he would also make some mistakes and would be in a very crappy situation beyond his near-term control. Not much difference either way, so I wouldn't assign either one of them much more or less blame than the other. People tend to focus on instant gratification and would be unhappy with the circumstances either way. People also tend to like to think that the grass would somehow be magically greener on the other side - unfortunately, I don't think it works that way in these particular circumstances.
That's what i can't stand about the repugs, they are always so quick to jump to false assumptions and start all the attacking/name calling.
I agree it doesn't matter if obama, mccain, nader or mickey mouse was in office right now there is no way to magically turn the country around after the severe downward spiral the country was going at the end of the bush admin, and continues to fall from the aftermath with no quick way to stop it. Obama is realistic and has stated it would take at least 2 terms to get the country back on track at that may be a conservative estimate.
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ANYBODY in office right now would have poor popularity
