Get serious, stop arguing, the president doesn't matter (Congress, healthcare, Obama)

[ChrisFromChicago]

Freakonomics » How Much Does the President Really Matter?



I really see a lot of wasted space on this board. Romney this and Obama that. Its almost humors. Does Obama get credit or negative for the last 4-years. The stock market is up, blah blah blah blah.


You hear about "setting the tone". People point to legislation like "Obamacare" . . . Then they do crazy things like say that things will be different versus Romney or Obama.

From an economic sense:
no. Get real. WTF do you think a president can do with that many moving parts. And you think Romney and/or Obama will have any real difference in taxes? Their tax plans are nothing but insignificant wish lists (if I had power, and PRESIDENT, I would do this tax plan).


Healthcare Reform:
Even if we get a slight shift, and two republican controled houses (doubtful) it will be by such a thin majority that Fillibusters can still kill. . .and Republicans will need 100% to get anything passed. Plus people love some of the features (whoo hoo pre-existing conditions) End result: Healthcare reform doesn't change. . . significantly. No matter who is president.

War:
Yeah, this is where the power is. To call us into battle. . .Funny that religion and being a warhawk go hand in hand in this climate.

Supreme Court:
My vote swings on this. . .the ability to change the makeup of the supreme court in the next 4-years is potentially one of the biggest reasons to vote for a president.

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

I'd say the power to veto a bill is also pretty significant, but I agree - we've somehow convinced ourselves that the President is our king who is able to control everything the government does. Thankfully, we have a wide range of checks and balances which prevent that from happening.

I loved this line: “I think people think that the President is a benevolent despot determining our fortunes when in reality I think the President is just sitting in the co-pilot seat of a plane that’s already on auto-pilot.”

[MatildaLoo]

Many people in this country line up behind their candidate of choice the way they line up behind their favorite sports team. Doesn't matter if their team's rival wins a lot of games or has a respectable season; they'll still proclaim that the rival team "sux" and their team is superior.

Same thing with both sides of the aisle. Democrats are "loony." Republicans are "evil." And one or the other is going to change everything. Meanwhile there are plenty of things we ourselves can do to change the country, yet it's easier to point at the government and say "they need to fix this" rather than take personal responsibility.

I do have to say that having a good figurehead in office is important for foreign affairs. If other countries perceive us as weak or pathetic, that's bad for America in many ways. I know that there are people who are so patriotic that they think America is the best and the hell with the rest, but in reality we do not live in a bubble. We either have to accept the nature of the global village or be prepare to see our country lose its superpower status.

[HappyTexan]

It's Congress who make the laws and control the purse string.

And look at the idiots that Americans vote into Congress.