Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Well on that score hate to break to you, but myself and others had Obama down as a "hypocrite" almost from the get go.
Notice how fast he "evolved" on the issue of same sex marriage when gays (especially white gays and their supporters, who then and now are some of the wealthiest pals Obama has), told him unless he got with the program no more money would be forthcoming.
Live in NYC and also here to tell you Obama and the "one percent" have been cozy for a long time. Numerous times parts of the Upper East Side (the very wealthy part of NYC) was blocked off along Park, Madison or Fifth avenues because Obama was being feted or hosted by one of Manhattan's wealthy elite families. Ditto for other haunts in NYC of the rich and famous such as Greenwich Village, West Village, Tribeca....
Barack Obama had a very cozy relationship to Wall Street and was here all the time attending this or that fundraiser or event held on his behalf.
Here is a little secret; many assume WASPs/conservatives still are running things and or are the powers behind Wall Street or other wealthy sectors. Not a bit of it.
While the Koch bothers are a force to be watched a huge portion of the "one percent" is made up of the billionaires and millionaires that form a large part of the liberal/left base. Tech giants such as Steve Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos and so forth all of who have more money/are worth more in assets than many with names like Vanderbilt or Rockefeller.
Look at where the Obamas took these vacations that are ticking some people off and who owns those properties. The Obamas aren't just part of the "rich" but mingling and perhaps now firmly part of what is called the "global/international" wealthy.
Wow. It sounds like it goes pretty deep and wide spread
I took his take on his campaigning and speeches on rich people hypocritical to some of the things he is doing now.
Sounds like it's a whole lot more.
I think the reality is 99% of people who could get into the Presidency are already rich. How else could someone survive being on the campaign trail if they didn't have a cache of money to fall back on?
I would be skeptical of anyone who outright bashed the wealthy while being successful at campaigning (eg Bernie bashed the wealthy but wasn't successful). Again I don't think there's anything wrong with pointing out flaws in a certain group... I mean Trump has poked at Wall Street, obviously he doesn't think they're all snakes. I'd call those legitimate criticisms he had while still acknowledging they're good at what they do. That's how I saw Obama at least. I didn't feel like he was wealth shaming me (do feel that with Bernie and some of the more far left peeps).
Myself, I remember Obama giving speeches on the rich etc.
Yes, Obama gave speeches on "the rich", but you also have to look at who he ran with and peopled his administration.
Timothy Geithner along with a long list of white wealthy or at least comfortably well off persons not only made up Obama's inner circle but were appointed to positions in government.
Keep in mind Obama spent much of his college and graduate school years surrounded by the sons and daughters of the "wealthy", many of who went onto becoming his close friends and again peopled his presidential administration.
Am by no means calling you a racist; but people need to open up their eyes and look at Obama as a whole, and not just through the blinders of his so called "superstar" status.
Final point; African Americans waited, hoped, yearned and prayed for one of their own to become POTUS for over one hundred years. When that event finally happened just how much truly changed for that group over the next eight years? The one minority group that largely came out streets ahead was gays, lesbians and trannies. Oh and the rich got richer and largely recouped all that they lost and then some during the great recession. Meanwhile African-Americans as a whole on average were no better off in 2016 than they were in 2008.
All I see is photos of the Obamas on vacation. And wow, do they deserve it after the crap they put up with from the disgruntled right wingers and haters for 8 years! And apparently are still putting up with by the looks of the OP posts and all those extremist right wing sites.
Good for them. Couldn't wish them well more. I'd get out of the country too if I could. Who wants to sit around and listen to Trump whine, complain, blame, make excuses, insult people and act like a little brat?
Lol. Trump takes even more vacations and oops--he's supposed to be president.
Yes, Obama gave speeches on "the rich", but you also have to look at who he ran with and peopled his administration.
Timothy Geithner along with a long list of white wealthy or at least comfortably well off persons not only made up Obama's inner circle but were appointed to positions in government.
Keep in mind Obama spent much of his college and graduate school years surrounded by the sons and daughters of the "wealthy", many of who went onto becoming his close friends and again peopled his presidential administration.
Am by no means calling you a racist; but people need to open up their eyes and look at Obama as a whole, and not just through the blinders of his so called "superstar" status.
Final point; African Americans waited, hoped, yearned and prayed for one of their own to become POTUS for over one hundred years. When that event finally happened just how much truly changed for that group over the next eight years? The one minority group that largely came out streets ahead was gays, lesbians and trannies. Oh and the rich got richer and largely recouped all that they lost and then some during the great recession. Meanwhile African-Americans as a whole on average were no better off in 2016 than they were in 2008.
I agree with you most of the time but here I have to ask, what's wrong with hiring people who happen to be successful at what they do? Tim Geithner was wealthy but he was also well qualified... for that position, who are you going to hire except someone who has banking or economics experience (generally not poor people)?
And would you innately be skeptical of anyone with an Ivy League education just because there's a good chance they were surrounded by wealthy kids? So our presidents have to be poor themselves, have only poor friends, and also have gone to low performing or state schools only???
I find your last criticism to be legitimate. Though given a lot of people think (usually conservatives) that he gave AA too MUCH preference, to the point of being weak on crime, using discriminatory hiring practices to favor black people, and never taking the side of white cops.... I kind of feel like he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.
Who cares that Obama vacations? He's earned it. And he has enough of his own money to take luxury vacations. So what?
There has been a feeling within the DNC and certain other sectors for sometime now that Obama did little to cultivate a "bench" while in office, and is doing less now to help the DNC when they sorely can use assistance. Instead much of whatever "rock star" status BO has or had is going towards his own purposes.
Part of the democrats problems started nearly after the 2008 and certainly by the 2012 elections; that superstar status of Obama wasn't holding and not helping democrats as they thought it would. Yes, BO himself proved popular, but down race often was a different matter.
While it isn't good form for a recently term limited out POTUS to actively get out on the stump and criticize current administration, BO is taking that hands off policy a bit too far for some; worse they see his jet setting vacations akin to Nero playing the violin as Rome burns.
Part of this the DNC brought down upon themselves. Having anointed and vested so much effort into the Clintons and assuming HC would win the WH they now are left with not only a weak to nil bench, but rather an empty "throne" so to speak. Simply put that party does not have yet anyone credible to lead the party and focus efforts. What they do have are the same old (and tired ) people like Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and by now even Elizabeth Warren.
Say what you want but the GOP spent the past eight or so years clearing decks and bringing in new faces. It hasn't helped them to govern any easier, but at least there is new blood.
Who cares that Obama vacations? He's earned it. And he has enough of his own money to take luxury vacations. So what?
Because he's a Democrat. Trump is allowed to charge the country more in one month than Obama in a year or more in a year than Obama in two terms - but if Obama pays for his own vacations, it's an outrage because Fox News is writing the story.
Yes, Obama gave speeches on "the rich", but you also have to look at who he ran with and peopled his administration.
Timothy Geithner along with a long list of white wealthy or at least comfortably well off persons not only made up Obama's inner circle but were appointed to positions in government.
Keep in mind Obama spent much of his college and graduate school years surrounded by the sons and daughters of the "wealthy", many of who went onto becoming his close friends and again peopled his presidential administration.
Am by no means calling you a racist; but people need to open up their eyes and look at Obama as a whole, and not just through the blinders of his so called "superstar" status.
Final point; African Americans waited, hoped, yearned and prayed for one of their own to become POTUS for over one hundred years. When that event finally happened just how much truly changed for that group over the next eight years? The one minority group that largely came out streets ahead was gays, lesbians and trannies. Oh and the rich got richer and largely recouped all that they lost and then some during the great recession. Meanwhile African-Americans as a whole on average were no better off in 2016 than they were in 2008.
Yes, I agree.
I was hoping race relations would get better with his presidency.
A missed oppurtunity
Do you think Obama had this as a plan? The increase in racial division and the more rights for other minority groups? And his finacial status.
Or it came into play while he was in office?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
