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Did Obama lie about closing Gitmo?

Did Obama lie about closing Gitmo if he became president?

  • Yes

    Votes: 18 62.1%

  • No

    Votes: 5 17.2%

  • IDK/Other

    Votes: 6 20.7%
  • Total voters
    29
J

joko104

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In 2008, Obama repeatedly vowed to close Gitmo if he became Commander In Chief and that Gitmo shamed America to the entire world. When elected president, since Gitmo is part of a military base and operation, he could have closed it merely by signing an Executive Order without any need for approval by Congress.

He did not close it. Amazingly, closing Gitmo was again part of his campaign in the 2012 election.

Personally, I can think of no more clear example (of so many) in which Obama is an outright calculated - if not pathological - liar.

However, the poll question is simple:

Did Obama lie during the 2008 election when he vowed to close Gitmo if he became president?
 
joko104 said:
In 2008, Obama repeatedly vowed to close Gitmo if he became Commander In Chief and that Gitmo shamed America to the entire world. When elected president, since Gitmo is part of a military base and operation, he could have closed it merely by signing an Executive Order without any need for approval by Congress.

He did not close it. Amazingly, closing Gitmo was again part of his campaign in the 2012 election.

Personally, I can think of no more clear example (of so many) in which Obama is an outright calculated - if not pathological - liar.

However, the poll question is simple:

Did Obama lie during the 2008 election when he vowed to close Gitmo if he became president?
Click to expand...

Depends on how philosophical you are about the term 'lie'. Really comes down to what side of the linguistic spectrum your sense falls on.

My instinct is, "no," to 2008 and "yes" to 2012, but I could be wrong.
 
A wonderful experiment. His supporters cheered in 2008 when he vowed to close GITMO, and then cheered again when he said it recently. Seems their memory (and therefore their attention to history) is less than 4 years. That's good to know when you are looking to do things that have been historically proven to be negative. The shorter the memory and the higher the level of personal greed over the needs of the public the easier it is to distract voters while you strip their rights.
 
Yes, he lied about that. I don't consider it a lie when a politician makes a promise in good and tries to keep that promise but fails due to no fault of his own. But I don't see that being the case here. We'll see if he manages to close it before his final term is over. I have my doubts.
 
tech30528 said:
A wonderful experiment. His supporters cheered in 2008 when he vowed to close GITMO, and then cheered again when he said it recently. Seems their memory (and therefore their attention to history) is less than 4 years. That's good to know when you are looking to do things that have been historically proven to be negative. The shorter the memory and the higher the level of personal greed over the needs of the public the easier it is to distract voters while you strip their rights.
Click to expand...

I'm not under the impression that the issue raises that much concern except for left-wing libertarians.
 
Obama doesn't lie. He "evolves".
 
Definition of LIE

intransitive verb
1
: to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
2
: to create a false or misleading impression

Lie - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary


To know if he lied or not, one would have to know what his intent was.

And since I assume no one here knows that - then no one here can know if he actually lied or not.


Either he lied about it OR he meant to close it but later found out some details that made him chicken out.

Either way is not good.
 
Lets give him the benefit of the doubt. Candidate Obama may have believed what he said. President Obama got smacked across the cheek with the ****ty end of the reality stick. Ideological goals and fantasies are fine for dreamers...not so good for realists and leaders. Obama not only DIDNT do what he said he would do, he has expanded the Bush policies. So...2008...not a liar (I think he really beloved his own hype). 2012...yeah...campaign rhetoric that you know is bull**** is a lie. What's remarkable is that so many buy into it.
 
Why is no one discussing the fact that Congress prevented anyone from being able to close Guantanamo Bay? From what I understand, Congress used it's budget oversight ability to specifically ban any funding to go to trials of Guantanamo inmates on US soil. The also blocked the sale of a prison in Illinois to the federal government to house prisoners. Additionally, I'm pretty sure the most recent defence bill included a provision that mandates military detention of all al Qaeda suspects.

I'm not saying those provisions are right or wrong, but I could understand how the President could have made a promise like that, under current circumstances, and then be unable to accomplish that promise. He has, however, reduced the number inmates there to 1/3-1/2. It's clearly priority, but there is only so much that can be done when congress is pulling the purse strings closed on him.

Just something to consider on the subject.
 
I think a lot of first time presidents don't realize, while campaigning, just how difficult it can be to get the federal bureaucracy to do what they want. I'm more than willing to believe that Obama meant to close gitmo while on the trail in 2008 but found it impossible to do once he got in office.
 
joko104 said:
In 2008, Obama repeatedly vowed to close Gitmo if he became Commander In Chief and that Gitmo shamed America to the entire world. When elected president, since Gitmo is part of a military base and operation, he could have closed it merely by signing an Executive Order without any need for approval by Congress.

He did not close it. Amazingly, closing Gitmo was again part of his campaign in the 2012 election.

Personally, I can think of no more clear example (of so many) in which Obama is an outright calculated - if not pathological - liar.

However, the poll question is simple:

Did Obama lie during the 2008 election when he vowed to close Gitmo if he became president?
Click to expand...

Not sure it was a deliberate lie, or if he just failed to get this through politically and didn't want to risk an outcry from the right. Which would be cowardice, if such loaded terms make sense in politics.
 
joko104 said:
In 2008, Obama repeatedly vowed to close Gitmo if he became Commander In Chief and that Gitmo shamed America to the entire world. When elected president, since Gitmo is part of a military base and operation, he could have closed it merely by signing an Executive Order without any need for approval by Congress.

He did not close it. Amazingly, closing Gitmo was again part of his campaign in the 2012 election.

Personally, I can think of no more clear example (of so many) in which Obama is an outright calculated - if not pathological - liar.

However, the poll question is simple:

Did Obama lie during the 2008 election when he vowed to close Gitmo if he became president?
Click to expand...

Liar.
 
Gaius46 said:
I think a lot of first time presidents don't realize, while campaigning, just how difficult it can be to get the federal bureaucracy to do what they want. I'm more than willing to believe that Obama meant to close gitmo while on the trail in 2008 but found it impossible to do once he got in office.
Click to expand...

I pretty much agree with this. I think they run into road blocks all of the time. Yeah, sure it easy to say "i'll do this" and "i'll do that" if i become president.
But once they get in the WH, it's quite different.
 
Why not, he lied about everything else, just like every other President we've had recently.
 
WWGWD said:
Why is no one discussing the fact that Congress prevented anyone from being able to close Guantanamo Bay? From what I understand, Congress used it's budget oversight ability to specifically ban any funding to go to trials of Guantanamo inmates on US soil. The also blocked the sale of a prison in Illinois to the federal government to house prisoners. Additionally, I'm pretty sure the most recent defence bill included a provision that mandates military detention of all al Qaeda suspects.

I'm not saying those provisions are right or wrong, but I could understand how the President could have made a promise like that, under current circumstances, and then be unable to accomplish that promise. He has, however, reduced the number inmates there to 1/3-1/2. It's clearly priority, but there is only so much that can be done when congress is pulling the purse strings closed on him.

Just something to consider on the subject.
Click to expand...
Yup. Obama had a plan he said he would execute that would result in the closing of Gitmo. For example he was going to move the prisoners to a prison in the US. In short: Anti Obama people were sucessful, and they had to work on it quite a bit, in keeping him form doing what he said he was going to do. Now those people think they can say that he never intended to close Gitmo. Humm, let's consider for a moment, who exactly is the liar?
 
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No, he didn't lie - it was just one of a myriad of examples of the man's utter ignorance and incompetence that many saw coming - unfortunately, not enough saw it and still don't.
 
Gaius46 said:
I think a lot of first time presidents don't realize, while campaigning, just how difficult it can be to get the federal bureaucracy to do what they want. I'm more than willing to believe that Obama meant to close gitmo while on the trail in 2008 but found it impossible to do once he got in office.
Click to expand...

I understand your point - and mostly agree with it.

But - to my knowledge - Gitmo is a military prison.

He is the Commander-in-Chief, which means he can order it closed anytime he wishes.

But he has chosen not to because he is clearly spineless (or he was lying in the first place).
 
DA60 said:
I understand your point - and mostly agree with it.

But - to my knowledge - Gitmo is a military prison.

He is the Commander-in-Chief, which means he can order it closed anytime he wishes.

But he has chosen not to because he is clearly spineless (or he was lying in the first place).
Click to expand...

Your assertion seems very narrow, to me. Obviously, he can close the darn thing whenever he wants to. The question is, what happens to the people inside? Congress has made it impossible for them to be brought to the US for trial, and has mandated they can only be held in military detentions. So the only other options are to keep Guantanamo open, or release them all and close it. Spine has nothing to do with the discussion, common sense and rational thinking does. Of course he isn't going to release them, so he has to except that ignorant, uninformed people are going to call him a liar, regardless of fact on the issue.
 
CanadaJohn said:
No, he didn't lie - it was just one of a myriad of examples of the man's utter ignorance and incompetence that many saw coming - unfortunately, not enough saw it and still don't.
Click to expand...

If you saw coming that Congress would change existing laws, in order to prevent the closing of Guantanamo Bay, you might be the next Nostradamus. No one saw that coming. It was a deliberate and calculated move, so that the extreme right wing could have fodder to yell and scream about what a liar the President is. Congratulations, you totally feel for it!

There are plenty of reasons I dislike the President and his policies. This is easily the most illogical, and baseless reason to call the man a liar.
 
CanadaJohn said:
No, he didn't lie - it was just one of a myriad of examples of the man's utter ignorance and incompetence that many saw coming - unfortunately, not enough saw it and still don't.
Click to expand...
In this case my ignorance also. I would have never thought that Obama's enemies would have gone to the efforts they did to prevent him from closing Gitmo.
 
WWGWD said:
Your assertion seems very narrow, to me. Obviously, he can close the darn thing whenever he wants to. The question is, what happens to the people inside? Congress has made it impossible for them to be brought to the US for trial, and has mandated they can only be held in military detentions. So the only other options are to keep Guantanamo open, or release them all and close it. Spine has nothing to do with the discussion, common sense and rational thinking does. Of course he isn't going to release them, so he has to except that ignorant, uninformed people are going to call him a liar, regardless of fact on the issue.
Click to expand...

Clearly, what is right and wrong is irrelevant to you in this case.

Most of these people have done NOTHING wrong. Almost all of them have never been convicted of anything.

The only reason most of them are still in Gitmo is because their host countries will not take them back.

Were I POTUS, I would immediately order the military or CIA or whomever to find a country that will take most of them - even if that country has to be bribed to do so.

Once I found such a country, I would ask the inmates in question whether they wanted to stay in Gitmo or go to this country. Obviously they would take freedom.

Then I would give them each a few million and transport them to that country.

The rest that there is evidence that they are guilty of terrorism, I would order the military to immediately start trials on them - whatever the evidence available is.

If they are convicted, then start there incarceration.

If they are found innocent, the same deal as how the others are treated.


And I don't give a crap what spineless politicians in Congress want.

Were I Obama, I would stand up and tell them to get off their asses, grow backbones and figure out what to do with these innocent (mostly) people.

And I would keep on them, day after day, until they did.

But no, not Obama.

He makes some stupid promise to win votes, got power and now just ignores the plight of these (mostly) poor individuals and hopes the media will ignore it.

He could do a TON more to facilitate their release. But he instead does nothing.

And his ignorant supporters claim it's not his fault.

Pathetic...just like I think Obama is as a POTUS.


You do what is right and then worry about the consequences - not the other way around.

And if that does not sit well with cowardly Congressmen/Senators (or honor-blind Obama supporters)...so much the better.


If the only way America can survive is to do cowardly acts - then let it die.


And btw - I am neither Dem nor Rep.
 
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joko104 said:
In 2008, Obama repeatedly vowed to close Gitmo if he became Commander In Chief and that Gitmo shamed America to the entire world. When elected president, since Gitmo is part of a military base and operation, he could have closed it merely by signing an Executive Order without any need for approval by Congress.

He did not close it. Amazingly, closing Gitmo was again part of his campaign in the 2012 election.

Personally, I can think of no more clear example (of so many) in which Obama is an outright calculated - if not pathological - liar.

However, the poll question is simple:

Did Obama lie during the 2008 election when he vowed to close Gitmo if he became president?
Click to expand...

I sure wouldn't go that far as to call the president a liar. Every president has a bunch of campaign promises that go unfulfilled. most campaign promises is just a candidate telling his base and what he thinks the audience he is addressing wants to hear. I, for one am thankful he hasn't carried through on the campaign promise, I also do not look at him as a liar for not doing so.

If the president has to close the base just to bring the terrorist here to the states, that is a big mistake and plays right into communist Cuba's hands. Besides, if I remember right congress passed a law prohibiting the transfer of the prisoners at GITMO to the states. Then there is what looks good, what sounds good as a candidate can change when one becomes president. He learns things that he was not privy to as a candidate. He has to govern instead of running for an office. Things chance and as long as the prisoners stay at GITMO, I am happy.
 
WWGWD said:
If you saw coming that Congress would change existing laws, in order to prevent the closing of Guantanamo Bay, you might be the next Nostradamus. No one saw that coming. It was a deliberate and calculated move, so that the extreme right wing could have fodder to yell and scream about what a liar the President is. Congratulations, you totally feel for it!

There are plenty of reasons I dislike the President and his policies. This is easily the most illogical, and baseless reason to call the man a liar.
Click to expand...

Did I say Obama lied? Show me where I said he lied.

I claimed Obama is an ignorant and incompetent fool. Nothing you or your sidekick "OhISee'Then" have proven otherwise.

You both have proven that you didn't fully comprehend my post as proven by the fact you attack my post yet prove my point. It is a prime example of Obama's ignorance and incompetence that he was so arrogant as not to see that even a majority of Democrats in Congress would oppose his plan to move war prisoner terrorists from the base in Gitmo to the continental USA. You can claim that the Republicans stopped Gitmo being closed but you fail to remember that Democrats held control of both houses of Congress in Obama's first two years in office, the time during which he said he would close Gitmo as well as the time during which he and his Attorney General claimed it would be a good idea to have show trials of the 9/11 terrorists in New York City courts.

I didn't need to be Nostradamus to see what would happen - I simply needed to have my head in the air and not shoved up the asses of Obama and his fawning media lackies.
 
OhIsee.Then said:
In this case my ignorance also. I would have never thought that Obama's enemies would have gone to the efforts they did to prevent him from closing Gitmo.
Click to expand...

No one could prevent Obama from closing Gitmo because it is a military base and he is Commander-In-Chief.
 
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