- Joined
- Jul 8, 2012
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(1) Not sure what you expect. When Bush was challenged on the wisdom of his policies, he angrily and famously declared, "I am the decider." And he was correct to do so then, as Obama was with Joe the Plumber; in a functioning democratic society, every single citizen is morally obligated to show great respect and deference to the elected leader by virtue of the election. If they don't, then the leader can't work, and people stop believing in democracy.
(2) Then you'll be able to explain in very clear terms what the obviously correct decision was, the one that Obama missed, although I promise, there's nothing you can say that I can't point out the flaws; Obama has thousands of political analysts and experts to tell him the right thing to do and weigh the positive and negative aspects of each decision. If they couldn't collectively come up with a better, problem free solution, it is unlikely any one this board will do better.
(3) You might as well say Obama should breathe and space fly to the moon like Supermen. The *only way* to overcome partisan dysfunction is by making it more worthwhile for the person who opposes you to cooperate with you instead. That, or destroying them and eradicating or absorbing their power base for yourself. Neither the Obama or the Democrats have *anything* that could possibly sway the Republicans to cooperate with them for 1000 reasons; the first and most important is that it makes the Democrats *look better* than the Republicans that a Democratic president was able unify a divisive Washington. That single reason by itself is good enough reason for no Republican to ever cooperate with Obama if they can possibly avoid it. Then there are 999+ nearly valid reasons, all rooted in, again, the realities of power.
One aspect of that reality is corporate special interest. Huge industries like pharmaceuticals or energy have lobbying groups that represent their interests in both major political parties, but the Republicans especially; the economic and political situation might get outside their control of politicians like Obama suddenly started exercising political and legal agency that got in the way of plans or policies they have spent tens and hundreds of billions of dollars over the decades to make happen. Therefore, they request the Republicans to resist Obama and ensure that he remains manageable and pliable to their needs; the health care industry did this to Obama during health care reform by telling Democrats under their influence to fight for a plan that served the needs of the insurance lobby, rather than
When you're up against that kind of money, there are two choices: buy them out or destroy them. Neither is really an option for Obama, so he has to endure them.
1. Seriously? I think Bush accomplished going to war with Iraq and Afghanistan with bipartisan cooperation, among other smaller things. That's QUITE an accomplishment, wouldn't you say? HOW on earth did he manage that?
Wrong, wrong, WRONG!!! The President works for US! Not the other way around. If I have questions of MY president, I expect him to show ME some respect. He is the elected official who works for me, not the other way around bud. :roll:
2. The correct decision is to NEVER negotiate with terrorists and put a PRICE on the head of Americans, soldiers or civilians. We go in, and we TAKE them back.
3. And AGAIN, other presidents have managed to come to compromise and do things with bipartisan cooperation.
Of course we have problems with lobbyists, this is not breaking news!!
So, all of this to argue that Obama IS a good president? What exactly IS your point anyway?