The right-wing must love this weak little puppet.
They demand, he caves.
Tax cuts for the mega wealthy? Done.
His refusal to investigate and prosecute the Bush war criminals? No problem.
He's got no backbone, he's boring and he lied to get elected.
We backed a liberal, we got a moderate, quasi Republican.
Back in 2008 I got my ass handed to me by fellow liberals because I wanted Hillary Clinton to be president. At least I could count on her to stand up to the scumbag Republicans, but no.
You wanted change? You didn't get it with this clown Obama.
I don't care who runs against him in the next primary, they have my vote.
Obama is the worst Democratic president in history.
He's a Republican.
He's worthless to us.
Hillary would have done a much better job. Sure she's a bitch, but she would have been our bitch and that counts for something.
33 comments:
Speak it sista woman! You speak the truth...sadly. ;(
I'll have to give you an amen on your comments Zip. I'm speechless with disappointment.
Well... I too am disappointed...but every time I think of Obamaramadingdongs failings... I think of what this country would be like if McCann/Palid were running the country.... Just a thought...Grumpy Walnuts and the Alaskan Mushy...??? just sayin' is all.
Jimm, exactly how would things be different if McC and SP would be in office? They'd be serving the GOP agenda just like Obama has. There'd still be two wars going on, the rich would still be getting tax breaks, the unemployment benefit extension would still be long gone, gays would still have no rights- literally NOTHING would be different, except for the White House garden and a dog named Bo. BFD.
Obama is the biggest phony ever elected. Plus as an added bonus, he's long-winded and boring as hell.
Another "Amen" - the only merciful difference with a McCain presidency would be that Palin would be less visible and her mouth under tight control.
Other than that, the status quo would be in effect, but without Democrats having to take the blame that their leader seems to wallow in.
Guys, you know what Obama faced when he took office. Considering the obstructionism from the right, the teabagger town hall riots, the electioneering by both sides, it's amazing he's accomplished as much as he has. I think we need to suck it up and realize that the next two years are a lifetime in politics, and if we abandon the field to these Merchants of Evil or act like there's not a whit of difference between an Obama Administration (working for health care reform, immigration reform, DADT reform, saving GM, etc. etc.) we'd be a lot worse off than we are today.
I'm as disappointed as anyone that he hasn't been able to do more, but given the shitty cards he was dealt, it's not fair to bitch about the hand he's played.
Your understandable frustration only plays into the hands and reinforces the tactics of obstructionism that have handicapped his presidency so far. What we need are folks willing to write, and bitch, and petition, the assholes who have brought us to this sorry state of affairs, not rail against the one guy who's doing his level best to help.
Can you not see who benefits from these blog capitulations? Do you not think these things matter?
Chill, mix a drink... grow a set and demand more from the guys we elected, don't give up and go quietly.
I'm a lousy victim, and don't want to stand among them, either.
Squatlo, of course your comment makes a lot of sense.
However, Obama has turned out to be a doormat to the right, overly conciliatory and without enough backbone to even slightly keep his many campaign promises.
We needed a leader who would bully those GOP bastards right back, not some scholarly namby pamby who'd capitulate to anyone with the balls to back him down.
Hell, they don't even need balls to back him down. Even an ignorant backwoods quitter like Sarah Palin has portrayed him as a weakling without any leadership qualities, and who among us can repudiate--oops, I should say refudiate, anyone who claims his leadership has been weak?
What exactly has he accommplished to make his base glad they shelled out money and shoe leather to get him elected?
As a lesbian I can almost let him slide on turning his back on gay issues because he came into office with so many messes, but the wars? Bush tax breaks for the mega-rich? Refusing to prosecute or even investigate the Bush criminals?
Obama has done absolutely nothing for the average tax paying American.
He has enabled America to become a fascist nation, he serves corporate America and the teabaggers like a loyal Uncle Tom.
What should the average disgruntled American voter do? Hit the streets and protest? Refuse to pay taxes? Take up arms?
I prefer to blog about it. I have a voice and I'm using it as best I can.
But if you can name one thing he's accomplished without a lot of "buts" attached, go for it.
And good luck on that.
I really have given up on the entire Democratic party Squatlo m'friend.
When those fuckers let ACORN go down without a fight I went ballistic. Having worked for a short time in my youth as a community organizer in Boston, I have seen the good they do, how they empower the poor, many times far more is done than just tossing money at the problem of poverty.
Oh, and Charlie Rangel is getting his ass chewed on right now...the censure hearing is on live.
Obama, a community organizer himself, let ACORN go down the drain because he was fearful that he'd be branded (gasp) a liberal and castigated by the GOP he so desperately wanted to like him.
That to me has been his major issue- he turned his back on those of us who supported him in favor of trying to appease the GOP, right-wing and teabaggers who hate his guts and want him to fail.
What a weak son of a bitch move.
I truly believe Michelle Obama would have been far superior than him as a president. She's got strong opinions that she's not afraid to express.
And Hillary, like it or not, would have smothered any GOP who got in her way.
I am pleased to announced I was right to support her during the primaries, and I make no apologies for it-because in your hearts you have to know she would have been a stronger leader and a true Democrat.
Charlie Rangel is in a jam because he brought a lot of this shit upon himself. You make income on real estate, you pay taxes on it, no matter who you are.
He's a classic example of too much power having a corrupting effect.
Liberal or not- he got caught and he needs to pay the piper.
Squatlo, I really really want to share your optimism and belief that Obama is playing some long game. With two wars and an economic disaster as a starting point, it makes some kind of ugly sense to rely on improvements being seen closer to 2012. Of course, given that he will be the Democrats candidate for 2012, he'd have my vote if I was allowed one. The alternatives are worse.
Yet these are the very people are seemingly his first thought on every issue. It's just SO galling to watch the serial loss of backbone - the refusal to give any impression of a spine ever having been there - that infuriates. "Working towards" the reforms you listed just seems like token effort with the Republicans crushed and fighting themselves after 2008. Taking his base for granted, constantly having an undignified, one-way conversation with the very people who would argue black-was-white before agreeing with him, should have provided a lesson for him before two years.
Can there be anything more defining for a Democratic President than deciding between loss of unemployment benefits for millions, and tax cuts for the rich, among whom will be those whose greed caused the loss of jobs.
It's a recurring theme to hope that Obama has the necessary fight, sticks up for the principles in which he surely believes, and makes the Repubs accountable for what they do. In your own words, Squatlo, he should grow a set.
My whole point is, if he's been waiting for some specific time to start performing like a competent president who was elected by progressives and moderates who were tired of right-wing fascism, his time has run out.
I waited years before I started talking about what an abysmal disappointment he's been.
As for voting for him in 2012 as the lesser of two evils, as long as the Democrats field another candidate, that person has my vote.
And I don't care who it is--they'd have to be better than this milquetoast GOP in Dem's clothing.
If a Fortune 500 company had hired him as a CEO, they'd be out of business by now, bogged down in rhetoric and indecisiveness.
Jeez... When the bluest of die-hard Democrats are ready to burn the guy at the stake, I'm almost afraid to step in front of the mob!
Folks, I don't like what's happening any more than you do, but I'm pragmatic and realistic enough to know Obama can't make these things magically correct themselves on his own. His "base" consists of millions of diverse beings who have no intention of being united on any one issue (like Will Rogers said, he didn't belong to an organized political party, he was a Democrat?) Getting a room full of Dems to agree on something without a lot of squabbling would be like herding rabid cats with a tortoise.
Two years from now the political landscape will be dramatically different than the one we see today, precisely because incremental changes are being made that are changing that landscape.
What's he done since taking office?
Got a fucking minute? Here you go...
He instituted enforcement of equal pay for women.
He saw to it that legislation paying for the families of fallen soldiers to attend Dover AFB return of bodies covered by government.
Ordered White House to apply Freedom of Info act to all reasonable requests.
Ended stop loss requirement for military tours of duty.
Removed restrictions and re-funded embryonic stem cell research.
HE SAVED GENERAL MOTORS AND A MILLION AND A HALF FUCKING JOBS, Y'ALL!
He ended the Bush policy of not regulating CO2 emissions.
Closed many of the offshore tax havens and stopped rewarding corporations who outsource jobs with government contracts.
He's TRYING to secure a place to send Guantanamo detainees so that our gulag can be shut down, but guess what? Not many countries want to take people who have been tortured and are now potential terrorists if they weren't going in...
You can google the list yourself... shit!
Guys, this may not seem like the kind of accomplishments we all had in mind, but damn! He's dealing with troglodytes and an American public that sees him as some kind of Kenyan usurper to the Bush Throne! The GOP has fought every single initiative tooth and nail, and other than bitch and moan WE haven't done a thing except sit back and complain about the lack of progress.
Have we taken to the streets like the teabaggers? Hell no, because we THINK instead of act, PONDER instead of contribute, and EXPECT what we aren't willing to work for.
I'm speaking of my own lazy ass here, not yours, because I don't know how hard anyone else works for things they believe in. I've disconnected, become apathetic, and want it all to just get fixed because we finally have a thinking person in the Oval Office.
All I'm saying is that it might (maybe?) be time to give the man a break, stop rolling our eyes at every failure, and see opportunities in what we can do instead of becoming frustrated because it hasn't happened as quickly as we had hoped when we voted for the guy.
He's just doing what he can, against all odds, with an overtly racist and resistent population of dolts standing in his way at every turn. I just don't think we need to contribute to the negativity when we could, instead, offer some hope and encouragement.
I yield the balance of my time to the angry mob... :)
Squatlo, your loyalty and patience toward the president is laudible.
Read the comments with a more open mind-don't confused angry mob with a disgusted and disappointed gathering.
Obama know coming in he'd need Herculean powers of pursuasion and an iron will to deal with the obstructionist GOP.
We voted for a strong man.
We got a kindly professor with elbow patches and apples on his coffee table.
Fair enough, KZ... and I hope you know I'm just trying to rally the troops here, not hector the disheartened.
On the other hand, how many naysayers would be lamenting the terrible loss had the president's plane not made it safely out of Afghanistan earlier today? Not to put too fine a point on it, but when we lambast the guy for everything he's done or tried to do, we're playing the same cards as those who have fought him on every item.
I look at every day the man serves as a living reminder that we can overcome the worst of our nation's past, and fear (more than you know) that he won't survive to seek the reelection most folks are already bitching about. I really think there are people and forces arrayed to take the man out, and don't know if this country is ready for the upheaval that will occur if that happens. I hope like hell I'm wrong, but I fear I'm not.
When idiots start carrying AK47's to presidential events under a banner of 2nd Amendment freedoms, and it's overlooked? How would it have been handled if Bush events were attended by armed morons?
Really, I just want folks to tone down the rhetoric a bit, realize that he's only human and is doing the best he can under impossible circumstances.
If you're the praying type, you might think about that while you're up...
I don't think any president, living or dead would have tolerated jackasses bringing guns to presidential events.
The idea that Obama let it be sent the wrong message.
That's why I still pine for LBJ. He would have jammed those guns up their butts and they'd all still be in jail.
In national polls I lie and say I think Obama's doing a good job.
But here among friends, I am free to express my true feelingss.
I agree with squatlo, simmer down and let's see what the next two years bring.
Rowdy
Simmer down? A hearty fuck you Anon, nothing personal..but who are you to tell anyone that voted for him to simmer down? There is plenty to get lefties panties in a wad over. Like Karen said, we can bitch all we want on our blogs and call him out on his fuckery which, as I see it, is allowing the GOP to call the shots and the agenda lately.
Perhaps he could rent a set of balls and go on the telly daily to tell Amerika what fuckwads the GOP are and how they are screwing everyone but the rich and powerful. Then, I would have more respect for him.
Whoa, now!
Dusty, I lova ya but you gotta go easy on my commentors--if they are bad I will delete them, but Anon (Rowdy) in this case is a dear, real-life friend of mine who is an open minded Republican who actually voted for Obama.
She's got heart and soul and nobody would dare say fuck you to her in my presence, lest they find themselves with a hoof print on their back.
I'm not asking you to apologize but if you knew Rowdy in real life you'd probably want to take it back.
I said it wasn't personal, but if I offended Rowdy, I do apologize. I use the f-bomb liberally, so it should not be taken personally.
GOD, I LOVE YOU GUYS! This is like being out at the lake with friends drinking beer around a campfire... if someone gets a little out of line, someone else is there to reel them back in, or toss them into the lake if need be.
Sorry if I've added fuel to the fire here, Karen. I'm one of those who likes to think well of people until they've absolutely proven themselves unworthy... like our former prez and the Merchants of Evil surrounding him.
I'm really amazed by the venom directed at Obama, and think there is still a chance he's letting the rats play a bit before pouncing. The people ARE watching these GOP assholes closely, and public opinion polls show their tactics aren't winning friends or influencing enemies. Obama may be playing a long game, here, with the payoff coming sooner than we think.
If I'm wrong, if nothing changes in his willingness to fight for what's right, come to my site and blast the hell out of me. I'm a big boy, I can take it.
In the meantime, lighten up on each other... jeez, we need liberals, not a circular firing squad.
BTW, Dusty? I hope we're still cool...
Squatlo my beloved friend...of course we are! I mean no harm or negative energy to anyone here with my use of the f-bomb. But most people don't use it as often as I do, the context I use it and if I really wanted to nail someone it wouldn't be just a "fuck you". I just get a lil hot when people tell me to simmer down..flashbacks of when I worked with males that called me 'little girl' I guess..
This whole itty bitty mini drama would end in 5 minutes if you guys could meet my pal Rowdy in person.
We have the same birthday, and one year she took me to dinner at Ruth's Chris to co-celebrate. The bill was equal to a car payment and a month's rent, and she was only too happy to treat me. It made a lifetime memory. She's also hilarious, a champion fisherman, a fantastic chef, and as cute as a speckled pup.
She's one of the few people in my life I'd take a bullet for. Not a fatal bullet, but definitely one in the leg.
One more great Rowdy story:
One Fourth of July she decided to throw a huge pool party at her parents' hoity toity estate while they were away in Europe.
She worried that the sweltering Texas heat would make the pool water too warm, so she hired an ice company to deliver three enormous 300-pound ice cubes to drop in the water and chill it down to perfection.
You can't buy class like that, man.
Pulp Friction turns 10-years-old next November, and I'm pleased to say I've always run a clean saloon here, relatively free of harrassing assholes or pests.
I tolerate a degree of dissent but this is a liberal blog and I try my best to shield my readers from gnats, roaches, spiders and other annoying bugs.
Y'all, go see Squatlo's Blog. It's pretty entertaining.
Whew! You found a hot topic KZ!!!
I have mixed feelings. On one hand Obama has been a huge disappointment.
No spine.
He wasted 2 years cow towing to the GOP &
look where that got him!
He did a lot of about face action on campaign promises....
public option
gitmo shut down
DADT
toning down one war & escalating another
is just more of the same old shit Bush served up. The blood is now on Obama's hands-- even though he holds a Nobel peace prize.
I'll never understand that one-- and worse his acceptance speech said Gandhi & MLK's non violence stuff is a thing of the past???
Ugh! They should have taken it back right then & there!
He kept on too many of Bush 2's staff in high places... Gates Bernanke, Petreus & the like.
Change means getting rid of the staff that gave bad advice before & continue to do so now.
So much time wooing the GOP, while the Dems splayed out in every direction-- engaging in infighting, blue dogging, stalling- whatever.
At the end of the day 2 years went by w a dem majority in both the house & senate & not a whole hell of a lot moved forward.
But the GOP walks in lockstep. They do shitty things, for sure, but they do it together 100%.
He was handed a presidency mired in 8 years of elephant dung.... the worst smoldering mess this country has ever seen....
but so many things I expected a constitutional scholar to do, are not happening.
As for Hillary... well we can't know what her rule would have been like, Maybe she would have us in war w Iran or N. Korea or Pakistan by now??? Who knows.
I did dread the thought of Bill back in the white house w all those down time hours on his hands. I was really done w his scandals.
As for a Mc Cain presidency... holy hell, we'd be at war w Iran, N. Korea, Pakistan & maybe cuba too. All of Alaska would be sold to the highest bidder & environmental disasters would just be commonplace.
Remember Mccain openly hates LGBT people.
Princess Sarah agrees.
Plus that asshole would be calling us "my friend" all the time
I don;t even want to think of all the damage those masochistic maverics would do.
The whole thing is so disenchanting & severely messed up. We should just gut the system.
Thanks, Karen!
I doubt Hillary would be stupid enough to wage new wars with such a huge troop deficit.
She would have allowed gays in the military to enlarge the troop base--cagey but smart.
But best of all, she would have retaliated against the bastard Republicans who tortured her while Bill was in office.
She would have taken that Democratic majority in both Houses and beaten the GOP over the head with it until they were woozy.
I admit she's not a cuddly grandma type, but she holds her head high, she has a huge intellect and she's been an exemplary U.S. Senator AND Secretary of State.
When she walks into a room filled with international diplomats, you can be goddamn sure nobody snickers or rolls their eyes.
As for Bill and his stupid dick, he's getting a little too old for that kind of shit anyway. He'd make an excellent first man because he knows the score on so many issues facing us today.
I see very little downside to having Hillary as Commander in Chief.
Obama is playing 3-D Chess while the Republicans are shooting the ever-loving shit out of the chessboard and the room. He has brought a knife to a gunfight and he is getting his ass handed to him.
As much as I despised Chimpy, he at least knew that he had to keep his supporters happy, Obama seems more interested in shivving us in the back, the way that Bill Clinton did to gays and lesbians.
I'm going to find it really hard to care about the `12 presidential election.
while the tax debate isnt over- if the mega rich do get their breaks - no matter the trade off - Obama has permanently lost my vote forever. he said time and time and time again that those tax breaks had to end
now if he trades them for unemployment renewal - well what an ass - even Pat Buchanan calls that a GOP win.
i supported Obama big time in 08 - gave money, made calls, stuck my neck out to the old ladies in florida (my parent friends) who all wanted McCain (until Palin saved that one for me)- and this man -= YES I KNOW HE INHERITED THE WORST MESS IN 80 YEARS - continues to show so little fight (well no fight) and a lot of disdain for those to the left of him. he really thinks he needs to go center to win in '12 - aint gonna happen - the base will desert him in droves.
yes anything is better than a senile Arizonan and moronic Alaskan - but policy wise there aint much difference. the health care is not what is should be, the financial reform is not what it should be (i just found out the car company loans are exempt - ugh), his fight for the middle class is not what it should be
obama has the bully pulpit and he DOES NOT KNOW how to use it - he should be on TV every fracking day talking about how the GOP is holding tax cuts for the middle class hostage for millionaires - but he is not - you have to depend on pundits and newspeople to relay that message
GOOD LUCK (in case you havent seen - most of the media has already turned against him).
if he thinks he will be different with a Boner speaker and an empowered Chins McConnell - nice try - if he couldnt fight them with huge majorities how will he fight them with less? obama is the national leader and spokesman - he is not the national professor
even i am wondering what his principals are now? thhis is NOT the same man who campaigned.
i bet he hates the job and someone in the News Dept told me he is pretty depressed. wouldnt suprise me in the least
If you inherit a huge mess and two years later you're still sitting atop the mess with a little broom in your hands, you either need to draft a hoard of helpers and get to work, or hand the broom over to someone who knows what they're doing.
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