I’ve been reading all the commentary and criticism regarding Obama, Congress and their actions via the stimulus plan. My question is why are you surprised? Doesn’t the party in power always follow their own agenda and also reward their supporters? These same actions probably pre-date Rome for God’s sake. So everything that has happened so far makes sense to me. Had the Republicans swept into power I’d expect big business and the wealthy to be getting all the breaks.
I’m not really. The only “Hope” I had was that maybe he’d be a tad more “Centrist”, still way left of what I’d like to see, but closer to the center. That hope is gone now 
~Matt
You know they answer to this. They probably aren’t suprised but will claim to be, or at least claim to be “disappointed.”
They will say all sorts of things like, I was hoping his policies would be less radical than his campaigning but I was wrong, blah blah blah. And even then he would be screwed as he would get criticized for not following his campaign promises. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
All this over-reaching bill does is to pay back all the leftist groups that got Obama Inc. elected. I think the left’s over-reaching will backfire on them within 24 months. The American people are moderate and will not tolerate it.
All this over-reaching bill does is to pay back all the leftist groups that got Obama Inc. elected. I think the left’s over-reaching will backfire on them within 24 months. The American people are moderate and will not tolerate it.
Here is where I disagree with you:
I think too many people are struggling and want some kind of relief they believe is directed at them and not the rich/big business. The bailouts of the banks and wall street really PO’d a lot of people, me included, because it appeared to favor the wealthy. Then you read about those same institutions having lavish parties, giving huge bonuses and buying new jets you have to wonder, why not me too? Where is my bailout? And now, whether you want one or not you got one. Let’s call it even, even though we both know its not.
My favorite is when people say “I really hope he is successful but…”
They are the ones so full of glee when the “other side” has problems that they just can’t contain themselves.
I see very few people here actually want to do what’s best for the country and not what’s best for their side and it’s pretty typical of the entire country.
The majority of people sold their right to complain if you ask me. He got into office by people’s votes. He was the most liberal sentator and people expected him to be different? Yeah, bull. They got sold.
A lot of people on this board say things like “Everyone I know is against this…”
That doesn’t really surprise me, if you figure that most people on this board are higher-income types, many of whom are conservative leaning. Drop yourself into a neighborhood full of lower-income folks struggling to keep a job or make ends meet, you’ll get a different story…
Check the polls I posted on another topic and 60% favor the stimulus package, with something under 30% opposing. 10% have no opinion.
Obama was elected in large part due to the economy. McCain dropped the ball when he said the economy was fundamentally sound, while things were falling apart around him. The economy was the #1 issue for most voters, and those voters felt Obama could do a better job with it than McCain could.
No, there should be no surprises here. Obama wasn’t going to take a hard turn to the right the minute he got elected. Conservatives are just going to have to get used to the idea that he isn’t a Republican!
Obama’s doing a fine job he appointed President Pelosi to take charge. He is implementing his “change”. He sounded like part of the media and its scare tactics when he said it is critical we implement this stimulus package otherwise our country would spiral downward and fall apart.
My favorite is when people say “I really hope he is successful but…”
I hope our country is successful but I’m still not clear on how what is being done is going to make us successful. Printing more money will eventually screw us.
"For the economy in general, doing nothing is vastly preferable to doing the stimulus package, but doing nothing is not a political option; indeed, it would be political suicide. Given the dominant ideology and the political institutions that now exist, economically rational public policy is incompatible with political viability… Having hit bottom, the politicians can only do one thing: keep digging. If Hell is down there, they’ll reach it, sooner or later."
Actually I’m neither surprised nor disapointed. the guy was the most liberal senator in Washington before the election, it is the only way he knows. I suspect the people that will be the most disapointed are all of those people in the center who fell for his campaigning schtick. you folks got duped. If Big O has his way we will nationalize the banks, automotive, health care, probably education and energy next. Do you all feel stimulated yet?!?!
Had the Republicans swept into power I’d expect big business and the wealthy to be getting all the breaks.
They are getting most of the breaks anyway.
The issue with all of this is the level of corruption and how badly our society is being screwed. During the last 8 years this was off the scale. I’m still waiting to see if there will be any improvement. It is “different” but that doesn’t necessarily mean much.
Not really surprised by anything yet. I am looking for the point at which some of the truly centrist that bought the moderate face he put on will be surprised. This stimulus bill is just the beginning, we have mortgage help out today, a bank bailout that may bump 2.5 trillion in the works, and another “stimulus” package is not off the table. These things are truly of historic scale, and the only thing that mildly surprised me so far is that many think that Obama’s admin should have been given a hundred days of running without comment from those who would govern differently.
Hell the majority of people are surprised because they had no fucking idea what he would actually do. They voted for a catchy phrase “Hopey Hopey Change Change”.
They didn’t take the time to do any real analysis of his positions. In fairness though, the media was so busy creaming themselves by the notion of getting him in, they didn’t really help educate anybody.
Hell the majority of people are surprised because they had no fucking idea what he would actually do. They voted for a catchy phrase “Hopey Hopey Change Change”.
They didn’t take the time to do any real analysis of his positions. In fairness though, the media was so busy creaming themselves by the notion of getting him in, they didn’t really help educate anybody.
Well said
Hell the majority of people are surprised because they had no fucking idea what he would actually do. They voted for a catchy phrase “Hopey Hopey Change Change”.
They didn’t take the time to do any real analysis of his positions. In fairness though, the media was so busy creaming themselves by the notion of getting him in, they didn’t really help educate anybody.
Huh? Obama got about 53% of votes in the election, and roughly 55-59% of the population supports the stimulus, depending on what poll you look at, his biggest effort to date. I’d suggest those people who voted for him got exactly what they were looking for, considering the percentages are so close (and even a few percentage points more support his plan than supported him).
So where are the majority you are referring to that are surprised? That would only make sense if say, 70% of the country opposed what he has done.
I will rephrase. The majority of people THAT are surprised.
The true majority of his voters are obviously too busy shopping at Wal Mart at 11:00 pm with their kids after spending the previous 16 hours working 12 different jobs to really think about the latest legislative developments. Or so I have been told.
Do terms like “liberal, conservative or centrist” even have any meaning anymore? The last administration supported giving shitloads of billion dollars to defense contractor and then to banks. The current administration wants to give shitloads of billions of dollars to god-knows-who.
Who really benefits from the stimulas plan? I can find a pie-chart showing things like “energy and environment.” Does that mean giving money to Exxon and the Sierra Club? Republican bloggers have Obama handing wheel-barrows of cash to gays and unwed mothers.
Now, Alan Greenspan wants to nationalize the banking industry. Everyone at the top seems to realize that the economy is fucked, but the only answer seems to be to throw money at it.
Hell the majority of people are surprised because they had no fucking idea what he would actually do. They voted for a catchy phrase “Hopey Hopey Change Change”.
They didn’t take the time to do any real analysis of his positions. In fairness though, the media was so busy creaming themselves by the notion of getting him in, they didn’t really help educate anybody.
I think the majority of people saw and felt what GW did, heard McCain say he would do the same, and ran the other way. But who wouldn’t considering what was happening? Don’t forget the bailout happened under GW’s reign. How was that a good thing and what makes you think McCain wouldn’t have continued the very same policies that got us into this mess? It’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback but when McCain was running for office he voted for the bailout just like Obama. Would McCain have let the auto industry here fail and increase the job losses? If so, why didn’t he say that before the election?
Who exactly is surprised by anything yet? Of course the far left and the far right are “disappointed” - the former out of unrealistic expectations not based in reality or campaign promises; the latter playing on those unrealistic expectations for political purposes. I think most people are sensible enough to realize that the extreme ends of the political spectrum are bound to be disappointed no matter who’s in charge, and that Obama’s stepped into the biggest pile of political dog shit that any new president possibly could, and that some is bound to stick to his shoes, no matter how carefully he navigates.
Given the nature of the task and the mood of the country, his poll ratings and support for the stimulus are remarkably high, in large part because he’s playing it straight down the left-of-center line, precisely where he was expected to.
As a left-leaning centrist (or center-leaning leftist, depending on who’s keeping score), I haven’t been surprised or disappointed by any of his actions as president. I am, however, disappointed in how both parties in congress have handled themselves during this period of time. Not surprised, but disappointed. The Dems showed no backbone in seating Burris; Pelosi & Reid continue to be, well, Pelosi & Reid, meanwhile the Repugs continue to remind me why they deserved the beating they took last November.