Obama!!!

I have many things to say about our new Prez here in the U.S. ...before I do however, I would like to hear from others how they think the new President is doing.? Please be truthful and nothing else: How do you feel about the new president of the United States on a personal level?

__________________

“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

Personally, I have a lot of issues with some of the statements he's made. Saying one thing during the campaign and then turning around, once in office, and saying something totally different.

Now I know that on the campaign trail, candidates make far-fetched promises that often mean nothing. I don't remember them word for word, but I do recall him saying how he was going to CUT Government spending. Or something to that effect.

Regardless, I find it very comical that many of the people that wanted "change," don't want it anymore.

__________________
"I was walking down the street with my friend and he said, "I hear music", as if there is any other way you can take it in. You're not special, that's how I receive it too. I tried to taste it but it did not work." - Mitch Hedberg

He is doing just about as well as I thought he would. He got in office, and found that being president is much harder than running for president.

Signed - Mike - Still a Libertarian

__________________

That sums up what I was trying to say.

I think he is finishing what Bush started which pretty much means he is going to be looked at as an awesome president when in reality all he did was accept all the glory for all of the dirty work George Bush did.

Thats not realy an opinion of Obama. But atm i don't realy have one as he hasn't been "prez" for that long.

On a personal level though he seems alright. But his wife comes off a bit fake to me for some reason.

__________________
http://www.movieforums.com/community...ad.php?t=17475 - My movie reviews

Whenever I see this thread pop up in the list...it looks like some war cry.

I'm not an American nor do I live in America. From what I can gather he's just another president not particularly good or bad. He does represent change for the obvious reason hes an African-American man in the white house. Only time will tell if he's any different from the rest.

__________________

Not picking on you or trying to turn this into some kind of racist statement... but I find the fact that Obama is always listed as an African - American man a bit funny given the fact he's half Caucasian... and was raised by his Caucasian grandparents... I'm half Cherokee and half Irish and, for the most part, was raised by my Cherokee grandparents... but unless I fill out the paper myself, on the part where they ask for race, I'm always listed as Caucasian... especially on anything to do with the government... just think it's little ironic...

As for Obama... to be fair, he hasn't been in there very long, but thus far, he's done exactly what I expected him to... talk.

__________________

I'm a little intrigued that you asked what we thought about him on a personal level -- is that an attempt to keep political arguments out of the thread? If so, a noble, but ultimately futile effort.

Anyway, personally, I don't have any real beef with the guy. He seems intelligent and reasonably thoughtful, and if nothing else I appreciate the relatively muted tenor of his rhetoric. And if his election means that African Americans get more involved in the political process, then at least one good thing will have taken place.

But really, we can't divorce a President's personal characteristics entirely from their performance. I've got plenty of theories about how Obama's life and personality may shape the direction of his administration, none of them terribly flattering. But it's early yet, and I'd like to give him a chance to surprise me at some point.

All that said: anyone who says they're happy with his performance to date -- even his supporters -- just isn't being completely honest with themselves. He's blatantly contradicted any number of campaign promises (Iraq withdrawal and transparency chief among them) and the market has reacted to a number of his statements and proposals with what can only be described as horror. And after eight years of Bush's opponents blowing their tops over the deficit, it's basically tripled in the first half of the year. I eagerly look forward to a corresponding level of outrage, but something tells me I shouldn't hold my breath.

Here's the deal, though: the ideas are old. He's trotted out a number of extremely predictable, extremely tired liberal policy tropes, which clearly isn't what many people were looking for when they elected him. People elected him because they were frustrated and thought they might get someone fundamentally different from the politicians they've seen before; someone with genuinely new ideas. Thus far, he's been anything but.

The only reason people view him as some kind of hero and actualy believe he could "change" America is because he has put the idea in every ones head that every one needs change.

America does not need change. America is a first world country. Nearly all Americans have a roof over their heads. ALL American's have acsess to clean drinking water. ALL Americans have acsses to some kind of education. America does not need change, Somalia and countries like that actualy need change.

Obama has convinved America that every thing is bad atm there and he is here to save every one. There is nothing to save.

Yes, America does have a few problems, but when hasn't America had a few problems?

Obama and Americans who beleve in what he says need to realise that there is nothing wrong with America. Yes America needs some repairs but Obama is making it out to seem as if America needs a complete redevlopment, when cleary it does not.

South Park hit the nail on the head when it comes to the issue about Obama (no he is not a jewl theif).

BTW that doesn't mean i think he is a bad president.

I'm glad that someone over there has noticed this. I kept hearing how he was the first black or African American US President and it's just not true. I do understand why it's played like that though. It's a bit like Tiger Woods, who said that he felt more 'Asian' than he did 'African American' soon after he signed his first big Nike endorsement. Never heard anything about it again. Odd that.

As for Obama, he's pretty much doing what you'd expect a US President to do. After all, he is a US President, so it's not as if he's going to start acting radically different than most other Presidents. Especially early on. He's got to start getting some favours he can call in. That's the game. What does make me laugh though is the love he has over here in the UK and the rest of Europe. He's a politician, so right wing that he'd have trouble being an MP in a mainstream political party over here and, yet, he's lauded as some kind of liberal Messiah who's going to save the world. Also, for a European country, we're quite right wing ourselves (with the exception of the nutter fringe parties, some of which have a much greater prominence in some countries than they do here.)

I must say, I did love it when he announced the withdrawl of troops from Iraq... And then announced the deployment of troops to Afgahnistan. Suddenly all these left wing luvvies were stopped in their tracks. It was as if he'd taken their puppy, gone to stroke it and then dashed its brains out on a stone.

I still like Obama. I really wanted him to win the Democratic nomination so Hillary didn't get it but, until McCain 'chose' his running mate, I wasn't too bothered who won. I'd had rather it was Obama because I felt he was something that the country needed more than they did McCain, but I wouldn't have been crushed if McCain had won before Palin. But that woman, and anyone like her, shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a seat of power, let alone the White House.

President Obamateleaprompterking has actually surprised me, he is walking a fine line however. I get the liberal agenda, no surprise there: bigger government yet less defense. I think it is tough to say what one will do and when they get into a position and learn the history of said position and then have to act. Change is all well and good, but sometimes the tried and true saying: if it is not broke do not fix it rings true. IOW - are WE really that bad off here in America? I do not feel that way. I have had to close my business and go to work for someone else after I promised myself I would never do that again. Whose fault is that? I think it is mine - why blame a president, be it Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Obama, etc...? There is so much opportunity here in America that when it does not come knocking on the door with a loud bang it seems as if things are terrible and awful and that knock is a bit muted. To make a long story short: I do not like his liberal agenda, but that is cool, expected that, but he is really just another figurehead as so many others have been lately. I think Obama actually thinks he can make a difference, but what is that difference? - Other than: Reagan, Kennedy, Lincoln...it is tough shoes to fill - Obama is no Lincoln...sry.

Hello 7th.
How are you?
Good thread idea.
I voted for President Obama, not because I thought he had tremendous potential, but because I saw Senator McCain as more of the same.
I have heard some pretty nasty things said about the President since he got elected. Sadly, in a Democracy it comes with the territory.
I think Obama is a decent guy.
Being president is a tough job.
I have a wait and see attitude right now.

__________________
"If you can't be funny be interesting."
Harold Ross

On a personal level I'm thrilled that Obama is president. I may not agree with everything he or any president would do but a lot of what he is doing, particularly on a social and diplomatic level just thrills me to pieces.

__________________
Bleacheddecay

So far, I'm unimpressed if not a little disappointed in him. I think that it is to early in his term to make a fair judgement but, what he's done so far has not sat well with me. My biggest compliant so far is the SCHIP program.

While on paper, it seems like a great idea. Nationalized health care for children. But, when I read that "children" are anyone up to the age of thirty. Also, the program is relying a group of people that has steadily been diminishing over quite some time. Ultimately, SCHIP should fail because, people are going to see the rise in tax and either stop smoking all together, or cut back. Same goes with cigars, SCHIP was designed to target cigar smokers and roll-your-own cigarettes. With viable options running out for smokers, we're starting to cut it out of our lives. When that start happening the tax money that is coming in starts dwindeling until it runs our and SCHIP fails.

So, why tax an industry that is failing already?

__________________

The totally awesome and soul consuming TFH One a Day Reviews.

Two things I learned long ago about politics. 1) Whoever gets elected to any office is never as bad as his enemies feared or as good as his supporters had hoped. As for truly great presidents in our history, you could count them on one hand and still have a digit left--maybe more. 2) Despite all the posturing there are minimal differences between the two political parties in this country. Yeah, one supposedly favors the working man while the other likes entrepreneurs. But the primary interest of both is to get reelected; therefore, neither side ever uses its insider knowledge to throw out the other. Take for instance the savings and loan collapse of the 1980s and today's economic mess--neither side saw it coming nor did anything to address the problem despite, and therefore neither side is going to start pointing fingers because both parties allowed it to happen. Niether emperor is going to be the first to say the other guy is naked.

That's always been the siren song of political campaigns--"maybe this guy will be different." What turns me the quickest is when a candidate claims he's not part of the existing system, and especially if he says "I'm not a politician." If he's running for elective office, he's damn sure a politician.

I think the last time I voted it was against a candidate I really disliked rather than for his opponent. I suspect many ballots are cast under the same circumstances.

I didn't bother to vote in the most recent presidential election--hey, if they really wanted me to vote, they'd run better candidates. But I have to confess that I really would have liked to seen McCain win just to see the look on the face of the Vietnam ambassador the first time he had to meet the new president!! But I didn't figure the pleasure of that one moment would justify 4 years in office.

I am good, and thanks.

I have to say one of my current worries is the Israel/Iran/Korea problems and that Obama will talk and talk and talk and talk, but when it comes down to it nothing other than talk will be done. I am not saying start a war, but if Iran keeps snubbing their nose along with Korea at the rest of the world when do sanctions and threats reach a futile point? I am still holding my breath at what will happen in these areas of the world and how it will ultimitely affect the U.S., be it oil prices, economy, military, etc... Mexico is also in the mix now, but at least it appears as if we have local government help there. I hope he does a great job as well as his cabinet, and it is tough to say wait and see knowing Iran/Korea is not slowing down with their nuclear technology.

Hey everyone! It's been a while, and I hope you're all fine!

I think Obama is great (surprise, surprise). In my lifetime I don't think there's been a president that has been as popular as Obama is in Sweden or in Europe - not even close. I think he's all about opportunities and contrary to what a lot of you guys think, I thik he's doing constructive things all the time. I actually believe that Obama will contribute to a more peaceful world. That is, less people will have to die because of his politics compared to Bush's politics. Naive? Perhaps...

I wouldn't put too much faith in him to save your economy though. That's not a one-man-job. Unless he introduces a federal 55 % income tax, which of course will never happen - but is needed if you want to get out of the deficit you're in and prevent America to be entirely owned by China and India. Only by changing our lifestyles - that goes for everybody in the rich world - we can secure an sustainable future. Consume less - produce more. And we have to stop to buy things we can't afford with someone else's money!

I read that Washington Post did a survey which showed that 72 % of the Americans has gotten a positive impression by Obama during his first 100 days, about as many see him as a strong leader and 60 % say that they share his views. So he must be doing something right.

__________________
The novelist does not long to see the lion eat grass. He realizes that one and the same God created the wolf and the lamb, then smiled, "seeing that his work was good".

--------

They had temporarily escaped the factories, the warehouses, the slaughterhouses, the car washes - they'd be back in captivity the next day but now they were out - they were wild with freedom. They weren't thinking about the slavery of poverty. Or the slavery of welfare and food stamps. The rest of us would be all right until the poor learned how to make atom bombs in their basements.