To us non-Americans, Obama is Doing a Pretty Good Job!

[DeathToTheOil]

Look, I get the fact that you're in the thick of your lives, wondering if you'll be covered if you get sick, worried about your kids' education, maybe even frantic about the possibility of foreclosures on your mortgages. Hey, the prospect of being homeless would scare the shit out of my Canadian ass, and I truly hope that someday, you Americans won't have to worry about basic food, basic shelter, basic health care.

But help is on the way, IF you don't succumb to wingnut stupidity! The President's health care plan won't go into full effect until 2014. Even then, it will not provide you with the single-payer system I enjoy. But you HAVE to look at this incrementally!

Allow me to posit a scenario: You've been carjacked, and the coke-addled idiot now driving your vehicle has the pedal to the metal, propelling the both of you toward a cliff at 120 mph, ala Thelma & Louise.

Two hundred feet before you hit the edge, the carjacker bails out. By the time you scooch back into the driver's seat and regain control of the car, you're now 50 feet away from plunging into an abyss.

Question: If the vehicle goes over the goddam cliff, is it your fault? No? Well, say hello to the world Barack Obama lives in!

The goddamn GOPhers have made it clear that defeating a black President is more important than THE SURVIVAL OF YOUR FUCKING COUNTRY! HELLO???

Barack Hussein Obama is a politician. In my very humble opinion, he's the best damn POTUS of the last 50 years. I realize that you, my American friends---and I honest-to-God consider you my friends---have a tendency toward The Ideal, The Perfection. But c'mon! We are, all of us, intelligent men and women here: We all know that this Commander-in-Chief is every bit as mortal as George Washington. Abraham Lincoln. FDR. JFK. And.....

You.

Me.

I do believe that I speak for men and woman of other, admiring democracies when I make this simple request:

Give this smart, savvy, intelligent and truly caring man another four years to show you---and, VERY selfishly---show us, the other citizens of this planet, what he can do!

[FarLeftFist]

1. HEAR HEAR!

[gateley]

2. K&R -- and thanks for your perspective! nt

[DeathToTheOil]

6. You're most welcome

I think it's vital that people---be they individuals, communities, or nations---be exposed to outside observation. Hey, here in Canada, we welcome it!

[gateley]

37. We here in America don't care about what other nations think of us. We're the best

and everyone else is envious.

It IS much appreciated!

[Aida F]

43. Damn right!

[pampango]

46. Damn straight! USA baby! We can't trust Canadians anyway. 90% of them live within 100 miles of

the US border. They live that close to our border for a reason. We need to build a WALL up north to prevent the inevitable invasion of Canadians and their values.

[Aida F]

47. Bastards want our cheese!

Denis Leary himself said that!

[Foolacious]

64. Damn! So our secret's out!

This ruins EVERYTHING. Curses!

[AtomicKitten]

3. Yes he can, again. Thanks.

[DeathToTheOil]

12. Yes

It can indeed be used as a thread title!

[AtomicKitten]

22. wax on

[Glen Bos]

49. Is that Romney as the karate kid?

LOL!

[liberal N proud]

4. To some of us Americans he is doing a great job

Thanks for the reassurance.

[DeathToTheOil]

9. Hey, we're WITH you!

Yes, we complain about your policies. And there are genuine disputes berween your country and mine. But hey, we've got 2,000+ combat troops in Afghanistan. Not saying that's a good idea, am saying we expect your American asses to LEAD!

[Zalatix]

54. Count me in that group, please!

And many thanks to DeathToTheOil for your perspective!

[Number23]

69. Absolutely agreed!

To some of us Americans he is doing a great job

You got that right.

[savalez]

5. Good post. Thanks.

[procon]

7. Great mental imagery!

Well writ; and I agree with everything you wrote.

[DeathToTheOil]

10. Hey

I am nothing if not mental!

[MineralMan]

8. Not all Americans, and not all DUers think

he is doing a bad job. An awful lot of people think, as I do, that he had a hostile Congress fighting him every inch of the way. Even so, he's gotten a lot done. Not everything we hoped for, but a lot.

[redqueen]

11. Thanks for that.

It helps to get an international perspective.

[DeathToTheOil]

15. No "violence" involved

Yes, I have been reading the misogynistic frat-boy posts infecting this forum for the past few days. Hey, I'm no Donahue or Alda, but even I realize that mockery of serious issues affecting women---in your country and mine!---ain't funny.

[anAustralianobserver]

13. I tend to agree. He hasn't been as transparent or honest or courageous as he could have been, and

some of those affected can't be expected to forgive that; but the corruption and systemic dysfunction he is dealing with are hard to overestimate - and the steps which must be taken to undo it are not always wise to publicise.

I think his detractors are too hard on him in the long-game, and his reflexive supporters are too easy on him in the bill-by-bill machinations he oversees, manages and executes.

[DeathToTheOil]

20. I disagree

Hey, would you like to deal with a Parliament whose only goal is your political destruction?

[treestar]

33. You're both lucky in that -

do you have any body that can obstruct the way the Senate can?

This filibuster crap must look insane to you. It does to me.

[anAustralianobserver]

39. Yes your Senate needs reforming and it seems to be set up such that it can only reform itself,

with prohibitively high obstacles to doing that.

It makes its own rules and loopholes and obfuscation mechanisms - such that it was on the cards that an insurrectionary rogue group in one of the major parties, like the contemporary R establishment, would arise and violate the Senate's constitutional limits.

Also in Australia we have preferential voting (instant-run-off) which is somewhat effective in checking 2-party duopolisation and unicameral bias - keeping our Senate and House relatively functional,

[treestar]

51. Is your Senate proportionate?

Does a state with more people have more Senators? One of the big limits of ours is the way small population states (generally red) get two Senators while higher population states (generally blue) get two also.

[anAustralianobserver]

71. Like yours the states have the same number of senators which causes

frustration, but the 'house of review' role of the Senate here seems to be more in balance for reasons beyond my knowledge.

An interesting thing I just read:

Significant power is conferred upon the Senate by the Australian Constitution, including the capacity to block legislation initiated by the government in the House of Representatives, making it a distinctive hybrid of British Westminster bicameralism and US-style bicameralism that is sometimes known as the Washminster system.

Yeah, I remember reading on DU about all the bills the Pelosi House had passed, which had strong public support, but were blocked by the Senate. I guess only electing a big majority of Senators who will act in good faith can change eg the filibuster rules, let alone something like adding a few more senators to the more populous states.

[treestar]

75. Does it block very often?

Is it harder for them, when a law passed by the House is apparently something the voters want, since their reps voted it in?

[anAustralianobserver]

35. If you read more than my post title you'll see I tend to agree with that,

but if you think Obama has been as honest and courageous as he could have been re: for example the Public Option machinations or his reason for the extension of the Bush tax cuts, I think you are going to find yourself disillusioned at some point.

[Cerridwen]

14. Congratulations!

Would you care to address your post to the 10s of thousands of people in the US who will die in the coming year of a treatable illness/injury/disease because they were too poor to buy their life?

Would you care to address your post to the millions of people in the US who will have no shelter in which to sleep tonight...tomorrow night...and the many nights coming?

Congratulations on being able to view what is happening in the US as an academic exercise in politics gone wrong. For far too many of us here in the US, that exercise is very literally life and death.

You see, when the choice is...do I take my medication? or Do I keep a roof over my head? or Do I buy food? or Do I buy my children food...or medication? that whole idea of 3-dimensional chess?...well, it's just a gnat buzzing in my ear as I decide how I will survive for the next hour...much less the next day. Who the hell has time to think of days when my life is defined by hours?

Congratulations! You were smart enough to be Canadian and can view your toxic neighbors to the south as a petri dish of politics gone wrong. Man, you rock!

No worries. Those who die, well hell, I'm sure they realize it's for the greater good of incrementalism and "THE SURVIVAL OF (OUR) FUCKING COUNTRY!"... Woo...fucking...hoo!

You think we/they will get a statue?

[DeathToTheOil]

18. Wake up and smell the REAL WORLD

Not very pretty, is it? The only difference over artificially-drawn borders is the extent to which "countries" attempt to ameliorate.

[Cerridwen]

21. I live it. I smell it. I attempt to survive it.

Every hour of every day. This is my life.

I watched my mother die from it. I watched my brother kill my mother for it. I live with that every hour of every day of my life.

This is not a philosophical debate in a college class for me. This is my life. I've been fighting what people here have just 'discovered' for the entirety of my life.

Your condescension is noted. I dare you to survive in this environment; much less actually live it.

I doubt you can. As it was once said; It is 'uniquely american.'

Heaven help us all.

[Cerridwen]

25. You're right. I was in another state.

I found out about it after the fact; and during the fact; but it was too late. I could do nothing.

He refused and obstructed her health care. He took her money, her credit cards, her ss card, hell, he even took her library card. He (they) ran up her credit cards, didn't pay her bills, took a reverse mortgage on her house and took all the cash then left her bereft.

Of course, you are correct. I have a long history on DU of lying.

Go check it out.

Don't ever call me a liar again. Ever.

[fascisthunter]

41. thank you for keeping this website somewhat real

[jwirr]

55. Yes, many of us life it but what these two posters are reminding us is that it will NOT get better b

voting for mitty or newty. Nor will it get better if we just stay home. I have lived in poverty for 60 of the 70 years of my life. I will be voting for Obama and the Democrats on the ticket because I know that if I do not it can only get worse. They are also not suggesting that we should be satisfied with the progress we have made so far. In Canada they got their health care system one province at a time - not through some perfect bill that was voted in all at one time. That is also how we got Social Security as it is known today. It started by covering certain persons and then others were added in later years. That is what I am hoping we can do in the next four years IF we are lucky enough to have a Congress that thinks progressive and if necessary we will pressure Obama to LEAD like he campaigns.

[Glen Bos]

56. Lesser of 2 evils again?

Is that what we have to choose again?

[jwirr]

58. If that is the only damned choices I have then yes, lesser of two evils. Give me someone else who

can win and I will vote for them. Until that happens in November 2012 I will vote for the Democrats. I would love to see someone like Bernie Sauders be our President but that is not going to happen even if he wanted to run. I want to win. Can't get more American than that! Sarcasm.

[Glen Bos]

70. Sanders would be great!

But you're right he's not running. Too bad really.

[demosincebirth]

28. Roosevelt had to deal with the same "the liberal left" (his words) all during his eight years

preceding the WW2. So, what's new. They will always have some reason to bitch and complain about something

[SammyWinstonJack]

81. +1000000!!!

[loyalsister]

16. but... but..

The GOP said that we were losing respect all over the world.
I actually love that talking point. It may work in the vitriolic bash Obama primary, but there's no way they get away with it in the general.

[DeathToTheOil]

19. I only wish I could vote!

The teabaggers are lemmings, enthusiastically participating in their own annihilation.

[Foolacious]

65. I CAN vote....

being binational. What I can't do is easily donate to the Obama campaign. The website freaks out as soon as I put in my Canadian postal code. And I've tried putting a fake one in (my most recent US zip code)... which works until I put in my credit card info, and the big data base in the sky figures out that my billing address isn't at that fake zip code.

[whatchamacallit]

17. A fallacy persists

The notion that we need to be patient and give Obama enough time to "fix things", assumes he wants to. IMO this president has adopted and expanded much of the crap introduced in the bush years. No point to being patient if he's going in the wrong direction.

[Edweird]

24. If your post is sincere and not propaganda, you are clearly a very poor judge of character.

I'm not sure what you, as a Canadian, stand to gain from RW policies advocated by a "Dem" president. No matter what, we have enough DLC/New "Dem"/third way dickheads here in the us - we don't need import any more. Thanks, but no thanks.

[DeathToTheOil]

26. Keep living in your fantasy world, where everything turns out happy!

[Edweird]

38. I live in real world, sport. I also happen to live, unlike you, in the US.

[SammyWinstonJack]

82. Rude!

[demosincebirth]

27. I don't like Obama because he didn't do anything to save the delta smelt!!

[DeathToTheOil]

32. That Bastard!

How are we even supposed to be HUMAN without smelt???

[JDPriestly]

59. Smelts are basic to the food chain of the ocean.

[liberalmuse]

29. I have my criticisms...

but I've been on this planet for 48 years and know that President Obama is better than Americans deserve, AND I will agree that he is by far the best President in my lifetime. I'm cynical, but pragmatic.

[DeathToTheOil]

34. I'm 48 as well

Cynical. Pragmatic. Okay, my friend, I can go with that, although, personally, I just call it realistic.

I'm not being facetious: I see where you're coming from!

[Zax2me]

31. Not from the polling I've seen.

Maybe 'us non-Americans' don't think in lockstep?
Fewer than 10 percent of respondents described themselves as having a favorable view of Obama.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/arab-worlds-views-of-us-president-obama-increasingly-negative-new-poll-finds/2011/07/12/gIQASzHVBI_blog.html

[Swede]

36. To be fair,that was in the Arab world.

But you knew that.

[TheKentuckian]

40. You wilfully take on a portion of the blame

when the foot remains on the gas and the destination remains the cliff.

Certainly, I don't think the problems originated with Obama as that notion is absurd. Whatever doesn't pre-exist him would exist independently of him, that is irrelevant to anything passable as a rational conversation.
What is the point of getting bogged down into that nonsense other than as a stalking horse.

In my opinion, the not enough is on the backburner to going too far in adding to the problems.
First, do no harm but we'll see what he can do because what other option is there? Other than maybe Mr slim and no chance-Huntsman, each of the other options would make Bush, Buchanan, Reagan, or Hoover at least look like Washington.
That doesn't make the cliff coming closer and closer any easier to swallow nor the need to actually change the direction and at least remove the foot from the gas if not hit the brakes.

Hell, actually discussing changing the direction or braking rather than what angle to take the cliff at and how fast would be an actual increment. Setting policy at whatever the last Republican proposal was and negotiating with Birch Society from there isn't going to cut it at all.

[Aida F]

52. Good point

Obama has acted like a Repulican one many ocassions.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

72. Or acted like a Democrat.

[Glen Bos]

42. Well ain't you clever!

[Violet_Crumble]

44. This non-American disagrees when it comes to foreign policy...

Granted, he's better than Bush, but after a promising start, he's turned into a real fizzer when it comes to US foreign policy....

[Quantess]

45. Agreed. I've been living in Europe for about a year now

and Obama seems to be viewed in a positive light, from what I have seen. The news here is more cut & dry (far less opinion) so people absorb and digest the news on their own.

Nobody has given me any attitude for having an american accent, unlike what was experienced when GW Bush was in office. Obama is a respected leader. GW Bush was despised almost everywhere in the world.

[Glen Bos]

53. Tell me about it!

In 2005 I went to Germany for my sister's wedding. I actually literally got spit on by 3 diefferent people!

[AnotherMcIntosh]

73. That was in Germany and not Greece?

[JDPriestly]

60. His foreign policy is a big improvement over the Bush era.

Unfortunately, his domestic policies are not so great. He majored in some area concerning foreign affairs. I don't think he has much background in economics. The economy is sort of slowly picking itself up but could easily double- or triple-dip downward. He doesn't have any good ideas about dealing with it. He seems to just protect the banks and invest small amounts of money in public works projects.

The basic problem is the disparity in incomes and the too-big-to-fail banks, retail sector, you name it. On Main Street everything is managed by big corporations. Obama has not done anything to change that trend. He names the leaders of big corporations as his advisers -- and then they instruct their companies to outsource and develop jobs overseas.

The government helps fund the rebuilding of a bridge -- with steel manufactured in China. These policies really hurt our country.

And don't get me started on human rights.

We will all vote for Obama -- because he is better than the alternative.

[Quantess]

61. And if we want to frame it in an international perspective,

we had better elect Obama again because the republican alternatives are backwards, wooden-headed, rubes. The rest of the world will lose all respect for us if the USA elects one of these nutcases (not that our international image is all that important, but it's something). The republican candidates are an embarrassment.

[Glen Bos]

63. "“The GOP field is just embarrassing.” Zbigniew Brzezinski

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/ft/2012/01/zbigniew_brzezinski_discusses_his_concerns_over_obama_s_asia_policy_.single.html

[a kennedy]

48. I've been to Canada....and loved it.

Thanks for the support. wish I could post a Canadian flag waver.

[hfojvt]

50. I never wanted him to be perfect - I wanted him to try

Again, on December 6, 2010 Obama annouced that he would rather surrender than fight - even try to represent the working class.

Yes, we can became no, I won't. Then he followed that up with a bunch of Republican rhetoric (in my view). He started to become Ronald Reagan. Suddenly tax cuts for the rich, were really tax cuts for the middle class. Suddenly tax cuts were the best way to create jobs.

No, I did not expect him to be perfect, but I didn't expect, and I will not tolerate, his open endorsement of Reaganomics and budget austerity.

I also say this from a position of luxury. My vote does not count anyway. I live in Kansas. Kansas' six electoral votes are going to the Republican, even if that Republican is Satan himself instead of one of his earthly servants. So my vote, one way or another, just does not matter.

But I still do not buy all this "oh, he did the best anyone could against all this Republican intransigence" becauee he did not even fucking try. He surrendered without even a fight or much of a whimper. Again, I will quote Joe Biden from the last convention, Biden said "Failure, at some point, is inevitable, giving up, is unforgiveable". Obama did not fail. He gave up.

[SammyWinstonJack]

83. Gave up and sold us out. But hey a Canadian who hasn't a worry about losing social safety nets

thinks Obama is doing a great job and we should all be so grateful.

My vote won't count either because the repug morans in this state (Texas) will vote for the repug nom, even if as you say, that repug is Satan himself...

[JDPriestly]

57. Best in 50 years? No. Jimmy Carter was better.

Best in 30 years. Without a doubt. But still not nearly good enough.

Don't worry. We will all be out there voting for him -- with bells on -- voter registration forms in hand months before the election -- tooting his horn. We are disappointed, but not insane.

[dawg]

62. As President, he's done a good job considering the oppostion.

As leader of the Democratic Party, not so much. His constant attempts to appear moderate and willing to compromise, even on Social Security and Medicare, have tarnished the Democratic brand and given the impression that the Republicans have lots of valid points and that their radical proposals (sush as turning Medicare into an indadequate voucher and turning Social Security over to Wall Street) are just reasonable differences of opinion.

And for all his "centrism" and "moderation", the U.S. public still considers Obama far to the left of center. Because Fox News told them so. (And because his skin is dark and his name sounds funny.)

All the pandering to the so-called middle got him nowhere.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad he's our President. But we need to win the war of ideas. Otherwise, this country will continue to drift further and further to the right.

I'm thankful for the health reform that was passed. It isn't enough, but it will help. It has already helped some.

But it is very telling that such a plan, based on Heritage Foundation ideas from the 1990's and similar both to the Republican counter-offer to Hillarycare and the actual plan established for Massachusetts under Mitt Romney, is now considered to be a radical redistributionist program. That is what losing the war of ideas looks like.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

66. In your scenario about going toward a cliff at 120 mpg, a Centrist would say "Slow down to 60."

That wouldn't help.

Is there anything that you've seen to support your conclusion that he is a "truly caring man"?

Truly caring about what specifically?

Mandatory purchase of heath insurance? That idea is traceable to a Republican Senator: Grassley (R-Iowa).

Endless wars? That idea is traceable to Bush II.

Free trade agreements with South Korea, Columbia, and Panama? That idea is traceable to Bush I.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

67. WONDERFUL!! ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!

[Number23]

68. "I realize that you, my American friends have a tendency toward The Ideal"

Not all of us are this naive. We don't have the luxury.

[kenny blankenship]

74. Most Americans had a favorable impression of Tony Blair

Most also think Nicolas Sarkozy is "a good one", and that Stephen Harper is doing good things.

[LeftishBrit]

76. Well, I agree - though most of all I just don't want another Republican

But we non-Americans have our *own* responsibilities with regard to world politics. We would have more right to comment on what Americans should or shouldn't do, if we put our own houses in order: e.g. we Brits need to get rid of Cameron; and you in Canada need to get rid of Harper

[Mr Dixon]

77. WOW

Great Post much better then the stuff that usually posted here

[Raffi Ella]

78. It's good to hear that, thank you.

Remember, DU represents some- not all - Democrats. Keep that in mind when this place goes into overdrive bashing him. A lot of Americans, while not ecstatic with him, are behind him

Just for the record: I agree w/ a lot of the criticisms of the President, I'm not discounting them at all. I draw the line at not voting/discouraging the vote though. I will definitely be voting for him. Say what you will about that but reality is what it is.

[99Forever]

79. A few questions.

Are you employed in a job that pays a living wage?

Is your home in danger of foreclosure?

Have you still got funds to retire on?

Do you receive medical care that won't bankrupt you to use?

When you are in the position that forces to have to answer no to all of these questions, I'll take your "humble opinion" a bit more seriously.

[SammyWinstonJack]

84. Well said! And richly deserved!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

80. You're not from the US -

you have been on this site for 1 month, and you presume to tell us what is good for us?

Stick around and learn a few thing. The fact is, he has already shown us what he can do.

He can kill innocents just as good as any hawk out there.
He can deprive people of their civil rights just as well as any banana republic.
He can cut back room deals just as good as any Wall Street crook.
He can look the other way at war crimes and financial crimes as good as any other bought politician.


I am an American. I am a liberal. I am a (by a very thin thread) a Democrat.

Sorry, but he just doesn't cut it for me.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

85. Well put! I second your remarks!

And I am proud to recommend...