President Obama Takes Time to Call Red Sox Manager John Farrell

[Fearless]

[postulater]

1. Sounds like he left a voicemail message.

[yuiyoshida]

2. I bet it would be difficult to reach the coach

And I bet you are right, I would imagine I would be kicking myself if I missed the call from the President of the United States.. and found his voice on voice mail!

[dotymed]

3. I am really sorry to say, especially having voted for him twice (the first time with hope)

that President Obama is, IMO, a huge disappointment.
I really do not care to see "the list" of his great accomplishments again.

Yep, we deserved "a pony."

Having said that, hopefully we have learned a lesson in Presidential elections.
I have learned to not vote for the party. The real Democratic party left us long ago (at least 30 years).

IMO, we need to (draft if necessary) find a person with a proven track record (against corporate people) that proves they put real people first.

For those who say "The president can't really do anything", they need to read up on FDR. The President sets the "tone" for DC and America. A great president doesn't have to spend all (or most) of his/her time negotiating.

Even if he/she has to "resort" to the handful of real journalists to get his/her message out, it can be gotten out and if that message is what the people want, other legislative bodies will feel the pressure from their constituents to "make it happen."
A candidate is only a "spoiler" if you allow that to happen.
People who voted for Nader should be applauded for their clear thinking rather than despised.
If we vote for a candidate who is proven to be a progressive, a person of action and unwavering integrity, then we have done our part.
Those who must vote "party first" are the real spoilers.

[Fearless]

4. I'm not seeing how this had anything to do with the thread

[dotymed]

5. Keep looking.

[Fearless]

7. Ok then let me rephrase that.

I have been outspokenly critical of anti democratic moves he has made. Your post has NOTHING to do with the OP.

[LAGC]

6. One thing FDR had going for him that *kind* of helped...

...was a Democratic super-majority in Congress and a Supreme Court that had his back.

When has Obama ever had a Congress that was on-board with his agenda?

Even during 2009-2010 with "nominal" Democratic majorities, look at how much teeth-pulling it took just to get the watered-down compromise of the ACA passed? And look what the Supreme Court did to water it down even further by killing the Medicaid mandate which allowed many red states to opt out and screw the working poor?

I'm all for criticizing the president over inaction when its due, but I just can't see faulting him for not being "forceful" enough to ram stuff through Congress, when its already a foregone conclusion that it's going nowhere fast.

There's the "bully pulpit" and there's "choosing your battles." What exactly would you have the president do?

[dotymed]

8. FDR had to threaten to "pack the SCOTUS" because they were not "for him."

He also had to fight congress at every turn. That is why he took the fight directly to the people.