Before we are critical of anything President Obama does...

[progressiveforever]

Let us remember that the President is undoing at least eight years (and it some cases decades) of failed policy. He has been in office ONE MONTH. If after a year, I don't see that he is switiching the tide, I'll join in the criticism.

However, let's give President Obama the time and space to do his job. He had the wisdom to get the highest Democratic popular vote percentage since 1964--that's 44 years before his election-- we can give him one year to show us he is on the right track.

Obama on his worst day is a billion times better than a Republican.

[Juche]

1. Much of the criticism is that the policies are too timid or watered down

That is a different animal. I agree, give the dems time to do healthcare reform, labor reform, end the war in Iraq, etc. But it seems that, at least with the stimulus, the impression Obama is giving is he is not willing to act as big as he needs to. From what I know of economists, they say the stimulus should've been bigger and been more infrastructure and state aid with less tax cuts. They also say bank nationalization is a good idea (Gibbs say Obama opposes this). I worry Obama may be unwilling to do the kind of work this country needs, and may settle for half measures to avoid appearing controversial.

[progressiveforever]

3. Point taken

but....I have to trust him at this juncture. I wanted more in the stimulus bill, but I have to trust him at this point.

[MarjorieG]

9. Given how different the advice (much credible), globally connected, reasons to be careful.

Not like he didn't want the aid to states doubled, certainly couldn't get tripled. Difficult to start a WPA now; relying on states to implement shovel ready immediately.

Not avoidance of appearing controversial, but anything he says affects the markets. Nationalization is like yelling FIRE.

[QC]

2. This is a politics discussion board.

People who like to discuss politics come here to discuss politics.

Sometimes that involves debating things like policy and strategy.

[progressiveforever]

4. Again..I see that

But being overly critical too soon leads to things like....George W. Bush.

[Starry Messenger]

6. I thought lack of critical thinking led to GWB.

That, or years of ketchup being served as a vegetable in public schools. Not good for the little gray cells.

[liberalsince1968]

11. Obama's sure sounding like George W. Bush on some human rights issues.

[Runcible Spoon]

30. Huh?

"But being overly critical too soon leads to things like....George W. Bush"

Umm, what? :shrug:

[Starry Messenger]

5. I was told there was candy.

What is this "politics" you speak of? Is it like sand fleas?

[QC]

7. Politics? That's something we used to talk about here

but gave up in favor of discussing pets and allowances and passing around pinup pictures of politicians at the beach.

[Starry Messenger]

8. I agree.

I voted for and like the guy, a lot. At first it was, don't critique until the inauguration. Then, until he's in office. Now it's "one year". Ok. I don't mind a bit of lighthearted fun, but this is getting kind of silly. A steady diet of pinup threads is not good nutrition. I spend more time in GD these days, I find.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

13. Join me in fighting for a GDP tabloid Page 3 (Guys only)

It's obvious the tabloid morons have the 'Pope's' blessing
so try to look at the bright side, something good can come out of this.

:sarcasm:

[QC]

26. That's actually not a bad idea.

Sort of a Politics Lounge.

[pnwmom]

16. It's a Democratic politics discussion board.

People shouldn't be coming here with the apparent aim of cutting off support to a Democratic President before he's hardly begun.

I'm not saying that you are -- but a few DUers have been attacking him from the beginning.

[liberalsince1968]

10. It only took Obama a month to agree with Bush on Afghan detainees

So I guess he can do some things, like deny human rights, really fast if he wants to.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/20/obama-backs-bush-on-bagra_n_168766.html

[Bread and Circus]

12. No shit. K and R. I think the harshest critics are those who have never been...

a leader a day in their life.

It is not easy to come into a situation like Obama's and "change everything" and go from a near quasi-fascist religious state to a progressive liberal and fair constitutional democracy in a short time.

Obama is up against the oil industry, big pharm, big insurance, the banking and financial industry, as well as the Military/industrial/complex and he has to get re-elected so as not to hand the country back to the fuckups.

I'd kindly ask all the quick to criticize folks to step back and really look at what Obama is up against and say they'd be able to snap their fingers and do things so differently with narry a thought as to the consequences for laying groundwork for a continued working majority.

p.s. I forgot to mention Big Angribusiness as well. Oh and the corrupt media too.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

14. Consider that, due to age, some of us lack the time...

you apparently have, grasshopper. Said age has also exposed us
to more than our share of disappointment in politicians.
When you are more in touch with your mortality let's see how
patient and un-critical you are?

[damonm]

33. And having reached that age,

Does not the knowledge that things take time come along with it? There are about 40 years of damage to undo - a veritable Mt. Everest of shitty policies. This is not going to be fixed in one month, unless we've elected God. And while I believe President Obama to be a good, decent and intelligent man, assuming him God is JUST a wee bit beyond the pale. He's made a good beginning - like the OP, we'll see in a year what the general direction of this Presidency will be.

[TBF]

23. So when can he start? Will it take 3 months? 3 years? 13 years?

Give me a break.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

39. But for one small difference we are much alike, you and I.

I, unlike you, harbor no illusions as to Obama's masters and his inability to defy them.
----------------------------------------

Okay, y'all know the drill. Lefties over here, righties over there. It's showtime, people! Places!
--Gore Vidal

[Honeycombe8]

15. I'm giving him time. No worries with me. This is a huge mess. It'll take time to get out of it.

nt

[asteroid2003QQ47]

35. Self absorbed 'immortals' born yesterday have both...

"no worries" and "time" (they think) to give.

[progressiveforever]

37. Hey thanks

I believe you are the only one who got my point. I have no problem with criticism, but I have seen the prez likened to what his critics on the other side call him. Let the man do his job!

[asteroid2003QQ47]

41. Don't look now...

but you seem oblivious as to what his job actually is!
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, y'all know the drill. Lefties over here, righties over there. It's showtime, people! Places!
--Gore Vidal

[Two Americas]

17. opinions vary

Opinions vary as to how to turn things around. It is not good citizenship to remain passive and silent, nor to ask others to be.

No politician can do anything, particularly the things that need to be done now, without public support, and public support cannot happen if we don't speak out.

The politicians are there to work for us, to support us, not to have us support them. Representative democracy cannot possibly function if we were all to take your advice, and the administration could not possibly succeed.

Dissent does not interfere with a politician doing their job, it is the fuel upon which successful political careers run.

[Political Heretic]

18. Uh no.

I won't "suspend" criticism because there are already areas where criticism is due. I'm not out to see Obama fail, I want him to succeed so I can promise that I won't be seeking to find fault for no reason. But Obama needs our voices - and we need to be loud when it comes to what we expect from our government!

Obama's not my "friend." He works for me, and I expect and demand that he look out for the best interests of the the majority working class America, the commons, and the constitution of the untied states. I have my reservations about whether or not anyone rising to the office of the president within this corporatocracy can truly do that, no matter what their initial intentions are. But I'm willing to hope and do what I can to fight to see what we can get done.

But being wishy-washy on torture or civil rights is not okay. It's not okay in the first 30 days or in the last 30 days.

[liberalsince1968]

22. Well said.

[cooolandrew]

19. I think certain criticism is constructive but yes let's not demotivate President Obama.

[Starry Messenger]

20. I really doubt he reads here.

This cannot be stressed too often. And even if he did, do you think the President of the United States would really be demotivated by a bunch of DU-ers? :)

[Runcible Spoon]

32. If criticism demotivates Obama, then we voted for the wrong guy.

After all; this was the whole point of his "team of rivals", wasn't it? To get competing viewpoints and all. I personally don't think there's an awful lot of competing viewpoints in his economic team, and I don't see how Obama would get demotivated by hearing from the people. He is, after all, OUR representative, he works for US. He is not there to carry out his own personal agenda beyond what those who voted for him entrusted him with. He promised reflexive relationship with the voters, there is no reason why we shouldn't take him up on that.

[eridani]

21. So, is there something wrong with chiming in and trying to SHAPE his policies?

I should just passively sit around and wait for private insurance to take my doctor away when my COBRA expires? Is it OK with you if I email and phone him frequently about SR 676, or do we all just sit back and take the screwing from insurance companies?

[tomp]

24. you're so right!

op is naive bullshit.

[QC]

25. Please stop! You will demotivate him! n/t

[bvar22]

27. I would love to "demotivate" Obama from....

...Escalating the War, but it is already too late.

Maybe I should have spoken up sooner and louder.

[Numba6]

28. Let me reemphazize your point that it's been done IN ONE MONTH... &

facts of the bill, for all those bandwagon jumpers

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8215623

[pleah]

29. He works for all of us. We have the right to criticize

when we think he is headed in the wrong direction.

What happened to ending the war in Iraq?
What is happening with the prosecution of war crimes?

[stillcool]

38. Exactly. He should have done far more...

in this last month than he has. After all, he has soooo much support from Congress, the media, and the people he can do whatever he wants, right?

[treestar]

31. Also consider his side of it too

Too many on DU willing to jump without even considering that Obama may have an explanation.

If I disagree with Obama, or appear to, given that he is so smart, I'd consider his side first before going on to jump to conclusions.

There's no way Obama is OK with human rights violations, so the posts on the board, IMO are not giving us enough information and posted by those who do not want to get all the information lest it spoil their outrage.

[Runcible Spoon]

34. If his explanation doesn't come BEFORE policy is enacted, tough shit.

It's his job and responsibility to ensure that people know why he supports certain agendas or not. If all we have to go on is the position and policy itself, we still have every reason and right to raise questions about that, regardless of whether or not Obama has explicitly given his justification of it.

Honestly, does anyone here actually think there is something HARMFUL about being skeptical and cautious with any politician? Even those who are accused of outright hatred, (and just today, I have been, for not "trusting" Obama or being "loyal" or criticizing policy) how does this "hatred" actually harm Obama? I doubt he is affected on a personal or emotional level and if so he's in the wrong profession; is it so horrible that a politician who promised reflexivity with voters actually adjust his policy to fit public reaction to it?

[treestar]

44. There are literally thousands of issues

And so a post on DU suddenly finding Obama to be a right wing tool without even quoting anything from anywhere as being the administration's side of it has a good chance of not containing all the facts and being just for the purpose of bashing.

Obama has a long record of doing what he said he was going to do. Automatic distrust of anyone for being any ground, including beng a politician is not justified; that says all politicians are corrupt by virtue of going into the field, which is just another kind of bigotry.

[Runcible Spoon]

45. Are you serious?

Look, you can't simultaneously applaud post-partisanship, reaching across the aisle, and deal-making and then jump on someone for suggesting that politicians aren't 100% true to any ideological belief system and sometimes vote or pass legistlation for less than savory reasons.

Saying it is a good idea to be skeptical about politicians is BIGOTRY now? What a laugh. I hope you were there on every Republican bashing thread saying "now now kids, being distrustful of the Republicans is bigotry". What a gross misuse of the word that robs it of power and makes it less effective when it IS appropriate! Considering politicians come in every stripe in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, political motivation, orientation, geography, etc. you're going to have a pretty hard time proving how this is "bigotry".

As for "a post on DU suddenly finding Obama to be a right wing tool without even quoting anything from anywhere as being the administration's side of it has a good chance of not containing all the facts and being just for the purpose of bashing." I have no idea what you're talking about; is this some abstract example? My response to your post is about the general mood re: criticizing the administration.

You may want to look up the connotations of "bigotry"; in your definition DU is FOUNDED on bigotry. My understanding in this context is that bigotry necessarily means unreflective opinion not based on experience or demonstrable fact.

[GeorgeGist]

36. He's got his chance ...

not a free pass. Besides he welcomes opposing opinions.

[Jim Sagle]

40. Bullshit, buddy. This is DU not OU.

[EFerrari]

42. He's a grown up. He can take feedback.

Isn't it nice to have an adult in charge of this joint again? :)

[pecwae]

43. That rather defeats the name of this board.

Ask Admin to amend the rules to reflect what you propose. I'd like to see the response.

[LWolf]

46. I see a glaring omission in your suggestion.

Why would I wait for him to carry out an agenda that I have NEVER supported?

He's not undoing the Bush administration. If that's what you think, I'd like to know what you've been smoking the last 3 years.

He's moving forward with plans that I've opposed ever since he offered them up in the early primaries.

Why the hell would I stop opposing them, and wait for him to move them further forward?

It really has nothing to do with what party he belongs to. It has to do with the fact that his agenda is profoundly different than mine, and always has been.

I'm one of those on the left he's been so careful to distance himself from. He's never offered me the change I'm willing to support. Which is why I've never had any hope that he would do so in office.

Why do I need to wait a year to recognize that?