"Let me explain something to you about Obama"

[ProSense]

Let me explain something to you about Obama

by Mithridates

Hi Daily Kos, Canadian living in Korea here. I think it might be a good time to pen my thoughts on the US and President Obama, as I might be able to offer a bit more objective and unbiased view from over here.

Let's see...where to begin. First of all, the way Obama views government and the presidency. I think if I had to characterize Obama's governance in a single sentence it would be this: "Begin with an ideal, analyze the situation, and then move as close as possible to that ideal as the current situation will allow".

Sometimes what the current situation will allow is quite a bit, sometimes it isn't much. Obama seems to always prefer a bit of progress to the possibility of none at all.

That explains pretty much everything he has done so far. Obama isn't exactly what either extreme would like to characterize him as. He's certainly not a Marxist or any of the other ridiculous names he gets called by the GOP, we know that, but neither is he a sellout, a corporate shrill, etc. On the other hand, he doesn't have any problem working with anybody that he thinks may be able to help him enact that "as much change as the current situation will allow" if that's the only way to achieve it.

Health care: the US admittedly still has a pretty ridiculous system and I'm glad I don't understand what a deductible, copayment and the rest are, exactly. However, take a look at this:

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/d7zt6/obamacare_worked_today_help_me_spread_the_word/

Not too bad for a year and a half. I'm not sure why Daily Kos isn't full of diaries that are focused on building on this instead of tearing Obama down. Over here we're watching the US redeem itself, slowly but steadily: a drawdown in Iraq, much better diplomacy (especially with Russia, very important IMO), plans for high-speed rail finally beginning to form, a nice measured tone on North Korea and the ability to get things done at the UN Security Council instead of whining about the UN itself as Bolton used to do. Oh, and Israel and Palestine are in talks again. Cautious optimism.

On how health care was passed: the Democratic Party is a wider tent than the GOP and thus has a lot of Democrats that don't act like one would expect a Democrat to act on issues like taxes, health care and the rest. I'm not sure why this isn't the focus of the upcoming election instead of all the diaries about Obama. Why is there such little talk about individual Democrats when those were the ones that prevented the health care bill from being better than it could? Even in a climate as poisonous as that was, being able to get something through both the House and the Senate looked like a minor miracle to me.

Demagogues on the left: I'm not really a fan of perfectionists, the Cenk Uyghurs and Arianna Huffingtons that always seem one second away from crying "sellout!" whenever something goes wrong. I'm sure they're nice people and I don't question their motives, but their techniques are all wrong at this stage (a few months before an election). Whenever I read a diary written by someone making the case that Obama or whoever has sold out, I always look for the alternative they are proposing...and there usually isn't any. Okay, Obama sold out and...what's the plan? Usually the plan is pretty vague - Obama needs to "take off the gloves" or something.

<...>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8626041.stm

You voted for Obama and all you got was health care reform, stem cell research, ungagging of scientists, reduced nuclear weapons, an improving economy, greater rights of states to legalize marijuana, more rights for gays, and an improved image on the world stage.

That quote comes from here.

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/brjym/president_barack_obama_signed_a_memorandum/c0o80on

more

Demagogues on the left

Still laughing at that one.

[Empowerer]

1. Nice. Thank you.

[impik]

2. This diary from the DK??? Really????? Who let it happen????!!!!!!!

Thank you for bringing it here.

[babylonsister]

3. Thank you, Pro! nt

[bvar22]

4. A Canadian living in Korea...

...who enjoys Universal Health Care and thinks Obama begins with an Ideal.

Now THERES an opinion worth pondering.

[WI_DEM]

5. I like what the author wrote about building on what Obama has begun rather than tearing down

[liberalhistorian]

6. I like it too, and I agree with the characterization of his

leadership style. And it would work just fine if he didn't have to continually deal with the RW hate machine that is determined to see him fail, country be damned.,

[pansypoo53219]

7. the ship of state that was headed for the cliff on the rite

is a hard thing to turn left.

[Phx_Dem]

8. K&R

[NoSheep]

9. Thanks for this. I tend the think the way you do.

[asjr]

10. Thank you! I think the

characterization of Obama is spot on. Every time I turn around I see even Democrats shouting about what Obama should do--right now! Or he hasn't done enough or gone far enough. Obama knows all this and amazingly marchs right on calmly and does what he can. What he can--not what he should according to his detractors. Obama is no different from other presidents in one respect. We Americans put a president in office one day and immediately try to take him down the next day. I will continue to support Obama and let him do his job his way.

[county worker]

11. Not buying it.

"Begin with an ideal, analyze the situation, and then move as close as possible to that ideal as the current situation will allow".

If the above were true there would not be the desire for bi partisanship. The cat food commission would be Dems and labor leaders. The Senate would get rid of the 60 vote rule to counter the party of no.

The Op is such bull shit!

The watered down bills such as HCR, Financial reform would have been real game changers if the above were true. In order to appease the right we will not get real progressive change!

[ProSense]

12. Hmmm?

"If the above were true there would not be the desire for bi partisanship. The cat food commission would be Dems and labor leaders. The Senate would get rid of the 60 vote rule to counter the party of no.

The Op is such bull shit!"

Could say the same about this comment, especially since the OP isn't about the Senate filibuster.

[county worker]

13. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm?

Obama does not make law, Congress does, what ever Obama gets done gets done in the Senate and the House. It is implied in the OP!

[ProSense]

16. Hmmm?

"Obama does not make law, Congress does, what ever Obama gets done gets done in the Senate and the House. It is implied in the OP!"

So when there is no valid argument, the best thing to do is claim that the President had nothing to do with it?

The legislation related to President Obama's agenda are based on proposals he sent to Congress. Without his involvement the bills would have been a lot weaker. This is why members of Congress were constantly crying for the President to do more to help sway their colleagues. Congress writes the laws, but the administration is responsible for negotiating and helping to push through the President's agenda.

[county worker]

17. Without his involvement the bills would have been a lot weaker.

I am in complete disagreement. Because of his involvement the bills were a lot weaker. In my opinion Obame is a neoliberal.

[ProSense]

21. "Because of his involvement the bills were a lot weaker." So how

does this square with your previous statement:

"Obama does not make law, Congress does, what ever Obama gets done gets done in the Senate and the House."

You seem to want to blame him for the flaws in the bill while claiming that he has nothing to do with them.

If the Senate had enough votes to pass a stronger bill, they would have.

[slay]

20. Me either

but since this was posted in GD:P, expect to be attacked for pointing out the truth.

[Radical Activist]

14. That bolded sentence is what I would expect from someone

who adopts the community organizing philosophy. It's very much a reflection of his background in organizing and Illinois politics.
It's very different than triangulation. Clinton proposed something down the middle and pulled Congressional Democrats right. Obama is pulling Congress left.

[mkultra]

15. Well, it was certainly dems in congress who fucked up healthcare

Obama just insured that something got through.

[mercuryblues]

18. I like it

From the OP:

You voted for Obama and all you got was health care reform,
stem cell research, ungagging of scientists, reduced nuclear
weapons, an improving economy, greater rights of states to
legalize marijuana, more rights for gays, and an improved
image on the world stage.

They voted for McCain and all they got was a this ugly t-shirt


http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t224/Mercuryblues_photo/363358160v1_480x480_Front_Color-KellyGreen1.jpg?t=1283533802

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[scheming daemons]

22. Yes.... because 20 months is almost the exact equivalent of a billion years

Eugene Robinson was talking about you, specifically, in his column today.

[slay]

23. Whatever dude

go water yourself.

[smalll]

24. So a "Canadian living in Korea" has the idea that it's all been excellent 3 dimensional chess.

Well, I value your opinion. But I'm waiting to hear from the Mexicans living in Sweden before I come to a full decision on the whole question. Also, the French living in Costa Rica. Their opinions will be key.

Key!

[NJmaverick]

25. K&R

[ibegurpard]

26. depends on your ideal

if your ideal is to protect the stranglehold insurance corporations and big pharma have on our healthcare then OP has a point

[Safetykitten]

27. The vulgarity of a Canadian dressing down Americans about what they got for HCR is stunning.

Why not have this person jump in the HCR high risk pool with us?

Canadians defending Obama on HCR really should keeep their thoughts to themselves. It makes them look monumentally stupid or horribly uncaring, or both.