What is it Obama will be running on in 2012?

[mmonk]

I'm just curious.

[jefferson_dem]

1. Real Progress - "Morning Again In America"

:)

[Myrina]

2. "Can't we all just get along?"

n/t

[somone]

3. Corporate CEOs Are People Too

[grahamhgreen]

4. Thin ice.

[rko_24550]

33. +1

[CBGLuthier]

5. On the simple fact he is NOT Sarah Palin

or Mitt Romney

[Bucky]

8. They won't be nominating her. Look up the word "Legerdemain"

(assuming I spelled it right)

[FormerDittoHead]

9. +1. n/t

[Bucky]

6. fumes

Just like my car

[KharmaTrain]

7. What Democrats Ran Away From In 2010...The Economy

Jobs, Jobs and more Jobs...but also money, money and more money. It's going to be massaging numbers to make it look like the economy is recovering but not to step on the toes of the big money donors who will need to fork over a lot of money next year. There'll be precious little about the messes in Afghanistan and even the "War on Terra" will take a back seat. Social issues will also mean little except for candidates boasting how they're going to trim "goverment spending" cause they can't touch defense or corporate welfare. It'll be playing the pundits game who are sure to keep a scorecard on unemployment numbers as well as the DOW and use that as the barometer of how well or poorly things have gone. It's not what type of jobs or the money those getting the jobs earn...a burger flipper or Wal-Mart greeter works just as well as a job in a green technology industry or high tech/high paying position. It's all about numbers, not individuals. Those who have fallen off the roles or are on the bottom rungs don't stand a chance...

[mmonk]

10. Thanks for working on particular issues.

I guess the question is will it work or will it come down to personalities and such. Will lives improve enough in America for it to be the issue?

[Godhumor]

11. If it comes down to personality, Obama wins, if it comes down to issues, Obama wins

The fact is the economy is in the midst of a recovery. People tend to want to keep the person in charge actually in charge during those times.

The only way Obama doesn't win is massive scandal, decides not to run, or the economy runs straight off a cliff.

[KharmaTrain]

23. It's All Personalities...

Sad to say, style always trumps substance in an election. In many ways that's why so many have been disappointed with this administration...projecting more into what was being said during the '08 campaign then complicated by a political reality (aka an economic mess) that would make most of campaign promises ring hollow (not to mention the obstructionists who succeded in their PR wars).

Politics are mostly personalities...they campaign for your "love"; saying the things that sound and feel good and trying to avoid specifics. This is magnified by a corporate media that has created a new strata of celebrity politicians and talking heads who spin like high speed dryers. The lives of the "little guy" is exploited, but in the short-term there's little, if any progress. Will lives improve? Well...if you vote for me...or re-elect me with a majority or vote for the other guy and give him/her the majority, then, of course, things will get better (:sarcasm:)

Right now, the real election is being waged on the phones and at the fundraisers. It's those who write the checks who matter...and how they feel about how their life (and wealth) is going. The "little guy" only matters after the money is collected.

Cheers...

[JoePhilly]

35. An improving economy, despite GOP obstruction,

[Octafish]

12. He's not insane.

The GOP leadership is all nuts, all the time, top to bottom.

Excellent question, mmonk: Most of Obama's accomplishments are hard to see or point to -- legislative change.

The President needs to get some THINGS accomplished -- big programs for jobs, energy, health care, etc. -- not just address concerns through allies' congressional committees and presidential commissions.

[mmonk]

16. I was wondering if it will be record (vis a vis health care), economic

perceptions, and if so, how will it differ from Republican candidates? Then it turns to what legislation can he point to since the GOP take over of the House. Will there be anything of substance there?

[Courtesy Flush]

29. That's what I was telling my wife after the speech

I only caught part of the speech, but I'm very disillusioned with Obama. Still, I told my wife I'll have to vote for him again if the alternative is certifiably insane... which is likely.

[muriel_volestrangler]

30. How does a president set up big programs when the House is controlled by the other party?

He has to persuade some of them that his ideas will help them get re-elected.

In practice, I think very little will be achieved in the next 2 years, because, as you say, the GOP leaders are nuts. But then he will have to run on "I'm the rational candidate, the Republican one is unreasonable" - in which case he's got to make it look like he occupies a 'sensible' middle ground and any possible GOP candidate is an extremist. So the speech last night is pretty much what one should expect.

[mmonk]

32. You forgot we had all three branches of government and one of the most

progressive pieces of legislation was the health care bill patterned after the Heritage Foundation's ideas. And now the House is controlled by the other party and the Republicans got the tax cuts extentions before they even took it over, what is he going to run on?

[muriel_volestrangler]

39. Oh yeah, there were missed opportunities in the past 2 years

though the delay in getting Al Franken seated, and the idiocy of Joe Libermann, didn't help.

As far as the tax cuts went, I'm not sure what would have been the best course after the mid-terms (I'd say the Democrats should have run in the mid-terms on "extend the 'middle class' cuts, let the cuts for the rich lapse"). Obama and the Democrats could have said "extend the middle class cuts; we'll never extend the cuts for the rich"; I really don't know if the Republicans would then have said "we won't let any cuts pass, then, and we'll say it's the Democrats' fault that the middle class ones didn't pass", or if they'd have been afraid of being painted as the ones who blocked them. Sadly, I suspect they'd have felt confident they'd win the media war over that - if they shout "class war", media people seem to believe it's the 'poor' at fault, even when it's the rich. While, in an election, people may think more closely about what is really going on, between elections I think people let the media make more of the judgements. Also, in the mid-term elections, making the cuts a major issue would have caused the Republicans problems with their Tea Party voters, since it undercuts their "we must cut the deficit" claim; but after the election they have been able to get away with that largely, it seems.

But, given what the situation is now, I think Obama will have to look centrist. He won't be able to get left wing policies through, so the advantage of backing them in theory isn't so great. If he'd achieved more in the past 2 years, perhaps he could say "we do fine with a moderate left government, it's all the Republicans' fault" - and go for gridlock with the current House; but with a mediocre record up to now, I think he's got to make it look as if he wants to get something new done.

[dmallind]

13. If you can't guess, read the last two years' of newspapers

Most of us pay a bit more attention and have heard of HCR, DADT repeal. reversed 700k monthly job losses turned into gains, the saving of the US auto industry, aversion of a real (not DU-proclaimed) Depression, exit plans on schedule for both wars, the near-doubling of the fragile DJIA index, Leadbetter Law, START, two SCOTUS Justices to stand up to Scalitomas, repairing much of the boy-king's diplomatic damage, etc, etc.

But you weren't really "curious" were you? Just another whiny poutraged impotent foot-stomping ideologue maybe? I'm just curious.

[mmonk]

19. I am curious regardless of the insult. I don't ask questions I have

no interest in hearing opinions to. Will what you mention be enough? Will it all depend on the economic fortunes of the average American?

[Ghost in the Machine]

27. "Just another whiny poutraged impotent foot-stomping ideologue maybe?"

Or it could be that you're just another head-in-the-sand sheep who thinks Obama is some kind of new messiah?

Health Care Reform? No, more like Health Insurance Reform, with a nice little bonus to the insurance companies by mandating that everyone purchase insurance..


DADT Repeal? It's not fully implemented yet: "The repeal does not immediately put a stop to “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Mr. Obama must still certify that changing the law to allow homosexual and bisexual men and women to serve openly in all branches of the military will not harm readiness, as must Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mullen, before the military can implement the new law. But the secretary and the admiral have backed Mr. Obama, who said ending “don’t ask, don’t tell” was a topic of his first meeting with the men. He praised Mr. Gates for his courage; Admiral Mullen, who was on stage with the president during the signing ceremony here, received a standing ovation."
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/us/politics/23military.html?_r=1


Reversed job losses? Tell that to the people in my area, where the unemployment rate is still 14% or more. Where are all these jobs?


Saved the Auto Industries? More corporate welfare, where are the auto-worker jobs? Who has the money to buy new cars when they aren't working and they're struggling to keep the vehicle, and house, they already have?


Aversion of a Depression? The jury ain't back on that one yet...


Exit plans on schedule for both wars? Sending more troops to Afghanistan, plus ramping up bombing in Pakistan is an exit plan?


Are you getting the picture yet, or do I need to continue?

[Tatiana]

14. Post-partisanship? n/t

[mmonk]

22. He can probably run on that as many times as he likes as long as

Republicans oblidge him that issue.

[bowens43]

15. the republican ticket? nt

[Erose999]

17. Empty. Thats what he will be running on. He will not get the support from the GOOP he is looking for

And the corporate campaign money will only take him so far. He will have to have some kind of accomplishment to campaign on and the GOOP is not gonna give it to him.

[mmonk]

21. Will the corporate money be there?

[Erose999]

24. Given that one of the big points of his SOTU was lowering the corporate tax rate, I'm sure it will.

His corporate financiers know what side their bread is buttered on.

[Canuckistanian]

18. He never ONCE looked back

It seems to be his badge of honor.

[Obamanaut]

20. A redo of the remaining 2008 promises, with a slogan "And this time I mean it." nt

[somone]

34. "I will really really fight - in 2016"

[TBF]

25. If last night's speech is any indication, the republican platform. nt

[Frank Cannon]

26. A "secret plan" to end the war in Afghanistan

Why not? It worked for Nixon.

[mmonk]

31. And instead of an exit through Cambodia, it is an exit through Yemen.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

28. The end of the Mayan calendar?

VOTE OBAMA!

What have we got to lose?


:shrug:

[Capitalocracy]

38. If Palin wins the primary...

he will basically be running on a platform of choose between me and the end of the world.

[Autumn]

36. I can't wait to see

Wars? check. Insurance finance reform? check. Taxes for the rich? check. Reigning in Wall Street? check. No lobbyists? check. Protecting the poor and SS? fool me once. Hummm now I'm curious.

edited for spelling

[BlueIris]

37. Nothing.

Because he won't be running.