The President Obama Thread - Part 6

[Kelly]

My dad just said Obama was the most divisive president since Richard Nixon. And he LOATHES Obama.

I gave him the serious side-eye. Too much conservative talk radio has messed him up.

I think he was.....until #45... Who has surpassed him even before he takes office.

 

[TheVileOne]

Come on. You just need to look at the birther movement.

No.

 

[moviedoors]

No.

Now's the part where you explain how the birther movement doesn't count.

 

[Charlatan]

What divisive thing did Obama do that other presidents didn't?

 

[mclay18]

Exactly. He was divisive because he actually tried being progressive instead of just fattening corporate profits.

I think what really got under my Dad's skin about Obama is that he would complain about Obama going around the world and apologizing for our actions. And then he complained about how Obama seemingly forced ACA into effect by Democratic majority and executive actions, without trying to compromise with Republicans. Basically compared him to a dictator, and I almost burst out laughing.

I should've told him, "you realize Mitt Romney came up with ACA while he was governor of Massachusetts, right?"

 

[Schlosser85]

I think people who think Obama was the most divisive president ever, or at least blame it all on Obama, have some special glasses they view the world though.

 

[mclay18]

They are rose-tinted racist glasses.

And yes, he also said Obama was the reason Trump got elected. No, he wasn't the reason Trump got elected, it's because the GOP was took over by the bats**t Tea Party fools.

 

[TheVileOne]

What divisive thing did Obama do that other presidents didn't?

He threw Israel under the bus.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

What divisive thing did Obama do that other presidents didn't?

He dared to become president while not being a white guy?

 

[TheVileOne]

He dared to become president while not being a white guy?

So basically not agreeing with Obama's policies makes you a racist. That's hot garbage.

 

[Donner]

He threw Israel under the bus.

You're really super sensitive about this whole Israel thing.

You also never explained how the birther movement wasn't racist. But that doesn't fit into your narrative does it?

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

So basically not agreeing with Obama's policies makes you a racist. That's hot garbage.

I can link you to the many, many protest signs using the N-word among various other racial epitaphs after his election if you'd like via PM since I can't post them here. Or perhaps you would prefer a visit to r/the_donald to see what Trump's supporters favorite word for Obama is. I'll give you a hint, it starts with an N.

 

[TheVileOne]

You're really super sensitive about this whole Israel thing.

You also never explained how the birther movement wasn't racist. But that doesn't fit into your narrative does it?

I'm no more sensitive than everyone else is here about various political topics.

I don't agree with the movement. Maybe disagreeing with it makes you a racist. See how easy that is?

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

I'm no more sensitive than everyone else is here about various political topics.

I don't agree with the movement. Maybe disagreeing with it makes you a racist. See how easy that is?

You're quite good at these mental gymnastics. Maybe use those skills in the next Olympics?

 

[Donner]

I'm no more sensitive than everyone else is here about various political topics.

I don't agree with the movement. Maybe disagreeing with it makes you a racist. See how easy that is?

Again, what? You're not making any sense.

 

[TheVileOne]

You're quite good at these mental gymnastics. Maybe use those skills in the next Olympics?

Maybe I will. Thanks.

 

[SV Fan]

I think what really got under my Dad's skin about Obama is that he would complain about Obama going around the world and apologizing for our actions. And then he complained about how Obama seemingly forced ACA into effect by Democratic majority and executive actions, without trying to compromise with Republicans. Basically compared him to a dictator, and I almost burst out laughing

Let me guess your dad watches Fox News and listens to Rush Limbaugh

Maybe you can show your dad this in regards to the first statement

US favorability thoughout the world(from 2015)

Compared to when Bush left office the only countries that have a more negative opinion of us are Russia, Jordan, Lebanon and ironically Kenya(and my guess in this case the slight downtick in favorability is due to people in this country using Kenya as a derogatory term to try put down the President). Hell even Israel has a slightly better view despite what the Vileone thinks about Kerry and Obama giving "anti-semitic rhetoric" and throwing them under the bus.

 

[mclay18]

Let me guess your dad watches Fox News and listens to Rush Limbaugh

He hates Limbaugh and occasionally watches FN, but he has station 680 AM on when he's driving. One show he likes is The Bill LuMaye Show, who is much less bombastic than Rush but much more snide and insinuating. I can't listen to his show for more than 5 minutes because I want to wring the guy's neck.

And he was also raised conservative in a rural NC back in the 1960s so that colors his outlook as well.

 

[Victarion]

I have a question about political legacy. It comes from me reading this post on Reddit:

*

Does the success or failure of President Obama's attempt to influence the Brexit vote, the passage of the ACA, the tact he took with the eternal warring in the Middle East hinge on these things enduring beyond his eight years in office? There's been a lot of talk about legacies being undone with Trump's taking the office, but the fact that President Obama took these particular stances on big issues and brought about healthcare reform...doesn't that mean that his legacy is secure, regardless of what Trump changes when he becomes President?

 

[TheVileOne]

I guess the person who wrote all that is a racist. Go figure.

 

[Donner]

I guess the person who wrote all that is a racist. Go figure.

Says who?

 

[Sithborg]

I guess the person who wrote all that is a racist. Go figure.

There are valid criticisms of Obama.

But does any of his policies warrant the unprecedented obstructionism of the GOP? I mean, dear god, they have left the Supreme Court hobbled because even a moderate pick like Garland isn't Scalia?

 

[TheVileOne]

There are valid criticisms of Obama.

But does any of his policies warrant the unprecedented obstructionism of the GOP? I mean, dear god, they have left the Supreme Court hobbled because even a moderate pick like Garland isn't Scalia?

Not according to his numerous defenders here. He and Kerry's policies on Israel definitely warrant unprecedented obstructionism. Also his handling of ISIS.

 

[mclay18]

There are some good points in that Reddit post, but what destroys the poster's credibility are the statements about ACA's so-called death spiral, Hillary Clinton supposedly putting the Middle East in turmoil while she was Secretary of State, and Wall Street reforms freezing lending and slowing the economic recovery.

1) The ACA is imperfect, but for a lot of people it's lowered premiums and enabled people with pre-existing conditions to get the treatment they need without bankrupting them.
2) Part of the Middle East turmoil was thanks to Bush's antics and the pointless WMD campaign.
3) The Frank-Dodd reforms help keep the big banks in line and avert another financial recession from toxic mortgages.

 

[Kelly]

I think people who think Obama was the most divisive president ever, or at least blame it all on Obama, have some special glasses they view the world though.

They are rose-tinted racist glasses.

And yes, he also said Obama was the reason Trump got elected. No, he wasn't the reason Trump got elected, it's because the GOP was took over by the bats**t Tea Party fools.

Yep....I wear rose colored glasses.....

Of course, not sure how me thinking that Obama has been divisive equates to, all the blame is on him.

Here's the thing, THE President, is where the buck stops, as W. Bush said more than once. Obama early on in his Presidency made mistakes of a young President not realizing, or understanding the office he held, simply not allowing his majority in the House and Senate do what it needed to do, he had to be cocky about it, calling out senior Senators, in speeches, and I'm not going to pull these quotes again, I have done it several times.

Oh, and um, no not a member of the bat**** crazy Tea Party....I am an Independent that voted for Obama in 2008, but could not swallow his inability to keep his mouth shut in matters that were local at best.

From the Beer Summit to probably about 2014, he was cocky, and mouthed off far too often for a President (whether he was correct in his assessment or not, it is not the job of a President to insert themselves into local issues) it made things much more divisive than they needed to be, hence he did not get my vote in 2012.
But, yeah....I'm sure I wear rose colored glasses....yeah.

I will however say that in his last 2 years, I was very happy with is Presidential stature and ability to take the high road when it was called for....