ipaul Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 So it's now about a year since Obama went into office and his poll ratings are the lowest that any president since Eisenhower had at this point. How does everyone think he's done? Here's one person who thinks he hasn't done so well... Bush > Obama I believe the commentator I have linked to be completely wrong, but oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Other than winning a peace prize and sending more troops to war, I'm not really sure about what he has done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The fish Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 He's done well, he's just being slowed down by the fanatically childish Republicans, who go against everything he tries to pass, regardless of the merits of the proposals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 He's done well, he's just being slowed down by the fanatically childish Republicans, who go against everything he tries to pass, regardless of the merits of the proposals. Well to be fair they're the Republicans, like they know a good bill when they see it. That party just seems completely determined to drive the moderates out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 He did Cash for Clunkers which was a boon to the auto industry. Basically buyers got a rebate on a new car for trading in their old gas guzzlers. Sadly those guzzlers were literally destroyed rather than resold or salvaged. Repurcussions are sure to happen as I'm sure plenty of people who can't make monthly payments took advantage which will cause more problems later. He's trying to pass universal health care as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 He did Cash for Clunkers which was a boon to the auto industry. Basically buyers got a rebate on a new car for trading in their old gas guzzlers. Sadly those guzzlers were literally destroyed rather than resold or salvaged. Repurcussions are sure to happen as I'm sure plenty of people who can't make monthly payments took advantage which will cause more problems later. He's trying to pass universal health care as well. Is this good or bad in your opinion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining_again Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I would have thought universal health care would have a whole lot more benefits than letdowns. Like cancer patients actually being able to afford their drugs... I'm on medications that I couldn't afford outside of the NHS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Assuming leetpants has a soul, lets go with 'good' Obama is in the least enviable position I can imagine for a inaugural president. His predecessors fucked up the entire planet then just as the shit hit the fan, they left him in the position to clean things up. Combined with rabid rightwing block voting against genuinely progressive policy, and you have a pretty shit position. Guantanamo Bay is also a legal minefield that he still hasn't cleared. I was hoping that'd be done by now, but it's clearly not the kind of place you can conveniently dismantle, given that it's a legally dubious gulag designed for indefinite incarceration without charge I can only imagine what kind of smokescreen the bush administration put it under. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 It does amaze me how many Americans are against universal health care. But then I suppose its growing up with it kinda took it for advantage and can't (and wouldn't wish to) imagine it in any other way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 It does amaze me how many Americans are against universal health care. But then I suppose its growing up with it kinda took it for advantage and can't (and wouldn't wish to) imagine it in any other way. I think it comes from a deep, embedded culture of (big) government hatred. This information broadcast is the kind of thing I mean: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReZourceman Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I can only imagine what kind of smokescreen the bush administration put it under. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Yeah I think it's something that we, as a nation, find quite alien. For us, we've had generations bought up on post war social development that's ingrained the idea that the state should control health and everyone should have access. For the americans, post war meant a whole different social trend that was based on the prosperity of industrial and corporate revival. They don't have that basis of everyone being in it together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 Yeah I think it's something that we, as a nation, find quite alien. For us, we've had generations bought up on post war social development that's ingrained the idea that the state should control health and everyone should have access. For the americans, post war meant a whole different social trend that was based on the prosperity of industrial and corporate revival. They don't have that basis of everyone being in it together. We haven't either since the 1980s. Healthcare is the exception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I think for just a year he's done alright. A lot of people just expected him to come into office and then, "Bam!" Change. But that's not how the US political system works... Although the US President is often seen as the most powerful man in the world; it's merely in reference to him being Commander in Chief and having the world's largest military... But at home he has a whole lot less power than our own lame duck of a PM. So for him to have made the changes he's already made, such as the Health Care Reform, is quite an achievement. But then there are foundations that have been laid that simply stun me - such as openly wanting peace talks with many nations under no pre-conditions, extending his hand to Muslim communities and all these things at the risk of being unpopular with some of his more narrow-minded citizens. But he's also shown that as a Commander in Chief he is capable of making quick decisions (such as ordering the US Navy team to take out the pirates) and sensible ones (deploying more troops to the middle-east). I think the article comparing lil' Bush to Obama in terms of first year is pretty much pointless; they're 8 years apart in time but probably about 30 years apart in terms of the altering events of this last decade. And I don't see how Obama can effectively gain allies like Bush did considering current situations, etc, etc. Anyway. Point to another President post WW2 that's faced such pressure in terms of home, foreign and global issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Well, no, I suppose not. But that's still 30 odd years before that. Crucial years too- when we really decided the kind of society that we wanted to be after the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 EDIT: And yeah, America generally doesn't like big government. It's a healthy skepticism that is a defining factor for Americans and one that I genuinely admire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Dare Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Easily leads to unhealthy conservatism though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shino Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 That made me laugh even more than the Tory Poster thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I've heard a few odd things about Obama's healthcare plan. I'm too lazy to research it myself, but if what I've heard is correct and I'm not for it....but being that this info is coming from my mom who acts as though Obama is the anti-christ....I'm dubious. Part of America's issues stems from the Insurance companies. They want to make money just the same as everyone else, and it's harder to make money if we don't need to buy our own Healthcare. It's hard to judge the first year tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 I've heard a few odd things about Obama's healthcare plan. I'm too lazy to research it myself, but if what I've heard is correct and I'm not for it....but being that this info is coming from my mom who acts as though Obama is the anti-christ....I'm dubious. Part of America's issues stems from the Insurance companies. They want to make money just the same as everyone else, and it's harder to make money if we don't need to buy our own Healthcare. It's hard to judge the first year tbh. You really think healthcare is something that should be there primarily for the profit of companies and not the need of the patients? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Pretty much most Americans will still have to buy healthcare. Any free health plans offered by the government will only be eligible to a few more than the current MediCare/Aid packages (I forget which is for the poor or old). Basically this reform gives a lot more power to Americans to choose insurance plans in a more competitive market place thanks to the government offering their own health care. It's simply making things a lot better for the consumer (it's odd to think of ill people being consumers... so un-British) and therefore worse off for big insurance companies who might be forced to compete. And also more regulation is enforced, ensuring those with pre-conditions can get insurance and that it can't be cut off during treatment. It's astounding that this happened anyway... why don't you lot care for your American brothers and sisters? But yeah... not all bad, just the whole being afraid of government intervention, the idea of more tax and that the tax could be used to give a pregnant girl an abortion (which the government plan doesn't actually cover). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayseven Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I just find it utterly mental that so many americans seem to think it's evil. I dread to think how they even view our little ol' NHS, or even if they give a crap about how similar healthplans have worked around the world. "Grab a Mop" - isn't that what Obama said? What I reject is when some folks say we should go back to the past policies when it was those very same policies that got us into this mess in the first place. Another way of putting it is when, you know, I'm busy and Nancy is busy with our mop cleaning up somebody else's mess --- we don't want somebody sitting back saying, you're not holding the mop the right way. Why don't you grab a mop, why don't you help clean up. (Applause.) You're not mopping fast enough. (Laughter.) That's a socialist mop. (Laughter and applause.) Grab a mop -- let's get to work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicktendo Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I don't want to tread through a veritable mine field of opinion but I think Obama's had a very good first year especially considering the mess the twat before him left. I whole heartedly admire his desire to push through public health care and shut down Guantanamo, these two facts alone make me believe he is the first American president in a long time who may possess something resembling a soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipaul Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 (edited) They don't like it much. He is one of the main reasons I thoroughly distrust the Tories. I'd like to think he's on the fringe but how do I really know.... He is so full of crap. Edited January 19, 2010 by ipaul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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