The First Pacific President

[annielaurie]

Aww, go easy on him Frogen! He's hip and he stands for peace and love! You'll see, he'll show those pesky Russians a thing or two!

[Auzgurl]

He is not my president but I like Obama..he has a heart and he is still finding his feet, give him time. He was elected for much the same reasons Rudd was, to get rid of the 'evil John Howard ' (insert G Bush).. the alternatives were not that tempting as far as I can remember,even tho altho Frogen was rather partial to Sarah Palin..but she was just a pretty face who posed with firearms a lot.

[annielaurie]

Oooh, don't even get me started about Sarah! Trust me on this, we do NOT want to see her anywhere near the White House, ever!

I love Obama, he has the education, the dedication and the temperament to be a world leader. I admired him long before Senator McCain picked Sarah for his running mate.

So my vote for Obama was already decided, I didn't just vote for him because I couldn't stand Sarah.

He's cleaning up the mess Bush-Cheney made, and it will take longer than his first year in office. I can't believe the rudeness I am reading on some blogs and message boards by folks not happy with Obama's performance. Seems like respect for the Office of the President has gone down the drain these days. And people are arguing about the next presidential election. We have this president now, and I wish people (Americans) would pay attention to the matters at hand and give him some support.

For one thing, a US President can't just change everything the way he wants by signing a document, he has to go through Congesss (the Senate and the House) to pass most laws and reforms, and the far rightwing tea-party people (people who like nitwits like Sarah) are standing in his way at every turn, especially about health-care reform.

Yep, give him a chance, he's the classiest pres we have had in a long time. Oh and I admired Pres Clinton as well, and I think Hillary is doing a fine job as Secretary of State ..

[JW.Frogen]

I would sleep with Sarah Palin; I did not say I would vote for her.

Obama is out of his league, he does not know how to lead.

Let us take his stimulus plan, he did he do what all the great legislative Presidents have done, FDR or LBJ, come up with a legislative plan targeted to the problem and then present it to Congress and let them make some minor amendments?

Nope, Obama said I believe we can change things, here Congress, I have no ideas, here is your 700 million dollar blank check, you do it.

And as every body made up of conflicting interests will do, they came up with a wasteful muddle that has not helped the US unemployment problem but has added so much debt to the US that China lectured Obama openly (not done lightly in the land of saving face) on his trip there.

Result 10% unemployment 17% if we count those who gave up looking for work.

Healthcare. I want the US to have a more civilisised healthcare system. Could Obama just come up with a plan? Nope. He just said the word hope a lot and then sent the entire thing to Congress, and they have come up with a muddled plan so byzantine and expensive they have almost single handily resurrected a Republican Party that was dead in the water.

How hard would it have been for Obama to say I want a simple government funded plan that any American can join that will be portable from job to job, that will cover any condition? If he had over time almost every American would have joined, but he offered nothing but nice phrases and let the Congress sort it out.

On foreign policy all his nice words have got absolutely nothing from anyone, friend or foe.

It takes talent to get both the Israelis and Iranians telling you to fuck off at the same time.

It takes talent to go to Asia and both friend and foe tell you no, no, no, no, at the same time.

It takes talent to dither of Afghanistan so long even the French are openly saying you are weak and indecisive.

I just have to wonder, how much longer the free world can survive with such talent.

[JW.Frogen]

This thread is infused with sexual tension.

Ladies, relax, there is enough Frogen for everyone.

[boxy]

Oversupply leads to low market value.

[annielaurie]

Healthcare. I want the US to have a more civilisised healthcare system. Could Obama just come up with a plan? Nope. He just said the word hope a lot and then sent the entire thing to Congress, and they have come up with a muddled plan so byzantine and expensive they have almost single handily resurrected a Republican Party that was dead in the water.

How hard would it have been for Obama to say I want a simple government funded plan that any American can join that will be portable from job to job, that will cover any condition? If he had over time almost every American would have joined, but he offered nothing but nice phrases and let the Congress sort it out.

Believe it or not, I have to agree with you, Frogen. I do admire Obama the man - he knows how to speak and act presidential, he's a fine figure of a statesman and a gentleman and has many good and wholesome qualities.

But he is trying to please all of the people all the time. It is as if he is still campaigning instead of leading the nation.

The healthcare issue has turned into a disaster, and I am very disappointed that he is not offering a definite solution to the problems of the insurance industry - to force the companies to offer insurance to everyone, no matter what their pre-exisiting conditions are, and to prohibit them from raising premiums or dropping patients when they get sick and need their insurance the most.

He should fix only the parts that need fixing and leave the rest of our healthcare alone. This would have been a simple matter, but instead he tossed it up to Congress, and they have made a godawful mess. If Congress actually passes a combined House-Senate bill as it is written now (a thousand pages, my god!) then we are in deeper trouble than we already are.

And I am fiercely against a mandate to require all Americans to purchase health insurance, as if we are buying auto insurance. Without a gov-funded public option for poor Americans, this will only make the situation worse.

Now never mind a public option turning our country to socialism - the real problem is that it would have to be paid for, and the first to be cut would be Medicare and other lifeline programs for the disabled and seniors. These are being cut too much already because of the economy - vicious cycle.

I'm disappointed that he has chosen to compromise to make everyone in the House and Senate happy. They will never be happy no matter what he decides. We need a few direct and simple solutions, for the people, and not for Congress. But on the other hand, I could not see elderly Senator McCain and that pretty-face nitwit in the White House. And there was no other choice.

[boxy]

Obama could leave (have left?) a public health care legacy with the introduction of a public safety net, easily. In a country with as much wealth to throw around as America, it's a damn shame he didn't as the first order of business. It works, it's been shown to be more cost effective than private insurance... but no, it's too much like socialism... please, dog

[annielaurie]

Dammit, I cannot edit my post because of the recent restrictions (Aussie, please restore our unlimited post editing option)

I want to add that I agree - yes, we want a simple government funded plan that any American can join that will be portable from job to job, that will cover any condition.

What would have been so hard about that?

[annielaurie]

Yes, I agree absolutely, Boxy ..