Bottom line :Obama has bent the truth and changed his tune many times on HCR.

[Armstead]

All this parsing about whether he did or didn't campaign on a public option, whether he did or didm't "fight" for a public option as president, whether he believes in a public option or not.....

Lordy -- That is the problem right there.

The fact is that Obama was for and against and neutral about a public option, depending on the day. He advocated for a public option but he didn't push or really ask Congress to include a public option, even as he was telling the public that he was for one -- or at another time that he could live without one.

He was against mandates as a candidate (except for children) before he was for them as president.

Basically you can go back and put together whatever version you want, because he is on the record holding all of those positions at one time or another.

And this dizzying kaleidoscope of opposing positions from one man is the problem in a nutshell.

It would have been a whole lot better if he would have been straight from the beginning about what he really believed in. But instead he decided to be a perpetual shape shifter.

Is it asking too much for the leader of the free world to have a consistent positi0on on a major issue that doesn't require such wide and varied interpretation? And leader who does n ot say one thing one day, and something altogether different the next?

Especially when it came from a leader who said he would always tell us the truth?

Plus it also leads to dashed hopes and cynicism among the electorate.

In case you haven't read it, here is a long but excellent summary of what Obama's congenital vacillation is doing to the attitudes of an increasing number of people -- not just "fringe leftists."

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/21-9

[Bolo Boffin]

1. "It would have been a whole lot better if he would have been straight from the beginning..."

"It would have been a whole lot better if he would have been straight from the beginning about what he really believed."

QFT

[scheming daemons]

2. 10 years from now, you'll be claiming you were for this HCR all along

You'll see.

[Armstead]

5. Nope.

If it does turn out well in the end, I'll admit I goofed and had the wrong position.


But I have a sneaking suspicion -- unless it is changed drastically -- that it's going to be among the big time screw ups like NAFTA, bank deregulation and Iraq that the bleak warnings of progressives will have been proven unfortunately correct about.

[eridani]

18. What a ;bundh of shit. Dems won't even be in power by then.

Unless the Repukes act even more outrageously stupid, which we shouldn't count on. Old people not old enough for Medicare will still be pieces of disposable human garbage.

[bluethruandthru]

3. I keep thinking that if Bush had his congress put a bill through

that would have forced all Americans to buy insurance from his buddies at the big insurance companies at whatever they wanted to charge...we would have been taking to the streets screaming.

Maybe I really don't understand this bill...but I can't see any why it's good to make people buy substandard insurance policies at unchecked prices. To add insult to injury...if the individual can't afford the crappy, overpriced insurance....give the insurance company some taxpayer dollars to cover it. Hey, no problem if the insurance company keeps nearly 30 percent of the cost of the policy for their own profits.

Really?

[Armstead]

7. I suspect you are correct

[sandnsea]

Three states already have subsidized insurance

MA, OR, VT. And it's working well in all 3 states because there are policy requirements and they're negotiated. There will be a set of requirements in all the plans, including no co-pay preventive care.

If Bush mandated insurance, he'd give a tax credit at the end of the year that wouldn't be refundable and wonder what the problem is. Kind of like pretending the existence of health clinics is the same thing as access to complete health care.

[GreenArrow]

16. "Maybe I really don't understand this bill"

I think you understand this bill perfectly.

[Aramchek]

4. the only parsing is coming from the Haters who want to play Gotcha!

give it a rest already,
you are achieving nothing.

[Armstead]

6. Ditto

[tblue]

9. Name one person here who hates Obama. nt

[Aramchek]

11. It's against the rules to call people out, but I could literally name dozens if that wasn't the case

[tblue]

31. A quote? A link? I'd like to judge for myself if it's "hate." nt

[girl gone mad]

13. Please stop telling other people how they feel.

I don't have a single ounce of hatred for Obama.

[Aramchek]

21. you just hate every move he makes. what a difference!

[girl gone mad]

23. Nonsense.

[glitch]

15. Likewise. nt

[tblue]

8. No wonder I feel like I'm living in a twilight zone.

How in the world, for even the staunchest, most committed Obama supporters, will it be possible to keep his coalition of supporters on board?

And why is it the thousands of baffled Obama voters are the ones who are vilified and told we have "unrealistc expectations"?

[depakid]

10. Tell you what- it's going to make serious advocacy on his part more difficult down the line

if or when he does decide it's time to draw a line in the sand on something.

[IndianaGreen]

12. mendacity. flip-flop. zig-zag.

One thing is certain, whatever Obama says, he is as credible as Tiger Woods. Judge the man by his actions, not words.

[Cha]

14. The Bottom Line is

you want to bring President Obama down and you ain't gonna do it.

[Armstead]

19. NO I want to see Obama be the president we voted for

Not "perfect" but a hell of a lot better than this position-shifting proponent of moderate conservative politics-as-usual.

[jonnyblitz]

25. yeah, we're trying to bring him down by posting on DU

:rofl: you're something else, Lady Cha Cha.

[mkultra]

34. yes you are.

glad you finally admitted it.

[tblue]

32. It's not about Obama.

It's about what's best for the people. Sounds trite, but it's true. I just wanna get from point a to point b. Doesn't matter to me what president helps us get there.

I am about policy, period. Not personality. Not somebody's legacy or poll numbers. Not party for party's sake. I blindly follow no one, and I will critique whatever I think is wrong no matter who does it. It's not personal for me, no matter what you think. And you can call me any name you want, it won't make me support or stay silent about bad policy.

[AllentownJake]

36. When I start knocking on doors with Primary lit for an opponent

Make that accusation, when I vent my frustration on the internet over bad policy, it is simply that.

[rockymountaindem]

17. That article you linked to is quite good

unfortunately :(

[Armstead]

20. Yeah -- Too bad the people who should read it won't -- Or would be in denial

[Laelth]

22. You nailed the source of a lot of anger and frustration, I think. Well done. n/t

Kill the bill.

Forcing people to buy insurance is no more the answer to a failed health care system than forcing people to buy houses is the solution to homelessness.

:dem:

-Laelth

[stevenleser]

24. Most of the common dreams folks have never been in favor of any Democrat besides Kucinich

this is just their opportunity to pile on.

[Armstead]

26. This wasn;t written for Common Dreams

They reproduced it from Huffington Post.

But the Huff Post has dared to be critical of the bill, so I guess they are just morons too in the new matrix of Be Partisan or Die.

[boppers]

27. Obama: Smarter than a Republican.

"Is it asking too much for the leader of the free world to have a consistent positi0on(sic)" ...

Yes. That's asking for bumper-sticker politics, not reality.

Well-thought positions have caveats, nuance, flexibility, and understand complexity. If you want a moron in office, hey, find one who can get support, and we'll go back to presidents who make WWE dialog look like Shakespeare.

Until then, however, we have to tolerate a president who is actually intelligent, and thus, able to make statements and have opinions that seem contradictory to the feeble minded, but are certainly approachable and understandable by people willing to pause and consider intent and context.

[Armstead]

28. Complexity does not require inconsistency

The devil is always in the details.

However anything can be boiled down to straightforward goals and direction.

There are many ways a public option could be handled. That is complexity.

But whether or not there should be one is straightforward.

[boppers]

29. Obama's been 100% clear on whether or not he thinks there should be one.

The complexity that seems to be tripping people up is that they interpreted his position to mean that he would not sign any HCR bill without it.

He wanted something, and didn't get exactly what he wanted. That doesn't mean he's taking his marbles and going home.

[tblue]

33. "feeble minded"?

No.

[GeorgeGist]

30. He's a real Symbol man

Making all his symbol plans, for nobody.

[HughMoran]

35. A good President doesn't back himself into a corner or never change his mind.

Would you prefer Obama and Congress use Bush and the Republibots as a model?

I hope not.