General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI believe in time President Obama will be regarded by the Latino population
the same as FDR is by many senior Americans: the best President ever to serve in the White Office. Both stepped out boldly to help the little guy in need and left a legacy of dramatically truly improving the lives of the people they served.
One might say both of these Presidents lifted millions of Americans out of a depression.
In bold contrast, the policies of the Republicans are to repeal the programs of FDR's New Deal and any and all policies of our current President designed to lift the poor, the middle class, and the underprivileged to a higher plane.
And in all reality, that is exactly what is keeping Republicans awake at night -- worrying about who are all these people going to vote for in the next election.
Sam
Basic LA
(1,704 posts)Puts it perfect context.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)It is a very heartfelt sentiment I wanted to share.
Sam
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Sen. Walter Sobchak
(8,692 posts)But he still enjoys an idol like status amongst immigrant communities in Canada for opening the doors to immigration from beyond the Commonwealth. He also oversaw sweeping social change.
If Obama can be regarded as our Tommy Douglas and Pierre Trudeau thirty years from now, I will count that a success.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)But I think I am going to be a little more generous and say it probably won't take President Obama 30 years to get there.
Thanks for posting on my thread.
Sam
Sen. Walter Sobchak
(8,692 posts)Trudeau was the last in a line of highly transformative Canadian Prime Ministers of the 1950's-70's but also the most flamboyant and longest serving. He did a lot on his own, but also rode on the coattails of John Diefenbaker and Mike Pearson. These guys were generally recognized in their day for what they were doing.
Canada from it's ostensible independence in 1867 to the 1950's hadn't really changed a whole lot. It remained very much a British colony in a lot of ways, even if primarily psychologically and archaically conservative. These three Prime Ministers fundamentally re-imagined what Canadian society and it's relationship with the world should be in a relatively short time.
I think Obama will have a similar effect and recognized as either a one-off transformative President or the first in the line of them.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)I was sitting here thinking as I was reading your post -- and this is embarrassing to admit -- I know very little about Canadian history. I hope you continue to educate us on the political evolution of our neighbor to the north.
Thanks again for posting on this thread.
Sam
MADem
(135,425 posts)Wonder if they'll call him the first "Hispanic" President, in an honorific kind of way?
Samantha
(9,314 posts)I am sure they know the risks and the challenges he now faces by making this move, and they respect and love him for having the courage to step up to the plate in the face of Republican threats.
I too feel a deeper respect for the man. I am proud he is our President.
Sam
Cha
(295,899 posts)It was my pleasure to post this sentiment. I am feeling the love tonight.
Sam
Cha
(295,899 posts)JI7
(89,172 posts)and other groups after he leaves office.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)I immediately thought this was pretty true. There are today many people from all different walks of life that owe a debt of gratitude to this President.
From my personal perspective, I thank him for the Affordable Care Act, a piece of legislation that once again enabled me to have health insurance. This man truly cares about the welfare of the people he serves.
Thanks for posting on my thread.
Sam
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)This petition was created by Mrs. Chavez at MoveOn.org:
My husband, Cesar Chavez, and I decided to move back to Delano to begin organizing the United Farm Workers in 1962. Thousands came to work with our movement once the Delano Grape Strike started in 1965, 50 years ago in 2015. Millions of good people in North America supported us by boycotting grapes and other products.
All these years, I chose to stay in the background. I walked picket lines, managed our credit union and cared for our eight children. Cesar respected my privacy. I never spoke in public or talked with reporters.
Unlike my husband, I never got very involved in politics until October 2012, when President Obama came to dedicate the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument at the Tehachapi Mountain town of Keene, CA. Thats where Cesar lived and worked his last quarter century, and where he is buried. As we walked away from paying respects at my husbands gravesite, with the President holding my arm, I asked, Mr. President, will you promise you will do something on immigration reform?
Yes, Mrs. Chavez, I promise I will, he said.
Today, President Obama kept his promise to me and to the American people by using his power to help many of the immigrants who toil in our fields, make beds, clean rooms, cook meals, work in construction and manufacturing, and care for our young and elderly. They serve our country in the military. Ive known the farm workers all my life. Like other immigrants, they take jobs most other Americans wont take for pay most other Americans wont accept and under conditions most other Americans wont tolerate. Big parts of our economy cant survive without immigrants.
All President Obama did is what President Reagan and President George H.W. Bush did, letting some immigrants stay and work here. Most of the immigrants who qualify have been in this country for some time. They have clean records.
What the President did is just temporary and it is only after the Republicans in the House of Representatives repeatedly refused to pass a bipartisan bill that already passed the U.S. Senate. President Obama did the right thing on immigration. Please join me in thanking him for his leadership. At the same time, we should urge Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that will solve this problem once and for all.
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/join-me-in-thanking-presiden
Cha
(295,899 posts)Gracias!
Samantha
(9,314 posts)Makes me want to cry. I too am so proud he kept his promise to Ms Chavez. I am so proud to be an American knowing our President has taken some steps to greatly improve the lives of so many immigrants.
Thanks for sharing this.
Sam
Unknown Beatle
(2,672 posts)awake at night -- worrying about who are all these people going to vote for in the next election."
I honestly think in all reality that is not what is keeping republicans awake at night. They already have gerrymandering, voter ID suppression, voting machines flipping votes, sending out notices that the voting date is wrong (people actually believe that it's true), the supreme court dismantling part of the voting rights act, etc.
What's keeping repugs awake is how to repeat the theft of future elections on a grander scale. Repugs lie, cheat, steal, and will do anything illegally necessary to steal future elections.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)They see the President protecting millions of immigrants from deportation, they see Native Americans stepping out saying they believe the President will respect their rights regarding land bequeathed to them by treaty centuries ago (by thwarting the Keystone pipeline from running through it), they see thousands of happy lgbt couples getting married and living normal lives, and they see the African-American community clearly behind our President.
They only voters Dems have not captured are the wealthy 1 percenters and super-rich, but we don't really them now. We do need a zealous plan to protect the integrity of our voting process though so that all of our votes are legitimately counted. We need to start yesterday strategizing about that.
Thanks for posting on my thread.
Sam
Kath1
(4,309 posts)VIVA OBAMA!!!
Samantha
(9,314 posts)Thanks for posting this and for your kind remark.
Sam