This This This!

[sheshe2]

Back to Why He Ran

Listening to the President last night I got more of a sense of how burdened he's been by the near-collapse of our economy and the seemingly endless wars in which we were engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan. For almost six years he has had to focus almost exclusively on fixing the messes he was handed by previous administrations. As he has said a lot lately, 2014 was finally a "break-through year" on all those fronts. And now he is free to get back to the issues that motivated him to run in the first place.

I can hear it now: "But, but, but...income inequality!!!!" My response would be to say that addressing that issue is EXACTLY why Barack Obama ran for president. It's not a new challenge that exists because of the Great Recession. It has been building for the last 30-40 years (or more). President Obama's assessment of our situation is that the fundamentals of our economy are now strong enough that we can begin to tackle the structural issues that create inequality.

It was when President Obama recalled his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention that I recognized the transformation that has happened in him over the last few months. He's finally able to let go of an incredibly difficult crisis that was not of his making and get on with the work he felt passionate enough about that he was able to take on the risk of running for president against all odds...and won...twice

He's only got two years left to go. But I predict that over that time we'll see the president Barack Obama dreamed of being. So hang on for a VERY interesting fourth quarter!

http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2015/01/back-to-why-he-ran.html

[Terra Alta]

1. We have income inequality thanks to Reagan

and his "trickle down" tax policy, over thirty years later and income inequality has gotten worse and worse. The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. I'm glad Obama is working on it, but it's going to take a lot longer than two years to fix 30 years of GOP destruction. I hope the next President is passionate enough about it too, and that we give him or her a Congress that will work with them.

[spanone]

2. k&r...

[ismnotwasm]

3. K&R

[freshwest]

4. YUP!

[sheshe2]

5. Yup indeed freshwest!

[Marie Marie]

6. A great big Rec on this sheshe.

[napkinz]

7. messes created by Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43

oh, look who wants to be next president

[sheshe2]

9. The Bushies make me want to puke.

Another one? Over my dead body!

[Lifelong Protester]

8. Oh, no, ain't leaving

the stadium yet!

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Where have you gone Franklin Roosevelt?

Our homeless children turn their hopes to you.
Woo-Woo-Woo!
What's that you say, Rahm Emanuel?
FDR was a #%^*ing retarded Liberal #%^*head and we should give our money to the rich
Hey-Hey-Hey!
Hey-Hey-Hey...

Tryin' to cut the safety net with Simpson and Bowles
Feeding your job to the TPP
Laugh about it over sherry with Jamie
Let him and Lloyd have all the cash from FDIC!

Well here's to you, Wall Street businessmen
Our White House is filled up to the brim with you
Woo-Woo-Woo!
Antonio Weiss is a patriot
He loves America and its middle class
Medium rare... medium rare

[sheshe2]

12. Wow! Nasty comments on both my threads.

Now here you are writing me a song, poorly. Not getting enough attention on your own threads Manny?

[MannyGoldstein]

13. Seems like you always attack *me* rather than the content

of my posts.

Maybe I'm just imagining it. But I don't think so.

[sheshe2]

14. Think what you wish, you will anyway.

You never address my Op, you just insert the issue you want to talk about. It's not always about you Manny.

Night...gotta go.

[MannyGoldstein]

16. My post addressed the OP

And it sounds like you're tacitly admitting that you attack me personally when the content of my posts causes discomfort.

[LanternWaste]

34. Much as your initial response to the OP was.

"Seems like you always attack *me* rather than the content..."

Much as your initial response to the OP was (rationalize otherwise below). But I agree, holding others to a higher standard than we ourselves to and indicting others for our own actions is a rational response...

[Cha]

18. Poor manny.. itchin' for fight. Must be really bored out there in *** ville. Needs to jump on

your thread and play the victim card. wait.. there's a smaller one around here somewhere..

LOL

[sheshe2]

19. Damn I love you Cha!

I never knew in 2008 and 2012 we elected a King. Does he have a magic wand? Does he need a congress? Wait what? He can do anything he pleases with the snap of his fingers. Poverty? Done! Middle Class rising? Done. Cancer cured? Done. etc etc etc~

Oh my, wish it was that easy. Yet it is not. Sadly some with ODS think it is so.

[Cha]

20. Yes according to some who need civic lessons President Obama is KING.. Or the Magic Man and

Legislation would get passed if he only waved that damn magic wand!

[SunSeeker]

21. Yes, some want Obama to be just like FDR...

Last edited Thu Jan 22, 2015, 03:06 AM - Edit history (1)

But Obama does not appear interested in putting Japanese Americans into concentration camps, so he will never measure up to their ideal.

[Cha]

23. Yes, FDR was a great President but, he wasn't perfect like no one is. They can pine away and live

in the past. Me, I'm appreciating every moment of the Obama Admin. ILIWIWUITMAOIP.

Sunseeker.. Mahalo!

[SunSeeker]

25. I so agree. It's a good way to wake up, Cha!

[Cha]

27. It could be so different.. and I'm so grateful for those who appreciate that as well as Pres OBAMA!

SunSeeker

[Cha]

11. President Obama's assessment of our situation is that the fundamentals of our economy are now strong

enough that we can begin to tackle the structural issues that create inequality."

I love Nancy T's "Big Picture Look at Politics and Life"!

Mahalo, she

[sheshe2]

15. Nancy T~ I like that.

She is spot on Cha.

Love ya Cha.

[Cha]

17. Nancy T is always so spot on.. We're so fortunate to have her!

Love you!

[MaggieD]

22. Here's something to remember

Nothing Obama says now means anything except "please elect a Democrat to replace me." If he succeeds his replacement will do nothing except lip service until they can't to anything except the same thing he is doing now.

Corporate Democrats aren't going to do anything about this problem. That's not a newsflash regardless of how much you want to believe in them.

That's our system. Flooded with corporate money. ALL politicians electable as President worship at the alter. Sorry to be a downer, but that's the way it is.

And by the way, this site and its founders are no different. See "Discussionist."

MONEY is their God.

[world wide wally]

24. Not only did Republicans create the problems and hand them over to him….

Then they obstructed his every effort to fix them.
And then they were rewarded by the idiots with the Senate and a bigger house majority.

Is that a dysfunctional country?

[SunSeeker]

26. Obama is hitting his stride.

Loved seeing that clip of him in IDAHO today with a big, cheering crowd.

[MaggieD]

28. Wow, what a coincidence- he's hitting his stride now

When the bankers and other big corporate money bags allow him too - since it's just words and won't hurt them. So naive.

[SunSeeker]

29. Not just words, Obama will veto any attempts by the GOP to water down Dodd-Frank.

I guess his banker masters have not made themselves clear to him.


http://thehill.com/policy/finance/230148-obama-dodd-frank-rollbacks-will-earn-my-veto

[MaggieD]

31. He already signed it

I guess you missed it when he signed it. However, from your own link:

"GOP lawmakers succeeded in including a repeal of some provisions in the law in a must-pass funding bill at the end of 2014, despite some vocal opposition from a bloc of Democrats."

He signed it. Like I said, it's just lip service.

[SunSeeker]

33. Obama did not sign the repeal of Dodd-Frank. The key components remain.

Per Paul Krugman:

Dodd-Frank tried to limit this kind of moral hazard in various ways, including a rule barring insured institutions from dealing in exotic securities, the kind that played such a big role in the financial crisis. And that’s the rule that has just been rolled back.

Now, this isn’t the death of financial reform.

...

The really important parts of reform involve consumer protection and the enhanced ability of regulators both to police the actions of “systemically important” financial institutions (which needn’t be conventional banks) and to take such institutions into receivership at times of crisis.

http://m.startribune.com/opinion/285852451.html

[sheshe2]

35. Thank you for both your links, SunSeeker.

Some people just seem to want their own set of facts. I really do not understand all the passionate hate of this President.

[MaggieD]

37. He dang sure whittled away at it

With Obama you have to trust what he does. Not what he says. Granted he's done some good things. But he's also been completely full of it too.

He is no where near the populist he'd like you to believe he is.

[Major Hogwash]

30. College football fans will recall . . .

The 2007 Fiesta Bowl . . . when the Boise State University Broncos, the 3-touchdown underdog, beat the mighty Oklahoma Sooners.

President Obama remembered that game when he mentioned it in the speech he gave at Boise State University today.
He talked about how BSU executed the most famous version of the Statue of Liberty play in that game, flawlessly, in order to defeat Oklahoma.
That was the last play of that game, that had gone in to overtime.

Then, President Obama said, (paraphrasing here) "So, you know that great things can happen near the end of the game. (Then referring to his administration, he tied it in with the game) This is only the 4th quarter, and I still have 2 years to go!" to thunderous applause!!!!

President Obama was so well-received when he came here today that I almost thought this was a blue state!

[sheshe2]

36. What you say is true Major.

The 4th quarter can be the game changer, as it will be for Obama methinks. Never leave the game early believing you know the outcome. Me, I am sticking with him all the way to the end!

Yup, all the way to the end!

He talked about how BSU executed the most famous version of the Statue of Liberty play in that game, flawlessly, in order to defeat Oklahoma.
That was the last play of that game, that had gone in to overtime.

[TBF]

32. No more elections -

if he can find a way to bury TPP I will be ready to believe he is the Obama we dreamed of. Doing some great things already - standing up to the oil companies on Keystone, talking about raising taxes. But leftists need to be clear: we like Social Security and don't want it privatized, and we like the Internet and don't want to lose it (or even more jobs) via TPP.

A hopeful thumbs up.