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In my opinion Obama was the best president of my lifetime. He had one weakness that hurt him. (Original Post) shockey80 Jun 2017 OP
Imagine what would have happened had Obama kennetha Jun 2017 #1
Yep, white wingers would have claimed he's about to declare martial law and install himself as King. Hoyt Jun 2017 #6
i prefer to think he was thoughtful La Lioness Priyanka Jun 2017 #2
I think he knew Cosmocat Jun 2017 #8
He had too much faith in the goodness of others Freddie Jun 2017 #3
I think this - he was too much of an optimist about human behavior. NRaleighLiberal Jun 2017 #9
I don't think that he was niave Cosmocat Jun 2017 #10
I would be too...remember all the scandals? HipChick Jun 2017 #4
You and me both! trixie2 Jun 2017 #5
Good, but not the best president of my (likely longer) lifetime.. whathehell Jun 2017 #7
The bigger issue was his party Cosmocat Jun 2017 #14
You may be right.. whathehell Jun 2017 #20
Freddie shockey80 Jun 2017 #11
most traits are double-edged swords. his steady, prudent nature helped get him elected. unblock Jun 2017 #12
My sister used to say "He is too nice to be President." Meaning most patricia92243 Jun 2017 #13
Carter was too nice Skittles Jun 2017 #15
I liked him, especially when he kept pushing Congress to address healthcare. Buckeye_Democrat Jun 2017 #16
His biggest weakness was seeing himself as a Lincoln-esque conciliator Azathoth Jun 2017 #17
I think he was the best president, but a terrible communicator. Healthcare for example - Doodley Jun 2017 #18
I wished Obama would have done many fireside chats like FDR. shockey80 Jun 2017 #19
You are exactly correct about that. nt ladjf Jun 2017 #21

kennetha

(3,666 posts)
1. Imagine what would have happened had Obama
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:12 PM
Jun 2017

Thrown caution to the wind, given an Oval Office speech, descrying the Russian attempt to help Trump and defeat Clinton.

How would that have been covered by our vapid media?

How would that have been received by the Republican party and their supporters?

Would that have increased or decreased the likelihood of Trump winning the election?

 

Hoyt

(54,770 posts)
6. Yep, white wingers would have claimed he's about to declare martial law and install himself as King.
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:17 PM
Jun 2017

And, haven't thought of this before until you said it, it might have given Trump the victory if he had given an Oval Office speech.

Cosmocat

(14,543 posts)
8. I think he knew
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:19 PM
Jun 2017

He just believes that regardless of it all, he needs to be the standards from which we would want our leaders to operate.

Freddie

(9,231 posts)
3. He had too much faith in the goodness of others
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:14 PM
Jun 2017

And actually believed that Repugs would work with him for the good of the country. If we ever have another Dem president he/she will know better.

Cosmocat

(14,543 posts)
10. I don't think that he was niave
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:22 PM
Jun 2017

I think he believed that regardless of how insane the right was, he had to be the standard that we would hope our leaders would be.

I am not saying that is right under the circumstances and would like to see someone who had a little more fire to them like Bernie or Warren.

BUT, I don't think it is what people want to think.

The man is pretty fin smart, and the singular greatest political figure in our lives.

He knew, he just had a standard that he believed he had to set regardless of how insane republicans were.

HipChick

(25,485 posts)
4. I would be too...remember all the scandals?
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:14 PM
Jun 2017

He wore a tan suit, and then he put his feet on the oval table...

Everyone lost their minds..

Cosmocat

(14,543 posts)
14. The bigger issue was his party
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:26 PM
Jun 2017

45 is an unabashed lunatic run by Russia, and his party has his back bigly.

Team D tends to leave its POTUS out in the wind.

People want to blame him for not getting Universal healthcare, the issue was that his party did not have the belly for that fight.

POTUS is one man - there 535 members of congress.

I could not even begin to name the repubican congressmen and senators who are fire breathing zeolots.

You can count on two hands the number of Ds in congress with two functioning balls, Bernie, Warren, Waters ...

whathehell

(28,968 posts)
20. You may be right..
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 02:20 PM
Jun 2017

and, in terms of 45, there is clearly NO comparison.

I don't blame him on the healthcare thing, but I do think he would have done his party and himself

a great deal of good if he supported unions beyond the most minimal lip service, and if, as he promised, 're-negotiated NAFTA

in a way which actually helped workers.

On the whole, I liked him very much.

 

shockey80

(4,379 posts)
11. Freddie
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:22 PM
Jun 2017

I agree. That's not his fault. A President sometimes has to throw caution to the wind. Obama was too careful. I have no doubt Obama will go down as one of our best presidents. He was amazing in many ways.

unblock

(51,973 posts)
12. most traits are double-edged swords. his steady, prudent nature helped get him elected.
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:23 PM
Jun 2017

people wanted a calm, steady, reliable hand at the helm after the shrub debacle and particularly with the whole financial meltdown going on.

if it were in his nature to be more imprudent, he might have gotten himself caught on camera being an "angry black man" and then he might never have made it to the white house in the first place.

patricia92243

(12,590 posts)
13. My sister used to say "He is too nice to be President." Meaning most
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:26 PM
Jun 2017

politicians leave a lot to be desired.

Buckeye_Democrat

(14,846 posts)
16. I liked him, especially when he kept pushing Congress to address healthcare.
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:28 PM
Jun 2017

If you recall, even Democrats in Congress needed strong prodding!

I didn't care for the appointment of Timothy Geithner and his secret meetings with businesses about the Pacific "free trade" agreement. It was just another attempt to help investors and the wealthy, the main concern of the USA government going back to when only white males with property were allowed to vote, while increasing the insecurity of labor.

FDR is still my favorite by a long shot on economic issues, but not about race and other matters. African Americans didn't get the help they needed.

Azathoth

(4,603 posts)
17. His biggest weakness was seeing himself as a Lincoln-esque conciliator
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:32 PM
Jun 2017

He imagined himself an above-the-fray statesman, when in fact he was a lieutenant in the Battle of the Somme. This was trench warfare, not a debate at the Harvard Law Review.

It wasn't until his final years in office that he truly realized the kind of radical, implacable vandalism he faced from the other side.

Doodley

(8,976 posts)
18. I think he was the best president, but a terrible communicator. Healthcare for example -
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:33 PM
Jun 2017

he should have addressed the nation and made the moral case why healthcare had to be changed - that over 50 million people had no healthcare and millions were turned away because of pre-existing conditions. Even now, probably most people do not understand that Republican governors have blocked healthcare to millions of people.

Democratic politics is about doing the right thing for the many and not the few who are already privileged, because that is the right thing to do. That should have been a constant in the direction of the messaging. His failure to communicate helped lead to a situation in which Trump could win and systematically destroy all the good he has done.

 

shockey80

(4,379 posts)
19. I wished Obama would have done many fireside chats like FDR.
Fri Jun 23, 2017, 01:52 PM
Jun 2017

Not on the radio, on TV. Obama had to overcome certain things that no other president had to overcome. Racism for one. Obama was not a bragger. He should have talked to the american people more about his accomplishments.

Obama put great faith in the american people. That's risky because the american people are being blasted by propaganda everyday.

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