Barack Obama
Related: About this forumWhat If Obama Loses? Imagining The Consequences Of A GOP Victory
Its a common complaintweve certainly made it over the yearsthat too much political campaign coverage focuses on the horse race. The packed debate schedule in the current GOP nomination battle has put a bit more focus than usual on the substance of what the candidates are saying, which is good. But even so, most of this coverage has wound up being about whether a given policy position might help or hurt a candidates chances of winning. Whats most important has been left largely unexamined: if one of these candidates actually becomes president and advances his or her policies, what would be the consequences for the nation?
Part of the reason this question is seldom addressed is that its genuinely hard to do; it requires thinking three steps ahead and accounting for numerous variables. But theres also a widespread assumption that extreme positions taken in the primaries will fade in the general election as candidates move to the center, and will disappear entirely once the serious business of governing begins. Surely President Newt Gingrich would not get rid of child labor laws. Surely President Perry would not seek to eliminate three cabinet departments.
We dont think that this year, with this GOP, those assumptions are warranted. And so we asked a distinguished group of reporters and scholars to think through the hitherto unthinkable: What if one of these people actually wins?
Campaign Promises
What they say is how theyll govern. By Jonathan Bernstein
The Tea Party
Picking the candidates and writing the agenda. By Dave Weigel
Congress
The good news is
no more gridlock. By Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein
The Courts
The conservative takeover will be complete. By Dahlia Lithwick
Foreign Affairs
The more enemies, fewer friends doctrine. By James Traub
The Environment
The end of the EPA as we know it. By David Roberts
Financial Regulation
Back to the good ol days of 2008. By Michael Konczal
Obamacare
Its toast. By Harold Pollack
Here: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/january_february_2012/features/the_courts034474.php?page=2
Just FYI: Maybe this would be of use for you when answering those "I'm not voting, I'm sitting out" cries.
dennis4868
(9,774 posts)will be very happy!
JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)And we get 4 years to laugh as they roll on the floor screaming.
BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)But then are they really DUers? Considering their antagonistic posts for all things positive regarding Obama or Democrats, I seriously doubt it.
I've only been here since November 2004, but I can't recall such anger and frothing at the mouth hatred for a Democratic president as I've been seeing lately. They're not dumb. They know they're undermining PBO's support. And when I saw how many were actually thinking a President Paul was a good idea, I just dropped back in my chair with dropped jaw.
Constructive criticism is a good thing, but it's gotten to a point that all I see is destructive criticism and it's mind boggling.
On the other hand, should a Repub unseat our President Obama, there'd be enough anger out there to have people flush professional sites with memberships and $$s, wouldn't it?
Ask Michael Moore and how well he did under a Bush administration (Fahrenheit 9/11 - huge hit. The 2007 Sicko, not so much).
nevergiveup
(4,759 posts)as a consequence most here will be highly motivated to do what they can for Obama's re-election.
Napoleon838
(9 posts)If Obama fails to be re-elected, there will be another president more embarrassing than Bush, and will run this country into the ground with their anti-abortion and anit-government garbage. Look what happned when the last Republicain was elected.
struggle4progress
(118,278 posts)and I'm gonna do whatever I gotta do to keep it from happenin
Number23
(24,544 posts)The mere THOUGHT of a GOP victory just makes me cold inside...
BlueCaliDem
(15,438 posts)If the kvetching professional left think it's hell on earth under a Democratic President - even one they refuse to support - then they're in for a rude and painful awakening under a Republican President.
What boggles the mind is, it's as if they don't see it.