General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: If yo have a work associate or a friend, who states they" hate "Obama.... [View all]spin
(17,493 posts)disappointed.
There is no doubt in my mind that Obama has a lot of great ideas and has the ability to raise a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for these ideas in many voters. He is undoubtedly the best campaigner I have seen in my 67 years.
Unfortunately I fear his leadership abilities do not match his skills on the stump. Admittedly in today's political environment compromise is an endangered word. Still I will argue that what makes a great leader is his ability to overcome opposition.
Perhaps the ACA will be viewed by historians as Obama's greatest accomplishment but even many liberals are disappointed with ObamaCare. Many point out that they wished for a world class healthcare plan and not merely a plan that allows insurance companies to continue to profit.
It appears to me that Obama largely delegated setting up the ACA to Congress and avoided using his "bully pulpit" to push for a single payer healthcare system which many here on DU hoped for. There is no doubt in my mind that the roll out of the ACA was a world class disaster. It may even cause the loss of many Democratic seats in the Senate as well as further Republican gains in the House. Fortunately the Republican Party wishes to totally repeal the ACA while most citizens wish to modify it to make it work.
I maybe putting on a tin foil hat but I am beginning to wonder if it makes any difference who we vote for as noting seems to change. The rich get richer and the middle class is rapidly disappearing. Those we elect often make promises and fail to follow through.
I am beginning to wonder if all the surveillance we are subjected to by certain agencies of our government isn't being misused. J.Edgar Hoover lacked the abilities that the NSA has but still he was considered for years to be the most powerful man in Washington D.C. Some say that Congress and even Presidents feared him because he had files on everybody of importance and was more than willing to destroy anyone who dared oppose him.
Is it possible that those we elect are merely puppets under control of a select ruling few who pulls their strings? If so, we do not and have not lived in a representative democracy for years. Maybe that's why we live in the mess we do.
I see not reason to hate Obama but I have to admit that I am beginning to wonder why an individual with his potential can't deliver on his promises. I don't feel he is lazy or incompetent. Perhaps the simple explanation is that he can't deliver because he isn't really in charge.
I hope and pray that I am wrong.