"Where's the change?" - Democratic Underground

scheming daemons

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Fri Apr-17-09 11:19 AM
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"Where's the change?"

"Where's the change? He's just like Bush!"

On the economy and taxes, Obama delivered on his promises to extend unemployment benefits and suspend taxes on those benefits (promise kept), to create a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners (promise kept), to expand loan programs for small businesses (promise kept), to extend and index the AMT (promise kept), and to create a tax credit of $500 for workers (Ended up compromising and giving a $400 credit instead.. (promise 80% kept).

He's also set up a Private-Public partnership to work to scrub the toxic assets off of the banks' balance sheets so we can have a healthy financial system again, put stringent new requirements and restrictions on banks that receive TARP money, and started the process of saving the automobile industry in America.

"Yes but.. Where's the change we were promised on the environment and energy? He's just another DLCer!"

On the environment and energy, Obama delivered on his promises to provide grants to energy-efficient building codes (promise kept), to support high-speed rail (promise kept), to remove more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires (promise kept), to enact tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid cars (promise kept), and to invest in all types of alternative energy (promise kept).

He also has several other initiatives in the works.

"Fine. But where's the change in healthcare policy?"

On Healthcare, Obama delivered on his promises to reverse the ban on federal funding for stem cell research (promise kept), to expand eligibity for SCHIP (promise kept), and to expand funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners (promise kept).

He also has begun the push for universal health care by the end of this year.

"Yeah... but what about all his promises concerning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? He's practically another neo-con!"

On foreign policy and war, Obama has delivered on his promises to direct military leaders to end war in Iraq. (promise kept) with directive to draw down combat troop levels by end of 2010, to give a speech at a major Islamic forum in the first 100 days of his administration signalling a change in American tone to the world (promise kept) with speech in Turkey, and to grant Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba (promise kept) to begin changing our 50-year failed policy of blockading Cuba from the world.

He also has kept his promise to increase the focus on Afghanistan. Even though many liberals disagree with this, it is not like he stealthily snuck it into his agenda. He has been open about this since August of 2007.

"Yeah, fine. But he also promised more government transparency. He's just as secretive as Bush and Cheney!"

On government transparency, Obama has delivered on his promises to release presidential records (promise kept) with the release of four top secret torture memos from the Bush administration. He also promised to ban lobbyist gifts to executive employees with Presidential directive (promise kept).

More is to be done, but that certainly is a good start.

"But what about civil rights? He's letting us down!"

The political environment has shifted dramatically since election night and the setback of Prop 8. Four states have passed or reaffirmed the right for homosexual matrimony, and New York may be about to become the fifth. It's a wave that continues to get stronger and having a "friend" in the executive branch is certainly giving these efforts a boost. In poll after poll, the public acceptance for gay marriage is at all time highs - though still not high enough. But the "arc of history" is bending in the correct direction in a substantial way.

"Yeah.. well... WHERE'S MY FUCKING PONY?"

It's been 3 months. If you can't see the astounding "change" that has already taken place... with all the items above, and just with the general view of America around the world... then you are myopic to the N-th degree. Every poll shows the "right track/wrong track" numbers moving upward, American optimism moving upward, American belief in government moving upward. The hope is real and measurable. The change is palpable and evident.

If you aren't seeing it, it's because you're refusing to look.

Is he a perfect President? Nope. But in 3 short months, he has made incredible strides in every area of public policy that we intelligent Americans (i.e. liberals) care about.

And fuck it all... for the first time in a decade, I'm not embarrassed to tell foreigners that I'm an American when I travel.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/browse/