What has Obama done for you?

[Deus Malum]

You believe anything BP tells you.

actually, i think it would be what uncle sam told me.

The voices in your head don't really help when making a coherent argument.

Besides, as has been pointed out, their actions in cleaning up the mess isn't really all that consequential when they were criminally negligent in the first place in causing that mess. One doesn't get excused from criminally negligent behavior simply by offering to, and carrying through on, cleaning up the results.

Anymore than paying for funeral expenses excuses one from the consequences of negligent homicide.

[Newrussia]

good

[Salandriagado]

Politicians who promise change = liar (to an extent).

I like Obama, but anyone who for a moment believed he'd bring about the transformational change he seemed to suggest need to talk to their friendly neighbourhood shrink.

Holy Shit, I think a majority of Americans need to be visiting their shrinks then

But in all seriousness, yes, you're right. Obama being this champion of progress, a man of principle, and a candidate for change was all fictional nonsense. So let's give him another 4 years!

You have a better alternative?

[Mike the Progressive]

Holy Shit, I think a majority of Americans need to be visiting their shrinks then

But in all seriousness, yes, you're right. Obama being this champion of progress, a man of principle, and a candidate for change was all fictional nonsense. So let's give him another 4 years!

You have a better alternative?

Ah, yes, the best method of campaigning (so great, the Obama people haven't used it): Vote for this guy, cuz all the other guys suck ballz. That's great. It's like watching the 2004 Bush campaign.

[Lancaster of Wessex]

Politicians who promise change = liar (to an extent).

I like Obama, but anyone who for a moment believed he'd bring about the transformational change he seemed to suggest need to talk to their friendly neighbourhood shrink.

Holy Shit, I think a majority of Americans need to be visiting their shrinks then

But in all seriousness, yes, you're right. Obama being this champion of progress, a man of principle, and a candidate for change was all fictional nonsense. So let's give him another 4 years!

Why not, every single person who becomes President from hereon to eternity will do the exact same thing - period.

[Socialdemokraterne]

Ah, yes, the best method of campaigning (so great, the Obama people haven't used it): Vote for this guy, cuz all the other guys suck ballz. That's great. It's like watching the 2004 Bush campaign.

No, but really. The USA is a two-party state. Unless there's some viable third-party candidate who has somehow managed to avoid my attention (which wouldn't bode well for their viability), it's Obama or Romney.

[The Black Forrest]

You have a better alternative?

Ah, yes, the best method of campaigning (so great, the Obama people haven't used it): Vote for this guy, cuz all the other guys suck ballz. That's great. It's like watching the 2004 Bush campaign.

Are you suggesting the Republican choices don't suck ballz?

[Socialdemokraterne]

:blink: Are you suggesting the Republican choices don't suck ballz?

I believe he was more chastising people for not going with third parties. Which I would totally do if they were viable. But if the Nader campaign is any indication...

[Farnhamia]

:blink: Are you suggesting the Republican choices don't suck ballz?

I believe he was more chastising people for not going with third parties. Which I would totally do if they were viable. But if the Nader campaign is any indication...

The Nader campaign is a good indicator, as was Ross Perot's in 1992 and John Anderson's in 1980, and all the others, Gary Johnson, Stewart Alexander. They all think that if they can just get elected President, everything will work out great. Can you imagine the reception Gary Johnson or any of the minor party candidates would get in Congress?

[Jocabia]

Kind of hard to change anything when the entire Congress shoots down anything you even remotely agree with just for being in a different party.

Totally, it's not like the Democrats were ever in control of either houses in congress...oh wait...

That would be a valid argument if Democrats were a hive mind. They aren't.

They got control of the houses by electing conservative democrats.

Republicans, however, managed to pretty consistently vote as a block throughout that time. It's pretty easy to google the number of proposals that got a 100% no vote from Republicans. As a result, instead of working with 100 votes and getting a majority from that, Democrats only had 59 (at most) votes to work with and had to garner their votes from that group. Given the way politics works, that's a loser from jump. No matter what you're trying to pass.

So how about we look at what has attempted to be passed that we agree with and who voted against it and blame them. In most cases that means 100% of Republicans and a small minority of Democrats.

http://mediamatters.org/research/201112120009

[New West Guiana]

Obama is the greatest President since FDR and this is coming from a white guy that lives in a predominantly white community (pop:990) that is politically Conservatives who support the Tea Party and greatly distrust Obama in every way, Yet my sig says it all.

#Obama2012

[EnragedMaldivians]

Kind of hard to change anything when the entire Congress shoots down anything you even remotely agree with just for being in a different party.

Totally, it's not like the Democrats were ever in control of either houses in congress...oh wait...

Yes, let's conveniently forget their loss of a supermajority, and that the Republicans filibustered damn near every conceivable piece of legislation after Scott Brown drove his truck from Massachusets over to Washington.

[Siochain]

He signed the Food Safety Act in 2011 that stops me from legally selling my fruits and other crops on a stand in my yard. I do not like this government.

[Dagnia]

Since I'm a white, vaguely conservative male who lives in a Southern US State? Exactly Zip. I'm the type the democrats belittle and ignore.

I'm a gay white male living in the Northeast and find that in spite of being one of the Democrats' core demographics and regions, he has taken more than he has given. The repeal of DADT was something bound to happen anyway and something that was a bit unnecessary, as gay people could join and stay in if they kept quiet.

My biggest problem with him is that I am trying to go into business and with the regulations I would have to comply with it would be impossible. Living in New York doesn't help, but insuring my employees would be what would keep me in the red.

I remember seeing John Stossel doing an interview with an Obama administration official who was defending the health care law. At one point the official says that any business with a thin enough profit margin that healthcare would put them under doesn't have a good business model. Out of touch people with no business experience making decisions about the economy seems to be the theme of this presidency. That coming from a guy who has never worked outside of the government leads me to believe nothing will get better until Obama is thrown out of office.

[Laerod]

Since I'm a white, vaguely conservative male who lives in a Southern US State? Exactly Zip. I'm the type the democrats belittle and ignore.

I'm a gay white male living in the Northeast and find that in spite of being one of the Democrats' core demographics and regions, he has taken more than he has given. The repeal of DADT was something bound to happen anyway and something that was a bit unnecessary, as gay people could join and stay in if they kept quiet.

Yeah, but now they don't have to keep quiet and can see their significant others in the open.

[Drumm]

Nothing. "Hope and Change" A LOT of change, but no hope.

[Lancaster of Wessex]

Nothing. "Hope and Change" A LOT of change, but no hope.

I'm hoping you're not solely blaming the POTUS for that perceived lack of hope.

(Just checking.)

[Jocabia]

Since I'm a white, vaguely conservative male who lives in a Southern US State? Exactly Zip. I'm the type the democrats belittle and ignore.

I'm a gay white male living in the Northeast and find that in spite of being one of the Democrats' core demographics and regions, he has taken more than he has given. The repeal of DADT was something bound to happen anyway and something that was a bit unnecessary, as gay people could join and stay in if they kept quiet.

My biggest problem with him is that I am trying to go into business and with the regulations I would have to comply with it would be impossible. Living in New York doesn't help, but insuring my employees would be what would keep me in the red.

I remember seeing John Stossel doing an interview with an Obama administration official who was defending the health care law. At one point the official says that any business with a thin enough profit margin that healthcare would put them under doesn't have a good business model. Out of touch people with no business experience making decisions about the economy seems to be the theme of this presidency. That coming from a guy who has never worked outside of the government leads me to believe nothing will get better until Obama is thrown out of office.

Have you actually looked into providing healthcare for your business? I run a small business and it really wasn't that difficult for us to accomplish. There are a lot of HR companies that will help you provide for your employees as a whole, which requires a lot more than just healthcare. I provide long and short-term disability, premium healthcare, life insurance, preventive care, a medical spending account, direct deposit, a retirement account and pretty much every other benefit we could find. All while giving competitive wages with other companies in our industry who offer less.

Being small doesn't mean you can't provide these things, because you're operating on the same ground every other business is operating on. Unless there are NO small business who manage to make a profit in the area of business you're talking about, then rather than railing against the regulations, perhaps you should look to other small businesses in your area and see what they're doing that you're not.

He's right. If healthcare is preventing you from surviving, then you likely have a poor model. If that weren't true, all the other small businesses would fail as well. However, evidence supports that small businesses are thriving. Including my own. Instead of looking for blame, try looking for a way to succeed. Or are Republicans only the party of personal responsibility sometimes?

[Farnhamia]

Nothing. "Hope and Change" A LOT of change, but no hope.

I'm hoping you're not solely blaming the POTUS for that perceived lack of hope.

(Just checking.)

Of course it's his fault. He said, "Yes we can, hope and change," and lots of people are hopeless. If it's not the President's fault, whose is it?

[Jocabia]

I'm a gay white male living in the Northeast and find that in spite of being one of the Democrats' core demographics and regions, he has taken more than he has given. The repeal of DADT was something bound to happen anyway and something that was a bit unnecessary, as gay people could join and stay in if they kept quiet.

Yeah, but now they don't have to keep quiet and can see their significant others in the open.

Nah, why would institutionalized discrimination be something that gays want to end? I mean, really. As long as you pretend not to be what you are, then no one has a problem with who you are. That's almost like being equal.

[Svobodu]

People seem to be confused about what Obama has actually done himself. Things like taxes, gas prices, benefits are not directly controlled by the President. He can only approve or veto laws that are passed. Even if he vetoes, Congress can bypass. I feel people like to imagine the President as a monarch, when in fact he has very little control over what laws are passed/not passed. However here are some things I know Obama has direct control over and has passed (legally or illegally):

NOT closed Guantanmo as he promised
NOT held accountable for ignoring habeus corpus
Gave HIMSELF the right to revoke a person's citizenship so the military legally has the right to assassinate Americans overseas who are deemed "threats".
NOT stopped military campaigns around the globe (finally dwindling down Iraq, but not exiting)
HIRED corrupt beaureaucrats to serve in the executive branch i.e. Tim Geithner, Rahm Emanuel, Eric Holder

There are very few executive decisions Obama has made that has benefited anybody outside of the government/military.

[Jocabia]

Nothing. "Hope and Change" A LOT of change, but no hope.

So he changed a bunch of things, but NONE of them have affected you directly for good or for ill?

In your view, what is the reason there is no hope?

[Neohippies]

I'm pretty sure tax cuts, stimulus packages and other economic plans don't discriminate based on location, ethnicity and political leaning.

ahh, a liberal who admits Obama is essentially a Neo-Con.

to OP, Obama has done jack shit that benefits me, other than rape the national debt, which could eventually lead to the collapse of the US government, and thus a libertarian takeover.

A libertarian takeover is far better than republican jackasses trampling civil rights.

[Cannot think of a name]

Nothing. "Hope and Change" A LOT of change, but no hope.

So he changed a bunch of things, but NONE of them have affected you directly for good or for ill?

In your view, what is the reason there is no hope?

They've managed to fold their critique of empty sloganeering into an empty slogan without any sense of irony or contradiction.

[Jocabia]

He signed the Food Safety Act in 2011 that stops me from legally selling my fruits and other crops on a stand in my yard. I do not like this government.

No, it doesn't. Not if it was actually legal for you to do so in the first place.

http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/fsma.html

Respecting the role of small businesses and farms: The law also provides some flexibility, such as exemptions from the produce safety standards for small farms that sell directly to consumers at a roadside stand or farmer’s market as well as through a community supported agriculture program (CSA).

They created an exemption for small farms to sell on roadside stands. Can you quote for me the part of the law that you think makes it illegal for you to do so?

Now, of course, they do require you to show that you meet local requirements up to the state level, but you already had to do that. You may not have been doing that, but that just means you were already in violation of the law.