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Is Barack Obama a good leader?

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victorinox243 victorinox243 Since: Nov, 2009
victorinox243
#176: May 9th 2011 at 4:27:57 PM

Well, it's obvious that the current president is always the worst one, because humans love to speculate.

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#177: May 9th 2011 at 4:50:58 PM

@Game chainsaw: thats always how its worked. The Democrats are more of a loose coalition of various viewpoints. Even Will Rogers once said herding Democrats was like herding cats. As opposed to the Republicans who tend to be a lot better at agreeing commonly on issues.

edited 9th May '11 4:51:20 PM by Midgetsnowman

Ultrayellow Unchanging Avatar. Since: Dec, 2010
Unchanging Avatar.
#178: May 9th 2011 at 7:16:03 PM

[up]From Obama himself: "They say Democrats don't stand for anything. That's patently untrue. We do stand for anything."

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.
thedragoness Since: Mar, 2011
#179: May 12th 2011 at 6:06:21 AM

In Obama's defense, by not releasing photos of a dead Bin Laden the Islamic fundamentalist world is less likely to scream JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and go on a rampage of terrorist attacks and launch the holy war to end all holy wars.

Tsukubus I Care Not... from [REDACTED] Since: Aug, 2010
I Care Not...
#180: May 12th 2011 at 7:41:25 AM

Why do Americans actually think what happens in the Middle East is particularly relevant to anyone? It's not completely unimportant, but America faces issues in spending, education, and business regulation far more pressing than whether someone in the Middle East gets blown up.

"I didn't steal it; I'm borrowing it until I die."
MajorTom Since: Dec, 2009
#181: May 12th 2011 at 7:50:22 AM

If they didn't have oil nobody would care about the entire region. (Which ironically is how the whole region was looked upon prior to 1890 and the discoveries of oil.)

Tsukubus I Care Not... from [REDACTED] Since: Aug, 2010
I Care Not...
#182: May 12th 2011 at 7:55:48 AM

There's a difference between securing resource extraction and "THEY'RE GOING TO KILL US ALL!!!!1111", and American rhetoric about Middle East policy veers toward the latter. Certainly, securing oil is a nice thing, but I just can't think how someone can prioritize that over local stuff (like schools and crime) and overarching economic issues (deficit, education, taxes).

"I didn't steal it; I'm borrowing it until I die."
Ultrayellow Unchanging Avatar. Since: Dec, 2010
Unchanging Avatar.
#183: May 12th 2011 at 2:08:48 PM

Tsu...you know what, I don't care.

You're off-topic anyway.

Except for 4/1/2011. That day lingers in my memory like...metaphor here...I should go.
TBeholder Our future is a madhouse from chthonic safety Since: Jan, 2001
Our future is a madhouse
#184: May 13th 2011 at 12:40:26 AM

A more appropriate question would be: is he a leader at all? B.Obama or E.Cullen - what are they for you, other than a few glowing pixels and a lot of wishful thinking? Do you call Batman your "leader"? =)

I mean, what's the difference for the viewer between most "political" and "movie" sorts of talking heads in TV? Both sorts are professional actors backed by lots of make-up and pro operators, reciting scripts written in advance by someone else. You understand this, right? The producers can pick up just about anyone who can be trained to make needed faces and remember proper words - it makes very little difference even though some can do this much better than others. A few are good at this, they can improvise and look convincing for people who didn't already turn Willing Suspension of Disbelief to the max. But even on this level... At which point it becomes something more than just a movie? For you?

...And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense - R.W.Wood
rjung He's just some guy, you know? from Fifth and Main (Five Year Plan) Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
He's just some guy, you know?
#185: May 13th 2011 at 10:14:42 AM

...

Cool story, bro.

—R.J.

Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
GameChainsaw The Shadows Devour You. from sunshine and rainbows! Since: Oct, 2010
The Shadows Devour You.
#187: May 13th 2011 at 12:06:30 PM

@Thorn: This brings up my question; how much power does Obama actually have as party leader, let alone as leader of the country? How much influence does he actually hold over the Democrats, how much over the country, and thus, how much can we actually attribute to him and not the incompetence of his fellow politicians?

The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#188: May 13th 2011 at 12:07:57 PM

The president in all reality has next to no power inside the US government.

MajorTom Since: Dec, 2009
#189: May 13th 2011 at 12:39:08 PM

^ Yes and no. Yes in that he has literally no say in the legislation process. No in that he can veto legislation and executive orders are legal constitutionally as part of enforcing the Constitution and federal law.

You also forget the Congress cannot order anything military wise.

GameChainsaw The Shadows Devour You. from sunshine and rainbows! Since: Oct, 2010
The Shadows Devour You.
#190: May 13th 2011 at 12:46:16 PM

Thats certainly a credit to Obama then. The US military and overseas operations seem to be the one place where things are going relatively well, although that is almost certainly wholly down to US commanders and the US militaries strong military tradition rather than the actions of a man sitting in the white house communicating over the phone.

The term "Great Man" is disturbingly interchangeable with "mass murderer" in history books.
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#191: May 13th 2011 at 12:49:49 PM

Pretty much 99% of Obama, or any presidents power is in overseas dealings and foreign policy. He has bargaining power there because he's perceived to be "the most powerful man in the world"

At home, he mostly has exeutive orders, veto rights, and the ability to suggest legislation.

Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#192: May 13th 2011 at 2:35:32 PM

Any president who can reign all of congress in should be given a gold statue.

Its like herding microscopic cats on catnip and heroin, and they all hate each other.

Nonperformingauthor Badass Couch Potato from The SUPREME couch Since: Jan, 2010
Badass Couch Potato
#193: May 21st 2011 at 3:31:32 AM

The guy's the best thing to happen to America if you're looking at it from a non-American viewpoint. Like someone said, he's the guy who made it OK to be friends with America again.

As for whether he's a good leader...I dunno. Depends on what people want in a leader, I guess. He's pretty intelligent, and a lot of his ideas make sense. He does suffer from the apparent lack of decisiveness that usually comes with that package, but from where we're looking, it's clear that he's not having an easy job making his policy ideas a reality thanks to the Republicans' obstructionist stance. If we're playing the blame game, I'd say go for the pompous idiots at the Senate/Congress, coz' if I'm not mistaken, every domestic policy goes through them.

We here in this country I shall not name are having the same problem, by the way. President's a decent guy from what we can see, but our House Of Represantatives is filled with corrupt executives and incompetent trumpet-blowing hardass crazies (I'm not sure if they're pretending about the crazy part or they really are that stupid) whose only policy is "oppose everything the central government tries to do".

nzm1536 from Poland Since: May, 2011
#194: May 21st 2011 at 3:40:26 AM

[up]Wat

Basically, your argument is 'Obama is good because he has good PR and it's so cool to like him'

"Take your (...) hippy dream world, I'll take reality and earning my happiness with my own efforts" - Barkey
almanik Something from Australia Since: Mar, 2010
Something
#195: May 21st 2011 at 4:09:03 AM

[up] Way to jump to conclusions

nzm1536 from Poland Since: May, 2011
#196: May 21st 2011 at 4:12:36 AM

Well, I can't interpret 'it's OK to be friends with America' again any other way other than the case of good PR versus bad PR.

"Take your (...) hippy dream world, I'll take reality and earning my happiness with my own efforts" - Barkey
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#197: May 21st 2011 at 7:31:27 AM

[up]

Incidentally, I've noticed a tendency in anti-Obama people, including posters here, to have a deep-seated need to paint pro-Obama supporters as blindly loyal followers who can see no wrong in their leader. Whereas more pro-Obama people than not seem to actually hold a stance closer to 'Well, he's not perfect, and I can think of areas where he's disappointed me, but anything's better than the one we had before him.'

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
Erock Proud Canadian from Toronto Since: Jul, 2009
Proud Canadian
#198: May 21st 2011 at 7:33:33 AM

His new stance on Israel is definitely notable and bold.

If you don't like a single Frank Ocean song, you have no soul.
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#199: May 21st 2011 at 9:21:02 AM

His new stance on israel bumped my approval rating for him a thousand fold.

Finally someone saying "lets stop holding israel's hand and wondering why the middle east despises us"

nzm1536 from Poland Since: May, 2011
#200: May 21st 2011 at 10:06:31 AM

[up][up][up]I'm just criticizing an argument based on him 'making it OK to be friends with America'. it's PR. I don't think all the Obama supporters are sheep - many are (as with supporters of any politican, especially a popular one but not only)

[up][up] and [up] Here I must agree. I hope he doesn't shift his support to the other side of conflict though, they are no better

"Take your (...) hippy dream world, I'll take reality and earning my happiness with my own efforts" - Barkey

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