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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
One of the easiest ways for the right wing to criticize Obama would be to blast him for his usage of the drone program (where the White House pretty much admitted there's no due process).
It's politics 101, but they're not going there. Why?
edited 5th Feb '13 8:39:51 PM by Serocco
In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.Old people, of course, preferring the warmer climates of Florida compared the damn coldness of Alaska.
As for why the Republicans don't criticize Obama's drone program, that's simple... If a Republican was in office, they'd do the exact same thing.
edited 5th Feb '13 8:43:42 PM by GameGuruGG
Wizard Needs Food BadlyActually, drone strikes already occurred under the Bush administration. About 30 or so.
Last time Obama decided to adopt an originally right-wing idea, there was a Supreme Court decision over its constitutionality. Why refrain from doing the same flip-flopping over drone strikes?
edited 5th Feb '13 8:45:09 PM by Serocco
In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.They have to be very careful because their war hawk constituency supports any and all counterterrorist measures. They can spin it as Obama infringing upon the rights of American citizens, but it's a very touchy subject in Conservativeland.
Also, if they are at all smart, Fox will let the liberal media excoriate Obama for it and report on the feeding frenzy. Heck, think about all the fun the liberal media has when Fox turns on Republicans.
edited 5th Feb '13 8:52:59 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"Well, why don't they go for it? Seems like the one place they could legitimately catch Obama screwing around with the Constitution.
edited 5th Feb '13 9:01:17 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"As far as the decision over health care goes, that was more the current Republicans shifting their attitudes to the right compared to '90s Republicans. Yes, the Republicans of the past were more liberal than they are today... That's kind of their big problem right now.
The use of drones still fits the right's pro-war stance which is why they won't press the issue. They actually are okay with the idea, but won't actually say so because he's Obama, so they downplay it.
edited 5th Feb '13 9:07:57 PM by GameGuruGG
Wizard Needs Food BadlyI really think this article has a good point. When does/should Obama just say "Screw this!" and stop trying to appease a bunch of people who will never believe him.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/04/opinion/granderson-obama-skeet-shooting/index.html
Republicans are more than happy to create political windmills to yell at Obama over while he enacts their agenda in several respects. It's all just political kabuki theater.
edited 5th Feb '13 9:48:56 PM by HilarityEnsues
I don't know why you brought up the whole Republicans not dissing Obama on the drone program when we've had the exact same discussion before and you already knew the answer, Serrocco. And said exactly the same thing as the person who answered you.
Anyway, as for "appeasing" them with that picture, I don't think it's about appeasing really. It's about showing them that they're wrong in the most dignified manner he can muster. It's not like it took a lot of time out of his day to have that particular picture shot. And it makes the GOP and crazy right wingers look even crazier and nuttier when they obsessively complain about it. It might not make him look all that much better on the gun issue, but the complaints reveal the characters of the ones making them.
I think you're being a little too pedantic there. A healthcare program is a domestic program because it effects us domestically. His attempts at gun control can also be considered a domestic program, as well as things like his reform of Pell grants and the Cash for Clunkers thing.
edited 5th Feb '13 10:41:53 PM by AceofSpades
I actually don't remember that discussion.
I know that's a domestic program, but I was talking about a domestic program in the same sense as the New Deal.
I honestly don't think Obama's playing chess with the GOP in that sense. There was a memo that revealed Obama really did believe that the Republicans would compromise with him. Both him and Rahm Emanuel, for that matter.
edited 5th Feb '13 10:44:19 PM by Serocco
In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.Well, it's more like many, many discussions because you and others have brought up the drone issue before. And the answer was always that for Republicans it's a non starter because it's a program they'd support anyway. Except for maybe the Libertarians with their non interference policy. But in any case, it'd be insanely hypocritical for the Republicans to try and badmouth or impeach Obama over a tactic they themselves would use just as much if not more. Also, I'm not entirely sure that drone usage is something we can actually impeach any president over.
At this point I would say he has multiple motivations for doing any one thing.
edited 5th Feb '13 10:44:29 PM by AceofSpades
He has generally wanted to do good Domestic programs, he's just not been given a chance since after the Stimulus/Healthcare Bill/Auto Bailouts. :P
edited 5th Feb '13 10:44:51 PM by PotatoesRock

Generally speaking, it's about how many old people a state has, since the bulk of federal spending is medicare and social security payments.