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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#48801: Feb 5th 2013 at 4:56:24 PM

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

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48802: Feb 5th 2013 at 8:39:26 PM

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.
GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#48803: Feb 5th 2013 at 8:39:44 PM

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 Badly
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48804: Feb 5th 2013 at 8:44:48 PM

Actually, 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.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48805: Feb 5th 2013 at 8:51:32 PM

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!"
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48806: Feb 5th 2013 at 8:54:21 PM

They hate Obama. They want him out. They've wanted him gone since he was elected.

If they want impeachment, the easiest way for that would be to investigate the drone program.

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#48807: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:01:06 PM

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!"
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48808: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:02:31 PM

They won't go through with it because I feel they agree with those drone policies.

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#48809: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:07:11 PM

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 Badly
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48810: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:10:01 PM

I think it's better to say "they won't say so even when it's Obama".

Unless you're talking about the Democrats. They'll follow their President just as much as Republicans.

edited 5th Feb '13 9:13:39 PM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#48811: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:21:49 PM

I 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

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48812: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:29:37 PM

He's obsessed about appearing centrist. I'd say it's less of him trying to appease his opponents and more of him trying to appease Wall Street, his donors.

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#48813: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:32:24 PM

they agree with those drone policies
Yes, they do. There is no need for an 'I feel' beforehand. The party of Rumsfield and Cheney is not going to challenge the power of the executive branch to perform extrajudicial killings anywhere it so feels like.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48814: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:37:00 PM

They can get in line. The Roosevelts did that beforehand. Just less malevolently.

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#48815: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:47:57 PM

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

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48817: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:53:11 PM

If Obama is any proof, it's that it doesn't matter what your race is if you're the President.

For good or ill. Mostly for ill.

edited 5th Feb '13 9:57:03 PM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#48818: Feb 5th 2013 at 9:59:55 PM

[up][up] They're saying that the President has lots of power over foreign affairs and the military but little power over domestic affairs as though this was somehow a new thing. Hasn't that always been how the arrangement's been set up?

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48819: Feb 5th 2013 at 10:01:03 PM

[up] FDR would like to have a word with you on that.

As well as LBJ, what with his Great Society.

When the president lacks a domestic program, chances are they'll end up as some of the more unpleasant ones.

edited 5th Feb '13 10:33:21 PM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#48820: Feb 5th 2013 at 10:36:16 PM

He has a domestic program. He just can't do squat with it because of a Congress full of people that treats even compromising even an inch on anything will make them spontaneously combust.

Which is probably your point. :P

edited 5th Feb '13 10:36:33 PM by PotatoesRock

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48821: Feb 5th 2013 at 10:37:35 PM

No, that's a healthcare program.

I'm talking about a domestic program encompasses everything, ala the New Deal and the Great Society.

edited 5th Feb '13 10:44:38 PM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#48822: Feb 5th 2013 at 10:40:34 PM

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.

[up]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

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#48823: Feb 5th 2013 at 10:41:43 PM

[up] I actually don't remember that discussion. surprised

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.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#48824: Feb 5th 2013 at 10:43:47 PM

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.

[up]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

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#48825: Feb 5th 2013 at 10:44:25 PM

A domestic program encompasses everything, ala the New Deal and the Great Society.
Youi seem to have forgotten his Jobs program. Which was meant to help with a lot of Infrastructure shit and help get people back to work.

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


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