And going back to my point UKMatt, you are telling me that he with that majority, he couldn't get a few votes to pass what he wanted? He couldn't figure out how to move to the middle and do what was right for America, not his party? Our country was reeling when he took office. You would think he would have put politics aside and went to doing what was right, not what was right for for democrats.
Democrats hold President Clinton up in such high regard, yet his first few years were not that great. He had to move to the middle before he started doing things that really helped our economy. While I don't agree with everything he did, I can not deny that he made decisions that helped our country. Was he perfect? no, but who is?
This is where Obama has failed IMO. He wants it his way. He should be able to stand above the politics as President and do what is best. But he hasn't. He passed Obamacare when the majority of America didn't want it passed, they hadn't even read it!
I will say it one more time, we need leadership in the White House. He has not shown it.
Sidragon writes:
And going back to my point UKMatt, you are telling me that he with that majority, he couldn't get a few votes to pass what he wanted? He couldn't figure out how to move to the middle and do what was right for America, not his party? Our country was reeling when he took office. You would think he would have put politics aside and went to doing what was right, not what was right for for democrats.
I was just correcting an oft-repeated falsehood...
With regard to your original point - compromise takes two sides. There was no compromise to be had if one of the two sides will not move a millimeter from their starting position.
Even members of the GOP have criticized the approach taken by the GOP in this presidents first term - you had Republicans voting against bills they sponsored, voting against things they'd previously supported etc.
Sidragon writes:
Democrats hold President Clinton up in such high regard, yet his first few years were not that great. He had to move to the middle before he started doing things that really helped our economy. While I don't agree with everything he did, I can not deny that he made decisions that helped our country. Was he perfect? no, but who is?
Clinton was lucky enough to have a GOP he could actually work with - not one whose stated intent is to prevent a second term for Obama.
I don't like everything the Democrats have done - not by a long shot. And I don't think Obama lived up to expectations. But given the extremism rampant in the GOP these days, to suggest compromise is possible is ignoring the reality of our political situation.
Clinton saw the election of 1994 and took a hint. It's too bad the GOP didn't take a hint and actually get serious on cutting govt. Same story as 2010.
JS, why did they say nothing when gWB was racking up all that debt? it is interesting that we have all that outrage now when the Republicans lost control. Spending was what they were good at. But, now, they are suddenly in austerity mode until they win, again. It is so very obvious.
sstonetx writes:
JS, why did they say nothing when gWB was racking up all that debt? it is interesting that we have all that outrage now when the Republicans lost control. Spending was what they were good at. But, now, they are suddenly in austerity mode until they win, again. It is so very obvious.
So are you saying it is okay? If not, why aren't you holding Obama to a higher standard?
Personally, I think government needs to shrink about 75%. I think all of them need to stop spending tax payer money.
I think Obama is better at spending than any President in history.
sstonetx writes:
JS, why did they say nothing when gWB was racking up all that debt? it is interesting that we have all that outrage now when the Republicans lost control. Spending was what they were good at. But, now, they are suddenly in austerity mode until they win, again. It is so very obvious.
There was no austerity then and there's no austerity now.
Sidragon writes:
sstonetx, Obama supporteres continue to say that he has done what he said he would and that he has tried to do the rest, but that congress has stopped him. Do you not see that when Presidents with leadership have gotten things done in the past, they have come to the middle and worked with both sides, rather than try and ask for so much that they know it won't pass, then afterwards blame the other side for not working.
Once this happens the Republicans blame the democrats and we have a huge stand off between both parties. Then nothing gets done. That is not true leadership. It is a position of give and take. That is why many conservatives and independants think he has not done what he has promised.
When he said he offered hope and change, it seemed to me that he wanted to bridge the gap that was the hate between the parties, along with everything else he said he would do. Yet, the parties are at each others throats even more so now. And he has done nothing to prevent it, he has even encouraged it with his class warfare. We don't need to pit against each other, we need to become united!
I am not saying Romney is the savior like so many thought Obama was, but in my opinion, which is all it is, I think we need to have someone else in the office to see what they can do. Obama has failed in too many areas and has not tried to move to the middle, which is what this country needs right now. JMHO
I have been voting for a lot of years for candidates of both parties. I NEVER in my life have seen a president come into office and the opposing members of Congress declare immediately, and publicly, that their one mission was to make the president a one term President. And, then, proceed to block everything. This has never happened in my lifetime.
So if the opposition is not gonna try and work with you, dig in your heels and don't work with them! Great leadership! Do you see how silly that is? Even if the republicans decided to go hard on him and not work with him, he should have tried REAL HARD to work with him to make sure he led this nation to where it needed to go. Not complain about how no one was working with him. Seriously? I have yet to hear him take any responsibility either. This drives me CRAZY. He gives himself an imcomplete on the economy? WOW. A LEADER would have taken responsibility and been honest, not dodged.
He has great charisma, I will give him that. He just totally fails in the leader department.
It also doesn't help that he has some hardliners in his party (Reed/Pelosi) who don't want to work with the republicans at all either.
The Republicans are the "my way or the highway" with no compromise. How can one work with that? Look at raising the debt ceiling debacle. What upset me was that he tried and tried to invite the Republicans for cocktails, give in to many of their demands, only to be hit over the head. Even with the Affordable Care Act, he wanted to include the Republicans and it was gutted of a lot of the things I thought were important. I wanted it to look more like Medicare. So, to say he did not try to work with the other side is not true. I hear very few reasonable and rational Republicans. I have said before, I liked Romney when he was himself. He has been forced to morph into this "severe conservative" which is not his style and it is going to cost him the election, as it should. If he would be himself and in his comfort zone, I guess the Republicans would not have put him up in the first place as he is really quite moderate.
sstonetx writes:
The Republicans are the "my way or the highway" with no compromise. How can one work with that? Look at raising the debt ceiling debacle. What upset me was that he tried and tried to invite the Republicans for cocktails, give in to many of their demands, only to be hit over the head. Even with the Affordable Care Act, he wanted to include the Republicans and it was gutted of a lot of the things I thought were important. I wanted it to look more like Medicare. So, to say he did not try to work with the other side is not true. I hear very few reasonable and rational Republicans. I have said before, I liked Romney when he was himself. He has been forced to morph into this "severe conservative" which is not his style and it is going to cost him the election, as it should. If he would be himself and in his comfort zone, I guess the Republicans would not have put him up in the first place as he is really quite moderate.
Did you ever think that maybe there were things in the Affordable Health Care act they didn't like? Obama was pushing and pushing to get it through no matter what. I see lack of compromise one both sides, but hey Obama got his way and it got pushed through. Maybe had he compromised some things wouldn't have been so tough for him.
sstonetx writes:
JS, why did they say nothing when gWB was racking up all that debt? it is interesting that we have all that outrage now when the Republicans lost control. Spending was what they were good at. But, now, they are suddenly in austerity mode until they win, again. It is so very obvious.
So are you saying it is okay? If not, why aren't you holding Obama to a higher standard?
Personally, I think government needs to shrink about 75%. I think all of them need to stop spending tax payer money.
Shrinking government by 75% is an interesting thought, but, with that, what are you willing to give up? Roads? Bridges? National forests? Electicity? Water? Clean air? National monuments?
Schools? Universities? Food inspection? Military? Air traffic control? I could go on and on. The government is needed for many things we can not do as one state.
I think Obama is better at spending than any President in history.
sstonetx writes:
The Republicans are the "my way or the highway" with no compromise. How can one work with that? Look at raising the debt ceiling debacle. What upset me was that he tried and tried to invite the Republicans for cocktails, give in to many of their demands, only to be hit over the head. Even with the Affordable Care Act, he wanted to include the Republicans and it was gutted of a lot of the things I thought were important. I wanted it to look more like Medicare. So, to say he did not try to work with the other side is not true. I hear very few reasonable and rational Republicans. I have said before, I liked Romney when he was himself. He has been forced to morph into this "severe conservative" which is not his style and it is going to cost him the election, as it should. If he would be himself and in his comfort zone, I guess the Republicans would not have put him up in the first place as he is really quite moderate.
If you will remember, things didn't start out that way.
He came into office and focused on everything and anything but getting the economy, jobs back on track.
We got a big dose of "The Nobel Peace Prize" Then his world tour apologizing to everyone for the United States. YUCK!!
Lots of people, including me, soured on him pretty quickly. He brought most of the problems upon himself. He's like a spoiled brat.
It became obvious real quickly that he wasn't what he said he was. He is self centered, no leadership, no friends in congress......
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