Did you vote for Obama?

[valsa]

My hubby and I have an ongoing discussion about whether the Tea Party will break away from the Republican Party and launch a potentially-viable 3rd party candidate.

I really, really hope they don't. Right now, even though they're viewed as liberal, the current Democrats are really center (if not a little right of center) and the current Republicans are super-conservative.

My biggest fear is that adding an insanely super-conservative third party like the Tea Party will essentially swing the political landscape so that the Democrats are considered "super-liberal", the Republicans "center", and the Tea Party "conservative". That is not a political landscape I want to see.

[pomology]

I really, really hope they don't. Right now, even though they're viewed as liberal, the current Democrats are really center (if not a little right of center) and the current Republicans are super-conservative.

My biggest fear is that adding an insanely super-conservative third party like the Tea Party will essentially swing the political landscape so that the Democrats are considered "super-liberal", the Republicans "center", and the Tea Party "conservative". That is not a political landscape I want to see.

Very interesting point...but now I'm even more terrified of the havoc that the Tea Party might wreak than I was before.

[emmiedahl]

I think the best possible thing that can happen is that the Tea Party becomes a third party.

A. It will split the conservative vote.

B. They will get real extreme really fast and lose all credibility with average Americans.

C. The Republicans can go back to being normal fucking people for the first time in several decades.

[daharyn]

Proud to have voted for him the first time, plan to do so the second time. Voted Kucinich in the '08 primary, though, as I recall--because I'm a crunchy hippie, and think a Department of Peace is a good idea.

Aside from having to clean up 8 years' worth of rampant neoconservative crap while negotiating an extremely hostile House (and lethargic, all-too-indifferent Senate), anyone who can actually nab the most-wanted terrorist mastermind in decades and also make major fixes to the student loan system has my vote. The new regulations on student loan repayment have truly saved my ass.

[amie]

..........

[Guest Anonymous]

Voted for him once and I vote for him again. I sometimes imagine what my life would be like with McC and the Cougarmom in office.

It always come out to some version of the Handmaids Tale.

TBS all parties are tools of corporate interests. Some corporate interests would like to totally eliminate America's working class.

[emmiedahl]

From what I hear and what I have experienced, the changes to the student loan system will be bad for students. Like, if you don't qualify for a subsidized loan, you're screwed. You can't "shop around" for a better interest rate--it's one size fit all. The website where you apply for the loans crashes constantly and is difficult to deal with--think DMV to the nth degree. There are a lot of would-be doctors who will be hurt by this because we live on those loans while in med school. Also, the main change was that the government gets all the money, none shared with industry. Hardly 'cleaning up'. More like hogging the profits of a profitable business.

eta: I'm sorry if I sound bitter. Obama has great intentions and great potential. He cannot be held responsible for every negative thing that happens.

[daharyn]

Actually, as someone who is repaying a private loan (eta: by choice; I don't have to--but on the income-based repayment plan it is a very small bill) and taking out federal ones (to cover tuition for what is hopefully my Very Last year of grad school), at a much lower interest rate...

None of what emmiedahl has said is true, in my experience, or that of the many, many people in my cohort. We are all getting plenty of loans, subsidized or un-, the web site is working fine, and no one has been unable to continue due to lack of loan availability.

No need to hate on the stuff that is, I swear to you, actually working. Since I just filed my 2011-12 FAFSA yesterday, I'm pretty sure I'm on top of this one.

And besides, there's no way McCain would've ever even TRIED to fix a system that was (again, I speak from years of experience here) pretty f'ed up.

[emmiedahl]

You don't have to take my word for it. Google it. It's all true and pretty much documented fact. I had my FAFSA complete in February and spent several months dealing with student loans, as did many of my classmates.

[valsa]

None of what emmiedahl has said is true, in my experience, or that of the many, many people in my cohort. We are all getting plenty of loans, subsidized or un-, the web site is working fine, and no one has been unable to continue due to lack of loan availability.

I agree. I'm right in the midst of dealing with loan re-payment and I haven't seen anything like what Emmiedahl was speaking of either.

[emmiedahl]

What exactly do you disagree with? I can back up any of it I am sure.

[mirele]

I tried to give him money, because I considered it an investment in the future of the world, but noooo you had to be a U.S. citizen *rolls eyes*. I was not impressed.

I was gobsmacked to find out that it was legal for me to give money to Australian political campaigns! So I sent some money to a Aussie senator because he's the only politician in the world right now, it seems, who wants to make sure that Australia deals properly with a certain space alien cult. Come to find out that this politician's big issue before the space alien cult was "pokies" aka poker machines.

[treemom]

I voted for him(but Clinton in the primary) I am disappointed in many things and frustrated we haven't had bigger social changes and he continued to bush era tax cuts for the wealthy.

But at the moment I would vote for him again, if only because he seems like the only adult running.

[emmiedahl]

I think I would vote for him, especially if it is Bachmann or similar bad choice on the other ticket.

Can you imagine President Bachmann? We would never live it down.

[valsa]

What exactly do you disagree with? I can back up any of it I am sure.

Pretty much all of it. While I'm sure there are times that the website crashes, I've been on there myself, at lot lately, and it's never crashed. I've also not seen anything about students being forced to go with higher interest rates (if anything it seems that, overwhelmingly, people are getting lower interest rates) Also, the reform is great for people working in public service, like nurses and teachers, due to their loans being forgiven after 10 years. No offense, but I'm sure I could guess, with halfway decent accuracy, the political leaning of most of the people complaining about the reform.

[amie]

..........

[emmiedahl]

Well, I guess that is an improvement? It's good to know that I'll get something out of it.

The website crashed several times over several days for me and... everyone in my organic class. When I called the help line, it too was overloaded and I was told to call back later by a recording. I called my school's financial aid and they said it was normal and to just keep trying. I did eventually get through. The only news item I could find about it was from last year, which probably doesn't count in terms of this year's changes.

It's pretty established that there is no shopping for lower interest rates now. The average person will get a slightly better interest rate, but people like me who shop around will actually be paying more. That is part of the bill. I was not offered a private loan--a big change for me. I have never taken them out but I have always been offered one and this year I actually needed one. I was told that my subsidized loan would be the max--wtf? It is about 2/3 of my tuition, that's not enough.

[emmiedahl]

And if you can tell my political leaning from the fact that I am poor and trying to get through school and frustrated that it is being made even more difficult, I hope you will tell me what party I belong to I guess because I don't even know.

[valsa]

And if you can tell my political leaning from the fact that I am poor and trying to get through school and frustrated that it is being made even more difficult, I hope you will tell me what party I belong to I guess because I don't even know.

I'm talking more about people who complain about things like the website going down and think that's reflective of the student loan reform itself. Some people will look for anything to complain about what Obama does.

[Buzzard]

I can tell everyone here leans to the left. I started the thread because I heard on the radio that many Dems are not happy with Obama. Very informative thread. I aint startin no shit!

Everyone? Hardly! I'm a proud libertarian.

[valsa]

Well, I guess that is an improvement? It's good to know that I'll get something out of it.

It's pretty established that there is no shopping for lower interest rates now. The average person will get a slightly better interest rate, but people like me who shop around will actually be paying more. That is part of the bill. I was not offered a private loan--a big change for me. I have never taken them out but I have always been offered one and this year I actually needed one. I was told that my subsidized loan would be the max--wtf? It is about 2/3 of my tuition, that's not enough.

This may not have anything to do with the student loan reform. I'm still getting tons of offers for private loans. Maybe it's just you.

[julie]

If you're poor? Vote for the Democrat or liberal. It's scientifically proven or something that the poor (myself included) do better while Dems are in office vs. Republicans.

[emmiedahl]

Most of the issues I am really upset about have nothing to do with Obama. But, I am tired of hearing how my life is being made better. I do not think it really is. I don't think he is doing anything for the poor. There were a few unemployment extensions--those needed to happen, absolutely, and the Republicans were dicks for protesting. But what has Obama done for the poor? He had a chance to pass healthcare--with a Democratic majority in both houses. He passed some shitty legislation that will not extend healthcare to anyone. He had a chance to end tax breaks to corporations. He gave them handouts instead. I could go on.

I think the government should be doing more for the poor. Two years ago when I was comfortably middle class, I believed that as well. I just don't see it and it pisses me off. Maybe Obama is not liberal enough for what we need right now.

[treemom]

Most of the issues I am really upset about have nothing to do with Obama. But, I am tired of hearing how my life is being made better. I do not think it really is. I don't think he is doing anything for the poor. There were a few unemployment extensions--those needed to happen, absolutely, and the Republicans were dicks for protesting. But what has Obama done for the poor? He had a chance to pass healthcare--with a Democratic majority in both houses. He passed some shitty legislation that will not extend healthcare to anyone. He had a chance to end tax breaks to corporations. He gave them handouts instead. I could go on.

I think the government should be doing more for the poor. Two years ago when I was comfortably middle class, I believed that as well. I just don't see it and it pisses me off. Maybe Obama is not liberal enough for what we need right now.

He hasn't. And he isn't liberal enough.

[julie]

He hasn't. And he isn't liberal enough.[/quote]

yup.