Did you vote for Obama?

[valsa]

But, I am tired of hearing how my life is being made better.

1) Just because your life isn't being made better doesn't mean that no one's life is being made better.

2) Even if your life was worse than it was before, there's the distinct possibility that it's better than it would have otherwise been. There's always farther to fall.

[emmiedahl]

I don't think I am atypical. I watch the news; people are losing jobs and industries are not hiring. It's at like ten percent of households now.

[valsa]

I don't think I am atypical. I watch the news; people are losing jobs and industries are not hiring. It's at like ten percent of households now.

And how bad could it have otherwise been? There's a reason it's been dubbed the Great Recession. How high was unemployment during the Great Depression?

[julie]

My life in the past couple of months has certainly gotten worse. My husband and I are unemployed despite our expensive degrees... I owe over $100,000 in student debt and can't pay a cent of it back and it's way past due... we live with his grandparents, if that gives you any indication. Our small savings is now down a tiny amount because we've been living off it... but I don't blame that on Obama. Is there more he could be doing? Yes. Sure. But thanks to the gods that things are as bad as they are and NOT worse. Can you imagine if McCain and Palin were in charge? I shudder at the thought. Things suck ass right now... but they will get better. We just have to hold on.

[julie]

Oh, and how could it be otherwise? Well for starters, government and nongovernment programs that offer support to needy people would be cut even more. Families are ALIVE right now because of food and shelter and help that was given because Obama didn't cut programs as much as Repubs wanted. So, it could be a lot worse.

[emmiedahl]

That economic recovery money could have gone to a lot better use than some CEO's multimillion dollar bonus for driving his company into the ground. Do I hold Obama responsible for that? Yes, yes I do. Because he is the one who spent that money in that way.

[treemom]

And how bad could it have otherwise been? There's a reason it's been dubbed the Great Recession. How high was unemployment during the Great Depression?

Just because it could have been worse doesn't mean Obama has fulfilled what he claimed he would try to do.

[JenniferJuniper]

That economic recovery money could have gone to a lot better use than some CEO's multimillion dollar bonus for driving his company into the ground. Do I hold Obama responsible for that? Yes, yes I do. Because he is the one who spent that money in that way.

You seem to be referring to The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 - the 700 billion dollar Wall Street bailout. You do know this happened during the Bush administration, right?

Don't be listening to Michele Bachmann. She's wrong - http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011 ... istory.php

[emmiedahl]

Erm... I have never listened to Michele Bachman. It was voted upon in October 2008 (led by GWB and the Democrats, mainly opposed by Republicans) but money was not paid out. Obama chose to continue and then increase it. Of course he could not have repealed it without significant fallout, considering that it was mostly Democrat supported in the Senate and House. Check out the wikipedia article on it, it gives a nice overview, and then this http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/feb20 ... -f25.shtml There's a lot of information out there.

[Kathryn31]

I voted for Obama and even went to a rally for him with a friend who did campaigning for him. I must admit that having been within 3 feet of the president is cool but I more voted against McCain. I believe Obama will be a one term president. I truly believe he is a good man but his lack of experience is very apparent.

[JenniferJuniper]

Erm... I have never listened to Michele Bachman. It was voted upon in October 2008 (led by GWB and the Democrats, mainly opposed by Republicans) but money was not paid out. Obama chose to continue and then increase it. Of course he could not have repealed it without significant fallout, considering that it was mostly Democrat supported in the Senate and House. Check out the wikipedia article on it, it gives a nice overview, and then this http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/feb20 ... -f25.shtml There's a lot of information out there.

"World Socialist Web Site - Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)" Seriously???

That's one seriously bizarre article. Reads like it was written by some 17 year old European Trotskyite using Google Translate.

The reality is that Obama's '09 economic stimulus plan did not go far enough. Only about 60% consisted of public spending, the rest was more tax cuts, which do little to nothing to create jobs. And jobs are the key problem.

[JesusFightClub]

"World Socialist Web Site - Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)" Seriously???

That's one seriously bizarre article. Reads like it was written by some 17 year old European Trotskyite using Google Translate.

The reality is that Obama's '09 economic stimulus plan did not go far enough. Only about 60% consisted of public spending, the rest was more tax cuts, which do little to nothing to create jobs. And jobs are the key problem.

WSWS are mostly American. I wouldn't use them 100 percent as a source but they do have some thought provoking stuff. You're right, they are Trotskyists (and it's "Trotskyist" not "Trotskyite", the latter is fightin' words :D ) but they might agree with you in more areas than you think ;)

[Michiru]

If I would live in the Usa I propably would have voted Obama. If he would be in a party in Germany (we only vote the party, not the Kanzler/in) I would have not voted him, because I think he would be in the conservative party. I vote green or social. :-)

[PBrooke]

I did vote for Obama, and he's not liberal enough for me. Part of the reason I voted for him rather than Hillary in the primary was that his supposed inexperience worked in his favor, whereas Hillary, male or female, struck me as a typical game-playing politician, and also a member of the "Washington," that, I felt at the time, needed a change.

I don't regret voting for him over McCain/Palin - I feel that would have been a comedy of failure - but I am somewhat disappointed by the way he's chosen to handle things. However, I'm not seeing any viable, better candidates from anywhere else thus far, so unless someone comes out of nowhere, I'll probably vote for him next year.

EDIT - As I mentioned in another thread, I just got back from the UK, and it's worth reiterating that even the most conservative parties in Europe would be considered "left" to us. Most of the people I met consider Americans to be a bunch of extremely right nutjobs (as evidenced by Bush's two terms).

[Olivia]

No, I didn't. I'm not sure what I'm going to do this next election. I said I'd never vote for a Republican or a Democratic candidate again; I'm a libertarian, and not one of those Republican-in-disguise libertarians that make me want to barf. But the idea of say, Michelle Bachmann being elected -- seriously? I might have to vote lesser-of-two-evils.

But I'm seriously disgusted by the direction this country is going in, and with the exception of removing DADT (for which I am appreciative) I don't think anything happening under Obama's leadership that matters has been handled differently than the way Bush or McCain would have handled it. I think Obama is a good person, but I don't think he's making good decisions for our country.

[Shirley MacLaine]

I voted for Obama although I am more left-leaning. I see myself voting for him again - I vote more against than for, which I know is shitty but I'm continually horrified by the Repub. candidates.

[PhoenixFeathers]

I didn't. I won't this time. Probably gonna have to vote 3rd party this election because the Republican candidates are scary,

[Guest Anonymous]

Pardon me while I post a totally off topic yet close to on topic picture.

[FaustianSlip]

Yep (though I was licking my wounds while doing so. I'm a total Hilary fangirl.).

Me too! Though in retrospect, I think she's been much better off where she ended up (though I'm not convinced that she might not have been better for the country as president, if only because I think she would have been much more likely to get down there and tell the Republicans where to get off than Obama has been thus far). I like Obama, and I'll vote for him again in 2012, because there are no other options, but as others have said, I find his inclination to capitulate to ridiculous Republican demands and allow them frame the debate infuriating, and I sometimes wonder where the hell the fire he seemed to have in his belly back in 2008 has gone. I can't quite figure out whether it was all just a good show, whether it was a factor of experience and he just didn't have the knowledge of how DC works to follow through or what. It's incredibly frustrating.

If I'm being honest, there's a part of me that wants to write in 1936 Franklin Roosevelt on my ballot come 2012. That is the kind of president we need right now. That's the kind of determination and fire we need, and Obama just doesn't seem to have it. Hell, if he's not prepared to stand up and say what needs saying himself, unleash Joe Biden and let him do it, because you know he will.