So, Shithead...Why Did YOU Pick Him?

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

can't wait to hear their foreign policy. lol. iran or africa next?

Iran's the plan, I think. The US government has been getting the public used to the idea for ages.

[Minimalist]

You are one bitter leftwing old coot.

Fuck you and jesus too, you nazi shitball.

You must long for the good old days when we went marching through Grenada and Panama, huh.

Did that make you puff out your chest with pride you fucking phony?

[Ryantology]

"You're forgetting about the North Koreans!"


Way too dangerous. We only attack people who have no credible deterrent.

You are one bitter leftwing old coot. The door to this country swings both ways and there certainly aren't any barriers on our borders that will keep you from leaving. If you're that miserable here why don't pack your sh*t and go to some other country where you'll be happier, like Venezuela or even North Korea. Go over there and talk your bullsh*t against their countries. See how far that'll get you.

The reason we don't leave is simple: time is on our side. The right-wing Taliban grows louder and more belligerent every day, but that's because they sense on some level that Western Civilization is leaving them behind. They're growing obsolete.

That, and we owe it to the future of the world to stay and prevent them from turning America into their dream of a Christian equivalent of Iran. Can't do that if we all leave.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

You are one bitter leftwing old coot.

True enough,so am I-ish. So what, that doesn't mean our perceptions are necessarily wrong.


Always a hint when a person uses the term 'left wing' as a pejorative. The hint is that one is dealing with a fairly conservative drongo. IE the kind of person who thinks Barack Obama is a dangerous radical .

[CliveStaples]

True enough,so am I-ish. So what, that doesn't mean our perceptions are necessarily wrong.


Always a hint when a person uses the term 'left wing' as a pejorative. The hint is that one is dealing with a fairly conservative drongo. IE the kind of person who thinks Barack Obama is a dangerous radical .

Is there a good argument that Barack Obama is close to the mainstream?

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Is there a good argument that Barack Obama is close to the mainstream?

Not sure what you mean by that. My perception of US mainstream politics is that it is arguably the most conservative in the developed world.


Going by what Obama has actually done as President, I think it would be reasonable to describe him as 'centrist' or 'centre-right'. There is no effective political left in the US (or Australia )

For a detailed answer to your question, Google is your friend. Below are a couple of bits I found with minimal effort. My interest in US politics is limited to the effects it has on my country.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The comments below from "The Economist' website.

Living overseas, and following American politics and politics in other Countries, Obama definitely is a centrist. Put aside your own political beliefs, anger or love for President Obama. No matter what side you stand on.. look at all the Policies, and where he has stood, where the Democrats have stood, and where the Republicans have stood... it's all out there in the public domain. FYI - Obama has been a centrist before he even ran for office, people claim he is Liberal, he is not. People have moved so far to the right in the GOP field, that people claim him to be Liberal or moving far to the left. He is not. Those instances where many on the left were hammering Obama for 'caving' to Republicans in 2009/2010, are not policies agreed to by someone who is Liberal, he has been trying to meet Republicans in the middle by going against many of the policies pushed hard by the far left. I see a change in 2011, he is trying to pull the far right back to the center by being firm on his policies, the American middle class are helping him by giving him the good polling numbers we've seen for the past few months. The President isn't even campaigning yet and hes already in the late 40's in Poll numbers before 2012 starts!

http://www.economist.com/economist-asks/...a-centrist


From David Rothkopf

The liberals are concerned that the approach embraced in the recent deal and some elements hinted at in the president's speech are contrary to core liberal values, specifically that social programs should not be on the chopping block and that if the deficit is to be a priority -- and it's not clear some of them think it should be-the adjustments ought to come from taxing the rich, defense, closing corporate loopholes, etc. They also are worried about the president's recent support for trade deals like those with South Korea or Colombia. And they don't much like the intervention in Libya or the decision to double-down in Afghanistan. And they feel like the president was sold out by advisors who are too close to Wall Street and that's why "reforms" were incomplete. (None of them seem to be much mollified by the fact that the budget deal is a complete sham, saving in real terms more like $350 million than the vaunted $30-plus billion.)

In other words, they feel that Barack Obama is -- gack! -- a centrist.

http://rothkopf.foreignpolicy.com/posts/...a_centrist

[Anomalocaris]

True enough,so am I-ish. So what, that doesn't mean our perceptions are necessarily wrong.


Always a hint when a person uses the term 'left wing' as a pejorative. The hint is that one is dealing with a fairly conservative drongo. IE the kind of person who thinks Barack Obama is a dangerous radical .

Is there a good argument that Barack Obama is close to the mainstream?

Would a hollow skulled buffoon like you recognize it if it is stuffed up your ass, out through your mouth and then back into you cranium through you eye socket?

[Tempus]

You are one bitter leftwing old coot. The door to this country swings both ways and there certainly aren't any barriers on our borders that will keep you from leaving. If you're that miserable here why don't pack your sh*t and go to some other country where you'll be happier, like Venezuela or even North Korea. Go over there and talk your bullsh*t against their countries. See how far that'll get you.

In the bolded part it seems like you're saying "our country gives you freedom of speech... so shut up!" Can you see the problem with that? Sometimes people criticize their country because they want it to be a better place, regardless of how good or bad it already is. Pointing out that other countries wouldn't tolerate dissent doesn't address the legitimate criticisms of the country you reside in.

[Angrboda]

Given that Obama took 52.9% of the popular vote, I'd say that people at the time viewed his public advocacy to be sufficiently representative of their views to vote for him, which is arguably a reasonable definition of mainstream. Moreover, I don't think there is any substantial evidence that he has wandered significantly from his core positions that he advocated at the time he elected. So by that measure, yes, Obama is significantly mainstream. Do you have any quantifiable measure which would indicate that he is not mainstream?

And regards the notion that our continued presence in Afghanistan is persuading the Taliban of their obsolescence, all I can say is dream on. You obviously have no concept of what is occurring over there. Indeed, our continued presence likely, if anything, strengthens the Taliban's position.

It's strange that Republicans have been very adroit at managing their message, yet having some form of self-destructive impulse in relation to the Presidency. Some of the candidates they field are positively suicidal. And both the last two candidates, who, by themselves, are arguably electable, chose running mates that pissed away a lot of that capital. McCain was an eminently electable candidate. McCain + Palin? DOA. Romney had sufficiently broad appeal to the conservative electorate, but Ryan seems like a fucking boat anchor.

Anyway, regarding curmudgeons, I like to bring up the distinction between skepticism and cynicism. Skepticism is withholding belief until evidence is given justifying belief. Cynicism is withholding belief, regardless of evidence, on the theory that most beliefs are unjustified. Curmudgeonly skepticism is rational, imo; dogmatic cynicism is not. (And this applies to the gentleman who seemed to imply that because a claim was made by a historically leftist and unreliable source, that the claim was therefore unlikely to be true. That's a non sequitur, it does not follow. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.)

[CliveStaples]

Is there a good argument that Barack Obama is close to the mainstream?

Would a hollow skulled buffoon like you recognize it if it is stuffed up your ass, out through your mouth and then back into you cranium through you eye socket?

...uh, all I did was politely ask for a good "Obama is a centrist" argument. Why all the insults?