Barack Obama

It has been two years since Barack Obama's inauguration as President of the United States. Are the decisions he is making pushing the US and by extension the world in the right direction? Or is he an extension of the Bush administration?

What do you think?

 

He's the only person ever the get the Nobel prize for peace for waging wars all over the world..

 

I still don't believe he was born in the US. 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I would most likely still vote for him over pretty much any likely alternative I know of.

 

Because of Barack Obama I don't have to spend thousands of dollars a year on health insurance until I'm 26.

Also, he's the best president ever.

 

Yeah, I don't particularly care for him, but he's the best out of all the realistic presidential candidates (i.e., someone for which the average American will actually vote).

 

He's a little shit for promising to take a lax stance on medical marijuana, then gets elected and allows the DEA to raid dispensaries in California, among other states.

 

I wasn't expecting a centrist.

I feel like the country isn't doing anything, problem solving-wise. At least he's not Sarah Palin.

 

Yeah, okay, but that's why my 19 year old self voted for him. I work a part time job, I don't really about healthcare or a war in Libya or whatever. Yes, I'm a selfish person.

But, still, that was among the many promises he made that he didn't live up to. Don't ask me the other ones, because that's the only one that matters to me. To not have an industry like medical marijuana be recognized as legal is just a shame. It's a $2 billion industry in California alone. Some people need this more than actual healthcare, my mother being one of them. It's not just a stupid little pipe-dream anymore that smokers drool about. It's a viable alternative medicine, even the National Cancer Institute has said so. Of course, then they removed it at the behest of the Obama administration.

But, uh, I guess I care about new jobs and shit. lol.

 

I don't think he's the best presidents ever, or one of the best. However, he is one of the better ones - considering the economy was the worst since the depression. He didn't live up to all his promises, but he did make quite a bit of changes.

Also, some of his haters are just delusional. You know, the ones who still think his middle name is controversial...

 

It doesn't surprise me that they overlooked it. The drug war is something that has costed anyone who pays taxes a lot of money ever since Nixon waged it. We spend $15 billion a year on it, when if we just legalize marijuana, we could make all of that back and then some. Of course, harmful narcotics like crystal meth or heroin should still be pursued and chased, I'm not advocating the legalization of that at all. I think that's a fatal mistake that Mexico made over the past few years, allowing you to have small amounts of dangerous drugs and not face a penalty for it. Then again, Mexico's government makes ours look like Barney & Lambchop.

I just don't understand why, when he was campaigning, he promised all of these things, got the support of the young voters who wanted change (and to be able to smoke pot freely IF THEY NEED IT), then just turn his back on it. He's admitted that he's done it before, and inhaled. I think politicians kind of pressured him into ignoring it when he was elected. Hemp could destroy the paper industry, and I'd wager to say a lot of people have money invested into that. Not to mention that marijuana alone could eliminate some pharmaceutical companies and drugs if it was legalized, or even partially decriminalized. Like you said, we'd save a metric fuck-ton of money, not having to finance raids, courts and jails would only be half as full, etc.

As someone who has been arrested for marijuana possession, it's kind of sick to think that in the eyes of these judges and law enforcement, I'm in the same class as rapists and murderers. Non-violent drug offenders shouldn't go to jail, they should go to rehab centers, or something. I mean, I only smoke weed, I don't need rehab, but if you're smoking meth or something.. you need help.

 

I definitely think corporate interests play a big part in marijuana's illegality and a slew of other things as well.

And you're completely right about our drug laws. Countless studies have shown that rehabilitation does a hell of a lot more for drug addicts than incarceration does.

 

Simply this. Though I still say I like him and he deserves 4 more years.

Donald Trump. Lulz.

 

He doesn't seem to have the liver to stand by his decisions. When Bush was in office Obama was so opposed to him that I'm not sure the two of them could stay in the same country together. A good example was his publicized opposition to torture/rendition during the Bush regime, now he has done a 180. He let accused CIA interrogators (Torturers) off the hook and "conveniently" changed his stance on the issue, he refused to abolish torture and by doing so has become a silent advocate of its practice. CIA torture and rendition still takes place under supposed "Observation". Check this out:

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2010/nov/18/obamas-torture-problem/

One would go on all day pointing out all his U-Turns one by one but that's where I'll call it quits. Military spending drowns out that of every other economical sector in the US (though much of that happened during Bush's era). By contradicting his earlier promises he is only helping to further Bush's policies and agendas.

No wonder they say Democrats and Republicans are just two wings on the same bird.

 

Y'know, that's just the nature of democracy. Go to any other liberal democracy and you'll find the people in office, even from the most radical right or left wing, will go centrist once in office. It's the perpetual campaign, is what it is. They have to please all their constituents, which unfortunately spreads them thing. Great case study: Brazil under Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (around '02-'10).

Personally, I think he's a great president. He just doesn't have the balls to fight for his own policies when faced with opposition. But I'd take that over bad policies any day.

 

It bothers me when people want to claim a president is bad by pointing out things they've done that really don't matter. At least compared to the more important issues. Maybe Obama changed his views on torture. Who actually cares? If you want to say bad things he's done regarding the economy, foreign affairs, etc, then so be it. But otherwise, I really don't find it worth it to bring up such trivial issues. Besides, there hasn't been a president in the history of American that went through with all of his promises.

There's also a lot of people out there that vote Republican because they're anti-gay rights and pro-life. People need to get their priorities straight.

 

To be honest...I just miss Bush. Obama hasn't done jack but healthcare, and that is by no means a positive thing. Do I think there is a formidable Republican opponent? Not by a longshot, just sayin he's meh.