Do you agree with the Washington Post that the President needs to be more honest? (1 Viewer)

[Jack Hays]

The elephants in the room

Editorial Board JUL 27
Entitlements belong in Mr. Obama’s discussion of the federal budget.

As the Washington Post pointed out: "As president, Mr. Obama is the one player in the capital’s drama best positioned to represent the national interest on entitlement reform; as a second-term president, he is also in the best position to take the political heat for doing so. It is still possible that he will do so in his remaining speeches. Until then, though, Mr. Obama’s vision for the country can only be described as incomplete."

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

 

[ttwtt78640]

The elephants in the room

Editorial Board JUL 27
Entitlements belong in Mr. Obama’s discussion of the federal budget.

As the Washington Post pointed out: "As president, Mr. Obama is the one player in the capital’s drama best positioned to represent the national interest on entitlement reform; as a second-term president, he is also in the best position to take the political heat for doing so. It is still possible that he will do so in his remaining speeches. Until then, though, Mr. Obama’s vision for the country can only be described as incomplete."

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

Honestly much of the US population disagrees with him, dishonestlly he keeps his popularity intact.

 

[Fisher]

He has to very publicly smack down Pelosi and/or Reid on something to ever get any any traction with the GOP and he simply will not do it. He is too risk averse to lead. 3 1/2 more years of voting "present" is all we will ever get from him.

 

[Velvet Elvis]

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

Why should he? He doesn't have to worry about re-election. You stupid little people need to just understand that Mother Government knows what's best for you. Shut up and obey. He could say literally say martians probed up his butt and gave him a superior intellect, and it would STILL be more honest than he's been during his administration.

 

[windowdressing]

The elephants in the room

Editorial Board JUL 27
Entitlements belong in Mr. Obama’s discussion of the federal budget.

As the Washington Post pointed out: "As president, Mr. Obama is the one player in the capital’s drama best positioned to represent the national interest on entitlement reform; as a second-term president, he is also in the best position to take the political heat for doing so. It is still possible that he will do so in his remaining speeches. Until then, though, Mr. Obama’s vision for the country can only be described as incomplete."

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

poor question ... step up honestly? there's a strong bias in the question (a bad thing, especially when the poster posting it is a registered Obama hater) ... Ask a more open-ended question next time ...

but should Obama do more? Absolutely. I don't know of any president who has ever done enough. Now, should the GOP House do more? Absolutely, since that's where the real problem lies ...

 

[windowdressing]

Why should he? He doesn't have to worry about re-election. You stupid little people need to just understand that Mother Government knows what's best for you. Shut up and obey. He could say literally say martians probed up his butt and gave him a superior intellect, and it would STILL be more honest than he's been during his administration.

HEY! Stupid little people?! We're not little!

 

[windowdressing]

Honestly much of the US population disagrees with him, dishonestlly he keeps his popularity intact.

I was looking for the favorability numbers for Congress ... couldn't find them. Do you know where I could get them, or maybe you have the numbers. Please help.

 

[ttwtt78640]

I was looking for the favorability numbers for Congress ... couldn't find them. Do you know where I could get them, or maybe you have the numbers. Please help.

They are quite low, yet miraculously they attained 92% re-election in 2012.

 

[trfjr]

The elephants in the room

Editorial Board JUL 27
Entitlements belong in Mr. Obama’s discussion of the federal budget.

As the Washington Post pointed out: "As president, Mr. Obama is the one player in the capital’s drama best positioned to represent the national interest on entitlement reform; as a second-term president, he is also in the best position to take the political heat for doing so. It is still possible that he will do so in his remaining speeches. Until then, though, Mr. Obama’s vision for the country can only be described as incomplete."

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

why should he? who do we have that will hold him accountable for his dishonesty? the very profession whose job is to make politicians stay honest has enabled and actually covered for this presidents dishonesty

 

[Rainman05]

I was looking for the favorability numbers for Congress ... couldn't find them. Do you know where I could get them, or maybe you have the numbers. Please help.

I think it's around 10-15%. Obama's popularity is higher.

But that's Congress's, as a collective, as an institution, popularity rating. Because Congress, as an institution, is inept.
Individual congressmen are generally more 'charming' people and have variable popularity rating. this is because they go and make a campaign... and they campaign all year long from the moment they get elected to the moment they run for re-election.

 

[ttwtt78640]

I think it's around 10-15%. Obama's popularity is higher.

But that's Congress's, as a collective, as an institution, popularity rating. Because Congress, as an institution, is inept.
Individual congressmen are generally more 'charming' people and have variable popularity rating. this is because they go and make a campaign... and they campaign all year long from the moment they get elected to the moment they run for re-election.

The fewer people that you must fool then the eaiser it is to do so.

 

[windowdressing]

They are quite low, yet miraculously they attained 92% re-election in 2012.

that's what gets me ... people from both parties don't like the people they elect, yet they go out and re-elect them ...

 

[windowdressing]

I think it's around 10-15%. Obama's popularity is higher.

But that's Congress's, as a collective, as an institution, popularity rating. Because Congress, as an institution, is inept.
Individual congressmen are generally more 'charming' people and have variable popularity rating. this is because they go and make a campaign... and they campaign all year long from the moment they get elected to the moment they run for re-election.

Partisanship aside, have you noticed that politics does not attract the best among us? We give so much power to people who are at best, for the most part, mediocre ...

 

[ttwtt78640]

that's what gets me ... people from both parties don't like the people they elect, yet they go out and re-elect them ...

The sheeple often simply select the lesser of two evils, or better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

Many simply vote a straight party ticket; sadly that is often offered at voting machines as a "quick option".

 

[windowdressing]

The sheeple often simply select the lesser of two evils, or better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

I don't often agree with you, but there's a lot of truth to what you're saying ... a lot of laziness too ... and the less informed you are, the easier it is for politicians to play on your ignorance, fears, and prejudices ...

 

[Rainman05]

Partisanship aside, have you noticed that politics does not attract the best among us? We give so much power to people who are at best, for the most part, mediocre ...

Well... yes. That's how it's been for all of history. Once the system is put into place, you can be the best, smartest, most well intentioned individual... and you won't make it in politics. Why? Because you need to be part of the system. You can't be a rock. You need to be water. And the system will change you as you need to be flexible.

The only way to change the system from within is to go in with a lot of people and together, form a powerful river that can carve it's way. And that means being in a party. And then it gets really complicated.

The best of us are in scientific fields. Working to uncover truth in logic, experimentation and nature. Working to discover more about the world and ourselves and bring it to the rest of us to observer and learn. Those people will rarely make it into politics, unless you change the system.

 

[Rainman05]

The fewer people that you must fool then the eaiser it is to do so.

Yep. You can be the most horrible congressman. As long as you can go home and grovel for some votes and abuse people's short term memory... you'll get re-elected. It also helps if you compete against strawmen.

 

[windowdressing]

The sheeple often simply select the lesser of two evils, or better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

Many simply vote a straight party ticket; sadly that is often offered at voting machines as a "quick option".

love this quote ...

“Five percent of the people think;
ten percent of the people think they think;
and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.”
― Thomas A. Edison

 

[windowdressing]

Well... yes. That's how it's been for all of history. Once the system is put into place, you can be the best, smartest, most well intentioned individual... and you won't make it in politics. Why? Because you need to be part of the system. You can't be a rock. You need to be water. And the system will change you as you need to be flexible.

The only way to change the system from within is to go in with a lot of people and together, form a powerful river that can carve it's way. And that means being in a party. And then it gets really complicated.

The best of us are in scientific fields. Working to uncover truth in logic, experimentation and nature. Working to discover more about the world and ourselves and bring it to the rest of us to observer and learn. Those people will rarely make it into politics, unless you change the system.

thought you'd enjoy this quote ...

“I try to avoid having thoughts. They lead to other thoughts, and—if you’re not careful—those lead to actions. Actions make you tired. I have this on rather good authority from someone who once read it in a book.”
― Brandon Sanderson

 

[NoC_T]

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

Does a bear **** in the woods? Obama's a proven liar. The only surprise here is that anyone should be surprised.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Yep. You can be the most horrible congressman. As long as you can go home and grovel for some votes and abuse people's short term memory... you'll get re-elected. It also helps if you compete against strawmen.

Much of what our congress critters do never makes the news at all. We did not acquire 80,000 ges of FIT code with anyone being much the wiser about it. The same is true of most pork, it simply gets added to the "moms are good people act" and goes unnoticed. Anyone in an organization that spends billions every single day can always find a few million to quietly redirect to gain favor with whoever is necessary to get them re-elected.

 

[polgara]

The elephants in the room

Editorial Board JUL 27
Entitlements belong in Mr. Obama’s discussion of the federal budget.

As the Washington Post pointed out: "As president, Mr. Obama is the one player in the capital’s drama best positioned to represent the national interest on entitlement reform; as a second-term president, he is also in the best position to take the political heat for doing so. It is still possible that he will do so in his remaining speeches. Until then, though, Mr. Obama’s vision for the country can only be described as incomplete."

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

Thus far, he has refused to do so. We'll see.

Good afternoon, Jack! :2wave:

 

[ttwtt78640]

love this quote ...

“Five percent of the people think;
ten percent of the people think they think;
and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.”
― Thomas A. Edison

Is it merely a coincidence that the Solyndra affair cost taxpayers about $535 million, or about $1 million for each congress critter? When that kind of monumental gov't screw-up results in an official "oh, well..." you should know that we are getting hosed on a regular basis. When 10 feet of PVC pipe, that retails for about $4, costs the US taxpayers $400 when installed by contractors in Iraq that should be a clue that someone is getting heavily greased at the taxpayer's expense.

Solyndra $535 Million Loan Mostly Lost to Taxpayers, Chu Tells Lawmakers - Bloomberg

 

[MaggieD]

The elephants in the room

Editorial Board JUL 27
Entitlements belong in Mr. Obama’s discussion of the federal budget.

As the Washington Post pointed out: "As president, Mr. Obama is the one player in the capital’s drama best positioned to represent the national interest on entitlement reform; as a second-term president, he is also in the best position to take the political heat for doing so. It is still possible that he will do so in his remaining speeches. Until then, though, Mr. Obama’s vision for the country can only be described as incomplete."

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

You must be joking.

 

[Dr. Chuckles]

The elephants in the room

Editorial Board JUL 27
Entitlements belong in Mr. Obama’s discussion of the federal budget.

As the Washington Post pointed out: "As president, Mr. Obama is the one player in the capital’s drama best positioned to represent the national interest on entitlement reform; as a second-term president, he is also in the best position to take the political heat for doing so. It is still possible that he will do so in his remaining speeches. Until then, though, Mr. Obama’s vision for the country can only be described as incomplete."

Should President Obama step up more honestly?eace

Obama's lack of leadership and unwillingness to put skin in the game has been a much noted failing of his presidency since the healthcare debate, by people of all manner of political backgrounds.