What one question would you ask President Obama?

I was one of Senator Obama's delegates. I worked like hell to get him elected. I donated funds and enormous amounts of my time. But I feel President Obama is not doing what he said he was going to do. Frankly, I feel betrayed. If I ever had the chance in a public forum to ask him just one question I would ask, "When are you going to get some guts and be a leader?".

We've given the President a year and a half and he's squandered almost all of that time giving into republicans or corporations. President Obama is a smart guy, but he is even allowing illiterate and ignorant tea baggers outwit him. And Obama wasted a year trying to get bipartisanship from people who had no intention of giving him any votes. Obama should have met with democratic congressional leaders and told them to ram every program the left wanted passed, using every legislative maneuver possible. And he should have twisted arms to force members of his own party to go along. In other words, he needed to demonstrate he had guts. Supposedly, he's a student of history but it seems obvious he knows nothing about how LBJ got what he wanted from congress.

Even now, President Obama is letting the right wing control the message giving Obama the full blame for the BP disaster. Just what in the hell is Obama doing? He isn't representing us, the people who voted for him and worked so hard to get him elected. He's caving in to the same republicans who virtually destroyed our country. And he's giving in to corrupt corporations. I'm even beginning to wonder if he has sold out. I don't like the feelings I'm having about him because I like the President Obama, and I liked him as candidate Obama. But the guy in the White House is a shell of that candidate, and he is a shell of even a man.

I have absolutely no doubt I could have done a better job than Obama in the first 18 months of his presidency. I wouldn't have taken any shit off of anyone. I wouldn't have caved in to people who had no intention of supporting any of my plans. And I wouldn't have told my base to go f*ck themselves as Obama basically has done to us. President Obama is being called everything in the world and being blamed for everything, so if he's going to be called a socialist, Maoist, communist, Stalinist and Marxist why even try to appease the lunatics on the right? No matter how far right wing Obama goes they will still hate him, so why isn't he trying to represent the people on the left who are trying to save our country from the previous eight years of madness?

The real question I would like to ask wouldn't have been as polite as the one I wrote above. My first thought was "When are you going to stop being a damned p***y?". Yeah, I'm getting angry. But it's my country he's letting it go down the drain. He hasn't done anything to stop the corrupt thugs on Wall Street. He caved into the corrupt health insurance company. He hasn't closed the Guantanamo detention camp. He hasn't allowed gays to serve openly in the military. He escalated the war in Afghanistan where success is impossible. And now it looks like his administration is working for British Petroleum and not the American people or our best interests. President Obama needs to fire the inept, corporate hack of an interior secretary and he needs to start being a damned man.

But right now, I wonder if he is capable of doing anything courageous or doing what is right. If President Obama doesn't quickly 'grow a pair', he's definitely going to be a one term president and go down in history as less than even a mediocre president...

Yes, what has Obama fought for during his life.

because it is right without all the usual business of opening by making concessions and then pretending that a bucket of shit is actually delicious chocolate fudge.

Why the hell has he not given a televised address about this???? I don't know about anyone else, but I for one, want to hear what he has to say, what the plans are.

He should have spoken out on day one. But now it's 36 days after the disaster started and still nothing. And it looks like his administration is working for BP, not us...

From now on, I will robotically recite only what my corporate masters tell me to say.

As it is written, I shall have no other gods before me...

why wasn't he on this day #1? Shame on him for waiting for BP to do something. BP is treating America like the land of the slaves and the home of nobody important.

Pres. Obama should have realized this quickly and taken over the reins at once and not given them any longer than 24 hrs. to come up with a solution that would solve this crisis, not wait until where we are now!

:kick:

Corporations are like small foreign armies attacking us from everywhere they can. We need to get people in office who have the courage to fight back. If I was the commander in chief I would have ordered the navy to seize the entire crime scene. I would have also seized control of all of BP's rigs and assets within the control of the US. And I would have launched an immediate criminal investigation ordering my attorney general to go after BP with every resource they have. And if possible I would issue arrest warrants for the BP executive and all the other corporate criminals associated with the Gulf disaster.

We need to stop corporate armies from destroying our country.

I agree with you 1000%. BP is treating our country like an outhouse. And for that we need to put them in the big house, prison, life sentences... I am tired of corporate corruption.

So which is it? Strong arm? Or don't strong arm? Or is strong arming only ok when it is for something you want?

Your idea of running things "I wouldn't have taken shit from anyone" is great if you are a king. Not so great if you are a president with a bunch of conservative Dems in your party. Also, since the vast vast majority of Democrats approve of the job Obama is doing (and certainly have higher approval than DU), I don't think you, or I, or DU represent "the people that voted for Obama" as closely as you seem to believe.

Strong arming a representative to abandon a plan to help more people is a bad thing.

See how that can work? Different situations call for different responses.

How?

No corporation involved there.

Those 6 were:

Durbin (D-IL)
Harkin (D-IA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Reed (D-RI)
Whitehouse (D-RI)


So in your estimation, everyone else is part of the MIC?

Aren't influenced by them -- aren't targeted by them?

As a lowly RN I was able to respond in various ways to a variety of factors. I'm pretty sure Obama has the skill. It's just a question of figuring out whose interests you are serving.

Sure, we get all the responsibility and none of the authority but you're not lowly and neither am I. We are one of the most important parts of making the stupid assed system of healthcare we have work as well as it does.

I'm slowly coming to the conclusion though, that being an American President in this time means getting all of the responsibility and none of the authority. In other words, we needed an FDR and he isn't delivering, but maybe he could have been an FDR if he got in before the Corporations took over our government and turned it into fascism light. Maybe, all the strength in the world won't help now. It might just be too late. It might have been great to have been around to see this Republic getting formed. It sucks to watch this Empire implode.

I guess while I'm understanding that I'm watching pivotal history unfold, I wish I had gotten a say in which part of pivotal history I got to live through.

You're all wonderful human beings.

What would I ask Obama?

"Why is your allegiance to corporations and not the people?"



----------------

Constitution outlines a government "of, by, and for the people" --

existing only with the consent of the people.

What has that to do with corporations and their controlling influence over government today?

How do you keep your cool so well?

Personally, I think the idea that Obama reacts honestly -- rather than pretending

-- is a good thing. If you read a report of the luncheon, GOP did all they could

to create an event at the luncheon.

when you applauded the mass firing in Rhode Island?

:shrug:

When he said something like this...

"As soon as the inauguration festivities are over, they take the newly sworn leader of the free world into a room and they turn out the lights. A screen appears, and a projector starts to show footage of JFK being assassinated from angles never seen before. When it ends they show it another time or two, and then the lights come on and a unseen voice asks "Any Questions"? and that's pretty much it for whatever he has promised to do"

That's not verbatim.
It ain't even half right and I know that.
BUT...
I also know that some of you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Obama has done a 180 and I for the life of me, can't figure out why.

I wrote something yesterday and wondered if everyone who goes to Washington DC somehow gets injected with some type of corruption drug. But the root of all our problems is campaign finance laws. It just produces a revolving door of whores. We don't have a government, we have a brothel.

A year before the election I heard Greg Palast speak. One of the questions from the audience he answered was:

"Will the 2008 election be stolen?"

His answer:

"The puppets change, but the puppeteers remain the same."

Still gives me the chills.

and we have to figure out what comes after. Or, conversely, we can give up and enjoy what little life they allow us. I actually had that thought the other day but then I realized that I'm just not made like that. Even if the outcome is certain death, it matters how we die.

There have been many, some more famous than others. But, a common thread is that they have really important things to say and they care so much and they die early and badly. I think it's related.

Bill Hicks cared so fervently that he couldn't stay as long as I would have liked.

I think Obama thought he was running for President when he was running for Puppet. At least I hope he didn't know, I fervently hope that.

by putting major pressure on the Japanese to halt their illegal whaling operations in the Southern Ocean?

Great post, thanks!

When it comes to standing up for the people against corporations and why do you court the very Republicans who hate your guts and seek to destroy you?

Which I guess brings up another question. Did you think that maybe you didn't have what it takes to be great and if so, why, in this incredibly pivotal time, did you convince us that you did? Did you lie on purpose or did you just think you had more in you than you really do?

That's three questions. Sorry.

BTW, I pounded pavement for him, sent money, and got a lot of my friends to vote for him.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

economic terrorism?

Why are we still in Iraq/Afghanistan?


Macoy

And tell to get the inscription on my Father's grave marker right?

for your soul?

Since you guys asked more important questions.

Will you please demonstrate forceful and urgent leadership?

now in that area SUCKING up the oil like they did efficiently for Saudi Arabia?!?

You should be there RIGHT NOW because this is a World-Wide disaster!!!

:rofl:

Assuming we had a discussion of longer than fifteen minutes, I suppose I would ask him what planet he was REALLY born on. Just for fun.

When do we sign on to the ICC?
When do we cease to disobey international law?
When does Taft-Hartley get repealed once and for all?
When is the election process reformed such that
1. Everyone can vote
2. Every vote can be traced
3. Every vote is recorded by receipt
4. No more registration is necessary.
????

because if I ask anything else, I won't get the truth or I will get a smoke screen of the none answer answer.

So I would ask him something that he can truthfully tell me.

fluff questions serve a purpose. That purpose is; it shows that, yes, politicians are capable of telling the truth, when they want to.

So when they fluff an answer, you know they are lying when just a moment ago, they answered truthfully to their shirt size.

Remember, they work for us, they should be asking us questions. But alas, we don't live in that kind of country.

is soooooooooooooo insulting!

you "could have done a better job than Obama"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Questions I'd like to ask he couldn't answer until he's out of office, or was on his 2nd term after the majority of his political agenda was complete.

and it's almost as if you can't hear us.

We need that guy to be President.

the historic opportunity he was given to become one of the great leaders of history. What was he promised? Does he really take a sociopathic's view of other human beings and other living creatures? Were there any threats, or has he, as suspected, been on the side of the predatory elite all along?

I was done when he let bush and cheney off the hook.

To hell with politics or all of the other factors that influence a political leader. Real 'leaders' should always seek justice regardless of any perceived repercussions. President Obama should have prosecuted Bush & Cheney for their crimes against our country using every resource at his disposal.

By not going after those two evil thugs and all the people in that evil administration it means the door is wide open for future Bushes or Cheneys to start wars based on blatant lies, and to torture and kill people. It is beyond comprehension why Obama didn't use the justice department to go after those murderers. It showed a total lack of guts to me. I know I wouldn't take shit off of anyone and if I led this country I wouldn't have let two obvious criminals get away with crimes that caused so much harm to our country and ended the lives of so many innocent human beings.

I wonder if it is even possible for anyone with any courage to be elected as president. It will never happen without strict campaign finance laws that, in part, would prevent anyone from donating to a candidate unless they can vote for them. Ideally, we need publicly financed elections to stop the revolving door of whores going to Washington DC...

Sorry for shouting. But screaming IS how I feel...

And he'd better not answer "Depends".