whats so different about President Obama besides the obvious

[starving student]

besides the obvious, what so different about him from any other president we've had?

[TheDriller]

Different puppet,
Same hand.

[bartend7]

atleast he's not an arrogant prick like Bush.

[necho]

USgov Inc. feels that its new brand fingerprint will dramatically increase customer engagement by embodying the aspirations of an emerging demographic.

Coupled with effective leveraging of peer-2-peer onboarding strategies in the digital domain, USgov Inc. feels that this paradigm-shift is a game-changer that will bring significant ROI going forward.

[doghouse]

To the OP:

Since your name is starving student I'll assume you're pretty young. I'm old and crotchety enough to actually remember seeing President Eisenhower on TV!

You really have to live through a few to understand the differences.

Obama reminds me of Jimmy Carter, both came into office promising sweeping "common sense" changes but immediately got body slammed by the Congress and the Pentagon who had no intention of letting him get away with that.

In Obama's case, he was prevented from closing Guantanamo, pulling out of the two Bush wars and was left with the financial mess that Bush and Congress left him (most Americans have forgotten that the Wall St. bailouts were all done before Obama was in office).

Americans mostly misunderstand the President's role. He's really just a very powerful administrator. The Congress passes the laws, he can only choose to veto them. He is mainly responsible for control of the military and the federal agencies. Like anyone running such a huge organization when he sets policy, the people underneath him don't always follow it (i.e. why we're finally going ahead with military trials at Gitmo) because his ability to effectively punish them is limited.

[mididiot]

doghouse, you hit the nail on the head.

[Jarvisimon]

doghouse, you hit the nail on the head.

Totally agree. Do people think that Obama could work miracles once he got in to power? I think he's done pretty well considering what he's up against.

[LoopStationZebra]

meh.

Double meh.

He's the President. He's more than just a powerful administrator. He wields ENORMOUS power - actual Executive Level power, as well as influential power. People are giving him enormous Free Passes and it's ludicrous.

Gitmo
The President, by power of Executive Order, could close down Gitmo IMMEDIATELY. The reason he hasn't is manyfold; not the least of which is the enormous politics - and not just resistance from the Republicans, either.

Iraq. Afghanistan. Libya. Pakistan.
The President, right this very SECOND, has the power to put a total end to US involvement in these wars. Public support on these wars, even with Libya, has fucking DWINDLED. Yet we are still there and it's costing us a FUCKING FORTUNE. omfg.

Worldwide Troop Placement/Military Aid To Foreign Countries.
The President has the full power and authority under the Constitution to almost immediately provide moral and financial leadership by pulling THOUSANDS of US troops out of places like Japan, Germany, Italy, etc etc etc. While he does not have the authority to slash the military budget per se, he most certainly could put a MASSIVE dent in spending by quite simply pulling our troops out of these 'allied' nations. The reason he doesn't? Politics. And no balls.

The President has both Executive Order power, as well as a fair amount of Constitutional authority, to end Military Aid to Israel, Saudi Arabia, etc etc etc.

The Patriot Act
Probably the single biggest crime committed against the entire US population by a President and Congress, and utterly and totally supported in equal measure by both Republicans and Democrats. Almost the entire Act is deplorable.

Not one section of the Patriot Act has been revoked by Obama; though he has the power to do so by Executive Order. A disgrace.

Remember how many liberal bloggers AND Ron Paul were bitching about the Patriot Act? lol. omfg. I do. Ron Paul continues to bitch. The bloggers have moved on to Union rights. ffs.

Remember how many liberals were bitching about the fact that Bush was abusing and rewriting the part of the Constitution that deals with Executive Orders because it gives the President too much power? Remember how Obama even made that claim several times on the campaign trail? Abuses of power! Abuses of power.

Steps Obama has taken to clearly define the limits of Executive Orders = 0.

If he's not gonna get rid of them, he should fucking USE them for the issues listed above.

Here's a great website that gets into several EO's that Bush signed that Obama could quickly override.

http://www.slate.com/id/2209225


Now, social engineering issues like government healthcare? Totally different story. The President has no authority to make laws. But even then, he wields enormous political power. For instance: "Dear Republicans, I'm going to pull every single troop off of foreign soil unless you give me healthcare." I'm not for government run healthcare by any fucking stretch of the imagination, but you see where I'm going with this...

Obama. Has. No. Balls.

[chaibuka]

There's a good chance that any Democrat elected President would have faced similar rabid oppression. For years I was told budget deficits didn't really matter. Or that a service economy was all America needed for prosperity. It's awfully hard not to bend the truth you consider what's up for grabs.

[pepezabala]

something lets me think that wall street did allow Obama to become president because then the democrats shut up.

they didn't allow political change, though.

[H20nly]

he's a baritone.

[beats me]

Well, in my lifetime I don’t think I’ve seen a president that capitulates to the opposing party faster or more frequently than Obama. It doesn’t even have to make good political or economical sense. He just caves. Astonishing.

It’s probably because he gets more political footballs thrown at him than he has time to make a feel good speech about it. So he just passes.

[Griogair]

He sure as f**k didn't deserve a pre-emptive Nobel Prize. He subsequently proved to not be the messiah...What about taking that bad boy back and giving it to someone who did something to deserve it?

[Styles Bitchly]

I think you should run! Either that or Donald Trump. but one of ya oughta have your name in the hat.

meh.

Double meh.

He's the President. He's more than just a powerful administrator. He wields ENORMOUS power - actual Executive Level power, as well as influential power. People are giving him enormous Free Passes and it's ludicrous.

Gitmo
The President, by power of Executive Order, could close down Gitmo IMMEDIATELY. The reason he hasn't is manyfold; not the least of which is the enormous politics - and not just resistance from the Republicans, either.

Iraq. Afghanistan. Libya. Pakistan.
The President, right this very SECOND, has the power to put a total end to US involvement in these wars. Public support on these wars, even with Libya, has fucking DWINDLED. Yet we are still there and it's costing us a FUCKING FORTUNE. omfg.

Worldwide Troop Placement/Military Aid To Foreign Countries.
The President has the full power and authority under the Constitution to almost immediately provide moral and financial leadership by pulling THOUSANDS of US troops out of places like Japan, Germany, Italy, etc etc etc. While he does not have the authority to slash the military budget per se, he most certainly could put a MASSIVE dent in spending by quite simply pulling our troops out of these 'allied' nations. The reason he doesn't? Politics. And no balls.

The President has both Executive Order power, as well as a fair amount of Constitutional authority, to end Military Aid to Israel, Saudi Arabia, etc etc etc.

The Patriot Act
Probably the single biggest crime committed against the entire US population by a President and Congress, and utterly and totally supported in equal measure by both Republicans and Democrats. Almost the entire Act is deplorable.

Not one section of the Patriot Act has been revoked by Obama; though he has the power to do so by Executive Order. A disgrace.

Remember how many liberal bloggers AND Ron Paul were bitching about the Patriot Act? lol. omfg. I do. Ron Paul continues to bitch. The bloggers have moved on to Union rights. ffs.

Remember how many liberals were bitching about the fact that Bush was abusing and rewriting the part of the Constitution that deals with Executive Orders because it gives the President too much power? Remember how Obama even made that claim several times on the campaign trail? Abuses of power! Abuses of power.

Steps Obama has taken to clearly define the limits of Executive Orders = 0.

If he's not gonna get rid of them, he should fucking USE them for the issues listed above.

Here's a great website that gets into several EO's that Bush signed that Obama could quickly override.

http://www.slate.com/id/2209225


Now, social engineering issues like government healthcare? Totally different story. The President has no authority to make laws. But even then, he wields enormous political power. For instance: "Dear Republicans, I'm going to pull every single troop off of foreign soil unless you give me healthcare." I'm not for government run healthcare by any fucking stretch of the imagination, but you see where I'm going with this...

Obama. Has. No. Balls.

[glitchrock-buddha]

To the OP:

Since your name is starving student I'll assume you're pretty young. I'm old and crotchety enough to actually remember seeing President Eisenhower on TV!

You really have to live through a few to understand the differences.

Obama reminds me of Jimmy Carter, both came into office promising sweeping "common sense" changes but immediately got body slammed by the Congress and the Pentagon who had no intention of letting him get away with that.

In Obama's case, he was prevented from closing Guantanamo, pulling out of the two Bush wars and was left with the financial mess that Bush and Congress left him (most Americans have forgotten that the Wall St. bailouts were all done before Obama was in office).

Americans mostly misunderstand the President's role. He's really just a very powerful administrator. The Congress passes the laws, he can only choose to veto them. He is mainly responsible for control of the military and the federal agencies. Like anyone running such a huge organization when he sets policy, the people underneath him don't always follow it (i.e. why we're finally going ahead with military trials at Gitmo) because his ability to effectively punish them is limited.

That seems a very positive outlook on the guy. And it seems also to seriously downplay the rising executive power in relation to the congress. If it were still as you describe, then wouldn't congress have had to make the decision to go to war in libya? Only Congress is supposed to have that power, but apparently now the executive branch (Obama) can go out and decide to engage in a war on his own. So where is this balance of power? Especially after all those executive orders passed by George W. taking more power away from Congress to the White house. Not to menion Congress was supposed to create the money! how long has it been since that was taken away? Was it 1913?

Come on guys. Obama = Zbigniew Brzezinski

I have a hard time believing this Wall Street puppet is being prevented from doing any great and noble things by the Congress. Just my feeling on that.