Discussion for article #223663
Obama has actually done a very masterful job of getting public opinion to change. He understands that the ultimate motivation for politicians will have to be, when push comes to shove, not what the Kochâs money tells them, but what the voters do at the polls. Brilliant president.
The âclimate deniersâ arenât refusing to believe the science. They are refusing to acknowledge the science for money.
These politicians are selling out the people they represent, the next generation of those people, and many others knowing full well what they are doing. The idea that these GOPers would sell out their own children to keep a job, or curry favor is one of the most disgusting things Iâve witnessed.
I agree.
While President Obama made a valiant effort to work with the Republicans, and showed far more patience, and less pique, with them than they (or even some in his own party) warranted, he has made it plain of late that he is determined to find alternative methods of making progress on issues of crucial importance to the nations wellbeing.
This is where we begin to see more of the creative, but practical, side of President Obama, edgy, determined, positive, firm, but always within control.
I suspect we ainât seen nothinâ yet about what this President is capable of when it comes to advancing the welfare of all citizens (including those in opposition) of the nation he respects, loves, and leads so well.
I certainly like second term Obama better than first term Obama!
I wish he would have said that FDR was our greatest president. Lincoln could have let the south go. The world has suffered the consequences.
Part of my point is that the second term President Obama only became possible, let alone credible, because of the manner in which President Obama conducted himself during the first term, walking up to the edge of the possible, and forcing the Republicans to sabotage his efforts by making them back off, time and time again, from what they had previously agreed to, and sometimes even created.
By playing off their obstructionism, showing it for what it really was, he set the stage for his second term where he will accomplish more than anyone would have thought possible, and reap the full credit for it, leaving the Republicans slowly twisting in the wind at the end of the noose they tied themselves into.
No wonder theyâre so frustrated. Every time they think theyâve got him, he slips their best punches and smiles his wry smile, as if to say, âIâm sorry that I canât accommodate you better.â
If Congressional Democrats are smart they will begin to align themselves more and more with their president, and reap the benefits he has wrought all by himself. He deserves far more support than he has received thus far from the rank and file.
TeaBaggers:
The only cohort of older people in history who care more about their neuroses than the well-being of the generations behind them. If younger people were as mean-spirited as they were, Baggers would be stoned coming out of their Bingo Parlors.
Disgusting and puzzling (from the standpoint of my opinion of the Press and others who should be reacting to it much more forcefully).
I have seen adults with a Press vantage point actually say on the teevee that âBoehner will lose his job if he challenges the Tea Party.â And then act as though it is a natural thing for the citizens of a society to withstand the sabotage of a jobs bill which could provide needed employment and infrastructure because one man needs to âkeep his jobâ.
I donât know who to believe is more cluelessâŚ
Boehner?
The Press?
The Public?
I wonder what Obama would say to West Virginia Senate candidate Natalie Tennant, who said, âI will stand up to President Obama, Gina McCarthy and anyone else who tries to undermine our coal jobs.â Or, Alison Lundergan Grimes, who pledged to âfiercely oppose the presidentâs attack on Kentuckyâs coal industry because protecting our jobs will be my No. 1 priority.â
If Obama wants to lose control of the Senate, this would be the right thing to do.
You wouldnât happen to have a ranch youâd like to lose-uhhhhh, bet on that, would you?
I wish I could agree. Ever since the debacle of the 2010 âTea partyâ electoral campaign, I have felt that affecting public opinion has been a singular weakness, if not failure of his administration.
For example, take the opinion gap between perceptions of âObamacareâ so-called as a package (still largely negative) and perceptions of just about every component of the ACA (largely positive). One can-- and should-- blame Republican/right-wing mendacity for most of this, but Mr. Obama has hardly attempted at all to counteract it, it seems to me.
In reading the article, I highlighted this statement: âpart of my job over these next two and a half years and beyond is trying to shift public opinionâ, and thought to myself, no, itâs almost all of your job, Mr. President. There has not yet been a public opinion breakthrough on climate change so far as I can see-- although I am more hopeful of late.
Much as I admire and respect Mr. Obama in many ways, I feel very much let down at this point by the candidate I supported and worked for in 2008. I still hope he succeeds.
don
âThe âclimate deniersâ arenât refusing to believe the scienceâŚâ
You nailed it. Most are too intelligent not to know itâs real.
Theyâre just so venal and so shamelessly careless about the world they will leave to their kids and grand kids.
They had better pray there is no afterlife, because if there is, they will spend eternity in the 9th Ring of the Inferno, where live crooked public figures among others and where the worst punishments are meted out. Yeah, itâs a tough gig. Ask Dante.
Um, you might want to read the full Friedman interview at the link in the story. Mr. Obama does address the issue of the coal mining jobs there. You may or may not be satisfied, but itâs in there.
thaverly:
ââŚbut Mr. Obama has hardly attempted at all to counteract it, it seems to me.â
Could not agree more. He and his handlers have done a piss poor job of educating the public.
Those deniers of scientific findings should avoid going to a doctor or hospital, riding a car, bus or train, using a cell or land phone and even â giving sermonsâ over the microphone in the congress; because, all these are product technologies based on science. Even they should walk in their birthday suit and live in tree branches, not in this civic society.
What do you propose?
Do it Mr. PresidentâŚGo off on those loudmouth highly-paid motha-fuckin shills for the oil, gas and coal industry and their toadies in Congress. Most of them are only against regulations because youâre for them. AndâŚit literally pays them dividends towards their campaigns, even while their constituencies are against them remaining unresponsive to their needs. Thatâs fucking bribery, corrupting our political process, not your typical lobbying shit. Its not that complicated.
Its not a principled disagreement they pretend to be having with you. If you donât blast them a new one, Iâd be happy to do it for you, but you need to let the rest of us know how passionate you are about this issue or people wonât get on board until you start making some waves. Environmentalists along with scientists have already been working overtime to get the publicâs attention, and yet the media has still purposely chosen to ignore the issue on the whole like a bad penny.
Oh, and turning down that KeystoneXL pipeline bullshitâŚthat would go a long long way in helping you make the case and be a consistent in your support of a cleaner environment. Lowering carbon sooner rather than later, protecting the aquifer, and supporting a country that believes in tackling pollution for future generations is clearly whatâs at stake. It should be a hair-on-fire moment for the countryâŚbut it wonât be unless you acknowledge the stakes and put as much meat on the bones as possible.
Of course he wants to âgo offâ on them.
At this point it is not really a matter of opinion any more (if it ever was)⌠If the climate deniers are staying the course at this point it is because they are either delusional or corrupt. I either case, they are not serving the people that voted for them.