Barack Obama: one term or two?

[asylumseeker]

Discuss.

[Quags]

not trying to be rude ,but he do anything as yet ,kept big promises ect .I don t know .

[E-man]

It looks a lot like one right now, but in 1982 another president one year into his term was in the worst recession since the great depression with 10% unemployment, 17,000 businesses failed - the most since 1933, his approval ratings had fallen drastically from 60% to 50% on it's way to 35% in Jan '83, but ... he turned it around and won the next election by a landslide losing only Minnesota and DC if I recall.

So anything can happen.

[Bitter]

True, but the Democrats in 1981 weren't trying to do everything in their power to oppose Reagan.
These republicans now would vote against anything in order to ensure that Obama can't claim success at anything.

As a political strategy it's effective, as a governing strategy it's only going to set the stage for retaliation later. I suppose the destruction of government is smaller government. But how do these guys sleep at night?

[Deeks]

I really don't care. He has done what everyone thought was impossible. Maybe a next Black man or woman president may get elected when the economy is in a better position and can ride into 2 terms.

[ribbit]

well if he win a second term, he cyah be blaming "his predecessor" for what situation he was left with like he doing all now. 

[Daft Trini]

He was a poor choice in the first place...!

[truetrini]

He was a poor choice in the first place...!

ahmmmm Mc Cain/Palin were better choices?   seems like you have just recently found your tongue on the Obama being a poor choice?

There were TWO choices.....Mc Cain or Obama....and if you go back to the primaries, he swept all before him based on public perception and the polarizing effect of the others.

The loss in Mass. is simply a wake up call for all concerned, "We brought you in based on the fact that you promised change, that you were not a Washington insider..stop acting like you are now....we reject washington insiders, we are sick and tired of them."

[che]

He was a poor choice in the first place...!

ahmmmm Mc Cain/Palin were better choices?   seems like you have just recently found your tongue on the Obama being a poor choice?

There were TWO choices.....Mc Cain or Obama....and if you go back to the primaries, he swept all before him based on public perception and the polarizing effect of the others.

The loss in Mass. is simply a wake up call for all concerned, "We brought you in based on the fact that you promised change, that you were not a Washington insider..stop acting like you are now....we reject washington insiders, we are sick and tired of them."

 

[ProudTrinbagonian]

Obama has ways to go, he does have a tough road tho'
I wish him well to do 2 terms and I hope that if he gets it is well deserved on his accomplishments rather than his ability to be an excellent speaker...

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me"
I remember George Bush mess up that saying...but it's pertinant to this discussion

[ribbit]

He was a poor choice in the first place...!

ahmmmm Mc Cain/Palin were better choices?   seems like you have just recently found your tongue on the Obama being a poor choice?

There were TWO choices.....Mc Cain or Obama....and if you go back to the primaries, he swept all before him based on public perception and the polarizing effect of the others.

The loss in Mass. is simply a wake up call for all concerned, "We brought you in based on the fact that you promised change, that you were not a Washington insider..stop acting like you are now....we reject washington insiders, we are sick and tired of them."

what about clinton? that is where the real elections of 2008 occurred.

[Deeks]

All those  who  says they sick and tired of washington can do one thing. Stop sending bozos to washington. You choose them. They did not come on a space ship from Uranus. They come from mass, kansas, idaho, bama, miss, tex. etc. the US system of gov't is based on consensus. you can oppose the president for what ever important or  trivial reasons.  It is not a dictatorship. If they want they can switch to the chinese model. If health care is Obama's downfall, then so be it. At least it is something worthwhile and important. The next president will have the same issue to deal with. And it will probably be worse. Go for it BO 44

[truetrini]

Deeks, that is what they are saying no more assholes being sent to washington.  And the population seems determined to stick to their guns.  Heath care has been an issue in teh US for a long time, it caused the dems to lose big ground during Clinton's first term. 

The population want health care, that much is clear, but if YOU have been following the issues concerning health care, you would have noticed that the way it is being done is not sitting well with people, including myself.

This loss in Mass was a notice to the Dems more than it was to Obama per se.

rinbbit, I addressed Clinton as that was in the primaries, she was seen as divisive and polarizing and was rejected...Obama swept all before him...as in ALL!

[Deeks]

What is wrong or right with the health care bill??

[truetrini]

What is wrong or right with the health care bill??

fella if you don't know resist the urge to post about it then.  Nothing is wrong with a health care Bill, it is th way it is being pushed, the concessions being made, the costs, who will pay?

Did you read anything about the Bill?  SERIOUSLY now?  Democrats don't like it, republicans don't like it, old people, young people, independents...theere are myriad problems, and it is being rushed through with little consensus.

funny when Manning and the PNM doing the same thing yuh does piss on dem.

[E-man]

What is wrong or right with the health care bill??

fella if you don't know resist the urge to post about it then.  Nothing is wrong with a health care Bill, it is th way it is being pushed, the concessions being made, the costs, who will pay?

Did you read anything about the Bill?  SERIOUSLY now?  Democrats don't like it, republicans don't like it, old people, young people, independents...theere are myriad problems, and it is being rushed through with little consensus.

funny when Manning and the PNM doing the same thing yuh does piss on dem.

Not to mention that we don't even know what might be right or wrong with the final bill because C-SPAN was not allowed to cover the final deliberations contrary to Obama's pledge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4yFiPQZlF8 .

[truetrini]

E-Man thatw as becasue they were making all kinds of deals behind closed doors.  That health care Bill is a disaster.  They rushed it trying to shove it down people's throats.  Not that one isn't needed, but it must be transparent and represnetative of the peoples' will. 

Nancy Peloci is going to face much heat over this.  She is so far to the right she is irking the moderate Dems.

Who will administer the bill for the public option?
I like the part about Insurance comapnies cannot deny claims based on pre-existing conditions, however, will that increase premiums?  People don't have jobs, are being forced to take pay cuts, companies are barely holding on, who will pay?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/health/policy/11cost.html?_r=1&src=twt&twt=nytimesnational

[E-man]

I wouldn't mind seeing some discussion on insurance companies being able to write policies out of state. Clearly that would increase competition, because more options would exist in each state, but so far that hasn't even been considered by the dems.

[Jah Gol]

Notwithstanding the precipitous decline in his approval rating thus far there has been no emergence of a Republican leader of any note. I mean a real leader who can not only mobilise the base but who can consolidate their position by garnering support from non-traditional quarters. The Obama marketing machine is well oiled and it will take a huge effort on the part of his opponents to win the hearts of the electorate. Be that as it may the recent loss of the special majority in the senate could frustrate if not derail his lofty agenda.

[johnny_ringo]

Well if the 1st year of his term is any indication then 1 term for sure !!!
Almost everything he's done in the last year has mostly benefited the big businesses and not the common man (who were his main supporters thru the campaign).
I think everyone is kinda seeing now that he really wasn't up to job and basically won the election because he is a fantastic public speaker, has the best speech writer and had the race card & white guilt behind him.

I really don't care. He has done what everyone thought was impossible. Maybe a next Black man or woman president may get elected when the economy is in a better position and can ride into 2 terms.

Please tell me you living somewhere in rural Trinidad and not in the US. Who cares if he's black. Us as Trini's should have learned our lesson a long time ago that race politics will get you no where

[ribbit]

the current polls, with reid and pelosi polling 30-40 points below obuma, suggest dat a viable republican presidential candidates is the LAST thing they need to think about. job one is to make inroads into congress.

[asylumseeker]

The level of vitriol being heaped on Mr. President at the end of Year 1 is, in several regards, ludicrous. Form over substance could be the giant killer. I see a lot of goodwill being squandered in America should this 'thing' turn sour.

[ribbit]

The level of vitriol being heaped on Mr. President at the end of Year 1 is, in several regards, ludicrous. Form over substance could be the giant killer. I see a lot of goodwill being squandered in America should this 'thing' turn sour.

nah nah - obuma is just a decoy. mho, de real mess last year was geithner and de bailouts. true, is obuma dat put geithner in de treasury and now he running interference for him. but let's not get distracted from where real damage was done.

[JDB]

I wouldn't mind seeing some discussion on insurance companies being able to write policies out of state. Clearly that would increase competition, because more options would exist in each state, but so far that hasn't even been considered by the dems.

More choice but only worse options. Who would be responsible for regulating the out of state insurer? The patient's home state or the insurer's All that would happen is that one or two states would become havens for "cheap" insurers that provide poor coverage. They will undercut better insurers on price but the consumer will be worse off in the long run. The only soluion would be "big government" federal regulation and the GOP don't want that.

[kounty]

I wouldn't mind seeing some discussion on insurance companies being able to write policies out of state. Clearly that would increase competition, because more options would exist in each state, but so far that hasn't even been considered by the dems.

More choice but only worse options. Who would be responsible for regulating the out of state insurer? The patient's home state or the insurer's All that would happen is that one or two states would become havens for "cheap" insurers that provide poor coverage. They will undercut better insurers on price but the consumer will be worse off in the long run. The only solution would be "big government" federal regulation and the GOP don't want that.

I decided against answering to the latest republican diversion but I see you take it up.  I don't know how many people living in the states, go do something thinking they have insurance only to 1) have huge copay 2) 2) doctor tell you yeah, your insurance will cover xyz and then 3 months later stick you with a bill 3) stick you with all kinda sh1t charges the paperwork and calling back and forth nobody really have time to do.
thank you very much but I would like to have the option to buy a gov't plan like medicaid to provide competition for the insurance companies based on price AND actual coverage.

[E-man]

It already happens to some degree. For example I live and work in California but the company is HQ'd in Kansas so I have BC/BS of KS.

[kounty]

It already happens to some degree. For example I live and work in California but the company is HQ'd in Kansas so I have BC/BS of KS.

so do you think companies are using heath insurance as a tax shield? are you for taxing cadillac plans?

[JDB]

It already happens to some degree. For example I live and work in California but the company is HQ'd in Kansas so I have BC/BS of KS.

Same thing happens at my company. Work in MA but the HQ is Chicago. In cases like that the company is allowed to sell one plan to all employees if they choose to do so. But with companies it is different though because it is not in their best interest to choose plans with poor value for their employees. Apart from the cost of having employees miss work while fighting up with health concerns, they would be wasting their own matching contributions and they would not be competitive at recruiting or keeping employees.

Individuals buying insurance and smaller companies might not be as scrupulous about selcting quality care and insurers would prey upon this by selling poor value products that appear to be cheap. Is like when a man bounce yuh in TnT and he say he have B&L insurance.

As an aside though the state by state comparisons of insurance regulation illustrate why a federal insurance product would be desirable. My current insurance BC/BS IL is relatively good but it pales in comparison to what I have had at BC/BS MA. On every level from employer mandated contributions to copay levels and coverage options the MA insurance wins hands down.

[elan]

You see where President Obama ask republicans and Democrats to meet at Balir (sp) Place to discuss the health plan live on television and the republicans say he (President Obama) trying to trick them, it's a trap? Useless set of people.

[weary1969]

You see where President Obama ask republicans and Democrats to meet at Balir (sp) Place to discuss the health plan live on television and the republicans say he (President Obama) trying to trick them, it's a trap? Useless set of people.

Saw it on d Daily Show last nite dem fellas eh serious at all. They fraid he rough dem up as he did d other day. Fox cut d feed oui.