In my 38 years of life, I have never been more proud of my President or my country.

The details and the nuances in policies sometimes sound like a buzz beneath the surface. This man is changing the image of this counrty. The world is looking at us again in a positive way. When Obama announced that the war was ending in Iraq I literally felt a weight romoved from my back, almost as if the karma of that war on this country was over.
There will be debates and snickering over details over the years but this man has taken control of this ship that was sailing to dark dangerous waters and is in the process of doing a 180 degree turn. We will not go there with this man at the helm. I am greatful and honored that we elected this man of integrity and honesty, this man with depth, vision and understanding. I look forward to the next 8 years. No matter what hard times this country faces I feel safe, secure and proud knowing that Barack Obama is the President of the United States of America.

Great President.

Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt arrived when we needed them the most and at this time and place we need a Great President.

For whatever reason I decided to watch one of my Campaign trail speech from then Candidate Obama from my DVRed collection, and chose his speech in Texas the night that he won the Wisconsin primaries. I wanted to hear again what he had promised one year ago, considering that he is a very consistent individual. The speech was something else! He did speak of the "Urgency of Now" in that speech, and yes, he is on his way of delivering on his promises, and yes, there is much more in store......and yes, we could not have waited any longer.

... and isn't it funny how "change" (in this instance) can also mean "consistent."

I love irony...... almost as much as I love pie! ;)

I hear a lot of folks here who claim that he's not doing thus and so like he promised on the campaign trail. At the risk of confessing my degree of obsession (ha!) I will say that I have eaten, breathed and slept (get your minds out of the gutter! you know what i mean) the man for going on two years. I think I heard almost every speech. I've seen important ones numerous times. I'm in either my fifth or sixth reading of his books (I have the audio books and his voice is very soothing on the ride home after a hard days work.)

He has YET to do anything that shocked me. The President of the United States of America (woohooo!) is still the same man I cast my primary vote for months and months ago.

I feel confident in saying that i know he always will be.

he is acting.....for which the results will be felt sooner than later.

I "hope" that you are not one of these....

...one of those people who confuse rhetoric, good intentions, and initial steps as the same thing as results.

Why underestimate others? And who is confusing rhetoric, good intentions, and initial steps as the same things as results.

But even so, here's a thread as to what has actually been accomplished to date.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8252065&mesg_id=8252065

Why poo-poo that? :shrug:

After all, its just a few weeks old.

Its a great start, but its going to be a long 4 - 8 years.


Truth be told, I felt awe and inspiration about a president once before. He too had a great start, but a weaker middle and then a heinous ending. In a way, that experience broke my heart a little.

So when people are already to talk about the triumphs of the Obama presidency, I prefer to have a wait and see attitude.

administration arguments in courts defending illegal wiretapping and secrecy.

I am very happy that he is near perfect (as far as I'm concerned) on his domestic agenda right now. But that doesn't erase some of the downright stunning positions this administration has taken in keeping with Bush policy.

"There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."

I think that you make a good point about how Obama is trying to put us back on the right path after years of terrible leadership which has alienated parts of the world from the US. I find it helpful to look at the big picture and try not to get caught up in every little controversy or mistake. I think that Obama is a very competent leader, so I trust that he will be able to meet the challenges this country faces.

I have never been proud of my president or my country.

I have been ashamed of both, many times. I have despised both on occasion.

I have appreciated, and do appreciate, some elements that exist in my country, and some political actions.

Pride?

In what, exactly?

as opposed to another.

I had him tied for last place, along with Clinton, in the original crop of nominees.

There were many other Democrats I would rather have seen get the nomination and win the presidency in addition to the 6 declared candidates I ranked above him.

At no time did I ever want him to be the nominee, and, ultimately, the president.

I don't feel any sense of "pride" in beating McCain. Just relief. And I think any well-run campaign would have done so.

Now I'm stuck, for the next 4-8 years, with a center-right Democrat who does not represent me. I don't think it was "smart" to elect him. I think it was wrong to elect someone whose idea of "change" does not begin to approach the profound, authentic, leftist change I think the nation desperately requires.

I fail to see any reason to be "proud."

I know you are a strong supporter. That's okay with me. I don't dislike the man. I don't wish him ill. I don't share his vision. I'm not "proud" that the party, and the president, takes power without a commitment to that profound, authentic, leftist change I think the nation desperately requires.

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

ad hominem, red herring, and an attempt at juvenile bullying to top it off.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7979543

the first election of a non-white president, I am glad to know that it's possible.

The fact that his politics fit the established center, and the center-right, like a glove is a disappointment. To say the least.

I guess I'll take pride in our evolution when we leave fascism, corporatism, class division, religious bigotry, and faith-based governing behind.

a christ, or a savior. He's a politician. I hope he opens some of the right doors.

Not all doors should be opened, imo, and I don't think he plans to open many that SHOULD.

Some doors should be shut. Like the door to the war on terror. The Patriot Acts. NCLB. Corporatism. Privatization.

He is a liberal, period.

"when we leave fascism, corporatism, class division, religious bigotry, and faith-based governing behind"

You mean you'll only take pride when all the bad aspects of humanity are wiped away? Not gonna happen--anywhere.

I value the capacity of humanity for:

humility; empathy; thinking; creating; integrity; fairness; respect; love.

I don't think you find any or all of those things isolated from the worst, and I don't think it's a matter of pride.

The idea that Obama is to the right is not mine alone, and it is certainly not absurd.

You just have to look beyond the mainstream of the Democratic Party, which is centrist or center-right, to anyone to the left of center.

Here is one I've posted before.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7979543

The thing is... you will always get a President that is somewhat 'around' the established center because that represents a majority of voters... what you are hoping for is a shifting of the establishment center, until then it doesnt matter the candidate you hope for, they will not get elected..

I want the "established center" in the U.S. to shift to the left.

When I think of "left" and "right," I tend to think on global, not national, terms.

What you are saying makes sense. But right now things are iffy - if the economy sinks further and further for the next six months, the Repugs and their news media will seize on that and turn it into a brick-a-brat that will keep him from a powerful first term and a much needed second.

It is as though the economy is a patient badly hemorhaging from actions the Republicans and other spoiled Dems have taken over the last twenty-five years. And instead of doing a tourniquet to save the patient's life, Obama is doing a transfusion. Which will not help until the hemorhagfing actually stops.

550 Trillion dollars of derivatives in losses - until Obama sees that we can not pump the money from the taxpayers into paying off the derivatives betted, then we may well be sunk. He needs to read up on the Chapters of Lincoln's life where that President created a Central Bank that was private and was under the purview of COngress. Wall Street is in Bed with the Federal Reserve, and when you look at Federal Reserve History, the same protected names appear again and again - including JP Morgan.

wonderful things that our new President has done that wouldn't have been done by mccain-palin and write to them on the things we do not approve of.

When every single day, the economy collapses further. You pick up the paper and those like JP Morgan benefitting from the Obama-approved BailOut monies are moving their corporations overseas after looting us via the BailOuts.

And yet Obama doesn't seem to get it, other than the vague sense that from time to time he issues threats. "You boys stop with the bonus money payouts now, will ya?" kinda thing.

Obama and his Team for wanting to run and makes some drastic changes before it was too late.

I don't see where he is doing anything but continuing what Bush did. We are staying for a long time in Iraq, we are increasing troops in Afganistan, we are bailing out criminal bankers with phony money created out of no where, creating record pork that benefits campaign contributors, increasing the power of the federal government, meddling more and more in the private sector and violating the Constitution. You are proud of this? Very strange. Really, please tell me what you like. Thanks.

Who, pray tell, would be your dream president?

:shrug:

Ron Paul

I was a little confused as to what your political stance was before.

Thanks. We're kinda deep into it, few things short of revolution or environmental collapse will bring the end of the two party system and restore the simpler days to our society, sad to say.

but started to lose me when you talked about "pork", meddling in the private sector, and violating the constitution. Can you expand on those?

The stimulus bill is full of wasteful pork, nationalizing banks would be meddling in the private sector, (they should be allowed to go under, why make successful people bail out unsuccessful people? Many violations of the constitution exist. Most are carried over from previous government. Where does the government get the authority for fiat money, where is the federal reserve found in the constitution, where is the authority to use government money to bail out industries, wouldn't banning assault weapons violate the 2nd ammendment. I could go on but it is late. Thanks for the discussion.

But I'm not a libertarian, so I don't agree with every single thing.

What's wrong with that?

Fuck Libertarianism.

After the shattered hopes of RFK's run, followed by so many tragedies and god-awful presidents, this president restored my faith in not only our system, but in America.

There are people who had never voted for a Democrat who came over to our side.

I spoke with several of them while phonebanking last year.

Incredible.

May you have many more (your furry friend needs you).

:party:

You're the first to wish me a happy birthday!

I'll be 52 this coming Sunday the 15th!

Thanks! :loveya:

May you have at least 52 more!!!!!!!!

Go out and celebrate with your beloved (I don't mean the pooch) and friends. Life is too short, enjoy it to the fullest!!!!!

:hug:

I posted something about that yesterday in Da Lounge...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=8587403&mesg_id=8587403

And thanks again! :hug:

6 weeks does not a presidency make.

:shrug:

:hi:

He just wasn't my guy, though he's far better than McCain.

I'm holding judgment until we see some results on the economy. It'll take at least a year. That's fair, isn't it? Far more time than some are giving him to show results.

;)

Except I've only been around for 25 years. ;) I might not agree with everything Obama does or understand every decision but I trust the man and I think he's honest and determined to do the best that he can. I think I can live with that. :)

new poll..

<snip>

"Despite the tumbling economy, Barack Obama continues to enjoy a honeymoon with the American public in the face of the most trying crisis any newly inaugurated president has encountered since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The GOP, meanwhile, is viewed by a majority of Americans as the party of "no," without a plan of its own to fix the economy, and even rank-and-file Republicans are concerned about the party's direction, according to the first NEWSWEEK Poll taken since Obama assumed office.

"People give Obama credit for reaching out to Republicans, but they don't see Republicans reciprocating," says pollster Larry Hugick, whose firm conducted the survey. "A surprising number said bipartisanship is more important than getting things done."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/188002

lower his popularity so they can say "I told you so!"

W/ friends like these, who needs Rush?

Don't get too complacent:





from http://www.pollster.com/blogs/a_little_perspective_on_early.php

We are diverse, which is great, but the purity with which we exercise our passion can turn that diversity into division and lead us into failure as a collective.

About the polls, unless there's a way to adjust for prevailing economic and security issues, comparisons with other presidents during other periods in our history are pretty useless, no?

This is the shittiest start that any in that graph have had to deal with.

:patriot:

Ain't good leadership grand?

So for any freeper trolls out there, know that this good ole southern, white, F150 pick up truck driven, former republican male veteran could not be more pleased with our new president. God speed, fair winds and following seas President Barack Obama. Thank you for taking our country back from the NEOCONSERVATIVE corporate fascists that hijacked our country eight years ago.

:patriot:

In the immortal words of Victor Laszlo (toward the end of Casablanca):
"Welcome back to the fight - this time, I'm sure our side will win."

I loved to rub it in those arrogant SOB's face every chance I get. Look up arrogant in the dictionary and you will find a picture of the Bush Brothers next to it.

:toast:

It's a bit to soon, in my opinion, to make any judgements on how great Obama will become.

All I knew before are Repuke Presidents and a Democratic one who messed up. I think Obama is going to be the best President we've had since Roosevelt.

than you and feel the same. :-)