To President Obama: “I’ll tell you who could beat you: 2008 Barack Obama. You would have loved him.”

Best line of the night by Seth Meyers!

Guess Candidate Obama ran into that awful reality of folks really believing that all they needed to do to change the entire world in no time flat was to bother to vote one time, and then sit back and start throwing rocks.

Candidate Obama 2008 would be disappointed that he ended up not getting the help
he kept asking for while campaigning. He didn't know we were going to confuse his call
as a one time deal.

Guess Obama 2008, didn't realize how trifflin' we'd be....but he kind of should have....
cause how did he think this country got as fucked up as it has been for the past
20 years or so....if not longer?

someone decided to invite lobbyists and CEO's of for profit companies for him to talk to and to block advocates of universal HC.

Poor guy, wonder who extends invitations to these meeting at the WH?

Maybe we need to figure that one out.

:shrug:

The fact that I call out the voted-and-then-expected-the-world folks doesn't mean that the joke wasn't funny...

:rofl:

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It was nevertheless the best line of the speech.

because you found it so "hilarious."

Whatever...

and it's always the same old one. x(

is a nice touch.

refused to support him" is based on the absurd notion that Obama is totally incapable of acting in the best interest of the nation unless the majority of people in this nation somehow force him to, hold his hand and tell him what his strategy should be every step of the way, and then thank him for each and every action every single day.

If that absurdity were true then he wouldn't be a leader. He wouldn't be the one creating the strategies. He wouldn't be the one working for us, because in order for him to do anything at all he would be requiring all of us to first work for him.

Your entire line of Bull is nothing but a shallow excuse to try to deflect blame for Obama's failures and lack of concrete actions.

He campaigned as a progressive who would deliver change, and then fired all his progressive advisers as soon as he was elected and moved hard to the right.

He promised to fight for progressive goals, and changes we believed in, and instead worked hard to deliver right-wing results, and the status-quo that lobbyists expected and paid for.

He promised that he would make transparency a top priority, but even though he's made speeches about this goal, according to media reports, departments throughout his administration, his political appointees, have refused to answer more FOIA requests than even Bush's administration did over the same amount of time. So the talk of transparency has been nothing but talk.

Nobody has stopped Obama from standing up for the rule of law, but we still have military tribunals with rigged rules. He chose to cave in to Republicans. The people you claim weren't supporting him wanted to end tribunals by a large margin and would have supported him in making that decision. Caving in to republicans was all Obama's own doing.

Nobody stopped Obama from ending the unnecessary wars and bringing our troops home, and ending this constant hemorrhaging of our economy through the Pentagon war budget. The people you claim weren't supporting Obama have been ready to support him in vast numbers, by wide margins, the moment he showed the courage and will to end these ridiculous, unnecessary wars that Bush started with lies. But Obama insisted on buying into both wars, continuing them, and even accepting a peace prize while continuing them. That has entirely his own doing, turning his back on us. We know Iraq never should have been invades and had nothing to do with anything. We know now that Al Qaeda never had more than 100 members, and you don't send thousands of troops and waste billions of dollars against 100 people, unless you're cooking up a political scam. It was Obama's choice to participate in, and continue, that political scam.

You keep claiming over and over again that Joe and Jane Democrat, US Citizen, should support Obama, and that if we don't then it's our fault if he doesn't succeed. But that really shows that you think he's powerless, useless, and has no political skills of his own and the office of the president has no power unless it takes a national poll first. That is such a shallow and absurd excuse that I'm amazed you aren't embarrassed and ashamed to keep making this same ridiculous excuse for Obama's failures.

If he can't negotiate without giving all the essential goals away from the very beginning, that's not a failure of support, that's a failure of leadership and executive skill.

Edit for spelling

Nice!

Frenchie herself has stated that many are just "ungrateful Americans".

Just spoiled ass Americans and Austrialians that swear they have all of the answers,
as long as they ain't got to do nothing more than point fingers all day on the
Internet since February of 2009.

been hearing the same tired ass shit for 2.4 years now.

to jail in January of 2009. Let's "leave the past behind"? bullshit.

LOL

Take the healthcare bill for example. Many people got up and fought for Obama only to find that he sold them out.

You had the thousands of people that continually called Max Baucus's office, only to have the operator hang up on them as soon as they mentioned healthcare. You had the scores of doctors and nurses that were arrested for attending the Baucus committee hearings, the one that did not have a single-payer representative at the table. You had Organizing for America, Obama's own fundraising arm, asking for donations and receiving them, promising to "fight the insurance companies" while at the same time Obama was meeting with only insurance companies, behind closed-doors (Remember he wanted promised full transparency) and selling out single-payer, drug importation, and the public option.

You're delusional if you think Obama fought for Americans and no one showed up to help him. Quite the opposite, he fought and scolded liberals while embracing big-business conservatism.

we'll fight entrenched interests by inviting them to discussions and excluding others "fighting the for profit HC system" and wanting a national HC system for all.

:shrug:

"I see we have the little single-payer advocates here..."

:eyes:

It's NOT a failure

""If he can't negotiate without giving all the essential goals away from the very beginning, that's not a failure of support, that's a failure of leadership and executive skill.""

It's what he intended to do from the start.

Just superior!

I'll never forget how quickly he threw Single Payer under the bus. I can still see him on TV saying, 'Once I got into Office, I realized it was wrong.'

My jaw dropped....of course after all the appointees from Wall Street, I really shouldn't have been surprised.

IMHO, he does as he is told by TPTB. He's just another minion of the Extreme Wealthy and War Mongers.

I've missed seeing you ThomCat....:hi:

Maybe if people had done their due diligence, instead of being caught up by the enthusiasm of his campaign and his soaring speeches, they wouldn't be so surprised or disappointed with the end result. Obama's main concern was to fast-track through the political ladder and now it is to be reelected. To that means he'll say and do anything to remain in power. Same as any of his predecessors. Frankly, I'm done with both parties. I don't care anymore.

:(

:applause:

Thank you for being brave and sensible.

Very well said, ThomCat.

:applause: :applause: :applause:

This post needs to be pinned to the top of GD (and GD-P, although too many heads would explode)

I feel I helped put him in the White House.

But he let me down on 2 big issues I cared about. Health care reform and these violent wars:

http://costofwar.com/en/

I never loved Obama like a fangirl, but I liked him immensely and hoped he'd live up to the ideals and standards HE said he believed in.

I simply respect him and realize that it is a gigantic job
in where not everyone will be all the time or ever pleased.

You don't like the health Care reform he helped passed?
Well, there are those who it has helped and who do.

You don't believe these wars are in a better place in terms of
coming to a close than they were?....but many people do.

In otherwords, you can do what you choose.....
tear him down day after day,
don't donate,
don't campaign,
work against him
etc.,etc.,etc....
but when you are truly fucked not just in those issues
but in every issue, don't come crying about it......
cause many of us are just going to look at you like you're crazy.

I'm just waiting to see that happen....
see all of y'all folks dealing with some real true red asshole
for eight fucked up long ass years AGAIN!
I'll be laughing in between my tears,
and I'm sure Pres. Obama, if not re-elected,
will have much more to do for the betterment of this country....
and it might be good this time around, because by then, it won't be all about
what can he do for you personally all of the fucking time.

hey hey hey

When it comes to education "reform" he's best buddies with a key member of the Bush crime family.



seriously when are people going to finally wake up.

YOU'VE BEEN HAD!!!!!!!

Since Obama is governing to the right of Bush on almost everything, what would really be the difference?

he let his mouth overload his ass!

there was no reason to put Republicans into his cabinet. no reason at all to hire Geithner, or any of them. The whole world was with him.
Don't blame =what he did on us. blame it on "bi-partisanship" if you want to deflect the blame from Obama.

Ineffective, too.

so much. You say he didnt realize how hard it would be. Then immediately upon becoming elected, he found out how tough it really was and went corporate. He immediately embraced Bush's cronies. I would include the list but you know it. As far as not getting the help he needed, who are you referring to? Most on the left tried desparately to "help" him get decent health care. Protests, letters, emails, sit-ins in representatives offices. It seems that the elected Obama lost interest.

So are you saying that candidate Obama was a fool not to recognize he couldnt make change, or was he just playing us?

number one response slot. Bonus for that.

Well done Mr. Meyers

You are kidding, right?

I watched the whole thing live on C-SPAN.

And while that line was funny, it was far from being "the best line of the night". In fact, the lines that came immediately after were much funnier.

starting with the Red Carpet

(as liberal or more liberal) would in office act similarly to Obama in 2009/2010/2011. And the next, and the next, and the next.

Until people figure out that much of the bashing of Obama is for things Obama actually didn't have the power to accomplish (or couldn't accomplish for other reasons), people are going to be disappointed decade after decade after decade, since their fanciful expectations will simply never be met in reality.

There are clear lessons to learn from that period:

1)NEVER switch from being transformational to transactional;

2)Keep the base in the loop;

3)Leave no smears and no attacks unchallenged;

4)Have a White House Chief of Staff who treats the RIGHT, not the LEFT, as the enemy.

To name but just a few.

If we learn from those, AND if we lead a successful fight to break corporate control of politics(AND of the economy)we can break the logjams.

Please, Bza, don't just dismiss people and tell them they can't ever hope. That kind of talk only helps our enemies.

if we all know they are just empty promises.

to say the least. So, Americans were duped by Corporate forces again, but I also believe a lesson was learned post 2008.

fine. Just get the hell out of the way.

goals that are hopelessly unrealistic. Figuring out what is realistic and what is fanciful is not a bad thing.

Can you imagine our founding fathers arguing over what is "achievable"? As I said before, either you want to fight for democracy or you dont.

would have been satisfied it he had FOUGHT, strongly and consistantly, for the things that CANDIDATE Obama said he believed in. If you have to compromise after fighting the good fight, the compromise is going to be BETTER than if you give up at the beginning. AND your supporters (and rivals) have more respect for you.

Of course, some deny that. But they are wrong, and that is why they will reach the same conclusion regardless of who is elected.

a popularily elected president with a SERIOUS mandate, not a 2% (or less) "mandate" like Bush had in both elections. That's why they call it a "bully pulpit".

In '09 the people were READY for him to LEAD us out of the morass of 30 years of Republican swamps, economically and morally. And that's MOST of the people, not just us "fringe leftists". The 54% or so that voted for him would have given him the benefit of the doubt. He didn't and that's set the tone for the rest of his administration.

I'm sorry, but nobody will convince me that if the newly elected Barak Obama in 2009 had come out on a regular basis and STRONGLY for a single payer system, we wouldn't have gotten a better outcome in the healthcare debate than what we wound up with.

Since your politicians are all liars who don't believe a word they are saying, that means that it's useless to vote for Democrats, right? That's a pretty bold argument to make here of all places.

My point is that voting will always be a choice between the lesser of two evils. Moreover, this is on a whether-you-like-it-or-not basis.

You could try for an election to see what happens if you don't vote (and therefore enable the greater of two evils). The result will be you running to the polls the following election vowing never to do it again. The survival instinct is pretty powerful.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=420430&mesg_id=420457

Candidate Obama ...

"And we are tired of watching as year after year, candidates offer up detailed health care plans with great fanfare and promise only to see them crushed under the weight of Washington politics and drug and insurance lobbying once the campaign is over.

That is not who we are, that is not who we have to be, enough is enough, it time for us to change."

The detailed plan by the candidate that could save up to 300 billion was replaced by a deal with the lobbyist Tauzin for 80 billion ...Tauzin got a good deal IMO, Medicare and seniors not so much.

Obama's $80 Billion Deal with Pharma Is a Very Bad Deal for Us

By William Greider, The Nation. Posted August 8, 2009.

"The White House has cut a deal with Big Pharma that smells like the same old rotten politics that candidate Obama regularly denounced.

So now we know why the president wants everyone to make nice in the healthcare debate. His White House has cut a deal with Big Pharma that smells like the same old rotten politics that candidate Obama regularly denounced and promised to end. The drug industry agrees to deliver $80 billion in future savings and the president promises the government will not use its awesome purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices.

Wow. This is roughly the same deal that George W. Bush cut with the drug makers when he was legislating Medicare's new coverage of drug purchases. It is the same bargain that Democrats in Congress universally condemned as wasteful and corrupt. The deal does not smell any better now that a Democratic president is embracing it..."

Those wonderful speeches by Obama inspired me, gave me hope.


I worked my fingers to the nubs for that Obama. I contributed a lot of money (for me) and didn't buy any 'fun stuff' or eat out for 2 years!

:shrug:

He mouthed that he was idealistic going in.

and with Michelle too.

I'm hoping for a Bill Clinton kinda rally, Remember he looked pretty dismal in his first 2 years.

an agreement with Gingrich to slash Social Security benefits (that Congress turned down), and so forth.

are highlighting this one all over the internet and all over Twitter. How sad ;(

Cause ain't nothing as easy as tearing one down who is a Democrat,
while leaving the Republicans alone. Can't you see how courageous that is?
Come on.....don't you see it? Some Koch Brothers money sprinkled with
some whiny ass disappointed Democrats; a combination made in heaven for
the Republican candidates. They couldn't ask for more.

he's a Republican to the right of Reagan, dressed in Democrat clothing of course.

Actually did you know that the Koch brothers spent money on DLC candidates?

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Ask not what your banker can do for you; ask what you can do...

Mark my words.

Obama 2012 has evolved from Obama 2008. It would be absurd to expect him not to. Obama 2008 had no direct experience with running this country and what unknowns he would learn later as President.

because they just speak any nonsense that sounds good? Apparently. He ran strongly opposed to individual mandates, wildly opposed, strongest language possible, Hillary was 'going after your wallet' by supporting mandates, his materials said. Then, he instantly became a supporter of that which he'd mocked and railed against, without so much as a howdy do. Same for the public option 'any bill I sign will contain a strong public option' became 'I never ran on a public option'.
So when a politician speaks, just know it is a lie or a naive improvisation. Is that it?

Certain things cannot be known or anticipated by a candidate. That is obvious isnt it?

and that goes back several decades. Its naive to expect any candidate to fulfill every campaign promise.

I wanted some simple things....

1. Start at single payer. Not in the middle.
2. Investigate the Bush financial crisis and charge the crooks who caused it. Not ONE was charged.
3. Investigate the Bush war crimes.
4. Review and address the patriot act. Not 100% renew all of it with no debate.
5. Don't hire the same idiots who cause the financial crisis to begin with.
6. End at least one war fully! No more troops costing a billion a week.

Obama has done a lot. He is not the guy I voted for in 2008.

He is still better than any GOP candidate who will run in 2012. I will vote for him. But my enthusiasm is not there to donate $2000 and walk the streets and make phone calls. He will get my vote which is all I ever did before 2008.

You certainly wont get any of that if a GOPer wins the WH. The progress we have made in the past years will likely all be wiped out.. and who knows what else those maniacs may try to do if they get control of both chambers of Congress as well. Most Democrats will come around and donate and campaign. However, there are few like you who wont but they are few and far between.

Certain unknowable things have come to light that can't be explained, see.

It's simple.

It is also bullshit, what is it that a US Senator would find unknowable that they would find out as President regarding a mandate?

New facts coming to light should be explained to the people rather than just dropping positions like a hot potato.

No, I don't believe much "new" information comes to a candidate at all. They are getting briefed and already are exposed to high level information, especially Senators.

This is a catchall excuse designed to make officials no longer accountable.

Shit came to light, man is laughable. If new information comes to light then the obligation is to explain what is going on.

Promises are made to get elected with full knowledge that they can't deliver.

He was a charming and charismatic blank slate. People saw in him what they wanted to see, not the reality.

:shrug:

Maybe Obama gave it some thought afterward. But I doubt it.

Obama 2012 is the middle age married couple dealing with bills, kids, jobs...

told the lonely, desperate widow exactly what she wanted to hear, swept her off her feet and took off with her money shortly after tying the knot. Unlike a couple getting married for some romantic notion of mutual love, this affair was a mirage from the beginning. True intentions were carefully guarded. Hopefully she's not so naive as to give in to his overtures a second time. The wise choice is to learn the lesson and become stronger and more independent and never be a victim again.

is a member of the DLC mafia that signed NAFTA and repealed Glass V Steagal. Can you say bait and switch:think:

It's like a roast. Your guy is gonna take some shots. :)

That's the crappy part about browsing with a touch screen

But Seth was good thru the whole thing....




One criticism though, too much Donald - between the President and Meyers, I had a year's worth of him.

Still love him

OK, do your magic on that one DU.

I think it made him kind of sad but he still smiled and nodded, unlike Trump who came off as a big dumb sorehead.

wants a puppy he should ask for a pony. When the republicans ask for a pony, he gives them a Mustang convertible.

wants a puppy he should ask for a pony. When the republicans ask for a pony, he gives them a Mustang convertible.

, working for the billionaires and their empires and high paid brains and their idiot elected republicans dedicated to obstruction while the left looks the other way.