Expectations for President Obama

[shadow_hk]

Become President-Elect Barack Obama in this fun game

http://superobamaworld.com/

If you don't know, Saint Barack in person .
http://www.nerve.com/NerveBlog/Images/Entry/16549_saint.jpg

 

[dteowner]

Obama did a nice job playing hot potato with the whole Pakistan/India fallout from the Mumbai terrorism. He's had plenty of opinions since the election, but all of a sudden he feels the need to defer to Dubya. One point to brains for identifying a no-win situation; minus 2 points to leadership for an opportunistic and shameless passing of the buck. That gamesmanship won't work a month from now.

link

President-elect Barack Obama repeated his desire to stand behind the Indian people following the deadly terrorist attacks there last week, but he stopped short of supporting an incursion into Pakistan to get terrorists.

Obama said that the situation in India will require delicate diplomacy in the coming days and weeks. For this reason, he demurred in favor of President George Bush when asked whether India should be allowed to go after terrorists on Pakistani soil.

 

[magerette]

..minus 2 points to leadership for an opportunistic and shameless passing of the buck. That gamesmanship won't work a month from now.

I'm sure you won't see it a month from now. Bush is really still the President, and it really is his responsablity to handle things like this. Anything Obama might do to assert his own policies would be inappropriate and divisive.

I know you'd like to see Obama put himself behind the 8 ball as soon as possible, but I think he knows how much 'leadership' he really has right now.

Btw, where is Bush? Has he even released a statement? All I've seen from him lately is his cry me a river 'exit interview' with Charlie Gibson.

 

[dteowner]

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-11-30-voa20.cfm?rss=topstories

This one came out near the top of the search engine, but there's plenty of other sources of the same info since VOA can be a little slanted. Dubya's already made the appropriate gestures and sent Condi Rice to actually get something accomplished.

Obama has had plenty to say about policy, both domestic and foreign, so I'm not sure you can call his sudden timidity on this one proper unless you're going to condemn the prior activities.

On a seperate note, should I pass around the kleenex box now that the Change-inator has surrounded himself with every old guard lefty career politician he could drag into a cabinet post? I think hanging on to Gates was Obama's "token minority" since he couldn't really go with the traditional definition.

 

[magerette]

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-11-30-voa20.cfm?rss=topstories

This one came out near the top of the search engine, but there's plenty of other sources of the same info since VOA can be a little slanted. Dubya's already made the appropriate gestures and sent Condi Rice to actually get something accomplished.

So Bush has called the head of state on the phone and expressed support. So has Obama. Bush has sent Rice 'to actually get something accomplished.' Somehow I don't think Obama sending Hillary to help would be the best choice.

Obama has had plenty to say about policy, both domestic and foreign, so I'm not sure you can call his sudden timidity on this one proper unless you're going to condemn the prior activities.

'Kay, I'll jump in--though you have to realize I'm not proclaiming Obama God (especially with the omnipresent powderkeg which is the discussing of religion and it's appurtenances here.. )
I think the Sainted One is trying to walk a political tightrope across the chasm of these next few weeks. The policy talk I've heard from him--other than the Iraq withdrawal stuff--has been economic mostly, and he's blatantly referring to policies he'll work on when he is The Man, as opposed to like, now.

Mumbai is now, and when you have two nuclear powers engaged in, for want of a more elegant term, a pissing match over various and sundry major issues before this even happened, you have a volatile situation. I don't see anything a president elect can actually do or say that doesn't step on the toes of the process Bush and Rice are working on.

What do you think it would be appropriate for him to do?I thought he did a pretty good wiggle on this one.

On a seperate note, should I pass around the kleenex box now that the Change-inator has surrounded himself with every old guard lefty career politician he could drag into a cabinet post? I think hanging on to Gates was Obama's "token minority" since he couldn't really go with the traditional definition.

Change-inator----I like it, even without the 'Saint' in front of it.

Nah, save the hankie for after the inaugeration when they all start fighting like cats in a sack. (Yeah, Gates and Jones are the token repubs, but they've got a pretty stout portfolio going forward; I expect them to remain the two lofty white men in suits for photo ops as well, of course.)

I just want to be a CIA lipstick camera on the wall when Bill 'Judas' Richardson and the Ice Diplomat sit next to each other in the first cabinet meeting.

 

[Corwin]

Anyone but me notice how miserable Billary looked at the press conference announcing her new role before she slapped on her plastic smile. Guess she still resents losing the nomination!!

 

[Toothpaste]

He's gonna enslave the white man!

 

[dteowner]

Taken from Fafblog:
You can't be all ideological about change. You gotta be pragmatic, which is a special word for "Republican."

 

[magerette]

Don't even go there. There are far too many other 'special words' that inevitably leap to mind.

@Corwin--She was actually in fine fettle--that's how she usually looks when she doesn't need you to vote for her.

I can only imagine that look across the table from Ahmenijhad--"The president wishes to pursue all avenues of soft diplomacy, Your Excellency. Some may not agree but I believe obliteration can be quite soft--soft and flammable-- like a pillow pressing down on your face or a good American mattress quietly interacting with a smoldering cigarette butt."
Voila--peace in our times. /sarcasm

 

[dteowner]

But but but...I thought a vote for democrats was a guarantee of peace in our time and a golden era of international brotherhood! Could it be that we've been lied to? Can we all be duped by the Change-inator? Yes we can! Mayhaps it's change we don't need after all. Rainbows and unicorns have suddenly become thunderstorms and tax collectors. *sniff* Someone pass me a kleenex. And some Preparation H, cuz I didn't even get a kiss to get me in the mood.

 

[magerette]

Well, if nothing else, Kleenex and Prep H stock should be going through the roof according to your consumer habits, dte. Maybe you can lead the economic rebound.

I think you're being just a teeny tad bit impatient about the change thing, but I understand you are in training for your role as Sceptic in Chief for the next 4 years.

 

[dteowner]

I think you're being just a teeny tad bit impatient about the change thing, but I understand you are in training for your role as Sceptic in Chief for the next 4 years.

It's a challenging role, but I shall endeavour to bring expertise, enthusiasm and my charming wit to the position, should I be honoured with the opportunity.

(I'm brushing up my interview skills in preparation for the Change-inator's wholesale slaughter of the American manufacturing sector)


edit- I'm no artist, but I thought I'd at least make an effort.

 

[magerette]

Where's the turban?

 

[vanedor]

I love how some hardcore republicans like to adapt their word. When a republican act in a way they don't like, he's just not a "true republican". Kinda like the moderate muslims with muslim terrorists : "They are not true muslim". Sheez.

Face it, the republican party is now coined with bigotry, radical pro-life anti-gay pro-gun lobbying, neo conservatism... all things that are much closer to ideology than pragmatism.

Now if you look at Obama's cabinet, it's pragmatism incarnate. He only took people with solid experiences, not some weirdo from some lefty think-tank. He even decided to keep the present republican secrety of defense because he is doing a good job. If that's not being pragmatic...

 

[dteowner]

Well, thank goodness the democrats never..errrr...redefine their positions. Otherwise something like this might happen, eh?

Let's try a little something just for shits and giggles. Face it, the democratic party is now coined with reverse racism, redefining tradition, 2nd amendment breaking, neo liberalism...all things that are much closer to ideology than pragmatism. See how easy that flows? Think it's any less factual than the party line you're spouting?

The "brilliance" of Obama's cabinet shall be seen in a few years. Perhaps you'll turn out to be right. Perhaps not. At the very least, I don't see much pragmatism in a candidate winning on "change" suddenly showing his true colors by surrounding himself with every old guard, left wing, career politician he can find.

 

[Benedict]

At the very least, I don't see much pragmatism in a candidate winning on "change" suddenly showing his true colors by surrounding himself with every old guard, left wing, career politician he can find.

That's because you're choosing to see it as him "showing his true colours".

The pragmatism would be very visible if you chose to see it as him recognising that there's no point having people who have the right idea about what to do if they've got no idea how to do it.

 

[magerette]

It's difficult understanding the Republican mindset for those us who have managed not to acquire it. I think you've hit on a valuable insight, Benedict.

I'm not slamming dte--obviously he has a perfectly valid brain, even if he often chooses to devote it to tortuous arguments to make reality more comfortable. Still as someone who really is pretty jaundiced with both parties, there's one thing I've noted about the right-leaning, and it's the same thing we saw during the campaign--they are able to take a positive fact that seems to belong to the other side(pragmatism) and mirror-image it unto their side, and take negative facts that belong to them( taxes and fiscal irresponsibility) and mirror those in turn onto their opponents. More than one commentator I've seen over the course of this election has called it Bizarro world.

Here's one of my favorite quotes by an anonymous commenter over at Politico:
"...I used to be Republican, then I went to college and read a book. There is no liberal media bias, there is objective reality; and then there is bizarro Republican world where man rode the dinosaurs, Sarah Palin is smart, and the fundamentals of the economy are strong."

Just sayin. I"m not exempting lefties from their bits of blindness and bias, of course, just commenting on the reflective "I'm rubber, you're glue/bounces off me and sticks on you" apparatus of the right.

 

[elkston]

Barack is making so much sense, it is causing dte's head to explode. Its OK. We've got the right man in charge this time. Stop trying to resist it. You are wasting your energy.

President BARACK OBAMA. Get used to it.

 

[mudsling3]

Which Obama Did You Vote For?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_Z5KZ42GXw

 

[dteowner]

"Thinking about the diversity of our culture and inviting jazz musicians, and classical musicians, and poetry readings in the White House so that once again we appreciate this incredible tapestry that's America, you know, that, I think, is going to be incredibly important, particularly because we're going through hard times," Obama said.

I can see why elkston is so pleased. That's a plan, there. I know my consumer confidence went up a point or two.

edit- And how could I have missed this?
Peace in our time! The Change-inator isn't even in office yet and the Iranians are already telling him to get bent while testing new missles. That's a plan, there.