Barack Obama...Your Thoughts?

[Hector_Spector]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/...cy/default.stm

Barack Obama has just been officially declared the 44th President of the United States, and is the country's first African-American leader. As a non-American, I can safely say that after hearing his speech which was blunt and to-the-point, Barack Obama is just the man America needs. Now, I'm not going to spill my thoughts just yet as I am preparing a long article on this very subject, but I was curious to hear what you all make of America's new president...

[CherryIcee]

I'm only going to say this once, if this topic is to remain open, I don't want to see any flaming/insults/racist remarks/personal attacks against another members opinions or anything else of that nature. Threads like this really have the potential to become pretty volatile so please keep this in mind when posting.

Thanks, CI

[nzgeek]

I'd also like to add a rule when talking about Obama. I'll call it the Martin Luther King Jr rule. You may attack the character of the man, but you may not attack the color of his skin.

Now, as for Obama, even though I'm not in the US I think it's a great step forward for the country. Obama seems like a person who is more in touch with technology and the current generation, unlike a certain president who recently stepped down from office.

Only time will tell, but I expect to see Obama do great things for the USA. If he doesn't then he'll be a great disappointment to an entire nation.

[Gingerbeard]

...If he doesn't then he'll be a great disappointment to an entire nation.

That's what I expect will happen. He wont be able to keep all of the promises he has made and will be a huge let-down for his "supporters". I also feel president Obama will be bad for small businesses, which in turn would be bad for the nation. He said himself that during his presidency there would be a tax increase for small businesses that make more that $250,000. However he did not specify whether or not that is net or gross gains. If it is in fact gross, which I would think it is. This increased burden on small businesses would prevent them from growing and thus aiding the economy, and in some cases would force them to downsize and fire their employees. But only time will tell.
...thats all im going to say about it

[thesuperjman]

i trust him for now. i think he can get the job done, as said before, it seems like he actually tries... he keeps up with the modern world.

side-note: Aretha's singing at the inauguration (spellcheck?)- not too impressive.

[nzgeek]

Here's a simple one-line thought: Can he be any worse than Bush? (Can anyone?)

[Gingerbeard]

yeah, there could be and have been worse presidents than Bush, but as bad as things have been lately, no matter what Obama does he will still most likely be regarded as a vast improvement. One thing about the Presidency is that some things that happen the president has little control over (by some things I mean the economy), people just like to place the blame on the president because he is the face of the government, when it is the fault of the entire government not just one person.

[BioShock Freak]

^Yeah, but we're talking about the President, not the Government.

Here's a simple one-line thought: Can he be any worse than Bush? (Can anyone?)

I totally agree. In my honest opinion (and it's just a personal opinion) he's the worst president we've ever had. Like nzgeek said, he does seem more in touch with technology and the current generation. I have high hopes for Obama, and I hope he doesn't turn out to be another Bush.
~Mari.

[coffee009]

^Yeah, but we're talking about the President, not the Government.

I totally agree. In my honest opinion (and it's just a personal opinion) he's the worst president we've ever had. Like nzgeek said, he does seem more in touch with technology and the current generation. I have high hopes for Obama, and I hope he doesn't turn out to be another Bush.
~Mari.

You took my thoughts right out of my typing fingers.

[Hatesink]

I don't really know anything about the politics (I live in the U.K.) but I think it's cool that America has a black president. I kind of find it reassuring.

[Cohen's Masterpiece]

hooray for Obama

The idea of Palin in a seat of power made me extremely uneasy...

Wonderful speech by Obama

[Asherah]

I dpn't know a lot about politics but hopefully Obama will be a good president and help to improve the country.

[Charles_Australia]

i may live in Australia but if i was american i would of voted for him but its good to know that he's the president and well.......... i don't know where i'm going with this i'm just happy he's in the white house as president

[ATLAS IS WATCHING]

i think obama is a cool president!
lets hope he makes america a better place...

[Cohen's Masterpiece]

i think obama is a cool president!
lets hope he makes america a better place...

he can't be that much worse than Bush can he? Nobody could unless they have a severe brain deficiency, or are Palin (sorry about all of these Palin cracks)

[thesuperjman]

hey, if you get bored pm me all kinda of palin cracks, i hate her. well hate is a strong and unhealthy word, so we'll say "im irked by her."

[Cohen's Masterpiece]

hey, if you get bored pm me all kinda of palin cracks, i hate her. well hate is a strong and unhealthy word, so we'll say "im irked by her."

you betcha

[Bioshocking123]

I'd also like to add a rule when talking about Obama. I'll call it the Martin Luther King Jr rule.

LOL! I love this rule.
Anyway, my opinion is a good one. I have high hopes for the changes that he is talking about.

[TheAmazingBojack]

I don't particularly care since I'm Canadian.

[thesuperjman]

atta boy^^^^

stay out of our business.

(i jest)

[BioShock Freak]

he can't be that much worse than Bush can he? Nobody could unless they have a severe brain deficiency, or are Palin (sorry about all of these Palin cracks)

LOL. That's very true. Bush was...something else. Palin, well, I'm a little afraid at the thought of a woman running the country. I'm not against women, and I'm a woman myself; but it'd be crazy. Lol.
~Mari.

[Bioshocking123]

LOL. That's very true. Bush was...something else. Palin, well, I'm a little afraid at the thought of a woman running the country. I'm not against women, and I'm a woman myself; but it'd be crazy. Lol.
~Mari.

Me too. Palin, at first I was like,
'Cool! Another girl in this election! Yea-OHMYGAWDSHEISANNOYING! '

What's the difference between a hockey mom and a bulldog? Lipstick.
Oh my... GOD.
The woman couldn't even take one interveiw without messing up horribly.
What was McCain thinking?

[Panek]

I think that Obama is good. I am no politics analyst, but what he says seems intelligent, thoughtful, and observant - he knows what's happening and how to fix it. He's definitely a man with ideas, hopefully he has the power to make it happen. When it comes to the economy, it will benefit everyone, not only the US.

What I don't like about him is the whole party thing. I know that a newborn baby or a sharpened wooden stick would make a better US president than Bush, but Obama is too much of a star. At first I didn't mind it, in fact I considered it funny (in a likeable way) that here's a younger president for the people. But now that I've seen the whole "Inauguration Party", which was literally more like a concert than an inauguration, I have mixed feelings. I think this is just too much.

So now, if he makes a complete ass out of himself, everyone will say "Heh, at least the parties were good.".

Me too. Palin, at first I was like,
'Cool! Another girl in this election! Yea-OHMYGAWDSHEISANNOYING! '

AMAZING setup.

"At first I was like... Hell yeah!,
But then I OMGSHEISANNOYING'd"

[BioShock Freak]

Me too. Palin, at first I was like,
'Cool! Another girl in this election! Yea-OHMYGAWDSHEISANNOYING! '

What's the difference between a hockey mom and a bulldog? Lipstick.
Oh my... GOD.
The woman couldn't even take one interveiw without messing up horribly.
What was McCain thinking?

LOL. Yeah, what was he thinking? Maybe he was just attracted to her. LOL. And yes, she is annoying.

I think that Obama is good. I am no politics analyst, but what he says seems intelligent, thoughtful, and observant - he knows what's happening and how to fix it. He's definitely a man with ideas, hopefully he has the power to make it happen. When it comes to the economy, it will benefit everyone, not only the US.

What I don't like about him is the whole party thing. I know that a newborn baby or a sharpened wooden stick would make a better US president than Bush, but Obama is too much of a star. At first I didn't mind it, in fact I considered it funny (in a likeable way) that here's a younger president for the people. But now that I've seen the whole "Inauguration Party", which was literally more like a concert than an inauguration, I have mixed feelings. I think this is just too much.

So now, if he makes a complete ass out of himself, everyone will say "Heh, at least the parties were good."

VERY well-said. I absolutely agree.

And yes, that was more of a concert than an inauguration. It was pretty annoying how they did it, too. I'm sure he's gonna be a good President, but he's more popular than anything and I can see that being a problem at one point or another. Kinda reminds me of Head Of State with Chris Rock, but not as exaggerated. Lol.
~Mari.

[Panek]

I'm sure he's gonna be a good President, but he's more popular than anything and I can see that being a problem at one point or another.

Yeah, completely agreed. I wish him well, but I think the party image is the only "bad" thing about him. It's great that an African-American president is so popular while also being the right man for the job - but what if that one single moment comes by and he screws something major up? This party thing will be a major point for criticism.

Closing Guantanamo - not really a good thing, because what will happen to all the "residents"? And the REAL terrorists, not some kids caught on the streets "in association with terrorism"? Will they go to other prisons, or will they be just released somewhere in their home countries?

And yes, that was more of a concert than an inauguration. It was pretty annoying how they did it, too. I'm sure he's gonna be a good President, but he's more popular than anything and I can see that being a problem at one point or another. Kinda reminds me of Head Of State with Chris Rock, but not as exaggerated. Lol.
~Mari.

I wanted to hear Neil Young singing "KEEEEP ON ROCKIN' IN THE FREEEE WOOOOORLD". There were some dancers like those circus artists, and I was like, "What the hell is that? How is that relevant to the matters at hand?". I watched some more people dancing to old school hiphop and then I thought "This is too much".

The train ride was pretty good IMO, but the concert? Nah.

[BioShock Freak]

Yeah, completely agreed. I wish him well, but I think the party image is the only "bad" thing about him. It's great that an African-American president is so popular while also being the right man for the job - but what if that one single moment comes by and he screws something major up? This party thing will be a major point for criticism.

Closing Guantanamo - not really a good thing, what will happen to all the "residents"? And the REAL terrorists, not some kids caught on the streets "in association with terrorism"?

Yep, yep. Let's just hope that never happens because if it does, then we're gonna look bad. It wasn't supposed to be a popularity contest but a Presidential election. But I'm afraid that a lot of the people that voted for him mostly did it because of that.
He's closing Guantanamo? That I didn't know. I agree, that's not a good idea. Isn't that where they keep maximum security inmates? That's kinda...scary.
~Mari.

[Panek]

He's closing Guantanamo? That I didn't know. I agree, that's not a good idea. Isn't that where they keep HIGH security inmates? That's kinda...scary.
~Mari.

I was watching an interview with him a couple of days ago, and he said that as he and the interviewer were talking, his team of lawyers was working with some agency (maybe the DoD, I don't know exactly who governs Guantanamo) to resolve that matter. But yeah, the bottom line was, he wants to close that facility.

I have mixed feelings about the torture going on in there. Interrogation like that has been going on for centuries in different settings, and if it is necessary to crack down on real terrorists, not innocent kids, so be it. I'd rather revise my tactics than get rid of the problem by closing it.

I think he's just playing the "Public Opinion" card. Everyone is against torturing, and Guantanamo is associated with evil, because it's the hip way to oppose Bush and his war.

[BioShock Freak]

I was watching an interview with him a couple of days ago, and he said that as he and the interviewer were talking, his team of lawyers was working with some agency (maybe the DoD, I don't know exactly who governs Guantanamo) to resolve that matter. But yeah, the bottom line was, he wants to close that facility.

I have mixed feelings about the torture going on in there. Interrogation like that has been going on for centuries in different settings, and if it is necessary to crack down on real terrorists, not innocent kids, so be it. I'd rather revise my tactics than get rid of the problem by closing it.

I think he's just playing the "Public Opinion" card. Everyone is against torturing, and Guantanamo is associated with evil, because it's the hip way to oppose Bush and his war.

Good point. I've heard bad things about Guantanamo, like the whole 'torturing inmates' thing. That's not just illegal, it's immoral. But of course, the Government gets away with that because it's easy for them to cover up stuff like that.
I dunno, I still think it's a bad idea. Like you said, they should focus on fixing the problem, not closing it.
~Mari.

[Hatesink]

Because the people ultimately 'not responsible' for the atrocities at Guantanamo probably wanted just that to happen and knew it would I could be really cynical and say it's a P.R. move...

...but to be honest with you if taken as a kind of symbolic affirmation, I think closing Guantanamo would be really good for the psyche of the American people. I wonder if we should hope that it's reflective of deeper political, social and moral changes.

For anyone that's interested, this is a link to a twenty minute talk by Phil Zimbardo the administrator of the stanford prison study. The talk is about why people 'do evil...or do good'. He addresses how and why Guantanamo happened: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OsFEV3...61AD78&index=2 (it features more explicit photos and details of what was going on there. The content is extreme but the worst stuff has been removed.)

Back on topic. If Obama is going to make those kinds of changes then, if not the solution (and I really don't think a workable solution exists right now) I think he certainly could be the tonic that America needs.

[Bioshocking123]

He's closing Guantanamo? That I didn't know. I agree, that's not a good idea. Isn't that where they keep maximum security inmates? That's kinda...scary.
~Mari.

On the news, they said that if they closed it, they are probably going to put them in Camp Pendleton. O_O

That's WAY too close for comfort for both of us, eh Mari? I don't want them in California! What, is Obama trying to finally kill California's awesomeness? Why not put them... In Texas? Nobody here on the forum is a Texan, so I think that would work.... (Just kidding to all you Texans out there.)

[Atlas.]

Im not American, nor am i into politics, but i have to think that Obama would be a good thing for the country. Im sure a huge difference will be noticed from Bush. Sometimes i wonder how someone like him managed to become leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world.. (yeah his dad was president too but still.. lol)


My old teacher a few years ago once pointed out to us that every American president has been a middle aged, white male. Is good imo that this will change now with Obama. Any change like that i think is good, shows people are willing to accept it now where in times past it would have never been thought of. In the early stages of the election that i saw on TV either way was gonna be change. Either the first female president (Hillary Clinton at that stage) or the first non-white president (Obama). Either way i think it good that change was going to happen. I honestly dont think a woman would be a bad president. Would be a huge change for people to get used to but im sure it will happen some day

Obama has made many promises and i hope that he can fulfill them and help make the country better (after Bush lol) Gotta agree with nz, can he be any worse than Bush? lol

[Gingerbeard]

Im not American, nor am i into politics, but i have to think that Obama would be a good thing for the country. Im sure a huge difference will be noticed from Bush. Sometimes i wonder how someone like him managed to become leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world.. (yeah his dad was president too but still.. lol)

His dad wasnt any better, but the **** didnt all hit the fan like it did the last 8 years so he didnt get all of the bad publicity.

[RT111]

Wow not to many people talking about the history of the Bush family just people that cant believe he got into office.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_family

I would type what I know but that would take forever. The guy had connections!!!

Anyway, Being from the U.S. and Chicago at that. I am very excited to see Obama in office. He seems like someone that will not BS you. He will tell you how it is, if you want to hear it our not. He really doesn't have anything to lose following the Bush area. How could he go wrong by being honest.
Now a touchy subject. I don't see the color of his skin as a problem at all really. Not even really a plus for anything. It's like everyone forgot or does not want to say he is half white or his African side is Muslim. It all most seems that they took parts of him and made a hybrid vision of a man.
Eh in the end who really cares. I'm just happy the guy I voted for won. Now I'm ready to see some of this change he talked about.

[nzgeek]

I'm a little afraid at the thought of a woman running the country. I'm not against women, and I'm a woman myself; but it'd be crazy. Lol.

Having a woman run the country isn't so bad. We had our elections shortly after yours, and have just voted out a female prime minister who was in office for 9 years (3x 3 year terms). She was actually a pretty good leader, it's just the rest of her party who let her down.

Wow not to many people talking about the history of the Bush family just people that cant believe he got into office.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_family

I would type what I know but that would take forever. The guy had connections!!!

I'm not too surprised about him getting into office the first time. He had enough connections and enough staunch republican supporters to get him in. What is surprising is his second term. By this point in time he'd established himself as a moron, and public opinion was against him. If it wasn't for a few nasty (and largely unprovable) tricks in some of the polling places you'd probably have had a democratic leadership with Gore at the helm.

[Gingerbeard]

^you'd be surprised. Once a person in office is elected, they almost always get their second term if they want it. My home state is a great example, our previous governor was extremely unpopular and he still somehow managed to get reelected.

[RT111]

I'm not too surprised about him getting into office the first time. He had enough connections and enough staunch republican supporters to get him in. What is surprising is his second term. By this point in time he'd established himself as a moron, and public opinion was against him. If it wasn't for a few nasty (and largely unprovable) tricks in some of the polling places you'd probably have had a democratic leadership with Gore at the helm.

I don't think a pres has ever lost a second term during war time.

[nzgeek]

I don't think a pres has ever lost a second term during war time.

Interesting tactic... Get elected, start needless war based on bogus intel, win second term. Genius!

[BioShock Freak]

On the news, they said that if they closed it, they are probably going to put them in Camp Pendleton. O_O

That's WAY too close for comfort for both of us, eh Mari? I don't want them in California! What, is Obama trying to finally kill California's awesomeness? Why not put them... In Texas? Nobody here on the forum is a Texan, so I think that would work.... (Just kidding to all you Texans out there.)

........Wow...O_O
Camp Pendleton is right between you and I, Bioshocking. That's...scary. Lol. I mean, I'm sure they'd keep the inmates under VERY close surveilance, but it's still highly unaccommodating to know they'd be here, in California. There's a few Texans in here, including Japester. I agree, though, they should just send them to Texas.

~Mari.

[Bioshocking123]

........Wow...O_O
Camp Pendleton is right between you and I, Bioshocking. That's...scary. Lol. I mean, I'm sure they'd keep the inmates under VERY close surveilance, but it's still highly unaccommodating to know they'd be here, in California. There's a few Texans in here, including Japester. I agree, though, they should just send them to Texas.

~Mari.

Yeah, that's what I thought. I do believe I rambled to my parents about how much I did not want them in California. Obama! Why? We liked you so much a couple posts back! Why would you want to put the prisoners in California? Whyyyyyy....

Oops, sorry, though Jasper can fight them off with his bear hands (and by bear, I mean that he is hiring trained fighting bears from his old zookeeping days to help fend them off in the hypothetical future.)

[BioShock Freak]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I do believe I rambled to my parents about how much I did not want them in California. Obama! Why? We liked you so much a couple posts back! Why would you want to put the prisoners in California? Whyyyyyy....

Oops, sorry, though Jasper can fight them off with his bear hands (and by bear, I mean that he is hiring trained fighting bears from his old zookeeping days to help fend them off in the hypothetical future.)

LOL!! You're too funny.
But yeah, can't believe he'd do that. I really hope he doesn't. I'm scared just THINKING about it.
~Mari.