tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2667620598366061914.post1530414260348518002..comments2023-11-28T16:46:27.400-05:00Comments on The Blog Where Horror Dwells: InaugurationStephen Mark Raineyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10338247201048681867noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2667620598366061914.post-37500493782336736022017-01-21T11:10:59.774-05:002017-01-21T11:10:59.774-05:00These are some fair points, and thanks for the tho...These are some fair points, and thanks for the thoughtful post.<br /><br />It's funny, most liberals think Obama was too non-partisan, that he cooperated far more than he should have with the GOP. For the flip side, here is a fair article that speaks to those points: http://www.themodestproposal.com/?p=151<br /><br />There are many "failures" that I don't think he <i>should</i> take the blame for, simply because his efforts to address them met with a GOP brick wall. Requests for additional security funding were denied (and funds for foreign security have again been blocked). As far as his approval rating goes, depending on sources, he's done quite well: http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/06/politics/obama-approval-rating-new-high/<br /><br />As I alluded to in my post, I have seen shortcomings that I completely agree were critical; for example, he could and should have been far more supportive of law enforcement — yet at the same time, there are systemic issues that were highlighted, and while "institutional racism" is an ugly and perhaps overly broad term, there's certainly enough of an issue that has bred a sense of fear and helplessness in the black community. I think Obama was trying to tread carefully here to avoid alienating a huge contingent of his supporters, but that really backfired. However, his record on civil rights for marginalized members of our society speaks for itself. It's the fact that these <i>have</i> come so far forward, and rightly so, that it's slapped social conservatives into an irrational frenzy.<br /><br />At the end of the day, my conviction is that Obama was a man to aim high, and I think he always had the best interests of the country at heart, whether one agrees with his vision or not. Perspective from one side to the other is so skewed by extremism — for example, most liberals I know figure Obama to be just to the right of Ronald Reagan, whereas conservatives feel he was the most liberal president since FDR. As with most such extreme views, the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.<br /><br />Stephen Mark Raineyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10338247201048681867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2667620598366061914.post-18382577188885740082017-01-20T23:04:21.196-05:002017-01-20T23:04:21.196-05:00Your brilliant writing skills continue to display ...Your brilliant writing skills continue to display themselves, but as you probably know, I don't subscribe to the relatively positive evaluation of President Obama. I remember early in his presidency when he said in a stump speech in Philadelphia, that Republicans "Don't know how to drive. They can ride with us if they want to, but they got to get in the back seat." Also, in 2009, when the top congressional leaders from both parties gathered at the White House for a bipartisan working discussion about President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan, the President, when challenged by one Republican senator over the contents of the package, replied: “I won.” To me, this doesn't seem like someone who wants to work across the aisle. <br /><br />Though President Obama displayed some positive qualities as a strong family man and strong-willed, I'm also cognizant of his seeming arrogance, when he continually blamed blunders on others, whether major or minor. I don't remember him taking the blame for anything on his watch that didn't go as well as planned, from Benghazi to the gassing of Syrian rebels and the expansion of Russian and Iranian power, from the increase in the number of citizens on food stamps to the reduction in median income. It also seemed as though he was quick to respond, sometimes prematurely, to racial issues when blacks were victims, but not so quickly when police officers or the military were involved. Could this have possibly contributed to some of the negative racial attitudes toward him or between the races across the country? I don't know. According to Gallop in mid 2016, 32% say Obama's presidency is one of the most important advances for blacks in the past 100 years, down from 71% immediately after he was elected and 58% nine months into his first term.<br /><br />I can't say that I will miss the Obamas, but I am concerned about the new President with his seemingly thin skin and resistance to listen to his advisers. Also, I can only hope that his faith in the Christian God to protect us doesn't convince him to "push the button", not expecting us to come to any harm from the response. During this time, we can only hope for the best ,do what we can to limit any damage and support the good things that could occur.Terry Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03620603111654080719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2667620598366061914.post-20813948578355986132017-01-20T21:51:45.478-05:002017-01-20T21:51:45.478-05:00Very eloquently spoken, my friend. :)Very eloquently spoken, my friend. :)Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09203155808385317311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2667620598366061914.post-23711031726637106052017-01-20T21:45:41.235-05:002017-01-20T21:45:41.235-05:00Very Eloquently spoken my friend! :)
Very Eloquently spoken my friend! :)<br />Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09203155808385317311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2667620598366061914.post-17939481063504234802017-01-20T18:57:03.409-05:002017-01-20T18:57:03.409-05:00Magnificently, succinctly stated.
I'm proud ...Magnificently, succinctly stated. <br /><br />I'm proud of you, Dad. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09226783764632156015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2667620598366061914.post-21141560373471298602017-01-20T18:56:40.682-05:002017-01-20T18:56:40.682-05:00Magnificently said. I'm proud of you, Dad. ;)Magnificently said. I'm proud of you, Dad. ;) Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09226783764632156015noreply@blogger.com