Reasons To Vote For/Against Obama

[Tsukasa Buddha]

People are trying to make various lists for the "what has he done for/against us" voters.

Pro-Obama:

1. Extended child tax credits and marriage-penalty fixes
2. Created an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to invest in peer-reviewed manufacturing processes
3. Required economic justification for tax changes
4. Implemented “Women Owned Business” contracting program
5. Changed standards for determining broadband access
6. Established a credit card bill of rights
7. Expanded loan programs for small businesses
8. Extended the Bush tax cuts for lower incomes
9. Extended the 2007 Alternative MinimumTax patch
10. Closed the “doughnut hole” in Medicare prescription drug plan

Linky.

My problem with this list is that it doesn't qualify who is taking the action. It is all being attributed to Obama, but the President doesn't have direct influence over most of these. To be useful I would prefer showing that Obama actively called for the action and/or Romney would have opposed the action.

The Anti-Obama list here has references for each item, and is slightly more organised. This one lists a lot of former lobbyists and top fundraisers that received positions in the administration. It also lists more executive actions.

My problem with both lists is that they remove the context of congressional negations.

 

[Beerina]

Anti:

Hope and change are good.

 

[-hp-]

For me the foremost reason to vote for Obama would not be his accomplishments but the dismal state of his main opponent. Whenever I see Romney or pretty much anyone from the GOP cooking up word salads I feel like I've entered the Twilight Zone.

 

[Tricky]

I feel like Obama could have accomplished a lot more were it not for the unprecedented level of partisanship, such as requiring a filibuster-proof margin for every action, regardless of how trivial. If he wins a second term, the GOP (hopefully) won't feel the need to run against him for four years and maybe more can be accomplished. But if Romney is elected, expect the Democrats to repay the GOP with exactly the kind of stonewallling that they were subjected to, and presto, we are stuck in low gear for four more years.

 

[Biscuit]

When ever I get a bit frustrated that Obama isn't everything I want I think about what Tricky said regarding the partisanship and then I go HERE

Its actually an impressive list. He has my vote and I will be volunteering.

 

[Biscuit]

From the link above.

Created more private sector jobs in 2010 than during entire Bush years

 

[Trakar]

People are trying to make various lists for the "what has he done for/against us" voters.

Pro-Obama:



Linky.

My problem with this list is that it doesn't qualify who is taking the action. It is all being attributed to Obama, but the President doesn't have direct influence over most of these. To be useful I would prefer showing that Obama actively called for the action and/or Romney would have opposed the action.

The Anti-Obama list here has references for each item, and is slightly more organised. This one lists a lot of former lobbyists and top fundraisers that received positions in the administration. It also lists more executive actions.

My problem with both lists is that they remove the context of congressional negations.

Been there, done that! Good luck!
I just find it amazing that both sides seem to be running against their opponents rather than on strong positive support for their party/circumstance selection.

Last minute third party's could make an interesting mess this fall.

 

[Juniversal]

When ever I get a bit frustrated that Obama isn't everything I want I think about what Tricky said regarding the partisanship and then I go HERE

Its actually an impressive list. He has my vote and I will be volunteering.

It's a shame because many of those go unreported or right under the radar. You would think something like the removal of the restrictions on stem cell research would've been met with more fanfare.

 

[Neally]

From the link above.

Half True:http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/oct/25/nancy-pelosi/nancy-pelosi-says-more-private-sector-jobs-created/

And Pelosis claim that ""In the first year of the Obama administration, more jobs were created in the private sector than in the eight years of the Bush administration." Is Flat out False:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/may/17/nancy-pelosi/nancy-pelosi-says-more-jobs-created-obamas-first-y/

 

[Biscuit]

It's a shame because many of those go unreported or right under the radar. You would think something like the removal of the restrictions on stem cell research would've been met with more fanfare. [qimg]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a176/julphotobucket1/smiley_shrug1.gif[/qimg]

It was HUGE in the stem cell community!

Half True:http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/oct/25/nancy-pelosi/nancy-pelosi-says-more-private-sector-jobs-created/

And Pelosis claim that ""In the first year of the Obama administration, more jobs were created in the private sector than in the eight years of the Bush administration." Is Flat out False:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/may/17/nancy-pelosi/nancy-pelosi-says-more-jobs-created-obamas-first-y/

I see. Nit picking but Pelosi claimed 8 months while the website I quoted said all of 2010. Could be the same cherry picking though.

What I really learned from your link is that he is a small government job creator.

 

[MattusMaximus]

Here's one really good reason to vote for Obama:



And he was able to accomplish this despite continual opposition from Republicans ever since he took office.

 

[ravdin]

Anti:

-Renewed the Bush tax cuts.
-Renewed the PATRIOT Act.
-Expanded the TSA.
-Fast And Furious.
-More raids on medical marijuana clinics than during the George W. Bush administration, which is a broken campaign promise. Nancy Pelosi recently blasted the Obama administration for this, for which I am grateful to her.
-Opposition to gay marriage.
-Unsustainable levels of debt. In 2008, Senator Obama criticized the Bush administration for running up $4 trillion in debt in eight years. In the last three years we've run up another $5 trillion.

Before you tell me that the GOP is just as bad or worse, I have absolutely no intention of voting for Mitt Romney either.

 

[Juniversal]

-Fast And Furious.

Fast and Furious was a tactical failure of the ATF and the Justice Department. Not Obama.

It was HUGE in the stem cell community!

I'm sure. Too bad it didn't receive much acknowledgement outside of the stem cell community.

 

[ravdin]

Fast and Furious was a tactical failure of the ATF and the Justice Department. Not Obama.

Wrong. There was extensive communication between the White House and the Phoenix ATF office during that time.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20114184-10391695.html

 

[Juniversal]

Wrong. There was extensive communication between the White House and the Phoenix ATF office during that time.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20114184-10391695.html

How does that contradict what I said?

 

[Kestrel]

For me the foremost reason to vote for Obama would not be his accomplishments but the dismal state of his main opponent. Whenever I see Romney or pretty much anyone from the GOP cooking up word salads I feel like I've entered the Twilight Zone.

Four years ago, Wall Street investment banks and hedge funds cratered our nation's economy. Most of the nation is still trying to recover from the crash. Isn't it a bit early to elect a Wall Street hedge fund guy as President?

 

[mhaze]

....
My problem with this list is that it doesn't qualify who is taking the action. It is all being attributed to Obama, but the President doesn't have direct influence over most of these. To be useful I would prefer showing that Obama actively called for the action and/or Romney would have opposed the action.

The Anti-Obama list here has references for each item, and is slightly more organised. This one lists a lot of former lobbyists and top fundraisers that received positions in the administration. It also lists more executive actions.

My problem with both lists is that they remove the context of congressional negations.

A while back I started a thread which, paraphrased, asked what, exactly each of the last 10 POTUS "had done". The very point was that this requires one to try to think out what he presided over, versus what he actually did himself either directly, or by championing.

Yes, you've asked a good question.

 

[R.Mackey]

Anti:

-Renewed the Bush tax cuts.
-Renewed the PATRIOT Act.
-Expanded the TSA.
-Fast And Furious.
-More raids on medical marijuana clinics than during the George W. Bush administration, which is a broken campaign promise. Nancy Pelosi recently blasted the Obama administration for this, for which I am grateful to her.
-Opposition to gay marriage.
-Unsustainable levels of debt. In 2008, Senator Obama criticized the Bush administration for running up $4 trillion in debt in eight years. In the last three years we've run up another $5 trillion.

This tracks pretty well with my disappointment list, and with the letters I've sent him... I'd add to that a comment about the space program, however since I work there I'm reluctant to express my feelings in public. (Full disclaimer: This post, and all my posts, made with my own materials on my own time.)

I do have some positives, however:

1. Competence. Got a lot done considering how the Legislature is stacked against him. Least scandal-plagued administration since... hmm. Ike? Besides Fast 'n Furious, there ain't much.

2. Pleased with his foreign policy, including staying out of Libya, staying out of Syria, backing away from bombing Iran, etc. despite overwhelming pressure to go in guns hot

3. Pragmatic. For instance, everyone told me (and is STILL telling me) he'd come for my guns, but... he hasn't. The man knows how to pick his battles.

I'd like to see solid proposals for the following:

(a) Tax reform -- while we'll never see a true flat tax, the more recent "Buffett Rule" proposals are starting to creep in this direction.

(b) Address the debt, including spending cuts. Start with the military. I'm not saying "gut it," but there's a lot of flat-out pork and outdated strategic thinking there.

(c) Try to fix up health care some more -- don't just junk Obamacare, fix it. What passed is a weird compromise and it has some sharp edges. Is it Constitutional? Well, is universal health care a right, or a service? I say the former, under the 14th Amendment, but this philosophy has consequences that push us towards a single-payer model.

(d) In the same vein take a firm and principled stand on civil rights, all civil rights, and that means no-buts equality for gays and women. Just do it. While we're at it let's incorporate the 2nd Amendment.

Give me say two out of those four, and I could vote for him enthusiastically. Likewise, I'd invite Romney to do the same, but somehow I doubt he shares my opinions.

 

[GreNME]

Well said, R.Mackey.

To be fair on the "anti" list, I don't think Obama ever said he was going to try to help get gay marriage passed. He's not personally in favor and said as much even back in 2008. What I expect from him on that part is to not get in the way when it comes time for the legislature or the judiciary to fix the current built-in prejudice.

Of course, he could take a page from Cory Booker's (mayor of Newark, NJ) tome, and actually make a public and amazing statement of reality:

That took a lot of guts to say as an elected official. There needs to be more of that.

 

[Lowpro]

This tracks pretty well with my disappointment list, and with the letters I've sent him... I'd add to that a comment about the space program, however since I work there I'm reluctant to express my feelings in public. (Full disclaimer: This post, and all my posts, made with my own materials on my own time.)

I do have some positives, however:

1. Competence. Got a lot done considering how the Legislature is stacked against him. Least scandal-plagued administration since... hmm. Ike? Besides Fast 'n Furious, there ain't much.

2. Pleased with his foreign policy, including staying out of Libya, staying out of Syria, backing away from bombing Iran, etc. despite overwhelming pressure to go in guns hot

3. Pragmatic. For instance, everyone told me (and is STILL telling me) he'd come for my guns, but... he hasn't. The man knows how to pick his battles.

I'd like to see solid proposals for the following:

(a) Tax reform -- while we'll never see a true flat tax, the more recent "Buffett Rule" proposals are starting to creep in this direction.

(b) Address the debt, including spending cuts. Start with the military. I'm not saying "gut it," but there's a lot of flat-out pork and outdated strategic thinking there.

(c) Try to fix up health care some more -- don't just junk Obamacare, fix it. What passed is a weird compromise and it has some sharp edges. Is it Constitutional? Well, is universal health care a right, or a service? I say the former, under the 14th Amendment, but this philosophy has consequences that push us towards a single-payer model.

(d) In the same vein take a firm and principled stand on civil rights, all civil rights, and that means no-buts equality for gays and women. Just do it. While we're at it let's incorporate the 2nd Amendment.

Give me say two out of those four, and I could vote for him enthusiastically. Likewise, I'd invite Romney to do the same, but somehow I doubt he shares my opinions.

I agree with almost everything you said except healthcare. I believe that the ultimate goal of the Healthcare bill should aim at increasing wellness and reducing healthcare cost, but not mandating universal healthcare. As much as I like the altruistic intent of universal healthcare it's dead in the water until the inflating cost of healthcare is handled. I do think that if universal healthcare were implemented now it must allow for Health Insurance providers to have more discretion for the sake of pragmatism, not altruism.

Also, I think that civil unions should be taken as a new standard and marriage as we know it become outmoded. Again, it's more pragmatic.

I still like Obama and I actually like Mitt when he's not stroking the Republicans. I just think that it doesn't matter which one gets in office, it's Congress itself that needs serious fixing with more moderates and less fanaticism.

-Unsustainable levels of debt. In 2008, Senator Obama criticized the Bush administration for running up $4 trillion in debt in eight years. In the last three years we've run up another $5 trillion.

Is the debt a problem of executive administration or congress?