Which presidents have had opponents that filibustered everything? Names please.
Not "everything" has been filibustered. If you need an example, though, just look at the Republican controlled Sentate when Clinton was president. Clinton played that game quite well.
Not "everything" has been filibustered. If you need an example, though, just look at the Republican controlled Sentate when Clinton was president. Clinton played that game quite well.
Doesn't seem to compare. EDIT: Actually, this chart only goes through 2008. I can't wait to see the 2009-2010 numbers.
Wow. That's a bigger rise than I would have guessed. The problem with this chart, though, is that cloture votes are increasingly used for purposes unrelated to filibusters. (if Wikipedia is to be believed)
This also does not explain numerous concerns that were previously stated. (e.g. flip-flopping on Wall St. bonuses) We're talking about a guy that has a strained relationship with the Speaker of the House. If he's having trouble working with his own party leaders, he's got to re-think his approach.
The most interesting phenomenon has been Obama's sporadic shift to the center. It happened more quickly than I expected. But I'm curious as to why this has not helped to bring up his approval ratings. My guess is that the health care debacle kept Obama in the "left" light, even though he had functionally abandoned any populist component to health care reform. When Bill Clinton moved, he really moved.
I've said it before - DC is a tough place for anyone. Some latitude must be given. The problem is that Obama's used up nearly all of his political capital and I don't see how things are really any different than when he took office. Yes, there are some differences, but surprisingly few meaningful ones. In the context of the tremendous support he enjoyed at inauguration, this is disappointing.
What's equally striking is how quickly the Republicans shoot themselves in the foot in the face of an opportunity. Both parties seem to be better at gaining strength due to the other party's blunders, rather than their own actions. So much dysfunction.
I hate the term "flip-flop." I have never used it to refer to anything but a shoe. The term is liberally applied to people who get new evidence or observe things and then change their minds on something. It is one thing to say someone changed their stance for purely political reason and they are going to change again at the drop of a hat. It is quite another to change your mind based on new input that has a basis other than politics.
Clinton moved to the right, and Congress negotiated with him. These guys aren't negotiating. They are demanding all-or-nothing. Some of the Republicans are being reasonable, but many others are being loud and unreasonably stubborn. The ones that are televised seem to be particularly ignorant and completely out of touch with reality. ("The taxes from the health care plan will make it harder for Joe to afford to take his little girl to the doctor!" ...um...) Likewise, the Dems can't get their act together and agree on any action to put a stop to the BS.
The problem with this chart, though, is that cloture votes are increasingly used for purposes unrelated to filibusters. (if Wikipedia is to be believed)
Where are you finding that? What are these other purposes? I've read the Wikipedia article on cloture, and I can't find anything.
*sigh* Obama, you were supposed to shake things up, change things; What happened?
I've said it before - DC is a tough place for anyone. Some latitude must be given. The problem is that Obama's used up nearly all of his political capital and I don't see how things are really any different than when he took office. Yes, there are some differences, but surprisingly few meaningful ones. In the context of the tremendous support he enjoyed at inauguration, this is disappointing.
Have you read any conservative articles, Obama has already changed America in ways you can't imagine, we've become a socialist country in a year with no major bills passed WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
I am surprised at how much if you watch Fox news and listen to conservative commentators you hear them talk about how America is now completely screwed because of Obama and then when you talk to people on the left, he hasn't done anything. We've really reached a point in American politics where we gotta figure out if we can survive having a generally ignorant public be controlled by media interests that are only interested in sensationalism (Most of the "liberal" media) or out and out part of the republican machine (Foxnews). Obama has been placed in a position that is near impossible to succeed, I can see why the right says the left worships Obama because even though you don't actually think that you still think he can change everything right away. The government is WAY more then one person. Christ, President Obama can't even get his major appointments through congress. We're not talking about him appointing U.N. Secretaries that don't believe the U.N. should exist or even judges. I mean that one senator was just blocking all of them because he wanted Obama to attach earmarks to Alabama!!
Another issue is that Obama was elected on a "Throw the bums out" wave running through American politics and that wave hasn't really died down. The right started using that feeling with the Tea Party and a narrative of Obama being "more of the same" appeared at the same time a narrative of Obama being the "destruction of real America" also appeared. I watch people make the both those arguments at the SAME time. The cognitive dissonance going on in the American public is breathtaking crazy. People need to step back and relax and stop getting sensationalist by the media, blogs and E-mails that we now have in this day and age where anyone can write anything based on some thread of truth and pass it as the complete truth (not to mention the fact that most people have zero critical thinking skills).
I hate the term "flip-flop." I have never used it to refer to anything but a shoe. The term is liberally applied to people who get new evidence or observe things and then change their minds on something. It is one thing to say someone changed their stance for purely political reason and they are going to change again at the drop of a hat. It is quite another to change your mind based on new input that has a basis other than politics.
Oh man, don't get me started on "the real America." Just...gah. Like those of us who aren't heterosexual Christian homemakers and rednecks living in the country with "traditional family values" are somehow just visiting?
Oh man, don't get me started on "the real America." Just...gah. Like those of us who aren't heterosexual Christian homemakers and rednecks living in the country with "traditional family values" are somehow just visiting?
Naw, Yew may be born hrr, but if yew 'en a good god-fearin' not-homo good-ol-whaht boy lahk uz, yew can GET OUTTA MAH 'MERICA.
Oh man, don't get me started on "the real America." Just...gah. Like those of us who aren't heterosexual Christian homemakers and rednecks living in the country with "traditional family values" are somehow just visiting?
Naw, Yew may be born hrr, but if yew 'en a good god-fearin' not-homo good-ol-whaht boy lahk uz, yew can GET OUTTA MAH 'MERICA.
I say we lace the chewing tobacco with cyanide. That oughta do it.
Oh man, don't get me started on "the real America." Just...gah. Like those of us who aren't heterosexual Christian homemakers and rednecks living in the country with "traditional family values" are somehow just visiting?
Naw, Yew may be born hrr, but if yew 'en a good god-fearin' not-homo good-ol-whaht boy lahk uz, yew can GET OUTTA MAH 'MERICA.
I say we lace the chewing tobacco with cyanide. That oughta do it.
There are moments I'm amazed that we are luckily enough to have president Obama. This commencement speech is one of them... (He has really good speechwriters :-p)
From a slightly external point of view, in my own opinion, it matches up with what seems to be the liberal consensus. There doesn't seem to have been all that much done during his stay thus far and to some extent slowed down the passing of the health care bill and allowed for the crazy right to get traction.
In Australian politics it seems that when there is a slightly off putting or tense idea or law to pass and the party who is pushing it comes into power, they put it into action as soon as they get into office. This happened with our Liberal party (conservatives even though the name is misleading), passed a GST tax to remove general sales taxes with a stable federal tax. More recently this happened when the opposition came to power (Labor) who are more liberal and officially said sorry to the Aborigines of Australia which the conservatives had been saying no to for over a decade, and the Prime Minister did it within the first few weeks of office.
Do it like a bandaid, just take it off quickly.
However I guess in the US there is much heavier company influence over the parties.
At least the US has the most charismatic leader in the world for the first time since Clinton.
What's up with the Obama administration wanting to change Miranda Rights? It's real simple, if the terrorist is a foreigner they don't get Miranda. If they are a citizen they get Miranda and are charged with treason.
Do we really want ANY President screwing around with Miranda?
This speech made us super annoyed. We liked him because he didn't do like McCain and take pride in not knowing computers. This made me really annoyed. Also, I think that everyone should get Miranda Rights read to them when they are arrested. It's just something you do.
Comments
Doesn't seem to compare.
EDIT: Actually, this chart only goes through 2008. I can't wait to see the 2009-2010 numbers.
This also does not explain numerous concerns that were previously stated. (e.g. flip-flopping on Wall St. bonuses) We're talking about a guy that has a strained relationship with the Speaker of the House. If he's having trouble working with his own party leaders, he's got to re-think his approach.
The most interesting phenomenon has been Obama's sporadic shift to the center. It happened more quickly than I expected. But I'm curious as to why this has not helped to bring up his approval ratings. My guess is that the health care debacle kept Obama in the "left" light, even though he had functionally abandoned any populist component to health care reform. When Bill Clinton moved, he really moved.
What's equally striking is how quickly the Republicans shoot themselves in the foot in the face of an opportunity. Both parties seem to be better at gaining strength due to the other party's blunders, rather than their own actions. So much dysfunction.
Clinton moved to the right, and Congress negotiated with him. These guys aren't negotiating. They are demanding all-or-nothing. Some of the Republicans are being reasonable, but many others are being loud and unreasonably stubborn. The ones that are televised seem to be particularly ignorant and completely out of touch with reality. ("The taxes from the health care plan will make it harder for Joe to afford to take his little girl to the doctor!" ...um...) Likewise, the Dems can't get their act together and agree on any action to put a stop to the BS.
I am surprised at how much if you watch Fox news and listen to conservative commentators you hear them talk about how America is now completely screwed because of Obama and then when you talk to people on the left, he hasn't done anything. We've really reached a point in American politics where we gotta figure out if we can survive having a generally ignorant public be controlled by media interests that are only interested in sensationalism (Most of the "liberal" media) or out and out part of the republican machine (Foxnews). Obama has been placed in a position that is near impossible to succeed, I can see why the right says the left worships Obama because even though you don't actually think that you still think he can change everything right away. The government is WAY more then one person. Christ, President Obama can't even get his major appointments through congress. We're not talking about him appointing U.N. Secretaries that don't believe the U.N. should exist or even judges. I mean that one senator was just blocking all of them because he wanted Obama to attach earmarks to Alabama!!
Another issue is that Obama was elected on a "Throw the bums out" wave running through American politics and that wave hasn't really died down. The right started using that feeling with the Tea Party and a narrative of Obama being "more of the same" appeared at the same time a narrative of Obama being the "destruction of real America" also appeared. I watch people make the both those arguments at the SAME time. The cognitive dissonance going on in the American public is breathtaking crazy. People need to step back and relax and stop getting sensationalist by the media, blogs and E-mails that we now have in this day and age where anyone can write anything based on some thread of truth and pass it as the complete truth (not to mention the fact that most people have zero critical thinking skills). I am also not a fan.
Now everyone will argue over where to hold him! ;-)
There are moments I'm amazed that we are luckily enough to have president Obama. This commencement speech is one of them... (He has really good speechwriters :-p)
There doesn't seem to have been all that much done during his stay thus far and to some extent slowed down the passing of the health care bill and allowed for the crazy right to get traction.
In Australian politics it seems that when there is a slightly off putting or tense idea or law to pass and the party who is pushing it comes into power, they put it into action as soon as they get into office. This happened with our Liberal party (conservatives even though the name is misleading), passed a GST tax to remove general sales taxes with a stable federal tax.
More recently this happened when the opposition came to power (Labor) who are more liberal and officially said sorry to the Aborigines of Australia which the conservatives had been saying no to for over a decade, and the Prime Minister did it within the first few weeks of office.
Do it like a bandaid, just take it off quickly.
However I guess in the US there is much heavier company influence over the parties.
At least the US has the most charismatic leader in the world for the first time since Clinton.
What's up with the Obama administration wanting to change Miranda Rights? It's real simple, if the terrorist is a foreigner they don't get Miranda. If they are a citizen they get Miranda and are charged with treason.
Do we really want ANY President screwing around with Miranda?
Also, I think that everyone should get Miranda Rights read to them when they are arrested. It's just something you do.