Great Expectations

HMTKSteve

The election is now over and we have a new President getting ready to take office in January.

Please post your predictions/expectations of the coming four years. Try to include time lines in your post and we will see how accurate the forum members are at predicting the events of the next four years.

I'll start:

1) I am hoping that the Republican party will take a good long look at itself and realize that we are no longer living in the 1950's. The nuclear family is dead and it is high time for the Republicans to understand this and move on. Family values is no longer mom, dad and 2.4 kids. A family is any close knit group of individuals who look after each other and care for those in the group who need to be cared for (kids and elderly).

2) I am hoping that the Democrats realize that Obama was elected on a ticket of change that translates to "stop all the partisan bickering and obstructionism and get some shit done!" Towards the end Obama moved toward the center and that is where he should govern from. If the Democrats try to go too far to the left and run rough-shod over the Republicans we will see a repeat of 1994.

3) I am hoping that pissed off Republicans do not emulate the actions of pissed off Democrats. I did not like seeing the "he's not my president" bumper stickers on Democrat cars and I don't want to see them on Republican cars either.

Damn... lunch hour is up...

George Patches

I think you'll see a very combative Republican minority in the house and senate that's going to make it very difficult to get things. I wish Obama luck, because the conservative of the hill are going to feel cornered and scared.

rhinocero

I agree with all of your hopes. Democrats can't try and exact revenge for slights, perceived or real, over the past eight years. They have to govern and get shit done. (One exception to this: Saxby Chambliss. If you want to get partisan revenge on him, go for it.) Furthermore, Democrats can't focus on coming elections and try to plan an enduring majority. It won't work, it never works, and it'll probably shorten the length during which we have a Democratic majority. I would absolutely love it if the Republicans looked at this and got back to their roots and refocused in a more rational way (i.e. a way with which I agree) but they're probably going to go into the wilderness of extreme partisanship and radicalism for a few years, more's the pity. Fortunately or unfortunately, though, they don't really have enough power on Washington to get things done, unless they're willing to use the filibuster very often.

TheWhaleShark

The election is now over and we have a new President getting ready to take office in January.

Please post your predictions/expectations of the coming four years. Try to include time lines in your post and we will see how accurate the forum members are at predicting the events of the next four years.

I'll start:

1) I am hoping that the Republican party will take a good long look at itself and realize that we are no longer living in the 1950's. The nuclear family is dead and it is high time for the Republicans to understand this and move on. Family values is no longer mom, dad and 2.4 kids. A family is any close knit group of individuals who look after each other and care for those in the group who need to be cared for (kids and elderly).

2) I am hoping that the Democrats realize that Obama was elected on a ticket of change that translates to "stop all the partisan bickering and obstructionism and get some shit done!" Towards the end Obama moved toward the center and that is where he should govern from. If the Democrats try to go too far to the left and run rough-shod over the Republicans we will see a repeat of 1994.

3) I am hoping that pissed off Republicans do not emulate the actions of pissed off Democrats. I did not like seeing the "he's not my president" bumper stickers on Democrat cars and I don't want to see them on Republican cars either.

Damn... lunch hour is up...

Whoa.

I agree. Well, at least, those are my hopes for the coming term. That, and a real start towards some kind of universal health care.

Li_Akahi

I just hope that they can get things done for once.

konistehrad

Dam'n, Steve, I think you're right on the money. You know, in 2004 I was one of those "He's Not My President" assholes, but being on the winning side of a long and hard election has finally made me realize how futile those kinds of actions are. I hope the hard-line Republicans of 2008 are more mature than the hard-line Democrats of 2004 and we can all move on.

As an addendum, I hope in the coming years we can see real progress towards equal treatment of homosexuals. The recent ballot initiatives in Arizona, Florida and California have been a major setback, but Obama's outspoken distaste for the Defense of Marriage Act should be seen as a huge positive.

Nuri

Absitively posolutely. Well said. Bickering is SO 2006.

Rym

Well, it depends on what the bickering is about. I take a hard line on needless foreign wars of occupation. I really wish the Democrats had done the same.

konistehrad

I take a hard line on needless foreign wars of occupation. I really wish the Democrats had done the same.

I'll be the last person to disagree with that. See also. Admittedly, there were dubious and knee-jerk reasons why this vote made it through, but I think we've all learned a valuable, albeit costly lesson.

Kate Monster

2) I am hoping that the Democrats realize that Obama was elected on a ticket of change that translates to "stop all the partisan bickering and obstructionism and get some shit done!" Towards the end Obama moved toward the center and that is where he should govern from. If the Democrats try to go too far to the left and run rough-shod over the Republicans we will see a repeat of 1994.

WTF are you talking about? He already is a centrist.

Rym

WTF are you talking about? He already is a centrist.

QFT. I would consider Obama to be squarely in the center, and even a little to the right. Left-wing politics don't really exist in this country in any significant way.

Of course, "left" and "right" are themselves conflations of numerous unrelated ideologies that are almost useless in all but the most general of discussions.

George Patches

Well, it depends on what the bickering is about. I take a hard line on needless foreign wars of occupation. I really wish the Democrats had done the same.

What if he learns things in those classified meetings that he sits in with Bush that the rest of us don't know? Would you still support him if he said we need to stay in Iraq longer?

Apreche

What if he learns things in those classified meetings that he sits in with Bush that the rest of us don't know? Would you still support him if he said we need to stay in Iraq longer?

Not unless he discloses the "secret" information he used to make that decision.

George Patches

But it's classified. You wouldn't take his word?

HungryJoe

But it's classified. You wouldn't take his word?

No.

Σπεκωσποκ

At the very least, he would say something along the lines of: "this decision was made based upon classified information", or something to that effect.

konistehrad

At the very least, he would say something along the lines of: "this decision was made based upon classified information", or something to that effect.

Na, not after all the "classified information" that got us into the war. He would need to show me photos of Saddam and Osama simultaneously pooping in the open mouth of Colin Powell to convince me it was necessary. I will accept nothing less.

TheWhaleShark

But it's classified. You wouldn't take his word?

That's the first step towards fascism. I don't care if it's Obama, Bush, or fucking Gandhi up there; if you're telling me that you want to spend a shitload more of my tax dollars and get more of my friends killed, there better be a goddamn good reason, and you better tell me what that reason is. Remember, we own the government (ideally). They're accountable to us.

George Patches

I predict you guys will be unhappy with Obama in 4 years.

TheWhaleShark

I predict you guys will be unhappy with Obama in 4 years.

Hey, you voted for him too.

Jason

If you understand the political system, you'll be unhappy with any candidate after four years.

George Patches

I predict you guys will be unhappy with Obama in 4 years.

Hey, you voted for him too.

You're talking to probably the only guy here who doesn't hate Bush.

Cremlian

I like Bush Sr. If that counts :-p

Rym

You're talking to probably the only guy here who doesn't hate Bush.

So you supported his disastrous foreign policy, his needless and poorly planned invasion and occupation of Iraq, his near-abandonment of Afghanistan, and his laughably inept tax cuts? ^_~

Seriously. If you have any goodwill towards George W. Bush, riddle me this: What good did he accomplish in his eight years?

Lusankya

He would need to show me photos of Saddam and Osama simultaneously pooping in the open mouth of Colin Powell to convince me it was necessary. I will accept nothing less.

4chan can already deliver that to you today.

Cremlian

Seriously. If you have any goodwill towards George W. Bush, riddle me this: What good did he accomplish in his eight years?

Provided a lot of material for the daily show and almost every stand up comedian in existence and paved the way for the first black president. (by endorsing McCain :-p)

Victor Frost

He would need to show me photos of Saddam and Osama simultaneously pooping in the open mouth of Colin Powell to convince me it was necessary. I will accept nothing less.

4chan can already deliver that to you today.

Haha, that it can.

Ilmarinen

You're talking to probably the only guy here who doesn't hate Bush.

So you supported his disastrous foreign policy, his needless and poorly planned invasion and occupation of Iraq, his near-abandonment of Afghanistan, and his laughably inept tax cuts? ^_~

Seriously. If you have any goodwill towards George W. Bush, riddle me this: What good did he accomplish in his eight years?

Gedavids said he doesn't hate Bush. That doesn't mean he likes him.

George Patches

You're talking to probably the only guy here who doesn't hate Bush.

So you supported his disastrous foreign policy, his needless and poorly planned invasion and occupation of Iraq, his near-abandonment of Afghanistan, and his laughably inept tax cuts? ^_~

Seriously. If you have any goodwill towards George W. Bush, riddle me this: What good did he accomplish in his eight years?

He got the nation back on its feet after one of the worst events in the whole of American history.

Gedavids said he doesn't hate Bush. That doesn't mean he likes him.

Exactly, I don't love him, but I don't think he's the worst leader that every was.

TheWhaleShark

To be fair, I don't hate George W. Bush. I hate his administration. As far as I can tell, he's probably just a tool. They shoved papers under his nose, said "Sign these and you'll be a hero," and then went ahead with their evil and disastrous plans.

Adelbert

Let's prove I come from the future:

1. The First year will be mainly dedicated to keeping the financial balance. the Dollar is on a continues crash and the economy lags behind it. Don't expect many tax changes, as the government has no immediate plans to redraw from either Iraq or Afghanistan, which means it's still bound to throwing millions of dollars on obscure foreign policy.

2. In 2-2.5 years the US will pull out of Iraq. First in an orderly manner, but in a week or two it will all collapse. The Iraqi government is too weak and will collapse, while random bombing attacks will chase the leaving American forces. This will still be good for the US.
Pulling the forces out of Afghanistan will take place in about the same time, as there's no point playing the law enforcer when you leave the main outpost, which gets all the media spotlights.

3. International relations - Obama's years will be characterized by relative withdrawal from the global community because:
a. The public won’t allow partaking in another military conflict.
b. The government will attempt to reduce the budget, which will lead to reduce foreign investments.
c. No funds - no Kyoto Protocol. The government will push to finding alternative energy resources, but this effort won't be any different from those who came before him.

4. Political balance won't change much, simply because it depends more on the voting regions than the voters themselves. However, the national world view will change to the left, as Bush's mistakes showed the public the dangers of extremist right wing view.
This means improvement in gay rights, more privacy, more government information disclosure, more equality in spending of national funds, and so on. The health care system won't improve, as it's heavily depended on the depleting national treasury.
Guantanamo will keep on operating, simply because it has to, and there are no legal alternatives at this point.

5. Prepare for a failed attempt on Obama's life. The perpetrators will be caught while still in preparations. Reds can't do it right.

6. The US culture will continue to dominate and spread it's moral values, but this will begin to decrease in the fourth year.
Not significantly, but this hegemony will be broken by China's rise, and the stabilization of socialist governments in south America.