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A word about today
Topic Started: Jan 20 2017, 11:55 AM (1,512 Views)
Two a.m.
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I break my self-imposed silence today because I promised myself eight years ago that, whether good or bad, I would give an honest assessment of Obama on his final day in office and give him whatever commentary was due. It is clear now that that commentary should be a simple note of thanks. He deserves it and so does his family.

I started out unsure of Obama. His lack of experience disturbed me. His naivete seemed boundless. His reverend seemed nutty. His supporters annoyed the crap out of me. 2008 was the sole year I ever seriously considered supporting a Republican for president.

And, over the years, Obama's youth and thin resume did prove a hindrance. His attempt to shutter Gitmo was ill-conceived. His reset with Russia was based on the same failed policy of endless NATO expansion. His abortive attempt at air strikes on Assad was amateur night. His health care plan was too timid and too much designed by Congress. Too often he tried to govern by consensus rather then use the bully pulpit in an era when we wanted a bully, not a constitutional law professor. That's one of the few things his successor may understand better than him. Moreover, Obama largely failed to build his party at the state and local level, often leaving the DNC to twist in the wind as he utilized his personal grassroots infrastructure. He leaves the Democrats in their worst position since the 1920s. Despite his oratorical command, Obama often failed to build a coherent narrative and - at his roots - failed to fully understand how leadership works on an emotional level.

Yet, however often I complained, the successes are just as impossible to ignore. Millions were insured by a fundamentally sound health care plan which even many Trump voters want repaired rather than repealed and which Trump himself may attempt to do. Obama's strategy in Libya was innovative and helped implement a successful multilateral military operation without a single casualty. He made the difficult choice to invade Pakistani airspace to kill bin Laden despite the real risk we'd come up empty. He negotiated an unpopular deal with Iran to hold back their nuke program because it was the right thing to do. He brought the deficit under control, reducing it sharply from the mess he inherited and he ushered in record low unemployment and a booming stock market. First and foremost, he preserved the American economy with a derided but ultimately fruitful stimulus plan. And he did all of it while fighting the most intransigent, recalcitrant and nasty Congress since the Civil War - people who were literally dedicated to seeing him fail and completely unafraid of damaging the nation in the process.

Obama, like any president, was a mix of the good and the bad. But I think the positive seems to have obviously outweighed the negative. Obama leaves office with the highest approval ratings since his first year in office in 2009. Perhaps our nation - and I - needed to be reminded of exactly how much we will miss the quiet competence and implicit trust of having someone in that office from either party that we can be confidently assured is doing what he feels is best for the country. That is obviously something we will sorely lack come noon today.

But, strange as it might seem for a successful presidency, Obama's eight years now end with melancholy overtones. He was a good president but he failed to be a great one because - bluntly - we are no longer a great country. In short, I'm sorry we couldn't provide him a better nation to be president of. His ebullience and optimism requires characteristics of citizenship we clearly no longer possess. I'm not just saying that because of the pile of human refuse who will be taking the oath of office in a matter of hours. Our disease runs deeper than that. Trump is symptomatic of a cancer on the electorate or - more to the point - a polity that is already dead and, truth be told, was probably already dead when Obama arrived in 2009. We merely kept it on life support for eight years with an honorable and reasonably smart fellow at the helm.

Now, we finally sink into the muck of mediocrity. I've said before that Trump is unprecedented. I was wrong. He has plenty of precedent. In fact, much of the world is run by Trumps. We haven't descended into abnormality. Rather, we've descended into normality. With Trump, we are now Russia or Turkey or Venezuela or Thailand. We are like the rest of the world and we have precisely the leadership that goes along with that title. What dies today - or perhaps died long ago - is American exceptionalism. Ironically, Mr. Obama - so often slandered as an opponent of that concept - may well prove its last exemplar.

And for that, I thank him. He ruled with grace, dignity and at least a dash of wisdom. He sacrificed eight years of his life in service to the nation. He gave of himself for his country and did so with honor, seriousness and a fundamental decency that left the optimistic inspired and left the jaded impressed. An awful lot of people are going to miss those things about Barack Obama and I - so often both his cynical opponent and his confident supporter - will be one of them. Thank you Mr. President for being who you were supposed to be. I regret that we are not the country we used to be, the country we once were, where great things were possible.

To Barack and Michelle and to Joe and Jill, thank you. Good luck and godspeed.
"The stars can be near or distant, according as we need them." - George Orwell, 1984
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Drudge X
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So are you continuing with your indefinite vacation after this?
Kate Steinle was separated from her family permanently but leftists didn't seem to mind.
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Two a.m.
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Drudge X
Jan 20 2017, 12:02 PM
So are you continuing with your indefinite vacation after this?

Possibly. It does give me a lot of free time.

"The stars can be near or distant, according as we need them." - George Orwell, 1984
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Demagogue
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Administrator
I am going to do my level best not to say anything negative about Obama today. He spent 8 years doing a very difficult job. Just like GWB there are things I think he did well and things that he did badly. Just as 8 years ago, inauguration day was not the time to talk about those things. Inauguration day is the day we welcome in the new President the nation has elected and the day we say goodbye with dignity to the one who has finished his service.
People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would do them harm.
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Drudge X
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Two a.m.
Jan 20 2017, 12:05 PM
Drudge X
Jan 20 2017, 12:02 PM
So are you continuing with your indefinite vacation after this?

Possibly. It does give me a lot of free time.

You'll be back once Trump gets the ball rolling. With Trump, it's either like or hate the guy. Everyone will have some comments and opinions on Trump. I find it hard for people to restraint themselves when it comes to Trump.
Kate Steinle was separated from her family permanently but leftists didn't seem to mind.
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Colors
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What I am most interested in, with a President Donald Trump, is how he performs with the declining middle class. He won his Republican pickup of the presidency primarily through the Rust Belt. This includes my home state, Michigan, which gave Democratic President Barack Obama his strongest margins—for raw votes and percentage points—among the six which flipped to Trump.
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Two a.m.
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Drudge X
Jan 20 2017, 12:12 PM
Two a.m.
Jan 20 2017, 12:05 PM
Drudge X
Jan 20 2017, 12:02 PM
So are you continuing with your indefinite vacation after this?

Possibly. It does give me a lot of free time.

You'll be back once Trump gets the ball rolling. With Trump, it's either like or hate the guy. Everyone will have some comments and opinions on Trump. I find it hard for people to restraint themselves when it comes to Trump.

I, for one, hope Democrats will find ways to work with him. He'll happily betray his party and he's the best chance Obamacare has for surviving.

"The stars can be near or distant, according as we need them." - George Orwell, 1984
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Opinionated
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I would say that is probably the one post from Two a.m. that I can agree with, without reservation.
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PATruth
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Some good points from our friend Two a.m. Americans in general attribute too much cause and effect to politicians. If you're a failure look in the mirror, if you're a success look in the mirror. I've worked for and earned everything I have in life. I can be thankful for having two great parents but that's all they ever gave me. The best a president can do is to create the environment for growth and success, after that it's up to the individual to earn it.

I would like to see our old friend return, he's one of the few old school democrats left. The majority of democrats, especially the Sanders supporters are socialists, period. When you despise the free market and success you should really consider moving to another country, you will never be happy here. There's a place for government but it's not controlling my life, my healthcare and my wallet. Besides, the next four years are REALLY going to be fun!

If you decide to not return I hope all goes well for you.
Edited by PATruth, Jan 20 2017, 12:41 PM.
"No. No he won't. We'll stop it."
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Mr. Tik
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I for one, would like to see 2am back.
You may be a conservative republican..if you are pro life until you get your mistress knocked up
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Dr. B
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I agree with much of what my esteemed colleague Two am says. I too quit p.com and returned briefly for a few important words at this time. I too want to see everybody have access to healthcare, and I broke from my conservative tribe on this issue early on. I stand by that. However, the healthcare system is untenable. Unless you are a wealthy elitist, retired, or on welfare, Obamacare is making it impossible to live. Middle class Americans are now spending the vast majority of their paycheck either on taxes or insurance, and either way it goes to someone else's benefit. This is not American. When you work for someone else's benefit, this is called slavery. It is also not charitable. Charity is not compulsory. It smacks of my fundamental belief about Satan, which is that the power of evil in this world wants compulsory giving, destruction of free will, and slavery. This is what Obamacare in its current form achieves. I know people who are quitting their jobs and giving up on life because welfare is the better option. I believe that each person who accepts poverty and welfare is another arrow in the back of Lady Liberty. I hope President Trump and Congress works out something that saves each American thousands of dollars per month and gives all Americans the privilege of basic healthcare. This will require taking on the wiles of big corporations, which is one of the biggest problems in America. What Obama created is well intentioned but ultimately destructive and evil. I also agree with my esteemed colleague Demagogue that it is inappropriate to bash Obama today, so I do not intend this as an attack on his presidency. He has a lovely family and handled himself with dignity and honor today.
Edited by Dr. B, Jan 20 2017, 02:17 PM.
#BringWilmyBack
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BuckFan

Dr. B
Jan 20 2017, 02:17 PM
I agree with much of what my esteemed colleague Two am says. I too quit p.com and returned briefly for a few important words at this time. I too want to see everybody have access to healthcare, and I broke from my conservative tribe on this issue early on. I stand by that. However, the healthcare system is untenable. Unless you are a wealthy elitist, retired, or on welfare, Obamacare is making it impossible to live. Middle class Americans are now spending the vast majority of their paycheck either on taxes or insurance, and either way it goes to someone else's benefit. This is not American. When you work for someone else's benefit, this is called slavery. It is also not charitable. Charity is not compulsory. It smacks of my fundamental belief about Satan, which is that the power of evil in this world wants compulsory giving, destruction of free will, and slavery. This is what Obamacare in its current form achieves. I know people who are quitting their jobs and giving up on life because welfare is the better option. I believe that each person who accepts poverty and welfare is another arrow in the back of Lady Liberty. I hope President Trump and Congress works out something that saves each American thousands of dollars per month and gives all Americans the privilege of basic healthcare. This will require taking on the wiles of big corporations, which is one of the biggest problems in America. What Obama created is well intentioned but ultimately destructive and evil. I also agree with my esteemed colleague Demagogue that it is inappropriate to bash Obama today, so I do not intend this as an attack on his presidency. He has a lovely family and handled himself with dignity and honor today.
Obama care is not driving up the cost of health insurance, it's rate of growth is actually lower now than it was in the period before the law. The fact is health insurance premiums have been increasing at double digits for over 30 years now.

The only way this law increases costs is through market forces. Now that more people have coverage (access) and can use the system, demand is up. As we know from Econ 101 is that drives up prices until supply (providers) grows significantly enough to offset the pressure of demand.
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BuckFan

I would quibble with the statement that Obama will not be considered a great President and that America is not longer a great country. You are wrong on both accounts.

History will mark President Obama very favorably. He will not be one of greatest Presidents but it will consider him a great one.

This country is still great. Militarily we are second to none. Economically we are second to none. We still offer opportunity and a desired life-style. I hate when someone talks about "making America great again" because we never were "not great". There is no "again".
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philly rabbit

I told you he wanted to find out how many people loved him.
Proud Deplorable.
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Right-Wing
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Obama's greatness will largely be determined by Trump. If President Trump achieves the things he promised as Candidate Trump, Obama will be seen as an utter failure just as Carter was after Reagan's administration.

Obama's entire legacy is in Trump's hands...and that of the Clinton's as well...pretty astounding turn of events actually.
Edited by Right-Wing, Jan 20 2017, 03:07 PM.
Donald Trump is Barack Obama's President!
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clone
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Director @ Center for Advanced Memetic Warfare
Two a.m.
Jan 20 2017, 11:55 AM
I break my self-imposed silence today because I promised myself eight years ago that, whether good or bad, I would give an honest assessment of Obama on his final day in office and give him whatever commentary was due. It is clear now that that commentary should be a simple note of thanks. He deserves it and so does his family.

I started out unsure of Obama. His lack of experience disturbed me. His naivete seemed boundless. His reverend seemed nutty. His supporters annoyed the crap out of me. 2008 was the sole year I ever seriously considered supporting a Republican for president.

And, over the years, Obama's youth and thin resume did prove a hindrance. His attempt to shutter Gitmo was ill-conceived. His reset with Russia was based on the same failed policy of endless NATO expansion. His abortive attempt at air strikes on Assad was amateur night. His health care plan was too timid and too much designed by Congress. Too often he tried to govern by consensus rather then use the bully pulpit in an era when we wanted a bully, not a constitutional law professor. That's one of the few things his successor may understand better than him. Moreover, Obama largely failed to build his party at the state and local level, often leaving the DNC to twist in the wind as he utilized his personal grassroots infrastructure. He leaves the Democrats in their worst position since the 1920s. Despite his oratorical command, Obama often failed to build a coherent narrative and - at his roots - failed to fully understand how leadership works on an emotional level.

Yet, however often I complained, the successes are just as impossible to ignore. Millions were insured by a fundamentally sound health care plan which even many Trump voters want repaired rather than repealed and which Trump himself may attempt to do. Obama's strategy in Libya was innovative and helped implement a successful multilateral military operation without a single casualty. He made the difficult choice to invade Pakistani airspace to kill bin Laden despite the real risk we'd come up empty. He negotiated an unpopular deal with Iran to hold back their nuke program because it was the right thing to do. He brought the deficit under control, reducing it sharply from the mess he inherited and he ushered in record low unemployment and a booming stock market. First and foremost, he preserved the American economy with a derided but ultimately fruitful stimulus plan. And he did all of it while fighting the most intransigent, recalcitrant and nasty Congress since the Civil War - people who were literally dedicated to seeing him fail and completely unafraid of damaging the nation in the process.

Obama, like any president, was a mix of the good and the bad. But I think the positive seems to have obviously outweighed the negative. Obama leaves office with the highest approval ratings since his first year in office in 2009. Perhaps our nation - and I - needed to be reminded of exactly how much we will miss the quiet competence and implicit trust of having someone in that office from either party that we can be confidently assured is doing what he feels is best for the country. That is obviously something we will sorely lack come noon today.

But, strange as it might seem for a successful presidency, Obama's eight years now end with melancholy overtones. He was a good president but he failed to be a great one because - bluntly - we are no longer a great country. In short, I'm sorry we couldn't provide him a better nation to be president of. His ebullience and optimism requires characteristics of citizenship we clearly no longer possess. I'm not just saying that because of the pile of human refuse who will be taking the oath of office in a matter of hours. Our disease runs deeper than that. Trump is symptomatic of a cancer on the electorate or - more to the point - a polity that is already dead and, truth be told, was probably already dead when Obama arrived in 2009. We merely kept it on life support for eight years with an honorable and reasonably smart fellow at the helm.

Now, we finally sink into the muck of mediocrity. I've said before that Trump is unprecedented. I was wrong. He has plenty of precedent. In fact, much of the world is run by Trumps. We haven't descended into abnormality. Rather, we've descended into normality. With Trump, we are now Russia or Turkey or Venezuela or Thailand. We are like the rest of the world and we have precisely the leadership that goes along with that title. What dies today - or perhaps died long ago - is American exceptionalism. Ironically, Mr. Obama - so often slandered as an opponent of that concept - may well prove its last exemplar.

And for that, I thank him. He ruled with grace, dignity and at least a dash of wisdom. He sacrificed eight years of his life in service to the nation. He gave of himself for his country and did so with honor, seriousness and a fundamental decency that left the optimistic inspired and left the jaded impressed. An awful lot of people are going to miss those things about Barack Obama and I - so often both his cynical opponent and his confident supporter - will be one of them. Thank you Mr. President for being who you were supposed to be. I regret that we are not the country we used to be, the country we once were, where great things were possible.

To Barack and Michelle and to Joe and Jill, thank you. Good luck and godspeed.
The above blinder wearing diatribe is exactly why the libs lost.....

the above has about 15 "i"s ....cause it's all about you....

Obama's final speech refers to himself 75 times....

Trump's inaugural speech referred to himself 3 times....to "we" the people 45 times...

Posted Image
Only liberals can choose not to go down the road to widespread, systematic violence.
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Right-Wing
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That just may be the greatest .gif of all time!! :lol:
Edited by Right-Wing, Jan 20 2017, 03:36 PM.
Donald Trump is Barack Obama's President!
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clone
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Director @ Center for Advanced Memetic Warfare
Right-Wing
Jan 20 2017, 03:35 PM
That just may be the greatest .gif of all time!! :lol:
Won't be long before this becomes a gif and goes viral.....right up there with trigglypuff.....

[twitter=PrisonPlanet/status/822519771568738304]
Edited by clone, Jan 20 2017, 03:52 PM.
Only liberals can choose not to go down the road to widespread, systematic violence.
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clone
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Director @ Center for Advanced Memetic Warfare
^^^Seriously.....watch this....
Only liberals can choose not to go down the road to widespread, systematic violence.
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Robert Stout
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Two a.m.
Jan 20 2017, 12:05 PM
Drudge X
Jan 20 2017, 12:02 PM
So are you continuing with your indefinite vacation after this?

Possibly. It does give me a lot of free time.

You can go back to sleep now....I didn't notice you were gone............ :confused:
Jesus can raise the dead, but he can't fix stupid
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