It's ironic that this is the home turf of the last democratic political dynasty. http://washingtonindependent.com/56502/only-45-percent-of-arkansans-say-obama-was-born-in-america Only 45 Percent of Arkansans Say Obama Was Born in America By David Weigel 8/25/09 1:00 PM Public Policy Polling dips into Arkansas, one of the few states where Barack Obama won fewer votes for president than John Kerry, and finds that only 45 percent of Arkansans are confident of the president’s citizenship. Thirty-one percent of them say he was born outside of the country; the rest aren’t sure. As has been the case in other states, “birtherism” in Arkansas is largely a problem for white voters and conservative Republicans. Whites only believe that Obama was born in America by a seven-point margin, 41-34, while African-Americans believe it by a 57-point margin, 68-11. Fewer than one-quarter of Republicans are sure that Obama was born in America; 49 percent say he wasn’t. The numbers are actually lower among “conservatives,” 43 percent of whom say Obama wasn’t born in America. That’s understandable in Arkansas, one of the deep South states where most voters still belong to the Democratic Party while often splitting their ballot for federal offices.
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This really is demonstrative of the problem right here. The vast majority of Republicans are just ****ing stupid.
No. They're just extremely stupid. These are the same people who think Saddam blew up the WTC. These are the poor southerners who believe that the GOP is standing up for them when they stand up for corporations and their CEO's. It makes me wish we could bring back intelligence testing before allowing people to vote. Of course, none of this excuses what an incredible sissy Obama's been about, well, pretty much everything. His presidency's on the line now and he's on the clock. He was good at turning things around during the campaign, on several occasions. Let's see if he can do it in the big chair. I'd guess he's got until the end of the year.
Remember when I said a few months ago that Obama would get pounded and lose a lot of political capital trying to push healthcare? A couple of responses (maybe including your's) said in effect: No, you are wrong. "Most Americans are in favor of healthcare reform", blah, blah, blah. I knew this was coming and I knew his popularity would sink like a stone. It was plain as day to me that with such an ambitious agenda that this was going to be a very tough year for (and on) Obama's presidency. On the other hand I would advise you to take a deep breath. Now is exactly the time when his poll numbers and popularity should dive. Certainly not next summer, right? That would be a disaster. Now (or very shortly) is the time for Obama to pull himself up and start gaining momentum again. If all goes the way I see it, the improving economy will help him tremendously. Some sort of healthcare reform will indeed be enacted later this year. Obama's poll numbers will go up again and his presidency will emerge stronger from this time of doubt. The two things that could really damage Obama are the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He absolutely MUST educate the American people on why the Afghan effort is necessary or it could swallow up his presidency. The Iraq conflict (which ties in with Iran) is another major issue. (The deficit is another one that could bite him). It's interesting to watch the partisan mood swings displayed here and elsewhere. There is a tendency to exaggerate the ups (like early on) and downs (right now). Whether you like him or not, Obama has very competent and top notch people working for him. They will learn from this experience and emerge wiser for it. Every administration has major missteps at the begining, even Bill Clinton's. Post-election euphoria always leads to disappointment. That's just the way it is. Unless the wars drag him down, Obama's administration will be fine. The Republicans are enjoying a brief time of respite but they still haven't changed one bit. This false sense of security will delay their much-needed change and they will get pounded in future elections until they take control away from the kook elements like Palin & Limbaugh. It's hard to tell what might happen in 2010, but it's waaaaaay too early for Dems to pout and for Republicans to get happy.
People say things because they want them to be true, or they hope enough other people believe it to serve their interests.
except you don't mention the economy at all. the rules have changed, the rest of the world has caught onto our game. good luck getting them to invest like mad in our bubbles again.
I agree that was a great post above, A_3PO. But I think it seriously downplays the importance of health care and what sort of legislation Obama is able to get through there. Will he fight for real reform? He hasn't so far. Or will he continue to soft walk this thing along in the vain hope of romancing the blue dogs and moderate Republicans that are holding the process hostage? We still really don't know what kind of president we have. He wanted to preside over an ambitious -- but practical and thereby, hopefully, bi-partisan -- agenda. The Republicans took that option away when they decided obstruction was their best political move. And they've made it clear they're all in by repeating bogus lies like the laughable "death panels." What Obama does next will tell us a lot about what sort of presidency he's going to have. In the primaries, Hillary Clinton warned that the Republicans wouldn't play no matter what and we needed a fighter in there. Obama argued that he would bring everyone along. That flatly has not worked. Now he can fight or lie down. He's compromised and hedged on a lot of really heavy and important stuff already. And it looks like he's set to do it again, in a huge way, with health care. I hope I'm wrong about that.
