# Do you believe that Barack Obama has the country's best interest at heart? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 4, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627 "2010-02-04T02:42:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/1 "2010-02-04T02:42:33Z")
nspired by [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12073622&postcount=5) and [this article](http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/02/02/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6167520.shtml) and [Do you believe that George Bush had the country's best interest at heart? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=550679). So how about it? Do you think President Barack Obama is doing what he thinks is best for his country, or is he motivated by something else? Is he motivated by strictly personal gain? Is he motivated by his religion (i.e. Islam), meaning what he does is to further his religion? Is he motivated by a desire to further the power of the Communist party? Maybe he wants to promote Acorn, the ACLU, or Al Qaeda? Is he working for the Muslim Brotherhood? Kenyan Separatists? What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/2 "2010-02-04T02:46:36Z")
> [@L. G. Butts](#): > > Is he motivated by his religion (i.e. Islam), meaning what he does is to further his religion? Is he motivated by a desire to further the power of the Communist party? Maybe he wants to promote Acorn, the ACLU, or Al Qaeda? Is he working for the Muslim Brotherhood? Kenyan Separatists? What do you think? He’s an Al Qaeda trained agent of the Islamic Socialists for Kenya faction of the ACLU. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/3 "2010-02-04T03:00:32Z")
I think that as the first African American POTUS he must feel a huge pressure to go down in history as an effective leader and as one that tried to do the best for the country as a whole. In addition I do believe he is a patriotic American. He has not been as effective as I had hoped a year ago. I voted for the first option, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/4 "2010-02-04T03:05:24Z")
Of course he cares about our country. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/5 "2010-02-04T03:07:20Z")
Looks like I’m the only one who voted for Choice #4. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/6 "2010-02-04T03:26:30Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Looks like I’m the only one who voted for Choice #4. So what do you think is his motive? Seems like rather a roundabout and overly work-intense and difficult way to go about it (i.e. by becoming President of the US), given all the pretending you’d have to do on the campaign trail. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/7 "2010-02-04T03:30:29Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > So what do you think is his motive? Seems like rather a roundabout and overly work-intense and difficult way to go about it (i.e. by becoming President of the US), given all the pretending you’d have to do on the campaign trail. Curiously enough you have not called out Der Trhis for that who said the same thing and even worse (ie Bush wouldn’t mind thousands of Americands dead in order to advance his agenda) on the Bush thread. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/8 "2010-02-04T03:34:46Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Looks like I’m the only one who voted for Choice #4. I can’t believe **ANYONE** voted for Choice #4. I mean, it’s just an option poll, but you _really_ believe that he’s out to harm the country? Seriously? To think that I used to respect your opinion… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/9 "2010-02-04T03:38:33Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Curiously enough you have not called out Der Trhis for that who said the same thing and even worse (ie Bush wouldn’t mind thousands of Americands dead in order to advance his agenda) on the Bush thread. Because claiming that about Bush is far more plausible. EDIT: And upon checking I see that **Leaper** hasn’t even posted in the other thread. Which makes complaining about why he/she hasn’t commented on what I said pointless; you have no way of knowing if they’ve even read it. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/10 "2010-02-04T03:49:54Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Because claiming that about Bush is far more plausible. > > . Yeah because it’s pretty obvious that a genial Eastern-educated Methodist calm politician is really a sociopath who’s obssessed with control and power. :dubious::rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/11 "2010-02-04T04:03:34Z")
No, he was just an idiot under the control of a sociopath obsessed with control and power. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/12 "2010-02-04T04:05:11Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Curiously enough you have not called out Der Trhis for that who said the same thing and even worse (ie Bush wouldn’t mind thousands of Americands dead in order to advance his agenda) on the Bush thread. Well, that’s because I really am curious why **Crafter Man** thinks someone would get himself elected President (and all the work inherent therein) just to destroy the country. Surely there are easier ways to go about it. I wasn’t “calling out” anyone. As for **DT** , well, he’s made his opinions and reasons so painfully clear that I really don’t see any point in asking about them. It’d kind of be like asking the Pope if he believes in God, y’know? ETA: And what Bush thread are you talking about? **DT** has, er, made his opinions clear on any one of dozens and dozens of threads about Bush and Republicans. It’s sort of hard to keep track of, and I certainly don’t read them all, especially if they’re in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/13 "2010-02-04T04:05:59Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Yeah because it’s pretty obvious that a genial Eastern-educated Methodist calm politician is really a sociopath who’s obssessed with control and power. :dubious::rolleyes: He’s a privileged, stupid, ignorant, incompetent religious fanatic who apparently thought he was some sort of God chosen champion. The sort of man with a demonstrated willingness to kill tens of thousands of people out of self indulgence, and who consistently demonstrated a complete lack of compassion and principle towards everyone else, including Americans. A fool and a monster. I’m not fond at all of Obama; but I see no reason to think of him as anything worse than just another glib politician. He’s not remotely the kind of lunatic scum Bush is. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/14 "2010-02-04T04:18:06Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > Yeah because it’s pretty obvious that a genial Eastern-educated Methodist calm politician is really a sociopath who’s obssessed with control and power. :dubious::rolleyes: WTF does genial have to do with anything? You know who else was genial? Idi Amin. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/15 "2010-02-04T04:18:22Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > He’s a privileged, stupid, ignorant, incompetent religious fanatic who apparently thought he was some sort of God chosen champion. The sort of man with a demonstrated willingness to kill tens of thousands of people out of self indulgence, and who consistently demonstrated a complete lack of compassion and principle towards everyone else, including Americans. A fool and a monster. None of which necessarily makes it likely that he was actively trying to harm the country. Same with Obama - even if you really think he is a Muslim Sociocommunazi, and he’s got all kinds of ulterior motives, it’s pretty stupid to assume that his goal is actually to harm the country. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/16 "2010-02-04T04:23:21Z")
He _seems_ to be doing what _he thinks_ is best for the country, although I don’t think that’s what actually _is_ best. Some of the worst deeds in history have been done by people who thought they were doing the right thing. But that might be wishful thinking on my part, because as much as I disagree with him, I _want_ to like him. Anyway, I don’t trust _any_ politician, so I have to answer “I don’t know what to believe.” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/17 "2010-02-04T04:23:55Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > None of which necessarily makes it likely that he was actively trying to harm the country. But I didn’t say he was in the other thread; I said that he just didn’t care about the welfare of the country or its people. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/18 "2010-02-04T04:28:03Z")
So you didn’t. **Curtis** , that was very naughty. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/19 "2010-02-04T04:33:25Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > None of which necessarily makes it likely that he was actively trying to harm the country. > > Same with Obama - even if you really think he is a Muslim Sociocommunazi, and he’s got all kinds of ulterior motives, it’s pretty stupid to assume that his goal is actually to harm the country. I never deep down thought that about Bush, or even Cheney. I think Cheney was cynical, self-serving, amoral and indifferent to human rights (and human life), but I never thought he was intentionally trying to hurt the country. It took me a long time to get a handle on whether Bush was cynical or naive, and I think it’s the latter. He was religiose, grandiose and bellicose, but I think he generally meant well, and I think (unlike Cheney), he has a conscience. I think he was led by the nose, but thought he was doing the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/20 "2010-02-04T04:34:42Z")
Obama strikes me as someone who _likes_ his country. As far as it goes. Someone else made the observation that his temperament really seems better suited to be prime minister rather than president. Any Brits out there, am I right in thinking that if you asked Gordon Brown: “Prime Minister, do you _love_ the United Kingdom?” he’d have an awkward moment as he considers that really to be a rather pointless and silly question, and even a bit gauche. (My impression of British politicians generally, not GB specifically, as I haven’t really kept up with UK politics lately.) That’s a bit of the impression I have of Obama, at any rate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627.md?page=2)