# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/21 "2010-02-04T04:35:31Z")
> [@River\_Hippie](#): > > 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. I think this is what drives him to be the perfect Head of State. I think both he and Michelle are very aware that the First Family’s image will affect the image of black people across the country. And haven’t they just been awesome? Anyone see Obama do a [play-by-play](http://www.bustersports.com/blog/buster-blog/2010/01/30/barack-obama-does-play-by-play-in-duke-georgetown-game-vid/) at a college basketball game? Even House Republicans lined up to get autographs from him at the end of their Q&A session. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/22 "2010-02-04T04:43:46Z")
I voted #1, but I wish I could have voted for #1 and #4. I think he intends to do good things for the country, but the things he is trying to do would actually harm the country. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/23 "2010-02-04T04:55:30Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I voted #1, but I wish I could have voted for #1 and #4. I think he intends to do good things for the country, but the things he is trying to do would actually harm the country. Eh, that’s how I felt about George Bush and I voted for #1 for him. ---
**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, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/24 "2010-02-04T05:00:18Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I voted #1, but I wish I could have voted for #1 and #4. I think he intends to do good things for the country, but the things he is trying to do would actually harm the country. Your opinion on his policies is immaterial. The point of the thread is your opinion on his intent, so #1 alone is appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/25 "2010-02-04T05:37:32Z")
I voted Option #1, both here and in the thread about Bush (and _please_, let’s not make this thread about Bush). I think, however, that Obama is slightly more likely to think in terms of the _world_’s best interests than Bush was, and that this is one reason why he is far more popular abroad than GWB was. ---
**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, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/26 "2010-02-04T05:46:16Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I think, however, that Obama is slightly more likely to think in terms of the _world_’s best interests than Bush was, and that this is one reason why he is far more popular abroad than GWB was. If it’s not outside the bounds of this thread, then I’d like to ask: how so? It seems clear to me that he _enjoys_ receiving acclaim abroad, and some of the European elite may approve of some his policies (or at least the fact that he’s not GWB) – but to me that’s not the same thing as being a deep international thinker. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/27 "2010-02-04T06:04:37Z")
I chose #2. I have no doubt at all that Obama is a patriotic American, but he’s still a politician and I have a feeling that most (if not all) politicians are motivated by something else, be it money, the pursuit of fame, living up to campaign trail hype, or whatever. As a politician, though, he’s a helluvalot better than most others out there. I don’t doubt his patriotism, but I just can’t bring myself to fully trust any politician. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/28 "2010-02-04T07:03:39Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > He’s an Al Qaeda trained agent of the Islamic Socialists for Kenya faction of the ACLU. Or, as they are known, [del]NAMBLA[/del]ACORN. ---
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/29 "2010-02-04T07:34:46Z")
Somewhere between 1 and 2. I just don’t agree that everything HE may think is best for the country is in fact best. Any president is a politician who has some loyalty to his party and other interests as well, so it can’t be all #1. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/30 "2010-02-04T08:03:03Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > 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. I don’t think Bush gave a shit about doing his job right. He thought that others would advise and he would decide based on trusted advice. Most of that advice, especially until the Plame affair unraveled was from Cheney and his proxies. I think Bush followed the developments of the Plame affair closely enough to realize that Cheney didn’t give a shit about Bush family honor, and was engaging in personal retaliation. He probably also realized that he had been lied to and was repeating the lies in justifying the war in Iraq, which was sold to him while running for office on WMD, and family revenge. Cheney himself never understood what dangers Saddam did and did not present. He thought the Iraq adventure necessary for energy policy and stability in the Middle East. Wholly unwarranted. Cheney spent the next few years hiding from everybody but fundraising, granting no bid contracts to his buddies. To me, Cheney comes off as the most loathsome cowardly and evil person in American history, eclipsing even Nixon. He doesn’t even rise to the level of it being worthy to consider if he was doing it in what he thought was the best interests of the country. Bush probably did think he was doing what was best. But wrongo! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/31 "2010-02-04T08:09:18Z")
I tend to think that Obama is overdoing the appearing to act in the country’s best interest thing by sticking with reaching out to the republicans and trying to create a bipartisan political climate. It certainly is not in his party’s interest. It might be done, as others have suggested, in trying to do a Jackie Robinson and look very statesmanlike and responsible as the first black person to be president. I wanted somebody who would fight for the party platform, and ostensibly that is what the American people elected. At this point, I would have preferred a Hillary nomination. But in the interests of full disclosure, I didn’t support Obama financially until it was over for Hillary. If Hillary were our President, Joe Lieberman would not be running the health care reform show. He’d be along for the ride or road kill. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/32 "2010-02-04T14:11:43Z")
The fact that Obama really believes the shit he pushes makes it that much scarier. He’s Jimmy Carter v2.0. If the country is very, very fortunate, we will elect Reagain 2.0. If we are not very, very fortunate, we are _fucked_. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/33 "2010-02-04T14:19:36Z")
I think most people who get elected to the office have the country’s best interests in mind. Reagan 2.0 would be an even bigger clusterfuck than Bush 2.0. ---
**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, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/34 "2010-02-04T14:26:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The fact that Obama really believes the shit he pushes makes it that much scarier. > > He’s Jimmy Carter v2.0. If the country is very, very fortunate, we will elect Reagain 2.0. If we are not very, very fortunate, we are _fucked_. > > Regards, > Shodan Coming soon: _Reagan 2.0! All the police actions in Grenada and none of the boring speeches!_ ---
**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, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/35 "2010-02-04T14:37:19Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > 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? Yes. I believe he’s trying to bring the U.S. “to its knees.” Once he and his cronies economically destroy the country, they will “fix it” using statist & socialistic policies. This is what socialists do. IMO, of course. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/36 "2010-02-04T14:39:23Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I don’t think Bush gave a shit about doing his job right. He thought that others would advise and he would decide based on trusted advice. Most of that advice, especially until the Plame affair unraveled was from Cheney and his proxies. I think Bush followed the developments of the Plame affair closely enough to realize that Cheney didn’t give a shit about Bush family honor, and was engaging in personal retaliation. He probably also realized that he had been lied to and was repeating the lies in justifying the war in Iraq, which was sold to him while running for office on WMD, and family revenge. Cheney himself never understood what dangers Saddam did and did not present. He thought the Iraq adventure necessary for energy policy and stability in the Middle East. Wholly unwarranted. Cheney spent the next few years hiding from everybody but fundraising, granting no bid contracts to his buddies. > > To me, Cheney comes off as the most loathsome cowardly and evil person in American history, eclipsing even Nixon. He doesn’t even rise to the level of it being worthy to consider if he was doing it in what he thought was the best interests of the country. > > Bush probably did think he was doing what was best. But wrongo! In defense of Bush (not that I’m a fan of his mind you) I’ve read that after the Plame affair he caught on to Cheney’s act. I wouldn’t exactly say he stood up to him, but at the very least he did become less likely to take advice from him. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/37 "2010-02-04T14:41:20Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Yes. I believe he’s trying to bring the U.S. “to its knees.” Once he and his cronies economically destroy the country, they will “fix it” using statist & socialistic policies. This is what socialists do. IMO, of course. Watch Glen Beck much? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/38 "2010-02-04T14:49:51Z")
For the record, I voted the first option. And I would have voted the same way Reagan, either Bush and Clinton … or for pretty much any president, except maybe Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2010, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/39 "2010-02-04T15:32:09Z")
I’m certain he does. I’m also certain that George W. Bush did, too. And even Dick Cheney. The difference is that their interpretation of what the best interests are, and how to achieve them, vary more than a little. ---
**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, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627/40 "2010-02-04T15:40:32Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Watch Glen Beck much? No. And FWIW, I agree with **The Second Stone** on Bush and Cheney. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-believe-that-barack-obama-has-the-countrys-best-interest-at-heart/527627.md?page=3)