# If Obama becomes POTUS, what can we expect? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 4, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340 "2008-01-04T23:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/61 "2008-01-07T14:09:53Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] There. [http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353829,CST-NWS-rez23.article](http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353829,CST-NWS-rez23.article) [/QUOTE] Did you even read your cite? Obama spent 5 hours over 6 YEARS on the case, and to that end the work was to rehab dilapitated housing in a defunct neighborhood. If that is the best people can come up with added to what **Hippy** said I’ll still have no problem voting for him and continuing to campaign for him. I was in NH this weekend and he has mounted an astounding campaign. I can’t wait until he comes to CT. Of all the shadiness coming from Obama’s past it amounts to very little when you take Bush and Cheney’s past as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/62 "2008-01-07T21:31:09Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] There. [http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353829,CST-NWS-rez23.article](http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/353829,CST-NWS-rez23.article) [/QUOTE] Lady, if Obama’s been active in politics – **Chicago** politics, yet – for years, and **that’s** all ya got on him, dude’s an effing **saint.** He’s squeaky. He’s so pure he floats. He’s Truman and Lincoln and Cato and Aristides the Just. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/63 "2008-01-08T00:47:44Z")
[QUOTE=Richard Parker] My only statement was that it is absolute hyperbole to say he has no accomplishments. [/quote] Who said “no” accomplishments? :dubious: The topic, if you’ll go back and read, was their quantity and significance as regards predicting his effectiveness as President. Significance includes the degree to which he has been willing to get his hands dirty - and the list you yourself posted, seemingly copied from somewhere (I know you’re a recent arrival, but we do take attribution seriously here - perhaps you can go fix that minor omission) does demonstrate a cause for concern. > [@](#): > > I don’t know what you’re all huffy about. Well, that, and your repeated and unwarranted “sincerity” remark. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/64 "2008-01-08T04:43:00Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Lady, if Obama’s been active in politics – **Chicago** politics, yet – for years, and **that’s** all ya got on him, dude’s an effing **saint.** He’s squeaky. He’s so pure he floats. He’s Truman and Lincoln and Cato and Aristides the Just. [/QUOTE] Ah, the “that’s the Chicago way” excuse. Even Sen. Obama himself said it was the wrong thing to do. But you want to give him a free pass. Why? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/65 "2008-01-08T04:59:30Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] Ah, the “that’s the Chicago way” excuse. Even Sen. Obama himself said it was the wrong thing to do. But you want to give him a free pass. Why? [/QUOTE] See post #57. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/66 "2008-01-08T05:28:41Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] See post #57. [/QUOTE] Doesn’t answer the question. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/67 "2008-01-08T05:37:42Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] Doesn’t answer the question. [/QUOTE] If there’s no evidence Obama did anything improper, why not give him a free pass? Even if he feels obliged to cover the “mea maxima culpa” bases at even the appearance of impropriety. That’s more than I would expect of anyone in the current Admin or any of the Pub candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/68 "2008-01-08T10:44:59Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Who said “no” accomplishments? :dubious: The topic, if you’ll go back and read, was their quantity and significance as regards predicting his effectiveness as President. Significance includes the degree to which he has been willing to get his hands dirty - and the list you yourself posted, seemingly copied from somewhere (I know you’re a recent arrival, but we do take attribution seriously here - perhaps you can go fix that minor omission) does demonstrate a cause for concern. [/QUOTE] Wow. Now I’m plagiarizing? I knew politics was full of dirty tricks, but I didn’t expect that on a message board. I’m sorry I’ve struck a nerve with you, really. But maybe you need to step away for a bit. I’ll even retract my insincerity claim since you appear to have been genuinely unaware of Obama’s accomplishments. For the record, you said this: > [@](#): > > I simply wish he had \*some \*record of tangible accomplishment to point to, not just oratorical ability. [emphasis mine] You said he doesn’t have “some record” that he has just “oratorical ability.” And you’re not even willing to concede that this was hyperbole. Can we get a show of hands? Does anyone think that isn’t, at minimum, hyperbole? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/69 "2008-01-08T13:48:41Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] Ah, the “that’s the Chicago way” excuse. Even Sen. Obama himself said it was the wrong thing to do. But you want to give him a free pass. Why? [/QUOTE] You said, _“Sen. Obama and “ethics” don’t belong in the same sentence.”_ Can you actually justify this claim? You still have not come close to this, unless of course you fell the same is true for all politicians as you have set the bar that high. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/70 "2008-01-08T17:11:38Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] The “what else” is the scary part. [/QUOTE] BTW, **Carol,** in the highly likely event this fairly straightforward dig sailed over your head, **ElvisL1ves** meant that in an Obama presidency, we can expect him to come in for the same kind of baseless bullshit right-wing smears Hillary Clinton has been enduring since 1992, of which your comments in this thread are prime examples. And I would add the same will happen during **any** Dem presidency. It was not always so. Pubs derided Carter for incompetence, but nobody made up fake stories, or ridiculously inflated real ones, to smear his ethics or character. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/71 "2008-01-08T18:10:13Z")
And, of course, **Carol’s** pathetic lameass smear attempt, having some tenuous basis in reality as it does, is both reasonable and mild compared to [some.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=450614) And you can be sure [it’s not going to stop.](http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071112/hayes) > [@](#): > > Oh yeah. And the e-mail continues to circulate. > > “Everybody started calling me” when the e-mail first made the rounds, Andy Martin told me. "They said, ‘Hey, did you write this?’ My answer was ‘they are all my children.’ " ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/72 "2008-01-08T23:31:43Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] BTW, **Carol,** in the highly likely event this fairly straightforward dig sailed over your head, **ElvisL1ves** meant that in an Obama presidency, we can expect him to come in for the same kind of baseless bullshit right-wing smears Hillary Clinton has been enduring since 1992, of which your comments in this thread are prime examples. And I would add the same will happen during **any** Dem presidency. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I don’t think **Carol Stream** caught that one, which probably meant that he/she thought my “Indeed” response was an affirmation for his/her take on things. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/73 "2008-01-08T23:47:51Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] Ah, the “that’s the Chicago way” excuse. Even Sen. Obama himself said it was the wrong thing to do. But you want to give him a free pass. Why? [/QUOTE] You give it a try then, just for yucks. What do \*you \* think Obama did that was unethical? (Note that he himself said it was “wrong”, but apparently in the sense that it gave the RW Hate Brigade a talking point) **Richard** , give it a rest, dude. Your last few posts have served only to \*confirm \* the points I’ve presented, in case you hadn’t noticed, okay? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/74 "2008-01-08T23:53:14Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] **Richard** , give it a rest, dude. Your last few posts have served only to \*confirm \* the points I’ve presented, in case you hadn’t noticed, okay? [/QUOTE] You don’t even know what my objection to your post was. There is no debate that can be had without even that basic understanding on your part, which is why you had to resort to smearing me. So I’ll take your advice and let it go. Best of luck with Richardson. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/75 "2008-01-09T00:23:56Z")
Go back and reread the thread, if you really want to know who you’re addressing with your lack of sourcing. Or else just tell us where you got it from, that’s fine too. But for the moment, you sound like Roger Clemens denying he used steroids, okay? Since you mention it, I expect Richardson to be out before I get a chance to vote for him, except in the Dem VP slot. I do consider it my responsibility to vote for the remaining candidate who I believe is most likely to be the best President, bearing in mind that campaigning is an entirely different game, and that the best President may not be the best campaigner. Laugh at that approach to citizenship if you will, but bear in mind that your own choice has been based on emotion, and many such choices are later regretted. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/76 "2008-01-09T02:31:47Z")
CNN is now reporting that Clinton 39% & Obama 37% for 2 delegates each. Happily Edwards is losing badly. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/77 "2008-01-09T04:23:01Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] BTW, **Carol,** in the highly likely event this fairly straightforward dig sailed over your head, **ElvisL1ves** meant that in an Obama presidency, we can expect him to come in for the same kind of baseless bullshit right-wing smears Hillary Clinton has been enduring since 1992, of which your comments in this thread are prime examples. And I would add the same will happen during **any** Dem presidency. It was not always so. Pubs derided Carter for incompetence, but nobody made up fake stories, or ridiculously inflated real ones, to smear his ethics or character. [/QUOTE] So news articles in the Chicago Sun-Times (of all papers) are now a “baseless bullshit right-wing smear”? Ok sure. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/78 "2008-01-09T04:34:27Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] So news articles in the Chicago Sun-Times (of all papers) are now a “baseless bullshit right-wing smear”? Ok sure. [/QUOTE] No, but your interpretation of the article however would probably fit your description. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/79 "2008-01-09T17:34:55Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Happily Edwards is losing badly. [/QUOTE] You need to get past this personal-injury-lawyer thing. As Michael Moore [stated before Iowa:](http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2008-01-02) > [@](#): > > It’s hard to get past the hair, isn’t it? But once you do – and recently I have chosen to try – you find a man who is out to take on the wealthy and powerful who have made life so miserable for so many. A candidate who says things like this: “I absolutely believe to my soul that this corporate greed and corporate power has an ironclad hold on our democracy.” Whoa. We haven’t heard anyone talk like that in a while, at least not anyone who is near the top of the polls. I suspect this is why Edwards is doing so well in Iowa, even though he has nowhere near the stash of cash the other two have. He won’t take the big checks from the corporate PACs, and he is alone among the top three candidates in agreeing to limit his spending and be publicly funded. He has said, point-blank, that he’s going after the drug companies and the oil companies and anyone else who is messing with the American worker. The media clearly find him to be a threat, probably because he will go after their monopolistic power, too. This is Roosevelt/Truman kind of talk. That’s why it’s resonating with people in Iowa, even though he doesn’t get the attention Obama and Hillary get – and that lack of coverage may cost him the first place spot tomorrow night. After all, he is one of those white guys who’s been running things for far too long. > > \ > > Edwards is the only one of the three front-runners who has a universal health care plan that will lead to the single-payer kind all other civilized countries have. His plan doesn’t go as fast as I would like, but he is the only one who has correctly pointed out that **the health insurance companies are the enemy and should not have a seat at the table.** (Emphasis added; BHO and HRC take note.) That’s what America needs more than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340/80 "2008-01-09T19:12:50Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] You need to get past this personal-injury-lawyer thing. As Michael Moore [stated before Iowa:](http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2008-01-02) (Emphasis added; BHO and HRC take note.) That’s what America needs more than anything else. [/QUOTE] I don’t agree. But, I do acknowledge that a lot of this is my irrational dislike for the man. I guess that will need to be my excuse for sticking by Rudy for so long. An irrational liking of him. He made NYC great for the visitor again and cleaned up my Grandmother’s neighborhood in the Bronx and the area around Yankee Stadium and most of Manhattan. Besides, you don’t expect someone this recently reformed to take Michael Moore’s word on anything, do you? 😉 Jim [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-obama-becomes-potus-what-can-we-expect/432340.md?page=5)