# Man, Obama really can't win, can he? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 14, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388 "2009-03-14T01:39:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/21 "2009-03-16T03:58:36Z")
I love juvenile name calling, but the closest I got was when a co-worker got a syndicated (to one station) game show that I never saw because the transmitter was to weak. Note to Bruce Bolenbaugh (or something like that which is more likely to have an internet hit), Try it on You Tube. It might work this time. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/22 "2009-03-16T04:35:53Z")
As much as I like Obama and dislike people who are dishonest in their political expression, the OP isn’t really “exposing” any such hypocrisy. I hate this cliche; surely this has one of those fallacy names? People, the “right”–like the “left” or what have you–is not some kind of vast, coherent collective mind: there’s no central authority that vets every goddamn thing that every individual rightwinger says. If one conservative person lambastes him for not being positive enough on the economy, for not building confidence that would encourage investors to return, and another conservative person mocks him for turning around on a dime and being a “Polyanna,” that doesn’t make them some kind of chimeric hypocrite. It makes them individuals. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/23 "2009-03-16T04:41:03Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > War criminal? You forgot some - frat boy, drugstore cowboy, all hat no cattle, and the Pretzeldunce (I just came up with that one). The guy was either lazy, or stupid, or both. He had the country and the world behind him on the morning of 9/11 and blew it. It was just repeating a life long pattern, of never being good at anything. He was a disaster. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/24 "2009-03-16T05:45:28Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > As much as I like Obama and dislike people who are dishonest in their political expression, the OP isn’t really “exposing” any such hypocrisy. > > I hate this cliche; surely this has one of those fallacy names? > > People, the “right”–like the “left” or what have you–is not some kind of vast, coherent collective mind: there’s no central authority that vets every goddamn thing that every individual rightwinger says. > > If one conservative person lambastes him for not being positive enough on the economy, for not building confidence that would encourage investors to return, and another conservative person mocks him for turning around on a dime and being a “Polyanna,” that doesn’t make them some kind of chimeric hypocrite. It makes them individuals. Certainly, you’re correct. That’s why I wrote what I did in my last paragraph, the parenthetical. Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough there. ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/25 "2009-03-16T06:01:47Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > People, the “right”–like the “left” or what have you–is not some kind of vast, coherent collective mind: there’s no central authority that vets every goddamn thing that every individual rightwinger says. > > If one conservative person lambastes him for not being positive enough on the economy, for not building confidence that would encourage investors to return, and another conservative person mocks him for turning around on a dime and being a “Polyanna,” that doesn’t make them some kind of chimeric hypocrite. It makes them individuals. Yes, you’ve echoed my thoughts exactly. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/26 "2009-03-16T08:52:15Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I seem to recall that right-wing version of _The Daily Show_ (you know, the one that lasted about four episodes) got great (recorded) laughs with that observation. Huh? What right-wing version of _The Daily Show_ are you talking about? I immediately think of the _Colbert Report_ but that’s still running with 500+ episodes and an Emmy under its belt so I’m confused. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/27 "2009-03-16T11:33:05Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Huh? What right-wing version of _The Daily Show_ are you talking about? That would be the late, unlamented “Half Hour News Hour” on Fox News. Unlike the The Colbert Report (which a clever spoof of right wing pundits), [HHNH was painfully unfunny.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F49e64yq8lI) ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/28 "2009-03-16T12:13:45Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That would be the late, unlamented “Half Hour News Hour” on Fox News. Unlike the The Colbert Report (which a clever spoof of right wing pundits), [HHNH was painfully unfunny.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F49e64yq8lI) But it was only a half-hour, yet it was called the “News Hour.” That’s goddamn hilarious! How could it be anything but a laugh riot? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/29 "2009-03-16T13:48:32Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > People, the “right”–like the “left” or what have you–is not some kind of vast, coherent collective mind: there’s no central authority that vets every goddamn thing that every individual rightwinger says. And somewhere this very minute, a shadowy team of Republican operatives is implementing a plan to neutralize this deficiency. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/30 "2009-03-16T14:19:24Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Like I said, I wasn’t that much into politics. I know about the election crap, but nothing about him as president until September. What I remember being discussed about his presidency until September was that he _always_ seemed to be on vacation, golfing somewhere or “clearing brush” at his “ranch.” ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/31 "2009-03-16T15:19:16Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Especially when it’s spelled Hussein. > > I’m skeptical that Bush was this scrutinized in his first few months in the office once the election was decided. I wasn’t so much into politics back then, but I never heard much about him until 9/11, when suddenly he took center stage and never left it. Honestly, Obama is getting treated better than any President thus far into his term that I can remember, especially by the media. By a fair margin. Bush was hammered by the press as I recall early on. And frankly though much of his Presidency. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/32 "2009-03-16T15:42:56Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Like I said, I wasn’t that much into politics. I know about the election crap, but nothing about him as president until September. Just before 911 ,Bush was on vacation. he broke Reagans record for most vacation days. He was spending a month away from the rigors of being prez after a few months. There were a lot of warning about an attack, but off he went. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/33 "2009-03-16T16:16:15Z")
> [@troub](#): > > What I remember being discussed about his presidency until September was that he _always_ seemed to be on vacation, golfing somewhere or “clearing brush” at his “ranch.” Have _you_ ever tried to run a brush ranch? The work never ends. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/34 "2009-03-16T17:03:57Z")
No, no, no! One clears away the brush so that the absence of rainfall can directly impact the lack of viable topsoil. This can produce a healthy effect on the overall desolation. Brush is an ever-present threat in the Waco-Crawford Greater Metropolitan Area. Many an unwary lad has fallen asleep over a catfish pole only to awaken to find hostile brush surrounding him, with designs on his person best left unimagined. I will not fault GeeDubya for his devoted brush-clearing efforts, no sir! I can only suggest that had such brush-clearing been the exclusive focus of his endeavors, the past eight years might well have been a sunnier time. Alas. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/35 "2009-03-16T17:05:36Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > He had to talk down the economy to get his pork-laden “stimulus” package passed. Will you kindly stop pushing this ridiculous fucking idea? Next you’ll claim that it had earmarks for ACORN and a high-speed rail track from LA to the Bunnyland Ranch in Reno. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/36 "2009-03-16T17:42:11Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Just before 911 ,Bush was on vacation. he broke Reagans record for most vacation days. He was spending a month away from the rigors of being prez after a few months. There were a lot of warning about an attack, but off he went. I was stationed at the Pentagon in 2001, and I don’t recall there being more warnings than normal about a terrorist attack. Do you have some way to quantify that? And even if that was the case, would the attacks have been stopped if Bush had actually been in the White House? Did George have the only keys to the double top secret " “laser” " that would have shot down the terrorist bastids just outside New York??? Bush’s record is bad enough without just making stuff up. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/37 "2009-03-16T17:58:28Z")
As for the this thread… Same play, different actors. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/38 "2009-03-17T02:13:18Z")
> [@Rolken](#): > > So basically what you’re saying is, because there are Democrats who make fools of themselves, for you to behave in the same way is not making a fool of yourself? > > Do I have that right? Because I’m pretty sure that the juvenile segments of both parties look juvenile, astonishing though the logic may be. Um, no. First of all, I was making comment to names Bush was called on these very boards. Second of all, I don’t give a fuck. Bush, like Obama, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon…etc. infinity… are pols and “really can’t win” (per the OP’s wordage) is all a part of the job. Having detractors (even some who voted for whomever the current white house occupant is) is part of the game. That’s the way it goes. Nothing to get real upset about, it it? I’m certain that the old saying \*“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” \*was, if not coined by, was at least the favorite saying of a politician! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/39 "2009-03-17T04:37:37Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Will you kindly stop pushing this ridiculous fucking idea? I see that you’re shocked that anyone would acuse a politician of having an agenda. So what’s your explaination about why he broke the record on using the word crisis in his speeches before he got the bill passed but is now talking about sunshine, cotton candy, and puppies? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/40 "2009-03-17T04:53:08Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I see that you’re shocked that anyone would acuse a politician of having an agenda. So what’s your explaination about why he broke the record on using the word crisis in his speeches before he got the bill passed but is now talking about sunshine, cotton candy, and puppies? Actually, that’s completely unrelated to my objection, but thanks for playing. I’m tired of **ivylass** claiming that the stimulus was full of pork and wouldn’t actually stimulate the economy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388.md?page=3)