# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rolken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Rolken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rolken)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/41 "2009-03-17T23:47:13Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > 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. On these very boards!? :eek: Yeah, of course. Are you saying that those people don’t also look like fools? Or are you hunkered down in trench warfare where my point sailed over your head? Oh, and thanks for proving it for me. My point, I mean, not your head. edit: I didn’t respond to the last part of your post because I assumed it was addressed to the thread at large rather than me specifically, but if that assumption was incorrect, your interpretations are so off-base that they discredit themselves better than I could anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/42 "2009-03-18T00:32:51Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > IMHO being very similar to George W. (in over his head) . . . It’s not the same. Obama is “in over his head” in terms of situation. W was “in over his head” in terms of ability. ---
**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 18, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/43 "2009-03-18T00:34:39Z")
[QUOTE=Rolken;10946549I didn’t respond to the last part of your post because I assumed it was addressed to the thread at large rather than me specifically, but if that assumption was incorrect, your interpretations are so off-base that they discredit themselves better than I could anyway.[/QUOTE] No they’re not. How the hell can you say that? Name one President that didn’t have a significant amount of detractors throughout their term. There always are, were, and will be those who jump all something a President does or says. Regardless if that President is right in what he/she does or says, regardless if that President is otherwise very popular. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > It’s not the same. Obama is “in over his head” in terms of situation. W was “in over his head” in terms of ability. I disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/44 "2009-03-18T01:34:29Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > 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? With surprising ease, it turned out. ---
**Author:** ![Rolken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Rolken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rolken)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/45 "2009-03-18T03:11:59Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > No they’re not. How the hell can you say that? Because what you’re saying has nothing to do with what I was saying. You’re just ranting at and about everyone and nobody in particular, and there’s no reason to complain to me about it, and no reason to expect me to defend against your ravings. When did I claim that Presidents have never had detractors? Are you unable to differentiate the perspectives of the people marked as your opponents? That is what I meant by your interpretations being off-base. For the record, my position is that there is plenty of silliness on all sides, and all of it should be treated dismissively. In spite of all your seething at how Obama supporters supposedly get upset and can’t take the heat, you’ve made more unhinged posts in this topic than anybody else. There is value in conversation about politics that doesn’t devolve to name calling and specious superficial argument, and the existence of people who don’t hold to that standard is not reason to abandon it wholesale and rush to the bottom, nor is criticism of that devolution somehow indicative of thin skin or lack of balls. Note also that the problem isn’t just that this kind of political shenanigans exist. The issue is that they’re increasingly all that’s left of the Republican Party, and so they gain more prominence by default. There was a time when it was more than sloganeering and pure politics. ---
**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 18, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/46 "2009-03-18T03:38:17Z")
There was a time when it was more than sloganeering and pure politics. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rolken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Rolken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rolken)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/47 "2009-03-18T04:04:50Z")
Oh, come on. Just look at, say, the National Review of 50 years ago versus today. If you’re not interested in substantive conversation, why are you here? There’s plenty of places on the Internet to share your contempt with like-minded people with no expectation of thoughtful responses. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/48 "2009-03-18T04:15:24Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > I disagree. Come on, you can do better than **that!** Who am I kidding? Of course you can’t. ---
**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 18, 2009, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/49 "2009-03-18T04:25:41Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > There was a time when it was more than sloganeering and pure politics. > > :rolleyes: A hell of a lot more independents would be willing to vote for a candidate endorsed by George Will than by Rush Limbaugh. Unfortunately, Limbaugh seems to have a lot more influence than Will these days. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/50 "2009-03-18T04:31:11Z")
> [@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? I always thought it was because in the early days, he was concerned that with the atmosphere the way it was after he was elected, he would be expected to wave a magic wand and solve every single problem in the first hour of his Presidency. He wanted to make it clear to people that it would take a lot of effort, on his part and everyone else’s, to get things done, and that it wouldn’t be painless or easy. But, as I said in the OP, there was a lot of concern that he was going a little too far with it, and depressing the economy by doing so, so they decided to brighten up the message a bit. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/51 "2009-03-18T07:40:48Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > 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. Sorry, I didn’t realize you were going on a tangent instead of supporting the OP’s complaint that changing his message is getting the Obama sneered at. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/52 "2009-03-18T19:19:57Z")
> [@Rolken](#): > > I love the name calling; it makes it easy to filter out whose opinions aren’t worth paying attention to. > > The Republicans have stated openly that their strategy is to consistently criticize the Democrats - “We will lose on legislation. But we will win the message war every day, and every week, until November 2010.” “Our goal is to bring down approval numbers for Pelosi and for House Democrats. That will take repetition. This is a marathon, not a sprint.” - both from Rep McHenry of NC. So be ready for a lot of these topics…! It is entirely possible that strategy will backfire by making the Pubs look desperate, dishonest, ridiculous, and endlessly annoying. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/53 "2009-03-18T19:22:46Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > 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. 😕 From which particular alternate universe are you posting?! ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/54 "2009-03-18T19:55:17Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > When he and his administration were being frank about how bad the economy was, and how bad it could yet get, I read conservative sources lambaste him for not being positive enough on the economy, for not building confidence that would encourage investors to return. > > Now that he and his administration are trying to be positive about the economy, both now and its potential for recovery, I read conservative sources mocking him for turning around on a dime and being a “Polyanna.” I’m not here to defend anything specific from any “conservative source”, but from my own perspective the problem with Obama is that his message changes in a self-serving manner. During the campaign it served his interests to trash the economy as much as possible, because he could then blame it on “Bush-McCain”. Now that he’s in charge, he suddenly wants to alleviate the panic, because he gets the credit if things improve and blame if they don’t. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/55 "2009-03-18T19:57:17Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 From which particular alternate universe are you posting?! If you don’t think the media is in love with this guy right now, you just aren’t paying attention - or your political stance makes you disinclined to notice. I can include a snarky emoticon if you think it would somehow help you understand, but I usually try politeness first. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388/56 "2009-03-19T03:27:24Z")
> [@spifflog](#): > > If you don’t think the media is in love with this guy right now, you just aren’t paying attention - or your political stance makes you disinclined to notice. > > I can include a snarky emoticon if you think it would somehow help you understand, but I usually try politeness first. The confusion, I’d guess, isn’t from the claim that the media is pro-Obama (it easily could be) but that it was, to any significant degree before the end, anti-Bush. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-obama-really-cant-win-can-he/489388.md?page=2)