# Obama Feints To the Left **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 20, 2015, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330 "2015-01-20T00:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/61 "2015-01-20T20:59:38Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Contemplating another run for President. Nary a peep from the former Senators I named, adding Mr. Begich, Mr. Udall, and I can go on. One presumes he is improving his interaction with wait staff. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/62 "2015-01-20T21:40:22Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > And yet the Republicans still can’t do anything besides step on their own dicks. Tragic. Politically, they’ve done everything but win the White House. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/63 "2015-01-20T21:44:15Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Politically, they’ve done everything but win the White House. Everything but govern. They excel at avoiding that. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/64 "2015-01-20T21:58:37Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Politically, they’ve done everything but win the White House. Yes, they’ve done everything but the most significant. In the last few years, the Democrats have done everything but win the House. We’ll see what happens in 2016, but your cherrypicking things just to make the Republicans look good and Obama look bad are not convincing. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/65 "2015-01-20T21:59:38Z")
I agree with you. I also see a huge failure to govern on the other side. What governing they have done has been massively unpopular. I doubt that the President’s SOTU proposals are going to be particularly popular either. I get what he’s trying to accomplish, but the public’s just not paying attention to him anymore. 2013 and 2014 saw the lowest ratings for the speech since 2000. Anyone care to predict how many people will actually be listening this time? One firm prediction I’ll make. Fox viewers will be watching more than CNN or MSNBC viewers. Wouldn’t it be nice if the President’s supporters were as interested in what he had to say as his opponents? Maybe eventually he’ll realize who his actual audience is and cater to us. Barack Obama, become one of us! You know you want to! ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/66 "2015-01-20T22:49:01Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > His approval polls prove you wrong without any further debate. Although I’m frankly shocked we would even have such a debate. This board is way too educated and informed to actually be on the subject of whether the President is popular or not. What’s next, are we going to debate whether or not the Republicans control Congress, or whether there are in fact nine Supreme Court justices? Who is talking about whether he is popular or not? we were having a discussion about his ability to get people to vote for him, something even you couldn’t argue he is bad at. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/67 "2015-01-20T22:51:56Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Extricating the relevant data points from the “test”: > > A 40% gap (a yawning chasm in political terms) is clearly incompatible with your thesis. I don’t follow what you’re trying to say here, unless you think that everyone who voted for Pryor is a progressive? If that’s what you’re saying, you don’t know what a progressive is. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/68 "2015-01-20T22:59:00Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I don’t follow what you’re trying to say here, unless you think that everyone who voted for Pryor is a progressive? If that’s what you’re saying, you don’t know what a progressive is. I think people voted for Mark Pryor because his Father was a good Governor and US Senator. Mark is an ass, but he is a Democratic ass. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/69 "2015-01-20T23:59:58Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > **Obama Feints To the Left** And then he steps to the right Puts his hands on his hips Brings in his knees real tight But it’s the pelvic thrust . . . ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/70 "2015-01-21T00:01:00Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Politically, they’ve done everything but win the White House. No, you mean **electorally.** Political success is defined by getting your policies enacted, not just by getting elected. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/71 "2015-01-21T00:16:41Z")
True, but by that standard I’d argue Republicans are winning there too. Spending growth has been virtually non-existent since they took Congress. We spent $3.6 trillion in 2011 and $3.5 trillion in 2014. In 2015, the PResident is requesting the absurd amount of $3.9 trillion. If he gets $3.6 trillion, I’d be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/72 "2015-01-21T00:25:20Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > True, but by that standard I’d argue Republicans are winning there too. Spending growth has been virtually non-existent since they took Congress. We spent $3.6 trillion in 2011 and $3.5 trillion in 2014. > > In 2015, the PResident is requesting the absurd amount of $3.9 trillion. If he gets $3.6 trillion, I’d be surprised. You can define this as Republican success and you can define it as Democratic success. Considering the history of Republican and Democratic presidents, I see no reason to believe Republicans actually support lower spending than Democrats. They might say they do, but they don’t do it – they just spend on different things. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/73 "2015-01-21T00:45:15Z")
That’s true when a Republican is President. Under Clinton and Obama, Republicans did much better. I worry about what Republicans will do if they get the White HOuse too. The past has not been encouraging. But if you like spending control, you can’t beat a Republican Congress and a Democratic President. But you can’t call it a Democratic success when the President is requesting amounts unhinged from reality. Clinton didn’t do that. That’s unique to Obama. $400 billion in new spending is absolutely insane and he isn’t raising the revenue to even come close to covering that in his budget. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/74 "2015-01-21T00:52:31Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > That’s true when a Republican is President. Under Clinton and Obama, Republicans did much better. I worry about what Republicans will do if they get the White HOuse too. The past has not been encouraging. But if you like spending control, you can’t beat a Republican Congress and a Democratic President. > > But you can’t call it a Democratic success when the President is requesting amounts unhinged from reality. Clinton didn’t do that. That’s unique to Obama. $400 billion in new spending is absolutely insane and he isn’t raising the revenue to even come close to covering that in his budget. You’ll have to provide a cite for those numbers. Bush raised spending a ton. Further, what he asks for could well just be part of the negotiation. It’s what he signs (or otherwise puts into effect) that counts in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/75 "2015-01-21T00:53:51Z")
Oh, Bush definitely jacked up spending more over his Presidency. BTW, Robert Reich just posted this on his Facebook page: > [@](#): > > What’s the President up to? Why this flurry of good ideas – such as raising the capital gains rate on high incomes to 28%, closing the trust-fund loophole, making community colleges free, enlarging the childcare tax credit, raising the pay threshold for overtime workers – when the only power he really has over a Republican congress is the power to veto what they come up with? > > The answer, I think, is he knows the Republicans will try to dismember the Affordable Care Act, roll back Dodd-Frank, and prevent enforcement of his executive orders. So rather than being on the defensive for the next two years, he’d rather put the GOP on the defensive – forcing Republicans to explain why they’re rejecting more and more of his initiatives. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/76 "2015-01-21T00:57:36Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Oh, Bush definitely jacked up spending more over his Presidency. So it’s not unique to Obama, I guess. Try not to say things that you immediately have to take back. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/77 "2015-01-21T01:06:03Z")
What’s unique is asking for $400 billion more over last year in the absence of a crisis justifying such spending. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/78 "2015-01-21T01:10:38Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > _Sigh_ Sounds like the same old Democratic class-warfare bullshit. > : Class warfare? Good. About time the Middle Class returned hostile fire, I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/79 "2015-01-21T01:13:21Z")
What does any part of this thread, from OP to the ridiculous sameness every discussion on this board gets dragged to, have to do with elections? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330/80 "2015-01-21T01:17:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And then he steps to the right > Puts his hands on his hips > Brings in his knees real tight > But it’s the pelvic thrust . . . _“It’s not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache.”_ —Obama [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-feints-to-the-left/710330.md?page=5)