# "We don't want four more years of Obama" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659 "2016-06-29T01:22:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/81 "2016-07-01T17:11:35Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > “He waved a magic wand”? Yeah, just like those cops in Miami waved their “magic wands” and shot Omar Mateen - another US citizen. That must really piss you off too, right? Fucking wizards running around with the wands out. Nobody’s safe! > > In reality, both the cops and the president relied on years of legal arguments and support from other groups like the CIA and the military when they decided to take action against terrorists. > > Now, there are all sorts of things you can actually argue about here - starting with the question of why the State is entitled to execute its citizens (either of them), the easy access to guns and drone mounted guns, the lack of transparency about who decided what when, and so on. > > But acting like Obama just woke up one morning and decided to murder someone - just for the fun of it, apparently - robs your concern of all seriousness. Your post is offensive and full of presumptions. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/82 "2016-07-01T17:31:50Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Soared you say? > > [cite](http://www.factcheck.org/2016/01/obamas-numbers-january-2016-update/) Yes, soared. Before the fiscal stimulus was passed the administration released a [report](http://otrans.3cdn.net/ee40602f9a7d8172b8_ozm6bt5oi.pdf)that said unless the fiscal stimulus package was passed unemployment would go up to 9%. After the stimulus package was passed unemployment actually went up to 10%. So when the actual rate goes up 1% over what the prediction that was supposed to scare people into supporting the stimulus package, I think that qualifies as soared. My main problem with the way Obama reacted to the recession was all the money wasted on expensive but ineffectual fiscal policy while ignoring potentially effective monetary policy by not appointed doves to the Fed when they could have done the most good. In the time since the Great Recession started the Fed has done a decent job of monetary stimulus and has driven the unemployment rate down to its current low levels. I would definitely support four more years of either Bernanke or Yellen. I guess NPR doesn’t find monetary policy as interesting as teen in third world countries who like rap. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/83 "2016-07-01T17:36:38Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Your post is offensive and full of presumptions. My post may be presumptuous but it’s still more accurate than your characterization of the multi-organizational process that led to Anwar al-Awlaki’s death as “Obama waved a wand”. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/84 "2016-07-01T17:37:53Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > You’re probably right. > > But he waved a magic wand in deciding assassinating American citizens openly was ok. I’m probably right, but you will then throw an unrelated thing at me in hopes of doing what? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/85 "2016-07-01T18:33:18Z")
I voted for Obama twice, without hesitation. But I have to say that after 8 years, I’m sick of seeing and hearing him on TV. The lecturing is getting old. Full disclosure, though, I think that is mostly because of the exposure and is typically true, for me, of any president who hangs around that long. My God the way my skin would crawl every time GWB’s mug was shown on TV. Bottom line, though, I’d take 4 more years of Obama over 4 years of either Hillary or Trump any day!! He’s the most dovish of the 3 by far. I"m generally OK with Hillary, but I’m just uncertain of how trigger-happy she is going to be. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/86 "2016-07-01T18:45:53Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > No…i mean having a kill list of which some are American citizens and droning them. No due process. They’re terrorists, military targets – due process does not apply. Under the circumstances, their citizenship is irrelevant. > [@](#): > > That you didn’t immediately grasp what I’m talking about is what i meant upthread about how we\re all just going to call it a “First-term” thing and forget it happened? I know what you’re talking about (understand what you’re referring to). Your thinking that “due process” is applicable suggests to me that you don’t know what you’re talking about (fail to discern that the situation doesn’t call for courtroom procedures). This isn’t just someone breaking the law – this is war. Different game, different rules. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/87 "2016-07-01T19:05:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > If the majority of voters were like that, he wouldn’t have been elected. > > But trying to win over those voters was what caused him problems. It’s a common thing with politicians (and people in general) - they want to be liked. So Obama kept trying to reach out to these people. > > It was never going to happen. At some point, Obama should have conceded that some people were never going to be his friends and started treating them like enemies. Or at least like obstacles that needed to be moved out of the way so he could get his job done. It’s almost as if a presidential candidate can write off reaching a large percentage of the population that would never vote for him. For arguments sake lets say 47%. ---
**Author:** ![munigots910](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@munigots910](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/munigots910)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/88 "2016-07-01T19:10:22Z")
I am a Democrat at heart, but Bernie Sanders had some good ideas. His socialist ideas are a little too left leaning for me, but free secondary education would be great. As usual, it’s always the money issue; where will the money come from to pay for it? How about this: have corporations pay for business and associated degrees, museums and artists pay for the arts, etc? If a person wants a degree in accounting, then the tuition comes from a fund created by Wall Street, banks, insurance companies etc. Let those institutions who want people trained and educated a certain way pay for it. It’s an investment, not a wasted expense. ---
**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:** [July 1, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/89 "2016-07-01T19:41:24Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > They’re terrorists, military targets – due process does not apply. Under the circumstances, their citizenship is irrelevant. Some of us do not agree with that. I don’t think this is the thread for rehashing those conversations, though. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/90 "2016-07-01T21:11:27Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Some of us do not agree with that. I don’t think this is the thread for rehashing those conversations, though. Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/91 "2016-07-01T21:58:13Z")
Since when do we not kill American citizens? That happens every day, always has. Just this past week, the government [killed Christy Sheats](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/06/30/she-wanted-him-to-suffer-sheriff-explains-why-texas-mom-two-killed-daughters-in-front-of-husband/), and she wasn’t even at war with the United States. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/92 "2016-07-01T22:33:22Z")
I think where I lost all respect for President Obama was the way he and the democrats in congress behaved when they wanted to pass the aca. First of all they didn’t care what was in the bill. Second their determination to pass it at all costs and without any consideration for what Americas felt aboutit. Especially how after Massachusetts of all places elected a republican senator in order to block the bill they became all the more determined to shove it through without consideration. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2016, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/93 "2016-07-01T22:53:07Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Since when do we not kill American citizens? That happens every day, always has. Just this past week, the government [killed Christy Sheats](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/06/30/she-wanted-him-to-suffer-sheriff-explains-why-texas-mom-two-killed-daughters-in-front-of-husband/), and she wasn’t even at war with the United States. She wasn’t shot for her crimes. She was shot to prevent her from being able to shoot anyone else. Shooting a terrorist who is just driving down the street not posing a risk to anyone is not the same thing and every effort should be taken to bring them in alive. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/94 "2016-07-02T00:22:08Z")
> [@munigots910](#): > > I am a Democrat at heart, but Bernie Sanders had some good ideas. His socialist ideas are a little too left leaning for me, but free secondary education would be great. As usual, it’s always the money issue; where will the money come from to pay for it? How about this: have corporations pay for business and associated degrees, \*\*museums and artists pay for the arts, \*\*etc? If a person wants a degree in accounting, then the tuition comes from a fund created by Wall Street, banks, insurance companies etc. Let those institutions who want people trained and educated a certain way pay for it. It’s an investment, not a wasted expense. How rich do you think museums and artists are? ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/95 "2016-07-02T01:34:51Z")
> [@Waymore](#): > > And here we have the first accusation of racism. Things are moving along nicely. Are you saying “it can’t possibly be racism, because reasons” or “the racism is obvious/irrelevant, the other stuff is more interesting”? > [@aag3981](#): > > Supreme Court justice, sure that would get stacked. Presidents have been stacking the Court for most of my life, if not longer (Mr Dooley certainly predates me). I’m not sure how I feel about that in general, but I’d certainly rather it be stacked my way than the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/96 "2016-07-02T01:57:23Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s almost as if a presidential candidate can write off reaching a large percentage of the population that would never vote for him. For arguments sake lets say 47%. I said that he should offer to work with the Republicans first. The Republicans in Congress should have been offered an opportunity to participate in some reasonable negotiations. Obama should only “go to war” if the Republicans refused all attempts to work with him. My suggestion was not that Obama should have started a fight with the Republicans. I said if they were fighting with him, he should fight back. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/97 "2016-07-02T02:10:24Z")
This thread has me wondering: Many people call Obama a conservative Democrat. Is he conservative by choice or because the Republicans pulled him to the right? If Obama had a Democratic super-majority in both houses of Congress, would we still be spending $600 billion on the military every year and would we still be bombing ISIS and going to war in the Middle East? What about the tax cuts? ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2016, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/98 "2016-07-02T02:23:05Z")
The prison at Guantanamo would have been shut down a damn sight sooner. ETA: serious answer, some of both. Obama is a post-Clinton Democrat, and that means more conservative than Democrats have been in the past. But, also, yes, he was certainly dragged rightward by the Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/99 "2016-07-03T09:36:40Z")
i admired his pivot away from Saudi…and towards Iran… I’ve never understood why that relationship hasn’t been worked on before. I credit him for largely keeping us out of Syria… we’ve had 8 solid years of two wars… the military community couldn’t take more deployments. Cuba was a win. We can never go back to that ignorant inane policy again. Concerning Putin… I seriously think you missed the crux of the matter. Oil production in this country driving prices low have crippled Putin… just a long slow twist on that murderous bastard…unfortunately you have to deal with him and Assad…That’s life… ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2016, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659/100 "2016-07-03T10:35:31Z")
I voted for Obama twice, the second time a little more reluctantly than the first. I have been disappointed with Obama MANY times over the last eight years, most notably with his seeming blindness on the GOP’s intransigence. His bending the knee over every GOP whim, especially during his first term, probably got us the ACA instead of single payer (yes, I know single payer wasn’t on the table at the time, which kind of makes my point), Guantanamo remaining open, and needless compromises when he was in a position of strength, especially when the other side had no inclination to compromise at all. The above stated, if the choice were between Obama and the two current presumptive nominees for president, I would vote for Obama again, without hesitation. Obama may not have been the best president ever but, in my opinion, he has been the best president of the modern era since Eisenhower, so yeah, I’ll take four more years of Obama, please. I’ve grown accustomed to the steady hand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-dont-want-four-more-years-of-obama/758659.md?page=4)