Would his chances of re-election now be better, or worse?
Tsk. Mods, please move this thread to GD, thanks.
I’m not really sure it would have made much difference. The major reason we’re not getting real reform is that Congress is blocking it. About the only thing I can think of he could have done on his own, but didn’t, is close the Guantanamo Bay Kidnapping Center.
Except Congress blocked that as well.
Strange women in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!
I think, even if Obama did in fact prove to be a genuine left-wing reformer, that, in 2010, the right would have been just as fired up and rarin’ to vote Dems out (because in their minds he would have been equally Communistic no matter what). The left wouldn’t have been “demoralized” as they actually were, admittedly, but complacency would still have been a factor. I foresee, in this alternate universe, about 55 Senators and a slim GOP House majority.
What would exactly be different?
He withdrew from Iraq just like he said.
He has ramped up the war in Afghanistan just like he said.
He has passed seven hundred billion dollars in new pork-barrel spending and a gigantic health care bill just like he said.
Regardless of the quality Obama has achieved much in quantity. The simple fact is that due to the way our Constitution is set up Obama is not a dictator and cannot pass bills that Congress does not approve of and blocks.
That’s the thing - the right wingers have already maxed out on the HE’S THE MOST COMMUNIST AMERICA-RUINER EVER!!!, they can’t make the rhetoric any worse. So if he actually governered as a leftist, what could they say? “HOLY SHIT HE’S ACTUALLY BEING LEFTIST THIS TIME AND THIS TIME WE MEAN IT!!!”
He would’ve had the same level of hatred from republicans (because it’s already maxed out) but more support from his own party.
Good jobs would have been provided to the jobless, the rise of the oceans would have begun to slow and the planet would have begun to heal?
He would have supported whistleblowers instead of abusing “State Secrets”?
What exactly would being more leftist entail? What would he have done differently?
If it meant trying for a much bigger stimulus and a public option, I think it’s likely it would have blown up in his face and he would have been left with much less legislatively than he got. Would leftists be actually happy with a President who didn’t achieve much but just talked a good line? Even if they were I bet independents would not be impressed and his electoral chances would be lower. Right now independents are somewhat unhappy with Obama because of the economy but it’s entirely possible and even likely that he will win enough of them to win the election. In the alternative scenario my guess is independents would mostly defect and he would lose the election.
The one area where he did have some freedom of action is drawing down sharply in Afghanistan. I lean towards the Biden line on the issue but it’s a complex issue with no clear answers. Anyway I don’t think a faster withdrawl would affect the election much either way though his relations with the military would be worse.
Maybe the rhetoric couldn’t be dialed up any higher. But it would be more convincing if there was some truth to it.
If Obama genuinely was a socialist then there are people like me who might be thinking a relatively moderate Republican is preferable. I support Obama because he’s the most moderate and reasonable candidate - if that wasn’t true, I’d probably support somebody else.