What is it with the American people and Obama

In My Humble Opinion
21

It’s really only a very small but loud minority that is so virulently opposing what Obama is doing. The mainstream of America either support him, or have heard things that make them decide that they might not like it.

News inflames the issue. The town hall issue, for instance – cameras were in most town halls. Only a handful had disruptive and angry protests. Guess which ones showed up on the news? Most of the media is neither Republican or Democratic, but they are sensation driven. They covered anti-Bush protests and they cover anti-Obama protests because it’s good TV. (One major difference between Bush and Obama is that Bush and Republicans screened out this sort of protest while Obama and Democrats let it happen.)

Right now, I’d say most Americans want some kind of health care reform. They’re probably not against paying for it if they reap some benefit (such as the ability to take their health care with them). Some at this point don’t feel that Obama’s plan will give them any benefit and could change their mind if he shows them some advantage. But Obama’s ratings are still fairly good right now.

22

There’s a current thread in Great Debates that addresses this question.

23

It was a very small number of people upset about Obama telling kids to do good in school. Congress still isn`t in session and not a lot is happening so the media made it into a big story. Of course, no matter what, they would have presented both sides as reasonably and of largely equal standing relative to America because they never say “of course, only a handful of people actually feel this way”. But occurring in a pretty dead time period for news helped that story get traction.

The majority of Americans still want health care, but none of them are hanging congressmen in effigy to show it. Even the minority who are opposed to reform are being lied to.

I think more than anything, regardless of whether they are for or against reform, people are severely misinformed about the topic. A poll in late August I don’t have access to right now found that people completely misunderstood most aspects of what is being discussed. Most people couldn’t pick out what the “public option” everyone is fighting about was, even if they were given a multiple choice list. Most people were for a public option if it was described to them rather than being called a public option. Most people were convinced that the stakeholders were lining up in the debate the same as they did in '93, having no idea that PhRMA, the AMA and the biggest hospital groups are spending millions to support President Obama.

24

And just to be very clear about the caliber of people we’re talking about, I received a whole bunch of facebook updates yesterday bemoaning the President’s failure to release the speech in advance for parental review. The person making these complaints, in the little “say something about yourself” part of her facebook profile, has chosen to present herself to the world with the sentence “If it’s not Disney or Bo Bice, I probably don’t know about it.”

25

Wow. You just made me look up Bo Bice to see who he is.

26

The issues are that Obama ran on a platform that included a commitment that any health care reform would not increase the deficit. The current versions will add about a trillion dollars to the national debt over ten years, and also include a tax increase of half a trillion dollars a year. The package as currently suggested covers a bit more than half of the currently uninsured.

These would be in addition to the $787 billion already spent on the stimulus.

There is considerable doubt that preventative care saves money across the board. It is also the case that Medicare, for instance, which is scheduled to become insolvent in a few years, has wound up costing more than its original estimates by a factor of almost ten.

(All this has been extensively cited in the past, in GD and elsewhere).

As mentioned, people bitch about everything. Making inspiring speeches about local issues like education is what he is good at.

His race has nothing to do with it. It is not reasonable to expect a President to be able to enact his agenda un-modified and unopposed, even with a huge majority of his party in both house of Congress.

As was mentioned during the campaign, and nearly universally shouted down on the SDMB, Obama has no executive experience at all, and only very limited national legislative experience. He has never run a business, never served in the military, never met a payroll, and never had the experience of shepherding major legislation thru.

:shrugs:

Only in America do we consider the Presidency an entry-level position.

His approval ratings have dropped faster than any President in history, that is true. Most of this erosion has occurred among independents. The core constituency of blacks/gay/feminists/Big Labor/the SDMB remains, and will forever, no matter what.

Regards,
Shodan

27

Shodan, he routinely worked across the aisle in both the Illinois Senate and the US Senate. Also, his approval ratings are not noticeably lower than those of Eisenhower, Reagan, Clinton, etc. A bit lower, but not as much as you are implying.

Also, Medicare is not scheduled to be insolvent in a few years.

28

Cite.

:shrugs:

I don’t know why I bother. It won’t stick this time either.

Regards,
Shodan

29

I guess we just have different definitions of “a few”.

30

Yes, but what’s “Disney”?

31

Let’s not let slip through the little fact that he did release his speech in advance. Unfortunately Disney Channel did not interrupt “That’s So Raven”, warn parents to escort their children out of the room, and then display the speech scrolling across the TV Star-Wars style with the imperial march playing in the background. If he did that, your friend would not only have known he released it in advance for parental review, but also, I’m sure, been quite fine with it.

32

I’ll be deep in the cold cold ground before I recognize Missour-ah.

33

I don’t mind paying taxes, as you say though, if the services are good. To pay higher taxes and not have to worry about care when I get sick or hurt would be great.

34

Whatever happened to pointing out that while taxes may be higher, total outgoings will be less - because you’re not spending on private health insurance? Something along the lines of “America will pay less in taxes than it now pays in healthcare premiums.”

America would do well to follow the European examples of nationalised healthcare with private top-ups. The NHS isn’t perfect by any means, but don’t let the perfect get in the way of the good enough.

(Note, since I’m now employed by the NHS, I have a vested interest).

35

Wouldn’t have helped. For “Disney” read “Theme parks and animated films about Princesses”.

I thought about trying to reason with her, but settled for suggesting that she could solve the problem entirely with homeschooling, or if that was too much work, maybe tinfoil hats.

36

Hmm…I disagree with this. There would never be such flagrant, open ad hominem disrespect for a white man in Obama’s position. This isn’t hypothetical-- there are forty-three other data points in the set. Even at the height of Bush’s (impressive) unpopularity, people were not publically questioning his citizenship, or using raciually intimidating language to speak about him, and legislators were not shouting at him during speeches.

37

I thought this was an interesting statement, especially considering this is the point that caused Wilson to yell in the first place, so I created a GD thread to discuss it. Since I quote you in the OP, I thought I’d let you know, so you can participate if you like.

38

“Wendell Wagner” I am not in the USA so only get international news from the Internet or sources like BBC word service. International reporting tends to focus on the sensational/important news so perhaps those of us outside the country don’t always get the overall picture of events and opinions of the general population.

“Digital Stimulus” I was kidding about Bush coming back. I don’t think he will be remembered as a good president and I doubt they will name an aircraft carrier in his honor. :smiley:

One of the arguments against national health is an increase in taxes. Sounds reasonable, no free lunch (though perhaps the extra cost could come from the wasted millions spent on the military) but if “Joe the Plumber” buys private health it’s still costing him and presumably with national health there would not be the underlying worry that your treatment would cease midway through treatment because of some minor irregularity or the cover ceiling had been reached.

I know which option I would choose, but unfortunately the American people don’t have that option at this time.

“Lama Pacos” I agree, to a non American and one not particularly interested in politics I do get the impression that Obama is not getting the support and respect of his office. Maybe it’s not his race, perhaps he is just a very unpleasant person and difficult to work with. :rolleyes:

39

See, here’s the thing. I agree that it’s only a very small but vocal minority, but I believe their influence is great because so many Americans are like the lady that Diana G. described. Many members of my family are both hard-core Republicans and fundamentalist Christians, and although most of them are not unintelligent, they are very out of touch. Most of them listen to Christian radio, and they get news in sound bites from teh Beckens n teh Rushes. A few of them have gotten into the habit of e-mailing or calling me to ask about the more outrageous claims. None of them believe Obama was born in another country and only one or two that I know of believe he’s a secret Muslim, but all of them believe that health care reform is the gateway drug to Communism and all of the foolishness that goes along with that.

I don’t believe racism has much if anything to do with how they feel about Obama. When I heard the hatred in the voice of one of my relatives when she spoke about Obama, I thought it might be partly racism. Then I asked what she thought about Bill Clinton, and she answered, “him and Hillary killed Vince Foster, you know.” So it’s not just skin color.

40

How can a vote be “disproportional” if the votes were legal? How do you know with certainty the reason that each American voted for him in the primary elections? Does being black disqualify candidates from receiving votes for being well-educated? Well-spoken? Progressive? Unifying? Co-herent? Compassionate?

Did John McCain get a disproportional vote in the primary elections because he was white?