Obama's Moment?

[Ultima22689]

Anyone watch the state of the union? Ever since the Tuscon incident, Obama's speeches have begun to sound more like campaign Obama. His approval ratings have skyrocketed back up and after his state of the union, I felt that I didn't make bad my first time voting after all. McCain as standing up clapping, cheesing a wide grin, that you could tell was real, that was one happy old man. It looked like this was for the most part the atmosphere of the state of the union, i'm used to seeing one half the aisle stand up clapping whenever Obama spoke while the other MIGHT clap but most stayed silent and seated. This was not the case tonight, aside from being integrated, opposed to repubs and dems sitting on one side of each other, they all sat together and many times nearly all of the clapped in unison. Obama said some damn good things, so I have to wonder, from this point on, will his fortune change? Come 2012, will he have a reputation that may mark him as one of the most competent presidents we've had? Ever since the midterms, even with a more radical house, it seems like Washington is starting to run again. I remember one of my professors saying, Obama would either be remembered as one of the greatest presidents in US history or one of the worst. If he keeps this up and makes good on his words, I think he will have regained my vote come 2012.

[Will]

I've lost any trust I might have once had in President Obama. He's even more authoritarian than Bush on several things.

Being a great speaker is wonderful if you're a homeless man, but for a president it's not enough.

[Sophus]

He did well, but he has always been a good speaker and his campaign alter ego emerged on the Labor Day of last year. If he can keep his approval ratings like this for another year I think he'll earn another term. The really interesting thing to see will be how Republicans respond to his plans mentioned in the State of the Union. I predict they'll ignore it and stick to the same "we need to cut all spending (except for our enormous military)" junk they've been repeating this whole time.

[Ultima22689]

I've lost any trust I might have once had in President Obama. He's even more authoritarian than Bush on several things.

Being a great speaker is wonderful if you're a homeless man, but for a president it's not enough.

This is how i've felt but honestly, we should expected this to some degree but ask yourself, do you think McCain would have done better? I wonder if Hilary would have been the better candidate, hopefully she chooses to run again at some point however, let's be realistic, odds are, we won't be getting lucky with some president that is like another JFK, FDR anytime soon, we can hope for it but the reality is, the modern politician doesn't do that. So in comparison to modern politicians, dealing with what we have to, even if you are not satisfied with the modern politician, in comparison to what examples of modern presidents we have, do you think he could regain your vote?

[Will]

John McCain would probably have us in Iran right now, and we'd still be surging in Iraq. We'd probably have a complete standstill on legislation. The difference, though, is that McCain is clearly super-entrenched, a career politician who sold out years ago and is just a stooge. President Obama hasn't been in politics long, doesn't come from money, and he's not just another old white guy. He can convincingly play the part of 'different', despite reading the same script as Clinton and Bush.

I'll vote for President Obama in 2012 because he's probably going to be running against someone like Romney, Huckabee, or Gingrich. I won't be voting for Obama, though, I'll be voting against the Republicans because they're still worse.

[Sophus]

John McCain would probably have us in Iran right now, and we'd still be surging in Iraq. We'd probably have a complete standstill on legislation. The difference, though, is that McCain is clearly super-entrenched, a career politician who sold out years ago and is just a stooge. President Obama hasn't been in politics long, doesn't come from money, and he's not just another old white guy. He can convincingly play the part of 'different', despite reading the same script as Clinton and Bush.

I'll vote for President Obama in 2012 because he's probably going to be running against someone like Romney, Huckabee, or Gingrich. I won't be voting for Obama, though, I'll be voting against the Republicans because they're still worse.

Ed Brayton finished an incomplete quote from Obama's speech the other day.

"We may have differences in policy, but we all believe in the rights enshrined in our Constitution."
...."For a limited time only, offer not valid for those who want access to DNA evidence to prove their innocence, victims of indefinite detention and torture who want their day in court, anyone whose 4th amendment rights are violated by the government's warrantless wiretap data mining program and anyone who has been railroaded by a corrupt prosecutor protected by absolute immunity."

Why aren't people in an uproar over this? If Republicans knew where to look they wouldn't have to make Health Care look odious to find fault with Obama's policy.

[terranus]

Eh. I feel like he's moving more politically to the center just so he can get re-elected. He is a true politician, don't let his great speeches fool you. But he is also very smart, and took note of the *schalacking* his party received during the mid-terms. He knows that if he doesn't try and move to the center so as to appease the moderate Republicans, he most definitely will not get re-elected come Nov. 2012. I'm not real happy about this, as I didn't vote for him because of his "moderate viewpoints". But I can understand why he is doing what he is doing. I just hope he doesn't help the more extreme Republicans wreck the country in the process. If he gets does get re-elected, I'm pretty sure we'll see more of what his real poltical views are as a lame duck.