DUers, do you know how difficult it is to be the President?

[LoZoccolo]

Because if you think it's easy to do a better job than Obama you should just do it.

[Skittles]

1. we are not the ones who ran for president

[LoZoccolo]

2. Yeah, my post kinda assumes that. n/t

[WonderGrunion]

7. And that already makes Obama better for the job than you.

At least he had courage enough to run for office.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted sub-thread

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[Incitatus]

3. It is the last job I woould ever want to have.

[krispos42]

4. I thought I knew

Then Bush got selected, and I realized it is exactly as difficult as you let it be.

[gateley]

5. No. And I don't think ANYBODY knows until they're sitting at that desk.

I even gave George HW Bush a pass after he campaigned on "read my lips, no new taxes" and then in office raised taxes and said "I didn't understand what I'd be facing..." Not that I voted for him and I've always disliked him, but we never know what it's like or how we'll respond in any situation until we're in that situation ourselves. :shrug:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. Well, if he can't handle it, he should look for other work.

"History has tried to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians.  Now, to go and stick one at the very head of government couldn’t be wise." - Mark Twain

[LoZoccolo]

9. How is your anarchist revolution going?

Or have you looked for other work?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Jim Dandy. And, it's a helluva lot cheaper in lives and money.

Which is a lot more than can be said for the government.

[WonderGrunion]

33. Somalia is in Anarchy.

Lots of poverty and death there. I prefer organized government thank you.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

8. Wow, this is a terrible argument.

[LoZoccolo]

10. NO U n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. ...is a shit statement

[Skittles]

17. it's fucking juvenile and stupid

[LoZoccolo]

18. Not as bad as "fuck off" though.

The former will stay on DU, the latter will get deleted.

[WonderGrunion]

35. So is dropping the "F-bomb" every other post.

If you parsed your usage of the "Fuck Offs" it would seem more weighty when you do it. I've seen you do it a lot, so I don't give it much significance. I consider it a "Hello" from skittles.

[Number23]

50. Well when you don't have a damn thing worth saying apparently "fuck" is what you type every 3rd word

It's hard to tell what's funnier -- the fact that poster thinks that she's a Badass and that people are actually intimidated by her or her spelling.

[BuyingThyme]

12. Great point.

[WillyT]

13. Well... George W. Bush Said It Was Hard Work...

:banghead:

:wtf:

[Hekate]

14. Too many don't know and don't care. They just want to shout that "He works for ME!"

That's an argument that is getting particularly old just now.

The other half of "He works for ME!" is "Now you're just telling me to STFU, and I won't won't won't." It's not about shutting people up, it's about being productive instead of counterproductive. Calling Obama a corporate whore is counterproductive.

Hekate

[LoZoccolo]

15. Exactly; I am telling people the opposite of STFU.

If people want to say that he should be doing something other than what he is, they should be prepared to spell out exactly how it should be done in the current circumstances. I'm waiting to hear that.

[saracat]

22. A great many folks , including Howard dean and Helen Thomas have offered opinions

and have spelled out "exactly" what should be done in the current circumstances. Its a pity you missed it. Countless DUers have also expressed what they would like to see done as well. Google is your friend.

[treestar]

41. I can't believe those threads!

How delusional can those posters be? Yes, he works for US, the U.S., but that's diverse and over 300 million people! Some people just cannot see beyond their own noses and just suppose the entire system is meant to run for their benefit, and that everyone else is identical. Or doesn't matter.

[saracat]

43. Yeah ,like Human Rights aren't basic rights and healthcare and the economy don't effect everyone?

How "delusional" of people to assume that the President should be working to create a better country for ALL Americans? but then civil rights, health care and jobs are just "pet" issues. And it is only the 10% of the looney left that are concerned. Best to coddle the banks, Wall Street, isurance companies and Big Pharma.They count.:sarcasm:

[Ozymanithrax]

20. As citizens we have a responsibility to let our government know when we think they are screwing up.

Even if that government is led by a Democrat.

Our responsibility doesn't end after our vote is cast. Nobody gets a free ride.

[bobburgster]

21. Great quote!

Our responsibility doesn't end after our vote is cast.


I think too many people equate voicing disapproval with the far right hatred rants.

[saracat]

23. Amen! Beautiful Quote.

[Ozymanithrax]

36. If you quit talking to your spouse the day you get married, it won't last long.

The relaionship we have with our party and our politics requries active communication.

No matter how close you are with a wife, a lover, or friend, you will not agree with everything that person does. If you don't communcate with them, the relationship sours.

It is the same with our government. When they do right, they need ot hear form us. When they do wrong they need ot hear from us. If we don't like something our elected representatives are doing, we must let them know.

[treestar]

42. Disagreeing with me or not attending to my personal needs fast enough

is not "screwing up" and there are posts on DU indicating that.

Are you willing to put up with that in your job, too? I certainly hope so. Your customers should never give you a free ride and should always hold your feet to the fire. Oh, and they are never wrong. So they are right when they say you should provide your service cheaper and that it is never good enough for them, and each has the right to be first before all the others too, right?

[Ozymanithrax]

44. I am a parent. Having people disagree with me is part of the job.

As a technical writer with various companies, part of the job was always having people disagree about what a product does, and how best to document that product. Communicating disagreement and negotiating compromise is part of any job.

But I disagree with your comparison of government to business. I am not a customer of the government. The government is my representative. They are public servants and should forget that concept within our form government. The government isn't a business and should not be run like one.

Disagreement is not simply being upset that the government doesn't change the citizens diaper's often enough. I have some fundamental disagreement over policy with the Obama administration. If I disagree, it is my responsibility to say so. I am not a dog to be kicked into the corner the government I put in power. I am not satisfied with being tossed a bone.

Criticizing Obama for what I or anyone else sees as mistakes is as important and as critical as the disagreement most of the people at DU had with the Bush administration's policies. People here were disgusted and angry at being told we dursn't disagree with our war time President because it was unpatriotic or anti-jingoistic or just un-American or un-right. Disagreement with Bush did not make us lesser citizens. We should be irate at people who say we shouldn't disagree with Obama because he is a Democrat, or a liberal, or a progressive (those are three different things).

An active citizen willing to criticize any administration and hold their accountable if they screw up is critical to the health of our republic.

[saracat]

24. Can't be any harder than it is to be a US citizen with no job, money or health care.

Perhaps the folks in DC would like to try that lifestyle?

[pecwae]

25. Just add

"nanny, nanny, boo, boo" to complete this kindergarten post.

[rug]

26. Not as difficult as raising a family uninsured and unemployed.

[Mari333]

27. leave obama alone!

:sarcasm:

sorry my pom poms are at the dry cleaners.

[WonderGrunion]

34. I bet you used to beat up cheerleaders under the bleachers in high school.

N/M

[stray cat]

28. Bush said it was hard work.....

[elocs]

29. I thought this would be "Rec this thread if you know how difficult it is to be President." n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

30. It was a job done by W for 8 full years

It was done by Ford, who LBJ said was so stupid that if you said good morning to him he'd be at a loss for an answer. So on a scale of difficult gigs, this one is low for it can be done by dolts, unlike brain surgery or engineering a bridge. The qualifications for POTUS are age and citizenship. Try getting a real job by saying 'I'm old enough and born in the US'.

[Ozymanithrax]

37. It took hard work by his entire administration to screw up at the level they achieved.

Monumental fuckups don't happen by themselves.

[MyNameGoesHere]

31. Yeah it's hard work n/t

[noamnety]

32. nt

[asdjrocky]

38. Oh the poor, poor President.

I feel as badly for him as I do for the rich. Think about it man.

These people are not our LEADERS, they are our REPRESENTITIVES.

It's time for them to do their fucking job, no matter how hard it is. If they don't do their fucking job, it's our job, as their BOSSES, to FIRE them.

[saracat]

49. And he is one of the rich!

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

46. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[treestar]

40. Why it's easy!

Just make sure I get whatever I want, when I want it. Who cares about anything or anyone else?

Oh, and do it the way I think it should be done, and it will be easy.

:sarcasm:

[gleaner]

45. Before one can become president....

one must have political experience and acceptability to the leaders of one's party. One must have access to sufficient funds to run an effective campaign and pay for advertising. One must have a platform, goals and the spine to support them against opposition.

I don't have to be president to know how difficult it can be, and given the above and many other factors I didn't list, I never will be. But I do know that even though it is sometimes hard to find the courage to stand up for what you believe in, people do it all the time regardless of what they do for a living.

I also know that Obama by virtue of the presidency has a unique and favorable forum at this time in which to further his agenda and help the rest of us in the process. He simply does not seem to have the stamina, courage or whatever you want to call it to avail himself of what he has to do what he promised to do when he was elected.

So please, weep for what you may perceive as his tragic plight, but don't expect me to join you. What I see is a man of intelligence, ability, political appeal and a great time in history to act for the betterment of the country. But he lets it trickle away while he does nothing or courts the other side which has been intransigent, opportunistic and evil for the whole time that they held power and who want to continue to hold power even though we voted them out. Obama enables them. He dismisses us and wastes every chance he has has so far to keep his promises and do something significant and world changing. I don't feel sorry for him. I think he needs to do what he was elected to do and stop prevaricating.

[Mind_your_head]

48. +1

[earth mom]

47. Bullshit. nt