Is Obama a lame duck?

[cilla4progress]

I don't know, he somehow seems irrelevant to me, at this point.

[Richardo]

1. Just what they said about Clinton in 1995.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

35. Clinton Was In Much Better Political Shape And The Economy Was In Infinitely Better Shape

By this time in 95 Clinton was coasting to victory. Comparing this economy to the 95 economy is like comparing 2011 Dresden to 1945 Dresden

Unless the Pubs nominate bat shit crazy Palin, Bachman. or Herman Cain, or there is a far right candidate to siphon off some of the Republican vote I see no path to victory for Obama.

Sucks. It's not his fault. But the Pubs can't fix things either. We will regain what we lost in 014 and 016 if we still have a republic.

[Gunny1]

39. Sad but true.

Also sad that the next pres (likely a repub) will get the credit for the recovery.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

41. As You Can See By My Post I Am Doubtful There Will Ever Be A Recovery

Let's just say I don't see one in the forseeable future...

[BeatPoet]

47. There may be a silver lining...

What I'm hoping for through all this, is that the idea of unlimited growth has had its day and we start to take sustainability seriously.

[scheming daemons]

2. unrec for another FR meme

[animato]

23. the swarms have arrived, must be migration season for the Freepers nt

[NorthCarolina]

43. FR meme? Keep telling yourself that. nt

[RT Atlanta]

3. FWIW, if I were "calling it" today I'd say yes

But my answer is based in large part on all of the crap that has gone down lately with the debt ceiling "negotiations" and continually being disappointed with O. He (O) starts in the middle in moves rightward - never at the most progressive position and arriving at what I would truly term the "center."

BUT - there's an awful lot of time between now and next year and we have no idea what will emerge happen along the way in the mean time. For everyones' sakes, I can only hope the current correction is not too rough and that some progressive leaders will soon emerge.

[RBInMaine]

6. Too many "Progressives" FAILED in Nov. 2010 and are bitching now?? LOL

Elections have consequences. WAY too many "Progressives" didn't campaign, didn't donate, and didn't vote last fall. Now they are bitching. Typical. Well, elections have consequences. Not happy, then they need to try engaging next time.

[krawhitham]

20. +1

[Name removed]

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[jefferson_dem]

5. No.

While I doubt you offered this OP for an honest discussion, here's my brief take anyway.

Don't expect much legislating between now and next year's election, other than finishing the Super Committee stuff.

Any president has only a small 2 - 2.5 year window of opportunity to get stuff done. That window has now closed.

[cilla4progress]

48. Really?

Just wow.

Yeah - I'm a "freeper." I'm "dishonest." I'm not a real dem.

Oh, and, but, thank you SO much for deigning to respond, despite your instant initial "doubt," suspicion and paranoia.

Be afraid, very afraid.

This place sucks for freethinking speech sometimes.

Ignore.

[boxman15]

7. Why/how does he seem irrelevant at this point to you?

n/t

[CakeGrrl]

38. 'Because Hamsher and the teevee told me so!'

Just a guess...

[cilla4progress]

49. It just feels like

he is not able to drive things any more. He isn't driving the dialogue. He isn't driving the issues, or policy, much less economy. It just feels like a foregone conclusion that his agenda is kaput.

Obviously, I hope I'm wrong, and this is very much an intuition, more than science. But if his strategy fails to serve up the independent vote he is clearly seeking, he's a goner, I'm afraid.

[cilla4progress]

51. PS Thank you

for engaging in real, meaningful conversation with me!

[HipChick]

8. Only on DU...

He is still highly popular with his base..

[jefferson_dem]

9. Word.

:thumbsup:

[RC]

11. You worded it wrong.

"He is still highly popular with his base, only on DU."

[great white snark]

13. Hell to the yes.

:thumbsup:

[CakeGrrl]

14. +10000

Some people should take a peek at the real world, but I doubt their observations will get as many recs.

[cilla4progress]

50. I don't mean this as an indictment of him,

I think he is a good man, who could have been great. But we needed a fighter at this moment in history, not a conciliator. It was all too tempting after 8 years of the shrub and his stinking henchmen, to turn to someone with grace, equanimity, balance, class. Little did we all know what he would be up against. I remember even thinking, in the first few months of Obama's tenure, that, "wow, the culture wars have finally even subsided!" I'm sorry, this is a fight of good against evil. How very naive of me.

[Armstead]

18. But not so much with the electorate overall

Those who are not held hostage by a fear of a GOP takeover see very little reason to support Obama.

And enough of his "base" is also discouraged and those who are marginally involved are less likely to care ablout the outcome this time.

He has to start actually standing for something other than "bipartisan compromise" in order to win these votersover.

[Dawgs]

21. Doesn't mean he still can't be a lame duck.

Just look at Bush Junior.

[Tarheel_Dem]

24. "his base".

:applause:

[BklnDem75]

10. Nope

Is this thread lame? Yep

[cilla4progress]

52. Thanks for your substantive, meaningful

comment, that added so much to the discussion!

:sarcasm:

[BklnDem75]

57. Just being consistent with the OP

You're welcome

[earthside]

12. Probably.

And it is too bad that some here want to keep whistling past the graveyard ... or don't want to listen to the canary that is singing its head off with warnings.

I think that a telltale sign of Pres. Obama's trek towards a defeat in 2012 was the story this weekend about Timmy Geithner staying on as Treasury secretary and the behind the scenes efforts by Bill Daily, et al. to convince Geithner to stay on.

Plus there was Secretary of Defense Panetta's opinion that savings from any cuts to Medicare or Social Security should be funneled into the Pentagon budget.

These developments tells us that Pres. Obama and the administration are going to keep pursuing an economic policy that is getting us nowhere fast.

Sorry to explain the political terrain as I see it ... but that's what it is looking like to me.

[cilla4progress]

53. I agree

I've been waiting and waiting for the 100th dimension chess player to appear. I'm still waiting.

Even if it isn't what it appears to be, I'm sorry - the moment has passed. At some point, you've got to put up or shut up. What is that great quote I've read here to the effect that, if you don't stand up for what you say you believe in, then what is the point in saying it, in the first place (really mangled that - but you get the drift)..

[Whisp]

15. If I cared a spit what you think

but I don't

so say what you like, it's irrelevant to me.

[Recursion]

16. The most popular politician in Washington is rarely a lame duck (nt)

[Armstead]

19. Yes that overwhelming support in the under 50 percent range is very formidable

[alpha9161]

17. yes nt

[CakeGrrl]

22. Do you intend to DO anything about it, or are you just killing time on the internet?

[animato]

25. It's just a swarm of (lame) ducks passing by DU

they are all over the place saying that they won't give him 4 more years and he's a lame duck and so forth.

[cilla4progress]

54. Umm, donations of time and money

serve on my county Dem party board.

What about you?

[craigmatic]

26. No I don't think so. He's just a terrible negotiator and nobody has come forward to challenge him.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[WiffenPoof]

29. It Sure Feels Like It! n/t

[Carolina]

31. love your avatar

In 2008, we needed another FDR, a truly transformational POTUS. We should have recognized the real Obama when he lauded Reagan as tranformational.

[avebury]

30. Yes - If all he is going to do is capitulate to the Republicans and

Tea Party he is irrelevant. I no longer accept that my only choice is to vote for Obama as the lesser of the evils. I choose to vote none of the above in 2012 if the Democrats cannot field a real Democrat who will stand up for the "little" people. I am not interested in a Capitulator-in-Chief."

[Carolina]

32. Touche

The lesser of two evils is still evil, and among the foul herd in DC, that evil is a vile as can be.

[ellie]

33. No.

[dionysus]

34. bless your little heart.

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

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[DFab420]

37. Is this a lame post? It somehow seems irrelevant to me.

[Safetykitten]

40. Yes. Pretty much a fact at this point.

[BeatPoet]

46. It distresses me to say so, but yes...

He seems to be completely overwhelmed at this stage. Unable to fight any issue with any conviction or passion. Unable to communicate a clear vision in plain language. He looks like a man drowning.

His natural tendency for seeking compromise does him no favours with a right who are unwilling to compromise on anything.

He had 2 years of political capital to burn and achieved almost nothing. We could have begun a Manhattan project for clean energy with the good will he had behind him.

He needs to talk to the people directly with real empathy, and he needs to fight the right with real conviction. At the moment he's a husk of a politician.

[cilla4progress]

55. I almost wonder if he isn't sick

He is so thin. It would explain a lot. I sure hope not.

[NorthCarolina]

42. That is a far greater possibility now that he has endorsed cuts to Medicare

over defense cuts.

[styersc]

44. Yes. The skills he has shown thus far is not indicative of rally.

Question is does he have the character to move aside and let a better Democrat step up.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

45. They said that about Reagan, and we actually were in worse shape.

The unemployment rate was 10.2%!!

Reagan's approval numbers were much lower than Obama's at this point in his tenure.

[Fearless]

56. Not if he keeps giving Republicans everything they want.

[Peacetrain]

58. Nope!

[Fuddnik]

59. Aflac Obama?