I'll be the first to criticize Barack Obama for being conflict averse and unwilling to fight

[bluestateguy]

But the Speech Spat of 2011---a controversy that lasted about 10 hours total---is lazy corporate media nonsense. It was their August Silly Season story, just like we have shark attacks in 2001 and the "Ground Zero Mosque" in 2010. This year the media needed something, and they found their chewtoy to chew on.

Anyway, I care about his caving on the Bush taxcuts for the wealthy, the public option and the Employee Free Choice Act. Actual policies that affect people's lives. Not who asked who to the prom on what which day. That is inside the Beltway Georgetown Cocktail Party crap.

It is indicative of nothing. Nothing that matters to people outside of the Georgetown Cocktail Party media. Case in point: Bill Clinton was a fighting tiger when it came to fighting for his own political survival and fighting off bullshit scandal accusations. With the exception of the government shutdown of 1995-96, he was not so good at fighting Republican policies.

[Fresh_Start]

1. yes and no

by itself meaningless
as part of a continuing pattern of being unable to transact anything with Congress, horribly telling

[DaveJ]

2. Telling of what? So melodramatic.

That statement I guess implies it is all Obama's fault and could not possibly have anything to do with the Republicans being either racists or more destructive than ever. But, instead, we are supposed to believe that Obama is an inferior President? I mean it could go either way. Obama being an inferior Presidents certainly is something that both parties can agree on.

[Fresh_Start]

3. its telling of his ineffectiveness to work with Congress

effectively which is part of the job requirement for President.

[DaveJ]

4. I'll stick with Republicans are racist

I remember when Rove was in charge he was able to inject attitudes into the populace without saying a word. It is not beyond the capability of Republicans to be racist -- actually it is their status quo. And Obama can't very well stand in from of the world and say it. I contend that they are treating Obama worse than they would treat any other Democratic President. Either that or they are just lunatics. Haven't you noticed that Republicans are crazy lunatics that can't be negotiated with?

You can continue to make the point Obama is ineffective, but that will just feed the enemy.

[Fresh_Start]

5. I agree that Republicans are racists

I agree that Republicans want to destroy democrats.
But Obama is also ineffective

[DaveJ]

7. He won in '08 keeping Republicans out of the Presidency

That is effective enough for me.

People voted Republicans into congress and nobody can work with such lunatics. It is unfair to pin this on Obama.

[Kurmudgeon]

10. This congress is just a gang of right wing lunatics, you can't work with that, only vote it out.

[unblock]

6. Waaaaaaaaay too late to be the first

[treestar]

8. What does it mean, conflict averse and unwilling to fight?

Was Clinton ever accused of this? He even signed bills he could have vetoed, changing the welfare laws. I mean, come on.

Why is "fighting" always the way to go for a politician? Is it really necessary? What does it mean? Debating Boner on live TV? What good would that do?

The term is so vague and overused here.

I don't see how politicians fighting will do anything but make them retreat to their corners, where nothing will get done.

[bluestateguy]

9. Being willing to go to the mat for an issue or a cauuse, to take risks and yes, possibly lose

I don't really see that in Obama. We didn't really see that in Clinton either until late 1995 in the budget standoff.

I am not talking about harsh languages and attack dog speeches. I agree with you that that would not be productive.

Are there times that compromise is best? Yes, but there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it, and Obama has shown himself time and again to be too willing to capitulate for mere bread crumbs from the other side.

Also, if Obama had simply let the country go into default had there been no agreement and not invoked the 14th amendment, and if need be tell the Supreme Court to go to hell too. I guess we will never know what he would have done had things come to that, but I worry that he might not have. If Obama wins next year, there could be another debt ceiling standoff in 2013.