Can you crazy colonials help out an ignorant Brit?

February 19, 2009 8:50am CST
Ok, so I plead laziness and ignorance on this one as I have no other valid excuse for not knowing what's going on in the world, but what is the big problem with president Obama now? I'm sure people were really gung ho during the elections that he'd be a great president, but it seems lately that all I've been seeing towards him is bitterness and backhanded comments. Is this just sour grapes from those who voted Republican, or has his first month in office really been that bad? If you can keep it simple for the incredibly tiny section of my brain that actually gets politics, I'd be much obliged.
1 person likes this
7 responses
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
20 Feb 09
It's not sour grapes on my part because, after a very long and difficult period of indicision, I voted for Obama. The problem is that I feel like this country is a run away train and I fear that there's a huge wreck ahead. Time and again people appointed to high ranking positions within the new administration have turned out to be tax cheats, the giant stimulus bill that seems to do little to nothing to stimulate our economy was pushed through in lightening speed...with behind closed door meetings that we know nothing about. The transparancy of government that was promised is not living up to that promise. When people become suspicious of the actions of their leaders they start to question the motives of their leaders.
25 Feb 09
First of all, thank you so much for your response. I've had the runaway train feeling since Bush got into the White House. I was very uncomfortable with our British position of hangers on. Can you tell me what this Stimulus Bill is? I gather it's something to do with kick-starting the economy again?
28 Feb 09
Thank you for that. It make much more sense now. And is much more worrying!
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
26 Feb 09
The "stimulus bill" was suposed to be a sending bill that would stimulate the economy with public works projects and tax credits. What it quickly turned in to was a gargantuine monster of very little in the way of real stimulus and very much in the way of wastfull spending that will do nothing but put us in to debt for generations, has many clauses that usurp the constitution and states rights. It is outright deadly to this country and it was passed under the same kind of fear mongering Bush used to push through things like the patriot act.
1 person likes this
• United States
25 Feb 09
I definitely feel that people had unrealistic expectations for him. If a mess took years to make, you can't clean it up in a month. He's a very charismatic person, so some folks think he has magical powers or something. But even though he's President, he's still just a human being. People should have known better than that, but apparently they didn't.
2 people like this
@raydene (9871)
• United States
21 Feb 09
Hello Darlin I think that everyone is after a quick fix and things don't work that way.. We are an impatient society when it comes to even minor suffering we are greedy and want it all... I say give him time then we can yell! xoxoxoxoo
2 people like this
28 Feb 09
There's no shame in being desperate for change, but I think the man is going to need more than a month to get some good work done. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt. xxxx
@reckon21 (3479)
• Philippines
28 Feb 09
President Obama is having a party of his own. Not the party that we might like. Too much expectation and people are watching every step he take. It would not be easy for him to solved all the problems that his country is facing now days. The good thing is that he is starting from scratch.
3 Mar 09
I'm just hoping for new directions and better choices. It's going to be a mess for a long while yet though.
@snowcat46 (2322)
• United States
19 Feb 09
I'm not really sure, cause I don't like politics either. I don't think he's been doing so badly. It's just people expected him to fix everything right away, and that's not possible. So they blame him for what his predecessors allowed to go on for years. I do realize he's been letting some of his staff stay on, when they have a history of not paying their taxes. That's not right. But Bush did things like that for years, letting the robbers keep robbing and ignoring what they were doing. People just accepted him doing it.
1 person likes this
25 Feb 09
I know that he had a heck of a job in front of him cleaning up all the mess, so it's certainly going to take years to repair all the damage done. I totally agree with your last two sentences there. It's amazing how blind some people have seemed when it comes to his dodgy dealings. Then again, at the risk of gross over-generalisation, they are all politicians at the end of the day. They have to be pretty slick talkers to get where they are in the first place. Thanks for your response, I appreciate all the feedback. My ignorance is rather embarrassing really.
1 person likes this
@snowcat46 (2322)
• United States
25 Feb 09
Nonsense. It doesn't make sense to me either. There's just so much double-talk and slithering answers, I doubt many people can make heads or tails of it. Unless they concentrate on it day after day. I'm not willing to do that! It's too frustrating.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Feb 09
Republicans are not even the ones making his approval rating go down. Some of his own followers now see he isn't really their fairy godpresident. His magic wand was a distraction, to steal hard earned money. That's as simple as I can put it. :P lol
1 person likes this
28 Feb 09
It's a grim prospect and all I can say is that it's so early yet, I hope things pick up over the next four years!
@us2owls (1681)
• United States
22 Feb 09
Well I am both - a crazy colonial and an ignorant Brit - I have dual citizenship - but although I am at present in the UK the USA is my home. I didn't vote for Obama. I thought about doing it but as the campaign went on I changed my mind even though I was not thrilled with the McCain/Palin ticket either. i was willing to give Obama a chance but so far he has not impressed me. One of the thing is his closing Guantanamo Bay - England is getting one of the freed prisoners who is a threat to humanity and it is going to cost millions in Briish tax money to keep their eyes on him because they can't jail him. $5 billions to ACORN in stimulus money - and what is their primary job - registering thousnads and thousands in illegal voters, What are the elserly getting in the stimulus package - from what I can see NOTHING. Yes people blame George Bush for the current financial plight in the USA - they forget the part a Democratic House and Senate played in it all and thats what Bush was stuck with for a big part of his term. Unlike Gordon Brown - who is paying the price for his own stupid budgets but he doesn't have the sense to resign Bush wasn't the one who made out the budget. I just hope Obama comes up and smells the roses - gets rid of his appointees who are tax cheats etc, comes clean about his birth certificate and puts that to rest. He has a long way to go and a lot of changes to make - he needs to get with the program.