A question for black Americans.

United States
August 29, 2011 1:54pm CST
The latest polls show that Obama has a 38% approval rate.He's obviously one of the worst Presidents we've ever had.He doesn't seem to care about our country.He keeps screwing up with every step he takes.He's trying to set up his own little dictatorship by sidestepping the Constitution. Why do blacks give him an 88% approval rating?This isn't a racial question.It's a fact and I'm wondering why blacks approve of a man that doesn't care about them.Why?
2 people like this
9 responses
• Canada
29 Aug 11
There are charts online comparing/ranking presidents online as stated my many american magazines or simply search "president ranking". Try searching for them, it might come to a surprise to you. But If I remember correctly Obama never fell under the top 15 best presidents. Bush on the other hand constantly stayed between 30-35. As you can see Bush scored lower than Obama. Here's the thing, I think Obama could have been a great president, it is just that he became a president during a very bad time. It is not that he chose the time, it is that someone had to be chosen to take a seat at that time. To me, it doesn't matter who became the president, they would all have done a very bad job during a very bad time. I think Obama could have handled it much better than McCain. You cannot state that Obama doesn't care about them, or anyone. I was watching George W. Bush remembering 9/11 last night, premier. He said he made specific choices during his presidency that may have appeared he didn't care, but he stated that he was the best choice for the country during those difficult decisions. People who don't know will never know how difficult it is to be a nation's leader. People can always just judge them on how they perceived them. Most of us can just make 1 to 2 decisions about our daily lives, The leaders have to make many in one seating and have to calculate the results in the future. Not all results will be amazing, but the results should be able to sustain the country without destroying it completely. Yes USA is in a bad spot, but it is not completely destroyed. Yes USA owes a lot of money to China, but even China is in the top 3 most in debt countries. With that said, I could easily make the argument that all the world leaders are bad, because of how terrible the state of the world is. But they are not, they are just caught up in a bad time, especially economically.
• United States
29 Aug 11
The information on the Charts depends on who is making the choices of what is important, what is to be allowed, where they get their information from, etc. He might be a great president, but not for America. He does NOT follow the Constitution of the United States. That makes him a Domestic Enemy of the United States. He even did a speech to a group (La Raz, La Raza something like that saying that we WANT him to go against the Constitution. President for life = dictator which the world is full of, if he does NOT want to run this country as the Constitution defines it then he should NOT have run. Our Constitution, the United States of America is founded on constitutional republic, our elected representatives swear to uphold the Constitution as they serve at the will and by the consent of the American people. This type of government is so rare that is has been done three times in the history of mankind, including this one, the Untied States of America. You use Bush as an example, but he is a bad example. He was not elected his first term, he was assigned the POTUS position by the courts (against the Constitution). He is a domestic enemy of the United States, a traitor, and (under our laws) a murderer as is Cheney. His second year he was "guaranteed" the presidency through some illegal voting maneuvers. This POTUS is backing nations that hate us. He has had money sent to Libyan rebels because they said they "will not use it for the fight against us" that they were in. He has had money that was for OUR citizens to rebuild their lives (like Texas, where hundreds lost their homes due to fires), yet they were turned down and OUR money shipped to Pakistan for them to rebuild their flooded homes (Thank you very much for this deliberate act Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, also a domestic enemy and very likely a traitor). Look up the May 4, 2011 letter from the Appropriations Committee to Hilary Clinton and see for yourself.
• Canada
30 Aug 11
Who would you have suggested during the election of the last president that could have done a better job? My theory is, it didn't matter who sat on that chair during this period, they would all have done just as worst of a job or worse. We can criticize Obama all we want, but I can guarantee, unless the economy stabilizes, which is out of the president's hand. We will not see a president who everyone will accept is doing a good job. If Clinton became the front runner instead of Obama at the time, I know it is inappropriate, but do you know how many sexist jokes would be appearing right now? All comedians, talk show host, would popularize a sexist joke along the lines of "women can't do men's jobs". If this occurred, it would not be because Clinton would have been a bad president, it would be because of the time period. I know for sure McCain would have not been capable. Even now, the candidates don't seem fitting for the job, or rather none of them is fitting to help the American Economy survive. Obama is doing his best for the American economy to stand tall. But it is what I have observed, perhaps you have some observations of your own, and I would love it for you to tell me just because I understand you are really concerned and well versed of the current situation. So who would you suggest that could do a very good job?
@sirnose (2436)
• United States
29 Aug 11
I don’t think that President Obama is the worst president we ever had those honors would have to go to former President Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush, and his son George W. Bush. By far, these three former presidents were some of the worst presidents America has elected in its history. Yes, President Obama has made some missteps in dealing with the economy. We can place the blame anywhere we want to, but you must admit that other presidents before President Obama ruin this economy. President Obama biggest mistake was getting healthcare reform passed instead of tackling the economy first. I don’t see President Obama as a dictator or a traitor to this country after all it wasn’t Mr. Obama who wanted the Patriot act, eavesdropping on American citizens without a court order or setting up TSA who does these invasive pat downs at airports. According to the most recent Gallup Poll President Obama's job approval rating averaged 88% among blacks and 38% among whites in July, a 50-percentage-point difference . Obama's job approval ratings among blacks, whites, and Hispanics in July are all at their lowest levels to date, although the overwhelming majority of blacks still approve. Why? The same reason whites support their presidents because they represent them. If President Obama was from any other race that race would back him just on that basis. So, don’t say it’s not about race because it is. I’m not throwing in the towel on this president yet. He’s got at least one more year to get this economy going again. If he fails to reverse the damage caused by his predecessors then he will be a one term president.
@sirnose (2436)
• United States
30 Aug 11
No I didn’t read Obamacare I didn’t have time to mull over it, no I didn’t read the Patriot Act either I knew what it would do take some of my Civil and Constitutional Rights away, yes I know that the President of the United States is sworn to up hold the existing laws of this Republic whether he agree with them or not. We will never see Mr. Obama get his way or put his policies in place to make some changes for the better for America. The Tea Party will see to that. So, I don't know what the right is afraid of. ...
@sirnose (2436)
• United States
30 Aug 11
Yes, I heard of “Fast and Furious”. This secret operation has not been fully investigated and we don’t know the details of this operation. Wouldn’t you call it treason to sell arms to Iran as ransom payment to free hostages? All presidents have had their problems while in office and Mr. Obama is no exception. ...
• United States
29 Aug 11
If you don't think going against the Constitution, which defines how our government must operate so that we stay free, as not being the act of a traitor or attempting dictatorship then WHY are you here in THIS nation? Anything he did that went against the Constitution from extending the Patriot Act (he did NOT have to extend it) to search and seizure without a warrant or a real reason; "pre crime" (NO CRIME COMMITTED) yet can be arrested for NO reason and "detained" for up to 10 years (Yeah, real American ideas there), negating states rights which is Constitutionally something he CANNOT do. If you really believe these things are OK, then please feel free to go to anywhere else in this world because they are like that. But true Americans do NOT want that here at all. His approval rating is by people who have not bothered to see what he does. But if he gets his way, they will have a real rude awakening. But to me, to see them realize that is NOT worth losing the only nation on earth with true freedoms, those they have been curtailed greatly. Questions for you, did YOU read Obamacare? I did. Did you read the parts of the Patriot Act we are allowed to see? I did. Did you know that the POTUS HAS to enforce existing laws, agree with them or not. But he could have worked to change existing laws he does not agree with within the Constitutional government we have.
1 person likes this
@Netsbridge (3253)
• United States
30 Aug 11
Why do republicans speak of George W. Bush (a man who took away the right of the people to decide health under MEHPA; took away our civil rights under the Patriot Act II; and took the world to war in Iraq based on lies upon lies, resulting in unnecessary deaths of thousands and the expenses bringing the nation to its knees) as a great president?
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
1 Sep 11
I don't see anyone calling Bush a great president. Even if they were, that has absolutely nothing to do with this thread.
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
31 Aug 11
I miss good ol' Dubya.
@YoungInLove (1254)
• Canada
30 Aug 11
Im canadian, so I dont follow alot in your politics, not closely atleast from what I see on the news, but you have to commend Obama a little bit. With all of the damage Bush did its hard for a country to jump back from all that destruction.
@annjilena (5618)
• United States
30 Aug 11
amen
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
31 Aug 11
All he's done is make things worse. Obama hasn't done anything that has worked. He doesn't have a clue.
• Mojave, California
31 Aug 11
He sure knew how to find Bin Laden and kill him. 7 years Bush and Cheney had and could not find him. It only took Obama 2 and a half years, so you can't say he did not do nothing right. I will be eternally grateful to him and everyone involved in that operation. Anyone that says Obama does not care about America is truly blinded by ignorance.
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
31 Aug 11
"Why do blacks give him an 88% approval rating?" Because he's half black.
• United States
31 Aug 11
How about half White?
• Mojave, California
31 Aug 11
I guess that makes him grey like his hair
• United States
30 Aug 11
I'm going to let most of the above comments stand on their own. I especially like the ones that rip your opening paragraph since it is personal bile trying to hide as some kind of fact. The only fact, and the root of the question, is the approval rating. This has to be viewed in the context of the day and not compared to any other standard. For instance, someone above already commented on how, despite the low approval rating, Obama ranks fairly high on a Presidential rating scale. But leave even that aside and look at the mindset of the country as a whole. We are pissed at all our politicians right now. The approval rating for Congress is in the high teens, less than half that of Obama. We've even spawned a huge grassroots Tea Party Movement and noone in Washington is safe from our ire. But among "Black America", and I'm talking culturally not physically or I'd pass out from stooping to caveman terminology, there is still a pride and hope embodied in Obama. A figure around whom we should all be able to say "Wow, That's the American Dream". And your comment that Obama doesn't care about "blacks" is not only unfounded but ludicrous. The important thing is that people who indicated themselves to be "black" on the survey obviously didn't think that way. (And then there's the probable problem that the sampling size was too small to be statistically relevant, since this part is voluntary and I, for one, always choose "Other".) Then you end by saying "This isn't a racial question.It's a fact", but continue that next sentence with an opinion and a loaded question. I certainly took it the wrong way and I'm guessing quite a few other people would too. The possible implication is that you think "blacks" are too inferior to see some evil Obama conspiracy that is so obvious to you and your favorite commentators. Maybe you didn't mean it that way. Maybe you're truly curious, though the rest of your statements in getting to that question are obviously biased against Obama so you don't come across as a person who wants more data to make up your mind. I don't want to get lost on another rant about the inacurately named "racism" and how subtle it can be from fear and hate. Perhaps I should stop here.
• United States
31 Aug 11
I wasn't meaning to imply tha Obama doesn't care about blacks only.He doesn't seem to care about anyone in our country.I am not a fan of Obama.That is just my opinion.I and a majority of the American people feel this way.I would just like to find out what blacks see in him that others don't. I also don't believe that McCain would have done better.I don't think that any of the politicians running in 2012 will make things better.
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
29 Aug 11
What I find unusual, is when I talk to different black people that are struggling, they say they did not vote for him and agree he is not right as a president. Not as a black man. And personally I won't even give him the gratification of rubbing elbows with black people. I guess I am from the Martin Luther King era and I sincerely wanted to see afro americans progress. But then you see when we were in a war together, we never saw color. We saw friends and buddies that would try to keep each other alive. While I embrace the afro american community, I don't embrace this man we call president. In fact I am glad I was in the Army when I was. I could not serve under someone as him I would go AWOL!
@naija4real (1291)
30 Aug 11
Oneidmnster, I strongly disagree with you. Obama is the first black president of the united states and he has done the nation proud but most american especially the white american are against him and they do not want him to succeed. They were patience with George Bush (I and II ) Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, etc but here is a black man and all the white in america are just ganging up against him. If a white man become president today, he can not perform more than what Obama is doing. I think it is high time Obama is giving sufficient time to execute the bold policy his adminstration is carrying out for all americas. George Bush drag america to an endless war in Afghernistan, Iraq etc. But Obama is fighting for the good of all american, yet people are still crying foul of him it is rather too bad and unfair to Obama.
@piasabird (1737)
• United States
31 Aug 11
We're still in wars with Iraq and Afghanistan and now he's gotten us into a not-war with Libya.
• India
30 Aug 11
hey guys. all have a belief that that blackians have a good health and wealth than white people. this is due to the fact that that the black people have a good stamina and they work hard to achieve their goals. i am proud to be a black american... we can take example of the current us president barack obama to illustrate my ideas since he is one of the emerging hitters of the world