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> Can I have a new left wing please? This one appears to be broken :( I've been saying this since basically after Obama was elected. I was a HUGE supporter of
by 464192002d7fe1c 10y ago
> Can I have a new left wing please? This one appears to be broken :(
I've been saying this since basically after Obama was elected.
I was a HUGE supporter of his, even in the democratic primaries. I donated to him, I was running local groups that were canvassing and phone banking to get him elected. I was ecstatic when he got elected (though I viewed it as a foregone conclusion, I didn't think McCain had a chance).
When it came to the governing, I was not really impressed. Basically from day 1, everything seemed stuck. He got a few things done (ACA though that's of dubious benefit, and was done in such a way that it became a political punching bag and can't get any reforms), but mostly in the first two years. After the 2010 midterms, this shit was just complete gridlock. You can blame whomever you want for the gridlock but a good leader builds compromise and ends gridlock.
I think there are two good examples of this. First, after sandy hook Obama promised that he would pass gun control legislation. Now, I do not agree with lots of things that he would like to do with such legislation, but, I do agree that there are some changes required. He has basically failed to pass any legislation around gun control and his response to that isn't to propose new legislation that can pass congress. His reaction was to go on national television and cry (literally) about his failure to pass gun control legislation.
I'm sorry, I don't want a damn leader who CRYS about their political failures. I know dead children is a sad subject, but, this is ultimately a political failure.
The 2nd one is Guantanamo. When he was campaigning one of his promises was to close Guantanamo, bring prisoners home and try them for their crimes. After 8 years, that has not happened and its become so politically untenable that he's basically letting these people out, without trying them at all. It is a mind-boggling
Withdrawing from Iraq/Afghanistan was another campaign promise that I was personally invested in too, but that is a far more complex one and though he doesn't get a pass from me on that as I have personal losses there, I acknowledge that its more complex.
I do not agree with lots of things that (old) republicans did (though I am hopeful about the new republican party of today), but they get shit done. They wanted to block (stupid) gun control legislation, they did. They wanted to block returning Guantanamo prisoners to the USA, they did.
Sometimes doing something, even if its not perfect, is more important than doing nothing, especially when you don't have a crystal ball and don't know what exact result specific actions/legislation will have. Move fast, break shit.
- bojl 10y agoWhat's your solution, then? What form of a left wing would have been any better than Obama in light of the obstruct-at-all-cost policy the Republicans held for the last 6 years? >I do not agree with lots of things that (old) republicans did... but they get shit done. They wanted to block (stupid) gun control legislation, they did. They wanted to block returning Guantanamo prisoners to the USA, they did. Blocking legislation (esp legislation brought forth by the opposition party) is, always has been, and always will be 100x easier than putting forth any legislation. Blocking legislation isn't getting anything done. We already see a failure to get things done by the Republicans in their handling of Obamacare-- they have no collective idea as to how to replace it, despite their vigor in denouncing and repealing the bill. They have had 6 years.
- ufmace 10y agoI can agree that blocking legislation is much, much easier than passing it. On the other point, I lean Republican, and I'm more inclined to agree with 464192002d7fe1c. A lot of leftists love to blame the Republicans for being obstructionist during the Obama administration. But were you paying any attention to Obama's attitude? See [1]. He basically says "I won, deal with it, if you don't like it, then go win some elections". Well, they did, and they obstructed him in exactly the spirit that he invited. And in roughly the same spirit that the Democrats obstructed GWB during his term. A good leader accepts the political situation and seeks to work within it. If your political opponents have control of Congress, you better learn how to compromise and work with them to get things done. This might actually involve not getting everything your way and sometimes doing something that the other side wants. Whining that you can't get the things that you want done is poor leadership. I'll grant that there's a big divide between the two sides, and neither side is innocent in perpetuating it. But who can be the bigger person, lay off the name calling for a while, and make some compromises? Evidently not Obama. Maybe Trump will? I guess we'll see soon enough. [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/10/17/president-obama-to-republicans-i-won-deal-with-it/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/10/17/pr...
- bojl 10y agoYou're acting like the Republicans had no choice but to obstruct Obama. And when I say obstruct, I don't just mean denying legislation. I mean performing stunts like literally shutting down the government. Like irresponsibly fucking with the debt ceiling. Like attempting to repeal the ACA with no replacement plan, screwing over so many of their constituents. And let's not act like these were attempts to better America in light of differences of opinion on policy; the ACA was based on Republican health care initiatives for christ's sake. Obama needed to be a better leader? Give me a goddamn break. Maybe he wasn't perfect, but in order for him to have done a better job unifying he would have had to bend over backwards to the GOP. There's a clear right and wrong in this situation.