There are several markers of a failed presidency and in retrospect you can see the point at which they failed. Several looked like failures at one point when in reality they actually turned out to be quite successful.
Two of the biggest failures came one from each of the major parties, President Bush 1 and President Carter. There are several DNA markers of both of these that are currently visible in the Obama presidency:
- Both Bush 1 and Carter failed to govern as they campaigned. Bush campaigned as a conservative and governed as a moderate. Carter campaigned as a moderate and governed (or at least tried to govern) as a liberal. Obama campaigned as a moderate and is governing as a liberal. Clinton on the other hand campaigned as a centrist and after a couple false starts at being a liberal came back to his roots and governed as a DLC Democrat.
- Both Bush 1 and Carter campaigned at least partly on being above politics and promised to be bi-partisan. For both of them this turned out to mean abandoning their base. Obama as gone even farther by claiming to be post-partisan. Although Obama is not yet losing his base, they are showing strong signs of unrest. Gitmo and gay issues are two that are causing him angst right now. If there is no progress on health care or cap and trade there will be blazes to pay for him and there is no opposition outside of his party to blame.
- Both Bush 1 and Carter showed a total inability to capture middle America in spite of desperately trying.
It is too early to call Obama a failed president, however it is not too early to recognize the danger signs. So far I have avoided mentioning Bush 2. The reason for that is simple. The comparisons don't apply. W did not carry the popular vote and had an uphill slog to begin with and until Sept 11 no one feared him or his "mandate".
Obama may yet have a successful presidency, however it is difficult to see how he wins over middle America without totally losing his base. A strong economy could do it for him since middle America's pocketbook getting fatter can cause them to overlook a multitude of transgressions, see Bill Clinton. Not even Obama is claiming a strong economy is in our near future.
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Comments: 51
I think Obama will go the way of Carter. When he loses his bid for a second term he will indeed be a failed president for eternity.
As far as Bush not leaving the country better off.... As opposed to what? America received the biggest attack EVER on it's own soil several months into his presidency and his policies helped us rebound. I agree that government spending was his black eye but I am an American Rory. Democrats trash Bush and his spending now but all of his spending bills were trashed by democrats THEN as not spending enough.
Rory tell me what Bush SHOULD have done to make America better off. Tell me why we should have voted for John Kerry. If you can't do that sit back down.
The Bush administration was the first in history to refuse to divest itself of private holdings, or have them placed in a blind trust, and Secretary Rumsfeld alone made $170 million selling goods to his own department. He did this while hollowing out the military and privatizing much of it. This led to the widespread use of mercenaries in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
While he was doing all of this on the international front he was busy running up an enormous budget deficit and debt and failing to pay attention to economic warnings and storm clouds gathering on the horizon. That storm burst last October and sent the economy plummeting over the cliff. He also ignored the science of climate change and the responsibilites that this imposed.
There is not one thing the Bush administration did right, not one. John Kerry may or may not have made a good president, but he could hardly have made a worse one.
He never said Iraq purchased uranium from Niger. That's disinformation. Whether you willfully spread lies or if you are foolish enough to believe liars without doing your own research is the real question.
All your other statement are those of opinion. Kerry wanted to leave Iraq and was strongly opposed to the surge that stabilized it. Kerry wanted to expand on the lending practices that caused the economic crash last year. Yeah you know, the "storm" that Bush ignored? Yeah Bush failed in stopping it or even addressing it but Kerry wanted to EXPAND on it.
Look Rory, I know you probably have a lot of time on your hands up there in Canada while you are waiting for a doctor visit but your knowledge of American politics seems to be coming from Hugo Chavez. Do some research.
As far as Global warming... We are on a 10 year cooling trend. Are you ignoring that?
Actually, I don't have to wait much to see a doctor. For example, when my wife was recently diagnosed with blockages in one of the arteries feeding her heart the total time elapsed from first doctor's visit to the surgery was 23 days, and that included a stress test, an angiogram and a pre-op consultation prior to the surgery. I doubt if many Americans get such quick service. Total cost to us: $0. But go ahead, defend the rapacious health insurance industry getting rich off of your health. No skin off my back.
Isn't "rather flat lined" code for a slight cooling? If we move up .1 degree it's proof of an unstoppable doom but if we move down .1 degree it's a "rather flat lining". I ask you Rory. Do you want to believe that the theory of CO2 based global warming is a fact or do yo want to keep an open mind in the ongoing research? If CO2 global warming is a FACT to you, you drank the kool aid and speaking sense to you is a waste of time.
Of course, there are those who want so desperately for it to fail that they decided before January 21st that it would, have speaking since then as though their prognostication had already come true, and analyze every breath the man takes through that filter. Rush Limbaugh is their prototype.
Sorry to inform you but Rush and Glenn Beck and the likes of these guys in my opinion is the right way to go.
Please take care of Canada, the country is beautiful for it's scenery.
Hypocrisy is bliss....
Conservatives are opposing everything Obama does, hoping not for the failure of this or that program but of his entire presidency. Be honest, Jeff, for many of those who follow Limbaugh's extremist rhetoric, the failure of Obama is desired even at the cost of the failure of the nation along with it. Such is the hatred and resentment driving this desire that it is willing to lose if it means Obama also loses.
"""Conservatives are opposing everything Obama does, hoping not for the failure of this or that program but of his entire presidency. """
Maybe so but most Americans now think the stimulus package was a big mistake. They wished republicans would have succeeded in their opposition.
There is no hatred regarding Obama. We are opposed to his policies and America is waking up. THANK GOD republicans stood u to the hype and wave of false optimism. If they didn't America would be lost right now. Instead the latest tracking poll shows 50% of America against Obama's policies. Why? Because they want America to succeed.
Sure, there is no hatred for Obama. That is why the "birthers" are out there insisting he was not born in the USA, despite the evidence of his birth certificate which anyone can see on the internet, the advertisement in the local Honolulu newspaper announcing his birth at the time and the fact that all official sources who have examined his birth certificate have confirmed it is legitimate. But there are still all kinds of right wing talk show hosts and listeners convinced he was born in Africa. Some even call him a "Nigerian", even though his family roots are in Kenya. But "Nigerian" is closer to "nigger", and we all know that is what the birthers are dying to call him.
Did anyone ever ask to see George Bush's birth certificate, or John McCain's? I understand McCain was not even born in America.
All I can say is that in polls, less than 20% of Americans ADMIT that they are liberals and 15% of them are opposed to the war in Afghanistan. I will agree that there are more liberals that are too ashamed to admit it but those are the numbers.
You are correct it is too early to declare Obama's presidency a failure, however I don't see how he gets the independents and more conservative Democrats back without destroying the base of the party. Democrats aren't ready to admit it however right now they are in the grips of the extreme left wing of the party. The blue dogs may save him. They saved Clinton. I think the big difference is Obama shows no signs of wanting to be saved.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressReleasesMolt/idUSTRE5683MZ20090709
The Daily Kos Poll shows Obama's 'favourable' rating at 61% in a poll conducted July 20th to 23rd. This is down only a very little since 62% between June 22nd-25th, and only down slightly from the 65% he enjoyed between March 23rd and 26th.
Similarly, the Diageo/Hotline Poll found Obama had a 'favourable' rating of 58% between July 9th and 13th. While this was down from his inauguration peak of about 76%, or was only slightly lower than the 64% he had in both March and April.
Gallup indicated Obama's 'favourable' rating was at 66% betweenm July 10th and 12th. This was almost the same as the 67% he had in late May, within the margin of error to be sure.
Quinnipac University shows Obama steady at 58% from late April through late June, only down 1% from 59% in March.
Even FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll gave Obama 62% on July 21-22. This was down 2% since mid June (within the margin of error) and the same as they had him in late March-early April.
So, go on. Keep announcing Obama's "fall from grace in the polls". Keep it up right through to November 2012. At that time there will be a poll that will be a little harder to ignore or fudge.
With no 9/11 Bush doesn't get a second term even against Kerry. In regards to Obama, his approval ratings are simply starting to track closer to the approval rating for his policies. Clinton and Reagan figured it out and got close enough to middle America to lead and do so effectively.
The same folks who are so convinced that Obama doesn't need to move away from the left are exactly why I think he is in danger of leaving as a failed president. I don't want my president to fail, however failing or not failing is owned by the president, not the opposition party or the media. Clinton succeeded in spite of being impeached . Reagan succeeded in spite of the media thinking he was a dolt. If Obama fails, he will fail because of the things he does or doesn't do. Middle America stuck with both Clinton and Reagan in spite of the political handicaps they carried.
I am not saying Obama will absolutely fail. What I am saying is that if Obama doesn't figure out where the middle is and move to it, there is no way for him to succeed and the left will not let him go quietly. He will not be able to stay on the far left and have success.
I will leave you with this: All presidents are treated unfairly by their opponents. That is not an excuse for failure. Presidents fail succeed on their own.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
Define "patriotic." then go look up "jingoistic." I'm guessing that in your one-dimensional world-view, they're pretty much the same thing...
...which defines you as a dolt.
As far as turtles and flowers and all that happy horse crap goes I could care less about it. Not my thing so dont lump me in with a cliq. You dont know me so dont make aSSumptions. I have both liberal and conservative beliefs. I am neither democrat or republican. I dont need a political party to tell me who to vote for as I am not a puppet. Are you?
I understand not liking a president. I didnt care for Bush in the least so I cant fault you for your dislike. The problem is that many who oppose Obama have always opposed Obama before he was even given a chance. I gave Bush several years worth of chance before I lost all confidence in him and honestly there has never been a perfect president. They have all had their faults. Obama isnt the Messiah and can screw up. Until someone is in the office of president I dont think anyone can understand the pressure and responsibility that comes with that office.