As I read articles and comments by some of you on Gather, I feel compelled to ask you some questions.
Why are you criticizing Obama even though he has not even been inaugurated?
Why do you write about how Obama is going to fail as President?
Why do you want him to fail?
The reason that I ask these questions is that it doesn't make sense to me. The election is over. Obama won. He is going to be our President. Doesn't it seem like a waste of time and energy to spend time criticizing him, prophecying (and hoping for?) his failure?
Don't you understand that we ALL have a vested interest in him succeeding? He is coming into office at a time when this country is in worse shape than it has been since the Great Depression. We just found out that we have been in a recession since December 2007 (something the Bush administration kept from us until after the election). We need to unite behind this man, even if we don't agree with everything he does or says (Did you agree with everything Bush did?), and we need to pray for his success, strength and guidance.
If Obama and his administration is successful, we will reap the benefits. If he is not, we all will suffer.
It shouldn't be about politics anymore. The election is over. It shouldn't be whether you're a Democrat or a Republican--it's about being an American. It's about the survival of this country, it's economy, jobs, and the future of our children.
Please consider what you choose to put your energy toward in the coming days and months. Do you want to focus on hope, peace, prosperity and possibilities? Or do you want to focus on fear, anger, negativity and blame? It's your choice. What do you choose?
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Comments: 78
I HATE BUSH but it took me years to get there.
I may end up hating Obama but it would have to take a few years to get me there, too.
I do think there is a difference between Bush and Obama in the way they will reach out to folks who differ in views. From when I started supporting Obama in 2007, I saw in him the ability to try to start problem solving from some common ground. Carla, you mention some of our common problems. Hopefully most people will agree that we need to work together to solve these extremely difficult issues.
Happy Holidays
They conveniently refuse to acknowledge that the majority of American people, over 66%, voted for him.
Even those making over $250.000 per year voted for him knowing that it would affect them monetarily. These are the kind of people who put country first.
I am so sick of those opposed to Barack Obama trying to use loopholes to have him removed from office before even steps foot in the White House.
More than ever, we need to be not a Red America or a Blue America, but the United States of America.
What's part of that don't they understand?
Lloyd
Why have you not heard from the other side? Because the people who have been writing the angry, hateful posts are doing it just to get gather points and in the end money. Why would they comment on your article - there's no points in that for them!
No intelligent, open-minded human being could write the garbage I've seen here on Gather and believe it. The only answer is greed. If we all stopped reading and commenting on those articles, the writers would change their rhetoric to find some other way to get our attention.
I stopped reading everything but the titles of those articles weeks ago and will continue to ignore stupid hateful articles and their authors.
Just my humble opinion but it works for me.
That being said, there is nothing wrong with criticizing Obama for decisions he has made, such as naming certain people to his cabinet.
P.S. You calls for unity would have held more weight had you united behind Bush, despite your disagreements with his policy.
There are people out there who WANT Obama to fail. That is so illogical that I can hardly believe it. It is like shooting oneself in the foot.
And as far as criticizing Obama for cabinet posts...what good does it do? It is just adding negative energy. Why not try trusting this president's decisions and giving him the benefit of the doubt before you cast judgment? He has an immense job ahead of him.
Not long ago I came off an article posted by Glome, where some individuals on there stated they held no ill-feelings, grudges, or hatred towards anyone. I would assume that would include President-elect Obama. I invite you to go and take a look at some of those individuals. I shall make NO COMMENT, but simply provide the link. I think you might find it quite interesting. Well, I shall say one thing: Jesus DID SO know the hearts of people.
Glome's article. Please click here and see for yourself.
The point is, the only person worth pleasing is God. It goes back to what your definition of Godly is, doesn't it?
I have no patience with gross ignorance and get so darn angry.
See all the posts here about Obama's birth certificate?
I do know a lot worse words though ;-)
You may be thinking of the share he won the Electoral College. I haven’t actually done the calculation but he won about 350 of the 538 electors that were available, which is about 2/3 or 66% of the electors available.
But again you are dead-on as far as the message – it is time to unite and look for common senses solution to our common problems.
Obama has already shown that he is not an ideologue, but a man that is trying to work with both parties to find the most practical solutions.
He held a meeting with democratic and republican governors from some forty states yesterday. Both republican and democratic governors were impressed by his open-mindedness.
Obama told the governors “‘I’m a good listener, and I’m a better listener when people disagree with me”
I think he directed that, especially, at the republican governors, to let them know he is open to new ideas – and that he welcomes criticism.
Like he had said earlier, “I leaned something very early that has served me well – I don’t know everything”.
Politico reports:
“”The tone of the meeting was constructive and positive,” said Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, noting that he was especially heartened by Obama’s message at the end of the session.
“’This isn’t goodbye, it’s hello,’” Obama said, as recalled by Pawlenty.”
At this moment, I am about as sure as I can be – America couldn’t have picked a better president.
Bush, thru his Republican enablers, led the nation catastrophically astray. An accounting is due, NOT to punish Bush (as much as he may deserve it and more) but so that the nation is made aware of how we became to be where we are and what bitter pills we need to take to correct it. That involves shaping public perception of the Republican party, conservatism in practice as an ideology and crumbling the myths the neo-cons have surrounded themselves to survive. They can forestall this by attacking everything Obama. We are still in a hot ideological war, even though the "enemy" has lost a major battle the war goes on. The more doubt can be cast upon Obama's leadership and ideology the greater the chance the next election cycle goes to the forces of reactionary politics and the less Obama can do to right the ship of state. The war goes on.
I am roaring, laughing here. I can barely type. Now I'm not a Republican and I'm not a Democrat, so I don't care what anyone on either side specifically thinks, but for you to make such a statement after I've read nothing but Bush bashing here on this site forthe past 2 years I've been here, this has got to be one of the funniest, one of the most inane, and one of the most insincere statements I have ever seen.
Your article was addressed to --
"A Message to the Obama Critics and Naysayers"
So then, where are they?
The overwhelming majority of people on this thread are NOT Obama critics and naysayers.
Hey there Jonathan G. I haven't seen you in ages. How are you?
Are you still around? Not to nitpick, but we don't want to deprive our guy of the 15 votes to which he is entitled. In some instances, 15 votes might mean the differences between winning the Presidency or losing it. But not in Election 2008.
The electoral vote was
Obama 365
McCain 173
You were right about the 2/3, and that is clearly a mandate in anyone's book of what this Country wants, if there ever was a mandate.
Two-thirds of the United States, Two-thirds of America voted for Obama -- a mandate for CHANGE.
Waiting for Carla's questions to be answered.
McCain got 22 by popular vote
Obama even won an electoral vote in the red state of Nebraska.
Wow! Barack Obama really made an impact.
So, there it is!
Obama wins by popular vote.
Obama win by number of states.
Obama wins by electoral college votes.
Conclusive.
Conclusive,
and
Conclusive.
And the entire World cannot stop partying.
Question, to President-elect Obama's critics and naysayers:
1. Why are you criticizing Obama even though he has not even been inaugurated?
2. Why do you write about how Obama is going to fail as President?
3. Why do you want him to fail?
Hello to you wonderful Lady Nalita ... you effervesse and that is marvelously contagious!
Anyway, ya know some people are just downers. They have no capacity for joy as evidenced in there expression.
They say that people criticize that which they like least about themselves. I think it is true. Carla...you are correct about this but you cannot fix it. It is one of the flaws of human nature.
Good government has a long way to go, and centrists are key.
This group will be better, but only better, not perfect.
And thanks for posting the exact number of electors Obama won. I was a little lazy to go and find the exact number, but I remember it was over 350, so to be on the safe-side, I just went with 350.
And since it has been proved that right wing talking points are widely distributed to these types
(i.e., "OutFOXed" http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6737097743434902428), they all repeat the same lines.
When people refuse to get their information and news from any other sources, they will have a very limited view of reality.
Those same sources are now telling their listeners plenty of anti-Obama stuff. It's a business, they are highly paid ($400 million for Limbaugh?!?), and they are perpetuating what their listeners want to hear. If Fox suddenly began heaping praise on Obama for, say, receiving daily intelligence briefings when Bush only wants them six days a week (per Michael McConnell, the director of national intelligence), their listeners might change the channel--and the ad rev would take a hit.
Some righties are virtually addicted to those talking heads. That's where they get their fix, their prescribed take on the news. And some are so narrow-minded that they actually believe those sources are "fair and balanced"...no matter how many real facts you show 'em.
They are good soldiers. They are thinking what they are taught to think.
I hope, for their own sakes, that they take your words to heart, Carla.
I wrote a letter to my US Representative and the question was simple and to the point. (Mr. Rep If our State Voted in Favor of Hillary and you Decided as our Super Delegate to vote for Obama would you truely call that representing the People of our State?). His reply was "I" will do what "I" think is in the best interest of our State. Now the answer I hoped to hear from him was that He would Represent the State and the Voting Majority but that is not what he answered. At some point in time our Politicians quit doing our bidding and started doing the bidding of the few and powerful. The other point in being is can you define the "Change" that Obama is preaching? A friend of mine has a Daughter that was a McCain supporter in a Major College in Northern Michigan. She simply asked a couple of questions of the Obama supporters and she was labeled a discontent and a troublemaker. The Questions she asked was 1. Can you define the Change that Obama is talking about? 2. Have you compared what Obama is saying on the Campaign Trail with his voting records in the Senate and do they Match? The answers from most of the Obama supporters was He is promising Change and He couldn't possibly do any worse of a job than George Bush. Is this where we as a nation have set the bar for the President of the United States? If it is we have bigger problems than Obama.
And that followed how many years of constant Clinton bashing even though he and his administration were some of the most intelligent, successful politicians and leaders we've ever seen? The duplicity is nauseating.
Your answers are more revealing than my post. Merry Christmas.
Hugs and blessings - S.
The world is paved with good intentions and unchecked its paved with the blood and savings of the people who decided to trust. I for one will save my praise until a later date when I see results rather than talk. I write my Senators and Reps at least once a week on key issues, like Free Trade agreements, Social Security, Elderly People, Cost of Medicine For the Elderly, Education, Illegal Immigration, China and many more subjects. I personally believe if more people took the time to do that Our Political Reps might start to understand that we are keeping a much closer eye on them than they think. That would be a great start to change.
Lady N asked that someone answer the questions. I'll do that. But first I must say that I don't hate Obama or anyone else. And I always pray for our president.
Also, before I answer your questions, I do have to say that this also made me laugh a bit as Sue B said. For years now, everyone has been bashing Bush and that's okay. But have any negative comments about Obama and boy does that make people mad. Hmmm.
Anyway, the questions were:
1. Why are you criticizing Obama even though he has not even been inaugurated? The only criticism I've had so far have been for some of the selections Obama has made. When he's selecting former Clinton folks and lobbyists, that doesn't sound like change to me.
2. Why do you write about how Obama is going to fail as President? I've never done that. And I don't recall reading any articles that said Obama was going to fail. I guess I'll have to search some more.
3. Why do you want him to fail? This is difficult to answer. I want him to fail to put into policy the things about which he campaigned. I've discussed that. I don't like his policies. I don't want the taxes he proposed. Or the bigger government and more programs he proposed. Or the global things. So, yes, I'd love to have him fail to do the things he promised to do. What surprises me is why that would surprise you. The entire US did not vote for Obama. There are about 46-47% of us who didn't want him in office.
I'll pray for him. Like I said before, I always pray for the president. But you can bet that I'm hoping God can find a way to change his mind about most things. :-)
Blessings to you
What I find refreshing and encouraging is the number of McCain supporters who I've heard say that they sincerely wish President Elect Obama the best, and also that they both acknowledge his election as historic, and are proud that our country has elected a person of color.
First, because he's taking actions NOW, even before he becomes President.
Second, because he's about to become the most powerful person on the face of the Earth - and a person like that always needs to be exposed to a critical view.