quote:

ORIGINAL: xBullx

quote:

ORIGINAL: DomKen

Mostly I think anyone who thinks Obama wants to or could change the US into some unrecognizable state has been watching too much FNC.

The President has an established track record and it is as a slightly left of center pragmatic politician. He most certainly is not a socialist or any oter flavor of extreme leftist.

So ultimately I think he'd like to reduce the big money influence on politics and take some steps to reinvigorate the middle class. Nothing even remtely radical.

I think it haughty of you to simply dismiss the opinions of nearly half of this country as the result of propaganda and theater. If that be the case it would be nearly impossible to defend your own position as anything other than the same.

The problem with the President’s track record is that what you see, the other half of this country does not and his track record is much too limited to indeed assess a solid understanding of just who he is. Therefore many of us do not see what he certainly is or is not.

I agree he’d like to reduce the present big money influences, but to me, from what I see he’s only altering the players and not the premise. And you’re right that isn’t radical, only four more years of politics of the norm.

My thread here was actually spawned by watching a movie this past weekend.

The chief concern I had with the President before I watched the movie 2016 was his spending habits, and it should be stated that it was just this weekend I watched this film. As I've stated a million times, I'm just as socially liberal as a good many of you. And while I don't agree with how Obama handles a fair amount of foreign policy, I have only a small degree of hope that Romney's policies might be better, and at that I'm counting on his selection for Secretary of State to demonstrate his intent to be a better man in this arena.

Now as I stated, I watched this movie this past weekend, I sincerely didn't want some way right propaganda piece to instill some false sense of political prejudice before I watched the debates, so I refrained from watching it until now. I had no idea what it was actually about. I was prepared for a bunch of fear mongering and rhetorical spin.

I was however rather surprised to see it was little more than one person’s examination of Obama’s past, his family/personal influences and the personal interpretations of Obama’s own writing by the producer. The film made a few future suggestions based on acquired information, but it wasn’t outrageous or hard to envision. The fact is, after I watched the film I wish they had been able to uncover a bit more information about the president that might also lend an understanding into his thinking. The film didn’t actually do anything to persuade me, but inspired me to a greater curiosity of this president, and even his challenger.

One amazing thing that struck me is that I finally understand, or at least I think I do; why Trump wants to see Obama’s transcripts. You see, I too have been training myself to be able to do my job since I was but a child, I even went back and viewed transcripts of my own as far back as junior high (my mother kept everything) to see what teachers had said about me and found teacher commentary referring to what was my obvious focus. These teachers were surprisingly accurate in just what I would become. You see, like a good many of us my interests, studies, associations and behavior were indeed focused that way.

So as the film pointed out we can tell a great deal about a person’s future by examining their past. This film was made by a conservative man and he confessed this at the films beginning; his views would obviously have some leaning in that direction, but knowing that I believe I was able to sort through any rhetoric that might exist.

I’d like to add one more thing to this reply; I don’t want America to change, only to improve. Obama has made improvements; of this I have no doubt. But, not everything he has done or claims he intends to do will be an improvement. I do hate that his opposition intends to minimize or berate nearly everything he has done for this country, but he and his supporters have brought a lot of this upon themselves as their actions are no different than those they castigate. Additionally his arrogance has since early on in his administration set forth an opposition that has sought to do nothing more than embarrass him as they feel he has done to them. Washington D.C. is powered on vengeance.

Genuine Leadership is the art of influencing others to work together in order to achieve a common goal. It should not simply be the act of dictating directive and measure.

quote:

ORIGINAL: xBullx

quote:

ORIGINAL: DomYngBlk


I could list a bunch of policy things that should and will be accomplished with a second term. However, at the core of his message and what he wants to do is to reunite America. To bring us together as a people. That, though, we have difference our similarities are much greater. To have us stop hating each other. Realizing again that we are all Americans. We are all in this together and we should treat one another a whole lot better than we are today.

You have no idea, that if he were to win, how much I am hoping you're right. It is the premise I held entering his first term. I am however disappointed in the results of the mutual bonding efforts, assuming there actually were some.

I have to admit, that sadly I even feel a greater seperation with close friends of mine that hold more liberal views than I. Trust, me I examine these feelings all the time, I personally don't want to be consumed with petty conflict and misgivings, for anyone.

As to your points above, it's great political rhetoric, but if you sat in my chair, looked through my eyes I am hopeful you'd understand my reservations a little better.

But I hope you see that I am trying desperately working to see America and Obama through your eyes.