Who are American politicians beholden to? The People? The Constitution?

[Lonestar]

Not sure what you are implying.

He can give a good speech, but that isn't the same thing as being a good politician.

[Guynemer]

He can give a good speech, but that isn't the same thing as being a good politician.

He got re-elected despite a ****ty economy, got his main legislative goal passed, and has used some crazy mental judo Road Runner **** to cause his opposition to eat itself alive.

I'm not saying he's a good President. I'm saying he's a good politician. He's good at the game.

[regexcellent]

He didn't get his main legislative goal passed. He got something with the same name as it passed.

Obama has completely failed at working with Republicans. In his latest gun control initiative, his idea of "dialogue" consists of, by his own admission, working around the NRA and attempting to sideline conservative pro-gun groups and politicians. Which is fascinating because the NRA has higher approval than he does.

e: I suppose that second bit is about being a good president, not being good at getting elected. I completely agree that he is a master campaigner.

[Dinner]

Obama has completely failed at working with Republicans.

What a load of horse dung. The guy bent over backwards even offering $10 in spending cuts for $1 in tax increases but the Republicans still spit in his face. He's been so weak and willing to compromise it has been painful to watch but the Republicans have made not working with him on ANYTHING their one and only goal so that even when Obama adopts the stated Republican position wholesale the Republicans instantly flip a 180 and oppose their own legislation. I mean what else can the guy do?

[Berzerker]

i dont remember any 10:1 offer, wasn't that a question during the GOP primary debates and no one would have taken the deal?

[Lonestar]

He got re-elected despite a ****ty economy,

Yeah, because his rival was a complete boner of a boner who did everything possible to antagonize a good chunk of the voting populace.

got his main legislative goal passed,

Watered down and nearly useless hand out to the Health insurance Industry, and that was the best he could do with the biggest majorities in both houses anyone has had in decades.

and has used some crazy mental judo Road Runner **** to cause his opposition to eat itself alive.

Yeah, OR he was just friends with Hagel while he was in the Senate and picked him for SECDEF for the same reason he did Gates: to at least give the illusion of bi-partisanship.

I'm not saying he's a good President. I'm saying he's a good politician. He's good at the game.

He gives a good speech which is not the same thing as being a good politician.

Hell, he had all the ****ing cards in the recent Fiscal Cliff and he gave them away. The time before THAT he gave up public funding for Planned Parenthood.

[Dinner]

i dont remember any 10:1 offer, wasn't that a question during the GOP primary debates and no one would have taken the deal?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiswoodhill/2011/08/17/10-in-spending-cuts-for-1-in-tax-increases-no-thanks/

That was Obama's offering for a "grand bargain". $10 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax increases and the Republicans said no. No tax increases ever for any reason.

The reason it later because a question in the Republican debates was to see if any of them would actually take up the President's generous offer of compromise instead of just walking out as the Republicans actually did. I mean time and again Obama has bent over backwards and even offered compromises to his own compromises but the Republicans just spit on him and refuse to do anything. Even when Obama completely adopts the stated Republican position on a given topic the Republicans simply block their own legislation and change their position. It's obvious who is trying to work with the other side and who is just trying to obstruct in order to obstruct.

Republicans really thought they should do nothing to help the economy or sign a grand bargain because they wanted to keep the issue alive just to use in the 2012 election. Sadly, the gullible fools who vote for them fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

[DinoDoc]

That was Obama's offering for a "grand bargain". $10 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax increases and the Republicans said no. No tax increases ever for any reason.

The link you posted gives very good reasons to refuse such a deal.

[kentonio]

He got re-elected despite a ****ty economy, got his main legislative goal passed, and has used some crazy mental judo Road Runner **** to cause his opposition to eat itself alive.

I'm not saying he's a good President. I'm saying he's a good politician. He's good at the game.

He plays the game beautifully, but he makes me think of one of those football players who outplays the opposition regularly but then always manages to fumble the ball at the final line. He does all the hard work but loses it on the simple stuff.

[Ben Kenobi]

Republican obstructionism becomes completely transparent to everyone?

No budgets in 4 years is Republican obstructionism? Also - doesn't Obama favour international law superceding the constitution? Sounds like treason to me.

[Ben Kenobi]

The link you posted gives very good reasons to refuse such a deal.

Which is why Oerdin didn't quote it. He does this all the time, misrepresents the link.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Designating a moderate Republican ex-senator is pretty inspired.

You don't go wrong following the Clinton playbook (ie, William Cohen).

[Imran Siddiqui]

He plays the game beautifully, but he makes me think of one of those football players who outplays the opposition regularly but then always manages to fumble the ball at the final line. He does all the hard work but loses it on the simple stuff.

This. It can be maddening at times.

[Straybow]

He got re-elected despite a ****ty economy, got his main legislative goal passed, and has used some crazy mental judo Road Runner **** to cause his opposition to eat itself alive.

I'm not saying he's a good President. I'm saying he's a good politician. He's good at the game.

He got reelected because he was running against the most liberal Republican nominee since Eisenhower (and I only say that because I'm not sure how liberal Ike may have been).

[Straybow]

What a load of horse dung. The guy bent over backwards even offering $10 in spending cuts for $1 in tax increases but the Republicans still spit in his face. He's been so weak and willing to compromise it has been painful to watch but the Republicans have made not working with him on ANYTHING their one and only goal so that even when Obama adopts the stated Republican position wholesale the Republicans instantly flip a 180 and oppose their own legislation. I mean what else can the guy do?

No, he lies.

Yeah, I know, not such a stretch for any pol, but O makes a vague offer (nothing in writing as a formal budget) and then balks at Congressional counter offers. Are you really unobservant enough to fall for O's game after all these years?

Please show one concrete proposal from the Great and Mighty O to actually cut one penny of spending (not just reduce growth over ten years).