Thought I would share this interesting link (about obama).

[a completely inoffensive name]

So Jodi Kantor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodi_Kantor) from the New York Times did an AMA on reddit about her new book which is about the Obama's adjustment to the life of a president from early on until recently. I link it because her responses are generally filled with facts from her book or otherwise about Mr. and Mrs. Obama which are quite interesting.

Example:
Q: "Do you think Obama came into office thinking he had a real shot at working with many Republicans in a bipartisan way, and was unprepared when they unified against him?"
A: "Yes. His aides say he was initially quite stumped at the ferocity of Republican opposition and attacks."

That's pretty naive on his part.

Anyway here is the link, hope it generates discussion.
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/p9knf/iama_author_of_a_new_book_about_barack_and/

[Husar]

Look at all the people who aren't naive, they have no vision, no concept and just look to gain more power.

What this means is that you had a real chance for change and ruined it. I really hope you guys elect Gingrich or Romney next. :mellow:

[HopAlongBunny]

Unfortunately Obama is not a scrapper.

He could have pushed through a lot when Dem's controlled both houses; with the risk of severe embarrassment to some Dem's who may have sided with the Republicans.

With that opportunity lost, I am surprised he did not play the populist card; advancing behind the flag, he could have pushed public infrastructure (job creation) and education (investment in the future); it would have been a gamble but a street fight is always high-profile, and provided he was addressing public desires I think he could have scored big points.

If he should get a second term I hope he takes the gloves off; if Newt or Mitt do win against him: congratulations on getting exactly what you wanted.

[a completely inoffensive name]

My favorite fact was the part where he wrote personal checks to people who wrote to him about their very sad stories.

[Hooahguy]

Anyone want to post the highlights from the Reddit link? Reddit is blocked at my institution.

[ICantSpellDawg]

Take no prisoners; only make it seem like you take prisoners, so that the enemy is more likely to give up.

[PanzerJaeger]

What this means is that you had a real chance for change and ruined it.

As has been made abundantly clear over the last four years, not all change is positive.

The self described 'objective reporter' answering the questions seems a bit more like a cheerleader than anything else. The most telling question and answer, imo:


This may sound like a dumb question, but what does the President actually do when he's working? Is he just reading and signing off on things or what?

First rule of reporting: there is no such thing as a dumb question. It's an excellent question, in fact. If you're talking about the work he does alone at night, he's mostly reading and responding to memos. Every night he gets a folder containing memos from top staff. This is a hypothetical, but let's say tonight he's reading a memo from his national security aides saying, here are five choices for our next move in response to the massacres in Syria. He reads through the memos, and aides say he often absorbs the material so well that he recalls it perfectly in meetings the next day. (He has no patience for PowerPoint presentations: he'll often say, I already read the memo, staff say. Valerie Jarrett told me he actually has a photographic memory.) Sometimes, as Ryan Lizza explained in an excellent recent New Yorker article, he checks off choices that the advisers provide him with-- the ultimate multiple choice test. Keep in mind that Obama has been criticized for having such a quiet, even isolated working style. Bill Clinton spent his evenings on the phone, jawing with others about what to do. Obama reads and thinks, reads and thinks.

The ultimate multiple choice test, indeed. If true, that explains so much...

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Yeah, she kind of sounds like a college reporter...