Obama disappoints me...

[Adrian II]

Is this where I spout baseless accusations about Obama's personality, his family, his race or words he never said, only to be corrected by Louis or Lemur who maintain that there are different sides to an issue and that the truth might actually be worth pursuing?

Good.

I liked his Notre Dame speech on abortion. After the verbal diarrhea we were accustomed to in the past eight years or more, I was relieved to see a President looking for middle ground in this politicised debate and proposing that each side attempt to understand and meet the concerns of the other. It's only words so far, I know, but it beats grunting and throwing faeces.

[Ser Clegane]

*throws faeces at Adrian for being too middle ground*

(I think we need a new smiley for that ... but then - maybe not)

[Adrian II]

*throws faeces at Adrian for being too middle ground*

Impossible. From what I remember from the debates we used to have, you occupy the entire middle ground all by yourself.

[Ser Clegane]

you occupy the entire middle ground all by yourself.

Are you calling me fat?

On topic (to avoid having to warn myself) - my feelings are a bit mixed. There is some disappointment - partly just because expectations became so jazzed up over time that a certain let down was unavoidable - partly because there was the (unrealistic) hope that a new president might give enough impetus to miraculously provide some energy for the ailing economy.

OTOH it is nice to have a feeling of "normality" again after almost a decade of the US being unfairly and frequently associated with just the president (and I hope we will not see it the other way around now - that everybody outside the US just thinks about Obama when talking about the US).

On the specific abortion topic - let's hope - middle ground seems to be what also the majority of our US friends (on this board and elsewhere) would like to dominate the discussion in order to finally come to a compromise that ends the oscillating between extremes.

[KukriKhan]

Impossible. From what I remember from the debates we used to have, you occupy the entire middle ground all by yourself.

Impossible. Though perhaps too quiet at times, I fancy myself as having occupied Ser Clegane's middle ground shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

As have you, in the end. I observe.

The Kindergarteners vs Steelers thing: = teh bad. I'd like to think the Steelers, had they known of the conflict, would have accomodated a mutual event. Lousy PR management by 1600.

[Marshal Murat]

As I understand it, there's alot of "Obamamessiah" not just because of those fringe loonies that Obama could attract, but the mere fact that he was black and bringing "change" and "hope" to America. Those nebulous concepts of happiness and pride which inspired millions of college students to stand up and say "I'll vote for a better future!" (Ironically, they probably will feel the effects of this recession long after Obama leaves office). People didn't want to vote for "evil old white Republican" but wanted to vote for "progressive feel-good black Democrat"

As a middle-grounder (I actually think my dot is the most middlygroundest of all dots on the chart), I have to say that given expectations Obama and Dems have maintained some sense of decorum (I applaud his actions in Iraq and Afghanistan), while

1. Many of Obama's nominees to posts were back on taxes
2. Iran has continued to enrich uranium
3. Pelosi + CIA = What?
4. Detainees, wha...oh yeah, those detainees. No, I thought they were staying with you.

I believe Roosevelt (Teddy) wrote something about how many nations are protected by strong-men not because they're using force against foes, but that they're willing to do so.

[CountArach]

I am as disappointed with Obama as I expected to be. His foreign policy shows little structural change to most previous President's (Though I never expected otherwise) and I think he has horribly mishandled the entire torture issue. However, I expeccted nothing more than this from him and I am pleasantly surprised by some of the things he has done stimulus package-wise.

[Adrian II]

Impossible. Though perhaps too quiet at times, I fancy myself as having occupied Ser Clegane's middle ground shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

As have you, in the end. I observe.

Maybe.

But have you considered the change of atmosphere in the backroom since I joined? We used to have a pretty vocal right wing; they used Pindar as a flying wedge (yes, we all know that's illegal since 1906, but Pindar always found a loophole ) and they had receivers like Gawain and Panzerjaeger that were so far out to the right they made the Lemur look like a Communist.

It wudn't pretty. But we had some great fun.

[KukriKhan]

Maybe.

But have you considered the change of atmosphere in the backroom since I joined? We used to have a pretty vocal right wing; they used Pindar as a flying wedge (yes, we all know that's illegal since 1906, but Pindar always found a loophole ) and they had receivers like Gawain and Panzerjaeger that were so far out to the right they made the Lemur look like a Communist.

It wudn't pretty. But we had some great fun.

There's no denying any of that. True, all of it.

Somehow, some way, we, as a group, have managed to drop some of the invective from our arguments. Positions, and motivations get examined in greater detail, and "winning" isn't nearly as important as actually more fully comprehending an issue.

Hey, snappy siggy there; that Herodotus guy should could turn a phrase. :)

[Adrian II]

Hey, snappy siggy there; that Herodotus guy should could turn a phrase. :)

Sources of wisdom found everywhere, even in ordinary river.

[LittleGrizzly]

If Obama can change Abortion in America to much more like what we have over here in Europe then that will quite simply be amazing.

For to long Abortion has been an issue that forces decent percentages of the electorate to stick solidly to one party, this means people will vote for the most useless of politicians simply because they check one box they feel passionately about...

This would then lead them to look at other far more important issues, like civil liberties, the economy ect.

[Xiahou]

I liked his Notre Dame speech on abortion. After the verbal diarrhea we were accustomed to in the past eight years or more, I was relieved to see a President looking for middle ground in this politicised debate and proposing that each side attempt to understand and meet the concerns of the other. It's only words so far, I know, but it beats grunting and throwing faeces.

Talk is cheap. Where's the action? Obama has been a reliable supporter of unfettered abortion on demand. Where's his middle ground? What is he giving up in compromise from his side? Nothing, from what I've seen. The speech was completely disingenuous.

[Adrian II]

Where's the action middle ground?

Fixed it.

[Xiahou]

Now here's some feces.

Sobbing Kindergarteners Snubbed for Steelers?

Thursday was supposed to be the highlight of the year for more than 100 kindergarteners from Stafford County, Va. They got up early and took a chartered bus to the White House for a school field trip. But when they arrived, all the 5-year-olds got was a lesson in disappointment.

A group of young students didn't get to tour the White House, and they say it's because of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The buses from Conway Elementary arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a little later than planned, and they were locked out.

"We were going to the White House, but we couldn’t get in so I felt sad," 5-year-old Cameron Stine said.

Parents say they were just 10 minutes late for their scheduled tour. School officials say White House staff said they needed to get ready for the president's event with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, so they couldn't come in.

[Adrian II]

Kindergarteners Snubbed for Steelers Secret Muslim Cabal to Plot Overthrow of Western Civ

Fixed it.