Obama supporters Options

[Stormiya]

I agree with your PM, Stormy. And btw, it was cute when Obama and Clinton did that interview together. Seemed like old chummy pals, rather than two people running the world, lol.

It was really cute to see them interact together like that. I am glad to see that they're friends in a real sense...not a political one.

[num1meekfan]

I love my Obama!

[STARofAI]

I love my Obama!

Me too!

[adamsmo]

Not really Obama news, but I was sort of impressed to read that Sen. Patty Murray's budget just passed the Senate (the first in years).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/2...crat-opposition

Seriously, I've almost never heard of her outside of the last election... not even kidding, and I've been paying attention to years (although I realize there are 100 senators).

[STARofAI]

Obama 'first' sitting president to receive Medal of Distinction in Israel

Tribune Newspapers

9:03 p.m. CDT, March 21, 2013
The Washington Times reports: Israeli President Shimon Peres gave President Obama the Medal of Distinction, the first time a sitting president has received this award. Obama received the award on Thursday night during a ceremonial dinner at the Israeli president’s residence.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politic...,0,184497.story

This post has been edited by STARofAI: Mar 23rd 2013, 8:10 AM

[Drew]

I love my Obama!

Why?

He's a politician, lol.

[leee]

Why?

He's a politician, lol.

Drew, I'm a little worried for you. You must be feeling really down to come in here and offer such weak trolling.

[Drew]

Drew, I'm a little worried for you. You must be feeling really down to come in here and offer such weak trolling.

It's no worse than people so enthusiastic about Obama, especially by this point. Even most of my friends on the left recognize, there isn't a whole lot to love.

[STARofAI]

It's no worse than people so enthusiastic about Obama, especially by this point. Even most of my friends on the left recognize, there isn't a whole lot to love.

So, I guess we all should feel like you and your friends, then maybe you'll be happy?

[Famousgrl]

Isn't it amazing how public opinion changed almost overnight, after Obama came out for gay marriage?

I've always said that if politicians just addressed things as no big deal, people would follow suit (although I did think that gay marriage was different, because of the religious issue).

If a major politician came out pushing for the legalization of marijuana, and gave real, well, though-out reasons why, I think that America would follow suit.

If a couple of major politicians came out for the legalization of all drugs, I think the same would happen, though it'd take more time. When you look back at the past decades, how many deaths and families destroyed and prison dollars could have been saved, if we didn't have that farcical "war" on drugs?

Then again those invested in it (the prison systems, and representatives of all those "employed" to fight drugs) will spread their money & influence to make sure there isn't a change.

[RWG]

Isn't it amazing how public opinion changed almost overnight, after Obama came out for gay marriage?

I've always said that if politicians just addressed things as no big deal, people would follow suit (although I did think that gay marriage was different, because of the religious issue).

If a major politician came out pushing for the legalization of marijuana, and gave real, well, though-out reasons why, I think that America would follow suit.

If a couple of major politicians came out for the legalization of all drugs, I think the same would happen, though it'd take more time. When you look back at the past decades, how many deaths and families destroyed and prison dollars could have been saved, if we didn't have that farcical "war" on drugs?

Then again those invested in it (the prison systems, and representatives of all those "employed" to fight drugs) will spread their money & influence to make sure there isn't a change.

Yeah, ending the war on drugs is a tougher hill to climb because of the corporate interests involved in it. It's become unfashionable to openly support the war on drugs, but it's less like marriage, out of which there's not much money to be made by defining it a certain way, and more like gun control, which has become pretty popular but has so much money fighting it. America has to put up with the war on drugs because there's a whole industry built around keeping its prison population high (lawyers, guards, companies that sell exclusively to prisons, etc.) as well as Big Pharma and the liquor lobby, who want to keep competition illegal.

That said though, I do think it's just a matter of dragging it into the open. The war on drugs is such a secret issue because all the facts are on the same side of the debate. The war on drugs is expensive, bad for the economy, bad for the legal system, bad for the prison system, a waste of police time that could be used fighting crimes with actual victims, an assault on police-community relations, racist, and unethical, among other things. There's no rational argument for continuing it any more, since it's proven such a failure. I just heard about a beer company voicing its opposition to to legalizing marijuana because, it argues, it would allow their employees to drive the company vans high, which would make the roads dangerous. It just shows you how pathetic the excuses have gotten for opposing drug legalization. It would be a show of moral courage to see the president sound the alarm on these corporations and the politicians who do their work sometime in the second term, because you know he knows it's a huge problem.

[leee]

Two things to Lisa. First, Obama was being the gay marriage curve, ie he only supported it once most of the public started to support it. Second, a Baltimore mayor floated the idea of decriminalization in I think the '90s and got eviscerated for it. Long story short, the persuasive powers of politicians is often over estimated.

Drew, I can't speak for your lefty friends, but my disillusionment in Obama's policies is because they are effectively moderate Republican policies (eg the Heritage- inspired ACA).

[Stormiya]

Obama' position on Gay Marriage came after the public support had stayed solidly above 50% for something like 7 months. I think the tide was just finally changing and I also think that is why we are seeing so many Senator come out in favour for it. Because they have longer terms and feel like the issue will be dead by the time of their next election. On that note Glenn Beck just came out in favour of Gay Marriage

[adamsmo]

Obama' position on Gay Marriage came after the public support had stayed solidly above 50% for something like 7 months. I think the tide was just finally changing and I also think that is why we are seeing so many Senator come out in favour for it. Because they have longer terms and feel like the issue will be dead by the time of their next election. On that note Glenn Beck just came out in favour of Gay Marriage

Apparently, it's the issue his approval is highest on.