4 ms·

I would have gladly taken that bet. He had 8 years to do so if he wanted to.

kevmo 9y ago
At the end of the day, he was just the same old establishment president. Didn't move the needle on mass incarceration, furthered crony capitalism.
- metamet 9y ago
  Was he really though? In this presidential burger, he is a far cry from both Bush and Trump.
  - DanielBMarkham 9y ago
    My rule is this: give it 20 years. 40 is even better. We are just now getting able to look at the Nixon and Ford administrations. With any president, there are a ton of people who love them and a ton of people who hate them -- no matter what they were actually like. To be able to dispassionately talk about their strengths, weaknesses, and legacy requires some time. Most of those folks have to die off.
  - rdtsc 9y ago
    Perhaps. However looking at why people expected and hoped for and what they got from his presidency I can see how he gp's point stands. It kinda makes me sad the best we have to say about him after 8 years is well he is not Bush. I had really bought into the whole hope and change rhetoric. But maybe it was my fault for being so gullible...
    - lern_too_spel 9y ago
      He had one Congress that wasn't controlled by Tea Party fanatics. With that Congress, he was able to pass universal healthcare (a feat that eluded even Bill Clinton) and Dodd-Frank while simultaneously battling a financial crisis that would have gotten much worse otherwise. The things that armchair politicians think presidents should squander political capital on (remember, marijuana legalization still isn't popular in most of America) astound me. With the number of ACA repeal attempts he had to fight, that Obama finished his presidency with only a single government shutdown is a wonder in itself.
      - will_pseudonym 9y ago
        * Even with the ACA, the country's uninsured is about 11% [0] * Universal health insurance != universal health care [0] http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/11/the-number-of-americans-without-health-insurance-rose-in-first-quarter-2017.html http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/11/the-number-of-americans-witho...
        lern_too_spel 9y ago
        The only reason it isn't universal is due to Tea Party controlled states denying free (to them) federal funds. The law as written was designed for universal coverage.
bluetwo 9y ago
I would have gladly paid you. I didn't think he wanted to spend political capital early on. Waiting until states like Colorado had some success and needed legit help navigating the waters around the legal/no-legal status would have given him an opportunity, especially after the election before turning over the reigns. Oh well. I think he did a lot of good things he doesn't get credit for but this issue seems like a missed opportunity.

At the end of the day, he was just the same old establishment president. Didn't move the needle on mass incarceration, furthered crony capitalism.

metamet 9y ago
Was he really though? In this presidential burger, he is a far cry from both Bush and Trump.
- DanielBMarkham 9y ago
  My rule is this: give it 20 years. 40 is even better. We are just now getting able to look at the Nixon and Ford administrations. With any president, there are a ton of people who love them and a ton of people who hate them -- no matter what they were actually like. To be able to dispassionately talk about their strengths, weaknesses, and legacy requires some time. Most of those folks have to die off.
- rdtsc 9y ago
  Perhaps. However looking at why people expected and hoped for and what they got from his presidency I can see how he gp's point stands. It kinda makes me sad the best we have to say about him after 8 years is well he is not Bush. I had really bought into the whole hope and change rhetoric. But maybe it was my fault for being so gullible...
  - lern_too_spel 9y ago
    He had one Congress that wasn't controlled by Tea Party fanatics. With that Congress, he was able to pass universal healthcare (a feat that eluded even Bill Clinton) and Dodd-Frank while simultaneously battling a financial crisis that would have gotten much worse otherwise. The things that armchair politicians think presidents should squander political capital on (remember, marijuana legalization still isn't popular in most of America) astound me. With the number of ACA repeal attempts he had to fight, that Obama finished his presidency with only a single government shutdown is a wonder in itself.
    - will_pseudonym 9y ago
      * Even with the ACA, the country's uninsured is about 11% [0] * Universal health insurance != universal health care [0] http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/11/the-number-of-americans-without-health-insurance-rose-in-first-quarter-2017.html http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/11/the-number-of-americans-witho...
      - lern_too_spel 9y ago
        The only reason it isn't universal is due to Tea Party controlled states denying free (to them) federal funds. The law as written was designed for universal coverage.

bluetwo 9y ago

I would have gladly paid you. I didn't think he wanted to spend political capital early on. Waiting until states like Colorado had some success and needed legit help navigating the waters around the legal/no-legal status would have given him an opportunity, especially after the election before turning over the reigns. Oh well. I think he did a lot of good things he doesn't get credit for but this issue seems like a missed opportunity.