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Let's face it: Obama is a failure
October 7, 2009
By DOUG THOMPSON

Originally, the promise was universal health care for all Americans but not one bill in the House or the Senate provides that and the main Senate bill mandates health care for all Americans whether they can afford it or not. Those who can't face a fine...or maybe even jail.

Originally, the promise was "affordable" health care but the legislation percolating in both Houses of Congress will drive health insurance costs up, not down.

Once again, reality falls short of promises and actuality fails to meet expectations.

President Barack Obama wanted health care reform to be the centerpiece of his Presidency. Now it could be the failure that limits his time in office to a single term.

If health care manages to climb off its sick bed, Obama still faces the double whammy of a sick economy and an escalating, increasingly unwinnable, war in Afghanistan to doom the legacy of his flagging Presidency.

So much hope.

So much expectation.

So little performance.

Obama's Presidency may become a textbook study in how not to be a President, something to keep political science teachers lecturing well into this century and students writing endless term papers on what could have been and what wasn't at all.

At best, his time in office may be measured on how a President -- no matter how popular or charismatic -- cannot be all things to all people, cannot tackle all of a nation's ills at once and cannot cure a problems many decades in the making by substituting rhetoric with substance.

Obama jets off to Europe on the promise that his popularity and presence will seal an Olympic deal for Chicago. All it sealed was Chicago's rejection in the first round of voting. America just isn't all that popular with the International Olympic Committee and Obama's presence just gave them excuse to prove it.

Some say it is too early to call Obama's presidency a failure. Maybe it's too late to salvage what's left of his once-promising legacy. His uptick in the polls may be short-lived, a small resurgence of public interest in health care "reform" may die once more details emerge about what that so-called reform will demand of cash-strapped Americans.

The President who promised to keep lobbyists out of government will most likely sign a bill crafted by lobbyists and lobbyists don't give a damn about the ordinary Americans who can't afford health insurance now.

The President who promised to restore hope for America faces a nation of rising unemployment, increasing bankruptcies and millions of ordinary citizens losing their homes while banks and Wall Street continue to get rich.

The President who promised change is delivering more of the same. His administration is no less secretive than that of George W. Bush, his use and abuse of government power is just as unabated as that of the former President. The National Security Administration continues to spy on ordinary Americans, the Department of Homeland Security -- the largest, most intrusive government agency in history -- continues to use the rights-robbing USA Patriot Act to deny rights and freedoms to American citizens and government continues to grow at an alarming rate.

Political prisoners continues to languish without due process at Guantanamo Bay, Americans continue to die in unjustified wars on foreign soil and our government continues to lie to us with disturbing regularity.

Some years ago, singer Roger Daltrey of The Who used an old Mafia saying to sing "meet the new boss, same as the old boss."

So sad. So true.

DOUG THOMPSON

The Obameter: Tracking Obama's Campaign Promises

Might want to review the status on 26 web pages of promises made by Obama and see how "PolitiFact" grades his progress or lack thereof. All Obama Promises

If you want a more manageable breakdown of Obama's promises, "PolitiFact" has a category listing to inspect. Promise Category Listings

I don't want to inject any personal opinions, but rather to post the site's listings of its perceptions of what is and what isn't being accomplished by Obama. So...see what ya think.

Interesting, Austin. It would appear the kept far outnumber the failed and most either have no action or in progress designations. That fits my sense of where things are at with more detail I have ever seen before.

Seems to me that "failure" is a word quite at odds with the facts.

I say, still too early to tell. These are normal times. Obama is working with what is left after 8 years of raw capitalism, capitalism at its worst. I'll cut him some slack on that and give him a bit more time.

What disappoints me is the fact that we have changed very little in our war posture that so characterized the Bush years. I am also disappointed that nothing seems to have changed in terms of money and influence. Corporations continue to run this nation and to date Obama has down little to change that.

i whole heartedly agree with this post, mick. i was trying to express these precise points with ardy on another thread but i am afraid i've been too busy to get my thoughts in order. - vacation coming next week. at any rate, he still has time, but thus far while there have been some changes, the big'ns as you state above just seem to be status quo.

i want to add that i am afraid corporate influence is going to be a part of life whether we like it or not. my feeling is that it is up to us as folks to thwart that influence in our daily lives. culturally, practically etc., we can skirt this by being informed and working to live our lives differently while the status quo marches on. little by little, change can happen.

Whilst following the health care debate from across the pond, and reading this latest post from Doug, I cannot help but feel that he's right. At a time when I feel he should be providing solid leadership, I cannot see any of that.
And I had such high hopes for the guy. I and many people here in the Old World followed his election campaign, believed he was so much more different from previous presidential hopefuls, and cheered when he was elected. After eight years of Bush, we had high hopes. Alas, it appears, hope is a cruel mistress.

Nevertheless, the more optimistic (read: naive) part of my mind agrees with Slipped Mickey that it's still early days. He's come into the job at a most difficult time - global economic meltdown, two foreign wars and escalating tensions abroad - and he's trying to find his way.
I would like to give him some more time to prove his credentials. His plans appear to be long term, so we cannot expect instant results.
Patience, I urge. Give him time.

Oh, pleeeeeze. IMO, not even close.

I can't bitch and moan enough about corporate influence over our government, thus over every aspect of our lives. I'm obsessive/compulsive about it. I'm sure I tend to go overboard in every posting, but IMHO this is the most serious issue of our lifetime. We The People are literally losing our voice at election polls. We can forget about writing letters and demonstrations having any meaningful impact on politicians.

It takes big bucks to hold reign over over elected officials. Apparently the taxpayers won't ante up as much as corp/lobbyist.

If you have a few minutes...might want to view a video that exemplifies my point. Actually its a two-part video, but I think its worth the 15 minutes to understand the mindset of most lobbyists and their willingness to do anything for a buck.

Rachel Maddow Interview with Lobbyist Rick Berman (AKA Dr. Evil)

I can't see where Obama is above this system of government. I don't think he has the power to really make an impact against corp/lobbyists since he's a product of that system.