Senate The 2nd Term of the Obama Administration: Facts, Opinions, and Discussions

I bet talk about Reagan will mysteriously diminish in 2016. No reason to remind people that he was 69 upon taking office.

 

and that, if true, has what bearing on what happened?

Hilary's fault he ignored her advice?

Gee, what about Congress not authorizing additional funds for security? Was I dreaming this up? Let's blame Benghazi on Congress.

 

hey guise remember when hillary was inevitable in 2008? good times

that said, i hope she appoints pussyriot joint secretaries of rock

 

There are fundamental differences between 2008 and 2016, with the most important being that we're in the middle of the invisible primary right now, and one Democrat after another is either actively blessing a Clinton candidacy or saying they're not going to run. It's too late for someone to come out of nowhere.

The Republican nominee faces an almost impossible climb in 2016, with the Democratic nominee already most of the way to 270 by virtue of being a Democrat.

 

Except for Biden (he's made it known more vocally as of late that he wouldn't mind another shot at becoming President), though I don't know how much of a threat he will actually be if and when Hilary decides to make running official.

 

Unless they find another black guy somewhere.

 

HIllary Clinton plus a GOP house and senate. For 8 years. Until she's 76 years old. She'll be like a crotchety female Harry ******* Reid. That will be a thrill ride.

Has anyone given any serious thought to just letting the south go? CSA Part 2? Because a house divided against itself cannot possibly be as annoying as what we've got going on now.

 

Definitely. Also, thought to kicking them out-- a reverse civil war.

 

dare to dream big.

If Hillary is elected, she may well be the last baby boomer president, thank the lord.

things Americans will be contending with ten years from now when we elect a gen x or gen y president

- a more ethnically and racially diverse population
-an aging population
-climate change
- the continuing economic decline of the U.S. relative to the rest of the world - the U.S. will no longer be the world's largest economy.
-with that comes the declining viability of our global military commitments.
-our aging nuclear arsenal
-the end of the North Dakota energy boom and ongoing tightening of global energy supplies. The sustained high energy prices we've seen before and since the end of the great recession will continue to pose limits to economic growth in the developing world. a growing sense of urgency about climate change will likely drive energy prices even higher.

 

^? What does the generation group of the individual have to do with that?

BTW baby boomers go thru 1963 or so, depending on whose definition you use. So you might have a baby boomer president in 2020.

Or is it your contention that a younger individual will gather more support because of his/her generation's support?

 

I've done a great deal of research on the fracking boom, and North Dakota is unlikely to be winding down within a decade. Also, there are many other sources of natural gas and shale to frack that will keep America a net energy producer for a good long while, perhaps years.

A better point that you make is in regards to climate change. The world is at the cusp now; even if the price of oil comes down, not up (which I believe it will, once all these supplies finally come on line), the bigger question will become not "are we going to run out of oil?", but rather "Is it time to abandon fossil fuels completely?" With the coming shift in demographics, I think we may finally see real leadership on this issue, rather than a continuation of the old guard that has ruled America for the past fifty-plus years.

Ultimately, America's continued economic success is going to come down to two major points:

1) The ability to innovate better than anybody else

and

2) Shifting the paradigm of economic success from growth to conservation and efficiency.

I have great faith that the United States will continue to lead the world in innovation for at least most, if not all, of the 21st century, (although the collapse of our public education system is a major concern, not to mention helping to create a permanent underclass). In terms of #2, this is already happening in small pockets through the US on the community level, although it's going to take a shift in global mindset for it to have any shot of working (along with a planetary commitment to population control).

Changes on that scale usually require a tectonic event to precipitate them, something on the scale of a world war or the Black Death from way-back-when. In terms of American power, I actually think it is going to grow for awhile again before heading back into decline, because the inevitable fights over the tightening of resources--and the accompanying reduction in standards of living--are something Americans as a whole are probably not quite ready to give up yet. I also read an interesting piece on how China has already this year surpassed the US in terms of purchasing power parity, yet they don't want the title of the world's largest economy due to the responsibility and scrutiny that will bring.

Either way, the future will be full of challenges, and not all of them are going to be solved. There is no doubt, "we live in interesting times."

Peace,

V-03

 

Almost a year ago, I posted what I hoped Obama would still push for...

Putting aside the domestic policies for just a bit, I wonder... with recent events regarding the IS in Iraq and Syria, can we still expect withdrawal from Afghanistan to be completed at the end of 2016?

Earlier this year, President Obama announced that combat operations in Afghanistan would end before the end of 2014 but troops would remain on the ground there until the end of 2016 (to help train and advise the Afghans, and provide security for non-military American personnel).

Considering how we're getting involved in Iraq again, do you think the Afghanistan plan will change?

 

If anything, we're likely headed back to Iraq. General Dempsey is already pushing for a more comprehensive plan to defeat IS/ISIS/ISIL, and Hagel is reportedly open to air strikes in Syria against the group.

Retreat from Afghanistan will also be unlikely, especially if the five Taliban released return to the fight. Qatar is only likely to hold them for a year - after that, it's anyone's guess. If there is a full pullout in 2016, and Afghanistan descends into a similar level of chaos, then Obama will be blamed for quitting before the job was done.

 

The State of the Union address is coming up soon again. President Obama is in an oddly strong position, having restored ties with Cuba, reached a climate change deal with China, and signed an executive order on Immigration.

What can we expect from the President in 2015?

 

Glad to see that (as usual) Smuggler was wrong-- we're not going back into Iraq. We're still withdrawing from Afghanistan. Chuck Hagel is no longer secretary of defense, which I say mostly because Smuggler mentioned him by name.

then Obama will be blamed for quitting before the job was done.

So what? The President's not running for office again. I don't see that happening regardless, but even if it did, it makes no difference to the President.

 

I think the question is what can we expect from Congress during the State of the Union. He's pretty much been daring them to try and stop him. And with things like the lawsuit, to say he'll get a frosty reception by this new Congress is probably a dramatic understatement. More than likely he's going to head in there and tick them off on purpose, letting them know that he's not going to be a typical lame duck president and he'll likely dare them to pass legislation he'll sign. Whether that actually incites response from members of Congress (You lie) or not remains to be seen.

I predict a lot of vetoes in 2015 and much discussion on the limits of executive orders.

 

Veto away! Let the Republicans howl all they want.

 

So what does everyone think about the deal with Iran, and the renewed ties with Cuba?

Raul Castro had some very nice things to say about Obama today, and they met, it sees like it really is over.

 

I can't wait till Obama and his "commie" buddies are out of office. But then again we could be in nuclear war with an agressive republican in office... so the country loses with either party. Pick your poison.

 

Back to false equivalence?

No-one's going to argue that the democrats don't have problems, but their views, and governing philosophy, are far less destructive as a whole than the current base-driven state of the GOP. Anyone who feels that science is purely subjective is, IMHO, unfit for office. With rare exception, that pretty much defines the GOP field.

Peace,

V-03

 

See, Obama being a spineless coward of no moral conviction, he can't do what Pope Francis has done here.

https://www.economist.com/news/euro...key-recalls-its-ambassador-anger-over-armenia

Jabba-wocky, remind us all again how Obama is not a coward, a liar, and a despicable human being?