Politics Obama - Actually doing a good job?

It's a non-starter. It's like calling Ron Paul an anarchist or Mitt Romney a fascist. I'm not exaggerating. At all.

The ironic thing is these same people worship Reagan without realizing many of the parallels and similarities between Obama and Reagan.

By the Numbers: The Economy Under Reagan vs. Obama

Obama vs. Reagan in Five Charts - TheStreet

But history isn't the average American's strong point.

 

History isn't MOST Americans strong point...we suffer from ADD as we strive mightly to keep up with the Jones,
if not attain the level that Romney & Obama have gotten to.
We're good at striving, not just simply enjoying good R&R.

hmm...I'm not about manipulating companies to gain profit...I prefer the old-school way, creating something cool...then selling it.
But I don't have enough clout for that...yet.
Maybe if I use the other method...write a book, how this sound? "The Audacity of Audacity"
or "Dreams of my Mother who stuck around"

But anyways...good comparative articles.
For finding them...you could get a job on The Daily Show, which is notorious for putting things side by side.

But for some reason...in all sincerity, I think that people are starting to finally get it.
The constant barage of information on the Web and other media...has finally showed most the true comparison.
They CAN read for themselves, fact checks, opinions, graphs and more...from all sides.
Watch what people are saying...and see the trend of overall opinion.

Most are seeing this now...have adapted, are thinking for themselves.
Most of the radical ones I know, are those who don't take the time on the Internet...browsing galore.
But the rest of the population is progressively growing in usage...and it's making a difference on their viewpoints.

I'm not talking about the smaller extremes who scream loudly...but the volume in the middle.
It is interesting to see the paradigm shift.

Makes me wonder what's it going to be like in another 4 years...for the next election.
That should be a change too.

 

Coal is one thing, but when it comes to oil, it's easy to mislead people by stating that things have been bad under Obama.

How is it misleading? Well, have a look.

• U.S. domestic oil production continues to grow despite federal restrictions on public land - Xinhua | English.news.cn
• U.S. oil output set to boom - San Antonio Express-News
• Why is American oil production up? | Keith Hennessey
• Energy boom; A revival in U.S. energy production upends expectations and may change the political game | The Bulletin
• CIBC forecasts huge crude oil production growth

What about natural gas? Well, that's another story.

Natural gas production boom alters energy outlook – USATODAY.com

 

This is why I don't understand people who criticize Obama and other leaders/influencers who are trying to develop green and renewable energy. It's like people take an either/or position (unsurprisingly). Well, why can't they plan for both oil and gas and green energy? There's no reason why they can't. The reason why people think it's an either/or thing is because of misinformation coming from industry and politicians.

It's incredibly naive to think that green energy doesn't have an important (and pressing) role to play in the short- to long-term development of any industrialized energy plan.

 

Yes, the whole Energy Strategy and equation is about to change rapidly for the US. (and I believe Canada too)

Now THIS is where the government making the right moves could really kick-start the economy.

But they need to make sure we aren't glutted by Big Oil looking to maximize it's profits.
Already, they are taking the surplus and rather than pool it or use it to lower the market prices are exporting it overseas to places like Africa and so...

The Obama administration is already putting measures into oil trading to make sure that speculators aren't keeping a bubble price on Oil/barrel.
Next, they are attempting to not only control over-spectulation and price gauging,
but they are going to try to build and invest into new refineries (there aren't enough, especially on the East Coast, keeping Gas prices higher)

Then they are pushing forward to gain even more gas efficiencies and alternative fuels.
Natural Gas is going to change the utility landscape.

So, if they can keep the power giants from lining their pockets too much,
they can bring down both Utility and Gas prices to MUCH lower levels...this helps out ALL businesses. (small & large) and direct costs to the public.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles...Gas & Electric Utilities, redirect coal usage and need...

You COULD get business getting a kick by having their costs drop...translating into lower product/service cost...leading to new buying.
You COULD get the public from getting hit as bad on a daily/weekly/monthly basis...giving some more breathing room...leading to new buying.
You COULD change the whole Global Geopolitical landscape...weaking the need for Mid-East, Brazilian and Russian oil...less money, less power.
You COULD bring more money into North America that has been going out in decades past.
You COULD leverage these gains in to giving breathing room on cleaner environ and alternative...bringing the cycle in REVERSE.

All of this depend on if you let the companies and commodities brokers leverage pricing for short-term gains,
OR you re-invest, maintain "a bit" of control and redirect it all...You COULD change the whole puzzle.
(please note, I don't want speed limits on the race...just someone to ref to see if anyone is "juicing", keeping the game non-chaotic)

I know Obama would likely do the latter...increasing National strength
I don't know what Romney would do...but my instinct are saying the former...gaining more for himself and associates. I could be wrong, I hope.

I'm not for TOTAL alternatives ASAP...we're not quite there yet.
What I am for it leverage what resources we have for the gain of the Nation.
And using this to re-invest to keep the momentum and breath more life into alternatives.

Besides, in realistic terms...you're not going to get the established industry to just "Go Away",
it doesn't happen that way...this is not a board game.
You have to cycle it down...give the industries less need to exist and profit.
It took over a hundred years for it to build...it will likely take just as long for it to disappear.
I'm real about that...

Besides, even if North America doesn't need it...they are going to turn around and sell it elsewhere.
US and Canada become the exporter instead of the importer.
Question is...how do we leverage this??

I know that the Obama adminstration is already moving forward in this context.
And will likely expand on that...if he wins in November.
How fast depends on the political makeup of the Congress...and his ability to leverage the momentum.

 

Well, I do know that Obama's administration has raised the auto efficiency requirements more...I believe everything is going into effect 2014.
(hmm...2014 will be interesting...)

Again, it depends on the Congress makeup on what he can push through.
And even with Executive power, he didn't want to give the GOP even more to throw at him, from a conservative context.
Much is on hiatus until after the election.

IF he wins, then he already has an established leadership basis within his administration.
There will be a month or two of turn-over, including likely changing the Secretary of Energy.
He's have to deal with the make-up of the current Congress until January.

So, let's say that if winning, and perhaps Congress has had some Dem gains, which would be likely if he won, because of voter trending during the election.
That and the new secretary could be what is necessary to put some more favored energy policy through.
During the first term with the Democratic leverage, most energy was used pushing through stimulus and Obamacare.
They lost the ability to move after that with the new GOP horde coming in.

If Obama loses...or there are significant GOP gains...then all bets are off.
You'll either have Big Oil setting the terms like under GWB & Cheney...or it will be head to head combat between Congress & the Prez.
Then it would be Status Quo...with Obama only give what executive orders he can get away with.

All depends on what happens during the election...

 

And then there is the current and future state of affairs:

U.S. boom in oil production spells peril for Canadian crude - The Globe and Mail

 

Well, believe me the Earth will go on, I don't know about us...but I'm sure we'll make just as good of oil as the Dinosaurs.

Eh, we'll get to alternative energies soon or later...it's moving that way, just painfully slow...and it's a roller-coaster.

In all seriousness, what I'm truly fascinated by is how the Global dynamics will change by this significant find.
This is the stuff you see history arcs on...
And what I'm also interested in...assuming by current polling that Obama is in charge, what moves will be made in his 2nd adminstration.

See, I know what he's said rhetorically...but we've found that he, like most politicians are willing to go their own way when decisions are made.
I can't get a sense of which way he'll go...sure, there will be some of the status quo, some of his current alternative energy pushes, etc and so on.
But I don't think I'll see it until if and when he replaces the Secretary of Energy.

This is where I want the thread to go...speculation on what you think Obama will REALLY do in his 2nd term.
Any insight on Energy or otherwise??

 

I think the issue is that peak oil is real, meaning that any energy policy that doesn't include a large proportion of green/renewable development is folly.

It would be great for the U.S. to get off the Middle Eastern oil, but all that would do is shift some oil to domestic and some oil to places like Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. There will still be problems of consumption.

The trick is in energy conservation and new power technologies (which include green/renewables).

I've said this before, but I think Germany is a great example: Renewable energy in Germany - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Obama has made some moves on renewables, but it looks like he's planning to do more in a second term: Renewable Energy Is Obama Goal for Next Term, Aide Says - Bloomberg

 

But are these "people" balanced about their view of the development of green and renewable energy, or are they free market extremists with a Pollyanna view that the market will make everything better?

Green and renewable energy will not be developed adequately and in a timely manner without government involvement.

The other matter is that excessive is a relative term. It really depends on what works. You know, getting things done without it leading to an unmitigated disaster.

Yes. For now.