Politics Obama - Actually doing a good job?

Even the President says that keeping Americans safe is his number one priority. On that basis everything he does and everything he says is connected with his role as commander in chief. My questioning his comments are based on the this issue - what was his intent - what messages is he sending - who is he sending it to. Are you suggesting that his comments were somewhat random and had no connection with current events and that he was not trying to send a message to a particular audience for a particular purpose? I stated that I have come to my conclusion - I have not been able to get any clear answers. What was his purpose/intent? Who was his target audience? For example - I have religious beliefs but I do not practice Christianity or any named religion. I know the history involving Christians but that is not a concern to me today. I know there are good peace loving Muslims. I know that Muslims have been victims of extremists in the past and currently. I know there are Muslims willing to fight against extremists. Same is true of Christians.

I will never know the answers to my questions. But to me, it was the wrong speech given at the wrong time.

Right, and Bush is a Republican. I do not know people who say we are at war with the billion or so Muslims who desire peaceful coexistence with others. It is a false argument. Why the constant need to respond to a false argument? Consider it a rhetorical question.

Non-extremist would not/should not support such an effort. It is the responsibility of the middle to protect the world from the extremists.

I know in some circumstances I hold what could be considered extreme views (i.e. Torture, I would not hesitate to do what is needed to get information required from an enemy to save those in my charge to protect) - I know this about myself. When I am confronted with a situation I have people who I respect who I defer to. If I am ever elected President, make sure my wife, not me has the codes to the nuclear bombs. Given what ISIS has done, I would be tempted to use them. There are many similar to me, ISIS risks metaphorically waking a sleeping giant - we need the more diplomatic to be in charge at this point. And if that is Obama and if that is why I don't understand what he does, so be it. But he needs to get the job done.

 

Nonsense.

His role also includes upholding and DEFENDING the Constitution and that includes protecting the religious liberties of all Americans.

I am suggesting that his comments were part of the National Prayer Breakfast where the other keynote speaker this year was Darrell Waltrip (several years ago, it was Republican favorite, Dr. Ben Carson). It is a social event, not a foreign policy forum, and includes persons from all walks of life and many faiths.

To recognize the virtues of faith as well as to address the issue of religious intolerance, both in the form of ISIS or Muslim anti-semitism in France as well as past and present acts by Christians against Muslims and to suggest that these are examples of the intolerance that people of all faiths should condemn is the kind of thing the Breakfast is all about.

It is not a false argument at all. One only need look at right wing groups like Frank Gafney's or Pamela Geller's who consider Islam a false religion or those promoting the US as a White Christian nation (including, for example, the current Supreme Court Justice of Alabama who said recently that First Amendment religious protections do not apply to Muslims because the Koran was not carried on the Mayflower...Budhdists not need apply either according to his remarks. He also ordered probate judges in the state to refuse to perform gay marriages, despite the fact that the state ban was declared unconstitutional).
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More on the good conservative Justice Moore from AL....remarks that appropriately and specifically should have been condemned at a National Prayer Breakfast.

 

Re-read what I wrote. President Obama on many occasions has stated his number one priority is keeping us safe. I realize he says what he thinks people want to hear and has said other things are his top priority. Your statement should be directed to him.

I don't care. In my view the President is President all the time he is in office. There are no non-Presidential events in my view. We see this differently. Regardless of how we see that point, the President was trying to send a message in order to have an impact, in order to influence - everything the President does and says needs to be and is purposeful.

I disagree. A prayer breakfast should not be about condemnation in my view. It should be about unification. The President's words were upsetting and divisive. He accomplished creating a wedge between people. He failed in my view.

The murderer of three Chapel Hill Muslims is being accused of targeting the victims because of his religion by many people. He voted has a registered Democrat and undeclared. He has posted anti-Christian views. He is anti-religion stating that religious people are stupid. He is described has a hateful person who was confrontational with all people. It makes for a good story for him to be a middle aged, angry, gun loving, conservative, Christian who had it out for a group of young Muslims - but the facts do not support that story. I have no interest in going down a rabbit hole attempting to challenge what you posted about specific individuals and groups. It is far to easy to take one or two things done said or reported out of context creating false arguments to support a weak premise.

 

I get it.

That sums it up.

This was nothing more than a hot button issue for a day or two among right wing Obama haters.

 

A correction which appeared in the Lexington (N.C.) Dispatch:

 

Ask Giuliani about it. A large portion of the population simply fails to understand Obama - and it is not about their hatred of him as a person, it is based on his lack of clarity. Obama is a very intelligent man he does it on purpose. It is a diversionary tactic.

 

Don't be silly.

Obama's speech was about tolereance and, in,part, not blaming Islam for the acts of those who hijack the religion.

Bush made many similar comments about not being at war with Islam.

 

Or it gets down to: Those who Obama can bullshit and those who Obama can not bullshit.

As a person who has an understanding of my biases, I asked for an explanation - I attempted to try and understand. Not my fault that no one could gives a clear explanation of what Obama is saying and what he is trying to accomplish. For example - are we at war? If so, with whom? What are we trying to accomplish? Does the President have authority to engage in war or does he need authority? Is he seeking to broaden his authority or restrict it? When he rejects the notion that we are at war with Islam, who is he talking to - who is saying we are at war with Islam? He is the most confusing leader that I have any awareness of - no matter what the issue, I always walk away with more questions than answers. There is no room for so called nuance in leadership.

 

One would think it is easy to understand that he was tralking about religious tolerance at a religious function, particularly in light of anti-Islam sentiments.

 

We do not give tolerance to terrorism, acts of evil, and wanton immoral behaviors.

Guiliani may have been less than artful - but his point is clear. And Obama has a "thing" with past Western colonialism - it is obvious. Heck I do to! I will say it to anyone anytime in clear and direct language. However, that is an issue that I can isolate in the context of what we need to do today. Obama has a need to constantly want to point fault at the past wrongs of Western civilization. He needs to get over it and be our President today.

Right, Bush had credibility and his views were clear.
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Anti-Islamic sentiment is a straw-man argument. Americans are more tolerant of cultural and religious differences today than ever in American history.

 

Imagine the outrage on the right if Obama had said:

“Ours is a war not against a religion, not against the Muslim faith. But ours is a war against individuals who absolutely hate what America stands for."​

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“Our war is not against Islam, or against faith practiced by the Muslim people. Our war is a war against evil.”​

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“Our enemy doesn’t follow the great traditions of Islam. They’ve hijacked a great religion.”​

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" The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying in effect, to hijack Islam itself."​

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"There are thousands of Muslim who proudly call themselves Americans, and they know what I know -- that the Muslim faith is bsed upon peace and love and compassion."​

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Who said it? Bush vs. Obama on Islam | PBS NewsHour​

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These are Bush quotes and simply highlight the right wing extremist reaction is based not on what is said, who who said it.

 

And America understood his words and his point. As we waged war while Bush was President we knew who we were at war with - sure we made some tactical errors (what war goes according to a script? None.) but our goals and objectives were clear. Bush did not re-litigate the history of the Christian faith or western civilization - he made his case to the American people, to the world - he told us what he would do - he got authorization - and he did what he said he wanted to do.

 

Americans understood Obama's remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, or at least, most Americans. It was only the talking heads on the far right and their followers who expressed outrage.

Imagine again the scenario of Obama holding a celebration at the White House for the end of Ramadan and talking solely about Islam as a religion and no remarks about Iraq war strategy.

President Bush Hosts Iftar Dinner at White House | IIP Digital

 

Obama did a great job today in vetoing Keystone XL.



Too bad he isn't going after the rail cars yet.

 

I support the veto, but it certainly isn't going to stop the Canadians from devastating their own country, if that's what they want to do.