I think the Republicans are going to win the White House in 2016. Perhaps the most undeserved victory in human history, but I do think it will happen.
do you have any evidence of this?
the republican'ts have managed to alienate every single voting group that they would need to carry in order to win.
here is a general list of people republicans have alienated.
union workers latinos gays african americans the poor WOMEN muslims, or religious folk who identify as anything other than "christian" scientists people younger than age 50 teachers service industry workers environmentalists just to name a few.
in my mind, by looking at this list, the only people that the republicans have in the bag are rich, old, white men, and people in the above groups who are stupid enough to vote against their own interests.
Totally agree i guess some people have already forgotten what lost the last election for Romney he totally alienated most if not all on this list ....
dude, obama is not a fucking king. he can't just absorb territory and keep an army there because it pleases the king.
get a grip.
bush never had this amount of opposition in congress. i would like to see anyone else get what they want out of the last 2 do nothing congresses.
From 2008-2010 Congress was Democrat, let's not forget that.
even if the dems held the house, what happens when something passes the house and then gets filibustered in the senate???
NOTHING.
Excuses.
excuses, no my friend, that is a fact. you don't like it that i am right. he had a veto proof majority for about 14 weeks. 14 weeks is nothing in the scheme of 2 4 year terms. nobody could get anything passed in the current climate. not even jesus himself.
you seem to be fairly good handle on civics, but do you know what a filibuster is and how it works? nobody can get anything passed once the filibuster is enacted.
pelosi passed a jobs bill in the house. filibustered in the senate.
these bills all passed the house and died in the senate due to filibuster...
H.R. 12 - Paycheck Fairness Act H.R. 448 -- Elder Abuse Victims Act H.R. 466 - Wounded Veteran Job Security Act H.R. 515 - Radioactive Import Deterrence Act H.R. 549 -- National Bombing Prevention Act H.R. 577 - Vision Care for Kids Act H.R. 626 - Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act H.R. 1029 - Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act H.R. 1168 -- Veterans Retraining Act H.R. 1171 - Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program Reauthorization H.R. 1293 -- Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act H.R. 1429 -- Stop AIDS in Prison Act H.R.5281 -- DREAM Act S.3985 -- Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act S.3816 -- Creating American Jobs and Ending Offshoring Act S.3369 -- A bill to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, Super PACs and other entities S.2237 -- Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act S.2343 -- Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act S.1660 -- American Jobs Act of 2011 S.3457 -- Veterans Jobs Corps Act James Zadroga 9/11 Health Bill -- seeks to provide free medical coverage for responders and survivors who were exposed to toxins after the attacks - this one passed in the House but could not get brought up in the Senate.
keep dismissing it as an excuse. this is how our legislative branch works now. the house passes something, the senate republicans filibuster it. period, end of sentence.
Good, looks like we saved a lot of spending.
many of those were not necessarily "spending" bills.
really?? you would have opposed the "small business jobs and tax relief act"??? that is right up conservative alley.
Ok, I'm not a conservative.
is ron paul conservative?
On some things, on others he is quite liberal, that's why he has been called a Libertarian. I know you understand why he couldn't run as one.
I think the Republicans are going to win the White House in 2016. Perhaps the most undeserved victory in human history, but I do think it will happen.
do you have any evidence of this?
the republican'ts have managed to alienate every single voting group that they would need to carry in order to win.
here is a general list of people republicans have alienated.
union workers latinos gays african americans the poor WOMEN muslims, or religious folk who identify as anything other than "christian" scientists people younger than age 50 teachers service industry workers environmentalists just to name a few.
in my mind, by looking at this list, the only people that the republicans have in the bag are rich, old, white men, and people in the above groups who are stupid enough to vote against their own interests.
No evidence, no, just a feeling that is which way the wind is blowing. They are a lock to keep the House and have a strong chance at taking the Senate, even with all the alienation you describe. Hillary is NOT a strong candidate and will bring out Republicans in numbers that dwarf anything Obama saw in 2008 and 2012.
Plus, holding the White House for more than two consecutive terms is super hard for either party. Reagan to George H.W. Bush is the only time in our lifetime it has happened.
I think the Republicans are going to win the White House in 2016. Perhaps the most undeserved victory in human history, but I do think it will happen.
do you have any evidence of this?
the republican'ts have managed to alienate every single voting group that they would need to carry in order to win.
here is a general list of people republicans have alienated.
union workers latinos gays african americans the poor WOMEN muslims, or religious folk who identify as anything other than "christian" scientists people younger than age 50 teachers service industry workers environmentalists just to name a few.
in my mind, by looking at this list, the only people that the republicans have in the bag are rich, old, white men, and people in the above groups who are stupid enough to vote against their own interests.
Don't agree at all.I know a lot of female republicans(Hot ones might I Add),I know a lot of young progressive thinking Republicans,And FyI Almost the entire Cuban community in Fl is Republican.Of course most people who earn a lot of jack tend to be regardless of color.I think its more Where u live.Your in St.louis right?Thats a pretty blue area isn't it?Down here in the south it's mostly republican especially along financial earning lines.
"hot" female republicans do not make them intelligent. look no further than fox news for proof of that. "hotness" is fleeting. i have been to florida 10 times or so and i have seen that with my own eyes.
cubans have historically voted republican, which is why i am surprised rubio has fucked it up so badly for himself among cuban voters.
missouri is a pretty red state, outside of st louis and kansas city. those cities and the surrounding areas are what keep missouri blue on some federal elections. we have a blue governor but there is not consensus on the house or senate here. our legislature is too busy trying to get rid of our governor to do anything that helps anybody in this state, lest jay nixon get any credit for it. i can say this as a missourian. missourians are pretty dumb for the most part. all it takes to win an election around here is repeatedly talk about freedom, 9/11, how big government is bad, and how you will oppose obamacare, even though it is federal law and nothing can be done about it on the municipal level... :fp:
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
"hot" female republicans do not make them intelligent. look no further than fox news for proof of that. "hotness" is fleeting. i have been to florida 10 times or so and i have seen that with my own eyes.
That is the stereotype for sure,I wasn't even thinking about them.The women I was talking about are quite sharp and engaging.Lot of our local Buisness women and Professionals
I think the Republicans are going to win the White House in 2016. Perhaps the most undeserved victory in human history, but I do think it will happen.
do you have any evidence of this?
the republican'ts have managed to alienate every single voting group that they would need to carry in order to win.
here is a general list of people republicans have alienated.
union workers latinos gays african americans the poor WOMEN muslims, or religious folk who identify as anything other than "christian" scientists people younger than age 50 teachers service industry workers environmentalists just to name a few.
in my mind, by looking at this list, the only people that the republicans have in the bag are rich, old, white men, and people in the above groups who are stupid enough to vote against their own interests.
Doesn't matter if the only people who show up to vote are "stupid or rich old and white." Will voting for Hillary really create the same enthusiasm as was created for President Obama? I don't know.
I understand what you mean by your last comment, but I have to say it bothers me as I have heard it many times before in many different venues. I will most likely never vote for a democratic party candidate again, I also am neither rich or old and will probably be only one of those things later in life. I could get behind programs that give me more and legislation that takes more of someone else's money and try to vote myself all sorts of creature comforts, but to use your terminology, I am not "stupid" enough to believe that there won't be long term ramifications for everyone up to and including bankrupting the government.
I don't think liberals and democrats are stupid, I am not sure why people who aren't rich and don't support those political affiliations are stupid, probably not what you meant but certainly the way I read it.
that’s right! Can’t we all just get together and focus on our real enemies: monogamous gays and stem cells… - Ned Flanders
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
Godfather... can you please edit the thread title so that 'sense' reads as 'since'?
The typo keeps jumping out at me like a big pimple on the end of someone's nose- I can't overlook it no matter how hard I try (my AAA personality prevents me from doing so).
the republican'ts have managed to alienate every single voting group that they would need to carry in order to win.
here is a general list of people republicans have alienated.
union workers latinos gays african americans the poor WOMEN muslims, or religious folk who identify as anything other than "christian" scientists people younger than age 50 teachers service industry workers environmentalists just to name a few.
in my mind, by looking at this list, the only people that the republicans have in the bag are rich, old, white men, and people in the above groups who are stupid enough to vote against their own interests.
This is EXACTLY the reason the republican party will self-implode.
I think it is wishful thinking to say the Republicans will implode. For all the talk of their supposed dire straights, they are in position to make huge gains in the Fall.
I think it is wishful thinking to say the Republicans will implode. For all the talk of their supposed dire straights, they are in position to make huge gains in the Fall.
Huge gains with who, old white men? Because that's the only group they actually care to help.
I think it is wishful thinking to say the Republicans will implode. For all the talk of their supposed dire straights, they are in position to make huge gains in the Fall.
Huge gains with who, old white men? Because that's the only group they actually care to help.
Let's wait and see what the House and Senate look like the morning after this upcoming election. They are going to retain control of the House and are poised to take the Senate. I would have a hard time labeling any party that wins total control of Congress as being about to implode.
Don't get me wrong, I think they absolutely deserve to implode. I'm just hearing that tossed around often but not seeing it with my own eyes. Of course, I'm in Massachusetts and aside from Mitt we don't really have Republicans here. :-)
In NYS, the republicans have imploded. Dems now have power of the Senate and the House, which is NOT the way it's supposed to be. But the republicans are doing this to themselves. The point of gov't is the checking and balancing of both parties to provide democracy.
I think it is wishful thinking to say the Republicans will implode. For all the talk of their supposed dire straights, they are in position to make huge gains in the Fall.
agree, just wait and see the topic anger when the rebubs have control again...it's going to be crazy here.
You people realize that this whole "talk" about either party, particularly upcoming elections, that it's nothing but media speculation used to distract the American Public from REAL ISSUES, don't you? Wake up, shut off the television and live, for Bob's sake.
the republican'ts have managed to alienate every single voting group that they would need to carry in order to win.
here is a general list of people republicans have alienated.
union workers latinos gays african americans the poor WOMEN muslims, or religious folk who identify as anything other than "christian" scientists people younger than age 50 teachers service industry workers environmentalists just to name a few.
in my mind, by looking at this list, the only people that the republicans have in the bag are rich, old, white men, and people in the above groups who are stupid enough to vote against their own interests.
This is EXACTLY the reason the republican party will self-implode.
Not going to happen, the Democrats keep breathing life into them.
You people realize that this whole "talk" about either party, particularly upcoming elections, that it's nothing but media speculation used to distract the American Public from REAL ISSUES, don't you? Wake up, shut off the television and live, for Bob's sake.
I believe that, every news station has it's own spin but non the less I doubt I'll vote dem or repub, I'd rather vote for Joe Walsh than the asshats I've seen in the media.
You people realize that this whole "talk" about either party, particularly upcoming elections, that it's nothing but media speculation used to distract the American Public from REAL ISSUES, don't you? Wake up, shut off the television and live, for Bob's sake.
I believe that, every news station has it's own spin but non the less I doubt I'll vote dem or repub, I'd rather vote for Joe Walsh than the asshats I've seen in the media.
Godfather.
he does have a Maserati that does 185...probably a better reason to vote for him than the ones most people choose for actual candidates.
that’s right! Can’t we all just get together and focus on our real enemies: monogamous gays and stem cells… - Ned Flanders
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
You people realize that this whole "talk" about either party, particularly upcoming elections, that it's nothing but media speculation used to distract the American Public from REAL ISSUES, don't you? Wake up, shut off the television and live, for Bob's sake.
I believe that, every news station has it's own spin but non the less I doubt I'll vote dem or repub, I'd rather vote for Joe Walsh than the asshats I've seen in the media.
Godfather.
he does have a Maserati that does 185...probably a better reason to vote for him than the ones most people choose for actual candidates.
also, he lost his license, now he don't drive. AND he goes to parties sometimes until four, and he can't leave because he can't find the door.
if i had to choose between cat scratch fever man and this guy, this guy all the way!!!
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
You people realize that this whole "talk" about either party, particularly upcoming elections, that it's nothing but media speculation used to distract the American Public from REAL ISSUES, don't you? Wake up, shut off the television and live, for Bob's sake.
I believe that, every news station has it's own spin but non the less I doubt I'll vote dem or repub, I'd rather vote for Joe Walsh than the asshats I've seen in the media.
Godfather.
he does have a Maserati that does 185...probably a better reason to vote for him than the ones most people choose for actual candidates.
also, he lost his license, now he don't drive. AND he goes to parties sometimes until four, and he can't leave because he can't find the door.
if i had to choose between cat scratch fever man and this guy, this guy all the way!!!
Michael Smerconish, Inquirer Columnist Posted: Sunday, August 3, 2014, 1:09 AM A passenger plane presumably shot down by pro-Russian separatists as part of the crisis in Ukraine kills 298 civilians. Israel moves into Gaza to stop rocket launches and the result is more than 1,300 Palestinians and more than 50 Israeli soldiers dead.
That's just for starters.
Civil war rages in Iraq, pitting Sunni against Shiite, and Sunni-affiliated ISIS threatens the stability of the Iraq government. The civil war in Syria is estimated to have taken 170,000 lives. Meanwhile, Iran proceeds with its nuclear program. Libyan unrest has led the United States to evacuate its embassy in Tripoli.
At home, an estimated 60,000 unaccompanied minors may arrive in the United States from Central American countries by year's end.
So how is President Obama doing on foreign policy?
Not so well, according to the latest polls. In a recent survey by the New York Times and CBS News, 58 percent of respondents disapprove of the way Obama is handling world affairs, the highest such number of his presidency. Only 36 percent said they approve.
And that appraisal is no outlier. In June, a similar survey from NBC and the Wall Street Journal had the same result. No wonder, then, that critics of the president, like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), are hammering the administration on foreign policy, seemingly in line with popular sentiment. On Meet the Press, Graham said of Secretary of State John Kerry and the president:
"It scares me that he [Kerry] believes the world is in such good shape. America is the glue that holds the free world together. Leading from behind is not working. The world is adrift. And President Obama has become the king of indecision. His policies are failing across the globe, and they will come here soon."
But delve into the numbers and a more complicated picture emerges - one in which Americans are dissatisfied with the president but approving of his individual decisions. Consider this from the Times/CBS poll:
When asked if they support the president's recent decision to send 300 military advisers to Iraq, 51 percent said yes.
When asked if they support the use of drones in Iraq, 56 percent said yes.
A little more than half of voters were in favor of working with Iran in a limited capacity to try to resolve the situation in Iraq.
Each of those three foreign-policy views is in line with what the administration is considering or actually doing.
Here's a similar finding: When Politico surveyed voters in 2014 battleground areas, they found that more than three-quarters were in support of the president's plans to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016. And, 44 percent of likely voters favor less involvement in Iraq's civil war, vs. 19 percent who favor more involvement. That's something else he is doing.
Although taken just before the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the Politico poll also evidenced agreement with Obama's handling of U.S. efforts to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Shortly after the Flight 17 crash, CNN and ORC International posed a survey with questions concerning how the United States should respond if pro-Russian separatists fired the missile at the aircraft. An overwhelming majority opted for stricter economic and diplomatic sanctions, preceding Obama's decision this past Tuesday.
The president's management of the crisis in the Middle East is just another illustration of public approval of his policies.
Despite apprehension around the globe regarding the surge of Palestinian civilian casualties, both Kerry and Obama have reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself. Data collected from pollsters during the Gaza war, including the Pew Research Center and Gallup, suggest that among those who have followed the situation closely, 71 percent believe Israel's military action to be justified. Moreover, the percentage of those who believe Hamas is to blame is double that of those who hold Israel responsible for the current violence.
One final paradox: Bowe Bergdahl. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center and USA Today in June found that while 43 percent believe the exchange of five Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl was a mistake by the Obama administration, 56 percent said the United States has a responsibility to do all it can to secure the return of a captive U.S. soldier, regardless of the circumstances.
What does it all mean? Probably that Americans are understandably concerned about the confluence of so many trouble spots around the globe and view the buck as stopping with Obama, even though they concur with his reluctance to get us directly involved militarily in any more foreign entanglements. Sanctions? Fine. Troops? No way.
And maybe "approval/disapproval" is a misleading way to gauge public sentiment. Obama's approval might be just 40 percent, but maybe some of the 60 percent want him to be more aggressive, while others want him to be less so.
I suppose it's all a reflection of the fact that it is easier to be against something than to articulate an alternate approach, especially in these times.
Michael Smerconish can be heard from 9 a.m. to noon on Sirius XM's POTUS Channel 124 and seen hosting "Smerconish" at 9 a.m. Saturdays on CNN. Michael Smerconish Inquirer Columnist
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Leadership?... The military needs leadership; politics needs representation. The American public are the leaders.
Our Government is only a tool for achieving the common needs of the American public, so many infer and imply that it's some entity that reigns above them.
Any American should be proud that the President can hold a lack of leadership, especially those who are in favor of smaller government. That only exemplifies the limited powers of the President.
Hold some personal accountability, and be in charge of your own well-being.
Ask not what your country can do for you and ask not what you can do for your country. Only ask what you and your fellow Americans can achieve through the use of Government.
Leadership?... The military needs leadership; politics needs representation. The American public are the leaders.
Our Government is only a tool for achieving the common needs of the American public, so many infer and imply that it's some entity that reigns above them.
Any American should be proud that the President can hold a lack of leadership, especially those who are in favor of smaller government. That only exemplifies the limited powers of the President.
Hold some personal accountability, and be in charge of your own well-being.
Ask not what your country can do for you and ask not what you can do for your country. Only ask what you and your fellow Americans can achieve through the use of Government.
Everyone is up in arms about this whole letting everyone across the boarder thing going, as they should be. But I am about to open your eyes on why this is happening and when you understand it you will be even more pissed.
Let's start with President Obama. As of lately most of his own party hates him and has not been on board with anything that his has been doing. He had broken the law many times and continues to break the law still. So why hasn't he been impeached. It's simple, no one wants Joe Biden as president.
Also remember how he and almost all democrats were against the whole voter ID laws that were trying to get pushed. I mean I have to show my ID to do anything else but when it comes to getting benefits for free I don't have to have an ID to vote for someone who is going to give me free stuff.
Now we know why President Obama won't be impeached, and that he and his democratic associates fought against the voter ID laws, we can understand why he is letting every illegal in to this country. But let's hold off on that for a second.
Let's look at where these illegals are being shipped to. They are being shipped to either republican controlled states or states that barely republican controlled states. Now let's wrap this up in a bow of tyranny for you.
President Obama is has been doing what ever he wants because he knows he can't get impeached or reelected and him and his party went against the voter ID laws so that he could bring illegals in the the United States and ship them to the places that they need democratic control over because why? Because these illegals don't need an ID to vote the the people who are going to continue to bankrupt this country by giving the illegals free stuff therefor continuing the circle of corruption.
Mark my words, if this continues we will have another democrat in the presidents office. Not because the American people voted them there, but because the illegals did.
well, your original poll question makes no grammatical sense. Big surprise.
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Didn't read through the comments, but my opinion is yeah, he is not the greatest President, but Congress has been fucking terrible and they and him are not working together. I am just glad he had Osama killed (I know he didn't do it personally, but he gave the order) and he pulled most troops out of Iraq and ended a stupid war that was a waste of American lives.
~Carter~
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense
Comments
On some things, on others he is quite liberal, that's why he has been called a Libertarian. I know you understand why he couldn't run as one.
Plus, holding the White House for more than two consecutive terms is super hard for either party. Reagan to George H.W. Bush is the only time in our lifetime it has happened.
"...I changed by not changing at all..."
many consider him the "uncle tom" of americans of latino descent.
he bailed on his own immigration bill because obama did not disagree with it, and he could not convince his own party to support it.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
cubans have historically voted republican, which is why i am surprised rubio has fucked it up so badly for himself among cuban voters.
missouri is a pretty red state, outside of st louis and kansas city. those cities and the surrounding areas are what keep missouri blue on some federal elections. we have a blue governor but there is not consensus on the house or senate here. our legislature is too busy trying to get rid of our governor to do anything that helps anybody in this state, lest jay nixon get any credit for it. i can say this as a missourian. missourians are pretty dumb for the most part. all it takes to win an election around here is repeatedly talk about freedom, 9/11, how big government is bad, and how you will oppose obamacare, even though it is federal law and nothing can be done about it on the municipal level... :fp:
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
That is the stereotype for sure,I wasn't even thinking about them.The women I was talking about are quite sharp and engaging.Lot of our local Buisness women and Professionals
I understand what you mean by your last comment, but I have to say it bothers me as I have heard it many times before in many different venues. I will most likely never vote for a democratic party candidate again, I also am neither rich or old and will probably be only one of those things later in life. I could get behind programs that give me more and legislation that takes more of someone else's money and try to vote myself all sorts of creature comforts, but to use your terminology, I am not "stupid" enough to believe that there won't be long term ramifications for everyone up to and including bankrupting the government.
I don't think liberals and democrats are stupid, I am not sure why people who aren't rich and don't support those political affiliations are stupid, probably not what you meant but certainly the way I read it.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
The typo keeps jumping out at me like a big pimple on the end of someone's nose- I can't overlook it no matter how hard I try (my AAA personality prevents me from doing so).
Godfather.
"...I changed by not changing at all..."
Don't get me wrong, I think they absolutely deserve to implode. I'm just hearing that tossed around often but not seeing it with my own eyes. Of course, I'm in Massachusetts and aside from Mitt we don't really have Republicans here. :-)
"...I changed by not changing at all..."
Godfather.
Not going to happen, the Democrats keep breathing life into them.
I fear my life will be spent under the watch of either Overlord Clinton or Overlord Bush.
god help us all.
Godfather.
It is terrifying when you are too stupid to know who is dumb
- Joe Rogan
if i had to choose between cat scratch fever man and this guy, this guy all the way!!!
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Godfather.
Michael Smerconish, Inquirer Columnist
Posted: Sunday, August 3, 2014, 1:09 AM
A passenger plane presumably shot down by pro-Russian separatists as part of the crisis in Ukraine kills 298 civilians. Israel moves into Gaza to stop rocket launches and the result is more than 1,300 Palestinians and more than 50 Israeli soldiers dead.
That's just for starters.
Civil war rages in Iraq, pitting Sunni against Shiite, and Sunni-affiliated ISIS threatens the stability of the Iraq government. The civil war in Syria is estimated to have taken 170,000 lives. Meanwhile, Iran proceeds with its nuclear program. Libyan unrest has led the United States to evacuate its embassy in Tripoli.
At home, an estimated 60,000 unaccompanied minors may arrive in the United States from Central American countries by year's end.
So how is President Obama doing on foreign policy?
Not so well, according to the latest polls. In a recent survey by the New York Times and CBS News, 58 percent of respondents disapprove of the way Obama is handling world affairs, the highest such number of his presidency. Only 36 percent said they approve.
And that appraisal is no outlier. In June, a similar survey from NBC and the Wall Street Journal had the same result. No wonder, then, that critics of the president, like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), are hammering the administration on foreign policy, seemingly in line with popular sentiment. On Meet the Press, Graham said of Secretary of State John Kerry and the president:
"It scares me that he [Kerry] believes the world is in such good shape. America is the glue that holds the free world together. Leading from behind is not working. The world is adrift. And President Obama has become the king of indecision. His policies are failing across the globe, and they will come here soon."
But delve into the numbers and a more complicated picture emerges - one in which Americans are dissatisfied with the president but approving of his individual decisions. Consider this from the Times/CBS poll:
When asked if they support the president's recent decision to send 300 military advisers to Iraq, 51 percent said yes.
When asked if they support the use of drones in Iraq, 56 percent said yes.
A little more than half of voters were in favor of working with Iran in a limited capacity to try to resolve the situation in Iraq.
Each of those three foreign-policy views is in line with what the administration is considering or actually doing.
Here's a similar finding: When Politico surveyed voters in 2014 battleground areas, they found that more than three-quarters were in support of the president's plans to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016. And, 44 percent of likely voters favor less involvement in Iraq's civil war, vs. 19 percent who favor more involvement. That's something else he is doing.
Although taken just before the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the Politico poll also evidenced agreement with Obama's handling of U.S. efforts to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Shortly after the Flight 17 crash, CNN and ORC International posed a survey with questions concerning how the United States should respond if pro-Russian separatists fired the missile at the aircraft. An overwhelming majority opted for stricter economic and diplomatic sanctions, preceding Obama's decision this past Tuesday.
The president's management of the crisis in the Middle East is just another illustration of public approval of his policies.
Despite apprehension around the globe regarding the surge of Palestinian civilian casualties, both Kerry and Obama have reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself. Data collected from pollsters during the Gaza war, including the Pew Research Center and Gallup, suggest that among those who have followed the situation closely, 71 percent believe Israel's military action to be justified. Moreover, the percentage of those who believe Hamas is to blame is double that of those who hold Israel responsible for the current violence.
One final paradox: Bowe Bergdahl. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center and USA Today in June found that while 43 percent believe the exchange of five Taliban prisoners for Bergdahl was a mistake by the Obama administration, 56 percent said the United States has a responsibility to do all it can to secure the return of a captive U.S. soldier, regardless of the circumstances.
What does it all mean? Probably that Americans are understandably concerned about the confluence of so many trouble spots around the globe and view the buck as stopping with Obama, even though they concur with his reluctance to get us directly involved militarily in any more foreign entanglements. Sanctions? Fine. Troops? No way.
And maybe "approval/disapproval" is a misleading way to gauge public sentiment. Obama's approval might be just 40 percent, but maybe some of the 60 percent want him to be more aggressive, while others want him to be less so.
I suppose it's all a reflection of the fact that it is easier to be against something than to articulate an alternate approach, especially in these times.
Michael Smerconish can be heard from 9 a.m. to noon on Sirius XM's POTUS Channel 124 and seen hosting "Smerconish" at 9 a.m. Saturdays on CNN.
Michael Smerconish Inquirer Columnist
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
The military needs leadership; politics needs representation. The American public are the leaders.
Our Government is only a tool for achieving the common needs of the American public, so many infer and imply that it's some entity that reigns above them.
Any American should be proud that the President can hold a lack of leadership, especially those who are in favor of smaller government. That only exemplifies the limited powers of the President.
Hold some personal accountability, and be in charge of your own well-being.
Ask not what your country can do for you and ask not what you can do for your country. Only ask what you and your fellow Americans can achieve through the use of Government.
Godfather.
Godfather.
Everyone is up in arms about this whole letting everyone across the boarder thing going, as they should be. But I am about to open your eyes on why this is happening and when you understand it you will be even more pissed.
Let's start with President Obama. As of lately most of his own party hates him and has not been on board with anything that his has been doing. He had broken the law many times and continues to break the law still. So why hasn't he been impeached. It's simple, no one wants Joe Biden as president.
Also remember how he and almost all democrats were against the whole voter ID laws that were trying to get pushed. I mean I have to show my ID to do anything else but when it comes to getting benefits for free I don't have to have an ID to vote for someone who is going to give me free stuff.
Now we know why President Obama won't be impeached, and that he and his democratic associates fought against the voter ID laws, we can understand why he is letting every illegal in to this country. But let's hold off on that for a second.
Let's look at where these illegals are being shipped to. They are being shipped to either republican controlled states or states that barely republican controlled states. Now let's wrap this up in a bow of tyranny for you.
President Obama is has been doing what ever he wants because he knows he can't get impeached or reelected and him and his party went against the voter ID laws so that he could bring illegals in the the United States and ship them to the places that they need democratic control over because why? Because these illegals don't need an ID to vote the the people who are going to continue to bankrupt this country by giving the illegals free stuff therefor continuing the circle of corruption.
Mark my words, if this continues we will have another democrat in the presidents office. Not because the American people voted them there, but because the illegals did.
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
or you can come to terms and realize
you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
makes much more sense to live in the present tense - Present Tense