Obama Buyer's Remorse?

I didnt vote for him, but I can see how some may suggest that in order to really enact his vision he needs a team of uber-experienced folks to help him out.

I dont really believe he can do a fraction of the things his die hard supporters are looking for, but Im just a big, grumpy, and cynical.

Clinton Administration veterans - no problem. They were mostly hired hands. They remain so.

Actual Clintons - not good. I have to assume Obama knows what he's doing here, but goddammit, I don't want these greasy motherfuckers around. Period.

Theyre italians?

I meant that more in the Canadian definition of the term; sleazy, not to be trusted, shifty, generally non-trustworthy. To the best of my knowledge, the Clintons are not Italian, nor does being Italian make you sleazy, not to be trusted, shifty, or generally non-trustworthy, no more so than membership in any other ethnic group does.

The people grumbling already were never being realistic (like the guy in my office who seriously wanted to take part in a violent revolution if McCain won) are chapping my ass like a bunch of fantasy-dwelling VC Andrews readers.

The only people I've heard talking about Obama buyers remorse are Republicans.

Everyone I've talked to who, like me, supported him pretty much trusts that he's going into this earnestly, with integrity and leadership. Whoever he appoints in his cabinet, they report to him.

Nah, I've seen very vocal Obama supporters writing stupid shit in their Facebook headlines. It's disconcerting.

I just notice that there are two separate and very distinct dialogs going on simultaneously. For me, the more reality-based is on the left. While people are asking questions and challenging his every move, that's not a bad thing. In fact, it should be a natural part of politics and doesn't connote buyers remorse at all.

There are going to be those out there who are weak-willed and will say what they think makes them sound informed, but the whole buyers remorse talking point isn't something I'm hearing.

Can there be a Bush Buyer's Remorse?

This was expected. Don't see any real harm in it...

At this point. The bottom line is that Obama is walking a tightrope no matter who he picks. We should all be willing to give the guy a chance.

Buyer's Remorse? The fuck? The guy hasn't even been sworn in yet. How fucking ADD-addled do you have to be to be turned off by the guy already?

Not to mention, did you seriously want McCain in office? Jesus.

Buyer's remorse? No, because that's just stupid at this point.

Yet I will admit to being a bit disappointed thus far with some appointments. I agree with the fact that you need experience around you to enact your legislative agenda and on that front some of these make sense. I'm hoping these appointments are to help facilitate the President-Elects own priorities and policies rather than to continue the DLC tradition of Republican-Lite governance.

After looking at the bank account, America is indeed a bit anxious . . . but still desperately awaiting delivery. The three-month turnaround on this thing is fucking awful.

People are too impatient, still, expect more of this in the near term as expectations are just too high.

I also fear we will see this with the international community, if you read the initial reaction from world leaders, they're projecting their pet policies on Obama even if he hasn't said a thing to support what they are selling.

Some of the initial decisions by team Obama are bound to disappoint some of these world leaders, initially. Again, expectations are too high.

How do the Obama chewers feel about...?

Everybody wishes they voted for Nader.

I think the "Everybody Chill The Fuck Out -- I got this" picture remains relevant for at least the first year of Obama's term.

I'd say Geithner's a mixed bag with possible revision to that opinion once in office. He's clearly got crucial expertise but he's also closely aligned with some of the guys who got us into this mess. Apparently both liberal and conservative economists love the guy and he has a rep for being non-ideological, so I'm taking a wait-and-see stance.

Given the fact that Obama's not even sworn in, and he has refused to go back on any of his promised agenda, I think being too critical upfront is a bit silly. Besides, the president is in charge. I don't think Obama would hire anybody who wasn't fully behind his agenda. To temper some of the worry about Obama's cabinet, the other domestic policy hires announced today are clearly more liberal/progressive.

Part of what made Carter such a mess was that he hired all these outsiders who had no idea how to perform in DC. Ideology aside, I'm fairly confident that's what is going on here.

Correctamundo. Besides, it would have been a bigger issue had Obama chosen Summers. Someone who was involved in the deregulation of the 90s. Although I can't completely get into the issues of who would be a good treasury secretary mainly because I know jack shit about economic policy.

Now the thing is who knows what will happen during the confirmation process. But frankly judging by the amount of work being done. A fuck up isn't as likely unlike Clinton's two previous Attorney General picks during his firm term. But as always who knows.

And I'd rather have qualified vets in there then some kind of Miers/Palin pick to somehow please the base.

Yeah, I think we like to pour over the details, looking for chinks in the armor. A certain amount of it definitely makes sense too. But before we can even gauge the agenda and it's efficacy, I think its important to keep things in perspective.

When has a politician running for anything been able to fulfill every single election promise? The difference with Obama is that you feel he's genuinely gonna try, and that ambition is what counts here.

I can't see how an Obama voter can have buyer's remorse at this point. Even with half his brain tied behind his back he's still better than "New Campaign a Day" McCain and "fluent in the language of Babelfish English" Palin. I'm glad Obama seems to want the best people around him regardless of where they came from. If anything, that makes me feel better about my vote for him. Also the fact that he's acting more like the president than Bush right now tells me Obama's not fucking around. We need someone that's chomping at the bit to solve America's problems. Can you imagine McCain rolling up his sleeves and getting to work this early? Not me. I feel damn good about my vote.

How dare you show reason and a grasp of reality here!

This thread amuses me, as it makes SOUTH PARK's post-election episode seem completely brilliant.

Each account of "Obama buyer's remorse" makes me think of Randy the day after the election. He's got a hangover from celebrating, lost his pants, Cartman looted his TV while he was out, and he's just been fired for punching his boss in a drunken stupor.

Cue: "Obama lied to me! He said things were gonna CHANGE!"

I think part of it is the Conservative media hype machine. I've heard snarky comments about how things are still going badly even though Obama won the election.

Well, yeah..... Bush is still President and it's not like there's an "easy" button for President Obama to push to revert everyone back to happy, prosperous times.

For the most part, people understand that, unless they are talking to their idiot Conservative friends and listening to the media. THERE HAS TO BE A STORY, FOLKS!

As far as his appointments: I'd rather not have anyone in his administration that reflects the past 30+ years of politics but I understand the need to have people close who understand how DC works and orchestrate the shift from within. And it's not about me or you, it's about getting the job done. I am convinced that President Obama can do just that.

Brendan is right, the "chill the fuck out" pic needs to be brought back to life.

And as an aside: fuck South Park and everyone involved with it.

I can't believe Staples actually sells those goddamn things.

Hey, i've got one right here next to me in the office.
In fucking Buenos Aires.

Right, but yours reads "Facil". Communists!

No, we imported ours

And thus trade actually works. Huzzah!

Tati: I'll send you a million of these: if you'll send us one of these:

Once again. Globalization in action. Although he's already got an Easy button Judas.

No, as Phil said, this isn't the Republican noise machine. At least not totally. I've heard people bitching about his appointments pretty severely. People that donated lots of money to the Obama campaign.

Here's the problem (and some pointed this out as early as the primaries)- Many people (mainly the youth vote) are politically naive. The fact that the election ended and all the flowery speech has given way to talk of policy and political appointments is jarring to a lot of these people. They genuinely expected something different and magical and the fact that they're getting politics is pissing them off.

I don't regret my vote, but I always knew that sooner or later it would turn into real world business. A lot of people, evidently, didn't grasp that fact and expected the feel good party of the election to continue. The second he gave his acceptance speech, that all ended. Some weren't prepared for that.

Frankly, this has been something that's worried me. I foresaw a lot of the more naive young voters being alienated by the fact that a magical age of Unicorns and Rainbows wouldn't be ushered in the second Obama was elected. Sadly, I'm seeing some confirmation of those fears. I've seen lots of pissy Facebook postings and hear lots of "It wasn't supposed to be like this" comments. So, we'll see. But some people weren't living in the real world all through the election. They really, genuinely weren't. And now that they're being forced to realize that shit is bad and Obama is going to have to play the game just like anyone else, they don't like it.

I don't know what people can bitch about. He's hired all the right people so far. I'd say he's done a great job with the way he's handling things.

That said, I'm sure some far-left liberals will moan about Gates being kept on as Defense. Nevermind the fact it's a very smart move.

Governing and policy is much less sexy than speeches and rallies. I just don't see how anyone could get too upset when the dude isn't even president. Not that his picks don't deserve due scrutiny and discussion. As far as I'm concerned, I have two words for those people: POWER VACCUUM. In some ways, he's doing the country a solid by filling in the space that Bush is all too eager to exit. The DC establishment is really powerful and entrenched. Now can Obama subvert and work the system from within or will he be a Carcetti, basically getting handed a pile of shit that will catch on fire?

Keeping Gates as Defense Secretary makes a certain amount of sense from a bureaucracy pov. I was hoping for a Democrat to occupy the spot, just because the country would be better off if we could shed the notion that only one political party has the gravitas to own the national security debate. So I hope (and frankly expect) Gates' tenure in an Obama administration to be temporary.

I wish I voted for Nader and I don't even like him

Word on the straat is that will only remain for a year to "oversee" the troop withdrawal from Iraq. Time will tell...

And now he's setting up a board of bi-partisan economic consultants with various backgrounds from across the country. I like that idea. Source: CNN

I voted for Obama because I got the sense that he really was a common sense centrist and I haven't been disappointed yet by his appointments.

I am very happy with my vote so far.

Hey Noah, I've been meaning to ask you. I read on a blog recently that there were no US casualties in October at all in Iraq? Is this true? (you seem to be pretty up to date with the Iraq related news ...)

I actually posted the numbers in the Political Progress in Iraq thread on Oct. 31st.

There was 13 US troops deaths in October, the second lowest number of the war since 2003 and 6 of them were non-combat related according to CNN. The CNN article also said the Iraqi civilian deaths were also at the lowest level since that Mosque bombing in 2006.

These people shouldn't be taken seriously. They're obviously deluded and not very intelligent.

I take it back. I now have buyer's remorse.

Heh!

Who cares anyway? We're all going to die.

I am more pissed off that he has chosen an Clinton era Drug Warrior, Eric Holder's, as his AG. This guy was involved in shutting down medical marijuana clinics during his term as an asssistant AG.

I was hoping that once Generation X (Obama is close enough) got some power, that we would ease up on the drug war a little.

I guess I have to wait 20 years for someone born in the 1980's to become president for this to happen.

Now November has the lowest monthly fatality rate in Iraq since the war began in 2003. Eight.

See: the economy.

I'm loving the "Where's all this CHANGE?" question from the neocons down here in Bush Country (which does not include all of Texas I might add, but specifically Midland). There's this attitude like they pretended they supported him and now he's letting them down, despite the fact that they voted for the other guy.

Like, "Hey, I didn't throw a bitch-fit when Obama won so don't I get rewarded for something?" So weird.