President Trump and US politics catchall

[mat the expat]

Biden was great. Not only answered questions clearly, offering some explanations why he wouldn't commit to some statements too.

I even felt like he's got a natural and likeable manner of speaking that isn't forced like some politicians.

Agreed

[Kiwias]

Biden was great. Not only answered questions clearly, offering some explanations why he wouldn't commit to some statements too.

I even felt like he's got a natural and likeable manner of speaking that isn't forced like some politicians.

I watched more of Biden than of Trump and agree. I thought he nailed it.

[Saint]

I guess you missed his spectacular diatribe when asked about QAnon.

Yeah, I'd assumed that the rest of the time he was awful. I'm just reading up on all the eviscerations...

I watched perhaps 10 mins, on and off. His defense of being $400m in debt personally guaranteed was pretty ugly.

Just seen some of the clips from early on, when it was just the host questioning him. He got absolutely ripped to shreds on QAnon, Covid, and a host of issues. That was ugly

[Thor Sedan]

Biden was great. Not only answered questions clearly, offering some explanations why he wouldn't commit to some statements too.

I even felt like he's got a natural and likeable manner of speaking that isn't forced like some politicians.

Was impressed that he stay on after the televised part and answered more questions.

He's not the guy I wanted in the race - but he has impressed me.

[Glaston]

"Someone's crazy Uncle" might stick.

It was funny.

[Ali Cadoo]

Now: like many of you, I needed more proof before I could believe the rumours that Donny was in fact as thick as a whale omelette. Finally, that proof has arrived.

[Saint]

Now: like many of you, I needed more proof before I could believe the rumours that Donny was in fact as thick as a whale omelette. Finally, that proof has arrived.

I didn't believe he posted that, so I went and checked. He did. 5 hours ago. Still not taken it down......

[Raggs]

Now having just read a few of the articles on that site.... seriously? He posted it? Feck me...

[Zig]

I'm surprised more people watched the Biden townhall. It's a very bad sign for Trump if people aren't even watching to see what crazy/stupid/offensive thing he's going to say next.

[Sandstorm]

I'm surprised more people watched the Biden townhall. It's a very bad sign for Trump if people aren't even watching to see what crazy/stupid/offensive thing he's going to say next.

People are sick of crazy. Trump is toast

[Saint]

Now having just read a few of the articles on that site.... seriously? He posted it? Feck me...

Desperation. For all he tweets about positive polling, he knows they've had to pull media from competitive states to store up what should be their bankers. Senators are starting to distance themselves to try and save their own skins. Biden may not be driving down-ticket races, but Trump really is, and on the whole in the wrong direction.


Given the scale of early voting, even a late October surprise might not make a difference

[sturginho]

I'm surprised more people watched the Biden townhall. It's a very bad sign for Trump if people aren't even watching to see what crazy/stupid/offensive thing he's going to say next.

Is this true? If so it might send Donny over the edge he does love his ratings

[Saint]

I'm surprised more people watched the Biden townhall. It's a very bad sign for Trump if people aren't even watching to see what crazy/stupid/offensive thing he's going to say next.

Is this true? If so it might send Donny over the edge he does love his ratings

Over a million more watches Biden apparently. Donny's railing about why they don't ask him about Antifa.

QAnon is apparently a concerned anti-paeodophile group. Nothing else about them

[fishfoodie]

I'm surprised more people watched the Biden townhall. It's a very bad sign for Trump if people aren't even watching to see what crazy/stupid/offensive thing he's going to say next.

Is this true? If so it might send Donny over the edge he does love his ratings

Over a million more watches Biden apparently. Donny's railing about why they don't ask him about Antifa.

QAnon is apparently a concerned anti-paeodophile group. Nothing else about them

The shitgibbon is doing so well, that he isn't leading in a single swing State, .. not one !

.... and better yet; he's managed to turn a number of solid Red States into swing States. Hurrah !!!

This isn't 2016, this is 2020; & it's going to be a massacre, & the GOP are finally going to get what they deserve; the down ballot is going to get fucked sideways; & the DNC will have both houses & the WH in 2021, & will have two clear years to redraw the Nation.

Well done GOP !

End of the fillibuster
Reworking the rules for the Supreme Court; term limits, etc
DACA Mk II
Removing powers from the WH
Toughening Laws on emoluments, & creating an Independent investigator/Prosecutor Office
Take all powers over districts & voting out of the hands of Political appointees

If this is a whitewash, the GOP might as well fold up tents & move to Alaska.

[Fonz]

Imagine if the Dems had used their brains and chosen Pete to go up against Trump?

I think his being openly gay is, sadly, but probably correctly, still perceived as too much of a threat to electability. At least to the office of president.

I really don't think a gay guy like him offends many people anymore. A flaming gay, quite possibly, but an otherwise totally normal dude (who was in the military of course) who just happens to like cock? Meh. We've moved on.

But in any case, he'd have gotten killed in the general because blacks were very lukewarm on him. Let's not forget he was cruising in lily-white Iowa and New Hampshire before getting trounced in quite-black South Carolina. A Democrat cannot win a nationwide vote (nevermind the Democrat primary) without strong black support.

[sockwithaticket]

Imagine if the Dems had used their brains and chosen Pete to go up against Trump?

I think his being openly gay is, sadly, but probably correctly, still perceived as too much of a threat to electability. At least to the office of president.

I really don't think a gay guy like him offends many people anymore. A flaming gay, quite possibly, but an otherwise totally normal dude (who was in the military of course) who just happens to like cock? Meh. We've moved on.

But in any case, he'd have gotten killed in the general because blacks were very lukewarm on him. Let's not forget he was cruising in lily-white Iowa and New Hampshire before getting trounced in quite-black South Carolina. A Democrat cannot win a nationwide vote (nevermind the Democrat primary) without strong black support.

Depends which circles you're in, I don't think the evangelical cadre have suddenly become ok with it (not that they'd be voting blue anyway, I'll grant), and I strongly suspect there's a lot of people who, while they might not openly say anything these days, are at the very least uncomfortable enough still that it would impact how they cast their ballot. As we've seen, it doesn't need to be much of the electorate to have an impact at the polls.

[Saint]

Imagine if the Dems had used their brains and chosen Pete to go up against Trump?

I think his being openly gay is, sadly, but probably correctly, still perceived as too much of a threat to electability. At least to the office of president.

I really don't think a gay guy like him offends many people anymore. A flaming gay, quite possibly, but an otherwise totally normal dude (who was in the military of course) who just happens to like cock? Meh. We've moved on.

But in any case, he'd have gotten killed in the general because blacks were very lukewarm on him. Let's not forget he was cruising in lily-white Iowa and New Hampshire before getting trounced in quite-black South Carolina. A Democrat cannot win a nationwide vote (nevermind the Democrat primary) without strong black support.

If a gay guy ever makes it to the oval office it won't be a white guy guy. Anti-homosexuality may be the one thing that brings a majority of the US together; it will take a black or Hispanic to overcome that

[Ted.]

We have thirty three polling stations in our county which has a total population of about one million, not all which will be of voting age. I would suggest that is plenty.

lol

30,000 people per polling station? That's mad.

In the UK we had ~50,000 polling stations last time out. One for every 1,300 people, roughly. If you live in a city it's likely your polling station options are all within sane walking distance and there's rarely a queue.

Early voting is spread over 18 days. And my guess is that of the 1 million only about 60-70% would be of voting age. So your calculations are way off. But you like to be disparaging and aggressive about Americans. I’ll bet that when I go in my wait will be under 15 minutes.

Japan had 47,000 polling stations, one for every 2,680, and I’ve never heard of long queues

The ratios are starkly different to Fangle’s - however, his examples are open for three weeks for early voting? Are there more on Election Day I wonder?

We're voting this Saturday, in NZ, yet postal voting has been open since September the 30th, while the local polling stations have been open since 3 October. So no, the US is not anything special in that regard. Yet where I am, we have a polling station for every ~2,500 people. How many booths that translates to, I don't know.

17 days in NZ with postal voting having a little longer.

As I voted yesterday, so I can confirm that there were about 6 individual voting booths at the tucked away polling station I attended. In and out within 5 minutes.

[Sinkers]

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54572790

A record 22m voted so far according to the beeb

[Tichtheid]

Re NZ, Jacinda has to win, doesn't she?

Re US, I'll celebrate Trump not winning, but I don't have a lot of heart behind Biden.

I don't know if Michelle Obama would ever consider running, she has denied interest, but I think she might be the POTUS the world needs, AO-C is a kid in presidential terms, she could be contender in thirty years from now

[Monkey Magic]

Re NZ, Jacinda has to win, doesn't she?

Should do, but how she wins is still up in the air. Will it be solo, reliant on the greens or somehow reliant on NZF after a Lazarus effort from Winnie

[Ted.]

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54572790

A record 22m voted so far according to the beeb

Those queues though.

[Kiwias]

Reuters News discussing how the increase in gun sales is accelerating, the larger Biden's lead in the polls.

[Monkey Magic]

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54572790

A record 22m voted so far according to the beeb

Those queues though.

Having just voted today, I really don't get how the states can do things that badly. I know scale wise it is larger people to process, but if you resource it there shouldn't be an issue.

I can walk in any direction from my house and will hit a polling station at nearly every school or community hall

[Fat Old Git]

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54572790

A record 22m voted so far according to the beeb

Those queues though.

Having just voted today, I really don't get how the states can do things that badly. I know scale wise it is larger people to process, but if you resource it there shouldn't be an issue.

I can walk in any direction from my house and will hit a polling station at nearly every school or community hall

Our electoral commission is independent and spends all it's time trying to ensure it's easy for everyone to vote. Which doesn't seem to be the case in the States where much of the effort seems to go into suppressing votes in areas that are unlikely to favor whoever is in power.

It's bonkers.

[Fonz]

I think his being openly gay is, sadly, but probably correctly, still perceived as too much of a threat to electability. At least to the office of president.

I really don't think a gay guy like him offends many people anymore. A flaming gay, quite possibly, but an otherwise totally normal dude (who was in the military of course) who just happens to like cock? Meh. We've moved on.

But in any case, he'd have gotten killed in the general because blacks were very lukewarm on him. Let's not forget he was cruising in lily-white Iowa and New Hampshire before getting trounced in quite-black South Carolina. A Democrat cannot win a nationwide vote (nevermind the Democrat primary) without strong black support.

Depends which circles you're in, I don't think the evangelical cadre have suddenly become ok with it (not that they'd be voting blue anyway, I'll grant), and I strongly suspect there's a lot of people who, while they might not openly say anything these days, are at the very least uncomfortable enough still that it would impact how they cast their ballot. As we've seen, it doesn't need to be much of the electorate to have an impact at the polls.

I forget what I post where as I dabble a bit on both boreds, but somewhere I talked about my mom's husband who's evangelical but mostly liberal. As are 1/4 to 1/3 of Evangelicals. This is an interesting chart. (I know this is a bit of a digression but still)




You might be right though, dunno. All sorts of things can happen when you close the curtain behind you in the booth. But I'd just point to the rapid, rapid change that occurred on gay marriage in this country. From the Democratic candidate running against it in 2008 to support from 2/3s of Americans a decade later. I just think it's not terribly salient to most people, and as you point out, to those for whom it is, they're not going blue anyway.

[Gumboot]

You guys have curtains? Luxury.

[Fonz]

You guys have curtains? Luxury.

Why do you think people are willing to wait 8 hours in line to vote?

[Fonz]

Obama wasn’t vastly experienced either. He was a nice guy. USA needs another one.

Wanted to come back to this, a fellow Yank had an excellent post on this a few days ago.

I don't think any of those comments [that Michelle Obama would be a good candidate for president] are in jest at all. I think a lot of people on the left genuinely feel that having Michelle in the White House would mean having a competent, empathetic leader who projects a positive image abroad of our president and country.

How do you know she's competent, because she made a 10-minute speech? What has she ever ran? Why the fuck does empathy matter? Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were absolute assholes. Jimmy Carter was a nice sincere man from Georgia. Not only did Johnson and Nixon accomplish way more positive things in the presidency than Carter did, that's true for Nixon even in spite of Watergate. George W. Bush was "a more compassionate conservative" than George H.W. Bush, former CIA director. The elder Bush was significantly better in the job.

Your post though exemplifies a lot of what is wrong about the American electorate. Obama is once he's dead and gone probably not going to be looked at greatly in terms of policy achievements. Obamacare is not what anyone on either side wants, it's best case is it's a half-measure that due to being insufficient they thought would encourage more centralization in the future, the kind of poison pill bills and laws that some in D.C. do.

This is not kosher to say yet in Democratic/left circles of Obama's not coming to the task unless you're Bernie Sanders, and in part explains why blacks never voted for him because they're not going to accept criticism of the first black president. Once Rahm Emanuel - an absolute bulldog in the Karl Rove fashion - left the White House administration, a lot of Obama's policy expertise left the building, because all he was was a single-term Senator from Illinois who got there off of defeating Alan Keyes, political gadfly extraordinaire. Biden was the late night TV joke in the Obama administration but remove him and his decades of Senate experience I wonder how Obama would've ever got anything through Congress, because like Trump actually doing policy wasn't Obama's forte, it was public speaking.

He was not elected to implement policies that are best for this country, he was put in place because "Americans wanted an empathetic leader who projects a positive image abroad of our president and country". Yeah, that's how you get your ass handed to you on climate change at Copenhagen by Xi, in Libya by Sarkozy who played you for an absolute fool to do the Europeans' dirty work for them - a lower-scale repeat of the Iraq conflict that you widely condemned and yet repeated, and in Syria by Putin who demonstrated hard power beats soft power all the time, especially when it comes to red lines of chemical weapons being used. Everything I've read of Obama's time in office including from news publications that were on the president's side was he found the tedium of the job and the bureaucracy difficult to deal with, lost interest by the end, and the Russians and Chinese never respected him as far as being an effective leader.

I think our last 3 presidents have all been strikeouts as far as being good at running the country. You think Michelle Obama is electable because she gives you a warm feeling inside. Great, continue failing America!

Tldr: no, we don't

[Rinkals]

Obama wasn’t vastly experienced either. He was a nice guy. USA needs another one.

Wanted to come back to this, a fellow Yank had an excellent post on this a few days ago.

I don't think any of those comments [that Michelle Obama would be a good candidate for president] are in jest at all. I think a lot of people on the left genuinely feel that having Michelle in the White House would mean having a competent, empathetic leader who projects a positive image abroad of our president and country.

How do you know she's competent, because she made a 10-minute speech? What has she ever ran? Why the fuck does empathy matter? Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were absolute assholes. Jimmy Carter was a nice sincere man from Georgia. Not only did Johnson and Nixon accomplish way more positive things in the presidency than Carter did, that's true for Nixon even in spite of Watergate. George W. Bush was "a more compassionate conservative" than George H.W. Bush, former CIA director. The elder Bush was significantly better in the job.

Your post though exemplifies a lot of what is wrong about the American electorate. Obama is once he's dead and gone probably not going to be looked at greatly in terms of policy achievements. Obamacare is not what anyone on either side wants, it's best case is it's a half-measure that due to being insufficient they thought would encourage more centralization in the future, the kind of poison pill bills and laws that some in D.C. do.

This is not kosher to say yet in Democratic/left circles of Obama's not coming to the task unless you're Bernie Sanders, and in part explains why blacks never voted for him because they're not going to accept criticism of the first black president. Once Rahm Emanuel - an absolute bulldog in the Karl Rove fashion - left the White House administration, a lot of Obama's policy expertise left the building, because all he was was a single-term Senator from Illinois who got there off of defeating Alan Keyes, political gadfly extraordinaire. Biden was the late night TV joke in the Obama administration but remove him and his decades of Senate experience I wonder how Obama would've ever got anything through Congress, because like Trump actually doing policy wasn't Obama's forte, it was public speaking.

He was not elected to implement policies that are best for this country, he was put in place because "Americans wanted an empathetic leader who projects a positive image abroad of our president and country". Yeah, that's how you get your ass handed to you on climate change at Copenhagen by Xi, in Libya by Sarkozy who played you for an absolute fool to do the Europeans' dirty work for them - a lower-scale repeat of the Iraq conflict that you widely condemned and yet repeated, and in Syria by Putin who demonstrated hard power beats soft power all the time, especially when it comes to red lines of chemical weapons being used. Everything I've read of Obama's time in office including from news publications that were on the president's side was he found the tedium of the job and the bureaucracy difficult to deal with, lost interest by the end, and the Russians and Chinese never respected him as far as being an effective leader.

I think our last 3 presidents have all been strikeouts as far as being good at running the country. You think Michelle Obama is electable because she gives you a warm feeling inside. Great, continue failing America!

Tldr: no, we don't

It's a "great post"?

When Ryan criticises Obama on policy and says that he wasn't respected, the implication is that President Trump is more skilled at policy and has the respect of foreign leaders like Putin and Xi, which I don't think is accurate.

It also seems bizarre to lay blame for the watering-down of ACA at Obama's door.

As to Michelle Obama's qualifications for the job, if Donald Trump has taught us one thing, it's that even a half-wit can still be President.

[Hugo]

Not the most important point in the post but I don't understand how George HW Bush rates lower on the compassion scale than his son.

HW was frequently derided by critics on his right for being wimpy. By his own admission he was a very emotional man, he was moved to tears when the Hungarians gave him a piece of the iron curtain. He was hurt when he received the phone call at Christmas from Gorbachev announcing his resignation. HW really cared about people and was a truly decent man.

[Fonz]

It's a "great post"? Yes

When Ryan criticises Obama on policy and says that he wasn't respected, the implication is that President Trump is more skilled at policy and has the respect of foreign leaders like Putin and Xi, which I don't think is accurate. It really isn't man, the implication is that being a nice guy who projects a positive image of the country doesn't necessarily translate into effectiveness in the cutthroat world of foreign policy; Trump doesn't factor in here

It also seems bizarre to lay blame for the watering-down of ACA at Obama's door. The ACA is just name-checked as it's allegedly the greatest policy achievement of Obama

As to Michelle Obama's qualifications for the job, if Donald Trump has taught us one thing, it's that even a half-wit can still be President. And how's that gone?

[Fonz]

Not the most important point in the post but I don't understand how George HW Bush rates lower on the compassion scale than his son.

HW was frequently derided by critics on his right for being wimpy. By his own admission he was a very emotional man, he was moved to tears when the Hungarians gave him a piece of the iron curtain. He was hurt when he received the phone call at Christmas from Gorbachev announcing his resignation. HW really cared about people and was a truly decent man.

I think it's a matter of public perception. HW was certainly a decent man, but he was also considered kind of aloof (let's not forget the checking his watch at the debate incident) and he projected an air of WASPy aristocracy, not exactly a group renowned for empathy or compassion. W's whole appeal was the whole "guy you can have a beer with", which was kind of the opposite of his dad.

If either of them got votes for being a nice guy or coming across well in the media, it was probably Jr. His recent rehabilitation in the mainstream media kind of reinforces this.

(feel free to tell me to fck off if you'd prefer not to say, no hard feelings at all if so, but who were you on the bored if you don't mind my asking?)

[Zig]

What's the story with unofficial drop boxes for ballots?

Is this a normal thing in the US?

It's highly suspicious and would be flagged as outright corrupt in most countries.

[Hugo]

Not the most important point in the post but I don't understand how George HW Bush rates lower on the compassion scale than his son.

HW was frequently derided by critics on his right for being wimpy. By his own admission he was a very emotional man, he was moved to tears when the Hungarians gave him a piece of the iron curtain. He was hurt when he received the phone call at Christmas from Gorbachev announcing his resignation. HW really cared about people and was a truly decent man.

I think it's a matter of public perception. HW was certainly a decent man, but he was also considered kind of aloof (let's not forget the checking his watch at the debate incident) and he projected an air of WASPy aristocracy, not exactly a group renowned for empathy or compassion. W's whole appeal was the whole "guy you can have a beer with", which was kind of the opposite of his dad.

If either of them got votes for being a nice guy or coming across well in the media, it was probably Jr. His recent rehabilitation in the mainstream media kind of reinforces this.

(feel free to tell me to fck off if you'd prefer not to say, no hard feelings at all if so, but who were you on the bored if you don't mind my asking?)

I agree with you on Dubya but that ability to connect with Joe Average was pretty much his schtick.

HW in contrast was a man of genuine substance. He may not have had an exciting personality but he formed real friendships and connections with those who came to know him. He was an outward looking moderate who grasped the value of co-operation and exercising American power with restraint and humility.

[Rinkals]

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article ... -of-wrath/

I always felt that the similarities of Zuma and Trump bore scrutiny.

And so the day came when the party elected as their standard bearer a deeply flawed man, a politician with no moral compass. For many years already he had been in an endless cycle of financial trouble and near-open corruption. His sexual escapades regularly made the front pages; his chauvinism was legendary. In the lead-up to his anointing, he was credibly accused of sexually assaulting a woman. That shower story was gold for his detractors.

Many were alarmed when he assumed the leadership of a venerated grand old party, and then became president of the country. His inaugural address to many observers sounded like the country’s epitaph.

The then new president was known to be a Putin ally. His early moves were KGB-style actions, like taking over the Department of Justice, the intelligence services, and the police. Over the years he appointed a string of factotums, who proceeded to destroy their designated institutions – the tax collection service, the fabric of the state’s machinery, and the system of values itself. He had a good reason for such moves – he was always driven by paranoia, convinced that his past would catch up with him and that he’d end up where he knew he rightfully belonged – in an orange jumpsuit, with some of his children. To avoid jail, he had to stay in power.

His lackeys worked with near impunity. For who was to investigate, arrest and prosecute them? There was nothing to keep him, or them, in check. They would regularly lose in courts, but then the next day would go on as though nothing had happened.

But the bulk of the blame for this monumental decline belonged to the president’s own grand old party, one of the largest and oldest political formations in the world. Not only did they elect him their leader, twice, but they steadfastly supported him through the worst of his indiscretions. No matter how idiotic his statements, no matter how incompetent his decisions, how visibly corrupt he was – they were always shielding him at the expense of their own vanishing dignity and credibility.

It was a time when all energy was devoted to wreaking chaos. The president’s environmental policies were nonexistent – the country remains one of the world’s worst polluters. He was obsessed with coal. And of course, Russia, Russia, Russia …

Foreign nationals were often demonised and attacked in the streets; violence against women and children reached epidemic proportions. The president reportedly owed so much money to so many shady people all over the world that he could only offer one thing as repayment – his own country. His deals with Middle Eastern moneymen will take years to fully uncover. He always believed Russian-trained intelligence officers more than his own professionals.

After so many terrifyingly bad decisions and a corruption-addled reign, he was finally turfed from the presidential palace. We’re talking about Jacob Zuma here, of course, but the parallels with Donald J Trump and the Republican Party are painfully obvious.

[Slick]

Are these Hunter Biden emails getting much traction away from the lunatic fringe?

[Kiwias]

Are these Hunter Biden emails getting much traction away from the lunatic fringe?

What emails?

[Slick]

Are these Hunter Biden emails getting much traction away from the lunatic fringe?

What emails?

Collusion between him and VP Biden on business deals, Hunter smoking a crack pipe in bed and stuff

[Bokkom]

Obama wasn’t vastly experienced either. He was a nice guy. USA needs another one.

Wanted to come back to this, a fellow Yank had an excellent post on this a few days ago.

How do you know she's competent, because she made a 10-minute speech? What has she ever ran? Why the fuck does empathy matter? Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were absolute assholes. Jimmy Carter was a nice sincere man from Georgia. Not only did Johnson and Nixon accomplish way more positive things in the presidency than Carter did, that's true for Nixon even in spite of Watergate. George W. Bush was "a more compassionate conservative" than George H.W. Bush, former CIA director. The elder Bush was significantly better in the job.

Your post though exemplifies a lot of what is wrong about the American electorate. Obama is once he's dead and gone probably not going to be looked at greatly in terms of policy achievements. Obamacare is not what anyone on either side wants, it's best case is it's a half-measure that due to being insufficient they thought would encourage more centralization in the future, the kind of poison pill bills and laws that some in D.C. do.

This is not kosher to say yet in Democratic/left circles of Obama's not coming to the task unless you're Bernie Sanders, and in part explains why blacks never voted for him because they're not going to accept criticism of the first black president. Once Rahm Emanuel - an absolute bulldog in the Karl Rove fashion - left the White House administration, a lot of Obama's policy expertise left the building, because all he was was a single-term Senator from Illinois who got there off of defeating Alan Keyes, political gadfly extraordinaire. Biden was the late night TV joke in the Obama administration but remove him and his decades of Senate experience I wonder how Obama would've ever got anything through Congress, because like Trump actually doing policy wasn't Obama's forte, it was public speaking.

He was not elected to implement policies that are best for this country, he was put in place because "Americans wanted an empathetic leader who projects a positive image abroad of our president and country". Yeah, that's how you get your ass handed to you on climate change at Copenhagen by Xi, in Libya by Sarkozy who played you for an absolute fool to do the Europeans' dirty work for them - a lower-scale repeat of the Iraq conflict that you widely condemned and yet repeated, and in Syria by Putin who demonstrated hard power beats soft power all the time, especially when it comes to red lines of chemical weapons being used. Everything I've read of Obama's time in office including from news publications that were on the president's side was he found the tedium of the job and the bureaucracy difficult to deal with, lost interest by the end, and the Russians and Chinese never respected him as far as being an effective leader.

I think our last 3 presidents have all been strikeouts as far as being good at running the country. You think Michelle Obama is electable because she gives you a warm feeling inside. Great, continue failing America!

Tldr: no, we don't

It's a "great post"?

When Ryan criticises Obama on policy and says that he wasn't respected, the implication is that President Trump is more skilled at policy and has the respect of foreign leaders like Putin and Xi, which I don't think is accurate.

It also seems bizarre to lay blame for the watering-down of ACA at Obama's door.

As to Michelle Obama's qualifications for the job, if Donald Trump has taught us one thing, it's that even a half-wit can still be President.

Jesus, the fucken logic behind this statement.
So you want to see another blithering idiot leading the Yanks for another four years?