this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2025
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“I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,” Obama said at the fundraiser

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[–] [email protected] 28 points 6 hours ago (3 children)

Cuz the man who gave up Universal Healthcare to give us fucking Romneycare while having total control of the govt really knows how to play hardball.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 hour ago

I don't like Obama much - his drone strikes and war-hawkish policy nor bailing out the banks when he had them over a barrel, but i'm tired of this bullshit narrative.

House control: yes, no question.

Senate control: barely.

Obama would not have even been able to pass his bank ~~robbery~~ 'stimulus' without three Republicans crossing the aisle to vote for it in early 2009. Yes, very much a man with 'total control' of the government..

Obama had just 4 months with senate control, and that whole time it was on a knife edge. 60 (of 100) votes are needed to bring legislation to the floor to even be voted on without filibuster. So for 'total control' a party needs 60 seats/votes in the senate. The dems had 57 in Jan 2009 at the start of Obama's congress, with 2 independents (Bernie and Joe Liebermann) who caucused with them, taking them to 59. Republicans had 41.

That 59 included Ted Kennedy whom had a seizure during an Inauguration lunch of Obama's (he was privately dying of brain cancer) and he never returned to vote in the senate - dropping the number to 58. Also, Al Franken was not seated until july due to a very close election in his seat and multiple recounts - until then the number was 57.

Long story short by September 24th they finally had 60 seats.. But democrats are not a monolith. Just as there are Manchins and Sinemas and other 'Democrats' in recent memory that are barely left of Ted Cruz, there were several of similar ilk back then like Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, Ben Nelson - and their independent caucus member Joe Lieberman, mentioned earlier - who all fought against much of Obama's legislation, for example with respect to Obamacare they quashed any chance of a public option and single payer.

So did he have control: technically, briefly. Could Obama just run through any legislation he wanted during that time? Absolutely fucking not.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 27 minutes ago

The audacity of hope through the governing of what’s possible.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 hours ago

He's a fucking coward. First time in my lifetime that Democrats had a 60-40 majority, and he totally compromised.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 hours ago

says the asshole who started the drone war in Yemen

[–] [email protected] 52 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Mr. Obama, you caved on all of the major issues. You were a great candidate, an amazing speech giver, and a mediocre president. And that's OK -- we would be happy with mediocre today -- but you don't get to tell us what's good for the party when you are the perfect example of its biggest problem.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 55 minutes ago* (last edited 54 minutes ago) (1 children)

Obama promised to close Guantanamo if elected. He noped out of it almost immediately.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 41 minutes ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 13 minutes ago* (last edited 12 minutes ago)

To me, it never felt like Obama was truly committed. Also why promise it if you don't know if you can actually do it or is contingent on factors outside your control?

[–] [email protected] 69 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

This motherfucker is half the reason we’re in the position we’re in. How many whistleblowers and journalists did he prosecute?

We see you

[–] [email protected] 20 points 15 hours ago

Dubba's third and fourth term.

It's kinda ironic, I don't know whether this reflects how the guy actually thought about his presidency, but when he was in office there was a lot of chatter about the kind of "legacy" his administration would have. I'm fairly certain now that he's gonna be one of those overlooked presidents, seen as a caretaker-administration to all the shit started by GW Bush and a preamble to a lot of what Trump has ran wild with.

Maybe the history books also mention he passed a healthcare bill inspired by the Heritage Foundation and insurance lobbyists.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 16 hours ago

That is rich coming from him.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 16 hours ago

Obama, just like the Republican Party is no more under Trump, the Democratic party is no more under Pelosi and Schumer.

There is no true two party anymore. There’s simply the fascists and the enablers.

[–] [email protected] 177 points 1 day ago (55 children)

Jesus. You know it's bad when even a spineless centrist like Obama is calling them on their shit.

[–] [email protected] 94 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

"Stop whining and Vote Blue No Matter Who"

"Great, I'm voting for Mamdani for Mayor"

"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! Not like that!"

[–] [email protected] 21 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Exactly like that. Quit your bitching and vote for Mamdani.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 56 minutes ago* (last edited 56 minutes ago)

He can't, he wasn't born in the US.

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