Barack Obama on the Daily Show

8 Comments

1. John Galt
   Posted October 28, 2010 at 8:26 am | Permalink

   Union members are being forced at gunpoint to attend the Stewart Rally.

   http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201010270014

2. Edward
   Posted October 28, 2010 at 8:44 am | Permalink

   Now I feel bad for not giving more money to the Dems this election cycle.

3. Steph's Dad
   Posted October 28, 2010 at 10:53 am | Permalink

   Can you imagine what we could have accomplished in the past 18 months had the Republicans joined in, and collaborated with the administration on writing and passing legislation good for the country, instead of playing politics and voting no on everything. He did an enormous amout given the opposition.

4. Mr. X
   Posted October 28, 2010 at 12:46 pm | Permalink

   I liked this comment from Metafilter:

   Yes, he’s eloquent (though he says “you know” too much, but who doesn’t) and has made some great accomplishments in the face of almost unprecedented opposition. But there are glaring areas of failure and for some (me included) the extension and expansion of Bush-era “War on Terror”/civil liberties policies are unacceptable. For many progressives it has led to harsh criticism of Obama and his administration. In some of these cases he’s gone further than Bush did, enough so that the ACLU said just this summer: “Indeed, on a range of issues including accountability for torture, detention of terrorism suspects, and use of lethal force against civilians, there is a very real danger that the Obama administration will enshrine permanently within the law policies and practices that were widely considered extreme and unlawful during the Bush administration. There is a real danger, in other words, that the Obama administration will preside over the creation of a “new normal.”

   Does that mean we shouldn’t give credit for the accomplishments that he has made? No, it doesn’t. And it’s some laudable stuff, and he points it out, from health care to financial reform, CHIP, cracking down on credit card companies, all laudable. And yes, many on the left see some or all of this as timid but I personally think it is important to remember the environment that this was accomplished in. An environment where people like Sara Robinson have openly speculated that we may be headed toward fascism. A word brandied about somewhat during Bush the Younger, but during a Democratic administration? I don’t think anyone would have thought that on inauguration day 09 we’d be discussing such things in a serious context (even if you disagree with such a premise).

   This is getting a bit long but basically – Obama has done some good stuff and some pretty shady stuff. Like all presidents he has his good and bad. It’s politics. You have to give to get. And like Clinton, I think Obama often feels that a sacrifice of principles is sometimes necessary. That getting re-elected is just too important to stand only on principle, to not give anything, and get nothing. I think Obama realizes the alternative would be a total and complete disaster, and that by sacrificing some of his principled stands he will be able to greater good for that aforementioned next generation.

   That said, I think Democrats, progressives, Communists, socialists, whatever you call yourself, should continue to hammer him on the issues the ACLU points out. But not giving him credit for getting us moving in the right direction isn’t really fair either.

   posted by IvoShandor at 1:45 AM on October 28

   http://www.metafilter.com/97081/Barack-Obama-with-Jon-Stewart

5. Robert
   Posted October 28, 2010 at 1:10 pm | Permalink

   I’d love to work for Monica Crowley if she needs an assistant or anything.

6. Aardvark
   Posted October 28, 2010 at 1:39 pm | Permalink

   I’m a union member. Does this mean I have to buy a gun, point it at my head, and force myself to attend the John Stewart event in DC, just like something out of Blazing Saddles? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upvZdVK913I

7. Meta
   Posted October 28, 2010 at 2:01 pm | Permalink

   The Washington Post has a good feature on Stewart and the rally today.

   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/24/AR2010102402645.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline

8. Kim
   Posted October 28, 2010 at 3:06 pm | Permalink

   I think she needs someone to crack the ice cycles off as they descend from her rectum.