Welcome President Barack Obama, 44th President

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:59 pm

mdp872105 wrote:We have elected our first African president, now I'm looking forward to electing a true independent president that is not tied to directly to any party and will do whats right for the country.

It doesn't matter if he is (half)black, white, green, blue, or a woman (which would make "he" a "she"). Just because we elected a person that wasn't white doesn't mean anything. Race and sex should have nothing to do with it, it should be the most qualified person (not saying Obama isn't, but I'm not saying he is either). I'm sick of people saying that a black president is a good thing, it shouldn't matter! It kind of puts down Obama's accomplishment, IMO.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:21 pm

Politics are alright for now. Things haven't gotten out of hand, and so long as they don't we wont have to lock this thread and return to the old ridged word of the rules. So play nice, please.

National health care is not free. I don't know where you people get this idea. You pay for the service with your tax dollars. What that means is that instead of paying for a third party to get you healthy, you have the government. Now really quick think about this; you all that is everyone gets the same coverage, no matter what. And if you run into the issue that, "Oh my relative died as a result of a screw up managing for an organ transplant."Can you get justice?

Another things is that depending how much you earn is how much you pay into the system... but you still have the same coverage and consideration as Joe Sixpack over that that is only earning 22k a year. Is that fair? No! You pay for the service and coverage you want/need. It's not fair that you get the same service for a higher price.

-Sparkfist

Extreme_Jesus · Post by **Extreme_Jesus** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:00 pm

Socialism does work, has worked, and is still working in democracies around the world. The Word Socalist in American politics seems to mean a great number of of different things to a lot of different people. It was thrown about a lot during the election campaign and most of the time was way off the mark. As a Socialist myself i resent it being used a demonising and negative word.

But Socialism isnt for America, clearly as can be seen in a thread. You have your values and beliefs, and thats good for you. But elesewhere it works just fine where the mind set is different.

I just dont share the view that giving things over to the market is best, in fact im dead against it. In the UK we've seen privisation of almost everything and on the whole, prices have gone up way above inflation, and the service has got worse, and now theres nothing we can do about it. Also it just strikes me as a fundamental wrong to be making money off of the health system, its a basic human right as far as im concerned not another oppertunity to make more money.

I just dont get it, you're quite happy to have free universal education, but not health care? It strikes me as odd is all.

Twilight Wolf · Post by **Twilight Wolf** » Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:25 pm

vskid wrote:
mdp872105 wrote:We have elected our first African president, now I'm looking forward to electing a true independent president that is not tied to directly to any party and will do whats right for the country.
It doesn't matter if he is (half)black, white, green, blue, or a woman (which would make "he" a "she"). Just because we elected a person that wasn't white doesn't mean anything. Race and sex should have nothing to do with it, it should be the most qualified person (not saying Obama isn't, but I'm not saying he is either). I'm sick of people saying that a black president is a good thing, it shouldn't matter!

I agree wholeheartedly. When the media kept making constant references to the fact that he's black, the one thought I kept having was "I thought race wasn't an issue in this country!" Honestly, who cares if he's black? I'm much more concerned about what he's gonna do to America.

mdp872105 · Post by **mdp872105** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:23 am

Don't get me wrong I don't care if he's black either I just made that one statement to make a point i was not trying to cause any racial arguments. Read my previous post I was for huckabee then McCain i was never for obama. I was only making that statement as to say lets make some more history and elect a president that is not tied to a party and can not be so easily influenced by party lines.

In fact I agree with what yall have said that pointing out his color cheapens his win. But like I said I only mention that because of the historical nature and to say that I would like some more real change in the form of a non partied president.

RockNRoll! · Post by **RockNRoll!** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:01 am

The problem is that Obama doesn't have independant views, he takes the democratic/liberal side of every issue.

Metallica Man X · Post by **Metallica Man X** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 3:05 am

That's what frightens me about him...I have this aweful feeling we're gonna get a fresh new pile of liberal bs gun laws, in addition to other things....I like my guns dag nabbit!

G3 · Post by G3 » Sat Jan 24, 2009 4:26 am

If its great to have the first recognized black president, I myself being Native American am still awaiting the first Native President.

Obama is the reaper of many efforts to bring equality to america.

I was brought up knowing the lies of the whiteman, now a black man is to tell me the same mistruths? Haha. no offense to anyone please.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:26 pm

G3, you're very correct. People look at people like Obama and think, "Now we are truly a country of equals." But it's a lie. The lies and methods his party used to keep any negitivity down is just sick. You don't get the people's trust by attacking people that ask you questions about your view points or your policies. But tha't what happened.

And I will say this right now. If anyone thinks that America is free of racism and prejudice come to Michigan. We are the most segregated state. Not to mention the fact that the dividing line (8 Mile Rd) holds a lot of prejudice from both sides. And for most of those in the suburbs like me, we don't want to go down to Detroit unless it's for a good reason, and it will be hell or high water before I go at night.

Social problems are not solved with stupid and constitutionally wrong ideas like being Politically Correct, or having people of color in offices. It's about being open minded and giving each and everyone a shot at their dream, and only judging them by their character. I know that's not easy, and I still fall short on doing this all too often. But the point is that it's the people of this nation that have to make the change not some suit up in D.C.

We have to make the change. You can't just sit at home and expect things to change for you. Obama's not going to just hand money out to people and say all is fixed. Money has to come from somewhere, and to be quite frank it's your money he wants to spend. It's not right that a man who doesn't pay into the Social Security system gets to change and manipulate it as he does. We need people to stand up and tell our representatives in D.C. what we really want and how we feel. Otherwise you might as well stop complaining.

-Sparkfist

cennar · Post by **cennar** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:58 pm

Twilight Wolf wrote:
vskid wrote:
mdp872105 wrote:We have elected our first African president, now I'm looking forward to electing a true independent president that is not tied to directly to any party and will do whats right for the country.
It doesn't matter if he is (half)black, white, green, blue, or a woman (which would make "he" a "she"). Just because we elected a person that wasn't white doesn't mean anything. Race and sex should have nothing to do with it, it should be the most qualified person (not saying Obama isn't, but I'm not saying he is either). I'm sick of people saying that a black president is a good thing, it shouldn't matter!
I agree wholeheartedly. When the media kept making constant references to the fact that he's black, the one thought I kept having was "I thought race wasn't an issue in this country!" Honestly, who cares if he's black? I'm much more concerned about what he's gonna do to America.

lol no no race is still a deal, hell bush won two crocked elections that way. and Christians. you need christians to get any thing you want in politics, they care vary little about the isues and more on how many times there candidate goes to church.

Twilight Wolf · Post by **Twilight Wolf** » Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:05 pm

I think that's an over-generalization; they still care about issues. I can't imagine any of them were pleased when Obama's answer to where he stood on abortion was something like "That's above my pay grade to answer."

lifeisbetterwithketchup · Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:43 pm

Crazy awesome ridiculously high resolution pic from the inauguration: http://www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php? ... width=1009

Dustin · Post by **Dustin** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:38 am

What the heck, I may as well join in the foray.

I'm also native american (half Inupiaq Eskimo), and once lived in deep West Texas. Of course racism still exists. By no means did having Obama elected magically erase all racism, but it is a step in the right direction.

RE Obama's race - It does matter. I remember my (Irish) dad telling me about the racial segregation that occured during his lifetime, and the fact that he lived to see this much change occur in our country. Having an African American president is a "big deal" and should be discussed.

Personally, I believe that choosing between the Republican and Democratic parties is tandamount to choosing whether to be screwed over by Big Business or Big Government. I just happen to enjoy the fact that Big Government cuddles afterwards.

Seriously, if you give Big Business complete reign over things, the higher ups will simply pad their own pockets. Wealth tends to be redistributed, just usually to the already rich. It's a negative feedback loop that screws over the average person, or Joe Sixpack, if you will. I don't dislike our country's free market system. On the contrary, I find it to be one of our greatest assets. I just believe that the government should play a role in the process, to keep the system in check.

I know that there must be some irony in the fact that large private banks and businesses screwed up and the government has to bail them out. It's government interference, I tell you.

RE Gun Laws- Seeing as I grew up in an area where subsistence hunting brought a large chunk of food home, I'm totally for the second amendment.

I just think there should be appropriate measures to make sure it isn't in the hands of someone who doesn't deserve it; say a convicted felon.

mdp872105- I agree whole-heartedly! Forcing people to follow one of two dogmatic parties is terrible. I actually would have been alright with the McCain running for president in 2000, before he flip-flopped into Neo-Con, far right mode. What's ridiculous is that McCain had to do so in order to get the nomination.

RockNRoll! · Post by **RockNRoll!** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:33 pm

Dustin wrote:I know that there must be some irony in the fact that large private banks and businesses screwed up and the government has to bail them out. It's government interference, I tell you.

Whole lotta good that did

I think the south should secede again (successfully this time) so the hippie liberal government will only screw up the hippy part of the country without ruining the rest.

Dustin · Post by **Dustin** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 11:42 pm

ROFL

First off, I lean over to the left only because it reflects my Native American heritage. Really, anyone liberal, new age, etc. what have you is really only trying to be Native American. Republicans- or rather someone as far right as you, RnR, would rather literally have a schism between our country. If you read my last post, I advocate doing away with petty party lines. I'm not really all that different from you. My dad's researched the family history, and I have ancestors who fought in the battle of San Jacinto and for the South in the Civil War. True, we have our differences. I smoke pot, you drink beer. I prefer more constraints on our free market system, while you prefer more constraints on our taxes. Nevertheless, we're still Americans. We both love our country and like our government to a certain degree. In effect, we are comparable to a newly wed-ed couple who agree on which house to live in, but squabble over where to put the furniture. (This, of course is a simile. There are some "hippies" -me included- out there that are straight.

)