Interesting poll, where 79% of Americans support Obama's stimulus plan. Though 538 website does analyze how many questions in that poll are misleading.

But still, I wonder if the GOP minorit in Congress, and squabbling Dems, are in danger of getting burned if they oppose too hard Obama's plan.

http://www.politico.com/static/PPM104_090107_politicoallstatepoll.html

So from a SPIDER-MAN comic book to cheesy schilling on late night airwaves of coins and plates (by Montel Williams of all people), Obama now has...

His own TOPPS Baseball card.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P7Z...ASIN=B001P7Z4JE

He has packs of cards, I saw them browsing for football cards.

One week from today, we'll have a new President. Woo Woo!!!!! It's been a long long long 8 years.




TIS

Sounds like you're Bushed.

More like tired of Dick.

I talked to the Principal yesterday and asked him if we could keep a tv going on Inaugration day and he said yes. Fortunately he's an Obama supporter (our last Principal who retired last year, was not). As long as we all sort of watch in shifts, (and of course depending on the activity as far as traffic in/out of the office)it's ok.

TIS

My friend sent me this article:
Mets' Cyclones change for Obama


I thought it was a cute idea and would love to have the bobblehead, but it seems like some baseball fans don't appreciate the intrusion of politics in their sport!

What do you think of Obama's official portrait? It's nice no???




TIS

Better than his predecessor's crooked strange Alfred Neuman-esque smile.

King: Obama 'bizarre' to use 'Hussein'

Apologize? Not so much.

But Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who last March predicted Al Qaida would be “dancing in the streets” if Barack Obama were elected president, now concedes that the dynamic has merely “shifted” on the terrorist front.

“They have made statements against Obama,” King acknowledged to Politico. “This thing has shifted and now I think Obama’s position of immediate withdrawal [from the war zone] has changed.”

Shortly after making his comments last year, King took his bluster to Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera:

“[I]f I am wrong, Geraldo, and we elect Obama to the presidency and he declares defeat, if they don't dance in the streets, I will come and apologize to you and everybody in America. But I'm saying, I'm right.”

Well, Osama isn’t doing an Obama jig, and this week, Bin Laden released an audio tape challenging the new president.

While he was willing to concede he was wrong about the whole terrorist street dancing routine, King has moved on to the whole “Hussein” controversy.

He doesn’t like the fact that the president-elect will be sworn in using that middle name during Tuesday’s Inauguration.

After telling the Associated Press last year that Obama’s middle name was among the reasons Islamic terrorists would rejoice over his election, King says he’s since been careful to avoid using it. Thus he found Obama’s decision to allow it be mentioned on the steps of the Capitol “bizarre” and “a double-standard.”

“Is that reserved just for him, not his critics?” King asked.

The congressman says he doubts Obama’s sincerity when he explained that he chose to use his middle name so as to be historically consistent with past inaugurations, when America has heard the full names of its presidents echo from the inaugural stand.

“Whatever his reasons are,” King said, “the one he gave us could not be the reason.”

He continued: “The society is a little strange about this. If you’re speaking the truth and in an effort to be objective, there should be nothing off limits in a free society, [but] there are many biases building and clearly a double-standard.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17506.html

I see nothing wrong with Obama using his full name. I think he should, as every other President did. Your name is....well, your name. You get use to it you have it all your life, like it or not. Even if it's not a name any of us would chose, it is ONLY a name. Unfortunately there will always be those who find criticism in it but that's life.



TIS

I just have to say, I would soooooo love to go to this inaugaration. It will be like no other. I predict an unbelieveable crowd. I sure hope they are prepared for this. They are even having concerts and events on tv starting on Sunday I hear with some great music guests. Wow!!!

I read that Obama is riding a train from Philly to D.C. which is a first and concerns secret service. I will go out on a limb and predict almost everything about this President will be different.....thank God! What a shit load of problems he has thrown on him hu?

TIS

Not for nothin', but, just about every president has had a "shit load of problems" thrown onto him. Odds are, new presidents get elected because the previous one fucked something up. Truth be told: they're still all politicians. Don't confuse anti-someone with pro-someone else. I'm not anti-Obama at all -- I hope he does do great things! -- but I'm getting kinda sick to my stomach with all this (as of yet unearned) "savior" bullshit that so many are putting on his shoulders! Give the guy a break for chrissakes -- why all this pressure??

Are/were you people REALLY pro-Obama (or pro-Gore or pro-Kerry), or just so ANTI-Bush that it didn't matter who the hell ran against him?

Shit, WTF am I doing posting in a political thread??? Never mind!

Sure, every President has problems to deal with. Some very serious, some not, but tell me a recent President (or even older) who has had walked into office with just about every "major" issue in the toilet or in such turmoil (to put it mildly)? We all hoped Bush would do well too, but he didn't. That's a fact, as a recent poll shows a 30 something (which is actually up), approval rating. But, for the here and now...

IMHO, It's NOT business as usual for the incoming President It's simply NOT. Will he do a good job? I don't know yet, maybe he'll fuck up, who knows. Give him a chance, yes. Hope springs eternal. It's gotta get better.

I disagree with you, BUT I still love ya Geoff!!!!



TIS

Well, THAT is certainly true!

I truly believe that Obama has a lot of pressure. Being the first black President, he will be remembered and so will his mistakes.

It's times like these that which leaders can make history, or fail tremendously. That's why as you've heard in the news media how probably that Obama can do as much in equality with the shit he's stuck dealing with.

In 1932, FDR was seen by the media and masses as the American Savior and the Depression and Hoover. Of course Depression only ended after WW2 began (war machine needed men to make weapons), but FDR's administration was mastery in propaganda with his Fireside Chats (and First 100 Days actions), for making people actually feel connected with their President, as if he's their champ, their guy.

In 1980, Reagan got elected mostly because he wasn't Jimmy Carter. But with a America at that time struck with the idea that it's weak, and Reagan really made an impression when he fired those striking Air Traffic Controllers without pause. This guy is action. I don't like his administration's bullshit guilt-by-association in El Salvador and such, but Reagan did re-engage his public with why America was great in the first place, at least the idea of it.

Point is, both Presidents were well-liked by the public, and shit even after the Iran-Contra mess that could have gotten Reagan impeached, the people went back to liking REagan, enough that when he left, he had the highest approval rating for a departing Prez (which Clinton surpassed).

I mean look at Obama now. He's got what, 67% approval rating? His likeness rating is 77%. People just like him right now, and with two wars we won't be leaving anytime soon, a shit economy, and a useless Congress....Americans want something to feel good about themselves.

Its like that stimulus package that Obama got passed, mostly because he had 80% roughly of America behind him. I heard off-handidly yesterday at the supermarket, a woman telling another how while he has some doubts about Obama's economic proposal: "At least he's actually proposed a solution. Nobody else has."

FDR and Reagan within US History is mostly propaganda-myth, with truth distorted to fit how we want to view those two, but hey why do we insist in believing that myth? Right now Obama is really popular partly because he aint President yet, and for all we know he could end up the next Jimmy Carter.

But for now, Americans like that they rub it in the noses of the Europeans that for all their self-proclaimed sophistication and "racial tolerance"*, that none of those nations will come close anytime soon to elect a minority with a "funny name." Shit even in frickin France, the African/Muslim minority population sees U.S. right now as more progressive than Paris.

USA!
USA!



More like I voted against the 2000s.

So Obama being the President makes the USA feel good about itsself.

So what do we, the UK, get to feel good about itsself?

Do we get more economic ripple effects off the USA?

Why Cameron Brown later this year or 2010. No?

Or who knows, maybe your minority population in Europe will finally rise up and get more representation. Not that racial tokenism is the answer, but consider how you guys in the UK have something over America: The ridiculous number of high-ranking Parliament gay officials in all parties, and none whom try to hide like Lindsey Graham.

I'm a Lib Dem.

The circumstances are different but nevertheless you are very very right.

Well that "*" above, I was going to say how those football games over there, lets just say with American football crowds, we never have Nazis out in the open in mass.

Plus if any sorts tried that in any NFL or College Football game in America, someone would probably shoot them.

Yes circumstances are different, you are right, but there was a legit reason for years back with that massive Arab rioting in France.

Anyone watching the concert by the Lincoln Memorial? I missed most of it, but wow!! What a crowd.



TIS

Yeah, doin some channel flippin I seen Springsteen singing "This Land". Is BHO even there?

I've got to say whenever I see BHO it takes me a second to realize you're not talking about a band.

Why do everyone put the Hussein part in Obama's name?

Do we have to be reminded of you know who from Iraq?

Yes.