Obama's Rhetoric is the Real Catastrophe

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I don't know, it feels like a pretty sound breach of decorum to me - in any professional context in which I've met a celebrity, it would have been wildly inappropriate of me to ask for an autograph, particularly when "on the job." It's not about being "cold and lifeless" - it's about not being a dipshit when you're wearing a suit.

Agreed - there are certain positions and professions where you have to put aside some "normal" human reactions, and to me being a member of Congress is one of those places.

When you're a member of Congress, you may get into a situation where you have to run up against the President and his/her policies. It could be something as simple as overriding a veto, or it could be something as serious as an impeachment proceeding. Either way, I think it's the job of the Congressperson to make sure that there is nothing in their actions that would allude to any bias or favoritism in those situations.

If I knew that a sitting Congressperson had asked for the President's autograph, to me, it would bring up red flags.

[nate2512]

Why wouldn't they just sit in their normal assigned seating?

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by nate2512

Why wouldn't they just sit in their normal assigned seating?

I'm guessing because the Senate normally does not sit in that chamber.

[PhiGam]

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by PhiGam

Didn't IndyMac, WaMu, Lehman fail in September or October? To me, it just seems that Obama is in the right place at the wrong time.

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Didn't IndyMac, WaMu, Lehman fail in September or October? To me, it just seems that Obama is in the right place at the wrong time.

Every decision that he has made has led to even less investor confidence... namely the socialization of our banking system. He has already said that he's going to double the deficit THIS year. Investors do not like his policies at all, bottom line. The drop right after his election is undeniable.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

Didn't IndyMac, WaMu, Lehman fail in September or October? To me, it just seems that Obama is in the right place at the wrong time.

Or the wrong place at the wrong time depending on how you voted.

I tend to agree with you that Obama's being assigned blame for stuff that's mainly beyond his control and that some of the continuing economic drop is fall-out from policy, government activity, general failure to provide oversight, general willingness to regulate in the wrong way (take your pick) from before he was even in the Senate.

But, I don't think the stimulus bill was all that great and at some point when things don't start rebounding, Obama's going to own this one. (I'm oversimplifying by saying merely "stimulus bill". We could include all the proposed funding and regulation he's had a hand in as well and the strings attached to previous bailout funds that aren't proving popular.)

The fact that it's a Democratically controlled Congress with key long-term Democratic legislators who were players in some of the crisis areas, even when the Republicans were in control, might kind of at least double the pressure. There's no place to shift the blame in the public mind.

(I'm not really saying that I think Democrats are more responsible for the present situation, but at some point, especially considering everything that Bush was blamed for and the pattern that's established, the public is going to look to blame.)

[PhiGam]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

Or the wrong place at the wrong time depending on how you voted.

I tend to agree with you that Obama's being assigned blame for stuff that's mainly beyond his control and that some of the continuing economic drop is fall-out from policy, government activity, general failure to provide oversight, general willingness to regulate in the wrong way (take your pick) from before he was even in the Senate.

But, I don't think the stimulus bill was all that great and at some point when things don't start rebounding, Obama's going to own this one. (I'm oversimplifying by saying merely "stimulus bill". We could include all the proposed funding and regulation he's had a hand in as well and the strings attached to previous bailout funds that aren't proving popular.)

The fact that it's a Democratically controlled Congress with key long-term Democratic legislators who were players in some of the crisis areas, even when the Republicans were in control, might kind of at least double the pressure. There's no place to shift the blame in the public mind.

(I'm not really saying that I think Democrats are more responsible for the present situation, but at some point, especially considering everything that Bush was blamed for and the pattern that's established, the public is going to look to blame.)

Admittedly, I'm really upset by the amount of unfair blame and criticism that President Bush received while in office. Perhaps thats why I am going to blame everything that happens for the next eight years on Barack Obama.

[deepimpact2]

Originally Posted by KSigkid

Agreed - there are certain positions and professions where you have to put aside some "normal" human reactions, and to me being a member of Congress is one of those places.

When you're a member of Congress, you may get into a situation where you have to run up against the President and his/her policies. It could be something as simple as overriding a veto, or it could be something as serious as an impeachment proceeding. Either way, I think it's the job of the Congressperson to make sure that there is nothing in their actions that would allude to any bias or favoritism in those situations.

If I knew that a sitting Congressperson had asked for the President's autograph, to me, it would bring up red flags.

I'm not clear on why it would send up a red flag. A red flag about what?

I think some members of Congress are able to refrain from showing bias or favoritism. Asking for an autograph has nothing to do with that.

I definitely don't think members of Congress should act like drooling tweens who just saw the Jonas brothers though.