My frustration has always been that he seems to be far too concerned with placating the percentage of the population that will NEVER support anything he does, instead of writing them off and standing up for what his supporters want. Especially now, when he has nothing to lose.
Ugh. This. So much this. I know this is 7 years old but I couldn’t stand that bullshit. He had such a great opportunity and blew it trying to win over people who would never support him while simultaneously claiming he’s purposely ignoring them. He should have never wasted his time with the “NO RED STATES AND BLUE STATES UNITY” shit.
into the first minute of this and im thinking "a politician who says one thing but does another"...you are pretty much describing every politician..ever
Benjamin Rome Clarke yes , yes it does. the reign of the liberal facist is collapsing were gonna make the 70s/80's happen again and this time we will expose the commies
Benjamin Rome Clarke 80's were cool for places like america and the UK , 70's was the beginning of the freedom movement 80's was the symbol of the end of big government at least that's what people though it was going to be.
BUBBLEGUM GUN A. What is the "freedom movement"? B. Lots of awful stuff happened in other countries. C. 2015 is literally the best year in which to be alive health-wise, technology-wise and in terms of social freedoms. D. If you're afraid of "commies" in 2015, your priorities are all wrong.
Benjamin Rome Clarke A) a movement for less government and more freedom B) and a lot of awful things are still happening what the middle east does to gays is none of our business C) 2015 is literally worse than the early 2000's, 90's, and 80's when it comes to freedom economic freedom and heck some social ones, did you know the UK has started banning porn (also no duh tech gets better over years) D) if you're afraid of "Evil Corporations" in 2015, your priorities are all wrong. it's not that i'm afraid, it's just i can't stand the stupidity of socialist morons
I didn't vote for Obama to get a particularly competent president. I voted for Obama to make sure someone decidedly evil did not become president. Through all of this, I keep returning to the same thought: "at least he isn't evil."
Yeah, the only reason that we do not have a Republican President, is that the Republicans do not have a candidate that is not stupid. They lost because they are idiots.
There is an old American expression which goes : "Playing both ends against the middle." I never really understood this expression, until the Obama administration. The 'middle' in this case is the late, great, American Middle Class.
Saying that Obama has "preferences," but that he's not willing to work to enact them gives Obama WAY too much credit. It suggests that his heart is in the right place, but that he's not willing to fight for his principles. I think this misses the mark. Obama has been very consistent throughout his career. He will SAY anything people want to hear in order to advance his career path. At each step along the way, he will also DO anything the wealthy donors and mega-businesses want done. What he SAYS is for public consumption and intended to advance his power. It is never meant to be taken seriously. Believing that he is voicing his preferences is a mistake. Judge the man by what he DOES and has done throughout his career, i.e., faithfully carry out the wishes of the rich who pull his strings.
I have been saying for the last 20 years that anyone running for POTUS should be able to read the US Constitution with comprehension. I do believe that President Obama fulfills this requirement which is more then I can say for other RECENT holders of the office. THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!
Obama always said that he would be bi-partisan. Apparently his technique and personal way of leading did not work out in all situations. We know that he is a laid back kind of person who used to smoke the weed in his youth, that's what he does... What he's always done and what he ran his campaign on. I think that in the future we see that both sides don't work, need to just lead and do what you feel is the best action. #bernie2016 #TYT
I have a friend who was a political campaign manager in Chicago at the time when Obama was active in politics there. He knew Obama personally and gave me the EXACT same description of him back in 2008 before his election; that Obama was not so much the type to spearhead a cause, but would much rather ride the coat tails of one that had already gained momentum. In essence, "leading from behind". I voted for the man and in hindsight I can honestly say that my disillusionment with him was a result of that very quality my friend warned me about back in 2008. And yet STILL you have people who worship him as an idol that could do no wrong; people who have not taken the time to look at the entirety of his record with an objective & unbiased eye. (It's actually pretty astonishing and is a testament to just how well & competent his public relations machine operates). This is an EXCELLENT assessment of the man; one in which I had hoped he wasn't back before I voted for him the first time. KUDOS TO TYT for publishing this honest assessment/commentary!!!
HE DOESN'T HAVE TO READ THEM BECAUSE HE CAN REMEMBER HIS SPEECHES UNLIKE THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE NOW ! HAHAHAHA 12/28/017 BY THE WAY CAN trump READ ?
Grace L. Martinez Romney changed what he "believed in" entirely every speech he did. We kinda want to know who we are voting for, and with good ol mitt we had no clue who he really was. Though he is a military freak who pledged to expand the military even further, probably would have gone and started a war with north korea and russia by now, he would have repealed roe v. wade, reinstated the bush wealthy tax cuts, he would further outsource jobs like he did extremely with his own company, and frankly I don't want a president with a take-everything, screw-everyone mindset.
Grace L. Martinez I don't think you have a clue how well Mitt Romney would've been, because he was never elected. He for one is a more experienced politician then Obama, and at least he gained his political status fairly. Obama should have never gotten the senator seat in Chicago. Also, he is a horrible Commander and Chief. He has over 5 dozen impeachable acts against him. Recently the Department of Justice sent a survey out to 1 million Americans to see if they think Obama has committed any impeachable, acts, and if they think he should be impeached, and they list all the impeachable offenses he has done. Not to mention the dozen other moronic things Obama has done to ruin this great nation. So, no Obama is the absolute worst President we have ever had.
***** Neither of them have any good candidates apparently, and both have become different wings of the same party; which is not anything anybody wants.... except for the corporations .
To say for example he's corrupt would be to assume he was once pure or close to it and through politics and money his morality/ethics began to erode. I don't think that's true. I think he cares about keeping the status quo and believing his own celebrity while never being able to summon the strength of character needed to truly lead. He's basically an empty person without any strong beliefs. He is utterly weak and lost in the false perception of his own prestige and power. Imagine what a strong, principled and moral leader could do.....
I refuse to live in a filter bubble or echo chamber. So even though I lean conservative, I listen to all sides. Sounded like an honest assessment of Obama by Cenk. Subscribed.
Vague. A president is anyone elected to said office. As long as he meets the qualifications for the office then Obama's as "real" as it gets. Now if you're thinking of the word "Leader" then you mite have a argument but as a President Obama certainly is one.
heh, heh, I was not an Obama fan till now , but will start doing some serious browsing.. Who the heck wants an outdated concept of a ' leader ' leading from front taking decisions for the sake of taking decisions and screwing up. Those with inflated egos , convoluted beliefs , goaded to making a mark in history .... come on this is the problem with you people. Today it is a world of consensus , doing the right thing etc and being adaptable , flexible to reach the goals through Unanimity, through agreement and talks NOT by brow beating your single agenda on everyone else . Look where it has got you ? No wonder d trump is leading !. In this instantaneously evolving world, with instant multi dimensional communications, spurred by spiralling technologies millions of people are equally skilled and qualified to handle THE POST. They can point out nano theories for and against any issue. In this world capable 'preferences' , "pointing the directions" is better than rigid blind "convictions" which do not hold good for the next micro second.
Obama's a politician, and I mean that in an unflattering way. I was aware of his Golden-Sacks funding of his campaign before he first took office. His appointments of Geithner, Summers & Paulson in his first weeks was a signal that he'd let the banksters off the hook, not a big surprise, but a grave disappointment. We need much better.
John M i feel like the public is knowledgeable enough about current events to lower obamas approval rating as much as it had been. there are many things the public didn't want obama to do but he did anyway and took a huge hit in popularity. now that he can't get reelected he doesn't need the popular polls to be in his favor. at least give more power to the people when the president has nothing to lose in the second term.
everything is done by the people we vote into office. the president is an overseer that helps both parties come together to get things passed. the president dose not make law or write law. he passes it or veto's it when it gets to his desk. TYT is talking out its ass right now. the issue with Obama is he is black. Republicans are extremely racist and as soon as he was elected said that they wanted to stone wall congress to the point that almost noting passes (done) to try and make him a one and done (failed) and now again they do not care and are still stone walling congress to the point that almost nothing passes. so going off of what you want. that is about what the president has right now. all the president really dose is pass law. he is also the GOA so he oversees the wars but again we have generals that are voted into their spot by the states that control what is really going on.
Goobzor if the public decided, we wouldn't be hunting snowden (with our tax dollars), we wouldn't be spying on ourselves (with our tax dollars), we wouldn't be getting involved with conflicts abroad (because the world hates us when we do). all these things would be avoided if the public could make some of the decisions for the president.
Watch an obamacare video. Tyt practically bows to obama. "The right says this..." "The republicans are saying that..." Tyt practices partisan politics 24/7 while pretending to be independent. I bet both you and all of the Tyt staff voted for obama both times.
alphakraker . no TYT doesn't bow down to Obama when it comes to Obamacare. They only point out that the right is making a fuss about nothing especially considering that from a liberal perspective the ACA is really just a half-assed version of what we really wanted. And neither the ACA as it is now nor the public Option obama originally wanted are anywhere near "communist" territory, and yet that's what those Fox News nutjobs claims so of course a progressive station like TYT will defend it against blatant lies. That doesn't mean they are licking Obama's boots, that's only your personal interpretation of what's happening and you're wrong.
alphakraker . Even if they "practically bow to obama", which they really don't, that's one law and hardly "left and right". IIRC all TYT has been saying is that when Republicans come and say people have been unable to afford their healthcare thanks to the ACA, like that one woman did in the video they posted yesterday, they call them out on the fact that the majority of americans are actually saving money. They've said that it isn't the best possible healthcare reform, but it's certainly an improvement from the system we've had. I don't know what my post had to do with the ACA anyway. I said "left and right" not "specifically on the this vague issue".
Eight years of a bad leader, followed by eight years of no leader at all. I don't know if there's a way to make it worse, but we got two years for someone to figure it out.
With the current people looking to run I wouldn't get my hope's up. the people who have a actual chance of winning don't look like they will do anything good. Money in politics.
Obama has largely been a disappointment to me due to his lack of convictions and lack of strong leadership. With an order as commander-in-chief, for example, he could have ended discrimination against gays in the military, similar to how Truman did for African Americans. Some people would have balked at that, but they would have adapted. He should now be taking the lead on things like ending mountain top removal coal mining, legalizing recreational pot and securing the right to marry for gays.
Obama doesn't discriminate against gays in the military. On his office door it says Military and every gay man is welcome to do a Monica Lewinsky anytime they want. Just ask Kal Penn.
We are allowed to advocate and otherwise work for change in this country, so what's with this Iraq nonsense? Here is what you may have sounded like throughout American history. If you don't like slavery, leave America. If you don't like industry leaders exploiting child labor, leave America. If you don't like genocide against nomadic native tribes, leave America. If you don't like the virtual obliteration of the redwood forests, leave America. If you want a work week of only 40 hours and a living wage, leave America. That is ludicrous! Teddy Roosevelt was a progressive who provided strong executive leadership, and FDR was a liberal who similarly provided leadership. We need someone who will take on big banks and big oil, as well as someone who will refuse to use drones that kill foreign civilians. BTW, TR was Republican in name only. He won the 1912 GOP nomination, but the party refused to give it to him. That's when the Bull Moose Party was formed. Again, why would you suggest I move to Iraq? Because I criticize our nation's leader? Because I advocate for change you disagree with? It sounds like you yearn for a dictatorship without freedom of speech. Maybe you should consider relocating to North Korea. Their leader, as he will tell you himself, is virtually a god.
That "make me" moment from Obama REALLY pissed me off. Other Dems thought it was just fine. I used to hang out on Democratic Underground. I don't recommend doing so. There are a LOT of assholes on that site and back when I decided Obama wasn't the progressive we were looking for, I was called a racist for speaking the truth. Race was the last thing on my mind. The first thing on my mind were Obama's many broken promises. I no longer consider myself a Democrat.
I like how ***** does not allow replies to his comment, since he knows he'd get utterly destroyed in a couple of lines. You think Cenk doesn't know this already? Lol, is this your first TYT video with Cenk talking about politics?
devin patterson I'm guessing you'd also put both George Bush Senior and Junior on your list of "presidents 'hung' for war crimes"? Cause if not, you clearly aren't familiar with what those two guys did. By the way, it's "hanged." Learn to speak properly before you speak on such important matters.
UltimateOlive I'm kind of in the habit of abhorring all politicians. Since JFK pretty much every one that's run for office has been puppet scum aside from Ron Paul. I'm also a fan of Mr Ventura and Vladimir Putin, even though western media likes to demonize him. Putin has done great things for Russia, I wish we could get someone like him in office here in Canada. Or in America for that matter. I've been paying attention to whats been going on. It's time to take back our countries from big business, and give them back to the people. Especially in America.
We in the UK had our own Rhetorician (Oxford: 'Language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect, but which is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content,) "Teflon-Tony Blair." No matter what you accused him of, he talked his way out of it. Back in the days of the Wild West, he would have sold snake oil. Obama is the US's Teflon Tony. Great speeches, and possibly great at getting two parties to agree. Rhetoricians greatest gift is the ability to talk and talk and reason. A great attribute for a counsellor - the worst attribute for a Leader, who needs to think quickly, decisively and with the conviction of their own belief. Like him or loath them, previous Presidents have been much more convicted by their own belief's, except Clinton who had a little of the the 'all things to all people' attitude too. Obama will go down in history as the Passive President. He could be an interesting and nice guy personally - but dull as ditch water. His main problem is that he vacillates too much. However, I think we the voters have played our part. We want our Nations Leaders to hear and pay attention to every voice loud enough to be heard. They have to be all things to all people otherwise we turn on them with venom on free-speech venues such as youtube. We want our Leaders to have perfect and squeeky clean lives since child-birth, yet our own lives could never take such close examination. For the USA, its a tough decision. It take such huge amounts of finance to back candidates. So either your President is 'loaded-up' with money himself or comes to the Whitehouse owing a lot of people a lot of favours! In The UK we don't take the same excessively expensive route to the top job. However, it doesn't always provide the best we have ... our present bunch of leaders are cardboard cut outs of each other. And .... we had our own 'Teflon' Leader. Well .... I'm glad I got that off my chest hah! :-)
I don't think a president should have a strong position on something, at least not act out his own strong personal positions. His position should be the position of the people. I don't believe you should hold neutrality against politicians most of the time.
lol image what that campaign would look like... "listen everyone.. I don't really have any ideas or opinions.. but I think I could still do a good job"
I used to like your political observations but this analysis is so uninformed that I can no longer take you seriously. You completely omit congressional vote counting as an element in political and legislative strategy. If you bother to look into the weeds of the process at the time, both the closing of Guantanamo and single-payer health plans were dead because congress made it clear that the votes were not there from the beginning. Both cases were made very clear at public hearings carried live on C-SPAN. Why are we listening to comedians and entertainers such as Jimmy Dore (who I like as a comedian) and a Yale literature professor instead of legislators and actual practicing policy analysts and practitioners who have actual knowledge and experience relevant to why policies and legislative initiatives live or die. You can share opinions as an observer, but don't pretend, along with fellow pundits and entertainers, to know why politicians and elected officials do what they do completely devoid of the political and electoral environment in which they are performing. In short, talk to people who do this (electoral politics and policy) for a living for a change.
I actually enjoyed watchng this video. I have a lot shorter description of Obama but I woun't say it here, it is my preference to say it but hey, maybe some other time, when it is neccessary....
It's so weird: Obama puts liberal ideas in place; republicans hate him, Obama puts conservative ideas in place; republicans hate him... I'm starting to get this strange feeling that most republicans don't have any real reason to dislike him!
UltimateOlive Its all just the instinct to be part of a group and blab about how terrible the opposing side is. People that strongly identify themselves as a member of a political party clearly don't think for themselves and are full of crap. That makes up the majority of American voters, who sit in front of the TV and gradually conform to one party's opinions. Hopefully this next generation of kids will stop watching television and start reading/watching things online, see between the bullshit, and detect bias. I am part of a family that encouraged watching the box and avoiding the computer, because "the computer" is allegedly a bad habit. Hopefully this generation will produce a more informed next generation that can inform themselves.
***** Republicans don't like conservatives? Most Republicans are conservative, so that statement is pretty flawed. And yes, Obama has put conservative ideas into motion, he added on to the Bush and Cheney policies for the abuses of civil liberties. Don't tell me to get my facts straight when you provide none of your own.
***** First, I did not insult you, or even try to insult you. I have no idea how you deducted that. Second, I said "abuse of civil liberties" not "the support of civil liberties"". Third, again, I didn't call you racist or resort to name calling, so I really have no idea why you're saying that I've become defensive when you have completely gone into some sort of "hyper rage mode"...
This analysis was dead on and I understand all too well because this is my personality type to a T. I'm an ideas man. The world is much better in my head and I have lots of ideals of how this ought to be or can be. I feel smart and accomplished for merely having thought up a plan or rubric for how things should be or what to do. I think that I can reason with most people into seeing my point of view and want to win based on logical persuasion, not coercion or dictatorship. I am bad at following through on executing my plans and ideas. It's too big a blow to your ego to watch your perfectly crafted idea crash and burn. You can't risk your ideas failing, because what does that say about you? I take criticism poorly sometimes for this very reason. I want everyone to get along and hate irrational ad hominem, so I try to mediate but have a hard time outright telling people what needs to get done, even if it's what's best. I have ideals but always phrase them with wiggle room so as to appear reasonable to new evidence. These are all realizations I've had about myself only with the last two years, and I just turned 28. Obama is much older than I but doesn't seem aware of it, and you can't change a problem you're unaware you have. I'm working on these things to improve myself. I don't want to be a bystander in the face of evil. The real world matters, I need to have less self-preservation for what's important and affects others.
why even put energy in to making such a video...i won't watch it because its not worth my focus (judging by the title), but i will say this in response to everyone who doesn't know yet - "every president is a puppet for big puppeteers". the people are also to blame for allowing their government to over-rule them against the original plan of the constitution. but really, i don't blame the people too much because they have been successfully brainwashed by what they read and watch and listen too. this is a spoon fed society and that is how we lost control of our government. our government belongs to some very wealthy and powerful individuals. this has all been predicted :)
It is absolutely the people's fault that America has the biggest unaccomplished liar and fraud who is sitting in the White House (when he's not playing golf, throwing extravagant parties, or taking extravagant vacations) pretending to be the president. If people would stop listening to what the bias media tells them and start doing their own research, America wouldn't be on the road to destruction.
yeh, turk, of course the conspiracy stuff is ridiculous, like all the real stuff you are talking about is much more real and what matters. we believe you more.
The most critically accurate look at Obama's time as president. From a completely objective point of view; not being an American; the preference vs conviction ideology is spot on. When people look back at all the 'change' he did; it'll be mostly of indifference in the years to come. The change he brought was vast as the ocean, but only an inch deep. Idea's and dreams can only take a nation so far; strong action is needed to support those hopes. Not necessary radical change; but even small incremental changes need such action. I still fully support Obama and his 'preferences'; its just a shame that we wont see the change he hoped for during his time as president,
This is/was EXACTLY WHY, I did NOT want Hillary nor Obama as President! I wanted DENNIS KUCINICH! I SENSED this during their Primary, and the ONLY DIFFERENCE between Hillary & Obama was that he was NOT in the Senate to vote AGAINST the Iraq Invasion! That is the Word, Comelian!
And yet the media makes him look like he leads from the front. That is from an Australians perspective. If you just got here from another planet and saw the TV you would think that he was the most morally accurate person in the world. What a show!
My opinon on this? It was a good in-depth study and analyzation of Obama's actions and what makes him tick. It was not from a biased perspective, at least in the sense that there was no left or right wing bias. A fair assessment all in all, and I think I learned something. Well, it seems like Obama is your typical Democratic politician who's convincing in speeches, but overall, doesn't do much to change the country for the better. A good indication of this is that there have been quite a bit (but not too much) of anti-christ allegations, a few considerable calls for his impeachment...well, that's your average president and what he has to deal with for four or eight years.
I like your show but "typical" attitudes towards a person of color. As a man of color history and current events show that racism is very very real. Whenever a colored man or woman tries to enter any institution of power they have to act and be 5 times better and still get no respect and always suspect. Can't do enough? If he had tried to change anything really, one of those millions of patriots would have touched him. MLK got touched what 1963, that was just yesterday That man represented his race like a champ in the face of institutional nationwide terrorist hatred of color and still popped that collar. That man was the first, if you cant appreciate or empathize with what he just faced and lived well then as i said "typical". If you gonna be new news then bring a new attitude as well. The entire globe is watching now
Isn't it a politician's job, in a democratic republic (I think I know what those words mean), to *represent* people? Is part of the job description also to *influence* people? So don't they have to "lead from behind"?
I suppose electing a so-called centrist to the Presidency would be beguiling; he could please both sides, not be ideologically anchored and as a result get more done. However politicians who take a stand often leave with history reflecting on their policies rather than themselves. Take Margaret Thatcher. Yes she was the first female PM, and yes she was known for her tough stances, but people knew where she stood; a staunch advocate of fiscal conservatism, taking on the unions, intervention in the Falklands. Like her or not, history will remember her policies, not just her politics.
Yes- Watch Michael Moores -11/9- -when Obama goes to Flint - and agreed that the water was OK and did not help the people of Flint who desperately wanted the Presidents help with the poisoned water situation -got on his plane and left!- It would have nice if AG Dana Nessel who was going after Palestinian protestors had kept her promised and prosecuted those responsible for the Flint water situation poisoning its citizens -esp. children. Thanks for this episode on Obama.
you would think of how informed the young Turks are they could see pass an illusion, yet they haven't realized that it's a one party system in which have a few different views on some issue to have people keep fighting upon one another and not focus on the real problem at hand. i'm so sick of these stupid labels left-wing, right-wing, democrat, republican, conservative, progressive, liberal, nationalist, etc.. we all essential want the same thing yet we will never overcome anything if we keep making hurdles though labeling ourselves.
It's so refreshing hearing someone that isn't nuts criticize Obama. For a while I fell into a trap of defaulting to defending him from all of the baseless criticisms from conservatives that I forgot about the legitimate ones. Good job on this one.
I love the thumbnail with a window in Obama's forehead revealing empty space... This immediately tells me the content of this video will be perfectly accurate before even seeing the title.
So this far into his presidency you're just now waking up? When he was a senator and I first heard about him I did a little digging and within an hour discovered what he was and it was very clear that if he were elected he would be the country's worst nightmare. He has done, is doing and will continue to do whatever he wants without regard for the constitution or the rule of law. If I were you I'd be ashamed to admit to having been so gullible and stupid! I've lived through every presidency since Roosevelt and this one is far and away the worst - I'd say the worst ever in history. We will very likely experience war on our soil for the first time ever and I'm now afraid for my safety.
I studied engineering, so I'm an IT engineer, but I have never been employed by a big engineering company like say Nokea or Siemens However I have applied in many of such companies. Sometimes the phone calls are promising but once I show up in their offices, the tone changes...Many time I have received responses suggesting I'm too qualified and yet I was not given a job There are other factors in life apart from personal abilities, that contribute to the success of any Leader.
Suffering from Obama whiplash: cheering words of action, but then jeering deeds of lethargy. Well spoken. What is scary is 2016: Hilary or the alternative Republican candidate. Where is Jerry Brown when you need him?
This criticism seems decidedly incomplete without discussing the UNPRECEDENTED obstructionism in Congress. I am absolutely unconvinced that Obama lacks conviction, only that he lacks any viable avenue to pursue those convictions. Honestly, the GOP has shown that they will stop him from accomplishing anything he wants, regardless of whether the policy is centrist, progressive, or conservative. Any expression of his deeply felt convictions only serves to embolden the GOP to scream "no" even louder.
Great Piece, I don't always agree with Cenks viewpoints but man he nailed it today...leading from behind....although some of the things Cenk claimed to not know were things that were in the news and were brought forth during the first election...I do not know how it is possible for Cenk to miss them....Lets me know that he used to be a thrill down the leg guy, just like Chris Mathews
Barrack Obama will be remembered as a very underwhelming president, but a fascinating historical figure. In addition to the usual supporters and detractors which are entirely normal in a healthy political system, He's always inspired a very curious mixture of deranged criticism among some, and worshipful trance among many others. The former is easy to understand in light of his skin color, very recent Kenyan ancestry, and time spent as a child in Indonesia. The latter is a little more mysterious to me. His skin color and relatively international upbringing might have been a factor there as well. His political inexperience was certainly a component. The contemporary social, economic, and political context are also considerations. Regardless of the precise explanation, he inspired a lot of true believers with very little true substance and merit. Many centrists thought he was a centrist, and their progressive counterparts were convinced he was a progressive. I even remember Christopher Hitchens, hardly an intellectual lightweight, musing that Barrack Obama might be an atheist. Of course not everyone was fooled, but very intelligent people all across the left of center spectrum managed to suspend reality and project their hopes and desires on him, convincing themselves that his values aligned with their own; that for once someone poised to run for president understood what's important. Certainly a fascinating historical interlude in American politics, and also the kind we don't really need again.
And just let me point out that I went over what I wrote--which was supposed to be satirical--and in retrospect realized that nobody could reasonably recognize it as such, so I have to inelegantly clarify after the fact that I was trying to imitate Obama's style of delivering flowing and articulate prose without saying much of anything or making any true moral or intellectual commitments.
Bromwich hits hard, but offers too kind an assessment. Mr. Obama worked extremely hard to advance the privileges and prerogatives of those in power, both here and abroad.
I think I understand Obama for "being soft"… When you force things, they break. Sometimes it's better not precipitating everything and focus on more important things.
He’s caught in a monkey trap. 0bama is caught by his lust for big money to love him… and for big money to approve of him…. The monkey trap works because the monkey is focused on obtaining food inside a jug he can’t get his hand out of when he holds the food in his hand… and doesn’t understand that the price of trying to obtain that particular morsel will be its own freedom, its own survival… The way to avoid a monkey trap is not to take the bait. Having taken the bait, the second strategy is to learn to quickly identify the situation for what it is and get out of it. 0bama still holds fast to the bait.. still…. And the hunters are closing in…
America is a corporate polite state run by a series hand selected morally corrupt puppets of the elite who systematically ignore the issues that matter to people (roads, bridges, education, health costs, minimum wage, food/banking regulation, excess guns, police brutality, prison overpopulation, etc) whilst distracting attention towards those that don't (endless middle east wars and aggression against Russia). Land of the free? Hohoho!
I don't hate Obama, but I can't say I necessarily like him either. I think he is an apathetic man when it comes to taking action. Who knows what will become of Obamacare but it could be a legacy worth deriving. I know apathy well now and maybe understand Obama in that way. I think blaming our politicians is a little passe though, I think we should face the reality that we are slaves to banking clans, that Christianity and Islam want to drag us back to the dark ages and that our only real useful thing to come from humanity has been science, technology and medicine. We no longer have politics that help us grow, they only control us more or less strictly and siphon our wealth into the coffers of already too fat dragons. Religion poisons the whole condition of humanity and there are still people staving to death in areas where witches are still being burnt. We expect the government to save us when the only purpose they know anymore is get money just like our hip hop we love, the pirates we adore and the banksters puppeteering the whole twisted show that we can't stop. The sooner we come to terms with our reality the better of we will all be.
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My frustration has always been that he seems to be far too concerned with placating the percentage of the population that will NEVER support anything he does, instead of writing them off and standing up for what his supporters want. Especially now, when he has nothing to lose.
Ugh. This. So much this. I know this is 7 years old but I couldn’t stand that bullshit. He had such a great opportunity and blew it trying to win over people who would never support him while simultaneously claiming he’s purposely ignoring them. He should have never wasted his time with the “NO RED STATES AND BLUE STATES UNITY” shit.
obama was trying to unite the country instead of dividing it, from your comment i think you would prefer trump today lol
@@gokugrdfghdfrhgdthe majority preferred Trump
into the first minute of this and im thinking "a politician who says one thing but does another"...you are pretty much describing every politician..ever
Guys just because liberals are unhappy with Obama doesn't mean we're suddenly hopping aboard the conservatrain.
Benjamin Rome Clarke yes , yes it does. the reign of the liberal facist is collapsing
were gonna make the 70s/80's happen again and this time we will expose the commies
BUBBLEGUM GUN Lol because the 70s and 80s were so amazing for everyone.
Benjamin Rome Clarke 80's were cool for places like america and the UK ,
70's was the beginning of the freedom movement 80's was the symbol of the end of big government at least that's what people though it was going to be.
BUBBLEGUM GUN A. What is the "freedom movement"?
B. Lots of awful stuff happened in other countries.
C. 2015 is literally the best year in which to be alive health-wise, technology-wise and in terms of social freedoms.
D. If you're afraid of "commies" in 2015, your priorities are all wrong.
Benjamin Rome Clarke
A) a movement for less government
and more freedom
B) and a lot of awful things are still happening what the middle east does to gays is none of our business
C) 2015 is literally worse than the early 2000's, 90's, and 80's when it comes to freedom economic freedom and heck some social ones, did you know the UK has started banning porn (also no duh tech gets better over years)
D) if you're afraid of "Evil Corporations" in 2015, your priorities are all wrong.
it's not that i'm afraid, it's just i can't stand the stupidity of socialist morons
I didn't vote for Obama to get a particularly competent president. I voted for Obama to make sure someone decidedly evil did not become president. Through all of this, I keep returning to the same thought: "at least he isn't evil."
Yeah, the only reason that we do not have a Republican President, is that the Republicans do not have a candidate that is not stupid. They lost because they are idiots.
***** Democrats are not the brightest bunch either. Did you see the "handpicked" candidates for the midterm elections?
YOU ARE WRONG lUCAS
He is though😜
***** Please, tell me all about these "secrets" that only you and the president seem to know.
There is an old American expression which goes : "Playing both ends against the middle." I never really understood this expression, until the Obama administration. The 'middle' in this case is the late, great, American Middle Class.
Those who stand in the middle get ran over
This article was brilliant.. Thanks for sharing and discussing it in the show.
Saying that Obama has "preferences," but that he's not willing to work to enact them gives Obama WAY too much credit. It suggests that his heart is in the right place, but that he's not willing to fight for his principles. I think this misses the mark. Obama has been very consistent throughout his career. He will SAY anything people want to hear in order to advance his career path. At each step along the way, he will also DO anything the wealthy donors and mega-businesses want done. What he SAYS is for public consumption and intended to advance his power. It is never meant to be taken seriously. Believing that he is voicing his preferences is a mistake. Judge the man by what he DOES and has done throughout his career, i.e., faithfully carry out the wishes of the rich who pull his strings.
Like they said in house of cards: Why Peter Russo? Why him, what's better than a blank slate
Sounds right. The bottom-line is that he's a gutless wonder.
I have been saying for the last 20 years that anyone running for POTUS should be able to read the US Constitution with comprehension. I do believe that President Obama fulfills this requirement which is more then I can say for other RECENT holders of the office. THINK ABOUT IT!!!!!
Obama always said that he would be bi-partisan. Apparently his technique and personal way of leading did not work out in all situations. We know that he is a laid back kind of person who used to smoke the weed in his youth, that's what he does... What he's always done and what he ran his campaign on. I think that in the future we see that both sides don't work, need to just lead and do what you feel is the best action. #bernie2016 #TYT
"He's a real nowhere man, sitting in his nowhere land, making all his nowhere plans for nobody". The Beatles
I'm amazed..... The truth was spoken.
I have a friend who was a political campaign manager in Chicago at the time when Obama was active in politics there. He knew Obama personally and gave me the EXACT same description of him back in 2008 before his election; that Obama was not so much the type to spearhead a cause, but would much rather ride the coat tails of one that had already gained momentum. In essence, "leading from behind".
I voted for the man and in hindsight I can honestly say that my disillusionment with him was a result of that very quality my friend warned me about back in 2008.
And yet STILL you have people who worship him as an idol that could do no wrong; people who have not taken the time to look at the entirety of his record with an objective & unbiased eye. (It's actually pretty astonishing and is a testament to just how well & competent his public relations machine operates).
This is an EXCELLENT assessment of the man; one in which I had hoped he wasn't back before I voted for him the first time.
KUDOS TO TYT for publishing this honest assessment/commentary!!!
It took a lot of courage Mr. Uygur for you to do this report. Thanks
Thanks for what? Spreading the BS? Obama is scum.
In other words, he ducks his responsibility and is nothing more than a speech reader.
HE DOESN'T HAVE TO READ THEM BECAUSE HE CAN REMEMBER HIS SPEECHES UNLIKE THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE NOW ! HAHAHAHA 12/28/017 BY THE WAY CAN trump READ ?
still better than Mitt Romney....
Very true.
can you explain why Obama is a better chief Executive than Romney would have been?
Grace L. Martinez Romney changed what he "believed in" entirely every speech he did. We kinda want to know who we are voting for, and with good ol mitt we had no clue who he really was. Though he is a military freak who pledged to expand the military even further, probably would have gone and started a war with north korea and russia by now, he would have repealed roe v. wade, reinstated the bush wealthy tax cuts, he would further outsource jobs like he did extremely with his own company, and frankly I don't want a president with a take-everything, screw-everyone mindset.
Grace L. Martinez I don't think you have a clue how well Mitt Romney would've been, because he was never elected. He for one is a more experienced politician then Obama, and at least he gained his political status fairly. Obama should have never gotten the senator seat in Chicago. Also, he is a horrible Commander and Chief. He has over 5 dozen impeachable acts against him. Recently the Department of Justice sent a survey out to 1 million Americans to see if they think Obama has committed any impeachable, acts, and if they think he should be impeached, and they list all the impeachable offenses he has done. Not to mention the dozen other moronic things Obama has done to ruin this great nation. So, no Obama is the absolute worst President we have ever had.
Did faux tell you about the impeachable acts line? XD
It's nice to see fellow liberals criticising Obama.
7:58 - missed opportunity to do elbow from the sky. That quote is such an elbow, to say the least. Wow.
when you try to be everybody's friend you become nobody's friend.
Where was this assessment in 2007??
It could have made a difference then.
*****
Neither of them have any good candidates apparently, and both have become different wings of the same party; which is not anything anybody wants.... except for the corporations
.
***** McCain's time in the POW's camp has taken a toll on his mind, bless his heart. He just shouldn't be in the position he's in. He's lost.
***** Yeah his golf game has taken a toll on him and the rest of America. His qualifications speak for themselves..... NONE.
To say for example he's corrupt would be to assume he was once pure or close to it and through politics and money his morality/ethics began to erode. I don't think that's true. I think he cares about keeping the status quo and believing his own celebrity while never being able to summon the strength of character needed to truly lead. He's basically an empty person without any strong beliefs. He is utterly weak and lost in the false perception of his own prestige and power. Imagine what a strong, principled and moral leader could do.....
You're not describing Obama, you're describing the position of President no matter who holds it
Master Politician.
_Obama is_
I refuse to live in a filter bubble or echo chamber. So even though I lean conservative, I listen to all sides. Sounded like an honest assessment of Obama by Cenk. Subscribed.
A refreshing and believable analysis, good job to the author.
An excellent description of why Obama is such an ineffective and frustrating president,
People like me tried to tell everyone that this man was an empty suit back in 2007, but he gave such pretty speeches.
🙄
Best analysis of Obama I've heard to this day, this is awesome.
Would that not be called a "trojan Horse"? To blend in with every group? OK then!
2:08 Does that suggest actions of a Lawful Neutral?
what about obama Executive Orders he signed to have marshal law during war or peace time...
Talked about many a times in past TYT videos I believe.
We need a real President to run the United States of America.
Vague. A president is anyone elected to said office. As long as he meets the qualifications for the office then Obama's as "real" as it gets. Now if you're thinking of the word "Leader" then you mite have a argument but as a President Obama certainly is one.
Trump.
heh, heh, I was not an Obama fan till now , but will start doing some serious browsing.. Who the heck wants an outdated concept of a ' leader ' leading from front taking decisions for the sake of taking decisions and screwing up. Those with inflated egos , convoluted beliefs , goaded to making a mark in history .... come on this is the problem with you people. Today it is a world of consensus , doing the right thing etc and being adaptable , flexible to reach the goals through Unanimity, through agreement and talks NOT by brow beating your single agenda on everyone else . Look where it has got you ? No wonder d trump is leading !.
In this instantaneously evolving world, with instant multi dimensional communications, spurred by spiralling technologies millions of people are equally skilled and qualified to handle THE POST. They can point out nano theories for and against any issue. In this world capable 'preferences' , "pointing the directions" is better than rigid blind "convictions" which do not hold good for the next micro second.
So true! love this report...nailed it!!
Obama's a politician, and I mean that in an unflattering way. I was aware of his Golden-Sacks funding of his campaign before he first took office. His appointments of Geithner, Summers & Paulson in his first weeks was a signal that he'd let the banksters off the hook, not a big surprise, but a grave disappointment. We need much better.
Basically he is Switzerland...
No he is not, Ron Paul is Switzerland...
i dont think the president should have any opinion. all decisions should be decided based on popular opinion. not the opinion of the president.
John M i feel like the public is knowledgeable enough about current events to lower obamas approval rating as much as it had been. there are many things the public didn't want obama to do but he did anyway and took a huge hit in popularity. now that he can't get reelected he doesn't need the popular polls to be in his favor. at least give more power to the people when the president has nothing to lose in the second term.
everything is done by the people we vote into office. the president is an overseer that helps both parties come together to get things passed. the president dose not make law or write law. he passes it or veto's it when it gets to his desk. TYT is talking out its ass right now. the issue with Obama is he is black. Republicans are extremely racist and as soon as he was elected said that they wanted to stone wall congress to the point that almost noting passes (done) to try and make him a one and done (failed) and now again they do not care and are still stone walling congress to the point that almost nothing passes.
so going off of what you want. that is about what the president has right now. all the president really dose is pass law. he is also the GOA so he oversees the wars but again we have generals that are voted into their spot by the states that control what is really going on.
Goobzor if the public decided, we wouldn't be hunting snowden (with our tax dollars), we wouldn't be spying on ourselves (with our tax dollars), we wouldn't be getting involved with conflicts abroad (because the world hates us when we do). all these things would be avoided if the public could make some of the decisions for the president.
Well you won't get that here. The USA is NOT a democracy, it is a REPUBLIC (and for good reason)
Katie Newmeyer u sound like a republican
Can't wait for the next video about Obama where someone says TYT praises the President left and right.
popularSSS White Jesus would never let that happen.... lol
Watch an obamacare video. Tyt practically bows to obama. "The right says this..." "The republicans are saying that..." Tyt practices partisan politics 24/7 while pretending to be independent. I bet both you and all of the Tyt staff voted for obama both times.
alphakraker .
no TYT doesn't bow down to Obama when it comes to Obamacare. They only point out that the right is making a fuss about nothing especially considering that from a liberal perspective the ACA is really just a half-assed version of what we really wanted. And neither the ACA as it is now nor the public Option obama originally wanted are anywhere near "communist" territory, and yet that's what those Fox News nutjobs claims so of course a progressive station like TYT will defend it against blatant lies. That doesn't mean they are licking Obama's boots, that's only your personal interpretation of what's happening and you're wrong.
alphakraker . Well if they had the choice between Romney and Obama no shit they would choose Obama.
alphakraker . Even if they "practically bow to obama", which they really don't, that's one law and hardly "left and right". IIRC all TYT has been saying is that when Republicans come and say people have been unable to afford their healthcare thanks to the ACA, like that one woman did in the video they posted yesterday, they call them out on the fact that the majority of americans are actually saving money.
They've said that it isn't the best possible healthcare reform, but it's certainly an improvement from the system we've had. I don't know what my post had to do with the ACA anyway. I said "left and right" not "specifically on the this vague issue".
Jayakrishnan Nair
thank you for such a good read! I agree with everything you said. Surely you're an esteemed journalist...?
Eight years of a bad leader, followed by eight years of no leader at all. I don't know if there's a way to make it worse, but we got two years for someone to figure it out.
With the current people looking to run I wouldn't get my hope's up. the people who have a actual chance of winning don't look like they will do anything good. Money in politics.
Obama has largely been a disappointment to me due to his lack of convictions and lack of strong leadership. With an order as commander-in-chief, for example, he could have ended discrimination against gays in the military, similar to how Truman did for African Americans. Some people would have balked at that, but they would have adapted. He should now be taking the lead on things like ending mountain top removal coal mining, legalizing recreational pot and securing the right to marry for gays.
is that a picture of you and obama?
Obama doesn't discriminate against gays in the military. On his office door it says Military and every gay man is welcome to do a Monica Lewinsky anytime they want. Just ask Kal Penn.
We are allowed to advocate and otherwise work for change in this country, so what's with this Iraq nonsense?
Here is what you may have sounded like throughout American history.
If you don't like slavery, leave America. If you don't like industry leaders exploiting child labor, leave America. If you don't like genocide against nomadic native tribes, leave America. If you don't like the virtual obliteration of the redwood forests, leave America. If you want a work week of only 40 hours and a living wage, leave America.
That is ludicrous!
Teddy Roosevelt was a progressive who provided strong executive leadership, and FDR was a liberal who similarly provided leadership. We need someone who will take on big banks and big oil, as well as someone who will refuse to use drones that kill foreign civilians. BTW, TR was Republican in name only. He won the 1912 GOP nomination, but the party refused to give it to him. That's when the Bull Moose Party was formed.
Again, why would you suggest I move to Iraq? Because I criticize our nation's leader? Because I advocate for change you disagree with? It sounds like you yearn for a dictatorship without freedom of speech. Maybe you should consider relocating to North Korea. Their leader, as he will tell you himself, is virtually a god.
You are funny.
you are ignoring all the opposition from congress. with literally every thing that he tried to do.
He's the Obama we deserve, not the Obama we need.
That "make me" moment from Obama REALLY pissed me off. Other Dems thought it was just fine.
I used to hang out on Democratic Underground. I don't recommend doing so. There are a LOT of assholes on that site and back when I decided Obama wasn't the progressive we were looking for, I was called a racist for speaking the truth. Race was the last thing on my mind. The first thing on my mind were Obama's many broken promises.
I no longer consider myself a Democrat.
you hit that nail right on the head.
This is one of those videos that really needs 5 billion views. For the sake of humanity.
Obama isn't that important...
Matt Schwartz Yeah, true. He's just the president of the most powerful nation in the world... no biggie.
I like how ***** does not allow replies to his comment, since he knows he'd get utterly destroyed in a couple of lines. You think Cenk doesn't know this already? Lol, is this your first TYT video with Cenk talking about politics?
Just want to put my name under this comment as support against people who wont allow replies.
Doesn't this prove, Cenk, that people like ALEX JONES were right about this man?
Good point, but convict GW Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and many others first!!
devin patterson I'm guessing you'd also put both George Bush Senior and Junior on your list of "presidents 'hung' for war crimes"? Cause if not, you clearly aren't familiar with what those two guys did.
By the way, it's "hanged." Learn to speak properly before you speak on such important matters.
Yes i would, but since the video was on Obama. That's who i commented on.
devin patterson Well, congrats, you seem to be above the trend of Obama hating--Bush loving antics.
UltimateOlive I'm kind of in the habit of abhorring all politicians. Since JFK pretty much every one that's run for office has been puppet scum aside from Ron Paul. I'm also a fan of Mr Ventura and Vladimir Putin, even though western media likes to demonize him. Putin has done great things for Russia, I wish we could get someone like him in office here in Canada. Or in America for that matter. I've been paying attention to whats been going on. It's time to take back our countries from big business, and give them back to the people. Especially in America.
Everyone needs to see this video. Perfectly said.
We in the UK had our own Rhetorician (Oxford: 'Language designed to have a persuasive or impressive effect, but which is often regarded as lacking in sincerity or meaningful content,) "Teflon-Tony Blair." No matter what you accused him of, he talked his way out of it. Back in the days of the Wild West, he would have sold snake oil.
Obama is the US's Teflon Tony. Great speeches, and possibly great at getting two parties to agree. Rhetoricians greatest gift is the ability to talk and talk and reason. A great attribute for a counsellor - the worst attribute for a Leader, who needs to think quickly, decisively and with the conviction of their own belief.
Like him or loath them, previous Presidents have been much more convicted by their own belief's, except Clinton who had a little of the the 'all things to all people' attitude too.
Obama will go down in history as the Passive President. He could be an interesting and nice guy personally - but dull as ditch water. His main problem is that he vacillates too much.
However, I think we the voters have played our part. We want our Nations Leaders to hear and pay attention to every voice loud enough to be heard. They have to be all things to all people otherwise we turn on them with venom on free-speech venues such as youtube.
We want our Leaders to have perfect and squeeky clean lives since child-birth, yet our own lives could never take such close examination.
For the USA, its a tough decision. It take such huge amounts of finance to back candidates. So either your President is 'loaded-up' with money himself or comes to the Whitehouse owing a lot of people a lot of favours!
In The UK we don't take the same excessively expensive route to the top job. However, it doesn't always provide the best we have ... our present bunch of leaders are cardboard cut outs of each other. And .... we had our own 'Teflon' Leader.
Well .... I'm glad I got that off my chest hah! :-)
Sobering thought: As bad as Obama is, imagine how things would be if Mittens Romney won...
I totally agree people forget Obama is the lesser of the 2 evils.
America would have been really fucked up under Romney.
definitely, and that is why obama is in.
we still need a complete progressive in office.
Effiong Umoetok He'd probably start RomCare, instead of ObamaCare.
RandomHelpingGuy
oh hell no.
do you really think romney would allow a law that forced insurance companies to accept preexisting conditions?
RandomHelpingGuy RomCare. Oh, you need an expensive surgery? Why not ask your parents to do it instead.
So, you're telling me Obama is actually Zelig. (How many people will get that reference?)
I don't think a president should have a strong position on something, at least not act out his own strong personal positions. His position should be the position of the people. I don't believe you should hold neutrality against politicians most of the time.
lol image what that campaign would look like... "listen everyone.. I don't really have any ideas or opinions.. but I think I could still do a good job"
sausagemcbean good point
sausagemcbean Fucking ownage
3:41 LIBYA is middle-eastern? Tripoli is on the same longitude as ROME. And if it's Middle-Eastern then where exactly is the Near-East? Morocco?
Watching some old videos and seeing how they line up with this analysis. Just wow.
I used to like your political observations but this analysis is so uninformed that I can no longer take you seriously. You completely omit congressional vote counting as an element in political and legislative strategy. If you bother to look into the weeds of the process at the time, both the closing of Guantanamo and single-payer health plans were dead because congress made it clear that the votes were not there from the beginning. Both cases were made very clear at public hearings carried live on C-SPAN. Why are we listening to comedians and entertainers such as Jimmy Dore (who I like as a comedian) and a Yale literature professor instead of legislators and actual practicing policy analysts and practitioners who have actual knowledge and experience relevant to why policies and legislative initiatives live or die. You can share opinions as an observer, but don't pretend, along with fellow pundits and entertainers, to know why politicians and elected officials do what they do completely devoid of the political and electoral environment in which they are performing. In short, talk to people who do this (electoral politics and policy) for a living for a change.
stochasticsy I really feel that everyone chooses to ignore the facts just so they can have a story
I actually enjoyed watchng this video. I have a lot shorter description of Obama but I woun't say it here, it is my preference to say it but hey, maybe some other time, when it is neccessary....
It's so weird:
Obama puts liberal ideas in place; republicans hate him,
Obama puts conservative ideas in place; republicans hate him...
I'm starting to get this strange feeling that most republicans don't have any real reason to dislike him!
UltimateOlive Its all just the instinct to be part of a group and blab about how terrible the opposing side is. People that strongly identify themselves as a member of a political party clearly don't think for themselves and are full of crap. That makes up the majority of American voters, who sit in front of the TV and gradually conform to one party's opinions. Hopefully this next generation of kids will stop watching television and start reading/watching things online, see between the bullshit, and detect bias. I am part of a family that encouraged watching the box and avoiding the computer, because "the computer" is allegedly a bad habit. Hopefully this generation will produce a more informed next generation that can inform themselves.
***** Republicans don't like conservatives? Most Republicans are conservative, so that statement is pretty flawed. And yes, Obama has put conservative ideas into motion, he added on to the Bush and Cheney policies for the abuses of civil liberties. Don't tell me to get my facts straight when you provide none of your own.
***** First, I did not insult you, or even try to insult you. I have no idea how you deducted that. Second, I said "abuse of civil liberties" not "the support of civil liberties"". Third, again, I didn't call you racist or resort to name calling, so I really have no idea why you're saying that I've become defensive when you have completely gone into some sort of "hyper rage mode"...
***** I'm not sure what you're getting at.
I never thought I understood Obama. I don't understand people without convictions on issues that are important.
This analysis was dead on and I understand all too well because this is my personality type to a T. I'm an ideas man. The world is much better in my head and I have lots of ideals of how this ought to be or can be. I feel smart and accomplished for merely having thought up a plan or rubric for how things should be or what to do. I think that I can reason with most people into seeing my point of view and want to win based on logical persuasion, not coercion or dictatorship. I am bad at following through on executing my plans and ideas. It's too big a blow to your ego to watch your perfectly crafted idea crash and burn. You can't risk your ideas failing, because what does that say about you? I take criticism poorly sometimes for this very reason. I want everyone to get along and hate irrational ad hominem, so I try to mediate but have a hard time outright telling people what needs to get done, even if it's what's best. I have ideals but always phrase them with wiggle room so as to appear reasonable to new evidence.
These are all realizations I've had about myself only with the last two years, and I just turned 28. Obama is much older than I but doesn't seem aware of it, and you can't change a problem you're unaware you have. I'm working on these things to improve myself. I don't want to be a bystander in the face of evil. The real world matters, I need to have less self-preservation for what's important and affects others.
Can we now agree that he should be stripped of his Nobel Peace Prize?
He won that because of his speeches and his preferences, not actions.
He is a puppet...
why even put energy in to making such a video...i won't watch it because its not worth my focus (judging by the title), but i will say this in response to everyone who doesn't know yet - "every president is a puppet for big puppeteers".
the people are also to blame for allowing their government to over-rule them against the original plan of the constitution. but really, i don't blame the people too much because they have been successfully brainwashed by what they read and watch and listen too. this is a spoon fed society and that is how we lost control of our government. our government belongs to some very wealthy and powerful individuals. this has all been predicted :)
bingo
It is absolutely the people's fault that America has the biggest unaccomplished liar and fraud who is sitting in the White House (when he's not playing golf, throwing extravagant parties, or taking extravagant vacations) pretending to be the president.
If people would stop listening to what the bias media tells them and start doing their own research, America wouldn't be on the road to destruction.
Please excuse my language but damn straight. Couldn't have said it better.
Well people are stupid, even Einstein said it.
yeh, turk, of course the conspiracy stuff is ridiculous, like all the real stuff you are talking about is much more real and what matters. we believe you more.
Talk is cheap
This was a great video
The most critically accurate look at Obama's time as president.
From a completely objective point of view; not being an American; the preference vs conviction ideology is spot on. When people look back at all the 'change' he did; it'll be mostly of indifference in the years to come. The change he brought was vast as the ocean, but only an inch deep. Idea's and dreams can only take a nation so far; strong action is needed to support those hopes. Not necessary radical change; but even small incremental changes need such action. I still fully support Obama and his 'preferences'; its just a shame that we wont see the change he hoped for during his time as president,
Good job obama he followed the teachings of bruce lee. Be like water my friend.
This is/was EXACTLY WHY, I did NOT want Hillary nor Obama as President! I wanted DENNIS KUCINICH! I SENSED this during their Primary, and the ONLY DIFFERENCE between Hillary & Obama was that he was NOT in the Senate to vote AGAINST the Iraq Invasion! That is the Word, Comelian!
"Hope...change...hope...change...hope...change" (Repeat as necessary.)
saying "I would prefer" is a really good way of avoiding backlash when he sells the american people out with what almost invariably follows.
And yet the media makes him look like he leads from the front. That is from an Australians perspective. If you just got here from another planet and saw the TV you would think that he was the most morally accurate person in the world. What a show!
My opinon on this?
It was a good in-depth study and analyzation of Obama's actions and what makes him tick. It was not from a biased perspective, at least in the sense that there was no left or right wing bias. A fair assessment all in all, and I think I learned something.
Well, it seems like Obama is your typical Democratic politician who's convincing in speeches, but overall, doesn't do much to change the country for the better. A good indication of this is that there have been quite a bit (but not too much) of anti-christ allegations, a few considerable calls for his impeachment...well, that's your average president and what he has to deal with for four or eight years.
How could the Commander in Chief not have the authority to close a military base?
Jim Mooney Only Congress can close military bases. It has to do with funding. Read the Constitution.
Hes the perfect politician...offering his allegiance to anyone in his relative proximity, and to hell with everybody else.
I like your show but "typical" attitudes towards a person of color. As a man of color history and current events show that racism is very very real. Whenever a colored man or woman tries to enter any institution of power they have to act and be 5 times better and still get no respect and always suspect. Can't do enough? If he had tried to change anything really, one of those millions of patriots would have touched him. MLK got touched what 1963, that was just yesterday That man represented his race like a champ in the face of institutional nationwide terrorist hatred of color and still popped that collar. That man was the first, if you cant appreciate or empathize with what he just faced and lived well then as i said "typical". If you gonna be new news then bring a new attitude as well. The entire globe is watching now
Isn't it a politician's job, in a democratic republic (I think I know what those words mean), to *represent* people? Is part of the job description also to *influence* people? So don't they have to "lead from behind"?
I suppose electing a so-called centrist to the Presidency would be beguiling; he could please both sides, not be ideologically anchored and as a result get more done. However politicians who take a stand often leave with history reflecting on their policies rather than themselves. Take Margaret Thatcher. Yes she was the first female PM, and yes she was known for her tough stances, but people knew where she stood; a staunch advocate of fiscal conservatism, taking on the unions, intervention in the Falklands. Like her or not, history will remember her policies, not just her politics.
Yes- Watch Michael Moores -11/9- -when Obama goes to Flint - and agreed that the water was OK and did not help the people of Flint who desperately wanted the Presidents help with the poisoned water situation -got on his plane and left!- It would have nice if AG Dana Nessel who was going after Palestinian protestors had kept her promised and prosecuted those responsible for the Flint water situation poisoning its citizens -esp. children. Thanks for this episode on Obama.
you would think of how informed the young Turks are they could see pass an illusion, yet they haven't realized that it's a one party system in which have a few different views on some issue to have people keep fighting upon one another and not focus on the real problem at hand. i'm so sick of these stupid labels left-wing, right-wing, democrat, republican, conservative, progressive, liberal, nationalist, etc.. we all essential want the same thing yet we will never overcome anything if we keep making hurdles though labeling ourselves.
+CagedSun Boy... you have it right.
It's so refreshing hearing someone that isn't nuts criticize Obama. For a while I fell into a trap of defaulting to defending him from all of the baseless criticisms from conservatives that I forgot about the legitimate ones. Good job on this one.
Nigerian people are going true their most difficult time. may God see us through , say amen if you love Nigeria.
I told people about him before he was elected the first time. He is a Leo. Yes, I know how crazy that sounds, but I wasn't wrong.
Racist!
Animator Pros Whiteboard Animation Video Uh, you know that was sarcasm, right?
I think you was looking for the word facetious.
I love the thumbnail with a window in Obama's forehead revealing empty space... This immediately tells me the content of this video will be perfectly accurate before even seeing the title.
So this far into his presidency you're just now waking up? When he was a senator and I first heard about him I did a little digging and within an hour discovered what he was and it was very clear that if he were elected he would be the country's worst nightmare. He has done, is doing and will continue to do whatever he wants without regard for the constitution or the rule of law. If I were you I'd be ashamed to admit to having been so gullible and stupid! I've lived through every presidency since Roosevelt and this one is far and away the worst - I'd say the worst ever in history. We will very likely experience war on our soil for the first time ever and I'm now afraid for my safety.
You are very stupid. George W was far worse.
I studied engineering, so I'm an IT engineer, but I have never been employed by a big engineering company like say Nokea or Siemens
However I have applied in many of such companies. Sometimes the phone calls are promising but once I show up in their offices, the tone changes...Many time I have received responses suggesting I'm too qualified and yet I was not given a job
There are other factors in life apart from personal abilities, that contribute to the success of any Leader.
All the things you describe here as "leading from behind" can also be viewed as "helping people emancipate themselves".
A fair assessment. Sad, but true... Good job, though, on covering this.
Suffering from Obama whiplash: cheering words of action, but then jeering deeds of lethargy. Well spoken. What is scary is 2016: Hilary or the alternative Republican candidate. Where is Jerry Brown when you need him?
Yvette Carnell and Antonio Moore have been saying this about Obama since at least 2010!
This criticism seems decidedly incomplete without discussing the UNPRECEDENTED obstructionism in Congress. I am absolutely unconvinced that Obama lacks conviction, only that he lacks any viable avenue to pursue those convictions. Honestly, the GOP has shown that they will stop him from accomplishing anything he wants, regardless of whether the policy is centrist, progressive, or conservative. Any expression of his deeply felt convictions only serves to embolden the GOP to scream "no" even louder.
This is excellent!!!!
Great Piece, I don't always agree with Cenks viewpoints but man he nailed it today...leading from behind....although some of the things Cenk claimed to not know were things that were in the news and were brought forth during the first election...I do not know how it is possible for Cenk to miss them....Lets me know that he used to be a thrill down the leg guy, just like Chris Mathews
Barrack Obama will be remembered as a very underwhelming president, but a fascinating historical figure. In addition to the usual supporters and detractors which are entirely normal in a healthy political system, He's always inspired a very curious mixture of deranged criticism among some, and worshipful trance among many others. The former is easy to understand in light of his skin color, very recent Kenyan ancestry, and time spent as a child in Indonesia.
The latter is a little more mysterious to me. His skin color and relatively international upbringing might have been a factor there as well. His political inexperience was certainly a component. The contemporary social, economic, and political context are also considerations. Regardless of the precise explanation, he inspired a lot of true believers with very little true substance and merit.
Many centrists thought he was a centrist, and their progressive counterparts were convinced he was a progressive. I even remember Christopher Hitchens, hardly an intellectual lightweight, musing that Barrack Obama might be an atheist. Of course not everyone was fooled, but very intelligent people all across the left of center spectrum managed to suspend reality and project their hopes and desires on him, convincing themselves that his values aligned with their own; that for once someone poised to run for president understood what's important.
Certainly a fascinating historical interlude in American politics, and also the kind we don't really need again.
And just let me point out that I went over what I wrote--which was supposed to be satirical--and in retrospect realized that nobody could reasonably recognize it as such, so I have to inelegantly clarify after the fact that I was trying to imitate Obama's style of delivering flowing and articulate prose without saying much of anything or making any true moral or intellectual commitments.
Bromwich hits hard, but offers too kind an assessment. Mr. Obama worked extremely hard to advance the privileges and prerogatives of those in power, both here and abroad.
is this speech what got cenk fired? or resigned.
I think I understand Obama for "being soft"… When you force things, they break. Sometimes it's better not precipitating everything and focus on more important things.
Tar him with?(2:54) Are you serious? How many caught that one?
Read your history.
whatever fucktard it was a joke. Its youtube for gods sake.
He’s caught in a monkey trap. 0bama is caught by his lust for big money to
love him… and for big money to approve of
him….
The monkey trap works because the monkey is focused on
obtaining food inside a jug he can’t get his hand out of when he holds the food
in his hand… and doesn’t understand that the price of trying to obtain that
particular morsel will be its own freedom, its own survival…
The way to avoid a monkey trap is not to take the bait.
Having taken the bait, the second strategy is to learn to quickly identify the
situation for what it is and get out of it.
0bama still holds fast to the bait.. still….
And the hunters are closing in…
America is a corporate polite state run by a series hand selected morally corrupt puppets of the elite who systematically ignore the issues that matter to people (roads, bridges, education, health costs, minimum wage, food/banking regulation, excess guns, police brutality, prison overpopulation, etc) whilst distracting attention towards those that don't (endless middle east wars and aggression against Russia). Land of the free? Hohoho!
So basically, he's Tom Neville (from Revolution)
I don't hate Obama, but I can't say I necessarily like him either. I think he is an apathetic man when it comes to taking action. Who knows what will become of Obamacare but it could be a legacy worth deriving. I know apathy well now and maybe understand Obama in that way. I think blaming our politicians is a little passe though, I think we should face the reality that we are slaves to banking clans, that Christianity and Islam want to drag us back to the dark ages and that our only real useful thing to come from humanity has been science, technology and medicine. We no longer have politics that help us grow, they only control us more or less strictly and siphon our wealth into the coffers of already too fat dragons. Religion poisons the whole condition of humanity and there are still people staving to death in areas where witches are still being burnt. We expect the government to save us when the only purpose they know anymore is get money just like our hip hop we love, the pirates we adore and the banksters puppeteering the whole twisted show that we can't stop. The sooner we come to terms with our reality the better of we will all be.
It doesn't explain ANYTHING worthwhile knowing.