Barack Obama made #1 on Forbes world's most powerful people

[mhallam85]

"How powerful is he? Let's count the ways: Presides over world's largest, most innovative, most dynamic economy; commander-in-chief of planet's richest, deadliest military; finger on button of nuclear arsenal containing more than 5,000 warheads; head-of-state of world's sole superpower; his Democrats have majorities in both U.S. House and Senate; recently awarded Nobel Peace Prize, apparently for general awesomeness."

The last line made me laugh "recently awarded Nobel Peace Prize, apparently for general awesomeness."

[shittygsxr]

and he is faster than a speeding bullet

[smashweights]

he's like superman, but, as the Italians put it "with a tan."

[Earache]

He's still a douche though....

[Gump]

Mega Douche..the only thing he's done i like is add land for national parks.

[chevysoldier]

He's still a douche though....

Agreed. It's a big party to them. Thats all it is, nothing more. He is such a fuckstick.

[jporter12]

Agreed. It's a big party to them. Thats all it is, nothing more. He is such a fuckTARD.

Fixed....

What has to done to REALLY help our failing economy? Spend more! Stimulus package! Cash for clunkers! Uh, no thanks....

[chevysoldier]

Fixed....

What has to done to REALLY help our failing economy? Spend more! Stimulus package! Cash for clunkers! Uh, no thanks....

I like fuckstick. Dickbag would be my second choice.

[jporter12]

I like fuckstick. Dickbag would be my second choice.

Yeah, you do tend to like the sounding insults...... Just sayin'....

Ok, back on topic...

[alab32]

I agree, he is all of the above mentioned names and more. I cant stand the man, and now with this Shaikh Mohammad guy being tried in NYC... GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

[Disclaimer]

Mega Douche..the only thing he's done i like is add land for national parks.

Think whatever your lil heart desires about him, but he's done WAY more than add land for national parks.

http://www.esquire.com/the-side/richardson-report/obama-timeline-110309

A blow-by-blow breakdown of the young president's first year reveals

that today's frustration stems not from a lack of policy so much as a

lack of common ground. The myth of the American center looms in this,

the second part of a week-long series on our country since the 2008

election.

I have figured out The Problem With America Today. My inspiration was the recent one-year-later cover of Newsweek,

which encapsulates the current conventional wisdom about President

Obama in a single headline: YES HE CAN (BUT HE SURE HASN'T YET). Or, as Saturday Night Live put it,

President Obama's two biggest accomplishments thus far are "Jack and

Squat." You can find other versions of this perspective from Matt Lauer and David Gregory on NBC, from thousands of obnoxious bloggers, even from the hapless governor of New York.

These days, the argument that Obama hasn't accomplished anything may be the only example of real bipartisanship in America.

Here's the conventional wisdom in a single paragraph: Three

hundred and sixty-four days after he was elected president, Obama is

still stuck in Iraq, hasn't closed Guantánamo, is getting deeper into

Afghanistan, hasn't accomplished health-care reform or slowed the rise

in unemployment. His promises of bipartisanship are a punch line (see

above). And there's still no peace between the Israelis and the

Palestinians. What a failure! What a splash of cold water in the face

of all our bold hopes!

But the conventional wisdom is insane. Consider the record:

A week before he was sworn in, Obama jammed part two of the bank bailout down the throat of his own party — a $350 billion accomplishment.

Two days after he was sworn in, Obama banned the use of "harsh interrogation" and ordered the closing of Guantánamo.

A day later, Obama reversed George W. Bush's funding cutoff to overseas family planning organizations — saving millions of lives with the stroke of a pen.

Three days after that, Obama gave a green light

to the California car-emissions standards that Bush had been blocking

for six years — an important step on the road to cleaner air and a

cooler planet.

Two weeks after that, Obama signed the stimulus bill — a $787 billion accomplishment.

Ten days after that, Obama formally announced America's withdrawal from Iraq.

A week later — we're in early March now — Obama erased Bush's decision to restrict federal funding for stem-cell research.

In April and June, Obama forced Chrysler and GM into bankruptcy.

In June, Obama reset

the tone of our relations with the entire Arab world with a single

speech — an accomplishment that the Bush administration failed to

achieve despite a series of desperate PR moves (anyone remember Charlotte Beers?) and a "public diplomacy" budget of $1 billion a year.

Also in June, Obama unveiled

the "Cash for Clunkers" program, a "socialist" giveaway that reanimated

the corpse of our car industry — leading, for example, to the

billion-dollar profit that Ford announced on Monday.

I haven't even mentioned Sonia Sotomayor, the Lilly Ledbetter

Fair Pay Act, the order to release the torture memos, Obama's push for

charter schools, his $288 billion tax cut, or the end of Bush's war on medical marijuana.

Or the minor fact that he seems to have — with Bush's help, it must be

said — stopped the financial collapse, revived the credit markets, and nudged the economy toward 3.5 percent growth in the last quarter.

Oh, and one more thing: President Obama is now a month or two

from accomplishing the awesome and seemingly impossible task that

eluded mighty presidents like FDR, LBJ, and WJC — health-care reform.

Obama's early returns also include a host of remarkably

cautious and prudent national-security decisions that seem, these days,

to have been completely forgotten: Appointing a conservative Bush holdover like Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense.

Appointing an establishment centrist like Leon Panetta at CIA.

Appointing a hard-ass like Stanley McChrystal to head up our military forces in Afghanistan, despite McChrystal's dubious involvement in torture and the cover-up of Pat Tillman's death.

Increasing the number of drone attacks on Al Qaeda — more in the last year than all the Bush years combined.

Reinstating, with tweaks, Bush's military tribunal system for Guantánamo

prisoners.

Fighting, in another unexpected defense of a controversial Bush

policy, lawsuits against the "warrantless wiretapping" program — as

recently as this weekend with a decision that a leading civil liberties group called "extremely disappointing."

Sending, way back in February, seventeen thousand more soldiers to Afghanistan. As Fareed Zakaira recently pointed out, this was just three thousand fewer soldiers than Bush sent to Iraq for his famous "surge."

Noticing a pattern yet? The first half of Obama's

accomplishments above is mostly liberal stuff. The bottom half is all

pretty dang conservative. Which brings us to The Problem With America

Today: Blame it on the Internet, on partisan politics, on the economic

crash, on the legacy of war or Fox News or Michael Moore, but our vital

center is getting stiff — and it is starting to stink. Liberals are upset because Obama didn't shut down Guantánamo

or stop the wiretapping program or end all wars or support gay marriage

and kill Don't Ask Don't Tell. Conservatives are pissed off because

they hate health-care reform, family planning, ending any war at all,

organic gardening at the White House, and government in general.

What's worse, both sides are so angry and righteous that they

can't even begin to give credit where it is due. When was the last time

you heard a conservative cheer about that $288 billion tax cut? Or

credit Obama for the centrism it took to appoint McChrystal, Panetta,

and Gates? And how many liberals choose to be understanding about the

practical difficulties of shutting down Guantánamo, achieving equal

rights for gays, or tapping Al Qaeda's phones?

And where, on either side, can you find a scrap of humility

about the staggeringly complex challenge of Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Or a scrap of gratitude at having escaped global financial doom?

So the question, a year since we elected him, isn't how much

Obama has accomplished. The question is why we've turned so small and

mean that we only see half of it — the half we happen to agree with.

[Benyen Soljax]

i think its valuable to keep in mind that there are many many countries out there that would die for a chance to have a democracy as effective as our own, no matter the leadership. its not his leader or my leader, its our leader, and this is our country that our government is providing services for.

[chevysoldier]

A week before he was sworn in, Obama jammed part two of the bank bailout down the throat of his own party — a $350 billion accomplishment.

How much of that money was used to make the banks operate better? Not much.

Two days after he was sworn in, Obama banned the use of "harsh interrogation" and ordered the closing of Guantánamo.

He used this as a way to get votes and had to do it after he took office. did you notice how many times he side stepped on what his plans were for Gitmo?

Three days after that, Obama gave a green light

to the California car-emissions standards that Bush had been blocking

for six years — an important step on the road to cleaner air and a

cooler planet.

Two weeks after that, Obama signed the stimulus bill — a $787 billion accomplishment.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but global warming is a myth. Look at graphs the the earths heating and cooling cycle, it happened well before man was driving cars. $787 billion being wasted is why fewer people are going to Cali and more are leaving the state.

Ten days after that, Obama formally announced America's withdrawal from Iraq.

He had plans already in his head for this without having all the information. Do you remember when he retracted his first statements on the withdraw and then said he would first consult the Generals on ground? Regardless of why we went in, to pull out before the job if finished would mean all those that died would be for nothing and the country would revert to they way it was before. If you don't think terrorism is a threat to your way of life, you are living in a fairy tale.

A week later — we're in early March now — Obama erased Bush's decision to restrict federal funding for stem-cell research.

Thats getting into religous reasons and since neither Obama or God have a birth certificate, I'm not going there.

In April and June, Obama forced Chrysler and GM into bankruptcy.

That's something to be proud of. If i private company can't make it, they fail and the next company steps in. Hopefully the second company learns and does better. Henry Ford knew this and succeeded.

In June, Obama reset

the tone of our relations with the entire Arab world with a single

speech — an accomplishment that the Bush administration failed to

achieve despite a series of desperate PR moves (anyone remember Charlotte Beers?) and a "public diplomacy" budget of $1 billion a year.

Yeah right. Clinton "talked" to all the other nations that hate us. You can see they still hate us. And we are not the nation with the most muslims.

"the US has an estimated three to eight million Muslims, less than one per cent of the world’s total and less than at least 23 other countries."

Also in June, Obama unveiled

the "Cash for Clunkers" program, a "socialist" giveaway that reanimated

the corpse of our car industry — leading, for example, to the

billion-dollar profit that Ford announced on Monday.

So we get people with no money and a paid off car to buy a new car, with payments because they have no money to buy it outright and become more in debt. Make sense?

Oh, and one more thing: President Obama is now a month or two

from accomplishing the awesome and seemingly impossible task that

eluded mighty presidents like FDR, LBJ, and WJC — health-care reform.

This is the health care reform that is so good, that he and his cohorts are going to use to.

Reinstating, with tweaks, Bush's military tribunal system for Guantánamo

prisoners.

After he got heat when he said he would get rid of it.

Sending, way back in February, seventeen thousand more soldiers to Afghanistan. As Fareed Zakaira recently pointed out, this was just three thousand fewer soldiers than Bush sent to Iraq for his famous "surge."

Again, he ran is campaign on all these things like pulling our troops out in xx months, then kept changing that time frame as he actually got more and more information. The people with family over there want them to come home, so he played on this.

[dustinsn3485]

Sounds like the last couple posts have summed up what I was going to say about JRMiiii's post...

Of all those things, the only one that I halfway think is a good thing is Stem cell research and even that really doesn't mean much imo.

The tax cut, a liberal redistribution of wealth...woot...i'm not on board.

Obama hasn't done anything to be proud of. I gave him a chance since he is our President, but he's lost my support and respect. Douche fits him well.

[jporter12]

I'm trying not to decide what I think of him until he's had at least a year in office, but he's making that difficult, seeing the lack of GOOD change.....

[fusion]

I'm willing to give him a few years to see how he pans out. It takes along time to affect any real change any country none the less one like ours. No president is going to make everyone happy and the country will almost assuredly always be split into 'two camps'. I'll wait and see how he averages out at the end of this term.

[Disclaimer]

A week before he was sworn in, Obama jammed part two of the bank bailout down the throat of his own party — a $350 billion accomplishment.

How much of that money was used to make the banks operate better? Not much.

Two days after he was sworn in, Obama banned the use of "harsh interrogation" and ordered the closing of Guantánamo.

He used this as a way to get votes and had to do it after he took office. did you notice how many times he side stepped on what his plans were for Gitmo?

Three days after that, Obama gave a green light

to the California car-emissions standards that Bush had been blocking

for six years — an important step on the road to cleaner air and a

cooler planet.

Two weeks after that, Obama signed the stimulus bill — a $787 billion accomplishment.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but global warming is a myth. Look at graphs the the earths heating and cooling cycle, it happened well before man was driving cars. $787 billion being wasted is why fewer people are going to Cali and more are leaving the state.

Ten days after that, Obama formally announced America's withdrawal from Iraq.

He had plans already in his head for this without having all the information. Do you remember when he retracted his first statements on the withdraw and then said he would first consult the Generals on ground? Regardless of why we went in, to pull out before the job if finished would mean all those that died would be for nothing and the country would revert to they way it was before. If you don't think terrorism is a threat to your way of life, you are living in a fairy tale.

A week later — we're in early March now — Obama erased Bush's decision to restrict federal funding for stem-cell research.

Thats getting into religous reasons and since neither Obama or God have a birth certificate, I'm not going there....

And there's where I stopped reading your post....

[jporter12]

And there's where I stopped reading your post....

Closing the mind is no good!

[kawi kid]

he has more mad money that the bill gates!!! the stimulus is like the worlds largest slush fund!!!

[chevysoldier]

And there's where I stopped reading your post....

And this is why you are and will remain ill informed. I read all of your post since you took the time to post it. It's okay, you know how it is so therefore don't need to hear any information that goes against what you think you already know.

[shittygsxr]

Two weeks after that, Obama signed the stimulus bill — a $787 billion accomplishment.

so when I bought my buell was that a $5600 accomplishment?

[kawi kid]

apparently. you are 3 on the list....... second loser.

[shittygsxr]

apparently. you are 3 on the list....... second loser.

what list?

[kawi kid]

what list?

forbes..... and apparently was in the running for the nobel also........... with all the work you have been doing to reach out to jcroz

[Kosmo]

debate like a man not a moron......the worlds best economy and superpower......why can't you educate people then ????

and you guys need brown skin third world country guys like me, many of them grew up in poverty, may be a hut.......to teach and treat your kids in college and hospitals ????? Yes these guys pay 35% tax and not illegal immigrants....