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Lady Luck may be smiling once again upon President Obama. The unemployment rate is coming down from post-WWII highs, the Grand Old Party is having a grand old time demolishing itself, and the chances are rising for an Obama second term -- this week his favorability ratings went into positive territory for the first time in months. His chances of re-election are running at 60 percent on Intrade, the betting market.
But what do we really want him to do? Is our only wish that Obama be better than whichever right-wing Neanderthal he runs against? Or do we have a compelling vision for America we’d like him to enact? If so, what is it?
To get this debate going, here's a modest list I believe would have resonance with the vast majority of Americans, assuming the president really gets behind them.
9 Kick-Ass Things Obama Should Do In a Second Term | Election 2012 | AlterNet
Article Source: AlterNet.org
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- Public Discussion (13)
But the problem is not just Obama's. It really starts with the rest of us who fear we will hurt the Democrats if we push too hard for major reforms. We want President Obama to be the next FDR, but we don't know how to build the kind of mass movement that made FDR possible.
Why don't we get behind President Obama, and allow Obama to be Obama instead of trying to emulate FDR which is virtually impossible, because of the times and the constraints facing the country presently. I would suggest we give the president a steady supply of Emory Cloth, and let him get rid of the rough edges, in so doing he'll make hay in his own right, albeit reaching the heights of FDR is not could never be a bad thing.
- 3 votes
#1 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:44 AM ESTWhoa!
I am all for Obama getting elected a second time.
But some of the proposals of this article are a little bit too extreme and I would prefer it if all of the extremists were right-wing. Um, no, there really isn't anything "modest" about that list.
I would be happy with a centrist government.
#2 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:19 AM ESTBut some of the proposals of this article are a little bit too extreme
Susan........Some are a bit over the top, and too expensive. First and foremost the country has to get healthy again.
easyjjgrand
Very interesting article
A few comments on the priorities presented in the article
1. Free higher education at all public institutions of higher education.
I would support his in return for two years of service (either in the military or in a public service corps) that citizens would be eligible for a four year college education at government expense. The cost savings in accomplishing the business and projects of government with this public service corps would offset the costs of a four year public education for those who choose this path
2. Add a million teachers (and teachers' aides) to the public school system.
Until we reform the entire education systems and define the involvement roles of the federal, state and local governments and the unions, this is premature. We need to add quality teachers to the process and remove the dead weight. We need to set high national standards for the schools, block grant money to the states for education and allow the execution of the education of our children to be controlled and execute locally. And through other initiatives and education we need to re-engage our parents in the education process, because in the end the education and welfare of children is truly the parents’ responsibility.
3. Medicare for all.
While reform of the health insurance process is important, reform of the medical services and medical equipment industries is paramount in order to get cost under control. Shifting control and responsibility of payments to the government does nothing to lower costs or increase quality of health care, which is the first priority IMO.
4. Manhattan Project for renewable energy.
A measured shift to renewable energy in an affordable and attractive package for the American people is clearly desirable, but it will take time and while important this transition must not be rushed as it must be accomplished in a way that will make it sustainable.
5. Financial transaction tax.
An idea worth exploring, but the $150 Billion annually that the article mentions is a rounding error in the problems we face. This can be accomplished as part of real tax code reform that eliminates all deductions, credits and loopholes and sets rtes from the lowest earners to the highest earners that will vastly increase revenue, perhaps without changing rates at all, with the exception of establishing a couple of more rates for the lower incomes and a couple of new rates for the higher income levels.
6. Break up the big banks.
Instead of breaking up, perhaps more realistic liquidity regulations are needed, which would require the banks to maintain more cash and real assets to back the business that they are involved on.
7. Fifty-percent income tax on all income over $5 million a year (with no loopholes).
As I said above real tax code reform with realistic tax rates for all income levels and no deductions, credits or loopholes for any income level. A broader, fairer tax base that would greatly increase revenue
8. Get behind a constitutional amendment to end the buying of elections.
Donations to political campaigns or candidates limited to registered voters only and capped at $500 per year. Only candidates are allowed to purchase media time or space for political advertising
9. Legalize pot/empty the prisons.
I think a review of legislation is merited, but whether simply legalizing marijuana is the answer or not is not something I see as a priority for 2012 and 2013.
Thanks for a good though provoking article
#3 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:33 AM ESTRobert.....You made some good points in your post, you may want to present them to Obama at his website......BTW This is not said in jest.
barackobama.com
easyjjgrand
Thanks for that I shared with my Senators and Representative
I think they probably get tired of getting emails form me
I think they probably get tired of getting emails form me
Robert......Is that not a part of their job?
- 1 vote
easyjjgrand
Of course, but I tend to be involved in a lot of their meetings locally and send them emails in response to the fluff pieces they put in local papers so I am sure that my name is not even popular with the staffers.
Sometimes I get responses, but yeah letting them know what I think is my responsibility as a citizen and listening (and hopefully acting on) to it is certainly part of their jobs.
#1, might be a little extreme. The rest aren't. Some of them harken back to the past, and not just the New Deal past.
In any case, unless this is a list of proposed opening gambits, it's a pointless article. He's not going to do any of those things.
- 1 vote
#4 - Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:39 AM ESTPlants.....How's it going.
I would think he may give some consideration to #1 with certain modifications, because he is big on education.
We've yet to see just how big he is on education, but given his support of for-profit charters schools, its hard to imagine him being for free college for everyone.
The top marginal tax rate was at least 50% well into the Eighties, and that wasn't considered radical. Reagan brought it down to that rate. The same goes for the kind of antitrust laws that would break up the big banks. Wiki tells me that the U.S. had a financial transaction tax from 1914 until 1966.
In other words, there are several things on that list that were or probably would have been considered centrist by both Democrats and Republicans before the Eighties.
but given his support of for-profit charters schools, its hard to imagine him being for free college for everyone.
I think this is where we have to be practical in that the tab would be quite significant.
10) Executive order to have Tea-publicans enrolled into a reality course.
- 1 vote
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