11.04.2011 08:24 AM

November 4, 2008

Three years ago today – what a day that was.  We had a big, big party at Daisy that night.  “The arc of history,” bent towards a better day.

47 Comments

  1. Dan says:

    I was in New Hampshire for this. After a long long long time electioneering down there it was all worth it for that moment.

    Thanks for bringing up fond memories!

  2. Harith says:

    Yeah look how that turned out.

  3. Harith says:

    Haha you think Obama is far-left.

    • Domenico says:

      Far Left? Obama is a moderate Republican by any definition. And as for worst in 111 years, please, that has to be Taft…

      • Sarah says:

        The “honour” of being titled most over-promising and under-delivering presidential candidate surely must go to President Obama.

        Congratualtions to all those who ushered him in.

    • Ted H says:

      That’s right, people who supported him are disapointed that he hasn’t been Progressive enough to actually do some good for the American people. When he had majorities in both the House and Senate before 2010 he had a chance.

      One of the worst presidents was good old Dubya, his wars and his tax cuts are the root of most of America’s financial problems right now.

      Given the fact that Obama has supported Wall Street with bailouts and largely continued Bush’s policies with regard to the laughable “war on terror” and dithered away a chance for some real improvement on healthcare, he can hardly be called far left. If he is far left the Barry Goldwater was centrist.

      • Tim Sullivan says:

        Dubya was the only socialist president I know of. What more of a socialist policy is it to have the government purchase banks, insurance companies and auto makers? I was talking with a Dipper one election night a few years back, just after Dubya bought one of the banks. I asked if she was upset that the US Republican president stole one of the NDP’s oldest and dearest policies … to nationalize a bank.

        Yeah, the Republican president nationalized a bank. That’s socialism! That was Dubya.

    • Matt says:

      You know, I’m sure Mr. Tulk and those that share his views have their reasons, but really. Come on. He may not be the best president ever (although I tend to think he may be), but the worst? Come on.

      As for a mistake the won’t make again for a very long time, I wouldn’t be on it. I have a feeling that come November 2012, Obama won’t be calling a moving company.

  4. Paul says:

    I wonder what Peggy Joseph is up to now…

    “I won’t have to worry about puttin’ gas in my car, I won’t have to worry about payin’ my mortgage!” (Take me, Obama!)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg98BvqUvCc

  5. Paul says:

    Even the “Reformatories” as Warren likes to call them are far to the “left” of Mr. Obama.

  6. steve says:

    The Obama presidency has proven there is no democracy in the USA, some doodling on the margins, but on the big tickets items, no difference.

    • Derek Pearce says:

      Part of the problem is that when the opposite party controls Congress, deadlock– in this case, vicious spiteful deadlock– ensues. As much as I’m not remotely a Harper fan, I’m glad that our Westminster system means that the Executive has a more powerful grip on the legislative process.

      • Pete says:

        Gord, you might want to fast forward and realize that none of Harper’s current lunatic legislation would ever pass under the same circumstances.

      • Derek Pearce says:

        Must come back to this. If you think Obama has shown zero interest in reaching across the aisle (rather than trying and trying to only to be rebuffed by fanatics who would rather destroy the economy than agree with him), then you’ve actually been vacationing on Mars the past few years, yes?

  7. Dan says:

    Obama wouldn’t even dare propose single-payer health care.

    Harper wouldn’t even dare propose getting rid of single payer health care.

    Who’s far left?

  8. frmr disgruntled Con now happy Lib says:

    The rot in the US economy was years in the making. President Obama inherited a mess created by Bush, Clinton, Bush Sr and others who allowed the steady deregulation of Wall street banks, investment firms, and rating agencies….

    Hell most likely get punted, the economy will begin to recover,(as it probably would have) and the Republican president will receive the credit, ala Ronald Reagan…….

    If circumstances were different, I suspect he would be judged a very good president indeed…

    At least the man has a command of the English language, unlike his predecessor, Bush…….

    • Bruce from Etobicoke says:

      My favourite sign from the March for Sanity was the one that had a picture of George W. with the caption “I f*cked you all, but thanks for blaming the black guy” That one says it all for me.

      There are actually Conservatives in the US blaming President Obama for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars now. A stunning bit of misdirection if you ask me. And yet it seems to resonate with the citizens that just can’t get over the fact the President is half black.

      Odd place the USA. An odd place.

  9. JStanton says:

    … sorry gord, you lost all credibility on this issue, and by implication on all others, by your assertion that Mr. Obama won the election “because he is black”.

    It shows not only a poor grasp of the facts, but also, on the whole, of politics, society and psychology.

    I think the more accurate assertion is regarding Mr. Harper – Worst prime minister of the last 144 years. A mistake – voting for a far-right pm – that Canadians won’t make again for a very long time.

    .

    • Philip says:

      Exactly. I’m just happy Mr. Tulk has stopped automatically inserting the word “black” in front of “President”, whenever he referred to President Obama. Small steps, but we take what we can get.

  10. Ted H says:

    “The two-party system is a marvelous ruling class device. You offer the people a candidate who violates their interests and who is dedicated to the preservation of plutocracy, then you present them with another candidate who promises to be even worse.” ” The two-party system performs the function of legitimizing the existing social order. It channels and limits political expression, exhausts political energies, and blunts class grievances”.

    Michael Parenti, “Democracy for the Few”

  11. Jamie Labonte says:

    Listen to you chumps talking about who is more “far left” than the other. Obama did not have the ABILITY in the American climate to even propose single payer health care. Harper does not have the ABILITY in OUR climate to propose removing single payer health care. It has nothing to do with either. If given half a chance, Obama would have given them single payer but the fact is America is too dumb to want it.

    Harper would in a New York Second remove single payer in favor of privatized healthcare if Canadians were DUMB ENOUGH to let him.

    You people calling someone left or right based on the result rather than the effort. How off base you are.

  12. Ted H says:

    Ronald Reagan:
    Gave Amnesty to Illegal Immigrants
    Negotiated with Terrorists (Traded Arms for Hostages with Iran)
    Raised Taxes on a Large Scale Four Times (After Initially Lowering Them)
    Negotiated with the “Evil Empire” without Pre-conditions
    Made a Decision to “Cut and Run” From Lebanon After US Troops Were Attacked

    Barack Obama:
    Escalated the Afghanistan War (Added 30,000 More Troops)
    Ordered Drone Strikes (Assassinations) on US Citizens Outside the Country
    Gave Drug Companies Near Monopoly Power by Barring Imports, Extending Patents and Not Allowing the Government to Negotiate Better Prices
    Funneled Billions into the Biggest Banks in the Country After They Crashed the Economy
    Stacked Deficit Commission with Fiscal Conservatives
    Lowered Taxes Significantly (Stimulus Bill)
    Ordered Increased Offshore Drilling Before BP Spill

    Which one of these Presidents is “Far-Left”

    • Ted H says:

      To give credit where it is due, I found this info because of Nadine Lumley’s post above.V

    • Pete says:

      Reagan compromised our safety and security with his “compromises”. He was a good president for the most part but current wall street greed and theft is part of his legacy

  13. Derek Pearce says:

    Just when I’m willing to concede you may have a valid conservative point or two to make and thus aren’t rabid/crazy Gord, you come out with hilarious sh*t like this. For one thing, hands down, George W. is the undisputable worst Prez since Reconstruction, for another, Obama is about as far-left as I can outstretch my non-right hand.

  14. Brad says:

    Gord, I wish I had you political insight, you are obviously a very smart man.

  15. Dave Wells says:

    Grievance sustains you, doesn’t it?

  16. TheSilentObserver says:

    Oh Lordy. Three years ago, I was slavishly devoted to that man like I never have been to any public figure ever, I seriously thought he was going to be the next FDR and completely restructure the way the U.S. sees itself and its place in the world. I feel sorry for doing so now, It’s probably my first regretted teenage action. That being said, he is easily the lesser of about nine evils in the U.S. race at the present time. I would ask Americans to vote for four more years of mediocracy and halfheartedness in 2012, the alternative is essentially to transform into the Republic of Gilead.

  17. Michael S says:

    On Barack Obama:

    Oh, the joy of being merely disappointed in place of having one’s worst fears confirmed!

  18. Jamie says:

    What the “arc of history” would later bend under – during the tenure of President Obama – was the crush of increased financial hardship.

    • The Doctor says:

      I can understand why a lot of posters here are expressing negative sentiments, given the awful situation the US is in right now and the high expectations among many when Obama was elected. I don’t mean to downplay any of that, believe me.

      But we shouldn’t lose sight of one important thing — how truly inspiring and historic it was three years ago that the US elected its first black President. The economic sh*tstorm that happened shortly after that and the continuing economic misery have, I think, made many of us forget about, or downplay, that accomplishment. And consider this — it’s even possible (though I agree not likely) that we could have a 2012 US presidential election with TWO black candidates representing the main parties, i.e., Obama and Herman Cain. Whatever you might think of Cain, that is still an incredible achievement for racial progress in the United States. It would have been almost unthinkable a few years ago.

      The racial aspect was a huge part of the euphoria when Obama was elected, and I think it’s a sign of Obama’s trail-blazing accomplishment that race seems to be far less of an issue for Cain’s campaign — and he’s running for the nomination of the party that, following Johnson’s passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, has pretty much been party of choice for racists in the US. That does represent positive change, however paradoxical.

  19. Philippe says:

    Obama wins historic election promising to do things differently (bi-partisanship), Obama’s continuously exerts natural conciliatory tendencies towards Republicans to “make it work”, Republicans decide that any Obama policy success’ will make his presidency stronger, Republicans become “party of no” blocking every single Obama initiative (even policies they supported in the past), Obama finally realises he doesn’t have a dance partner so he reconnects with his Liberal base & gives up on pleasing Republicans (happening now) – Obama gets re-elected in 2012 effectively communicating the malaise of a “do nothing Republican congress” and the “party of no” – Republicans realize they overplayed their hand.

    As much as Americans are disappointed in all politicians right now, survey after survey shows that they rightly place the blame for inaction on on the Republican dominated Congress. The democrats are smart, and extremely well-funded – they will hammer this theme home over and over during the campaign. It’s game over for the Republican yahoos – their gradual movement towards extremism will be their downfall.

    • Ted H says:

      An astute and positive analysis and I certainly hope that you are correct.

      • TheSilentObserver says:

        Seconded. However, I still consider the Dems to be a centrist/centre-right party though, and am skeptical that they could do great things even if the tea party crumbled and other racial/religious extremists were sent running back into the cave that’s been spewing out since the Reagen era.

    • Philippe says:

      No Gord, it’s politics. And that’s what Americans are sick of.

    • Philip says:

      Interesting points, Philippe, I hope your prediction will come to pass. This current version of the Republican Party doesn’t seem to want to leave the Land of Crazy any time soon. Certainly not soon enough to connect with a majority of American voters in 2012. The pointless obstructionism in Congress just makes the Republicans look petty and mean, which come to think of it isn’t far from the truth.

  20. Pete says:

    My wife and I were in NYC that night and ended up at Rockfeller Plaza watching a giant screen at NBC HQ as just about the only caucasions in the crowd. It was a magical evening for the blacks who stood there in stunned amazement and happiness watching the vote unfold. They then became delirious and essentially humbled by the Victory of Obama. A night never to be forgotten

  21. it'sfraud,stupid says:

    Everyone knows that both political parties in the US are corrupt to the core. Can we just be serious for a second? Congress and the Senate are 95% bought off. Barry was chosen and groomed by the likes of JPMorganChase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley ect. to do their bidding. All of the policies that progressives considered so extreme under Bush have been doubled-down on by the Obama administration, and it’s had the troubling consequence of rendering both parties immune to the rule of law and the constitution . Meanwhile, the banks have been given immunity for the largest fraud-scheme in the history of the world in the sub-prime mortgage sector, and as a result were bailed out to the tune of trillions of dollars. Gord, you are regurgitating an irritatingly common false-hood that all of the bailout money has been paid back, don’t get your information from CNN’s Erin Bernett; tarp was only one of several bailout programs that have NOT been paid back. Bernie Sanders, the Senator from Vermont, recently completely an audit of the fed, and found that the final bailout tally is actually 14 trillion dollars.

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