Where the hell is Obama????

If Biden wants Obama's help I'm sure Obama would be happy to oblige. The correct thing for former presidents to do is to BUTT OUT unless otherwise asked

I think he’s in fear for his life and the safety of his family from the MAGA set when they get riled up by Trump.

What good would that do, he's not going to change anyone's mind, he's not some Father Of The Nation figure. He might actually alienate some independents who are currently running cold on Trump.

And no, you can't postpone the inauguration in the American system, those dates are fixed. Especially when you're dealing with only some vague claims of Russian interference and zero proof that the voting machines were tampered with from abroad.

Obama is a very passive person, OP.

I asked that after Lahaina.

OP reaping the financial rewards of being an ex-President and hanging out with celebrities

Obama is probably fucking hot boys in Bahia, that's where.

Until recently, trying to block the inauguration of your successor was frowned upon.

Rimming Will

He wasn’t at Rosalynn Carter’s funeral

Btw, Bill Clinton was at the funeral and he and Jimmy Carter do not get along.

Why do the democrats sit around like punching bags? The answer because they can and they will.

What the hell could Obama do? He's no longer an elected official. His presence could undermine Biden. The best things to do are to let the Republicans destroy each other through in-fighting, improve Democrats’ messaging, and stop pushing issues that alienate the average American (e.g., trans issues).

Obama has no obligation to the American people. He did his job, now he is retired. Leave the man in peace.

Running the Democrats ground game for 2024. What the hell else would he be doing.

Similar to George W. Bush, Obama has largely disappeared from visible politics. The fact of the matter is he was an unpopular president among republicans and democrats. Furthermore, it's very difficult for a former president of any party to exert a great deal of influence on policy. No recent president comes to mind other than Clinton that exerted so much influence on a political party.

R16, Obama was not unpopular among Democrats.

Biden has been a better president than Obama.

Also, Obama knew before the election about the Russian interference.

Every now and then I get fundraising e mails from Obama. But I think he doesn't want to be seen as Joe's "co-President." The only Dem speaking out is Hillary. She is doing her thing and I LOVE her.

I think he thinks he can't stick his neck out too much and why should he.

why not R20? He'll never be able to run the Presidency again and isn't seeking any other office I'm aware of. Why not speak out? Speak truth to power. What has he got to lose?

Former Presidents are not supposed to get involved - they're supposed to just go quiet.

Bill Clinton hasn't inserted himself into politics - although is wife was fully allowed.

Thankfully Bush Jr. isn't involved either.

from The Ex-President's Handbook:

[Quote] Former Presidents are not supposed to get involved - they're supposed to just go quiet.

R22-not involved in what exactly?

OP, Obama isn’t POTUS.

Thank you R21–. He has nothing to lose. Now that the rethugs have broken every law …. We should be worried that an ex president should not be allowed to speak his mind ????

This is why the Dems have reputations as wimps. Obama was NOT such a hated president !!! What the fuck ! Why are yall parading around the village square worried about NICETIES, holding your parasols … while the future of the democracy is at stake ????

I’m certain Obama could reach young voters, some voters , ANY voters ….. why can’t he fucking try?????

The OP is quite deranged. Let's just leave it at that.

You're asking too much OP. He was the best we could get at the time and way better than we deserved.

Former Presidents are supposed to disappear and remain quiet. Obama is doing an excellent job so far.

I think Obama has been doing stuff with younger voters and young people in general, and the Obamas have been working very hard to launch their own Presidential Library and Presidential center what ever it is. Bill Clinton is very active with the Clinton Global Initiative. But if you are expecting or hoping they will get politically active forget it. That is not how they roll. Michelle enjoys being a celebrity on her own terms with these self help books. I get it. She never wants to run for office and didn't like politics. But she is certainly enjoying the benefits. Personally I think President Obama is still trying to find his footing as an Ex President. He issued a statement about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict a while ago, and he is probably in touch with the Biden WH through intermediaries, Where I fault the Obamas is with the political organizing the often goes below the radar. He didn't do much at all while he was POTUS to build infrastructure for the party at the grassroots level. I did read that he and Eric Holder were helping out with the legal fight against voter suppression, but that seemed to fade. Now that is something we really need right now.If he does nothing else he ought to get involved with that.

If he had marched in and said to Mitch McConnell: "Now look, motherfucker..." LBJ would have. But Barack is a nice man.

The inauguration is written into the Constitution and Obama could not have had it changed. And imagine the shit show if he had tried.

[quote] The fact of the matter is he was an unpopular president among republicans and democrats.

This is not a fact. It’s complete bullshit.

Well, he spent a lot of time during his presidency watching TV, playing basketball with Reggie, and of course, going on Michelle’s extravagant vacations, so he’s likely doing the same.

I'm afraid Obama was too nice. He was a don't rock the boat guy. He doesn't have a single thread of LBJ's DNA in him. He hired some good people who pulled us back from the edge of the cliff when our economy was in free fall in 2008-2009. He gave us the Affordable Care Act, He killed Osama Bin Laden, and he rebuilt or relationships with our allies, that Cheney had shit all over. When he left office we had a strong economy, and stronger relationships. We can rightly point out that he was crippled by Congress and managed to accomplish a lot anyway, but once he lost Congress (2010 the House, 2012 the Senate.) he was pretty limited. And honestly, his own people fucked him up because they were too busy patting themselves on the back about the "First Black President" and totally misread the mood of the country in 2009-2010. So losing the House is something they helped make happen. They didn't start campaigning on the economy until late September of 2010. By then the GOP damage had been done. A lot of the lies and distortions we have become familiar with were ignored during the 2010 midterms, because Obama's advisors, primarily Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel, couldn't believe people would fall for them.

R33, please fuck off. LieSocial is perfect for liars like yourself.

[Quote] Former Presidents are supposed to disappear and remain quiet. Obama is doing an excellent job so far.

Has he kept quiet and disappeared? R28

talking politics with Bruce Springstein

The Obamas formed a production company in 2018

He allowed the Republicans to piss all over him when he was President. Why would he be expected to do anything differently now?

What would his speaking out do? The people who don’t grasp the situation in this country would never listen to Obama.

Obama is Executive Producer of a marionette show. He's pulling the strings of the star, Joe Biden.

He was the one he was waiting for.

Michelle is out here every time she writes a book, doing Q & A promotional tours with Gayle King for which people pay money to sit and watch her talk about stuff you already heard her talk about. I know because I took my mother to one. She insisted.

Well, according to the magats he's still in office and Biden is his puppet.

[quote]Well, he spent a lot of time during his presidency watching TV, playing basketball with Reggie, and of course, going on Michelle’s extravagant vacations, so he’s likely doing the same.

So? They are allowed down time too and presidents are still kept up to date on things even while relaxing. Did you miss Fat Toddler's golfing every fucking day and he didn't even want to hear Intel reports.

The trolls are so obvious these days. At least they used to try and blend in.

Transitioning.

It's all the rage. Katelyn Jenner is advising.

At a Mosque

Why would he be at a mosque R48? They're nominally Christian.

I suspect the DNC will bring him and their ultimate weapon (Michelle) out closer to the election.

I drank the Koolaid along with everyone else but now see him as an ineffectual president with a self-aggrandizing wife who only care about shoveling away millions and his stupid library/ community center that Chicago residents do not want. All the hatred that Republicans spewed at them immunized them from fair criticism from Democrats.

Yeah anytime you try to critique his presidency his supporters just blame it all on the GOP when in fact Obama just wasn't the fighter that was needed. It was well known that instead of getting out there and schmoozing and winning over lawmakers he would basically lock himself away in the White House and leave it to others.

I agree on both fronts. Past Presidents don't usually get involved unless asked. If Biden asked, maybe he would get involved? I do think he should be a more visible pressence during the election and as we get closer to the election. So not thrilled with Biden I have to admit. But the alternative is even worse and I think most Americans feel like we have no choice. The polls have decided. Its battle of the old folks once again! Ridiculous with so many brilliant people we have in this country.

Obama speaks out to an appropriate amount. It would not do the Democrats any good to place him front and center too much since he is a lightning rod for rallying MAGAts.

I always wondered why he didn’t step up for Hillary. Maybe Bill had something to do with that. It was rumored that he didn’t like Obama.

"And honestly, his own people fucked him up because they were too busy patting themselves on the back about the "First Black President" and totally misread the mood of the country in 2009-2010." -

This. The Democrats thought The country had turned a corner for good. And Obamas win came when the GOP was utterly defeated. But Obama had to be all nice-nice and "hands across the aisle" and all that shit. Obama should have kicked them in their balls when he could have. He laughed with the "Tea Party" was formed. Nobody realized GOP slime did not evaporate - it just went underground to fester and strengthen for a few years.

Obama did not step up for Hillary because he did not want her to potentially overshadow his accomplishments. Ultimately Obama cares about Obama,

Most politicians are virulently self serving. Barack is no exception.

Hillary should have been the nominee in 2008. Obama was far too inexperienced. Hillary's time had passed by 2016.

I disagree, 2016 was the perfect time for Hillary to be President, but Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein, Putin, and Hillary Derangement Syndrome took care of that.

What we lost can never be replaced.

R50 I get that, but IMO it's a flawed strategy. Because the more they stay out of the political conversation or at least not seen to be doing some purposeful work, the less impact they have. He left the WH in January, 2017. That's 7 years in 2024. and they just haven't been very engaged. Bill Clinton is active in the CGI, and travels doing good things, makes speeches, does interviews, etc. Hillary is out here in the arena. Laura Bush has been involved in some purposeful activity regarding International initiatives to educate young girls. Her work in the Middle East is important. Up until about 4 years ago, Rosalynn Carter was picking up a hammer to build houses. Michelle hangs out with Gayle King.

He's retired. Eight years of that job deserves a nice rest.

I think his life and his family's are in danger because he took out Osama Bin Laden. Those Muslim fundamentalists will wait as long as it takes to go after someone.

Maybe Barry got the Choom Gang back together.

R30 made me think it Would be nice to have an LBJ type barge in on Repugs…. But then I realized that’s why they like Trump. They think he wields that kind of power.

There is a lot of hacking and threats online at the moment

Some of you must remember when Trump virtually instigated some MAGA with a gun taking a potshot at Hillary. During their “closely contested” election race.

And Hillary could never win. I’m sorry but men hate her.

[quote]And Hillary could never win. I’m sorry but men hate her.

The people I knew who hated her the most were older women.

Were they the wives of the men who hated her? Because, of course.

R70 believe it or not women often have likes and dislikes that differ from their spouse.

BTW women represent the majority of registered voters.

If you DLers , who I thought were for the most part liberal, want to turn away from reality , there is no fucking hope .

Trump wants to terminate the Constitution, execute his so called enemies and promote fascism. He has said so. And you say I’m deranged.

Trump has carefully put in place judges and other officials to carry out his plans once he is elected.

Being President is not like being. CEO of a large corporation. Obama’s choice to not speak out to the extent he can is selfish and cowardly. He’ll probably say a few words in October 2024 — late to the game as he was with endorsing Hilary

Insane political theatre has been normalized . Even you so called liberals have been anesthetized. We gay folks think we are discriminated against now ? Just you wait, Henry Higgins just you wait

Trump has promised to terminate the constitution , execute and imprison political enemies, and make his presidential powers even more expansive .

What about that do you all supposed liberals do not get? The rethugs have been methodically placing judicial officers and others in positions of power to carry this out when he is elected.

Judging by your responses, and calling me deranged , he will be re-elected . See you on the bus.

The insanity of politics has been normalized. Obama may say something in October 2024 — too little too late, as he was with Hillary’s endorsement.

I thought he had more of a conscience. I guess I’m wrong. Being a “retired” president should be different than being a retired CEO.

I’m older and remember how it used to be when politicians at least pretended to be civilized .

Are we really going to act like the President is not a ceremonial position? The real power is above or actually beyond the President.

And I bet that if Obama had spoken out about anything, people would find fault with him. Damned if he does…you know the rest…

"Trump wants to terminate the Constitution, execute his so called enemies and promote fascism. He has said so. And you say I’m deranged.

Trump has carefully put in place judges and other officials to carry out his plans once he is elected."

That's funny, actually. This is why we have checks and balances. He could not possibly have enough people "in place" to carry any of that out. He can't even get his own appointed judges to save his ass in court.

After the 1st primary in 2023, I'd expect Obama will be drafted to tell Joe drop out of the race to make way for Gavin. Just a guess, but he might be the only one who can convince him.

[quote]The fact of the matter is (Obama) was an unpopular president among republicans and democrats.

Nobody likes him, he was elected twice.

I voted for the man twice and I supported him, but I am horribly disappointed in how he underestimated the Russians.

IMO, it's difficult for him to see Biden accomplish more in three years than he did in eight. And being the oldest president and not nearly as graceful as speaker makes it sting harder. He knows that Joe's accomplishments blow his out of the water, aside from being the first black president. And, it's not like he's going to be the only black president (God willing!).

You see that same petty jealousy from David Axelrod on CNN. But his is overt while Obama's is not. BO is withholding IMO, because his legacy isn't going to be as amazing as he wishes it could be (in comparison -- in his own mind).

I like him very much, but Obama has a big ego. Big egos don't like to share the spotlight with people who are more important or have done more than they have. They limit time with those people and tend to hang with people who fawn over them and lessers.

My uncle, who is an old progressive semi retired attorney pointed out to me that women of previous generations weren't encouraged to support other women. They were always encouraged to be competitive towards one another. Now even if that is half true, I can kind of understand why older women were put off by Hillary. A lot of older women had a "who does she think she is!" attitude towards her. My mother supported her. She always supported women candidates locally state and national. She actually cried when Hillary lost to Obama in the primaries. "She said, " thought I would live to see a woman PResident, and now I know I won't." She died 18 months later. 91.

He's writing a book called How to Serve Children.

Some fraus are really terrible to one another and to kids. Look at them voting to take away other ladies' right to safe abortions. Look at them working to limit other peoples kids basic rights to education, remove books from the school libraries instead of just saying: "Hey, MY KID(S) aren't allowed to read that/those books, ok?", or voting for evil people who are making it a priority to remove free breakfast and lunch at schools.

Your uncle was spot on, R83. Definitely a group of fraus out there who were raised to hate other ladies.

Your mom sounds like she was amazing, though.

Biden is just as good of a President as Obama was. They both inherited a shit pile from the previous Republican president. Both turned around the economy despite a republican controlled congress. I would argue Obama did not have the likes of MTG, Bobart, Gaetz, Jim Jordan and the magas to deal with. No one has faced an opponent like Trump. All anyone can say about Biden is he is old. I loved his response to that. "I know how goddamn old I am." Someone said he is not as good of a speaker as Obama. He is light years better than Trump or any GOP nominee.

Gullible jack asses like R78 are exactly why Donald Trump and his band of dirtball scumbags will make the United States a Christian theocratic dictatorship.

[quote] This is why we have checks and balances. He could not possibly have enough people "in place" to carry any of that out. He can't even get his own appointed judges to save his ass in court.

Thank you for being rational.

Former presidents are supposed to sit on their ass and watch the country go to shit. It’s called taking the high road.

R88: another gullible jackass.

Dictators work by dismissing/eliminating the so called "checks and balances" in a democracy.

Trump's professed goals in his first hours of being in office again: 1. Dismantle civil service by dismissing career government employees who do not profess fealty to him. 2. Dismiss all generals/brass in the military who refuse to take an oath of office to HIM (not the constitution, not the US government, but to HIM, just like Hitler did in 1933). 3. Seize control of the FCC and shut down any TV/Radio stations/networks, print internet press who disagree with Trump.

See how easy it is, R88. Even a simpleton like you should be able to comprehend this.

^De facts matter

First question for the new admistration, how much do you love the taste of Dear Leader's taint?

That's a lie. We got an immediate economic relief package and a second one (would have had another but the republicans refused). We got ACA, which should have had a public option but didn't due to the treason of Conrad Burns, Mary Landrieu and some other DINOs, and we had a several year break f rom medical inflation (in contrast to Bush's Medicare Part D where drug companies raised prices so much within 3 years they were taking as much money from seniors as they had before the act was passed). We also got gay marriage!

Obama was the best president of our lifettimes.

[quote] Trump's professed goals in his first hours of being in office again:

He could also say that he is going to cure cancer, create spaceships that fly faster than the speed of light, and remove all excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and none of those things are in the realm of possibility either. Trump couldn’t even accomplish getting the wall built, his signature promise. If anything, he’s even more incompetent than before.

R94 thinks 01/06/2021 was just a bunch of patriots professing their love of the United States.

Some of you don't get it. The 2025 Project is the game plan to eliminate whatever rules and checks and obstructions that exist to stop the Fascist take over of our government. Trump is the Ringmaster, the Carnival Barker, but the project is much bigger than he is. Wake the fuck up. The so-called guardrails are very weak and in places, non existent. Trump and his crew got away with a lot of shit in 4 years. They will not repeat their mistakes if they get back in. They have learned. In a lot of ways Trump is the sideshow d istraction. His campaign has funding, he has professionals running it, and the state parties in all 50 states have been strengthened. They're organizing. If you want to know what we're dealing with please go back and read History. Read about how the Nazi took power. Read about how Hitler was ELECTED.

I was hoping him, George and Bill would get together to put out some statement about democracy and we are clearly on 2 paths. We need both side to do this.

I also wish Joe would pull out so we could have a candidate would was more viable and younger.

After seeing his performance in the debate the other night with DeSantos, R97, the great white Democratic hope, Gavin Newsom, only excels in one area: smarminess. DeSantis and Newsom represent both sides of the same coin: right wing awful and left wing awful.

Better hope Old Joe doesn't blow a gasket anytime soon.

Biden needs a very solid running mate that has a proven record. Kamala can't shake the reich wing "she fucked her way to the top" reputation. She just doesn't come across as likable. I still say Katie Porter should replace her.

Retired. Moved on.

[quote] They will not repeat their mistakes if they get back in.

The new and improved Keystone Cops.

R99 I’d enjoy her using that marker board to draw trump. How many ways can you depict a clown?

Obama hasn't been president for nearly 8 years. Come on, we're all adults, we can get this done by ourselves.

OP, I was asking that same question right after election night, 2016.

Are you serious? Barack and Michelle did more rallies for Hillary than Hillary did herself. She didn't work for the win. She's an elitist who doesn't understand how hated she is.

Bullshit, R105. Hillary worked hard in 2016. Not a damned thing elitist bout her. Go back into your cave. Michelle Obama didn't get involved until the last few weeks of the campaign. And I was referring to Obama, who was POTUS and who had to know Russia interfered, and stole the fucking election, and from Election night until January 20, 2017, he had a chance to do something and he didn't. He was so determined to make sure we had that "peaceful transfer of power" he allowed Trump to walk into the WH.

It took a lot of balls for Hillary to attend Trump's inauguration. I would not have shown up.

R106 She took the entire month of August off. She assumed she was going to win because Trump is such a buffoon. She never even visited the mid-west. Also, are you suggesting that Obama should have overturned a free and fair election?

Yes, by all means, replace Kamala Harris with that performative clown, Katie Porter, because losing Black women, the most robust and faithful of the Democratic party, is just the way to win the election.

Kamala is getting the Hillary treatment from the GQP. She’s a very capable person.

R108 what you say is not supported by facts that I am familiar with, and I was active, at the state level, in her campaign. I know of two instances where Hillary left the campaign trail. When the Pulse nightclub mass shooting happened, and she had to cancel her trip to Wisconsin to go to Florida, and when she was ill and had to leave the 9/11 Memorial celebration. She took nothing for granted. And in case it needs to be said once more, in spite of James Comey, in spite of 600 days of negative press, and literal harassment about "E mails!" and in spite of voter suppression efforts, Hillary won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. The sifting of 77, 744 votes between 11 PM and 1:30 PM on election night was theft. Trump and his minions always project. They scream fraud because they have committed fraud.

Everyone is trying to find blame with Hillary for that campaign, when the truth is, she was a victim of the GQP hammering lies about her daily and a gullible voting block that believed them.

R111 here. I will add that I have worked on Presidential campaigns since Jimmy Carter, and in a political campaign, especially after Labor Day, you are aware of your resources and you have to deploy them wisely. It isn't about ignoring or taking anything for granted. It is about what is needed and where. The staff is watching everything. There is constant polling going on, there is feedback from state operations, and you go where you're needed, you put manpower and resources and money where it's needed. You can't be in six places at once. And a candidate, a real pro, would crawl on broken glass to be actively campaigning. They don't take off for a whole month. They're always in campaign mode. Even in the days leading up to the nominating convention when they are actively meeting and fundraising and greeting the party activists from each state who will be responsible for running their campaign.

R112 Victim LOL! She wanted to run against Trumpy-dictator-pants & even used her ways to get him the nom & them went on to call him "my friend Donald" at least a half dozen times during the campaign normalizing his dangers while he was calling for her to be locked up.

When you add up the US youth doing another "Gore 2000 polls determine the results so why bother to show up on election day" stunt, Hillary going to f-ing Utah for some kind of upset there (when the midwest always determines the outcome as Ohio was still a bell weather state that year) & voters usually go against the more dangerous candidate so his "Lock her up" outweighed her "My friend Donald" in the minds of undecided voters who wanted both an outsider & a shakeup in DC & "Ms. Victim" got the egg on her face that she set her self up for.

To add insult to the dems & the nation, Hills still had $$$ in her warchest that she could've spent on swing states(especially if she wasn't going to campaign in them like Fl & Oh) &/or do get out the vote drives for the youth so a repeat of 2000 wouldn't happen again but it did because she was an arrogant tightwad who thought she could do it all by herself or with some little help from a dumb gang of broads like Donna the pollster who f-cked everything up.

R114… huh?

My goodness R114, such vitriol. YOu really don't care for her do you... Stop trying to rewrite history.

Is R114 Brianna Gray Joy?

Sorry R115 I had to hurry up & finish that & get offline to do other things (like beat the snow coming down among other things) so it was what it was.

I voted for her R116 but hated how she kissed Donald's butt in any way. I thought she had mores sense to knock it off when he went after her so many times but I guess she didn't have the ability to adapt in any way. Hills smiled at him too many times & I was hoping she'd rip him a new one but she was cocky & lazy the whole '16 run. I was hoping for a robust dem primary in 2016 (Bernie didn't count in my book) & didn't enjoy that "It's her turn" crap that was running thru the party but it went down that way so...

He's busy at the present time, looking for a new chef.

Based on what I've read, post 2016, Hillary didn't want to give the impression that his bullying bothered her, in fact she acted like she was ignoring it, dismissing it. He kept trying to provoke her, and was extremely upset that she seemed to ignore his barbs and harassment. I never considered her as "being nice " to Trump. In fact she seemed to not take him seriously. And he couldn't abide that. We can all remember the night he really tried to rattle her by stalking her on the debate stage. The atmosphere was tense, but she just pushed through it. Afterwards , of course she was really pissed off. But she could not afford to be seen to react to him.

[quote] In fact she seemed to not take him seriously.

A large part of the country regarded that as her being arrogant, which buttressed what they already thought of her. Her not taking Trump seriously helped Trump tremendously in several ways. Obviously, Democrats learned their lesson for 2020 and took him very seriously then. If Hillary hadn’t seen herself as an invincible American Eva Peron, things might have been different.

Dear R121, Donald J. Trump always has been and always will be a first class asshole. Most professional NYers never took him seriously, most bankers and builders never took him seriously, the NFL did not take him seriously, among many, many other people.

Why you seem to think Hillary and the Democrats had to take this jerked off game show host/carnival barker seriously is beyond comprehension.

"A large part of the country regarded that as her being arrogant...."

A large part of the country regards Donald J. Trump as the second coming of Christ. News flash: a large part of the country is irredeemably and unrepentantly stupid as the day is long.

R122, if you don’t think Trump should be taken seriously, that’s on you.

Men are assertive. Women are arrogant.

Untrue. Men are arrogant. Women are "bossy"

Also "shrill"

Also "nags"

He's busy organizing the Destiny's Child Reunion Tour.

R122, it is the media that builds these false narratives and gives them traction. People believe what they're told to believe. I remember criticizing Chris Cuomo on Twitter in 2016, for something he said about Hillary, it was dishonest and misleading, and he actually responded:"Well we can't have a coronation can we?" The news directors, the editors, etc. get their marching orders from their corporate bosses and they direct "journalists" to hit certain themes hard and ask specific questions. And if "E-mails" is the order of the day, or week, or month, than that's what they pound on. When it comes to politics and government the Media has way too much influence in how policy is shaped and how people and issues are treated.

Obama and his wife are only concerned with making money.