Obama's America
An impartial, nonpartisan glance at accomplishment52 total reviews
Comment from BeccaInaDaffydill
What a beautifully written piece. I have to say, that in the beginning, I was vehemently opposed to Obama. While I still consider myself and will register as a Republican, I carefully try to pick out the fear-mongering from both sides of the aisle, and decide if he's being "a good president". So far, even with some policies that I've disagreed with, he's stood by his own convictions - and that's a very honorable quality.
Anyway, you brought up some wonderful points, and it was a pleasure to read.
A little spag, btw - "defend it's habit,..." (its)
~Becca
reply by the author on 29-Sep-2010
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What a beautifully written piece. I have to say, that in the beginning, I was vehemently opposed to Obama. While I still consider myself and will register as a Republican, I carefully try to pick out the fear-mongering from both sides of the aisle, and decide if he's being "a good president". So far, even with some policies that I've disagreed with, he's stood by his own convictions - and that's a very honorable quality.
Anyway, you brought up some wonderful points, and it was a pleasure to read.
A little spag, btw - "defend it's habit,..." (its)
~Becca
Comment Written 29-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 29-Sep-2010
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First, thank you for reading. Most importantly thank you for keeping an open mind and being mindful and watchful of of the leaders we elect. This is an enormously critical period in history and it takes courage to support a leader that may not be true to all the political convictions you might hold dear.
Theres an old question that asks what you respect "form or substance" and while this man has form it is the substantial nature of the policies and enactments he will drive through congress that will ensure economic and spiritual recovery for America.
Everything the US does resonates around the world. Possibly as one of 330M citizens you don't think you have power, but you do. An open mind and a fierce determination to watch over Americas role in the world will ultimately put you into history. Perhaps not into text books, but into the pages of your children's future. Who knows, perhap one day your child or grandchild will be the leader of the free world. Prepare "her" well with you wisdom.
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Thank you for such a thoughtful response. Indeed, respect is such a bandied-about word, and seems to be different for each generation.
I could go on forever about this subject, and it sounds as if you could too. :-)
As an aside, my daughter came with us to the polls, and announced to everyone that we were voting McCain (she was in kindergarten). I've explained to her that even though "our side" lost, we still must respect the President; just as you would most of the human race, regardless of their gender, race, religion...okay, sorry, another tangent. (Yep, I'm prepping her for Congress lol)
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And guess what, my thoughtful and inspirational, literary friend, I am not an American. That simply means that I neither endorse or support either party. I watch from the shadows of America's power and fully understand the power of the US. I believe in this administration there is a tempering of ego, both personal and nationalistic. It is so unfair to think that America is self contained in its decisions or its influence in the world. I think tis shake up empowered the US to grow into a gentle giant and Obama seems to measure the strength of his footsteps.
Many, many years ago I was a supervisor with weight watchers and my then, five year old son sitting in the front of the cart pointed to a woman who was heavy and said in the loudest voice "Look mommy, that lady could be skinny if she came to one of your classes."
Surprise, surprise, my son now weighs more than 300LBS and I am not in the weight loss business, but those harsh, innocent words still ring in my ears.
I hope she never heard.
Prep hr for the presidency, but explain the angst it will take to get ther. Be proud to be an American.
Comment from E Vin Smyth
Hello Echo!
I enjoyed reading your "Obama's America" essay. It is well written, and an enjoyable read. I just want to point out a few factual errors .
The opposition to Kennedy because he was a Catholic occurred prior to his election. After he was elected, acceptance.
The "Free Love mantra" actually occurred in the mid sixties, after JFK was assassinated.
Obama never lived in Kansas, his mother grew up there, but he was born n Hawaii, and lived there and in Indonesia during his formative years.
I believe that when writing an essay, it is important to get the facts correct. You're obviously much younger than me, as I remember these events first hand. Actually, I volunteered for JFK's election, although I was too young to vote.
Good luck to you, and keep in touch.
E Vin Smyth
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2010
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Hello Echo!
I enjoyed reading your "Obama's America" essay. It is well written, and an enjoyable read. I just want to point out a few factual errors .
The opposition to Kennedy because he was a Catholic occurred prior to his election. After he was elected, acceptance.
The "Free Love mantra" actually occurred in the mid sixties, after JFK was assassinated.
Obama never lived in Kansas, his mother grew up there, but he was born n Hawaii, and lived there and in Indonesia during his formative years.
I believe that when writing an essay, it is important to get the facts correct. You're obviously much younger than me, as I remember these events first hand. Actually, I volunteered for JFK's election, although I was too young to vote.
Good luck to you, and keep in touch.
E Vin Smyth
Comment Written 28-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 28-Sep-2010
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True enough, that the opposition to a Catholic president raged during the campaign, but it continued to rattle his opponents into the presidency, The folk/hippy/free love era was well under way before JFK's election (I too was here) bt was not labelled by the media until the mid sixties. The referance to Kansas had nothing to do with Kansas. It was a referance to regional interests being more important to the average voter than the long range solution or global impact. I still think your essay is the best and voted for you. Good luck!
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Echo,
OK, I guess that we just remember events differently-it was a long time ago.
I didn't mean my comments to be anything other then they were. I saw facts that I disagreed with, and wanted to point them out. Thank you for your appraisal of my work. I was just glad that we were able to write on this subject, and felt obligated to do so.
Don't you think it's interesting that all entries were positive for Obama? Why do you think this is? EVS
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My general impression from what I have observed is that people want approval on this sight, not only for their work, but for their thoughts and are inclined to skip over anything that might breed a negative reaction. I had more fun with a Personal Rebuttal withover 500 reads and some pretty interesting dialogue.
Then again, maybe this is a liberal spronsored sight. LOL.
I took no offense to any of your comments and I'll budge on the Hippy generation, but not the referance to Kansas. SO THERE!
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I'm not so sure that this is a liberal site. Several reviews on my entry were from decidedly conservative people-not that there is anything wrong with that- I'm just surprised that none of them bothered to write on the subject. EVS
Comment from daniela.albu
I find your essay very expressive and well written. It comprises much truth and a lot of philosophy having a global but also patriotic/national approach. Your words are strong, powerful and full of pathos, underlying the positive features of Obama's mandate:
"Old bigotries, charred emotions, hate and slander surfaced and was largely ignored by the world. They continued, thinking the world was still sane. In our world, only fifteen percent of us are white. Obama's color was never a consideration globally."
You havy many rethoric questions that invite the answer suggesting it boldly and to the point. Bravo.
What is the point of capitalism if we have no social conscience?
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2010
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I find your essay very expressive and well written. It comprises much truth and a lot of philosophy having a global but also patriotic/national approach. Your words are strong, powerful and full of pathos, underlying the positive features of Obama's mandate:
"Old bigotries, charred emotions, hate and slander surfaced and was largely ignored by the world. They continued, thinking the world was still sane. In our world, only fifteen percent of us are white. Obama's color was never a consideration globally."
You havy many rethoric questions that invite the answer suggesting it boldly and to the point. Bravo.
What is the point of capitalism if we have no social conscience?
Comment Written 27-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2010
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Very kind of you to give me such a high rating. I am glad that my words resonated and held your attention. Thank you
Comment from forestport12
Good job overall. Her I live near the Canadian border and know for a fact Canadians who can afford to come here for medical care, and often those who can't afford to are waiting in line for over a serious medical issue. We are good friends with a doctor from Canada, who left that country because it was a mess. Unless he wanted to do his craft for almost nothing, as if he lived in Cuba, he took the best way out for his family.
Things change. Harry Truman would have been considered one of those "Fundamentalist," who was a Democrat and first preached about National Health Care. John F. Kennedy preached lower taxes and cut taxes on par with modern Republicans.
Excellent writing though.
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2010
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Good job overall. Her I live near the Canadian border and know for a fact Canadians who can afford to come here for medical care, and often those who can't afford to are waiting in line for over a serious medical issue. We are good friends with a doctor from Canada, who left that country because it was a mess. Unless he wanted to do his craft for almost nothing, as if he lived in Cuba, he took the best way out for his family.
Things change. Harry Truman would have been considered one of those "Fundamentalist," who was a Democrat and first preached about National Health Care. John F. Kennedy preached lower taxes and cut taxes on par with modern Republicans.
Excellent writing though.
Comment Written 27-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2010
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Thank you very much for reading and giving me a thoughtful response.
Comment from Signaler
Hello Spiritual Echo, I really enjoyed your essay. AYou point out important issues and offer good commentary on them. It does my heart good to find others who are willing to look beyond color and see the man who kept us from falling into another deep depression. Thank you for a wonderful essay. Good Luck!
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2010
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Hello Spiritual Echo, I really enjoyed your essay. AYou point out important issues and offer good commentary on them. It does my heart good to find others who are willing to look beyond color and see the man who kept us from falling into another deep depression. Thank you for a wonderful essay. Good Luck!
Comment Written 26-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2010
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Thank you for your kind review. I appreciate the opportunity to put thoughts out there that provoke thought and commentary.
Comment from Serri
Well thought out, impressive, accurate and a positive essay for President Obama's time in office. I liked the way it simply "talked" to me. Nothing pretentious.
I am an average citizen. If I were looking at various articles to help me form an opinion about President Obama, this one would be extremely helpful.
Thank You. Serri
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2010
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Well thought out, impressive, accurate and a positive essay for President Obama's time in office. I liked the way it simply "talked" to me. Nothing pretentious.
I am an average citizen. If I were looking at various articles to help me form an opinion about President Obama, this one would be extremely helpful.
Thank You. Serri
Comment Written 26-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 27-Sep-2010
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Well Serri, thank you for your kind review, but also more importantly you said something I wish all Americans would reaize. "This srticle would help you formulate your views" That is exactly what I wish for Americans, in that old prejusdices and ingrained prejudice needs to be examined and rethought. The "shoot from the hip" reaction does not work in a changing world. We need to give careful thought to what we say in public and in the voting booth.
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Thank you for your comments! What you say is so very true. Serri
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Thank you for the comments! What you say is so very true. Serri
Comment from the blue pixel
As an Australian, I was fascinated with your piece. I also cheered as loudly as anyone when Obama was elected. I really thought that this would change the world. I also thought, being a woman, that a black American would probably be more acceptable than a woman of any colour in this office and I am so very happy there here in Australia, where our voting system is different and not first past the post, we recently found ourselves with our first female Prime Minister though this is tempered with the fact, that she is the head of a minority government due to a handful of independents holding the balance of power in their hands and we had to wait 2 full weeks to know who was ruling the country. The historical position we find ourselves in here, sufficient dependents having declared their support for the Australian Labour Party and making Juilia Gillard the Primie Minister, still means that every single point will be argued possibly endlessly and it will interesting to see how it pans out. I agree with everything you have said about the health care system and we have Medicare which entitles everyone to health care and those who can afford private cover are heavily subsidized by the tax payer. Hospital shortages still often result in people having to wait for essential operations, sometimes with tragic results. I also agree that people everywhere should remember a leader with their accomplishments and not their affairs or scandals and history has recorded JFK as both the most hated and the most loved of American Presidents depending on who has written the book. Australia had far better bank regulation and though there were families who lost their homes which is very sad indeed, by and large, my country weathered the global financial crisis far better than any other country. I am concerned for the amount of personal credit debt Aussies have as I was brought up with the belief that if I don't have the money on me or in the bank, then I can't afford it and do not own a credit card. The middle class here, many individuals and families, still went down a rung on the ladder, some just for a time, and others have still not recovered. I found your piece very interesting and we do hear quite a bit about Obama but I have always believed that the media and what they withhold from us, whether due to the beliefs and dictums of whoever owns them or just want tv executives decide makes good television or not, is more important than what they tell us. What we don't know is always more worrying than what we know. The Blue Pixel
reply by the author on 22-Sep-2010
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As an Australian, I was fascinated with your piece. I also cheered as loudly as anyone when Obama was elected. I really thought that this would change the world. I also thought, being a woman, that a black American would probably be more acceptable than a woman of any colour in this office and I am so very happy there here in Australia, where our voting system is different and not first past the post, we recently found ourselves with our first female Prime Minister though this is tempered with the fact, that she is the head of a minority government due to a handful of independents holding the balance of power in their hands and we had to wait 2 full weeks to know who was ruling the country. The historical position we find ourselves in here, sufficient dependents having declared their support for the Australian Labour Party and making Juilia Gillard the Primie Minister, still means that every single point will be argued possibly endlessly and it will interesting to see how it pans out. I agree with everything you have said about the health care system and we have Medicare which entitles everyone to health care and those who can afford private cover are heavily subsidized by the tax payer. Hospital shortages still often result in people having to wait for essential operations, sometimes with tragic results. I also agree that people everywhere should remember a leader with their accomplishments and not their affairs or scandals and history has recorded JFK as both the most hated and the most loved of American Presidents depending on who has written the book. Australia had far better bank regulation and though there were families who lost their homes which is very sad indeed, by and large, my country weathered the global financial crisis far better than any other country. I am concerned for the amount of personal credit debt Aussies have as I was brought up with the belief that if I don't have the money on me or in the bank, then I can't afford it and do not own a credit card. The middle class here, many individuals and families, still went down a rung on the ladder, some just for a time, and others have still not recovered. I found your piece very interesting and we do hear quite a bit about Obama but I have always believed that the media and what they withhold from us, whether due to the beliefs and dictums of whoever owns them or just want tv executives decide makes good television or not, is more important than what they tell us. What we don't know is always more worrying than what we know. The Blue Pixel
Comment Written 22-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 22-Sep-2010
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Thank you for such a great reply. You have helped me undersand the issues you face in Oz. As a Canadian, we have a similar electoral system and the minority governments have in the past often been very ineffectual, but at times through compromises with other parties have also managed to put through much stronger bills than would have been passed with a majority. I wish your Prime Minister strength and courage to sustain her term (or terms.) You are bang on about a black leader is more succesful in garnering support than any woman or any race. Hopefully that will change in our lifetime.
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There have of course been a number of very strong and powerful female leaders of countries, (whether you liked them or not is not the point here), but America lags behind. If Oprah Winfrey stood, there may well be a black woman leading the 'free' world or so it has been said, but I even doubt that. Thank you for your message.
Comment from Pen&Ink
As far as I'm concerned, you're preaching to the choir. I'm glad to read something positive concerning President Obama. Living in Central Washington, you'd think Obama had horns and a pitchfork. You get an A+ in my book.
Might want to look at this sentence. I think you need the verb "were" instead of "was", as you have listed a series. "...and was (were) largely ignored."
Your best line is "What is the point of capitalism if we have no social conscience?" That is beautiful!
Ray
reply by the author on 22-Sep-2010
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As far as I'm concerned, you're preaching to the choir. I'm glad to read something positive concerning President Obama. Living in Central Washington, you'd think Obama had horns and a pitchfork. You get an A+ in my book.
Might want to look at this sentence. I think you need the verb "were" instead of "was", as you have listed a series. "...and was (were) largely ignored."
Your best line is "What is the point of capitalism if we have no social conscience?" That is beautiful!
Ray
Comment Written 21-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 22-Sep-2010
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You should see the email I get abou this Muslim, non-American demon. I recently got one from a very intelligent and devout friend about how Obama cancelled National Prayer Day in JUNE 2007! Because of her faith she reacted vehemently, without pausing to think that Obama was elected a year later. This is exactly how this BS keeps moving. She sent this out to twenty or thirty other folks who without a doubt would be just as horrified that Obama had threatened their beliefs and immediately forwarded that on to another hundred or so of the faithful.
I do look for his horns everytime I see his image on TV. I suppose I need another optical check up as I just can't spot them. Pretty soon people will need to listen to what he is trying to say and at the very least, think about what they are hearing.
Thanks for reading and your reply.
Comment from fayesh
Amen to that. Obama represents all that is possible and good about America. However, there are still forces in this country who are self-serving and greedy, who will use emotional triggers to regain power, and who will impede any progress that an honest and dedicated president, such as Obama. would take to improve the lot of all Americans.
America got it right when they elected him, but they need to make certain that he remains in office another four years to get us back on track. We will need his integrity and wisdom lay the groundwork for the resurrection of those ideals that the Bush administration trampled upon.
reply by the author on 21-Sep-2010
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Amen to that. Obama represents all that is possible and good about America. However, there are still forces in this country who are self-serving and greedy, who will use emotional triggers to regain power, and who will impede any progress that an honest and dedicated president, such as Obama. would take to improve the lot of all Americans.
America got it right when they elected him, but they need to make certain that he remains in office another four years to get us back on track. We will need his integrity and wisdom lay the groundwork for the resurrection of those ideals that the Bush administration trampled upon.
Comment Written 21-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 21-Sep-2010
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Amen
Comment from FredCollingwood
Obama's brilliance was never more evident with the bailouts. It enabled the huge companies to give out billions of dollars in bonuses to senior execs. Obama then reminded them of where they got the funds in fundraisers, enabling him to build a huge warchest.
reply by the author on 21-Sep-2010
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Obama's brilliance was never more evident with the bailouts. It enabled the huge companies to give out billions of dollars in bonuses to senior execs. Obama then reminded them of where they got the funds in fundraisers, enabling him to build a huge warchest.
Comment Written 21-Sep-2010
reply by the author on 21-Sep-2010
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Interesting thought. I'm afraid we are all seeriously dependant on the car industry and letting it go poof would only enable the off shore manufacturers to grab a huge part of market share. Jobs wold have disappeared up and down the street. I don't know what the alternative was to helping keep the economy going by shoring up the banks? I honestly don't know. I believe the current study of global banking may ultimately prevent future exploitation. I realize your response was sarcastic. I wish you would take the time to look at both Obama and the US from international media. It might surprise you to see that respect is increasing under his leadership.
