Obama Presidency Archives - Page 7 of 11

’12 Years a Slave’ Film Illuminates Racial Subtext of Obama Era

December 4, 2013 Buck Banks

This last weekend, I finally saw ’12 Years a Slave.’ It was the most powerful movie I’ve ever seen in my life, an event so gripping and terrifying that, when I went to bed ten hours later — it was a morning matinee — I lay awake for five hours turning it over in my mind before I could fall asleep. I understand it not merely as the greatest film about slavery ever made, as it has been widely hailed, but a film more broadly about race. Its sublimated themes, as I understand them, identify the core social and political fissures that define the American racial divide to this day. To identify ’12 Years a Slave’ as merely a story about slavery is to miss what makes race the furious and often pathological subtext of American politics in the Obama era.

— Jonathan Chait, writing in New York Magazine.

Half of Young Voters Would Vote to Recall Obama

December 4, 2013 Buck Banks

52%

Of voters aged 18 to 29 years old would vote to recall President Obama, a new Harvard Institute of Politics survey finds.

Obama Assesses His Up-and-Down Approval Ratings

December 2, 2013 Buck Banks

If you remember, I’ve gone up and down pretty consistently throughout. But the good thing about when you’re down is that usually you’ve got nowhere to go but up.

— President Obama, in an interview with ABC News.

Fewer Think Obama Can Govern Effectively

November 25, 2013 Buck Banks

40%

Of Americans believe President Obama can manage the federal government effectively — a 12 point-drop since June — a new CNN/ORC poll finds.

Carville Speculates on Obama’s ‘Problem’

November 12, 2013 Buck Banks

Obama’s problem, I think, is he’s a man in politics that doesn’t like politics.

— James Carville, quoted by Politico.

Is This How a Leader of Congress Should Speak to the President of the United States?

October 24, 2013 Buck Banks

In a ‘negotiation’ meeting with the president, one GOP House Leader told the president: ‘I cannot even stand to look at you.’

— Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), on Facebook.

I Really Want to Buy Into This Slate Pitch, But …

September 25, 2013September 25, 2013 Buck Banks

I’m not sure I can swallow the assertion that Barack Obama is the shrewdest political tactician since LBJ, but David Corn does make a compelling case, and I really do want to believe that all this time Obama knew exactly what he was doing on Syria, Putin and the debt showdown.

I suppose he’s just being Lincoln-esque. Again …

Do you buy the pitch?

Obama: Faction of GOP Threatening ‘Economic Chaos’

September 17, 2013 Buck Banks

I cannot remember a time when one faction of one party promises economic chaos when it doesn’t get everything it wants.

— President Obama, quoted by NBC News, on threats by some Republicans to force a government shutdown over Obamacare.

Obama As Polarizing a Figure as George W. Bush

September 9, 2013 Buck Banks

76 percentage points

The presidential approval gap between Democrats and Republicans, which ties George W. Bush’s fourth year as the most polarized years in Gallup records.”During his fourth year in office, an average of 86% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans approved of the job Barack Obama did as president.”

The Legislative Dodge

September 4, 2013 Buck Banks

Oh, what should we do about the Syria mess?
Should we punish Assad for his sarin excess?
For help with the decision,
Though risking derision,
Obama opted to do the unthinkable — ask Congress.

— Jonathan Chait, writing in New York Magazine.

52%

Of voters aged 18 to 29 years old would vote to recall President Obama, a new Harvard Institute of Politics survey finds.

If you remember, I’ve gone up and down pretty consistently throughout. But the good thing about when you’re down is that usually you’ve got nowhere to go but up.

— President Obama, in an interview with ABC News.

40%

Of Americans believe President Obama can manage the federal government effectively — a 12 point-drop since June — a new CNN/ORC poll finds.

Obama’s problem, I think, is he’s a man in politics that doesn’t like politics.

— James Carville, quoted by Politico.

In a ‘negotiation’ meeting with the president, one GOP House Leader told the president: ‘I cannot even stand to look at you.’

— Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), on Facebook.

I cannot remember a time when one faction of one party promises economic chaos when it doesn’t get everything it wants.

— President Obama, quoted by NBC News, on threats by some Republicans to force a government shutdown over Obamacare.

76 percentage points

The presidential approval gap between Democrats and Republicans, which ties George W. Bush’s fourth year as the most polarized years in Gallup records.”During his fourth year in office, an average of 86% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans approved of the job Barack Obama did as president.”

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“If you are committing fraud against the American people, all of us in public leadership should be trying to stop it and throw you in prison for enriching yourself off the American taxpayer.”

— Vice President JD Vance, on Fox News.

“Your generation has a great bullshit meter, because you’re fed bullshit online all day. And the Democratic Party brand right now is so bullshit.”

— Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D), quoted by The Atlantic, speaking to college students.

“We are done, Americans are done with endless conflict in the Middle East, spending trillions of dollars, American lives… this is insane and we have to call it for what it is.”

— Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), on CNN.

Numerati

+175,000

“The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that it has revoked more than 175,000 visas during President Donald Trump’s administration so far,” Fox News reports.

$4,600

11

30%

A new American Research Group poll finds just 30% of Americans say they approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president and 67% say they disapprove.

61% to 35%