First, my bias: I can make a case that every POTUS going back forever has at least one huge failure, made for no good reason. One example is LBJ and Vietnam. Carter fucked up on all the big issues. But Obama is triggering. Every time I read anything, everything about him POTUS-wise, it never fails to disappoint. I’m reaching a point where the only thing he did correctly that I accept as same is not being John Sidney McCain III and that only because it’s essential for the nation that the GOP’s rendered impotent and irrelevant. That said, policy-wise, I’m not so sure a McCain administration would have been significantly worse than what we got. (That would be a contrafactual so arguing it is pointless 😉)
Another banger. And I appreciate the more positive way you contextualized this! I was ready to go on my morning walk and stomp around my neighborhood filled with righteous fury, and I'll still do that, but with a smile on my face because we are making progress!
The link to the 2018 article about Obama reminded me of how much I miss Splinter. It was a fount of journalism that would send the typical Washington Press Corps hack seeking the nearest fainting couch.
On their 1st date, the Clintons crossed a picket line at Yale
I once read, but can't find it anymore, that at one point, R Reich, the former *United States Secretary of Labor" crossed a digital picket line at iirc Slate
The reason we aren't allowed to talk about Marx and Class is cause Marx was right: Class is all
Great write-up. Obama doesn’t get enough flak for preventing what could have been the most influential work stoppage by pro athletes during the NBA COVID bubble. The remaining teams were willing to bring everything to a halt after the news of Jacob Blake came out, and Obama came in swiftly to tip the scales and keep the money spigot on.
First, Obama's new series starting this month means that it was likely written last year, well before the WGA strike. Second, Amazon and Starbucks aren't unionizing, the *people* at those companies are starting to unionize against the companies' wishes. Third, by writing and publishing this, aren't you crossing your own WGA picket line?
In the end, Biden will be twice as good a president as Obama was - though I do believe Obama's heart was in the right place, and he did a lot of good things. But he never got over thinking he could community-organize the Republicans to get on his side. "When they go low, we go high" was not only stupid, it was a betrayal of Democrats.
Agree about Obama but where were the unions during both of Sanders' presidential runs? They could have made a difference but sucked up to the Dem establishment and shut him out instead.
This is incredibly silly, and such a reach that I'm surprised you didn't dislocate your shoulder. If you REALLY want people to not cross picket lines, insist that everyone stop watching TV and movies until the strike is over.
He really could have made a great, positive statement by refusing to do the promos in solidarity w/WGA.
Now he could say he erred and, accompanied by his Secret Service folks, join a picket line.
That would be beneficial, even cool.
First, my bias: I can make a case that every POTUS going back forever has at least one huge failure, made for no good reason. One example is LBJ and Vietnam. Carter fucked up on all the big issues. But Obama is triggering. Every time I read anything, everything about him POTUS-wise, it never fails to disappoint. I’m reaching a point where the only thing he did correctly that I accept as same is not being John Sidney McCain III and that only because it’s essential for the nation that the GOP’s rendered impotent and irrelevant. That said, policy-wise, I’m not so sure a McCain administration would have been significantly worse than what we got. (That would be a contrafactual so arguing it is pointless 😉)
Another banger. And I appreciate the more positive way you contextualized this! I was ready to go on my morning walk and stomp around my neighborhood filled with righteous fury, and I'll still do that, but with a smile on my face because we are making progress!
The link to the 2018 article about Obama reminded me of how much I miss Splinter. It was a fount of journalism that would send the typical Washington Press Corps hack seeking the nearest fainting couch.
🪧✊
Excellent article! and you reminded me of how much I loved Splinter News :-(
On their 1st date, the Clintons crossed a picket line at Yale
I once read, but can't find it anymore, that at one point, R Reich, the former *United States Secretary of Labor" crossed a digital picket line at iirc Slate
The reason we aren't allowed to talk about Marx and Class is cause Marx was right: Class is all
Great write-up. Obama doesn’t get enough flak for preventing what could have been the most influential work stoppage by pro athletes during the NBA COVID bubble. The remaining teams were willing to bring everything to a halt after the news of Jacob Blake came out, and Obama came in swiftly to tip the scales and keep the money spigot on.
The only thing Obama has improved on since he left office is his handicap.
First, Obama's new series starting this month means that it was likely written last year, well before the WGA strike. Second, Amazon and Starbucks aren't unionizing, the *people* at those companies are starting to unionize against the companies' wishes. Third, by writing and publishing this, aren't you crossing your own WGA picket line?
In the end, Biden will be twice as good a president as Obama was - though I do believe Obama's heart was in the right place, and he did a lot of good things. But he never got over thinking he could community-organize the Republicans to get on his side. "When they go low, we go high" was not only stupid, it was a betrayal of Democrats.
Reflective or reflexive loathing?
Agree about Obama but where were the unions during both of Sanders' presidential runs? They could have made a difference but sucked up to the Dem establishment and shut him out instead.
This is incredibly silly, and such a reach that I'm surprised you didn't dislocate your shoulder. If you REALLY want people to not cross picket lines, insist that everyone stop watching TV and movies until the strike is over.