Posted by MikeT23 on 6/4/2015 10:31:00 AM (view original):
Odd.

You ask "was all that pork necessary" and then say "he should throw the Republicans the occasion bone".    Surely you see the irony in that.

Not that I disagree about Obama's "negotiation" skills.    He points, blames and threatens.   No one will negotiate with someone whose idea of negotiation is "This is how it's going to be done.   If it isn't, it's all your fault and I will happily blame you."

A 'bone' can come in the form of not increasing taxes or allowing insurance across state lines. Its not always here's $30 million for field mouse research or here's the money for that fancy new amusement park you wanted.

Posted by mchales_army on 6/4/2015 11:16:00 AM (view original):
Throwing Repubs a bone doesn't have to be pork. It could be as simple as giving a little on an issue that is important to the Repub base. There are numerous examples, and he could have gave a little on any one of them to start the process of "working together". He never did, and never will.

But he has compromised. Many, many times he has offered to give on an issue to get something done.

He compromised during the 2012 "fiscal cliff" negotiations:

In negotiations with Mr. Boehner he had tentatively agreed to raise that threshold to $400,000, and Congressional Democrats on Friday said they would go as high as $500,000 if it would seal a deal with Republicans.

He offered a compromise during the contraception/insurance issue last year:

The Obama administration outlined a new compromise Friday aimed at shielding religious business owners and Christian universities and charities from the health law's contraception-coverage requirements
 

He even offered a compromise during the health care reform negotiations:

In another olive branch to Republicans, Obama indicated that he'd support some "demonstration projects" to try setting experimental limits on medical malpractice lawsuits — long a Republican goal that Democrats typically oppose.

Those are just three examples. The narrative that Obama has refused to compromise is bullshit. The GOP came into this with a plan to say no to everything. It was a calculated political move that they thought wouldn't cost them anything. So far, they were right. And stupid people continue to listen to Limbaugh and Hannity and believe the bullshit line that if Obama had just tried to negotiate, the GOP would have been happy to work with him.

Posted by moy23 on 6/4/2015 11:17:00 AM (view original):

Posted by MikeT23 on 6/4/2015 10:31:00 AM (view original):
Odd.

You ask "was all that pork necessary" and then say "he should throw the Republicans the occasion bone".    Surely you see the irony in that.

Not that I disagree about Obama's "negotiation" skills.    He points, blames and threatens.   No one will negotiate with someone whose idea of negotiation is "This is how it's going to be done.   If it isn't, it's all your fault and I will happily blame you."

A 'bone' can come in the form of not increasing taxes or allowing insurance across state lines. Its not always here's $30 million for field mouse research or here's the money for that fancy new amusement park you wanted.

It isn't always but it usually is.    Politicians love to go back to their people and say "I got 30m in field mouse research for this great state!!!"    Not so much about taxes and insurance.

I DONT THINK THEY USED THOSE EXACT WORDS!!!!


LIER!!!!!!!!

Posted by bad_luck on 6/4/2015 12:43:00 PM (view original):

Posted by mchales_army on 6/4/2015 11:16:00 AM (view original):
Throwing Repubs a bone doesn't have to be pork. It could be as simple as giving a little on an issue that is important to the Repub base. There are numerous examples, and he could have gave a little on any one of them to start the process of "working together". He never did, and never will.

But he has compromised. Many, many times he has offered to give on an issue to get something done.

He compromised during the 2012 "fiscal cliff" negotiations:

In negotiations with Mr. Boehner he had tentatively agreed to raise that threshold to $400,000, and Congressional Democrats on Friday said they would go as high as $500,000 if it would seal a deal with Republicans.

He offered a compromise during the contraception/insurance issue last year:

The Obama administration outlined a new compromise Friday aimed at shielding religious business owners and Christian universities and charities from the health law's contraception-coverage requirements
 

He even offered a compromise during the health care reform negotiations:

In another olive branch to Republicans, Obama indicated that he'd support some "demonstration projects" to try setting experimental limits on medical malpractice lawsuits — long a Republican goal that Democrats typically oppose.

 

 

Those are just three examples. The narrative that Obama has refused to compromise is bullshit. The GOP came into this with a plan to say no to everything. It was a calculated political move that they thought wouldn't cost them anything. So far, they were right. And stupid people continue to listen to Limbaugh and Hannity and believe the bullshit line that if Obama had just tried to negotiate, the GOP would have been happy to work with him.

BL's idea of compromise.... 'Republicans - you guys can go eat ****, but there's corn in it for you... You like corn, right?' Problem is it's going to take a lot more compromise than corn before the republicans will eat ****. A better leader gets bipartisan cooperation.

You're not getting it. Obama literally could have offered anything. The GOP's goal was to obstruct, not get favorable legislation.

Posted by bad_luck on 6/4/2015 5:03:00 PM (view original):
You're not getting it. Obama literally could have offered anything. The GOP's goal was to obstruct, not get favorable legislation.

Oh no... I'm getting it. I just don't drink the 'if Obama can't do it no one can' koolaid.

No, you drank the other koolaid. The "if Obama had just compromised a liiiiiiiittle bit more, the GOP would have been happy to work with him" koolaid.

Yeah, you just don't understand the mandate that the GOP adopted when Obama took office.    Because there's never been a Dem Prez before. 




OH, NO!!!!  IT'S BECAUSE HE'S BLACK AND ALL REPUBLICANS ARE RACISTS!!!!!!

Posted by bad_luck on 6/4/2015 7:14:00 PM (view original):
No, you drank the other koolaid. The "if Obama had just compromised a liiiiiiiittle bit more, the GOP would have been happy to work with him" koolaid.

More genuine compromise would have helped... But its more of the way he carries himself than what he's offering. Do you think strong leadership is only about compromising? What about earning respect or building credibility? The guy talks the talk (unity, transparency, bipartisanship) but doesn't walk the walk... He delegates everything and then disses or blames others when things don't go his way. How the F does the president of the USA not know anything until he sees it on TV like the rest of us !?!?!

Why would that have helped? The GOP's goal was to say no regardless of his offer.

Posted by bad_luck on 6/4/2015 7:38:00 PM (view original):
Why would that have helped? The GOP's goal was to say no regardless of his offer.

Let's walk this one back so you can see...

WHY was the GOPs goal (as you say) to say No?

SO THE KENYAN SCOCIALIST- COMMUNIST, SECRET MUSLIM WOULDN'T LORD OVER HIS MASSA'S