I sure get tired of people saying that Americans want a "change" candidate -- Well...how about this!

[Akamai]

I sure am glad we haven't had a nuclear war. You want a change candidate in that?

I like raising taxes on the richest Americans as Obama has been doing. Should that taxes be lower on the richest? (I don't think so.)

I like a focus on Climate Change and Women's Issues -- should we change Obama's focus on these issues?

I like lowering the military budget (as did Ike -- listen to his "Cross of Iron" speech), on military adventurism, and I like closing down foreign wars. Don't you want this too?

I am glad Obama is a nonbeliever in "Trickle Down" economics, a believer in creating jobs, in deficit spending as needed (and it sure as heck is needed), I am a believer in providing jobs to people without jobs -- as FDR wanted, and as most developed societies do. And don't YOU?

I sure as hell -- sure as hell! -- want what Obama wants, to let women to be able chose what's best for themselves -- and freaking hell -- look at the implications of Zika with a rightwing, antilife Republican house refusing to fund necessary research and treatment. (May opponents of paying for CDC programs on this rot in hell forever.)

And don't you want Obama's pressure on those who are reducing people voting through voter suppression methods to continue? (And sure, sure as hell, the Republican architects of the voter suppression methods know what these laws do, what their intentions are, and exactly how hypocritical and mendacious their words are.)

These are some things I sure don't want to change, and which I am sure Trump would change if he were in charge.

Any thoughts on these matters?

[unblock]

1. a "change" candidate doesn't really make much sense this cycle.

for the most part, obama has had a successful run as president.

we're not in a recession
the economy is on the upswing
his administration has been impressively scandal-free
there's been no major foreign policy disaster
trump does not have significant charismatic appeal
there's no third party challenger
hillary didn't really face a damaging primary (sanders got better results than one might have expected, but hillary wasn't really in any serious danger of losing)
there's no major protesting going on.

add to that the stock market is *way, way* up from when obama started.

this is not the kind of backdrop one normally finds in a "change" election.


hillary is not obama, so of course there will be some change, but it will be limited by a republican house at a minimum. real change can't happen until we regain the house, hopefully when the new census kicks in in 2022.

[Akamai]

2. great points all! Wish I had thought of all of them... And in terms of world wide events --

a steady and deeply thoughtful hand at the tiller is required. I cannot begin to appreciate the judgement, the focus, the communication skills required to keep the country safe and on a positive track.

Somehow this reminds me of the story of the story of Lincoln in the Civil War who, when criticized for his running of the Civil War in the Presidential election of 1864, Lincoln compared himself to "Blondin on the tightrope, with all that was valuable to America in the wheelbarrow he was pushing before him". He said in essence "do not distract me in this hour of need!"

He did not want to be criticized and distracted from his major task -- saving the Union, saving the country.

I cannot imagine the pressures on Obama and the deep, deep worth and value of him that he persevered when Republicans were so unified against him from day 1. e.g., look at the "Caucus Room Conspiracy" to see the forces arrayed against Obama even on the night he was dancing with Michelle at their inauguration.

My wife was born at the same hospital Obama was, and graduated from the same high school he did (although many years later). Her birth certificate was of the same type Obama's was, although I, who was born in Kahuku, Oahu, Hawaii have a messier hand-signed birth certificate.

I sure believe Hawaii people are very nice! And Obama is very nice, by birth, by training, by temperament. (We moved here to Oregon and have spent more than half our lives here, but Hawaii is very nice, with an open heart and people who care.) And Michelle is a princess and their children wonderful!

[unblock]

4. i can't take credit, this is mostly based on lichtman's keys:

http://hubpages.com/politics/Predicting-the-2016-Election-the-13-Keys-to-the-White-House

lichtman identified 13 true/false questions that help determine if the cycle is a "change" cycle or not -- specifically, if the white house will change parties.

aside from the rising stock market (not only of lichtman's keys), i simply listed the 8 keys that point to democrats keeping the white house.

the 5 republican keys are:

obama is not running for re-election
republicans picked up seats in the 2014 house election
there's been no major foreign policy victory
hillary is not majorly charismatic
there's been no major policy change in the last 4 years (obamacare was a major policy change, but it passed in his first term)

[Farmgirl1961]

5. Hi Akamai - I too am from Oregon

I have only been to Hawaii once and it was a magical trip.

IMHO Barack and Michelle Obama have been the most outstanding POTUS and FLOTUS in my lifetime. This country has come from one of the deepest recessions and has regained honor and stature from Obama's diplomacy around the world. Funny how he is revered around the world, yet reviled by so many Americans.

I personally don't want a change of direction. Some tweaking, such as more emphasis on climate change, income inequity, health care and higher education -- but not a dramatic change at the helm as so many seem to want.

[Akamai]

7. Yup, Barrack and Michelle are far more steady than I am.

On the other hand, President Obama said nothing (as far as I know about the caucus room conspiracy).

I am not there in the arena, but from my seats in the outfield, I know how few people know about the immediate conspiracy against Obama. I sure hope that the "Caucus Room Conspiracy" is explained widely to citizens trying to understand the reason why our congress doesn't work, and why our president cannot get much done.

[davidn3600]

16. Most people realize the status quo is unsustainable.

[unblock]

17. That doesn't mean they want to switch the party in power

The change we want will come when the demographics take over, hopefully starting with the 2022 election.

For now, Hillary is our best bet for improving things.

[davidn3600]

19. What demographics?

Not sure how demographics is going to curb things like climate change and end corporate corruption. By 2022, the gap between the rich and poor may be too far to ever repair.

[unblock]

20. serious gaps between rich and poor can't be sustained. one way or another, the come to an end.

but i think we're likely to have a more gradual transition. i think once the 2020 census in complete and redistricting reflects a majority-minority population by the 2022 elections, we'll have a long-term shift to the democratic party, and in fact a long-term shift back to more liberal and egalitarian policies. the pendulum will finally shift back to the left.

if trump wins, or, more likely, hillary wins but a republican wins in 2020, we may yet see a catastrophe. but if we can survive to 2022, we may finally have light at the end of the very long, dark tunnel.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Pretty sure that is a media construct...

with Obama's numbers so high, the number of people who want "change" can't be over 35%, maybe 40%.

I'm choosing to ignore all of the "change" bullshit.

[Monk06]

6. Revolution is change but change is not revolution When a politician says the word change he/she

just means vote out the incumbent or the dominant party in power and chose me


Actual fundamental change in the structure of society is not even on the table

Not to put too fine a point on it but Obama's presidency changed nothing except beat all the racists in the GOP out into the open

In 2008 the Republicans were confronted with a handsome hip educated black man and they came up short with McCain and his trailer park swim suit model of a running mate But Obama turned out to be a center right reformer rather than a revolutionary

Nothing changed except some people could afford health insurance Shitty health insurance but better than nothing


As Tim Robbins character in Bob Roberts, the 1992 movie said, "The Times They Are A Changin ..Back"

That is their siren song now with Trump Change back to the nineteenth century when the Newport Rich owned everything and the poor got the tenements in lower Manhattan or a scrub farm in Oklahoma

That's what Trump wants to go back to

[Farmgirl1961]

8. IMHO Obama has been stymied to get stuff done

cause the repugs block his every move, then blame him for not doing his job. He's doing his job and a mighty fine job - considering all the obstructionists!

[Akamai]

12. Farmgirl -- you familiar with the "Caucus Room" conspiracy that took place the very night

that Obama was sworn in? that involved 15 top Republicans:

From:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Not_Ask_What_Good_We_Do

"The prologue to the book details how, on the night of Obama's inauguration, a group of around 15 Republican Representatives and Senators met in the Caucus Room, a "high-end D.C. establishment", to discuss methods to "win back political power" and to "put the brakes on Obama's legislative platform".[3] Those attending the meeting included Eric Cantor, Jeb Hensarling, Pete Hoekstra, Dan Lungren, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, and Pete Sessions as the House Representatives and Tom Coburn, Bob Corker, Jim DeMint, John Ensign, and Jon Kyl from the Senate. Newt Gingrich and Frank Luntz, both "non-lawmakers," were also in attendance. Luntz was the organizer of the meeting."

At that meeting, they pledged undying opposition to anything that Obama proposed/supported/etc.

Listen to Thom Hartmann grilling Newt Gingrich on this about three years ago:

Also, several months after the inauguration, the Koch Brothers held a similar meeting in front of a group of billionaires and millionaires at a California property with Texas Senator John Cornyn debating Jim DeMint. Cornyn's position was that the Republicans should work with Obama on the matters they agreed with him on and DeMint said, "No! Deny him any victory at all!" (This debate is described in Jean Mayer's excellent book, "Dark Money."

Obama bears no fault at all for the Republican obstructionism.

Thom Hartmann has repeatedly written on this incredibly malicious bit of treason by the Re;publicans but most Democrats have never heard of it. (See http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/27297-democrats-duped-by-the-caucus-room-conspiracy for one of several articles by Thom.)

When I start to think that the Republicans cannot any lower in terms of treachery, evil-doing, they dig another basement floor and sink lower than ever.

[LWolf]

9. I get tired of people

supporting the corrupt establishment.

I want a change candidate. Not a regressive hate candidate, a positive change candidate. I'm not going to get what I want. I know that. This "argument" doesn't make me feel any better about that, and doesn't make me less tired of, or more respectful of, the establishment. It's not about Obama. It never was.

[JimGinPA]

10. The Only People Who Want A "Change Election" Aren't Ever Going To Vote For Democrats nt

[bigwillq]

14. We did with Obama

Folks want change when they don't like what the other side is doing, even if the other side is doing well.
If you're a R, you want change this election. You don't want more DEMs elected.
So, for the Rs, this is a change election for them.

[JimGinPA]

15. Which Is What I Meant...

I believe the OP was about this election.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. Trump being POTUS

would be change- -in all the WRONG directions!

[Akamai]

13. Proud -- You are absolutely keerect! All the wrong ways at warp speed.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. how can anyone possibly not think things are light-years better than they were 8 years ago?

some people must have real short memories.

[Akamai]

21. Well, yes. They do have short memories. And there is also a whole industry telling them lies.

But we have to remind them that when Obama came into office, the country was bleeding jobs at the rate of 700,000 a month. And also, with Bush, we were running up huge debts, killing Americans in our wars of choice, Etc.

The whole right-wing industry is having them forget what happened a decade, or a decade and a half ago. And the media in charge now does not correct the right-wingers as they lie about what happened.

I sure agree with the policy of the New York Times on the Washington Post now, calling Trump a liar.

It is far, far past time to do this. But I applaud them for doing so, and with this focus on trunk, there will be a real motivation to get the truth out.

In a recent column, Paul Krugman said that he tried to call Bush a liar during the invasion of Iraq, but was told by his bosses at the New York Times that it was inappropriate to do so.