Is Barack Obama qualified to be President of the United States of America.

[geek tragedy]

According to Bernie Sanders, candidates who use Super PACs (Obama did in 2012), support international trade agreements (Obama pushes the TPP) and who supported the Panama trade deal (Obama told Clinton to finalize it and get it approved) is not qualified to be President.

I disagree with Senator Sanders--I don't think those things disqualify him from the office of President.

17 votes, 2 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Because of corporate money, and supporting bad international trade deals, Obama like Clinton is not qualified to be President
	6 (35%)
	Barack Obama is qualified to be President
	11 (65%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[LexVegas]

1. A hell of a lot more qualified than fucking Bernie Sanders. nt

[Buzz Clik]

3. Sanders meets the legal definition of "qualified"....

... and not much more.

[Cheese Sandwich]

41. Clinton camp: Obama not qualified for vice president

[Buzz Clik]

46. FAIL! I canvassed for Obama.

Pathetic.

[Buzz Clik]

2. The Sanders crowd will be quick to point out Obama's body under the bus.

[sadoldgirl]

4. As far as I remember 08, HRC did not think so.

[geek tragedy]

5. She endorsed him. nt

[CoffeeCat]

28. Hillary said that Obama wasn't qualified to be her Vice President or Commander in Chief

Why try to put words in Bernie's mouth about President Obama, especially when Bernie never said that Obama was unqualified?

Instead of making shit up, look at what the Hillary Clinton campaign said about Obama in 08. She said it straight up!

“We do not believe at this point that Sen. Obama has passed that key commander in chief test,” Wolfson said. Later, Wolfson added that what Clinton views as Obama's failure to pass that test would disqualify him as a vice presidential pick, since a vice president must be prepared to step into the presidency at a moment’s notice. “Sen. Clinton will not choose any candidate who has not at the time of choosing passed the national security threshold, period,” Wolfson said.

But go ahead with your fantastical foray into what Bernie said about Obama.

Desperate times for the Clinton camp. Making shit up and lobbing grenades 24/7.

[Stallion]

29. And Her Supporters VOTED for Him Too TWICE

because Clinton supporters have always been the Democratic Party. The remaining question is whether Sanders supporters can claim to be Democrats and if they aren't why is Sanders running under the Democratic flag. This election has given me a much better understanding why Obama's Job Approval lagged during his Presidency and it wasn't coming from actual Democrats

[geek tragedy]

30. 40% of Sanders voters are non-Democrats. nt

[PatrickforO]

53. You know what I claim?

Who I vote for, and why, is a moral and a personal issue.

And here's why I'm still thinking about it...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=1673279

[TheBlackAdder]

65. She endorsed him after a back room deal (SoS) was struck, a typical practice in most every election.

[geek tragedy]

66. you were privy to those discussions? nt

[TheBlackAdder]

68. Only a moron doesn't think they occur, especially one where she hinted at his assassination.

[geek tragedy]

69. I do not think they made a deal.

I think Obama was happy to have her endorsement, and I think she realized that 1) if she were to have any future in politics, she needed to reconcile with Obama in a big way and 2) the country and the party needed her to do that.

[TheBlackAdder]

70. Yeah! They just had a group hug, sang "Kumbaya" and full support with no strings attached. OK

[geek tragedy]

71. they each had a rational purpose for her endorsing him without the SOS deal.

Obama didn't give John Edwards shit for his endorsement.

[TheBlackAdder]

73. Do you think before you post, after you post, or not at all?

.


The National Enquirer reported that scandal in 2007 and Edwards admitted to the affair in August 2008.


Edwards was damaged goods months before the election took place.


.

[ibegurpard]

7. I know right?

And since he's been elected twice already this is a stupid moot question.

[CorkySt.Clair]

11. Lame attempt at triangulation by the Berners

Most of whom can't stand our president. They believe he's a turd way corporatist war mongering sell out, and he didn't get them their unicorn sparkle pony either.

He is a POSUCS, as was posted here by a personality beloved by Sanders supporters.

I know they don't really GAF about what was said or posted or written about PBO eight years ago. It's just triangulation.

[ibegurpard]

58. He is a third-way corporatist

Although he doesn't seem to be a warmonger. Loves the Surveillance State though.

[CorkySt.Clair]

74. Meh

You know what they say about opinions.

I'll give yours all the credence it warrants.

[Agschmid]

13. And yet someone voted "no"...

[geek tragedy]

20. WILL You Take the time

to explain that?

[Agschmid]

21. Nah... I think we all know.

[rbrnmw]

26. Pubs serve Peanuts

[Trust Buster]

6. Time for the Prez to turn the screws on Sanders.

[Lizzie Poppet]

8. Okay, this infantile horseshit has finally done it.

Off to Ignore with you.

[Jackie Wilson Said]

9. Not surprised at all as to the anti Obama voter. But they are honest, will give them that.

This political message board has a great many non democrats, non liberals, non progressives.

[MineralMan]

10. Not only is he qualified, he IS the President.

Not many people can say that about themselves.

[CorkySt.Clair]

12. Something Bernie will never be

[pantsonfire]

50. haha...I love your sig...n/t

[geek tragedy]

14. Not many Bernie supporters willing to go on

the record. Hmmm.

[MineralMan]

17. This whole discussion is simply silly.

But, it is silly season, so what the heck?

I can't wait for the convention, frankly. After it, we'll finally have a nominee to stand behind and all of this nonsense will end on DU.

Good luck to both candidates. I'll be watching to see who I'll be supporting for the November election.

Enough of this silliness, I say!

[Agschmid]

22. To be fair most probably have you on ignore...

Echo chamber and all.

At least that's what they all say...

[geek tragedy]

24. Quite a few regularly peruse my transparency page

[Agschmid]

25. Yes they do.. odd bunch, seem to be obessed with it.

[Goblinmonger]

35. Not until you mentioned it.

Holy shit, 12 hidden posts. Though you aren't the top, you know. You have work to do to win whatever medal you guys are trying to win.

[geek tragedy]

39. We're chosen by juries of your peers nt

[Goblinmonger]

43. As long as it has nothing to do with you.

Personally, if I said that Sanders supporters were Trump supporters, I might expect to have that hidden on a Democratic website, but apparently you know differently and it's all a conspiracy. Whatever helps you sleep through the night, I guess.

[Skwmom]

15. If Obama had the Clinton baggage in 08 he would never have been elected President.

She had a lot of baggage in 08 but now she has an avalanche of baggage.

Obama was not for any of the things on your list when he was running for President.

[PufPuf23]

16. Barack Obama is qualified to be POTUS.

I supported POTUS Obama in 2008 but have been disappointed by many of his actions as POTUS.

But POTUS Obama has been a good and transcendent POTUS and good for the nation and time.

My druthers were that POTUS Obama not follow neo-liberal economic policies but he did.

That still did not change my general approval.

Hillary Clinton started as the favored Democratic candidate for POTUS in 2008. Her negative campaigning harmed her candidacy and the problem has been repeated in 2016.

Hillary Clinton made poor decisions and actions as SOS. The Clinton's have enriched themselves more than any other exe-POTUS and The Clinton Foundation is also troubling.

The person in this clip (Hillary Clinton) is not suited to be POTUS nor CIC.

[Tarc]

18. Clicks on "show usernames"...

[NWCorona]

19. Didn't vote for the Iraq war

So yes he's very qualified!

[ecstatic]

23. If candidate Obama ever had a disastrous interview like the one

Bernie did, his campaign would have died on the spot. Only a white man could get away with being completely ignorant about key issues while running for the highest office.

[beedle]

33. I keep asking but no one has yet answered

What specific answer did Sanders give that was "disastrous"? Can you provide the question asked and his answer and explain why it was even wrong, let alone disastrous?

[Goblinmonger]

36. So when the NYT said he had the right answers

that meant what?

But, hey, keep pushing that talking point. You might convince someone.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

27. Sure he is. So is Hillary and Trump. So was Reagan and Nixon.

So are most citizens over 35.

Fit/unfit is another question.

[Xyzse]

31. Wrong question to ask.

It is not that any one is not qualified.
The Presidency is a unique enough position that there is no actual necessary experience that one can point out that makes one qualified.

The only one who is not qualified to run for the Presidency is Ted Cruz, since he's Canadian. (I mean, born in Canada to a non American father, and a mother who was trying to be naturalized in to a Canadian)

The question should be, are they not entangled to special interest enough that they could govern for the people, not the special interests.

[geek tragedy]

32. How is Obama different than Clinton on that account? nt

[Armstead]

44. Totally different history and level of integrity

I disagree with Obama on certtain issues, and I do think he allowed himself to become too tight with the corporate class.

But in terms of integrity, brains, personal values, and underlying positions....no comparison whatsoever.

[Xyzse]

47. None really.

Both of them were my last choice back in 2008.

I was more for Biden or any one else except those 2.
I voted for Obama because Palin came along.
Voted for Obama again since Romney was there.

As of yesterday, I felt like I could vote for Hillary if she were to win the primaries. Heck, I was happy with the three primary candidates initially.

At the moment, it's a little hard to think about. I am sure I would vote for the Democrat come General Election, but I would mostly be working on local elections if she were the nominee.

There are attacks on her that are unfair, and I've spoken up for her. Be it the emails, and the transcripts, I just don't see the point in even going for that.

Obama to me has brought the Democrats too far to the right. In the sense that he has given Republicans much of what they want, and even more when they demanded it for so little. He has even chastised other Democrats for not going along with what could be considered a bad bill, just by virtue of him being a Democrat, the others went along with him with legislation that would not have passed during the Bush era, as Democrats were at least fighting.

He took off the sails on many hopes, as he dropped the ball at the beginning of his Presidency.

Stating that, he did redeem himself quite a bit on the second half of his second term.

Please note, it is not that some people think fighting for fairness is easy, and could be done just like that. If that were the case, people like Senator Sanders would not be around. The problem with someone like Clinton, is that she has given up on fairness before even starting. The reason so many Independents like Bernie, is that they think he would actually go for the best possible outcome, rather than triangulate at the middle hoping for a crumb of what they ask for.

As for Clinton, she would not get in to the forefront of an issue until it is popular. Like Obama, both of them would not act or fight for what is right until there is enough of a support for them to even speak about it. For someone like Clinton to say that there will "Never be Universal Health Care in America" it basically makes it in to a self-fulfilling prophecy as it shows that she is never going to fight for anything hard.

However, one thing I must say for both... They generally have the right set of priorities. I tend to prefer Sanders as he focuses on Infrastructure and bringing accountability to the banking system. I also tend to agree with his K-12 education plan more than I do with say Obama or Clinton. Obama has done some great work for college education level matters, but I fear K-12 went to the wayside and the focus on testing and handing the funds to testing companies was a fiasco.

So I guess, in terms of the Agenda, I may give her a pass. However, in terms of actually looking for the best outcome, much like the hopeful Bernard Shaw quote "You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’". She just isn't a leader in that sense.

That does not mean it makes her unqualified, as I said, the only one unqualified is Cruz, but the way she goes makes her a follower rather than a leader.

[beedle]

34. If Obama was running now and

doing his fund raising the same way Clinton is doing hers, the no he would not qualify. Especially after we now know that the whole "unilateral disarmament' super PAC bullshit was a pile of .. well ... bullshit.

[Cheese Sandwich]

37. Clinton camp: Obama not qualified for vice president

[Kalidurga]

38. If you put it that way no he's not very good at his job.

But, he is our current president until 2017 and I'm not going to protest that. I won't even go so far as to post things he does that I don't agree with. I don't care in less than a year Bernie will be president and Hillary can go gnash her teeth quietly in a corner and we will get onto the business of changing the culture in this country.

[cherokeeprogressive]

40. Pretty fucking MOOT, don'tcha think?

[Armstead]

42. Yep but he's not Hillary Clinton

[Lordquinton]

45. What qualifications are you looking for?

And do you agree or disagree with what Clinton said in '08?

[geek tragedy]

48. Clinton had every right to ding him on experience.

The swooning over McSame was repulsive.

[Lordquinton]

51. So you think that in 2008 Obama was unqualified?

Interesting...

[geek tragedy]

59. no, I said she had a right to raise it as a campaign issue.

I canvassed in Iowa for Obama in 2008, so obviously I disagreed.

But it was completely within the bounds to question whether he had the right experience.

As Clinton likes to say, the voters made up their own minds and found him qualified.

[Lordquinton]

62. The voters made up their own minds and found her not qualified, as Clinton likes to say

And she didn't question, she said he as unqualified in no unequivocal terms (if you want a source click on any number of threads about this current tactic, or just post 41) That's not questioning.

[geek tragedy]

63. they didn't find her unqualified, they just liked him better.

She did not get up in front of a crowd of thousands and television cameras and flat out say he was unfit for office.

[pantsonfire]

49. He's already president.....I don't get it....n/t

[bkkyosemite]

52. Here we go again...they twist in all directions to find out the same thing

[MineralMan]

54. Show Usernames is revealing.

It always is. Thanks to the Admins for giving us that in these polls!

[Firebrand Gary]

55. This post actually gives me hope.

When you reveal the names of those who voted that PBO is qualified, most of those names are Bernie's supporters. DU hasn't lost it's mind, we're just in a place a ridiculous divisions.

I look forward to the day when we're not playing this unproductive game of primary checkers! Love ya DU!

[hrmjustin]

56. Not surprised by that result.

I think one or two of those no votes were likely a joke but one of the names confirms my opinion.

I always love DU polls.

[AlbertCat]

57. Ridiculous

Uh... he IS President of the United States. Where have you been?

As a matter of fact, he's a lame duck president of the United States and can't be one again.

So is there some stupid point you were trying to make with this dreck?

[geek tragedy]

60. 14% of DUers disagree with you, per the poll.

[AlbertCat]

61. 14%

Isn't that Congress' approval rating?


Still don't know what this ridiculous poll is about.

[Capt. Obvious]

64. He's making a list

and checking it twice

[beedle]

67. Hillary says hell no!!

Well, okay, I'll give her a break, maybe she would have voted yes, but not before her and her buddy John, the other (openly) Republican war mongering candidate in the race at the time.

[PowerToThePeople]

72. If I had a crystal ball in 2008,

I would not have been supportive of an Obama presidency.

edit - I would not have been supportive of pre-2015 Obama presidency. This last year I have been proud of his actions more than disappointed. Well, besides his continued push for TPP.