How has Obama's performance so far changed your opinion of how you would have voted in your primary?

[Dawgs]

Another poll grading Obama's performance; with a twist.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. I don't think Obama has done badly, but I would still vote for Kucinich. n/t

[Dawgs]

2. I'm fine with your choice, but I'm curious.

Is there anything Obama could do to get your 'full' support?

I'm assuming bringing ALL of our troops immediately home would be one.

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Unambiguous, unqualified full support for my fundamental human rights would be a start

As long as he opposes equal marriage and instead favors Jim Crow "civil unions," he does not support my rights as a citizen and human being.

[HughMoran]

4. "Jim Crow"

I'm not sure that's the analogy I'd use, JMHO.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Separate and allegedly (but not at all) equal

What analogy would you prefer?

[HughMoran]

10. Jim Crow = rights of blacks

If you see a man across the street you know his race but can only guess at his orientation, which means the comparison is flawed right away. But it's a needless, unnecessary comparison, an awkward comparison. Why not just fight for your civil rights, why invoke Blacks? Just reference civil rights tactics. There's no need for and no comparison. Gays are fighting for civil rights. Blacks had to convince people of their humanity while fighting for rights. That humanity was the underlying justification for the rights.

[TechBear_Seattle]

18. First off, look up the meaning of "Jim Crow"

From the lede of the Jim Crow Laws article in the Wikipedia:

The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure segregation in all public facilities, with a "separate but equal" status for black Americans and members of other non-white racial groups.

Some examples of Jim Crow laws are the segregation of public schools, public places and public transportation, and the segregation of restrooms and restaurants for whites and blacks. The U.S. military was also segregated. These Jim Crow Laws were separate from the 1800-66 Black Codes, which had also restricted the civil rights and civil liberties of African Americans. State-sponsored school segregation was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1954 in Brown v. Board of Education. Generally, the remaining Jim Crow laws were overruled by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

So you are totally incorrect: Jim Crow != rights of blacks. Rather, Jim Crow is the institutionalization of separation, which the Supreme Court ruled to be inherently unequal and a direct violation of Constitutionally protected civil rights.

Civil unions, domestic partnerships et al. were created specifically to be separate institutions from marriage. They exist only to keep marriage a special right for heterosexuals only, in exactly the same way that Jim Crow created separate schools, restaurants, hotels and even restrooms in order to keep many of these facilities for white use only.

[HughMoran]

21. lol - I'm not wrong

You're splitting hairs to make your argument. Clearly Jim Crow laws were used to suppress blacks civil rights - separate was clearly NOT EQUAL.

I refuse to have discussions with monoliths - g'bye.

[Solomon]

23. LOL. Kudos to you for trying at least.

[TechBear_Seattle]

33. In much the same way that "civil unions" are used to suppress gay civil rights

But go ahead: run away while flinging insults (calling me a "monolith") without defending your point of view.

[Eryemil]

51. Same. He's too good for America

To me Obama is the (much) lesser of two evils but he's far from what I would have wanted of a president if I still lived in the states.

[Jennicut]

6. By the time the CT primary came along it was Obama vs Hillary

I would vote for Obama again and approve of his performance overall.

[CTyankee]

44. Hey, Jennicut. I voted for Hllary in the primary but would vote for Obama

if it were held today. But that is hindsight. I am looking at Obama with different eyes because I see what he is doing and I think he is right for the job.

I liked Hillary and JE a lot, but I of course got thoroughly disgusted with JE and became less thrilled with Hillary's organizational skills. Obama ran a great campaign and he totally won me over with his superb handling during the election. He was disciplined, smart and right. Once I realized that, it was all over for me: Obama was the person for the job.

[Jennicut]

47. Hey! I always liked him and Biden the best with Hillary not far behind.That is kind of funny.

I thought Hillary was very intelligent and was ready to vote for her in the GE is she won the nomination. I thought of the primary fight as an epic battle between two warriors and tried not to take it so personally. I had moments where I was angered over something she did but really came to respect her fighting spirit. I just liked Obama more because of his overall vision of where he wanted to take the country and I am very satisfied with him right now. I liked JE in 2004 but found him to be not that genuine by 2007. None of the others stood out to me that much except Biden because I liked his sense of humor and straightforwardness in the debates. I was pleased Obama chose him for VP and not Evan Bayh.

[CTyankee]

55. Picking Joe B. as his VP was another example of Obama's smarts.

Joe is a decent guy and an outstanding senator on foreign policy, who could pick up a phone and call numerous heads of states and be conversant with them. Joe was needed to "beef up" Obama's foreign policy creds, showing that Obama is humble enough and smart enough to line up the best team possible for running the country. That impresses me.

[saltpoint]

7. I'd take any of our 8 announced candidates over anybody the Pukes sent

out there, just for a starting framework.

I could make a strong case for any of our original 8. Also, the Dems' debates were a sharper, more interesting, pertinent set of discussions.

Giuliani was not alone in behaving like a boorish oaf in the GOP debates, but he did more than his part in making them nationally embarrassing.

I would have been happy to have John Kerry as the nominee. When he stepped aside I supported Edwards. I voted whole-heartedly in my state's primary for Obama, as Edwards had dropped out. Again, if Dodd or Gravel or Kucinich had emerged as frontrunners, I would have made the same positive case for them against any Puke in the field.

Obama has been a great change and a refreshing uplift in his short time in office. I expect more reversals of Dubya's catastrophic administration and some new vigor in public discourse about common problems.

Whole-heartedly for Obama at present, with plenty of good will toward the man and his mission for the next 7 years and 10 months.

[WeDidIt]

8. Flamebait n/t

[Dawgs]

11. How is this poll flamebait?

:wtf:

[WeDidIt]

16. Dredging up the primaries is ALWAYS flamebait. n/t

[demwing]

41. So is history. History is flame bait

And retrospect. Retrospect is just a open door for flame bait.

[LiberalFighter]

9. Why should support for Obama in the primary be necessary for his support now?

The primaries helped Obama because he had strong opponents. If he had not had Hillary or others running against him hard he might not have won.

[Dawgs]

13. It's not. It's just a question.

No agenda here.

[WeDidIt]

17. I don't believe you, n/t

[rch35]

32. Well I don't believe you.

I like how some DUers think there is a constant and unrestrained effort to sabotage this message board at all times. every once in a while we get a freeper or two but most of the time its just internet paranoia.

[Dawgs]

39. Okay, so you're either an asshole, or you have a reason to not believe me.

I'm guessing asshole.

[WeDidIt]

42. I was here during the primaries

and saw enough of this shit then.

[Dawgs]

43. Enough of what shit? I have no fucking agenda.

I'm not telling people that Obama is better than there candidate, am I?

I was curious to see if people liked Obama more than the candidate they supported, or not. That is all.

You need to relax a little bit.

We're almost ALL Democrats here.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

12. Voted for Biden in the primaries

And while I'd probably still vote for Biden, Obama has more than won me over too.

[camera obscura]

14. Voted for Obama at my caucus and I don't regret it

Even when I occasionally have problems with his policies, the other choices wouldn't have been any better. In fact, I'm fairly certain they would have been much worse.

[Marrah_G]

15. My primary vote would stay the same.

That in no way grades his performance.

I find it amusing that you think it would.

I like some of his choices and dislike others.

[Aloha Spirit]

28. very true.

I couldn't figure out what bothered me about this poll... but it's what you said, the choices have little to do with grading Obama.

[Marrah_G]

30. They have everything to do with trying to label posters.

Yup- you got it.

[Dawgs]

40. You're correct. Poor choice of wording on my part.

Sorry!

[Marrah_G]

54. It's okay- I'm glad you clarified the intention of your OP.

For some of us nerves are still raw from the primaries and we still get knocked around because of our choice to this day.

My apologies for questioning your motives.

[bigwillq]

19. Still would've voted for Kucinich

DK was the only true progressive of the 2008 candidates.

I think Obama is doing a pretty good job though.

[Beacool]

20. I voted for Hillary in NJ

and would vote for her again in a heartbeat. So, no it didn't change my opinion of Obama since I didn't vote for him in the first place.

:-)

[Occam Bandage]

22. I think most people would stay the same.

[Phx_Dem]

24. I have to laugh at whomever voted for Edwards and would do it again!

And I say that as a former supporter, but a lying skank is a lying skank and we already had one of those as President for the last eight years albeit a different kind of lying skank.

:rofl:

[dionysus]

25. yeah no shit!

:rofl:

[Adelante]

26. I voted for Obama in the primaries

I would again in a heartbeat.

[regnaD kciN]

27. Robb is a dingbat

Just sayin'...

[dkf]

29. I couldn't stand Hillary but now I'm wondering if she would have

focused more on the economy and given us a better stimulus package.

I look at the great numbers coming out of China's stimulus package and it makes me wonder where we would be if we had a better stimulus package here at home.

Sigh.

[WI_DEM]

31. You don't think Obama has focused on the economy?

[dkf]

48. I don't think he guided the bill enough.

He left a lot of stuff that is dead weight. Like the tax cuts.

[Uzybone]

38. Are you one of the "he is doing too much" crowd?

[dkf]

49. No. I'm with the "he is scaring the crap out of the stock market"

crowd. That is what people really mean when they say he is doing too much. Mostly its the health care proposal and the tax increase that is freaking rich people out. I'm not rich, but they are taking me down with themselves.

Even my rich boss is cutting back on spending because everyone including him has lost so much money in the market.

And you do not want to know how much I've lost. I thought I built up a decent nest egg, but its pretty decimated. I was not prepared for a stock market that falls more than during the great depression. And I thought Obama would be such an excellent President that he would keep things from falling too much. I admit I let myself believe in him more than I ought to have. I bet my future on him and the Democratic stimulus bill and now I am paying the price.

[MzShellG]

34. I voted for Obama in the primaries and WILL

Vote for him again in 2012!

[harun]

35. Dem's continue with "Single payer is off the table" and I may never vote for

any of them ever again.

Other than the good ones like Conyers and Kucinich.

[mvd]

36. I would have voted for Kucinich still, but..

I'm not sure I would still support Hillary over Obama.

[bklyncowgirl]

37. I'm stickin' with the O man.

First president that I actually voted for in both the primaries and the general election. I have to take responsibility and stick with my guy through thick and thin--unless of course he really screws up--which he most certainly has not done.

[SunsetDreams]

45. I guess I'm just not understanding the purpose of this poll

What is your goal or what insight will this research give you?

No offense, but the primaries are over. I don't see what could be gained by this poll.
It's time for this Country to move forward, we have a President who is trying to do that.
No matter how anyone voted, what's done is done.

It's too early in this administration for me to honestly evaluate my vote. I don't see how anyone else could either.
Obama hasn't done anything to warrant that. Are there individual things that people may not agree with? Sure, NO president can please all the people, all of the time, or at anytime.

I just don't see what this accomplishes, other than, my guy(gal) is better than yours, etc., which as we know dredges up hard feelings from the primaries.

[Diamonique]

46. I'm a Michigander, and you know about our primary mess, but...

... I voted uncommitted. My vote was -- at that time -- for Edwards who wasn't on the ballot due to all the mess.

But after having seen how Obama worked through the primaries, the general, and now his first few days in office, I feel that he was by far the best of all of our candidates. I don't remember whether he was on our ballot or not, so even if I got a do-over, it might still have had to be "uncommitted".

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

57. Same here, voted uncomitted

and the uncommitted vote was for Edwards. IIRC, that's because my number one choice Kucinich was already out of the race. Kucinich was the only one "for" complete universal single-payer health care.

I like our primary process, letting small states vote early, delaying CA, NY, other big states. This gives an "unknown" like Obama a chance to get known. If we had "one big national primary" or a primary season with CA, NY voting early, I think early big corporate money would win. In 2008, that would be Clinton (which would not be a bad thing, just not as good as Obama).

Hopefully, MI and FL will get re-instated into the Democratic process before 2015-2016 primaries roll around. I don't think 2012 matters - we know who will get that nomination.

:hi:

[PassingFair]

59. Stamp me "uncommitted" too.

I am still sore at our MDP for
*ucking up the primary.

I am less than thrilled with
some of Obama's policies, ie..

FISA immunity,
Charter Schools,
Faith-Based Initiatives,
Most of his cabinet picks;
and his escalation of troops
in Afghanistan.

BUT, if he can help pass
the Employee Free Choice
Act and create a

National Health Care Program,

that provides healthcare for
everyone without necessitating
bankruptcy, I'll keep my mouth
closed in public about my disagreements.

Not here, though.

[960]

50. I voted for Hillary in the primary, and would vote for her again.

I was initially a Biden supporter, but he dropped out before I got the chance to vote for him.

Primary choice doesn't have anything to do with grading Obama.
He is doing a good job.

I do feel that Obama isn't managing the economy well enough, which would be one of Hillary's strong suits.

The same issue that sealed the General Election for Obama would have sealed the nomination for Hillary had the economy imploded 6 months earlier.

[dcindian]

52. Obama was not my first choice or even my second.

But he was the one I voted in the primaries for and I think he is doing a great job and would happily do so again.

[mmonk]

53. There were only two candidates by the time of my primary,

so I never get to vote for someone I like. So I voted for him instead of Clinton, but still got Clinton and all the Clinton people. I vote against Republicans. I don't get to vote for anything.

[old mark]

56. Voted for Obama in primary and general election, and I'd do it again today if I could.

He is the only candidate that I felt was capable of doing what he is doing right now - working on several projects at once despite the media/GOP attacks and obstructionism. He is THE president for THIS time, and that's it IMO.

mark

[seaglass]

58. I voted for Hillary - not because I was enthralled with her by any means

but I trusted her more than I trusted Obama. I wouldn't change my vote but it has nothing to do with Obama's performance.

[agentS]

60. Did not vote in the primaries-

It was a Dem perfect storm. We could've thrown my neighbor's dog on the stage and he would've gotten more electoral votes than McCain/Palin.

Right after the Lehman Bros meltdown it was like 60, 65% generic Dem over 30, 34% generic Repub in some polls.

[Greyskye]

61. Voted by mail for Edwards the day before he dropped out

You bet I'd vote for Obama given a do-over. :(