We knew we could be better

That was when I knew the country had changed, and not for the better. Of course, there was a big party under way in the 1980s, after the recession of the early part of the decade, and various masters of the ...

[jimmy swift]

You're so right Dan , The 80s were great times with Reagan as President . He set the tone that carried us through untill the end of Clintons 2 terms (which unfortunately ended in disgrace). Now with a new President , half white and half black we can again be a great Country with a competent leader in the White House.

[Stoney Case]

HAIL OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!

[Careful what you wish for]

What a total crock of B.S. Enjoy your Pyrrhic victory. It won't be long before reality knocks you in the face.

[MDR]

If he paid $200 for a bottle of Mondavi; he wasn't too bright in the 1st place..........

The rest of Rodrick's whine (my "h") totally ignores the People's (my caps) distaste for the GOP. The yearning for change box was opposite the McCain box at the polls. The notion that many for voted "for" Obama is countered by reality. The voted against the GOP that threw the moderate wing under the bus and pandered to the Bible thumping cave dwellers of backwoods Ohio.

Case closed.

[Leanne1812]

Well said Dan, if only more Americans were willing to give Obama a chance, hopefully he can make it a better nation for all. Well all those except those who got filthy rich and caused misery to millions.

[conservative]

the only thinhg that needs fixing is dan rodricks. a vasectomy for hime and his male children to put a stop to this anti-american, left wing attitude.
yo'bama will bankrupt this country all the time kissing the butts of terrorists around the world. and people will stop reading this rag of a paper.

[Jack Meoff]

Please explain, if you can, the waste of countless billions of $ on a seemingly endless list of social programs that have accomplished squat in attempting to fight poverty.

Ya gotta change the mindset of the people if you want to have any chance of making any progress in this area!

And you don't accomplish that simply by establishing giveaways.

Only utter fools think that is the way to go. Got that liberals????????

[Amazed]

The Obama who: ran on change, yet was /is part of the Chicago political mob; ran against Wall Street yet recruited Warren Buffett for his transition team; said he would reach across the aisle yet appointed a raving partisan as his Chief of Staff; etc, etc, etc,. He owes his election to a pandering dishonest press, tons of illegal campaign money, racism (yes Virginia, Black on White racism exists) and a flawed GOP campaign. The apologists for hos future failures are already saying that the problems are too great for him to solve. Bring on Oprah and form the Department of Feelings.

[Broke Taxpayer]

The change is we now have a socialist muslim in the White House, another empty suit like we have in Annapolis.

This country has become weaker in the world, Russia, China and Iran are happy.

DO NOT READ rodericks, "just to see what happens"...

[New Agency]

The Department of Feelings! Perfect! I see I am not the only one who recognizes that syrupy sentiment and idealistic daydreaming are effective tools in getting nothing done.

[NoFreeRides]

Jack Meoff wrote:

Please explain, if you can, the waste of countless billions of $ on a seemingly endless list of social programs that have accomplished squat in attempting to fight poverty.
Ya gotta change the mindset of the people if you want to have any chance of making any progress in this area!
And you don't accomplish that simply by establishing giveaways.
Only utter fools think that is the way to go. Got that liberals????????

Exactly! No discussion of the real reason that many don't escape the generational cycle of poverty. The social programs that enable dysfunction and drove the destruction of the functional family unit in certain groups.

[NoFreeRides]

Obama is the perfect example of the fact that anything is still possible in this country if you are willing to work hard to take advantage of the opportunities you are given.

[NoFreeRides]

Blacksheep wrote:

You are all RACISTS, anyone who would say anything against our new president has got to be RACIST. If you continue to say things other than praises for our new LEADER, you will visited by the new Black Panthers, who will replace the white supremists in the secret service. Our brutha, Barrack will reign like a true AFRIKAN KING and you whites will keep your lyin **** mouths closed. NOBODY WANTS to hear what you say ANYMORE!!! Thats what the ELECTION PROVED!!! NOBODY TRUSTS YOU WHITE DEVILS WITH ANYTHING!! YOUR POWER IS GONE!!! WE HAVE THE POWER NOW BITCHES!!! and we gonna **** you all black in no time with our proud brothers dickin yo white bitches..........BLACK POWER 08, JUSWT LIKE '68......

LOL! While I'm fairly certain your rant was tongue in cheek, I will point out that Obama would not have been elected without the white vote. In fact, white's show the least racism of any group in how they voted.

[urnotmyfriend]

Whites voted for Obama because of white guilt.
They wanted to "prove" America is no longer racist and they wanted to make history with the first black president. He put on a good show, very charismatic, which appeals to the shallow young pop culture. So now they can run around and deceive themselves into thinking how wonderful they are, "we're so open minded"... "we elected the first black president"
Never mind that he is not qualified.
All that mattered was the color of his skin.
So next election they should vote for a Mexican,
experience doesn't matter. We need to make history, elect a Mexican after Obama's through.
We need to put on a good phony dog and pony show to make us feel better about ourselves.

[NoFreeRides]

urnotmyfriend wrote:

Whites voted for Obama because of white guilt.
They wanted to "prove" America is no longer racist and they wanted to make history with the first black president. He put on a good show, very charismatic, which appeals to the shallow young pop culture. So now they can run around and deceive themselves into thinking how wonderful they are, "we're so open minded"... "we elected the first black president"
Never mind that he is not qualified.
All that mattered was the color of his skin.
So next election they should vote for a Mexican,
experience doesn't matter. We need to make history, elect a Mexican after Obama's through.
We need to put on a good phony dog and pony show to make us feel better about ourselves.

Yeah! Right!

I guess your hope is to continue to perpetuate black victimhood and Obama screwed that up for you.

[Man On The Street]

Liberal vs Conservative, simply put. Do we want to spend more on social programs becuase Liberals want the government to take care of them (which is what many have been raised to believe) or more opportunities to do for yourself as the Conservatives believe is the best way for a people to be strong. I prefer to do for myself and not have my hand out waiting for the government to pay me to do less and make less a committment to the good of the people. Sadly, those raised with their hands out only know that to be good, but as the liberals live they give a man a fish to feed them for the day, I prefer to teach a man to fish and feed them for a lifetime. So all the rest of the rhetoric is just that, the reality is taxes will rise, social programs will grow, defense will erode and life will go on its a historical cycle, regardless who sits in the oval office.

[PA voter]

I don't want to hear any more Black whining about racism. IT'S OVER!!! If that clown Obama can make it to the top, just about anybody can too.

[Nick]

Man On The Street wrote:

Liberal vs Conservative, simply put. Do we want to spend more on social programs becuase Liberals want the government to take care of them (which is what many have been raised to believe) or more opportunities to do for yourself as the Conservatives believe is the best way for a people to be strong. I prefer to do for myself and not have my hand out waiting for the government to pay me to do less and make less a committment to the good of the people. Sadly, those raised with their hands out only know that to be good, but as the liberals live they give a man a fish to feed them for the day, I prefer to teach a man to fish and feed them for a lifetime. So all the rest of the rhetoric is just that, the reality is taxes will rise, social programs will grow, defense will erode and life will go on its a historical cycle, regardless who sits in the oval office.

Well if unemployment is going to be 6.5%, pay won't rise while the cost of healthcare will, a year of college education is going to cost $40,000...I'll gladly vote to ACCEPT A HANDOUT!!! No problem. I have no problem "doing for myself", if it was a simple as "catching a few fish" fine, but if "doing for myself" gets as totally UNREASONABLE as it's become, then screw it, I want to go on welfare and pisss on reagan's grave. I want to work, but things don't have to be as hard and extreme as the idiot right wingers want it to be, there's plenty of wealth to spread to make living a decent life possible with REASONABLE EFFORT and not 2 40 hour a week jobs to pay off all the loans you need by age 90.

[Fed Up With Paranoia]

Man On The Street wrote:

Liberal vs Conservative, simply put. Do we want to spend more on social programs becuase Liberals want the government to take care of them (which is what many have been raised to believe) or more opportunities to do for yourself as the Conservatives believe is the best way for a people to be strong. I prefer to do for myself and not have my hand out waiting for the government to pay me to do less and make less a committment to the good of the people. Sadly, those raised with their hands out only know that to be good, but as the liberals live they give a man a fish to feed them for the day, I prefer to teach a man to fish and feed them for a lifetime. So all the rest of the rhetoric is just that, the reality is taxes will rise, social programs will grow, defense will erode and life will go on its a historical cycle, regardless who sits in the oval office.

If you actually believe a word of this drivel, I have some swampland I'd like to sell you. As Warren Buffett says "the one thing we learn from history is that some people never learn from history"

[Fed Up With Paranoia]

Nick wrote:

<quoted text>
Well if unemployment is going to be 6.5%, pay won't rise while the cost of healthcare will, a year of college education is going to cost $40,000...I'll gladly vote to ACCEPT A HANDOUT!!! No problem. I have no problem "doing for myself", if it was a simple as "catching a few fish" fine, but if "doing for myself" gets as totally UNREASONABLE as it's become, then screw it, I want to go on welfare and pisss on reagan's grave. I want to work, but things don't have to be as hard and extreme as the idiot right wingers want it to be, there's plenty of wealth to spread to make living a decent life possible with REASONABLE EFFORT and not 2 40 hour a week jobs to pay off all the loans you need by age 90.

Well said, unfortunately a certain portion of the populace never seems to get this, and argues for policies that have failed time and again. They think they sound intellectual,but they just sound out of touch.