For whatever it's worth: I was WRONG about Obama. I just watched him on Jon Stewart.

[BigBearJohn]

I think I saw a different side of him than I'd ever seen before.
I loved the fact that he made himself vulnerable and opened himself
to any questions that were asked of him. (How many of YOU would
allow themselves to be cross-examined by the likes of Jon Stewart?)
Seems like Obama really reached out to the common man. Basically,
he explained himself and I, for one, loved that.

I felt like he was being more "real" and spontaneous during the
interview. He made some excellent points and really answered Stewart's
questions with something other than just a pat answer (at least his
answers seemed genuine, intelligently reasoned and heartfelt).

His ease with Stewart amazed me. His quick and deliberate
responses to Stewart seemed unrehearsed and made sense to me.

Though I might not agree with all his positions, I felt more
confident in him today than I have in the last two years.
More than just a politician, today I finally saw a President. No doubt
some people here will say I must have had blinders on not to see it before,
but at least I can say, "better late than never."

I also give him a lot of credit for the way he answered the progressive
bloggers.

All in all, I felt a good deal more respect for the man today.
I remain positive to see what he can accomplish in the next
two years.

I fully realize that a lot of you here could give two shits
about whatever I think or feel; still, I wanted to say it anyway.

Thanks for allowing me to say it. That's my 2 cents.

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/27/obama-daily-show-jon-stewart-interview_n_775102.html

(edited to spellcheck)

[lamp_shade]

1. What you said is worth a whole lot more than 2 cents to ME. Thank you.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. I agree. I look forward to watching the interview even more now...

Thanks.

:hi:

[lamp_shade]

77. .

[kooth]

97. Your post ...

Me too! Well said, thanks for the post!

[BigBearJohn]

102. Thanks!

:toast:

[AsahinaKimi]

2. I thought that was

a brilliant interview with Jon Stewart. I loved that part where Jon says, "Is that an invitation to the White House?" and the President says "Noooooooooooo!!" lol!

[siligut]

71. I liked how he explained that inviting Jon to the WH would look bad.

After his initial "No", he sought to elaborate. He was so good with Jon, I enjoyed their interaction. Two guys who are on their game AND on our side. Loved it.

[Scuba]

4. This interview was different than many (most?) in one key way....

...the interviewee was allowed to speak without interruption. As a result, the interview was more revealing than it might have been.

I, for one, was impressed (again) with the President.

[malaise]

92. There aren't too many leaders who have interviews

with people who can mock them. Obama is my kind of man -he does not run from critics like the fugging RETHUGS and teabaggers.

[Cal33]

141. It's not exactly a fair comparison. They don't have his intellect,

nor his adroitness at repartee. In my opinion, they shouldn't
be running for high office at all.

[Kind of Blue]

5. KnR. I give two shits about how you feel.

I'm glad I taped it and now think it is worth watching, though everything you've said about him I've felt all along. He's not perfect but the right man for the job.
Thanks for the review!

[pacalo]

56. Don't you think it's quite remarkable to have a president who can change a person's mind?

Someone who can write an OP like that has my respect. I'd like for more people to open their minds toward Obama. You'd be satisfied to have attitudes stay the way they are, or would you like more people on Obama's side?

[Kind of Blue]

90. Yes, indeed, BigBearJohn does have my respect.

Really, even if the president didn't change his mind because I truly do get the frustrations with the administration. I have my own, like the war in Afghanistan, among some other things.

I would Love more people on Pres. Obama's side but also think that it is absolutely necessary to criticize him as well. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. I wish the criticism on DU could have been tempered a bit more. But we're living through what happened when practically no one (except Chuck Hagle) on the Republican side did anything to rein the bastard (Bush) in. Our president is a human being governing, I think, from a very good place in his heart and mind.

[BigBearJohn]

104. Well said and thanks for writing it.

:toast:

[BigBearJohn]

103. Thanks for your feedback. I honestly appreciate it.

:toast:

[Recursion]

6. More than just pat answers

That was what drew me to him Back In The Day: he was a politician who more or less answered the question asked, with some thought.

[mikekohr]

52. This is what I saw at the Depue , IL VFW in July of 2004 when Obama was running for the Senate

After listening to him talk and then thoughtfully answer questions I turned to my 73 year old Dad and said this guy will be president some day.

I took a copy of his Convention speech I had downloaded from the internet up to him to ask him to autograpgh it. As he signed it I expressed to him that I was not sure that he yet understood the level of hope and promise people saw in him. I told him, "When you get to Washington, don't get the big head." He motioned to his wife Michele and told me, "She won't let me."

mike kohr
Bureau County Democrats
http://bureaucountydems.blogspot.com

[deacon]

7. I thought it was a great interview. n/t

[Dappleganger]

8. You can't help but like him...

He is a very charismatic person and highly intelligent. However, we have this issue with the huge disconnect between what he says and what he does that concerns me the most.

[MadMaddie]

51. I think that disconnect lies in the Senate

The Democratic Party has become the Prison of Blue Dog Democrats and a weak leader. I want Reid to win and then I want him replaced.

[RaleighNCDUer]

63. I agree - Reid has enough on his hands dealing with Nevada -

he doesn't need to be trying to run the Senate as well. Let somebody who's not so tired take over.

[MadMaddie]

64. You nailed it

He is tired...

[Uzybone]

89. Perfect word for Harry Reid, tired

I think he is a good man, but damn does he look and act tired.

[JDPriestly]

98. Discouraged and depressed.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

130. Right

and if you're discouraged and depressed, you're ineffective. Having to run against someone like Sharon Angle who has no honor whatsoever - well, Harry got sucker punched.

As far as Barack's appearance on The Daily Show, I was greatly impressed with his sincerity, and he certainly got a very warm welcome from the audience. That must have been heartening to him.

[siligut]

74. Yes, Obama said that the 60%-not in the Constitution-rule was the trouble.

I agree about Reid too, we need someone who actually still believes they can make a difference.

[Jackpine Radical]

95. Rahm Emanuel built that prison, at least the Blue Dog addition

and Obama appointed him Chief of Staff.

Yes, I have always felt the seeds of greatness in Obama, but he seems sometimes to be willfully limiting himself.

During the rest of the year, I keep prodding and poking, hoping to in some small way help push the engine of State onto the track to the left, but right now, it's desperately important to keep whatever control of things we can, so I'm just pushing for Democrats these days, and if Obama, in displaying himself as the decent and brilliant man he is, managed to bring in some waverers or to enthuse some who would not otherwise have voted, I cheer him.

[JerseygirlCT]

113. Me too! nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

62. I hope that losing the Rahm filter might help with that. nt

[Marr]

114. C'mon-- a practiced politician came off as a likeable guy.

Can't you just get emotional about this and ignore the facts for awhile?

[Cal33]

142. Do you think you know all of the difficulties - big and small -

the details, the sudden change in events that require readjustments etc.
that's constantly going on, and which he has to face - every single day?

[Marr]

144. Did you say the same about Bush when he made his foreign policy arguments?

Many gave him the benefit of the doubt because, 'he knew something we didn't'. Others did not, choosing instead to judge the situation on it's face value. Turns out they were more accurate.

You don't actually know that any of the "compromises" and quiet backtrackings were truly necessary, so shrugging them off with a, "I'm sure he has his reasons" is both unwise, and insulting to people who have been more affected by those decisions than you may have been.

[Cal33]

145. Bush did not work long hours. He spoke publicly as seldom

as possible, and when he did he was not always coherent. He was known as the president who
took the all-time longest holidays. He lied our nation into a war with Iraq for his
personal reasons. The number of illegal things he had done is history.

In short, Bush was not to be trusted. I never know when a sociopath is telling the truth
or not, until later when the results of what he had done become known.

It's pointless trying to compare the two.

[Marr]

146. I'm not comparing the two. I'm comparing the kneejerk trust that Bush's

supporters gave their man, and the kneejerk trust that Obama is receiving here. I heard his explanation. It sounded sober and reasonable. The facts, however, don't jibe with it, in my opinion. And I'm not going to make up an excuse for a politician so that I can believe the things I want to believe.

[FedUp_Queer]

118. Amen.

I've said it too often, so I won't say it again. If Bush did the things Obama is doing, we'd be screaming war crimes. Oh wait...we did, and we were right.

[great white snark]

9. Kick, I agree. (nt)

[Ghost Dog]

10. Any chance one could see a recording, overseas?

Over the internet?

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. The Daily Show link

I just watched it this morning and I'm overseas
Be sure to watch not just part one and two but the lead up which comes third


http://www.thedailyshow.com/

[Ghost Dog]

26. Yes, got it. Thanks, Carpenter.

[intaglio]

40. Apple is your option if your computer is set to zone 2

bloody Hulu

[AldebTX]

11. K&R

He has been bashed by the right for doing it. But overall he answered some I portent questions. I didn't always agree with the answers but at least he didn't duck them.

It's a sad state of affairs that John Stewart in many ways is more a journalist then our news channel pundit journalists.

[AndrewP]

13. That is the truth

The typical Washington punditry is absolutely a joke

[shireen]

81. +1

[liberalmuse]

14. Thank you for sharing.

Now I'm going to have to watch that interview, thanks to reading this.

[nevergiveup]

15. This was one of Obama's best interviews

and the questions from Stewart were not softballs. This was Obama and Stewart both at their best. I wish the interview could have been for 60 minutes

[mysticalchick]

16. Good interview ...

... I kept thinking all the way through "Would Bush have done something like this?" - hell no. President Obama came across as very real and seems sincerely concerned with what's going on. I have no damn doubt that there are a trillion things he knows that we cannot about all of this that plays into his decisions. It's so easy to sit in my chair and say "Oh, he should have done this or that" because I don't have all the information. Yes, I think he is more conciliatory than I'd like especially with the morons on the right but bottom line - I trust him. Maybe one day that will come back to haunt me but I don't think so.

I loved that Jon let him have the space to talk. And I don't have an issue with JS asking the questions he did - they were very reasonable, IMO.

(Damn, I sound like a fangirl, don't I? heh)

[butterfly77]

17. The Pres always does...

he did before he was elected everytime the media thought he wouldn't talk to someone or put himself out there he proved them wrong and that is what they don't like he has faced every test Throughout,the campaign they kept bringing their so called biggest and baddest people in every sector of this society for him to face and everytime they were astonished by his brillance and that is why they want to take him down..He is tired and he is still kicking ass.

Sarah Palin and the rest of the republicons can't and won't face half of the people and answer any of the bullshit questions that have been thrown at him..The problem with a lot of people is that they have never paid attention to him REALLY they listen to the media and some just look at skin color they know NOTHING...We who follow him know it Bullshit.

[oswaldactedalone]

18. He's a great man

When will white America realize it?

[texastoast]

73. He IS a GREAT man

In some of our most difficult of times.

I'm impatient with progress, but that is MY issue. Turning the country toward progressivism overnight has never been possible. We've been trying since the 1960s, and it is a slow process. Obama is part of that progress, and I just hope all the progressives understand that it just doesn't happen overnight.

We are so much farther on the road to taking America into the future than we would ever be if the pukes had kept total power in 2008. I hope all the progressives understand this.

And I hope the DINOs go home so we can get more work done.

[butterfly77]

86. They already know it..

and that is why they hate him,they can't have anyone thinking a black man is great unless he is in sports and then if they do something they don't like it will time to try to take them down. Many refuse to believe it no matter how much evidence is in their faces..

[1955doubledie]

117. I'd say 60% of "white America" realizes it

I am one.

Problem is, only about half of those bother to vote.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[seabeyond]

20. agree, and point. those that point finger saying messiah, are the people that bought into, stewart

they are the ones looking for a messiah, when he is merely a man.

[Bitwit1234]

21. Your opinion is your opinion and it sounded like a good insight

into Obama. I still do not agree with a lot he has done, agree with a lot he HAS done and do not for one minute believe the republican hype that he will be a one term president. I do not and I truly believe this that there is not a republican out there who could take the presidency away from him. Although we see how hard the republicans are trying to undermine him and the Democrats.

I think the Democrats are wrong in the respect that they don't have these organizations like the republicans do. They don't push push push their agenda in organizations like republicans. For example, who could equate to Virginia Thomas' newly founded organization. Rove's organization ..where by the way he is getting illegally donating to republicans from a TAX FREE organization. How can he get away with that.

[seabeyond]

22. They don't push push push .... that is what hubby kept saying thru out interview... nt

[treestar]

23. Exactly! The Democrats make the republicans look right when they

say we expect things to be handed to us. We sit here and blame our leaders for not doing enough can call them "timid" and "cowardly" rather than do what needs to be done!

[DeschutesRiver]

24. Thanks for posting your take on it and I agree. nt

[madriver]

25. He has ALWAYS been that way...

...you were just too busy getting smoke blown up your butt from the Right to notice.

Probably too little too late from the Left, as usual...

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[emulatorloo]

84. And yet Obama's "corporate masters" are spending BILLIONS to destroy Obama

and the Democratic Party.

[Arkana]

122. "Slick Willie"?

I assume next you have some literature about Vince Foster for us?

[Taverner]

27. I agree 100% - Obama REALLY impressed me last night

There were no kid gloves

There were no pulled punches

Obama didn't expect that either

--------------------------------

In fact what I saw was a modern version of Frost/Nixon

instead it was Stewart/Obama

---------------------------------

The guy is GOOD

Why can't congress be that good?

[YankeeLeft7x]

82. America's Jobs Losses are Permanent -Globalism Comes Home to Roost

October 28, 2010

Globalism Comes Home to Roost

America's Jobs Losses are Permanent

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

Now that a few Democrats and the remnants of the AFL-CIO are waking up to the destructive impact of jobs offshoring on the US economy and millions of American lives, globalism’s advocates have resurrected Dartmouth economist Matthew Slaughter’s discredited finding of several years ago that jobs offshoring by US corporations increases employment and wages in the US....In mid-October Treasury Secretary and Goldman Sachs puppet Tim Geithner gave a speech in California in the backyard, or former backyard, of 60 Minutes’ Silicon Valley dispossessed upper middle class interviewees in which Geithner said that the solution is to “educate more engineers.”...We already have more engineers than we have jobs for them. In a recent poll a Philadelphia marketing and research firm, Twentysomething, found that 85% of recent college graduates planned to move back home with parents. Even if members of the “boomeranger generation” find jobs, the jobs don’t pay enough to support an independent existence....The financial media is useless. Reporters repeat the lie that the unemployment rate is 9.6%. This is a specially concocted unemployment rate that does not count most of the unemployed. The government’s own more inclusive rate stands at 17%. Statistician John Williams, who counts unemployment the way it is supposed to be counted, finds the unemployment rate to be 22%.....The correct conclusion is that the US trade deficit with China is the result of “globalism” or jobs offshoring, not Chinese currency manipulation....

Read the Entire Article @:
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts10282010.html

[Spazito]

28. I thought it was a great inteview as well...

Stewart didn't pander to the President, asked good questions and received, in turn, honest answers from the President. There was mutual respect shown by both men, neither expecting nor getting the kid glove treatment.

Good OP, BigBearJohn.

Recommended.

[bobburgster]

29. All citizens should ponder the contrast of.....

Obama's willingness to do unrehearsed interviews to the republican candidates refusing to interview and just spewing sound bites, before they enter the voting booth.

If you have nothing to hide, why hide?

[SargeUNN]

30. He has been there all along just too many

negative things dwelled on without giving attention to the positive by not only the right but also from our side. We seem to think to say much of the good things or at least not water them down we would be cheerleading for him. We are claiming to be honest but honesty also means when something good is accomplished it is fine to spend time mentioning it.

[felix_numinous]

31. K + R

[BrklynLiberal]

32. A post worth reading. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

[BigBearJohn]

105. Thanks for your comments. It means a lot to me.

:toast:

[bc3000]

33. Stewart should have asked him better health care questions

Stewart let him repeat the same talking points without pressing him on actual cost controls. Obama described what is basically a giant entitlement increase for a sub section of our population while the majority of us will get nothing but extremely inflated rates.

[MessiahRp]

137. Agreed...

For the most part I thought Stewart was pretty easy on Obama and pumped the brakes too often when Obama pushed back. He seemed too timid and gave Obama the floor far too often to ramble about the points he wanted to make. Stewart even joked about not being able to talk. I've seen Stewart take it much harder to some Republicans (A John Bolton interview comes to mind) and I would have liked him to spend less time repeating the campaign slogans and more time digging into real concerns of ours (better HC questions, pushing him on DADT, pushing him on wiretapping and privacy concerns, etc).

[uncommon]

34. Agreed. He wasn't perfect - he sounded real.

Real is good.

[xxqqqzme]

35. My favorit part was when stewart asked

why the people responsible were put in charge - Timmy in particular. Obama says 'Tim is doing a heckova job. The audience started to react, Jon said 'Dude, you don't want to say that' and started laughing. Obama recovered nicely

I sat there thinking - JON - you called POTUS - DUDE!

[Bette Noir]

38. I loved that Jon wasn't reflexively deferential, but interviewed him

the same way he would a CNBC pundit or a Republican candidate for office. Jon keeps his interview subjects honest (if anyone can).

[krkaufman]

36. Yep. I just wish that Obama ...

... were more well prepped on reciting his accomplishments, especially the fact that everybody got a tax cut last year -- and the reason why no one really noticed. (because Obama chose good policy over good politics, doling out the tax cuts via a change in withholding rather than writing checks -- knowing that this approach would be more stimulative to the economy)

[Bette Noir]

37. While it was brave of Mr. President to spend a whole half hour with Jon,

being willing to give an interview is a pretty low standard to hold him to.

I thought Stewart was spot-on when he said that the Administration has been "timid" in its proposals. I'm sick of hearing Mr. President brag about how terrific "health care reform" is, when all it does for me is guarantee that I'll will be able to buy insurance at market rates, starting in four years. WTF? I'm currently deciding whether to sell my house in order to keep buying insurance (which costs more than the mortgage) or take a chance on our savings running out before my husband and I can get a new business up and running, since there are no jobs available for either of us. For Mr. President to characterize my disappointment with "health care reform" as "complaining about the 10% you didn't get" is a mortal insult. It feels like I've been given crumbs, and then chastized for being insufficiently grateful.

[Mikeystyle]

39. Obama rocked

Unlike a lot of "leaders," he actually answered the questions--and without a bunch of talking points.

And Stewart is a great interviewer, it's no wonder that so many politicans are afraid of him. You know he's going to make a joke at some point, maybe that throws people off, but he's also smart, well-prepared and has never made himself to be an ass-kisser to anyone.

[DainBramaged]

41. It may be way too late.....

[MadMaddie]

53. That's the corporate MSM story they want the public to believe!

We may lose some seats but that is the normal pattern. Nothing new.

[pokercat999]

42. What I was most impressed with and actually learned for the

first time during the interview was that Larry Summers and the Pres solved the financial crisis! For less than 1% of GDP, what a fucking job, it's a full blown miracle ala the Bush regime.

This will be even better news as the financial crisis continues and grows for all but the TBTF banks and Wall Street brokerage houses. For those of us with houses worth less than they cost to build, un or underemployed, without health insurance having lost or about to lose unemployment insurance this brings us complete relief. It just keeps getting better and better this change you can believe in.

[kenfrequed]

43. I blame the blue dogs and Evan Bayh

They screwed us -40 days into the Obama administration when the organized to block progressive action and legislation.

However, I still think Obama could have pushed a little harder on congress and that the CoS could have used his much lauded skill at arm twisting to push the DLC and corporate dems into accepting more progressive legislation regarding healthcare reform rather than wasting his time castigating the left.

[sheldon]

44. It's nice to be reminded of why I voted for him.

I believe he is truly trying, and has good intentions.
Plus, he really does "get it". He knows what's right and wrong, even if he's not been able to right as many wrongs as we'd like. ;)

[Mira]

45. Looks like a couple of grand worth to me n/t K&R

[GreenTea]

46. Let's hope more see the real truth as well - Got to get EVERYONE out to VOTE!

DEMOCRATIC!!

[herbm]

47. I like the President more every day. Why hasn't he been out there telling the truth about the produc

tivity of this last session of Congree? The tea baggers would have you to believe they successfuly shut it all down.

[davidwparker]

48. that was a good interview. what I liked, in addition to the

answers, was a prez who didn't have softballs tossed to him like * needed.

I've watched it twice from Comedy Central and posted it on my FB for wider coverage.

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[piggy2000]

54. I agree

There is such an overload of conservative media dragging the President through the mud, and then the corporate media analyzes how he is drug through the mud. Courtesy on one side can only last but so long.

The President has shown that he is smart and classy. Jon Stewart should be commended for an awesome interview, and the President should be applauded for taking the questions. THERE ARE TOO MANY POLITICIANS IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE WHO ARE NOT TAKING ANY QUESTIONS!!

[Cal33]

55. I sure hope you're right. I keep on wishing for the best. And thanks for

writing what you did.

[Kurovski]

57. K&R. (nt)

[ermasdaughter]

58. I care. Thanks for posting...

And I TOTALLY agree....

[BigBearJohn]

109. Thank you too!

:toast:

[JuniperLea]

59. Did you read the Rolling Stone article?

I found it much the same.

[BigBearJohn]

106. No. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to read it.

[JuniperLea]

143. It's still available online!

I think you'd enjoy it.


http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/209395

[BigBearJohn]

147. Thanks so much. I'll read it.

:toast:

[HughMoran]

60. I also thought he did a good job of explaining his positions and political calculus

...in a way that the average person could comprehend and sympathize with.

:thumbsup:

[DailyGrind51]

61. Both Obama and Stewart are cerebral articulate guys.

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[elleng]

66. Its worth quite a lot here, at DU, imo, and I'd like to thank you VERY MUCH for saying it.

:thumbsup:

[BigBearJohn]

107. You're sweet. Thank you.

:toast:

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gabi Hayes]

70. pretty sad, isn't it? when's the last time you voted for a major candidate w/o having

to squeeze your nostrils really hard?

it's been decades for me

wait....I voted Nader in 96 (yeah, yeah, I know.....), but that was to try to get enough votes for the Green Party to establish a base against said duopoly

never going to happen, because of the way both parties have the game rigged, obviously, but I'm REALLY getting pissed that assholes like Mario Cuomo are running AGAINST unions and getting away with calling themselves dems....also, do you know who his lt. gov. partner is? infuriating.

[sulphurdunn]

72. Anti-labor Democrat

That says it all.

[Name removed]

68. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[emulatorloo]

91. "watch Obama's body language and syntax" So what are your credentials exactly?

P.S. Obama always uses the work "Look" when he is answering extemporaneously. He's done that forever. That's why that Piss Poor Obama imitator on SNL always starts his sentences with the work "Look."

"the rhetorical equivalent of raising the white flag."

Perhaps your hyperbole machine needs repair, it seems to be stuck on the highest setting.

"from millions of people who know they've been had"

Last I saw Obama's approval rating with Gallup.com

Liberal Democrats was around 85% -
Moderate Dems 73%
Conservative Dems 62%

So the more conservative people are the less they approve. Reps/Teabags can't stand him. So I'm not sure that your analysis makes a lot of sense, unless you are talking about Conservatives.

[Name removed]

127. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[denpat1]

69. I think he comes across as genuine

and well informed and reasonable. Its just that the opposition is neither and they are running roughshod over him and his agenda.

[renate]

85. I think you're right, and welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Better Believe It]

75. "Thanks for allowing me to say it." Your welcome. Anytime you or anyone wishes to

post anything complementary about or in support of President Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi or any other Democratic Party leader's I promise you that I will not try to censor it off the DU front page by un-recommending it.

You have my word on that.

In fact, I'll recommend your post.

[dionysus]

76. kick

[lamp_shade]

78. Another K&R. (215 recs)

28 unrecs so far... about 9 short of the usual. Must be a slow day over there.

[Coexist]

79. knr

[YankeeLeft7x]

80. America's Jobs Losses are Permanent

October 28, 2010

Globalism Comes Home to Roost

America's Jobs Losses are Permanent

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

Now that a few Democrats and the remnants of the AFL-CIO are waking up to the destructive impact of jobs offshoring on the US economy and millions of American lives, globalism’s advocates have resurrected Dartmouth economist Matthew Slaughter’s discredited finding of several years ago that jobs offshoring by US corporations increases employment and wages in the US.

Read the Entire Article @:
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts10282010.html

[peoli]

83. I saw the same great man that ive seen the whole time. Glad you finally saw it.

[Hekate]

87. Let me shake your hand -- or at least kick and rec your post, which does matter to me

... and I am sure, to a lot of others here.

Hekate

[BigBearJohn]

101. Thanks so much!

:toast:

[calimary]

134. Me too. It struck me that I was watching two intelligent grown-ups.

Compared with most of the flailing and farting and other hissy-fits from all the spoiled, pissant, adult-sized three-year-olds who seem to be damn near everywhere these days.

[political_Dem]

88. As I wrote before elsewhere, people are always fluid in their opinions.

As we become more knowledgable about the world, our thoughts continue to be molded and shaped by what we discover. The POTUS isn't any different.

Thanks for saying what you did.

[zipplewrath]

93. I couldn't even make it through segment 2

I was ready to throw something at the screen. I'll give him this. He sure is impressed with himself.

[harun]

99. Jeesh, what more could he have done? Lay across Stewart's lap for a spanking?

[zipplewrath]

108. More?

Just once he could actually acknowledge that some of his critics actually have valid points.

[Laurab]

110. You would have seen him do that if you'd watched it. nt

[zipplewrath]

115. I did

Well, the first segment and a half. But I've been "watching" him and his spokesmen for 2 years now. It never changes. If you're disappointed, it's just because you don't understand how brilliant he is.

[Laurab]

140. I didn't get that impression in the least...

but, to each their own.

[zenprole]

128. Valid Points Dept

The mods and high puritans on DU have been ducking this reality for a few years:
"Acknowledge that critics have valid points."

Censorship is their weapon of choice, but crass denial works, too.

[young but wise]

119. Funny.

:spank: :rofl:

[AtomicKitten]

94. The MSM is verklempt that he called Pres O "dude" but I liked it.

Nice OP, dude.

:hi:

[JDPriestly]

96. No question. Obama is a wonderful man.

But does he have the courage and strength to stand up against the established powers? Does he alternatively have the courage and strength to inspire the American people to demand to have a government that makes fewer compromises with the established powers?

How forceful is he in dealing with the excess and greed in our military, our corporations and our intelligence branches? That is the test today.

No matter how wonderful he is, if he cannot stand strong in the face of those greedy forces in our society, his administration will ultimately fail.

[BigBearJohn]

100. JFK stood strong in the face the powers that be and look what happened to him and his brother.

I really feel that one man can't change everything that needs to be changed in the USA.
If a leader rocks the boat too much, the big money guys get rid of them in any way necessary.

If you don't believe it, read: "John F. Kennedy vs The Federal Reserve"

CLICK-HERE

I think the only way real change is going to occur is by the populace getting involved
in mass protests and marches. As long as we wait for someone else to do it, it ain't
gonna happen. However, with the use of the new "Active Denial System," even mass
protests may prove ineffective against the high-tech crowd control devices that the
government has in its arsenal (like ADS below).

The Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal, directed-energy weapon developed by the U.S. military.<1> It is a strong millimeter-wave transmitter primarily used for crowd control (the "goodbye effect"<2>). Some ADS such as HPEM ADS are also used to disable vehicles.<3> Informally, the weapon is also called heat ray.<4> Raytheon is currently marketing a reduced-range version of this technology.<5> The ADS was deployed in 2010 with the United States military in Afghanistan, but was withdrawn without seeing combat.<6> On August 20, 2010 the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department announced its intent to use this technology on prisoners in the Pitchess Detention Center in Los Angeles, stating its intent to use it in "operational evaluation" in situations such as breaking up prisoner fights.<7>

Effects
The ADS works by firing a high-powered beam of electromagnetic radiation in the form of high-frequency millimeter waves at 95 GHz<8> (a wavelength of 3.2 mm). Similar to the same way that a microwave oven heats food, the millimeter waves excite the water and fat molecules in the body, instantly heating it and causing intense pain. (Note that while microwaves will penetrate human tissue and remove the water to "cook" the flesh, the millimeter waves used in ADS are blocked by cell density and only penetrate the top layers of skin, so it will not damage human flesh.) Such is the nature of dielectric heating that the temperature of a target will continue to rise so long as the beam is applied, at a rate dictated by the target's material and distance, along with the beam's frequency and power level set by the operator. Like all focused energy, the beam will irradiate all matter in the targeted area, including everything beyond/behind it that is not shielded, with no possible discrimination between individuals, objects or materials, although highly conductive materials such as aluminium cooking foil should reflect this radiation and could be used to make clothing that would be protective against this radiation.<9> As demonstrated on Discovery Channel's "Future Weapons", all living things in the target area receive a similar dosage of radiation.

A spokesman for the Air Force Research Laboratory described his experience as a test subject for the system:

"For the first millisecond, it just felt like the skin was warming up. Then it got warmer and warmer and you felt like it was on fire.... As soon as you're away from that beam your skin returns to normal and there is no pain."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Denial_System

[Hekate]

136. ~*~

You speak to the deepest fears of the generation that witnessed these crimes. My generation.

[Laurab]

111. K&R Thanks for the OP!

The interview reminded me of why I voted for Obama in the first place, and also why I love Jon.

[ClayZ]

112. Yeah! K and R

[bardgal]

116. Thank you so much!

Reading this thread has made me feel so much better. I'm sick to death of everyone beating on Obama for the faults of all the weakass BlueDogs™, etc.....

HuffPo has been completely taken over by the teabagger fringe who are paid by the post.

[BigBearJohn]

129. Cheers!

:toast:

[lonestarnot]

120. Takes courage to admit it when we are wrong sometimes.

:patriot:

[martymar64]

121. Didn't agree with him on Larry Summers but he stated his case well regarding structural changes.

Also didn't agree with his ditching of the PO, but he emphatically stated the problem of the filibuster and its impediment to progress.
I believe absent the filibuster, Obama would be able to accomplish a lot more of a progressive agenda. I hope that the Senate stays blue so the can change the rules and ditch the filibuster.

[Arkana]

123. He's a good man, and it's nice to have a genuinely good person

as the President--we had a sociopath in the White House for so long that we've forgotten how to recognize genuine goodness in our leaders.

[Arkana]

124. goddamn double posting

[colsohlibgal]

125. Easy Crowd

I thought he tried mightily to explain why things like the health care bill got watered down to the max but it is what it is. We elected someone we saw as quite bright, but he seemed to be the last democrat in the US to figure out that the republicans weren't going to play ball with him. By doing that, by selling out so much, he completely squandered the sizeable political capital he came out of the election with. Because of that he'll play Hell trying to get anything worthwile done after the congressional math changes.

Oh, and praise of Larry Summers wasn't going to wim me over either -his Goldman Sachs buddies are partying on, further derivatives on derivatives fun, little has changed, Larry took care of them.

It all is distressing, once more we have to vote for not good so we don't get much worse. Nice, America 2010.

[orbitalman]

126. K & R

[DemocraticPilgrim]

131. He's doing the best he can with the card he was dealt with no obtruction he'd of moved mountains.

[Joe Fields]

132. Quit falling for that shit, man. Look at the company he keeps.

That tells a much more accurate story about a man.

[BigBearJohn]

133. Oh, I don't know. I think Michelle is pretty cool.

[JCMach1]

135. What amazes me is a world where John Stewart is giving the serious interview...

We are still not out of the rabbit-hole in America...

[BlueMTexpat]

138. But how can this be? Snivelling RW excuse for a journalist Dana

Millbank found Obama "serious and defensive" and demeaned the office of President by letting himself be called "Dude." Millbank also describes Stewart as "an able inquisitor on behalf of aggrieved liberals."

If Millbank hadn't already shown his true character several times over, this piece would certainly have outed him. The joke is on him!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/27/AR2010102709035.html

By the way, RWers seem to have dominated the "Comments" section. Let them frothe on! I just hope that we GOTV now and on Tuesday.

[spicegal]

139. I continue to have great faith in our president. He's a great

leader with a lot of empathy and smarts. Think about it. There's no way someone can really prepare or train for the presidency. With most jobs, it takes a couple of years to really get into a good groove you really have a handle on everything. Obama was thrown into the fire - two wars, failing economy, unemployment, etc. It couldn't have been much worse. And, he's had to deal with a recalcitrant opposition party bent on his destruction. Kudos to Obama for taking on the most difficult job in the world. Overall, he's done pretty darn good.

[grahamhgreen]

148. Oops