Why didn't he use a chopper in PDX?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/10/white-house-uses-marine-one-to-lessen-obama-traffic-gridlock-in-la.html

Was that a sarah palin impersonator there in an early picture?

Yes it was a Palin impersonator. She was interviewed too... she was "so so".

I looked at the pics and all I can say is so what? I got the 70,000 Waterfront rally from the press riser in high definition and that was back when Barack was really Barack.
And I got the first convention center Obama rally from the press riser too. These pictures Carla took just chronicle the disappointment - which is why Barack was back in the convention center to begin with.

I've been thinking about how the speech Wednesday night could have gone: "Portland, 2 years ago we promised you an end to the Iraq War and as I stand here tonight, not one single American soldier is left in Iraq. Oh, and the Afghanistan War is over too."

The weakest part of his recent speech was when he talked about how the GOP worked for Wall Street. Who's he kidding with that? His team did nothing but kiss Wall Street's ass from the day after the election.

What he should have been able to say is, "Portland 2 years ago, we promised to clean up the mess on Wall Street. Since then we've identified what the financial crisis really was: A crime based on fraudulent claims about mortgages. As we sit here tonight, all the major players are either in prison or awaiting trial, including your former minority owner of the Portland Timbers Henry Paulson."

"The Constitution and the rule of law have been reestablished. No longer will government be able to read your emails. No longer will we be known around the globe as a country that tortures detainees. Dick Cheney's in prison for his war crimes. George W. copped a plea agreement to testify against him and America is once again seen as the moral compass of the world."

The weakest moment of his real speech was when he said Kitzhaber hadn't just talked about change, he'd done it.
I'd avoid the words "hope" and "change" for awhile.

He should have been saying, "I promised you hope and change and did I deliver Portland or not? When I was here last I played, 'Signed, Sealed, and Delivered' Well now that I've delivered and America is back doing right let me finish with a song for the GOP and this Dudley loser they're running against John. It's from the Blind Boys of Alabama and I send it out to Republicans everywhere: 'You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine.' Good night Portland and God Bless America."

Of course, either way that speech wasn't going to happen. If he had done all those things, he wouldn't have had to come out West in the first place and scramble around trying to shore up support before a disastrous mid-term. If he had done all those things, the Dems would be ahead by a wide margin.

The question for our times is, what about the state of our government prevents people in power from doing things that can only help them?

Somebody stole:

1. Bowtie's bowtie
2. gov. No's dress pants
3. the Presidential Seal.

Bill - the mindset that government can and even should continue to "help" private citizens and the free market.

Lose the mindset that people should 'get involved' through govt, depend on govt, and expect anything govt touches to actually work (instead of make things worse - which is true in EVERY case) - and there may still be a chance for this country.

Please DON'T get involved. Do something truly constructive and helpful for yourself and other without the monkey of the state on your back.

D,
I wasn't clear on that: I mean why do politicians do things that don't help their chances of getting reelected? It's all about getting reelected so why put yourself in the position of having to ask the voters to overlook what you've done?
The answer is that the real people calling the shots are not the politicians. Who are these people? Who's really running America? Who's deciding on foreign policy and our monetary policy?
Why do we tolerate it?

OK, so he played to the partisans - So what?

I kinda agree with Mr McDonald, it seems like he talks a good game and then reverts to about the same as Bush (same Wall St crew, same Afghan war). I really don't know what Obama stands for.

BTW - Does Earl ever smile? Also, his sidebar "fight the power" ad when he is the power is amusing.

Just sad to see this support and I would imagine cheering from our community for those who are or stand up with Corporatists!

So don’t know where I belong in all of this, but does not feel comfortable at all to be in a community of devotees to the party, no matter what that party represents in today’s world!

Doesn't matter which party either, but this devotion to a party line, the Democratic Party that I think has shown betrayal to the people, or the Republican Party which seems to have been hijacked leaves me feeling with a sense of despair.

You know, Obama didn't promise to get out of the Afghan war when he was running for President. He said that's where the real fight should have been from the start, and that Iraq was a mistake and a distraction from a legitimate military effort to go after Al Qeada and it's main ally, the Taliban, in Afghanistan.

He's been basically true to his word. He's drawn down U.S. troops in Iraq, and he's ramped up the fight in Afghanistan. The latter is looking increasingly like a mistake, to my mind, but it was an arguably legitmate use of the military at the outset--since Afghanistan was, after all, a nation that officially gave haven to sophisticated terrorist operations that resulted in a major attack on the United States.

In any case, Obama's war policies don't constitute a betrayal of the voters' trust or his word.

I have my criticisms of Obama, too, and I wish things could move faster in a more truly progressive direction, but I see him as largely trying to do the right thing in the face of nihilistic opposition from the other party and a good deal of cowardice in his own.

Richard,
I went to 3 Obama rallies. I got the distinct impression we'd be out of Iraq by now - not just winding down. I think these so-called transitional troops are still combat troops - especially the ones who've been killed in combat. The surge in Afghanistan is also not what I expected.
The Wall Street stuff is more blatant. He didn't get in office and realize his plan wouldn't work. He dumped his economic team right after the election and turned to the usual suspects. That was deception.
I also thought he'd draw a dramatic line between the unconstitutional areas of the last administration and return us to our basic freedoms and right to privacy.
Everybody got really upset about the Rutgers student who committed suicide after his roommate spied on him - and rightfully so. Why do we let the government spy on us then?

Richard,
Yes I remember Obama saying he would go into Afghanistan, that and his FISA vote already signaled what he was about. The public was just so desperate for change, they were willing to be blind about that signal. The whole campaign was like a slick advertisment and marketed like entertainment.

Our country and constitution are at stake here and I have seen little evidence of that being a priority. It has been glossed over from both parties like an old fashioned word. . . like get over it, even the Supremes gave an incredible advantage to the Corporations. I don't know about you, but I don't like the feeling here of Corporates hovering over us with our "supposed" representatives on their side apparently.

The betrayal of people's interests from he and his Democratic Party are there for all to see. There is a lot more betrayal going on here than the war issue!

Bill:

I share some of your criticisms and disgust. I wish things in this country were very different, but I can't say I'm all that disappointed in or surprised by Obama. He seems to me to be about as good a President as this country could possibly produce in this degraded era. Really, who would you identify as the great men or women on the national stage?

Obviously, the subject of the Obama Presidency is too big to be discussed meaningfully in a comment section of a blog (plus, it's Friday night). My specific purpose in my original comment was just to defend Obama against one unjust charge: that he promised to get us out of Afghanistan within his first two years in office and therefore, because we're still there, has broken that promise.

I think some people, in their enthusiasm for Obama, heard some things coming from him during the campaign that he didn't actually say.

Richard,
The trouble with the "you weren't listening" argument is the saying "Change you can believe in." If most people don't believe in the change, than that line alone has to be B.S. Overriding, big picture kind if B.S.
But it was even worse than that with me. Look, I figured he was shading the truth during the campaign because he had to - I've been around too long to buy into the campaign speeches.
I knew we were in for some sort of surprise but my hope was that once he was in office he would be surprisingly progressive. That he would go beyond what he had hinted and actual rein in the military industrial complex. That was my hope anyway. You know...that he would be truly great and save America from economic ruin. We simply can't afford another failed presidency.
As far as his actual promises, the one time where I bought what he was saying 100% was when he talked about losing his mother and the hoops the healthcare industry but her through. He had to be sincere about that.
Remember how the healthcare negotiations were going to be open on C-Span? Instead he went behind closed doors and actually cut a deal with the pharmaceutical companies before the process really started so they wouldn't get hurt. In fact in some areas, he sweetened their deal.
I didn't see that on C-Span.

So don’t know where I belong in all of this, but does not feel comfortable at all to be in a community of devotees to the party, no matter what that party represents in today’s world!

Truth.

Thanks for expressing my view so succinctly.

I think we put the national issues and the partisan shots aside and start kicking some ass locally against the lunatics we all know are burning us and the state.

Wow, so they really had a Palin impersonator. Sad. I'm all for parody but come on. Anyone who does that sillyness is just pathetic.

Rock Show was Much Ado About Nothing.

pdxjim - you left one out:

Someone Stole:
4) Mayor Sam Adams

oops, busy. Enforcing the leaf pickup fee. No time for the president.