5wide, this is one of the best threads started in P/R in quite a while.

 

In answer to your question, no, I don't think that criticizing decisions that you disagree with would constitute not supporting the president. You're right...he absolutely will not be able to please anyone the whole time. If disagreeing with him equals non-support, then soon he wouldn't be supported at all.

 

I think the manner of criticism is important. There is a way to respectfully criticize. I think humans tend to understand that as we get older. One thing I would like to see people to lessen their addictions to are all of the Olberman/Hannity/Limbaugh-esque shows. They are designed to keep things stirred up and focus on every single negative aspect of "the other side".

 

Listening to them isn't so much a problem, as treating their word as the absolute truth. Those guys provide information that I think we need to know, its just that their job is to blow it up 1000 times more than necessary...then, when a really big issue actually crops up, its grouped with all the other crap that they've overblown so it doesn't get taken seriously enough.

 

One of the things that bothered me most about the conservatives was how they labeled democrats as unpatriotic any time they disagreed with or criticized Bush. There were definitely times when I felt the dems stepped over the line in their criticism of Bush...for example, it seemed there were times when they undermined his authority with other nations by criticizing him on foreign soil. I did not and will never agree with that and I truly hope the conservatives don't go down that road. However, there were other times when their criticism was acceptable, IMO, and they were dubbed treasonous, unpatriotic slime.

 

I'm anxious to see if the right and left just switch playbooks now. Will they justify continuous criticism of Obama by saying the other side did it to Bush?

Interesting numbers that I didn't feel like starting a new thread for, or finding where they belong.

 

Obama won 364 to 174 (assuming McCain won Missouri which is less than 6,000 votes difference).

 

However, look at six states...

 

Colorado (9 Electoral Votes) - Obama 53% vs. McCain 45%

Virginia (13) - Obama 53% vs. McCain 47%

Ohio (20) - Obama 51% vs. McCain 47%

Florida (27) - Obama 51% vs. McCain 49%

North Carolina (15) - Obama 50% vs. McCain 49%

Indiana (11) - Obama 50% vs. McCain 49%

 

So, if 4.5% of the vote in Colorado had switched...3.5% in Virginia...2.5% in Ohio...1.5% in Florida...and 1% in North Carolina and Indiana...

 

...the result would have been a 269 to 269 tie in the electoral college.

 

I've always enjoyed number crunching, so I decided to do this to see just how close this election was. At first glance it doesn't seem so. But, a closer look shows how easily this could have been another nail-biter of an election.

 

Just an interesting closer look at the election numbers.

5wide, this is one of the best threads started in P/R in quite a while.

 

In answer to your question, no, I don't think that criticizing decisions that you disagree with would constitute not supporting the president. You're right...he absolutely will not be able to please anyone the whole time. If disagreeing with him equals non-support, then soon he wouldn't be supported at all.

 

I think the manner of criticism is important. There is a way to respectfully criticize. I think humans tend to understand that as we get older. One thing I would like to see people to lessen their addictions to are all of the Olberman/Hannity/Limbaugh-esque shows. They are designed to keep things stirred up and focus on every single negative aspect of "the other side".

 

Again, I agree. It's not the listening that is the major problem (though for some it seems to saturate their vocabulary), it is the accepting their slants as fact.

 

I certainly agree with the questioning of patriotism. I was never in favor of the Iraqi invasion. I have, at times, been accused of being un-patriotic as a result. Yet, I supported the troops during the whole time (still contributing to the USO and other such organizations). My father, a Vietnam vet, also did not agree with the invasion. He had an interesting conversation with a young man at Home Depot once, who questioned his patriotism. Dad pointed to his "veteran" lisence plate and told him, "son, you go crawl through the jungles of Vietnam for a MONTH and tell me that I am unpatriotic."

 

I have always said that if my house caught on fire, the only material possession that I would be sure to take with me is my dad's american flag that he brought back from Vietnam. I tear up just thinking about losing that precious piece of fabric, though I guess what it stands for infinitely more important than the flag itself.

 

Sorry for getting sidetracked.

The Maysville paper regularly runs a column written by a gentleman who I believe is a game warden (feel free to correct me if this is wrong). He is a staunch 2nd Amendment guy. He recently wrote a guest column in the paper regarding the election, and stated in his column today that the local responses to that column that he received were very much in support of his position.

 

Also in today's column, he notes that the only two post-election responses he received concerned him deeply. "The content...suggests the senders will not accept President-elect Obama now or ever as their president." A couple more quotes:

 

"Friends, we must be Americans first, which means standing behind the Constitution and our nation's process of electing a leader."

 

"I encourage you to support the President, to pray for him and to listen to him carefully. If he does something you agree with then rally behind it. If he does something you can't tolerate, you can exercise your rights as an American: speak out, contact your Congressman, vote."

President Elect Obama is soon to be my President and although I didn't vote for him I will support him! In saying that however, I wish all of our elected officials would stop doing what they think is best for their parties/themselves and start doing what is best (or at least comprise to make it possible) for our Country!

 

As the winning party (Dem's), I think it falls on them to make the first move to extend a hand across the aisle!

 

For far too many years both parties seem to want it "their way, or no way" and this has hurt our Country in trying to move forward. I will not and can not blame one party over another but it is time for EVERYONE to sit down at a table and talk like adults who have the same objective and that is to govern the citizens in a fair and equal manner and to make sure the next generations have the same equal chance that we have had.

 

To be honest, the only issue that I can't comprised upon, is abortion!

I cannot think of a single issue on which Obama focused his campaign where I see any potential common ground. If he takes a more pragmatic approach toward governing once he takes office, then I will support him on the issues on which his position becomes my position. Until that time, the people who Obama selects to join his cabinet and inner circle of advisors will be the primary gauge of his intentions. So far, he is zero for one, IMO.

 

Obama could not have selected a more partisan political hack than Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. Howard Dean is more bipartisan than Emanuel.

 

Do not expect conservatives to support Obama's initiatives that do not reflect our values.

Great post and a fair way of thinking.

 

To the question how do you support someone you disagree with 100% on an issue? First I would say make sure that is the case, because like on abortion, Obama doesn't want more abortions and neither do you, so in that instance you have a common cause, where disagree about is the area to make it illegal. So if you want to support him you can focus your energies on preventing unwanted pregnancies as opposed to fighting the ramification of these pregnancies.

 

That does not mean you should "shut up" on the issues. He is everyones president and he has an obligation to hear his constituents. Speak your peace and do what you can do.

For people opposed to abortion, there is no common ground to be had with Obama on this issue. If Obama favored reducing the number of abortions, then he would not favor removing all state restrictions on abortion. Obama will work to make abortion services more available, more affordable, and easier to get. Period.

 

Those who rationalized voting for Obama despite being personally opposed to abortion will soon learn why it does matter who sits in the Oval Office where abortion is concerned.

Dug up this thread, a lot of good advise used here that should be being said now.

I think you are right about the "he did, so we do" philosophy. But, I would hope, sincerely hope, that given the current state of the economy, the length of the Iraqi war, and the state of other issues such as health care, that everyone could find it within themselves to step up. I know some think Obama should be the first, then they might follow. If what I believe is true, he knows he'll have to be the first, and will be doing so. But, from what I know of some people, based on their comments, no matter what he does to try and extend the "hand" and create a unity, they won't support him. The feelings they have are, for lack of a better term, personal.

 

At the very least, we have a person who has spoken big about uniting the country. He's won the presidency based upon that promise. I think he has too much invested in that promise to back down from it. Will some individual pieces of his platform take more time than he'd anticipated at the outset? I think yes. But, I do think that if nothing else, if Obama is able to inspire this country and it's leadership to work together toward solutions, he'll have achieved much more than most of his detractors anticipated.

 

It shouldn't be about who extends the first olive branch. I would hope the citizens of this country would want to begin moving forward and working toward regaining our jobs, rebuiliding our economy, strengthining our world postion, that they would be eager to support, and urge their representation to support efforts to reach both ways across the divide.

 

Hmmm.....

Hmmm.....

 

And as I said, I wanted compromise then too.

And as I said, I wanted compromise then too.

 

Then go ahead and say it. You want to "Make America Great Again" That would be a great start to compromise. :thumb:

Then go ahead and say it. You want to "Make America Great Again" That would be a great start to compromise. :thumb:

 

I think America is already great. I will continue to do my part in my little world to keep it great.

I think America is already great. I will continue to do my part in my little world to keep it great.

 

Thats not compromise. Come on Rockmom just say it once.

 

Thats not compromise. Come on Rockmom just say it once.

 

How old are you?

How old are you?

 

 

Always what I think of when I hear someone ask how old someone is :lol2: