Obama Scandals

[Aquapod770]

(08-28-2019, 12:05 PM)jj22 Wrote: Your wrong again (no disrespect). Read the first paragraph of the OP. I got his point. Sounds like you missed it and Socio attempting to come to your rescue got yall both slipping and sliding and needing assistance getting back on your two feet.

The thread title is "Obama Scandals" in which Dino did mention Trump, but proceeded to provide an "example" of Obamas scandals in an effort to be "fair". 

No where did I claim Obamas scandals make Trumps okay. I was merely judging Obamas administration on its own. 

[jj22]

(08-28-2019, 12:16 PM)Aquapod770 Wrote: The thread title is "Obama Scandals" in which Dino did mention Trump, but proceeded to provide an "example" of Obamas scandals in an effort to be "fair". 

No where did I claim Obamas scandals make Trumps okay. I was merely judging Obamas administration on its own. 

Ok. I'll take your word.

[Aquapod770]

(08-28-2019, 12:06 PM)hollodero Wrote: Well, no. What it means (I'd argue) is that Obama's scandals were minor in comparison.

Probably true.

But like literally every thread in PnR this has turned into "TRUMP IS WORSE". 

[CJD]

The issue with the 24 hour news cycle is stations need to find something - anything - compelling to talk about on, basically, a daily basis.

CNN does it. MSNBC does it. And, yes, Fox News does it.

During the Trump presidency, this has been resoundingly easy. Because he tweets or Chopper talks something silly, inane, ridiculous or obnoxious basically every day. And when he isn't tweeting or talking, someone from his cabinet is resigning or someone from another country is insulting or deriding him and/or America in some way. And then there's the actual scandals, of which there were plenty to talk about.

During Obama's presidency, there was significantly fewer daily occurrences that were easy to mock or deride.

I'm not sure what CNN or MSNBC did during this time, but for Fox News, the answer was "find something that Obama did that was ever so slightly odd, and harp on it."

They did it with the suit. They did it with his choice of mustard. They did it with his middle name. They did it with his golf trips (which CNN has replicated with Trump), they even did it with his vacation after his presidency ended.

That's not to say that Obama's presidency was free of scandals. They just weren't every day occurrences like they are with Trump.

The 24 hour news cycle created a lot of what's going on with politics. It's all about ratings.

[hollodero]

(08-28-2019, 12:18 PM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Probably true.

But like literally every thread in PnR this has turned into "TRUMP IS WORSE". 

Well, to be fair, that's because Trump is actually worse. I dare to say that is objectively true. Also, because Trump is now and Obama was back then. But mostly, he is worse.

Therefore whataboutism goes a bit better in one direction than in the other direction. Most Obama scandals were things like him saluting with a mug of coffee, over which, as I incidentally caught, everyone's mind on FOX exploded. Trump scandals are like "I take Putin's word over my intelligence and lie to the American public about a foreign attack" [or things in that category]. This are two different pair of shoes.

Like others said, that's not to say all was fine and dandy under Obama. Those vicious drone strikes come to mind. That one counts.

[Vas Deferens]

WHAT ABOUT THE EMAILS!

[Dill]

(08-28-2019, 11:39 AM)Aquapod770 Wrote: It may be a "joke", but a lot of people actually believe it. 

JJ bought it. 

Rewriting history is a pretty big problem that many people seem to just ignore (or at least when it comes to themselves doing it). There is some really interesting research out there about "political zombies". I'll try and find the article I'm thinking of...

Edit: Found it! https://www.nber.org/papers/w19080.pdf

Interesting paper, but pre-Trump. I wonder what Bullock et al. would say now, while considering responses to questions like--

1. did 3-5 million illegals vote in the 2016 election?

2. did Russia interfere in the US elections to help Trump?

3. did the FBI create the Russia investigation to take Trump down?

4. Is climate change caused by humans?

I can think of some others. But these seem far more decisive to me than questions about the deficit, in that answers to them reveal alternate and mutually exclusive realities. That was less the case in 2013, though developing even then.

[Dill]

(08-28-2019, 12:06 PM)hollodero Wrote: Well, no. What it means (I'd argue) is that Obama's scandals were minor in comparison.

And farther between. 

In some cases, its not exactly clear, outside of Fox viewership, what was scandalous (Benghazi, IRS).  E.g., why should the Bergdahl swap be a "scandal"?

In others, over reach was quietly checked (e.g. the PRISM surveillance system).

[Nebuchadnezzar]

(08-28-2019, 10:10 AM)GMDino Wrote: With the potential revelation of Trump's tax returns being tied to several Russian loans, his pushing to hold the next G7 event at his own property, and just about everything else DJT touches being dirty I feel the need to be fair today so I wanted to remind everyone about this event that happened on this day in history 8/28/2014.

Five years ago today, Barack Obama wore a tan suit, the biggest scandal in presidential history. #FYC pic.twitter.com/H33y98ypib

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) August 28, 2019

 




Yes, I know there were other "scandals" like Fast & Furious and such.  Thanks for ruining a joke.


Such a dark day. 

It was a dark, DARK day that day.

A white suit would have been cool, maybe with a black tie but Tan? No man should wear tan...ever. It just doesn't work. 

Seriously, never wear a tan suit!

[*Nately120*]

(08-28-2019, 11:17 AM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Or his expansive drone strikes killing 8 American citizens (only 1 who was actually supposed to be targeted, but who cares about due process am I right???).

I have to say I've always been quite bitterly amused at how despite this Obama's biggest supporters and biggest detractors are both convinced he's a genuine peacenik.