(Sept. 20, 2009) (R) Minority Leader John Boehner Admits 'Obama Not A Socialist' (YouTube.com)

[TheTaoOfBill]

YouTube - (R) Minority Leader John Boehner Admits 'Obama Not A Socialist'

[Ikasu]

Obama may not even be a liberal.

[TheTaoOfBill]

Obama may not even be a liberal.

There are certainly a few issues as a liberal I wish he was further to the left on.

[CGP]

Obama might be a liberal at heart, but in practice he cannot afford to be because America has some kind of phobia about liberalism.

Being liberal in the USA leads to accusations you are a socialist, a communist. It's all very bizarre.

Things that are taken for granted in so many other countries - health care for all, non-discrimination - are in the USA seen as "liberalist" projects.

[Ikasu]

Obama might be a liberal at heart, but in practice he cannot afford to be because America has some kind of phobia about liberalism.

Being liberal in the USA leads to accusations you are a socialist, a communist. It's all very bizarre.

Obama is a Bill Clinton centrist Democrat.

[VotingHillary]

Being liberal in the USA leads to accusations you are a socialist, a communist.

Only the hard left is viewed that way IMHO. And yes, I know I am going to get shit for that opinion.

[VotingHillary]

non-discrimination

C'mon, CGP, name me ONE country that has NO discrimination either overt of covert.

[Ikasu]

Only the hard left is viewed that way IMHO. And yes, I know I am going to get shit for that opinion.

Most people do not distinguish between the so-called "hard left" and liberals.

[VotingHillary]

Most people do not distinguish between the so-called "hard left" and liberals.

I think that is more Media-motivated than anything. Ratings are god.

[CGP]

C'mon, CGP, name me ONE country that has NO discrimination either overt of covert.

I was generalizing about health care and marriage equality.

Ensuring citizens have basic access to health care should not be a political issue, a liberal/conservative issue. There are many countries that don't politicize basic access to health care for the entire population.

Marriage equality should not be a political issue either, a liberal/conservative issue - it's an issue of basic human rights. There are plenty of countries that understand that. America isn't yet one of them. In America, if you support marriage equality, you are being "liberal". And Republicans that support marriage equality are chastized by their own and loathed by conservatives.

[mavfin]

Obama is a Bill Clinton centrist Democrat.

I think he's quite a bit to the left of Bill Clinton. He's trying very hard to appear as centrist as Bill, and failing badly, in my opinion. Bill was as close to the center as I've seen a President. Obama's much more (yes, again) like Jimmy Carter, if not a bit further left.

Tao, if you want Obama to be further left, how do you stand up without falling over? :D :surprise:

[Ikasu]

I think he's quite a bit to the left of Bill Clinton. He's trying very hard to appear as centrist as Bill, and failing badly, in my opinion. Bill was as close to the center as I've seen a President. Obama's much more (yes, again) like Jimmy Carter, if not a bit further left.

Tao, if you want Obama to be further left, how do you stand up without falling over? :D :surprise:

Obama isn't a leftist. I read leftist/socialist blogs. They don't like him.

[mavfin]

Obama isn't a leftist. I read leftist/socialist blogs. They don't like him.

The extreme left probably has the same issues as the extreme right: no candidate is pure enough. If he's pure enough ideologically, he's not viable. If he's viable, he's not pure enough.

[foxyladi]

it all depends on what crowd he is preaching to:rotfl::rotfl:

[Spang]

...name me ONE country that has NO discrimination either overt of covert.

The Netherlands?