Languish.org

The left right bits allow the Xenos to vote.

hey! Where is the center? I've been marginalized. :weep:

:yes: No way for me to participate. :mad:

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 08, 2009, 03:04:35 PM
hey! Where is the center? I've been marginalized. :weep:

If you look at Shelf's table (he he) the data on the independents gets tossed out anyway.

I'm confused... you need the 2d social/economic scale...

GOP, Approve. 

I have my doubts about his stimulus bill; but so far he's turned out better than I thought.   :bowler:

These days I guess I'm technically "left" - a social liberal and fiscal moderate.  I've moved further away from fiscal conservatism in the last year and a half or so because fiscal libertarianism is basically unworkable.  We have big governments and they aren't going anywhere.  They're going to spend money - our money - and so I'm more of the mindset these days that government spending concerns ought to be practical rather than ideological - what will work rather than what "should" work in my little la-la dreamland.

Having prefaced thusly, I voted "approve", although I'd amend that with "cautiously".  I don't like the cult of personality around Obama and it makes me nervous to see that.  I do like that he's made some tough decisions and seems to be capable of working both sides of the aisle on certain issues.

Centrist/mild approval

I don't know how to vote. I'm a registered Dem and disapprove. I wonder if I really count as a Dem though. :weep:

Right and disapprove, although not violently so.

Dem/Left, tentatively approve but feel it's really too early to make a concrete judgment. I think he's still in his honeymoon period to some degree, so would expect both political alignments to statistically skew towards "approve" for the time being.

Right and strongly disapprove.

Not counted...again, damn whitey!

In Canadian terms I am right.  In American terms I am likely a looney lefty.  Jury is still out.  Not yet disappointed but nothing worthy of approval either.

Quote from: Fireblade on April 08, 2009, 05:18:06 PM
Right and strongly disapprove.

:lol:

Quote from: crazy canuck on April 08, 2009, 05:20:39 PM
In Canadian terms I am right.  In American terms I am likely a looney lefty.  Jury is still out.  Not yet disappointed but nothing worthy of approval either.

this I can attest to!

Quote from: katmai on April 08, 2009, 05:19:29 PM
Not counted...again, damn whitey!

:unsure:

Slightly nuanced version is that I don't particularly identify with Obama politically and, as CC put it, he while hasn't done anything disastrous or repugnant nor has he done anything amazing.  The jury's still out but given I'm generally a positive person that's "approve".  So within the context of this board I'm Left and approve.

I can't bring myself to declare being a Democrat, but the GOP tent has left me to stand out in the rain. I cannot vote in this poll.  :cry:

I voted Jaron, because I'm foreign.

Generally I approve.  My major problem with him remains some of his appointments and the slowness on that front.  While I understand the politics of Clinton's appointment I don't understand what she really brings to the role (apart from the neutering of a potential threat) and I don't like what I've read of Holder.  Daschle was a mistake that really should have been picked up on far earlier.  I think the Treasury Department should be far more staffed than it is.  On policy I don't like cap and trade.  My understanding is that it doesn't work and they'd be far better, though far more unpopular, to levy a carbon tax.

I think the stimulus is as good as could be expected, the Af-Pak policy seems right (but Pakistan's an issue where you can see all the problems but none of the solutions, so I'm only really judging the Af bit of that because I've absolutely no idea when it comes to Pakistan), the bank plan makes sense to me, I think Gates's plans for the Defence Department also sounds good.

My other problems with what's happened so far have been presentational which I'm surprised by given that his was a terrifically slick campaign and I would have expected them to get style better a lot more often.

But I think what needs to happen now is the tougher bit.  The shine will have come off slightly (although I believe his approval ratings are now as high as ever) and I think the goodwill won't come so easily.  What I'd like to see is that the banks stabilise, that there's possibly some international element to buying up bad debt (all over the world) and some degree of regulatory reform.  I think those are far more difficult issues.

I also think Iraq's going to get a lot more difficult.  The Sons of Iraq are getting flighty again because the government isn't keeping their promise to hire the appropriate number of them (and has, again, cracked down on certain leaders).  This could be inevitable, I believe tax receipts have declined in Iraq by 40% due to the fall in the price of oil so it could be that they just can't afford it.  I wonder if the US/West should offer to pay for a while longer to sort-of force the government to integrate Sunnis to some degree, but I don't know.

Iran's still a worry.  Russia's in for an interesting time.  I can't think of anything I've missed.

Quote from: Sheilbh on April 08, 2009, 06:17:09 PM
I voted Jaron, because I'm foreign.

Ditto

left/ approve.

I'm warm to the stimulus, but unhappy with the bailouts, much of which will likely shape up to be a corrupt boondoggle if it is not already. but I do know not what is unescapable political reality and what is just following bad advice from ivy league peeps who should know better.

I really really like his environmental track. Harper is rolling over already and we'll see if it works in Copenhagen.

but weak farm/food policy so far. maybe Peanut Corp will change that. and I read they will split up both F and D from FDA, which should help reframe the issues.

Quote from: Sheilbh on April 08, 2009, 06:17:09 PM
On policy I don't like cap and trade.  My understanding is that it doesn't work and they'd be far better, though far more unpopular, to levy a carbon tax.

the big plus to a carbon tax is that it takes immediate effect, while cap and trade effects trickle down.

but cap and trade also allows for fortunes to be made buying and selling. so the money/power guys like the latter and the consumer just feels price effects, but does not feel directly, so its an easier political sell overall.

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 08, 2009, 03:04:35 PM
hey! Where is the center? I've been marginalized. :weep:

What do you mean?  You're a Demoncrat :contract:

edit: who are the other GOP/Righties that disapprove, besides me?

Me.  Mostly on the unfocused stimulus spending, the vacillations on auto and bank bailouts, but I'm not wildly angry or anything and I still hope he does well.

Quote from: derspiess on April 09, 2009, 01:46:04 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 08, 2009, 03:04:35 PM
hey! Where is the center? I've been marginalized. :weep:

What do you mean?  You're a Demoncrat :contract:

edit: who are the other GOP/Righties that disapprove, besides me?

Democrat until I can change it back to independent, as I no longer need to vote in Democrat primaries.

Oh actually I hated his handling of the AIG thing.  But, I think that seemed far more Congress than the White House but I thought it was despicable and the sort of leaping on an issue (by Congress and the media) that makes people think politics is easy, so when it's wrong it's corrupt.  In fact the choices that led to that decision were difficult and to try and simplify it the way that happened is something that really pisses me off.

I don't know where to place myself politically. I am estranged. Socially liberal, fiscal agnostic and foreign policy chickenhawk, but with a rather romantic notion of anarchism as the humanity's goal, and Scandinavian social democracy as the best government possible in the real world.  :outback: :uffda: :pope: :frog: :osama: :w00t:

As for Obama, I think it's hard to say I approve or disapprove. The perceived cozying up to Russia is a pet peeve of mine, and I disapprove of that, needless to say. His focus on Afghanistan/Pakistan is mildly positive. The stimulus bill and bail-out of big business is a very evil necessity rather than a necessary evil. Unfortunately, a lot of people work for evil corporations. :P

I am mildly unenthused by Obama on most issues, so I am Obama neutral.

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 09, 2009, 02:05:05 PM
Democrat until I can change it back to independent, as I no longer need to vote in Democrat primaries.

Until then I will continue to give you crap over it :)

Quote from: Norgy on April 09, 2009, 02:59:45 PM


I am mildly unenthused by Obama on most issues, so I am Obama neutral.

I hope you are third party certified for that claim. self certification is very problematic.

Quote from: derspiess on April 09, 2009, 03:41:16 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 09, 2009, 02:05:05 PM
Democrat until I can change it back to independent, as I no longer need to vote in Democrat primaries.

Until then I will continue to give you crap over it :)

:D

Doesn't bother me.

He hasn't been in office long enough for me to form an opinion.

Check back later!