How Can Pres. Obama Win More Support?

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2008
How Can Pres. Obama Win More Support?
60
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:01am

The country is pretty evenly divided. President Elect Obama won with a mere 6% margin of the popular vote. In order to lead this country effectively, he will have to take the concerns of the majority of Americans into consideration. Because of this, it will be impossible to increase his political base without modifying his agenda some. If he is indeed pragmatic, as he has stated, and modifies his agenda, will he lose some of his supporters? Will he gain more than he loses?

What do you think?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-20-2008
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:25am

I think his 6% is significantly more than Bush's percentage 2.4 over Kerry or his -0.51 percent 'win' over Gore isn't it? So I don't really see a problem. But, just out of curiosity, did you have the same concerns with Bush's two 'wins'?

But to ease your concerns maybe you will want to focus on the electoral college landslide? Sounds like more of a mandate than the one Bush claimed in 2004.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2008
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:28am
Do you think Bush led from the middle or from the right? How did that work out for him? Obama's margins are only slightly higher. Do you think he should use the same political strategy that Bush used, or do you think he should be more pragmatic?
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-03-2008
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:32am
I think Bush has always led from the right. They were his "base".
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2008
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:34am
Do you think it worked out well for him? Do you think that Obama should use the same political strategy, only from the left - or should he be more pragmatic?
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-20-2008
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:41am

It really depends on which margins you are looking at doesn't it? Obama's 6% is more than double Bush's highest margin of 2.4 and well above his -0.51% margin. Bush's electoral college wins of 271/266 and 286/251 are also well below Obama's 365/152. So really I don't see how you can say Obama's margins are only 'slightly' higher? Seriously Chilly are you trying to rewrite history? The facts speak for themselves.

Bush was one of the most divisive presidents of my life time. I sincerely hope no president ever governs like Bush did ever again!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2007
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:42am
I don't think this was a comparison question.

   

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-20-2008
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:45am
Well given the reply I received from the original poster I would have to disagree with you. If it isn't a comparison question there would have been no need for chilly to bring Bush's name into the question at all. I think most of Obama's supporters are moving on - we welcome moving on - the threads from the right? Not so much.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2007
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:50am
Well I am on the right and I am moving on.

   

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-13-2008
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:53am

I understand what you are getting at... America loves the middle ground between left and right, and tend to shift a bit one way or another based on current circumstance.


Obama cannot go way off on an agenda of the left. Though I would love it, he will antagonise way too many.


There are moderate changes he can make on various issues. I doubt a majority would stand against most legal rights being granted us gay folk, though marriage is out of reach. I would especially like to see foreign partners of gay Americans be given same right to be here as for married couples - this one is very important to me.


So too funding women's clinics around the world that Bush stopped.


Finding moderate health care solutions.


Reestablishing our military as a defence force, not offence; ending the war.


Working toward a balance budget.


On the whole bail out thing, I mentioned this last night... if on 21 January, he calls the CEO of AIG and fires his arse, this nation would be very supportive, given how they have seemingly blown off our assistance and engaged in extravagant conduct. That might send a message to other companies as well... and again, I think most every American would think the president was protecting our interests.


Ending programmes that flaunt the Constitution... including the whole Gitmo mess.


Ending signing statements.


Ending partisan use of the CDC website.


Obviously the economy will be the primary focus, and Obama has to walk a line between encouragement of private enterprise and setting in place practical rules to follow. He will likely have to tackle the inordinate number of foreclosures, and tht would be a very good thing.


I'd like to see people like spinthebottle here (who works in the credit counselling industry) be given the ability to recommend people who would be good candidates for revised mortgage terms. Not everyone is, because they are so far in, and were from the beginning... but perhaps there are other ways to help them as well, perhaps shifting them to other, cheaper homes.



Full length fiction: worlds undone

"You have no power over my body..." ~ Anne Hutchinson

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-20-2008
Sat, 11-15-2008 - 10:57am
I don't see that he needs to 'muster up' more support. How many times did 100,000 people show up to see him during the election season? He already has my support, if he doesn't have yours that would be a question for YOU to answer. From my point of view people who don't want to support him will spend the next four years actively looking for reasons not to rather than seeing reasons to support him.

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