John F. Kennedy

Barack Obama Hits New Low In Public Opinion Polls! :( What Does It Mean?

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President Barack Obama has just hit a new low in popularity in public opinion polls, an alarming statistic for him and the Democratic Party!

Obama has dropped down to 42 percent, with 54 percent unhappy with his performance as President!

This is, obviously, not good news for him or his party, with every indication that the party will lose a large number of seats in Congress, and possibly lose the majority in one or both houses to the Republicans!

But it is not a guarantee by any means of what will happen, as polls have not been proved to be always an accurate reflection of what people will do on Election Day!

It also is a poor barometer of what will happen in the next Presidential election as shown by the following statistics:

September 1946–Harry Truman 32 percent rating
September 1978–Jimmy Carter 42 percent
September 1982–Ronald Reagan 42 percent
September 1994–Bill Clinton 42 percent

Realize that all of the above Presidents, despite their low public opinion rating at this point of their first term, went on to win another term as President, with the exception of Jimmy Carter!

So it is not time to write off Barack Obama by any means for 2012, and also at this point, there is no GOP potential nominee that has the backing or credentials that can be seen as presenting a real threat to the President!

But also recall that trying to predict the winner of the next Presidential election this far ahead of the contest is a losing proposition, as no one thought these future possibilities were reality at this point of a Presidential term:

Woodrow Wilson in 1910
Warren G. Harding in 1918
Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1930
Harry Truman in 1946
John F. Kennedy in 1958
Richard Nixon in 1966
Jimmy Carter in 1974
Ronald Reagan in 1978
Bill Clinton in 1990
Bill Clinton in 1994
Barack Obama in 2006

So the Presidential campaign truly begins right after the midterm elections are over on November 2, and there will be plenty to talk about, write about, and analyze about the perennial race for the White House!

The Chicago Daleys Soon To Be Part Of History: Their Legacy!

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An era is coming to an end in Chicago: Mayor Richard M. Daley, the son the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, has decided to retire next April at the end of his term, having by then broken the record of his father for time in office!

On Christmas Eve this year, the younger Daley will tie his father for 21 years and 8 months in office, so by the time he leaves, he will have finished 22 complete years as Mayor!

His father served from 1955 to 1976, dying in office with the reputation of being the last of the political bosses that for a long time influenced the Democratic Party! Daley was behind the nomination of John F. Kennedy in 1960, and it is believed helped Kennedy win Illinois by having the “cemetery vote” come out in Chicago early and often! 🙂

Daley was also behind the nomination of Hubert H. Humphrey in 1968, but also called out the police then to beat up anti Vietnam War demonstrators at the Chicago Democratic convention, which ultimately doomed Humphrey’s Presidential candidacy, which was already burdened by the war, and the candidacy of George Wallace on a third party line, leading up to the loss to Richard Nixon!

Son Richard M. has been Mayor for what will be 22 years when he leaves office, the longest lasting mayor of any city, much hailed as his father was for what was said to be “efficiency” in running the third largest city in America, and yet, as with his father, always a tone of corruption and malfeasance which never, somehow, came to the door of the Mayor, but led to criminal prosecutions for people around both Mayors!

So the Daleys leave a mixed legacy, with the son presiding over a city which has seen record numbers of black youths murdered, more in one month this summer than in Iraq over eight months of 2010! 🙁

Overall, it is good to see change coming to Chicago, as the Daley Era soon is truly part of American history, and will be much researched and written about in future years! It will also have an effect on the history of the Obama Presidency, since Obama came from Chicago politics!

The Word “Radical” And American Presidents: An Abused Term!

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President Barack Obama has been called “radical” by many opponents because he had the “gall” to tackle tough issues, including Health Care Reform and Financial Reform, and to take bold stands on many other issues in his first 19 months in office!

Somehow, if a President takes leadership and tries to make life better for the citizens of this nation, he is labeled by those who want no change, and to keep an elite wealthy group in control of government, as being extreme–and the words “Socialist”, “Communist”, “Fascist”, “Nazi”, “Liberal”, “Progressive”, and any other term that can be thrown at him that is derogatory in nature is utilized! 🙁

So therefore, Abraham Lincoln was “radical” because he dared to challenge the South’s secession from the Union, and moved to abolish slavery!

So Theodore Roosevelt was “radical” because he dared to engage the government in regulation of big business; proceeded to promote regulation of food and drugs; promoted conservation and the environment; and became the first President to see labor and working people as a group that should be considered as having basic rights!

Woodrow Wilson was “radical” because he moved to regulate corporations by anti trust legislation and the creation of the Federal Trade Commission; created a national banking system through the Federal Reserve Act; and promoted the first national labor laws!

Franklin D. Roosevelt was “radical” because he promoted government intervention and action to deal with the Great Depression through his New Deal; dared to challenge the power of big business; and promoted the first “safety net” for the poor and the middle classes!

Harry Truman was “radical” because he dared to promote civil rights in the military and in the nation’s capital, and suggested the importance of health care and education on a national level!

Dwight D. Eisenhower was “radical” because he dared to intervene with federal troops at Little Rock to enforce federal court orders on school integration, and promoted federal intervention in setting education standards nationwide!

John F. Kennedy was “radical” because he promoted civil rights, federal expansion of education initiatives, and suggested a Medicare system for the elderly of our nation!

Lyndon B. Johnson was “radical” for promoting the Great Society programs in civil rights, health care, education, the environment, consumer protection, and the War on Poverty!

Richard Nixon was “radical” for promoting advancements on the environment, consumer protection, labor protections, and other domestic reforms!

If these actions are “radical”, we need more of them, and more Presidents having the guts that these men and President Obama has had!

Understand, this is NOT saying that all of these Presidents did not have faults and shortcomings, and that they cannot be criticized for these areas of failure!

Lincoln violated civil liberties during the Civil War; Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were white supremacists; FDR tried to “pack” the Supreme Court, and interned Japanese Americans during World War II; Truman is blamed by many for starting the Red Scare to protect his administration; Eisenhower is judged as slow to react in the area of civil rights, before sensing a need to intervene at Little Rock to back federal court orders; Kennedy is perceived as ineffective in accomplishing much of his domestic programs; Johnson is interpreted as promoting too many reforms without careful consideration as to their long range effect; and Nixon is seen as violating civil liberties, and as crooked in using power, leading up to Watergate!

Obama has been criticized as being too moderate by many progressives and liberals, and as too slow to react against conservative attacks!

But all of these Presidents made a long range impact on America, and should be acknowledged for such “radical” change!

The Growing Religious Bigotry In America Very Troubling!

Ronald 6 Comments

Religion is supposed to bring people together, promote peace and understanding, and encourage tolerance!

But just the opposite has been happening in recent years! We are seeing a nation that is, by reputation, much more devout than most European countries, demonstrating a total lack of tolerance on the part of many “good, religious people” who would claim to be close to God!

Why should it matter if someone is a Muslim, a Catholic, a Jew, a Mormon, a Hindu, a Buddhist, a mainline Protestant, a Baptist, an evangelical Christian, an atheist or an agnostic?

What makes any religious belief somehow better than other divine thoughts? We are supposed to be a nation of religious freedom, but there is apparently so much hate and suspicion, if someone in public life is of a different faith than you are!

Why should it matter that John F. Kennedy was a Catholic? Why should it matter that Barack Obama had a Muslim father? Why should it matter that Mitt Romney is a Mormon? Why should it matter that Joe Lieberman, a Jew, was a theoretical heartbeat away from the Presidency if Al Gore had won the Presidency in 2000? And why should it matter if some political candidate might doubt the existence of God or not believe in God?

We are supposed to be a nation that believes in separation of church and state, so religion should NOT be a factor in politics, and promotion of hate and prejudice towards people, public or private, based on religion is a disgrace, that undermines American democracy! 🙁

The Growing Impact Of Barack Obama’s Cabinet Members!

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Every President has a full contingent of cabinet members, but rarely do many of them have a major impact historically. Most come and go and are forgotten, except for a few, who scholars study to analyze their influence on the Presidency!

A few Presidents, however, have a large number of cabinet members who are memorable! This would include Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy!

It could be possible, however, that Barack Obama may be presiding over an historic cabinet, and some of the people have become more influential and significant than one might have thought even six months or a year ago!

Among these are the following:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton–who has become much more significant than many would have thought possible! She is very close to her former rival, and travels all over the world as an extremely active diplomat!

Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner–long under attack, but surviving and consolidating his influence in regards to the Financial Reform legislation and the Economic Stimulus legislation!

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates–a carryover from George W. Bush, but a major figure in every sense, very loyal, and also reforming the department, cutting costs on weapons systems seen as unnecessary, and also leading the charge on ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military services!

Attorney General Eric Holder–under constant attack on many fronts including how to handle terrorist trials, but strong and assertive, and playing a major role in reforming the role of the Justice Department on many legal issues!

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan–a major player in reforming education, promoting teacher accountability, and not well liked by the teachers unions, but more in the forefront than most people who have held his position!

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood–the other Republican in the cabinet in addition to Robert Gates, he has been a real activist in promoting his department’s influence, more than most who have held this office in the past!

Four other cabinet members, faced with great challenges, have had a rough media image due to the controversies over health care and the BP oil spill crisis, but have also been intimately involved in administration policy making: Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.

What is certainly apparent is that Barack Obama made a conscious decision that his cabinet members were going to be major players in policy making! His cabinet choices overall have had an impact that will be seen as making this group one of the more historic and influential such combinations of public servants in American history!

“The Buck Stops Here!” Barack Obama And The BP Crisis!

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President Obama is visiting the Gulf States for the fourth time today and tomorrow, and will be delivering his first Oval Office address tomorrow night on the Oil Spill crisis. Then on Wednesday, he will have an Oval Office meeting with the top leadership of the British Petroleum Corporation, the topic being what is now easily the greatest environmental disaster in US history finishing eight weeks without resolution!

Obama has a reputation of being unemotional and wanting to remain a “nice guy” and always rational. But in this crisis, now to be considered the greatest crisis he has faced, bar none, he needs to show a tough side and to be demanding and condemning of BP, in order to get quicker resolution of the crisis, while holding the corporation completely responsible financially and legally for the loss of jobs and the killing of wildlife and the destruction of the tourism of the Gulf States!

Obama needs to be like Harry Truman at the time of labor strikes when he threatened to draft strikers into the US Army! He needs to be like John F. Kennedy when he confronted an inflationary price increase in the steel industry by throwing down the gauntlet to the steel companies and having concessions made by them under public condemnation!

There is no room for doubt or hesitancy for Barack Obama. His entire legacy may be based on the way he handles this crisis, and he must not worry what the critics say! This is one time when the federal government must assert its supremacy, no matter what states rights fanatics might declare to be unacceptable!

America must be run by its national government, not the corporations which have been running amuck in the past thirty years, and need tight discipline and regulation for the benefit of the American people!

The Upcoming Oval Office Meeting Of BP Executive Tony Hayward And President Obama

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Next Wednesday, British Petroleum CEO Tony Hayward will meet with President Obama in the Oval Office!

Such a meeting should have been held earlier than 58 days after the Oil Spill Disaster in the Gulf of Mexico! 🙁

BP has lied and deceived on the amount of oil leakage, and has been unwilling to allow free access by the news media to report the disaster! This is totally unacceptable behavior by any corporation, when what has occurred is a tremendous economic and environmental disaster for the nation! 🙁

President Obama must be tough and demanding at this meeting, and must make it clear that if BP does not follow through on total responsibility, both legally and financially, short term and long term, then the long arm of the national government will come down on them with a sense of total wrath! 🙁

For too long, we have allowed powerful international corporations to manipulate our government at all levels, and to do great harm to the average American! 🙁 This must NOT be allowed to continue, and we know that the Republican Party will not do anything to harm their close association with these corporations, so it is essential that the Democratic Party and President Obama take a stand for the American people, and make the disciplining and tight regulation of BP and other corporations a priority! 🙁

Otherwise, the future of American democracy is at stake! We need our President to act like Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy conducted themselves in confrontations with big business, making it clear that they were not going to tolerate abuses by corporations against the American people! 🙁

Barack Obama And The Space Program: New Direction!

Ronald 1 Comment

President Obama outlined a new vision on space travel at the Cape Canaveral base of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in central Florida on Thursday.

His plan is to develop a new space vehicle and a heavy lift booster to carry it beyond earth; to have a manned mission to an asteroid within fifteen years; and to use this as a stepping stone to the moons of Mars, and then reach Mars itself by 2040.

Obama sees this as a new mission, rather than following those who say we should go back to the moon. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin agrees with him, while interestingly, Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Gene Cernan are critical of Obama’s abandonment of the space shuttle program, and his plan to promote privatization efforts and to count on the Russians and others for travel to the space station.

While there may be a short term loss of jobs at the Cape, it seems that Obama’s vision will, hopefully, be seen over time in the same light as John F. Kennedy’s vision of landing on the moon by the end of the 1960s. The one major issue now, above all, will be finding the necessary funding to accomplish this space goals that looks so promising and doable over time, with patience!

Reflecting On The Meaning Of Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination 145 Years Later!

Ronald 1 Comment

Today, April 14, marks the 145th Anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln!

This was one of the most tragic moments in American history, and transformed the future of the nation, both in the South and nationally!

Assassination always affects the long term future of a nation, and certainly, the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy in 1968, and other political assassinations as well, had a deleterious effect on the future of the nation!

Political extremism is always evil, when it provokes marginal personalities to seek fame and notoriety by murdering a political leader, whether in America or anywhere else historically.

The political atmosphere today is so poisonous, with extremism and hot rhetoric so common, that it makes one concerned that it would not take much to convince some unbalanced individual to set out to assassinate our President, or our Speaker of the House, or some Governor, or any other political leader.

Nothing good can come out of this, and were this to happen, there would be a revulsion against those who had provoked it!

Why can’t we all realize how dangerous a situation we are in during the year 2010, and that we must pledge to lower the temperature of our debate, and recognize the common humanity of those who we might disagree with?

We do not want to mourn the loss of another leader, and this should be the message as we remember the sacrifice of Abraham Lincoln, who gave his life for his country to preserve the Union he took the oath to defend!

Man In Space: 49th Anniversary Commemoration!

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Today marks 49 years since the first man went into space–Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union.

In less than a month, Alan Shepard was the first American in space, although it took until February 20, 1962 before John Glenn matched what Yuri Gagarin had done on this day–orbit in a space capsule.

The space race was on, and it was a glorious time, promoted by Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and leading to Americans walking on the moon between 1969 and 1972!

The space program has gone through different phases since, but the dream of man in space and exploring the moon and Mars seems a distant dream, and President Obama is moving in the direction of cutbacks on the Space Coast in Florida. 🙁

This is highly regrettable, and it is hoped that the Obama Administration will revisit the issue of space travel, and will see the virtues and benefits of pursuing further exploration in space after the space shuttle finishes its missions later this year!