Obama's 2nd Term

[Commando]

- Immigration: I honestly have no idea what Obama's proposed plan is for immigration. Does he have one? I guess he supports the DREAM act, which is a reasonable piece of legislation but I wish he'd tackle the bigger issue of preventing illegal immigration instead of just dealing with those that are currently here illegally. I give Obama a 5/10 chance of getting anything done here.

You have no idea what his proposed plan is... because he's never proposed one!
His big coup in this race that I haven't seen mentioned is what he did with his unilateral deferred action back in June. That locked down the latino vote big time. Had Romney had even the same latino vote that McCain had, we'd have President Elect Romney right now.

I don't imagine Obama gives half a shit about Immigration at this point. Romney's plan was incomplete and not well-articulated, but he was definitely on the right track with upping visa limits, rolling back quotas, etc.

I hope Barry proves me wrong, but what could he possibly have to gain by doing so?

[PaloAltoCougar]

It more probable in a 2nd term but I doubt he does it. He's no longer afraid of not being reelected so tampering with SS and Medicare (which SB does) won't cost him but it could cost his party. With Florida being a swing state and the number of retirees in Florida being so large I doubt the Dems will do anything to even hint at any cuts or reform to SS and Medicare. This is quite possibly one of the biggest issues facing us and it wouldn't be as big without the electoral college and Florida being a swing state.

No question. Ox just provided a link to this depressing essay about the seriousness of our financial situation. Entitlements represent by far the biggest drain on the federal purse, and it's getting worse, with 10,000 new recipients being added each day, while a large number leave the contributing workforce. Meanwhile, although 80% of Americans are concerned about the debt, 78% oppose any reductions in entitlements. Heaven help us.

[YOhio]

No question. Ox just provided a link to this depressing essay about the seriousness of our financial situation. Entitlements represent by far the biggest drain on the federal purse, and it's getting worse, with 10,000 new recipients being added each day, while a large number leave the contributing workforce. Meanwhile, although 80% of Americans are concerned about the debt, 78% oppose any reductions in entitlements. Heaven help us.

It's a shame the Romney campaign didn't utilize Paul Ryan more effectively to communicate this message. That essay encapsulated the problem better than anything put out by either campaign. It's Ryan's wheelhouse but he was largely limited to spouting platitudes. He may not even have the best solution, but at least he put something up. I'm sure the folks Romney hired to win the election didn't think it would play well with the voters, but it's part of treating them like adults.

[Goatnapper'96]

Now that I have had 24 hours to digest that President Obama gets 4 more years I have decided to highlight what will inevitably be the highpoint: I WANNA KNOW WHEN MADONNA IS GONNA GET NEKKID! I DON'T CARE THAT SHE IS SHRIVELLY, WRINKLED AND OLD, THIS WILL BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S 2ND TERM!

We need a watch alert of Madonna's promised nekkidness!

[YOhio]

Now that I have had 24 hours to digest that President Obama gets 4 more years I have decided to highlight what will inevitably be the highpoint: I WANNA KNOW WHEN MADONNA IS GONNA GET NEKKID! I DON'T CARE THAT SHE IS SHRIVELLY, WRINKLED AND OLD, THIS WILL BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S 2ND TERM!

We need a watch alert of Madonna's promised nekkidness!

She flashed her boob at a concert a while back. Google it.

[byu71]

Now that I have had 24 hours to digest that President Obama gets 4 more years I have decided to highlight what will inevitably be the highpoint: I WANNA KNOW WHEN MADONNA IS GONNA GET NEKKID! I DON'T CARE THAT SHE IS SHRIVELLY, WRINKLED AND OLD, THIS WILL BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S 2ND TERM!

We need a watch alert of Madonna's promised nekkidness!

I haven't even been without so long that I would want to see that. I wouldn't even notice she was naked, but would notice she would need ironing.

[The_Douger]

As if there's not plenty of naked Madonna pics out there. Didn't she make a whole book with naked pics of herself in the late 80s?

[Goatnapper'96]

I haven't even been without so long that I would want to see that. I wouldn't even notice she was naked, but would notice she would need ironing.

I didn't say it would be worthwhile, I said it was going to be the highlight of President Obama's 2nd term. SOME BOYS KISS ME I THINK THEY'RE OK-EH BUT IF THEY DON'T GIVE ME PROPER CREDIT I JUST WALK AWAY! GET NEKKID MATERIAL GIRL!!!

[byu71]

I didn't say it would be worthwhile, I said it was going to be the highlight of President Obama's 2nd term. SOME BOYS KISS ME I THINK THEY'RE OK-EH BUT IF THEY DON'T GIVE ME PROPER CREDIT I JUST WALK AWAY! GET NEKKID MATERIAL GIRL!!!

The highlight of his second term will be that the market only dropped 300 pts the day after he was elected to the second term Wait, I guess this is really still his first term. Nevermind, you probably are right.

[Uncle Ted]

So let's get this started. What is Obama up against for his 2nd term?

- Fiscal cliff: This one will be a doozy. This is coming up so soon because him and Boehner already couldn't work out a deal. We ended up with the super committee crap that couldn't work together. Now we either get something done or we ended up in sequestration with big tax increases and big spending cuts. Personally I think the boys in Washington play nice this time around and get something done. I hope it still includes spending cuts and tax increases, but just not of the same size. I give this a 10/10 chance of working out.

- Buffett rule: I think that either as part of the fiscal cliff reform or just a bit later we'll finally see the expiration of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. I don't think there will be any movement though on the Buffett rule. Too many rich people like Obama and they also like their money. Smart people know Obama is bluffing on this and only used it as a phantom issue to paint Romney as a bloodless rich guy that screws over the poor Americans. I put the chances of the Buffett rule being implemented at 1/10 and I put it at 2/10 for Obama to make any sort of push on it.

- Immigration: I honestly have no idea what Obama's proposed plan is for immigration. Does he have one? I guess he supports the DREAM act, which is a reasonable piece of legislation but I wish he'd tackle the bigger issue of preventing illegal immigration instead of just dealing with those that are currently here illegally. I give Obama a 5/10 chance of getting anything done here.

- Economy/jobs: He has no idea what he's doing here. Every thing he talks about is a bill or regulation that would create jobs. Is he stupid? Yes, on this issue he is. I doubt the economy takes off anytime soon. He's also not helped much with the European crisis still lingering. I think the unemployment rate will decline, but only ever so slightly and most of that will be because of boomers retiring and leaving the workforce instead of jobs being created over and above what is needed. I give him 2/10 chance of having an economically strong 2nd term.

- Energy/environment: God bless us that the GOP has some clout now with the House. Cap and trade won't happen and neither will Solyndra again, at least not right now. Technology is reshaping this industry and I'm seeing coal continue to go down as an energy source in the US, although we'll probably still ship a lot of it to China. I predict that energy prices stay reasonable due to fracking and natural gas as well as the limping economy and I put the odds at 10/10 that Obama takes credit despite the fact his EPA regulations and war on shale gas are impeding the progress.

- Education: LOL! Tuition costs will still rise fast and nothing will get done.

-Health Care: I think Obamacare will be burdensome and we'll find this out fairly quickly. I imagine it'll be tweaked once people realize that companies are being crushed by the requirements to provide health care and the fact that premiums are so large. The mandate will stay but Obamacare will be chipped at so much that it's not nearly as burdensome as it was originally intended to be. Either that or the whole system goes to pot and we end up with a single-provider. I put the odds at 5/10 that Obamacare is neutered somewhat and 0.005/10 that we get a single payer system anytime soon.

- Equal pay mumbo jumbo: This was a campaign ploy and Obama won't push for it. It's unworkable and the logic behind it is irrational. I give this 0/10 that it ever gets passed and 0/10 that Obama even tries to do anything with it.

- Supreme Court justices: I have no idea so someone else will have to chime in. Suffice it to say that Roe v. Wade is safe.

- Replacing both his Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury: Both have indicated they may not stay around for the second act.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...-resolved.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/capito...MBL4FJAcSFAwdM

[il Padrino Ute]

This didn't take long to happen.

I don't like the idea that there will be more people the rest of us have to support, but it would be fan-dam-tastic if these are union weasels who got the heave-ho.

[Uncle Ted]

This didn't take long to happen.

I don't like the idea that there will be more people the rest of us have to support, but it would be fan-dam-tastic if these are union weasels who got the heave-ho.

Didn't the Obama administration tell them no layoffs until after the election?

[Maximus]

- Replacing both his Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury: Both have indicated they may not stay around for the second act.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...-resolved.html

http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/capito...MBL4FJAcSFAwdM

i wish he would get rid of holder, but he seems to like incompetent people.

[il Padrino Ute]

Didn't the Obama administration tell them no layoffs until after the election?

They did wait until after the election.

Sequestration + the inevitable tax hikes = disaster for everyone

Welcome to Obama's America.

[frank ryan]

This didn't take long to happen.

I don't like the idea that there will be more people the rest of us have to support, but it would be fan-dam-tastic if these are union weasels who got the heave-ho.

Seriously, you shouldn't celebrates someone's layoff because they are a union member. That is petty.

I'm thinking it's time to dismantle these bloodsucking unions before we end up like Argentina. Someone should start a PAC that does nothing but get anti union propositions on state ballots. Either that or file the paperwork to have the red states secede from this crappy obamaphyllic union.

Ask Carl Wimmer how awesome that is. Being knee-jerk reactionary against the right to organize really helped the GOP out this election cycle. They should keep it up.