Change is Coming

[HuskyCaucasian]

So, Obama is the next president... what REALLY gets done. Not what he wants to get done, what actually gets done.

 

I think in no particular order:

Net Neutrality

Troops out of Iraq

Next Generation Energy Movement

Some form of health care reform... maybe not universal right away.

[lostfan]

I don't think his healthcare reform is going to pass as is even with a Dem Congress. If he learned from Clinton he's not going to push something controversial early in his term. He won't govern with some radical left-wing agenda (unless he's an idiot, and clearly he is not) because he is looking at 2 terms, and this is still fundamentally a center-right country.

[lostfan]

Also, IMO the first thing he will push is alternative energy, that's something there is a near-consensus on.

[bmags]

One of the reasons, besides timing, that HRC's healthcare failed so badly, is you don't create a bill like that without consulting congress, they pushed a bill that congress didn't create so they all got pissed. I think energy is first.

 

and also...

 

[southsideirish71]

So, Obama is the next president... what REALLY gets done. Not what he wants to get done, what actually gets done.

 

I think in no particular order:

Net Neutrality

Troops out of Iraq

Next Generation Energy Movement

Some form of health care reform... maybe not universal right away.

 

Net Neutrality is not a good idea. First thing most internet traffic traverses through peering agreements and doesnt touch the backbone. Net Neutrality will breakdown a lot of the peering agreements that exist. Net Neutrality will start us down the slippery slope of metered internet usage. Its a bad idea.

 

 

 

 

[BigSqwert]

I really hope that he was dead serious about the 10 year initiative to finally break the addiction to (Edit: "foreign") oil. If we don't see progress on that front I would judge his presidency as a failure.

Edited November 5, 2008 by BigSqwert

[daa84]

i agree with you guys on the energy stuff, and breaking the addiction on foreign oil...but that type of stuff is dependent on technology, so to put a time frame on it isnt reasonable IMO....i understand he can help to redistribute more funding in those areas, but those are things that will certainly take a much longer time than obama's term (and probably longer than 10 years) to be implemented, even if all the new technologies necessary are developed right now

Edited November 5, 2008 by daa84

[BigSqwert]

i agree with you guys on the energy stuff, and breaking the addiction on foreign oil...but that type of stuff is dependent on technology, so to put a time frame on it isnt reasonable IMO....i understand he can help to redistribute more funding in those areas, but those are things that will certainly take a much longer time than obama's term (and probably longer than 10 years) to be implemented, even if all the new technologies necessary are developed right now

 

JFK wanted a man on the moon in 10 years and we accomplished it. I think we have the brains to get this accomplished as well.

[daa84]

JFK wanted a man on the moon in 10 years and we accomplished it. I think we have the brains to get this accomplished as well.

point taken, but IMO theres a big differnce in developing technology for one machine with absurd funding vs. developing cost effective technology that will change the way virtually the entire nation and every single person uses energy ....don't get me wrong, breaking our dependence on foreign oil would solve so many problems and i'd love to see it happen as soon as possible (and being actively involved in scientific research, i always wonder what the epiphany of discovering alternative fuel technologies would be like)...but i think by putting time frames on it from now on, obama is only hurting himself by giving opponents something to throw back at him if those time frames aren't met

Edited November 5, 2008 by daa84

[HuskyCaucasian]

JFK wanted a man on the moon in 10 years and we accomplished it. I think we have the brains to get this accomplished as well.

I think the debate... in my opinion... is getting it down at all costs vs getting done cost efficiently.

 

What I mean by this is maybe int he next ten years we CAN get off foreign oil, but will the end product be more expensive than the current product? I'd be more interest in taking 15 years and getting right than 10 years and have high consumer costs.

 

An example of something like this is solar energy. It's just too expensive for the average citizen. When I buy a house in the next 3 years, I REALLY want to install solar... but it might be too expensive... yes, there are leasing models that are cost efficient. The first push might be in pushing down the costs of solar to make it accessible to "Joe the Plummer". (Sorry, had to got there one last time. lol)

Edited November 5, 2008 by Athomeboy_2000

[lostfan]

i agree with you guys on the energy stuff, and breaking the addiction on foreign oil...but that type of stuff is dependent on technology, so to put a time frame on it isnt reasonable IMO....i understand he can help to redistribute more funding in those areas, but those are things that will certainly take a much longer time than obama's term (and probably longer than 10 years) to be implemented, even if all the new technologies necessary are developed right now

It's a goal set deliberately high, I don't have a problem with it if the goal isn't reached within that timeframe. If you work towards it and fail, you're still very far along and can consider it successful if you eventually get it done. Because right now, we're just sitting on our asses, for the past 30 years we've been talking about it, but we won't be about it.

[bmags]

Sometimes I'm not sure how helpful it is to repeat myself...but. I agree with Tom Friedman's view on Energy and America. This is what could push us to the forefront.

[Balta1701]

point taken, but IMO theres a big differnce in developing technology for one machine with absurd funding vs. developing cost effective technology that will change the way virtually the entire nation and every single person uses energy ....don't get me wrong, breaking our dependence on foreign oil would solve so many problems and i'd love to see it happen as soon as possible (and being actively involved in scientific research, i always wonder what the epiphany of discovering alternative fuel technologies would be like)...but i think by putting time frames on it from now on, obama is only hurting himself by giving opponents something to throw back at him if those time frames aren't met

The remarkable thing about renewable energy systems is...they work the opposite of fossil fuels, in that the more we use fossil fuels, the more expensive they get, while the more we use renewables, the cheaper they get.

 

If you do the math...it would take a major, major investment to kick up the construction and installation of generation facilities and an updated power grid to carry the electrons, but we have the technology right now to have a carbon free electricity system within about 10-12 years. We just have to do it.

[EvilMonkey]

In the first 100 days he gets on his knees before the crotch of organized labor and signs the Employee Free Choice Act thereby crippling American industries even more. And he actually get something done about energy, but with all the infighting between enviro groups and such, it will be fairly watered down.

[DBAHO]

Troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan. And he's going to ask America's Allies (Australia definitely) for a troop increase in Afghanistan also.

[GoSox05]

Troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan. And he's going to ask America's Allies (Australia definitely) for a troop increase in Afghanistan also.

 

 

Obama needs to change the way about fighting the Afghanistan war. We need to do something different otherwise we will end up just like the USSR.

 

 

I also think that one thing that will change is that he will run an open goverment. Bush has closed off goverment and I think Obama will open it back up.

[whitesoxfan101]

I don't think his healthcare reform is going to pass as is even with a Dem Congress. If he learned from Clinton he's not going to push something controversial early in his term. He won't govern with some radical left-wing agenda (unless he's an idiot, and clearly he is not) because he is looking at 2 terms, and this is still fundamentally a center-right country.

Also, IMO the first thing he will push is alternative energy, that's something there is a near-consensus on.

 

What he said.

[MurcieOne]

Troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan. And he's going to ask America's Allies (Australia definitely) for a troop increase in Afghanistan also.

 

We do need to reinforce our presence in Afghanistan, and it will come from troops deployed in Iraq, but I don't see this happening within the first 100 days of Obama taking office. I think when President Obama takes office, he'll get the briefings of what's actually transpiring on the ground and make a decision based off of that. While things looks promising at the moment, I would say that the peace that exists in Iraq is due to our ability to keep the warring parties separate -- because our troop levels there are so high.

 

we'll see though, it would be nice to see the international community step up and realize what a stable Iraq means to the world/region.

 

 

 

[knightni]

Hopefully, this is not the change that was meant:

 

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Obama needs to change the way about fighting the Afghanistan war. We need to do something different otherwise we will end up just like the USSR.

 

That's more something for generals to discuss isnt it? Unless i'm missing your point

 

I also think that one thing that will change is that he will run an open goverment. Bush has closed off goverment and I think Obama will open it back up.

 

What does this mean?

 

[bmags]

That's more something for generals to discuss isnt it? Unless i'm missing your point

 

 

 

What does this mean?

 

I'm fairly certain he was referring to transparency. To a degree I think that will be true but it's not like Obama's campaign was an open book to media. I just want accountability. Too many scandals were able to be crushed by Bush hiding behind executive privilege. Breaking the law is no privilege.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

So, Obama is the next president... what REALLY gets done. Not what he wants to get done, what actually gets done.

 

I think in no particular order:

Net Neutrality

Troops out of Iraq

 

I wouldnt really call troops out of Iraq much of a "change" considering a withdrawal in 2011 was pretty much already established. Also, Obama has recently recognized that an immediate withdrawal is just not plausible

 

Next Generation Energy Movement

 

This should be priority number 1. This is also one of the few areas I agree with him with. I do trust he will push forth much needed alternative energy plans/policies

 

Some form of health care reform... maybe not universal right away.

 

This one will take a while, IMO, it will be a very complicated undertaking. And the universal part I dont think will happen (at least I hope not)

[whitesoxfan101]

If Universal Health Care doesn't pass with the balance of power as of January, I'm hard pressed to think it ever will.

Edited November 5, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[Baines3]

Let's Give him a chance. He's got 4 years to make some improvements. If no improvements happen in 4 years he'll be out.

[Baines3]

If Universal Health Care doesn't pass with the balance of power as of January, I'm hard pressed to think it ever will.

 

 

As much as I would like to see Universal Health Care, I doubt if it ever will get passed.