The NYT thinks Obama is arrogant?

1. 92

   habeeposted 12 years ago

   http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/us/po … JXBdwx7g1g
   
   What's your take?

   replyreport
   1. 68

      Teddletonmrposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Arrogant certainly, and let us not forget absolutely Scary to old folks and today’s youth.

      replyreport
      1. 59

         Miss Belgraviaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         "Scary to old folks and today's youth." Why do you say that? I'm sure you would consider me old (58), but like my daughter and her friends (in their 20s), I plan to vote for Obama again. None of us are scared at all, although since we live in Texas, our votes will probably be only symbolic. And I don't think he's arrogant. He's self-assured, high-achieving, smart, and driven. All of those are traits I want in a President of the United States.

         replyreport
         1. 83

            stayingalivemomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Amen to that!!

            replyreport
   2. 84

      gmwilliamsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      thank you habee for referrng us to the NYT article.    I read it.   Since President Obama is new, he has to prove himself that he is capable to the public.   He has to establish his creditibility so to speak in order for the public(some, at least) to respect him and take him seriously.    Also, because he is Black, he has to be twice as good as the next president in order to break even.  ( I am well aware of the twice as good scenario as I am a Black woman).    I do not think the POTUS is arrogant at all.   He was just bantering with the public.   He is extremely articulate.   He is trying to do his best and has implemented a health care system.

      replyreport
   3. 83

      stayingalivemomaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hey there habee:
      Thanks for sharing this article. I don't think President Obama is being cocky, I think he is confident and you need confidence to be President of the United States. I agree with @gmwilliams, he definitely has to shine brighter than other presidents because he is under the magnifying glass in the sunlight (I'm a Black woman also).
      I think he is very educated and very capable of bringing this country out of the mess it's in.

      replyreport
   4. 97

      Hawaiian Scribeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Black or white, left or right, anyone who writes his memoirs at 45 and runs for the presidency after a year in the Senate is arrogant.  And a country elected him. The problem with arrogant people is that they never think they're wrong on anything.  So he proclaims executive orders instead of doing the hard work of negotiating with Congress, he's on TV everyday giving speeches ad nauseum, he pushes through a tax-filled healthcare plan that the majority of Americans don't want, and a social agenda that is far left of where the majority of Americans are. If he is our leader, then where is he leading us to?  And is it where America wants to go?  A question for November...

      replyreport
      1. 75

         Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Americans must admire arrogance, then.
         We elected Bush not once, but twice.
         Who at the end of his 8 years could not think of a single mistake he had made as POTUS.
         That's arrogant.
         We then elected Obama.
         Who is humility personified compared to the contenders.
         Notice you spell aRRogant with two Rs, right?
         Romney.
         Ryan.
         Both off the charts.

         replyreport
         1. 97

            Hawaiian Scribeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Wow, clever.  You can spell.  You didn't answer the questions though..where is he leading us to and is it where America wants to go?

            replyreport
            1. 82

               mav04posted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Please use your compassion and feelings over principles (common sense).  I'm saying this because the person that you judge as losers and bums could be you one day.  You could end up homeless for a while.  Until you walk in these people's shoes, you'll never understand.

               replyreport
   5. 81

      Credence2posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Arrogant, hardly, Obama has been far to conciliatory with the GOP in the past, and if he had not have been we would be further along in the economic recovery. Obama plays to win and that is what I expect of anyone who is going to be my representative and advocate. Arrogant is the last word I would use to describe Obama, it was more appropriately used in regard to his predecessor.

      replyreport
      1. 97

         Hawaiian Scribeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         "It is very rare I come to an event where I'm like the fifth or sixth most interesting person. Usually the folks want to take a picture with me, sit next to me, talk to me. That has not been the case at this event and I completely understand." – President Obama, speaking to the crowd at his “NBA heroes” fundraiser in August.
         Heaven forbid any of us should be the sixth most interesting person in the room.

         replyreport
         1. 75

            Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Can't find video of his actual remarks. Wanted to hear his inflection, thinking he might just be "joking."
            CBS News reports it this way.
            They interpreted what he said as a joke.
            I think the word "LIKE the fifth or sixth" is a dead giveaway, don't you?
            
            “It is very rare that I come to an event where I’m like the fifth or sixth most interesting person,” Obama joked at the Lincoln Center dinner.

            replyreport
         2. 81

            Credence2posted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Well, it is hard to be the President of the United States and not be subject to a considerable amount of attention. That is not arrogance, just the reality of the office and the job.

            replyreport
   6. 69

      Ralph Deedsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Habee, although Jodi Kantor is a NYT reporter it's not accurate to attribute the opinions in her op-ed to the NY Times. She is the author of a somewhat controversial book entitled "The Obamas."

      replyreport
   7. 75

      Billy Hicksposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Perhaps we should have Jake Lew follow him around all day whispering: "memento mori" in his ear.
      
      Just a thought.

      replyreport
2. 59

   knolyourselfposted 12 years ago

   Obama won't attack Iran. Think the believers at the so called NY Times should be supporting Romney.

   replyreport
   1. 84

      Healthy Pursuitsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think that enough of our young people should have died - or have been crippled for life - in the Middle East to satisfy even the most rabid of the  hawks in Washington for a good long while. But evidently not, if it's a possibility if Romney wins.

      replyreport
3. 68

   BJCposted 12 years ago

   Interesting comments.  Obama is a narcissist and is always thinking of himself and how he can look good.  Yes, he is arrogant.  The color of his skin is a non-issue.  If the healthcare plan is so good they why is he exempt from it?  Why is the debt reaching the outlandish dollar amounts?  Etc. etc.,

   replyreport
4. 75

   Mighty Momposted 12 years ago

   Yes, that appears to be what the NYT is saying.
   And he does seem to meet the definition of arrogant.
   But, he also seems to be driven to excel in many areas so as to meet his own expectations.
   So is this a character flaw, a character asset, or a double-edged sword?

   replyreport
   1. 69

      Ralph Deedsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Picking a nit: The NYTimes is saying nothing of the kind. The fact that it printed an Op-ed by Jodi Kantor does not mean that the NYTimes supports what Jodi said in her op-ed.
      
      Here's an op-ed from yesterday's Wall Street Journal by Alan Blinder which hardly represents the opinion of the Editors of the Wall Street Journal. As you must know most newspapers try to have a variety of opinion on their editorial pages.
      
      http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB1 … reno64-wsj
      
      "It is by now a commonplace that this looks like a watershed election. By choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate, instead of shaking the Etch A Sketch toward the center, Mitt Romney embraced an economic vision that differs radically from the rough politico-economic consensus in the United States since Franklin Roosevelt. Barack Obama accepts that broad consensus and, like many other presidents, has sought to deepen it."

      replyreport
5. 60

   carol3sanposted 12 years ago

   Obama is self confident, Handsome, intelligent, highly educated, and articulent.  These atributes in no way makes him arrogrant, nor a narcissist.  I believe because he has all of these fine qualities that I've mentioned, and because he is a black man (people will seldom come right out and say this however ), he is getting picked on unfairly.  I suppose people would prefer that he be a bumbling idiot like W.

   replyreport
6. 61

   Hollie Thomasposted 12 years ago

   Arrogant indeed, he is able to imagine his life as a woman who has been raped or receives less pay than a man, he's able to imagine how  life is for an illegal immigrant who just wants to make a better life for himself and his family, he's able to imagine how life is for those who could not afford healthcare, or had pre-exisiting conditions. If this is arrogance then bring it on, I'd vote for arrogance every time.

   replyreport
7. 82

   mav04posted 12 years ago

   Well, I found out that on the MBTI, he scored the same as I did.  In other words he has the same personality as me.  I was wondering why I agreed with him on everything he has tried to do.  He and I have the same values.  He is a caring, value driven, man.  He stands in front of a huge crowd so he puts on a brave face.  This is the first time I see a president care so much about the every day man.  He is opposite from selfish.  He cares about people and want people to do the right thing.  It's people who doesn't care about other people that doesn't like him usually.  These people use "a hand up" philosphy as a cop out.  They just don't want to pay taxes no matter how irrisponsible that is.

   replyreport
   1. 75

      Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I tried to look up Obama's MBTI personality profile and found conflicting info.
      ENFP or ENFJ?

      replyreport
      1. 82

         mav04posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         INFP.  I don't remember which site I saw it on.  I've never seen him in any other type.  Either way, I share his view points 100 percent.

         replyreport
8. 0

   HowardBThinameposted 12 years ago

   Obama is surely arrogant, but what politician isn't?
   
   It take a certain kind of person to seek controlling power over others...
   
   It's in their blood. In their nature.
   
   For me personally, however, I don't like Obama's philosophies. Arrogance aside - I simply don't like his political ideas.
   
   Unfortunately, I don't like Romney's a lot better.
   
   It's probably time for a change - but in four years, it will probably be time again for a change. Unless we elect a president that that makes great leaps and bounds in our economy and personal freedoms, there is no reason not to change every four years.
   
   We need the changes.
   
   I just wish we had better options from which to choose.

   replyreport
   1. 97

      Hawaiian Scribeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with you there.  I will vote for Romney because his views are closer to mine, but do wish there were other options this year within the Republican party.  Personally, I think we should just make the presidency an 8 year term and be done with it.  As soon as they get elected, they are campaigning for the next term and it's pretty ridiculous. Change to 8 year term and limit to one term.  But we do need to vote out Obama and get onto another track for this country.

      replyreport
9. 81

   Kathryn L Hillposted 12 years ago

   The thing we need most is this:   L e s s   T a x e s!   Whoever will tax us less, that is who I hope wins. I have no idea who that could be. Do You?  Maybe neither.
   
   PS Meanwhile, stop with the outstretched arms and the open hands already
   
   PSS Who knows or cares about his arrogance??? Just because the New York Times dares to have an opinion? It is a non issue. Why do you make it one, is my question.

   replyreport
   1. 0

      HowardBThinameposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      That's a tough one. The healthcare act will be a huge tax burden on many in the lower/middle class, but it won't touch the wealthy.

      replyreport
      1. 69

         Ralph Deedsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         The Affordable Care Act will make sure that millions of uninsured Americans will have coverage and no longer have to go without care or face bankruptcy due to hospital and medical bills.

         replyreport
         1. 75

            Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Right. Just another way of saying "huge tax burden."
            

            replyreport
            1. 81

               Kathryn L Hillposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Lets ask Canada and Britain if anyone has much money left over after THEY pay their taxes! 
               Anyone?

               replyreport
               1. 75

                  Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Neither one is a socialist country. Shouldn't you be going for the "s" word here?

                  replyreport
               2. 77

                  Uninvited Writerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I'm doing fine.

                  replyreport
                  1. 59

                     Repairguy47posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Question is are you one who pays taxes? I don't know anything about Canada's tax system but the top 10% pay 69% of U.S. taxes. If you fall in the bottom 50% here you are not paying at all.

                     replyreport
               3. 75

                  Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  The Canadians I know seem to have more disposable income than I do. They are constantly traveling all over the world.

                  replyreport
         2. 81

            Kathryn L Hillposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            H O W ?

            replyreport
            1. 75

               Mighty Momposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               According to the Congressional Budget Office, the law will increase coverage to about 94 percent of Americans, while slowing the rate of growth in federal health expenditures by $124 billion over the next decade.
               Many, many more citizens will now be eligible for coverage under Medicaid (through their state program).
               Many more citizens will be able to purchase health insurance through state-run health care exchanges. They will have access to PRIVATE INSURANCE coverage that they could not purchase on their own, primarily due to prexisting conditions.
               If you have insurance already through your job, nothing changes for you.
               If you are currently a private payer (i.e., uninsured) you will now have the protection of health insurance. If you end up getting catastrophically injured or sick, you won't have to file bankruptcy to pay your hospital bills.
               Aside from the very real financial benefit to families, ACA also includes provisions to eliminate disparities in health care, strengthen health care access, invest in the expansion and improvement of the health care workforce, and encourage consumer and patient wellness in both the community and the workplace.
               
               But if you really want to know how well it works, ask former Governor Romney.
               
               
               .

               replyreport
               1. 59

                  Repairguy47posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Unfortunately the CBO is more often wrong than they are ever right.

                  replyreport
         3. 0

            HowardBThinameposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            We've been through this. The ACA is in bed with the insurance industry.
            
            Telling folks that they will get coverage - and then telling them to go out and buy it is ridiculous. The only people that will be hurt by this bill are those in the lower-middle class that can't afford to buy a policy yet don't qualify for subsidies.
            
            Wealthy folks already have their cadillac plans, the poorest will receive a plan (although they still have co-pays so many won't really have coverage).
            
            The ACA is the main reason i want Obama to win. Because if he loses - Romney will gut the ACA and the citizens will never know how big of a bullet missed them. But if Obama is reelected, 2014-15 will be the years the nation turns not only on him, but exposes the entire congress that backed this shameful plan.

            replyreport
            1. 70

               Quilligrapherposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Howdy Mr. Thiname.  It has been a while since we exchanged ideas.
               
               While I respect your right to project the future as you imagine it, your crystal ball appears to be a bit foggy. Exaggerated gloom and doom are not coming from those that are familiar with the provisions of the PPACA but mostly from those bent on an Obama defeat in November.
               
               The RomneyCare bill in Massachusetts is very successful and the ranks of citizens covered by insurance has risen seven percent. It is so similar to Obamacare that Republicans do not even want to talk about it. Both rely on the GOP idea of a mandate, the financial mechanism needed for successful healthcare reform. Gov. Romney would be a public hypocrite to scuttle the federal version. He argued in 2006 that those on the far right in his party needed to choose between asking less fortunate Americans to pay what they can or letting them have a free ride at the expense of healthcare providers. He was right. The only viable solutions are a National Health Program paid entirely by taxes (taxes vehemently opposed by the “haves”) or a universal insurance program under which the cost burden is spread across an insured pool of all Americans.  When praising RomneyCare in MA, Mitt Romney put it this way: “do we want people to pay what they can afford, or do we want people to be able to ride free on everybody else. And when that's recognized as the choice, most conservatives come my way." {1}
               
               Let’s face it, Gov. Romney did ObamaCare in Massachusetts even before President Obama was elected. It is working well there and it can do as well nationally as well.
               
               {1} http://www.allhealth.org/briefingmateri … ey-241.doc

               replyreport
   2. 69

      Ralph Deedsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Apparently the deficit and the huge national debt don't concern you? If they do, what would you propose to do about them?

      replyreport