Barack Obama’s Biggest Challenge, Himself? - Above Politics 47

"Barack Obama faces himself as his own biggest challenge" according to special guest, Justin Case in our exclusive Above Politics podcast interview where Justin examines the challenges facing our new president.

Homer and Justin debate the love affair between the media and the President-Elect, and when will the media start to roast Barack Obama??

Justin believes that the President is the chief cheerleader!!!






What event in the Middle East would Justin bet the Case family fortune on? How much influence will Mrs. Clinton have?

Just how serious are people taking the birth certificate issue? The retirement gravy train once the President and Vice President leave office.

Who does Justin think is a "greased pig"?

And finally, a Homer rant.










ABOVE POLITICS Number 47, with Martin Bain and Homer Fife, from AboveTopSecret.com.
Show length is 29:20.
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[edit on 1/4/2009 by SkepticOverlord]

sound issue, can hear the program but the sound quality is such that it is greatly muted compared to the shows intro sound quality.

Not entirely sure I agree with Justin Case that Obama's biggest challenge is himself.

The challenges I see are:

Getting the right team around him. Keeping Robert Gates was a good idea and Hillary Clinton as Sec of State seems more of a consession to get the nomination. Not that Hillary Clinton is a bad choice, and I think I have heard Martin talk about the ability for Bill Clinton to open doors as well.

Remaining gaff free for the first year. There will be many who will be gunning for the new president and anything they can get their hands on will be used.

Getting the US economy back up and running.

I haven't listened to the show yet... but I'll give my thoughts.


I don't think Obama's problem is himself largely. That is one problem but he isn't the biggest problem.

I think the biggest problem he will have to deal with is real world circumstances with other nations. Other nations might try to take advantage of him. But you could say that would be his own problem.

I think Obama will do fine... but... he just has to worry about these other nations (my opinion).

Can't wait to listen to the show!

Homer, I listened to the show today, and I must say, that I am a little disappointed. Not with your views, but, I just sort of pity you I guess because you once were like me a long time ago. I blamed the other party for everything they were doing wrong. It wasn't until I looked at the history of both parties that I saw that both parties made mistakes. Neither party is better than the other. Both parties make propaganda about the other... for instance the Republican party calls the Democratic party a socialist party and that they hate America. You've somehow bought into this idea that liberals are against America and everything it stands for.

The two party system has certainly affected the way you think about Democrats... I'm not saying Democrats are good because they're the other party... I'm just saying that it's silly to say that we're all hypocrites for telling you not to support Bush when you go on to say that you hope Obama doesn't win the next election cycle... and I think that some of your opinions show me how silly the two party system is. I'm ready to give up partisan politics. In fact I've formed both liberal and conservative beliefs... I just think that people like me and you have been force-fed too much information from the MSM to get us to hate the other party. Homer, in reality we are not liberal or conservative, we are Americans, and we love America although we think differently.

Reagan gave Democrats a bad name and George W Bush gave Republicans a bad name... so you know what I say? I say either we get a bit of accountability for the people who hold our public office or we scrap the system entirely.

I think you're just thinking too much in party lines... the GOP won't rebuild itself overnight... neither will the Dems. I don't think Obama's Presidency will be a failure... but... I don't think that the fault can be blamed on either party.

A lot of criticism against Bush was valid... and to the same token much of the criticism against Obama is also valid... but to say that one party wants to destroy the country more than the other is ridiculous. Both parties are working for the same foreign interest groups and the bilderburg group.

All that is different about the party is the way they handle domestic issues... Democrats and Republicans both have similar views with foreign policy (if you think about it).

Other than that... I don't think there will be peace in the middle east without the other nations working for it. That will only happen if all the Middle East nations work together to keep Israel from attacking Gazaa, if Israel pulls out of Gazaa, and, if Hammas doesn't attack Israel anymore.

No President will do it. Anyone who thinks that Obama would be able to do it by himself has no credibility what so ever.

Homer... I'm asking you to throw your partisan view of politics away when you're looking at this from a political view though. I know better. I know better to look at this and see that Republicans are doing this or Democrats are doing this. It's the system that our government is built upon that is the direct fault of it and that's the perspective in which I look at the issues.

If you just think about this in terms of Democrats and Republicans then you're being too blinded by ideology.

That's just my $.02.

Homer, I say what I say as a warning.

I admit I am a Democratic liberal myself. All I'm saying is to not get too swept in with all of this party division. I got caught up with it years ago, but, now I know that not all Republicans are bad, and I would like for Republicans and Democrats to work together. You, might start to think that all Democrats are bad, which is not the case, but, you might also start to want both parties to work together.

I really would wish that this divisiveness will end. You've made many comments about Democrats being socialists. Socialism is just an extreme leftist ideology. Democrats are liberals, and, no, Democrats do not want to destroy the country, much like Republicans. I'm just saying that we shouldn't get too caught up with the blame game, as, you've been blaming us for blaming Republicans for what they've been doing wrong the last 8 years, now you're starting to do the same, so, you're saying something and doing the opposite.

If you truly want to learn from our mistakes from the last 8 years you wouldn't talk about blaming people you would talk about making things better. WE blamed people the last 8 years for things and we didn't talk about making things better and that's why the Bush administration was a disaster (partly).

So, that's all I'm saying. Stay out of the blame game Homer! Keep being a conservative, but, don't get too caught up in party politics!

I think you'll find that the Republican party doesn't really represent conservatives, and, that the Democratic party doesn't really represent liberals that well. They fail to represent the people. We need to elect people who will truly represent our views! Isn't that what Democracy is all about?

[edit on 9-1-2009 by Frankidealist35]

I apologize for my long post.

I just don't accept partisanship as a substitute for truth.

I support Obama, like I support most other Presidents.

I just don't see things in the partisan way that you seem to.

Yes, ATS offers opposing views but I prefer to be nonpartisan at times. I disagree with my own at times myself on certain issues...

I'm just saying that it's better to be nonpartisan than to be completely liberal or completely conservative at times and think for yourself... not to let these people in the media like Rush Limbaugh, Shaun Hannity, Chris Matthews, or to let the conservative media/liberal media tell you what to think.

I'm just trying to warn you.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Sounds Good.....And just which nations should he be concerned with??

reply to post by theodorej


It depends... from a non conspiracy view you could argue that Obama will have to worry about trade deals with China, that he has to worry about what Russia is planning to do to us, that he has to worry about rogue states like Iran and that he has to worry about whatever conflict Israel is involved in. From an American view here you would argue that his biggest problem is with his own country and he needs to fix things here first... from a conspiracy view you would argue that he is just a puppet... so it all depends on how you view the situation.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Greetings Frank......This is where the rubber meets the road,the American people have spoken....A direct result of a very uninformed decision on behalf of the voting populus and between two fundamentally dishonest candidates with serious character floors....One must realize when you indentify yourself as a liberal democrate you are sighning on for the complete agenda that all three branches of government will soon be pushing....We shall see if it saves america or does irrepairable damage to our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy....This is reality and there is no conspiracy with exception of the conspiracy to hide the truth and all politicians in concert with a media that slants the truth and in more cases than not lies...