Huffy Flounce

Really, really fascinating documentary series from the BBC. I am amazed by how frank and honest Obama is in when he's directly recounting stories from his time in the Oval Offce. Also how frustrated and angry he is at some of the things that weren't as easy to change as he thought they would be.

It's damn good TV.

That's how he completely wasted the first year and a half of his presidency....trying to just get people behind common sense ideas (and not really having any idea what to do when they refused) while completely underestimating the resistance he'd face as President Blacky McMuslim.

Hmmmmmmm. I would disagree after watching this. Biggest problem was the economy so he says himself he didn't have time for anything else because anything else was just noise.

He had to fix and stabilise before even beginning to think about change.

Well, yes, I guess in the first months that's true. But he had all of 2008-2010 to pursue whatever progressive causes he wanted, and he wasted a LOT of time trying to convince the obstructionists that the healthcare system was, in fact, in need of reform. Nothing else got done that should've gotten done. Climate change, education reform, tax reform, immigration (!), none of it. Just bending over backwards to get people to work with him who wanted nothing more than to ignore the fact he was alive, let alone leader of the free world.

Then the Tea Party came in 2010 and we are where we are now. It'll go down as one of the greatest missed opportunities in American history. Still makes me mad to think about that wasted time.

Hey, I am no expert and basing thus all on one TV show.

If you can get BBC iPlayer I recommend it. "Inside Obama's White House"

It's as good as the Cold War and WWFC ones they did. It amazes me the honest "talking heads" they get for these things.

I'll see if I can find all of those actually. It sounds really interesting.

The WWFC one was fucking terrifying. Never knew how close we actually came in 2008 to total collapse until I watched it.

2nd episode is about Obamacare. Jebus! It's horrible.

You may not want to get me started on that one either. I'll lose the Loyal Democrat reputation I've grown around here!

It's focussed now on the anti-abortion angle. The sheer venom on both sides is eye opening.

What kind of venom are they showing from the pro-choice side?

It's just a trigger word for both sides. Lots of shouting and people waving banners.

Next episode now. The Middle East. Here, it is clear, that his optimism unfortunately created sheer naïveté and poured petrol onto a fire.

The Bin Laden assault and re-election tonight, with a side order of gun control.

What gun control?

Attempts at it / desire at it. There is a lot of Obama himself in this, closely interviewed for the show. His reactions to Sandy Hook are pure emotion. Very upset, then the closest I have ever seen him to rage.

I always thought it was John Bo-hn-ah. Turns out is was John Bay-ner. Shows what I know!

You're so British.

Probably should be closer to Böhner. Sort of like Döner, but more orange.

That may depend on where you get your Döner.

I was never so disappointed as when I learned he didn't pronounce it "boner."

To be fair, if your name was Boner you would probably invent some bullshit pronunciation.