How have differing administrations affected you?

Discussion in 'Elections & Campaigns' started by Le Chef, Feb 24, 2017.

  1. Le Chef

    Le Chef Banned at members request Donor

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    As noted elsewhere, my life has been about the same going back to the Reagan years. Regardless of who has been in the white house, my opportunities have been pretty constant living here in America (Louisiana and Texas), this beginning with Reagan and continuing all the way through Obama's second term.

    Is this important? Yes. First, it convinces me that there are a lot of things affecting our lives more significantly than presidential policies.

    Second, it makes me discount not only what the media says about R's and/or D's, it makes me discount what party leaders say about the other party. I've been hearing "this country can't stand another president like ____!!!" going all the way back to Nixon. I daresay that even Nixon could have stayed in office without materially affecting me or anyone I know.

    Dirty commies are wrong about much, but they're right when they say there is no fundamental difference between the two major parties. Obviously there are differences at the margins. But is there really any difference between a conservative Democrat and a liberal Republican?

    So how, if at all, have the policies of any particular president affected you? Would that president's opponent really have been any better?
     
  2. ArmySoldier

    ArmySoldier Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    From a military stand point I've seen some HUGE differences. Bush has a deep love and appreciation for the military. Bush (mostly speaking about Bush, Trump has only been in a month- yet still attended a military funeral) always made visits- Bush way more than Obama.

    The item that hit me the worst was when Obama wussified the Rules of Engagement. We couldn't believe it (as infantrymen) that he changed it to the "wait to get shot" rule. I'm expecting Mad Dog to get in Trump's ear and change this. I hope so at least.

    Also, under Obama we had many units, soldiers, and friends cut from the military due to Obama's budget cuts.

    My entire former MP unit is now gone. However, Trump is working tirelessly to turn this around.

    So from my stand point, there's been a huge difference.
     
  3. Llewellyn Moss

    Llewellyn Moss Well-Known Member

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    Not to bash Nixon in general, but some of the policies of the Nixon Administration echo down through the decades. This article explains how Nixon made many of us fat.

    Why are Americans Growing Obese? Blame Richard Nixon and Earl Butz

    http://www.allgov.com/news/where-is...blame-richard-nixon-and-earl-butz?news=844637
     
  4. perotista

    perotista Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Day to day life, none. I suppose JFK and LBJ with the war in Vietnam got me drafted into the army. But I made a career out of it, so I am thankful for that. There have been several presidents I would just as soon seen them lose. But would their opponent won instead of them make my life better? That is a hard question to answer as it is a what if question. One we have to make assumptions for and I think we know what assuming does, it usually makes an ass of yourself.

    One can't go on campaign promises, some aren't fulfilled because the situation doesn't let it be. Some are just spouted to obtain votes. I would say one never knows or can't know if someone else win instead of the one who did. It all boils down to what if and assumptions. Dreams perhaps of the way you wanted things to be.
     
  5. Le Chef

    Le Chef Banned at members request Donor

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    Democrat LBJ didn't exactly "start" the Vietnam war (first advisors were sent in by JFK), but he sent in most of the ground troops who were killed and wounded.

    Republican Dubya Bush did the same in Iraq and Afghanistan. For basically the same reasons. There was affirmative action under Republican Nixon, and Republican Bush the Elder signed the Clean Air and Clean Water Act in to law.

    Almost all Supreme Court Justices went to the same two law schools and they agree more than they disagree, regardless of who appointed them.

    Deficits have grown under R's and D's.

    Both parties benefit enormously from corporate money through PACs.

    Both feign indignation when the other makes a mistake.

    Stock markets boom and crash under both.

    Neither the Libertarians nor the Greens, both of who are genuinely different, can make any inroads.

    The two parties have more in common than not, and I think this is part of the reason it doesn't make too much difference whether an R or a D occupies the White House.

    More important are local governments and the economy.
     
  6. Texas Republican

    Texas Republican Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I can't say any administration ever really impacted my life, although the Obama period was extremely depressing as the country tilted left and away from 240 years of American history and values.
     
  7. VietVet

    VietVet Well-Known Member

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    Nixon went to China, and met in secret while TV showed snow falling on the Great Wall of China.
    Since then everything you touch says "Made in China"

    When Bush was put in place by the Supreme Court, I was embarrassed by how profoundly stupid he was. Now, I would have him back in a heartbeat to replace the current so-called president, who gets his information in suppository form...

    Obama and the democrats undid a great deal of the damage the GOP had done and saved the country from entering a depression. When Obama took office, we were losing 650,000 jobs a month, and under Obama we entered the longest run of job increases in history.
     

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