Bill Cosby on the President

[Interpol]

Bill Cosby has never been known to be a knee-jerk type from either side.

Many blacks believe him to be conservative, particularly when he has come out and spoken about inner city violence and stuff.

I do see his point. There used to be a gentleman's agreement in Washington that the guy who gets elected to be President gets to move in the direction he wants to go in, but tempered with check and balances and some compromises with the other party.

It didn't ever use to matter who the President was, the Highway Bill would get passed and unanimously so. But today, the rhetoric about wanting to see this President fail is being backed up by a concerted effort, it seems, to hold up even the most basic of things like transportation.

I want Republicans to win because when they propose what they propose, it makes the majority of folks say, "Yeah, that makes sense, it checks out, it's fair, let's do it".

But it seems like through this President's administration that their tactic is to stall on everything and then publicly display outrage at how divisive this President is, or how extreme he is or what not.

But I just don't see it. I see a Democratic President who is for cap-and-trade and the individual mandate, both of which are conservative values that are borne out of the notion of "individual responsibility".

You can fault the President on real things, but holding up the President, no matter what their party affiliation, just for the sake of hoping it makes the President look bad is kind of cheap, if you ask me. It's "small ball", not the big leagues. I fear you can't win the big general election playing that kind of game.

The American people like this President. I don't mean his job approval. That has been split for several months now almost down the middle. But in terms of the question of "Do you want to see this President do good things?", he's up in the high 60's/low 70's the last time I checked.

I think that like Reagan, when he speaks of responsibility, I think it touches moderate people in the same way.

I have my druthers with every President, including this one, but I would have to say that as a vehicle to get some important matters done, I think that Obama is actually not so bad, it's just that I feel that the folks who hate him, really really hate him and it's given us a pretty nasty gridlock and the American people are going to have to decide whether they feel Obama gets part of the blame for the gridlock or if they decide that it's his opponents who are to blame for being too stubborn to compromise with him on even their own long-held views like cap-and-trade and the individual mandate.

 

[ginscpy]

Cosby is an old fartw ho starredin the grounbreaking 60s series I Spy

 

[BDBoop]

Bill Cosby has never been known to be a knee-jerk type from either side.

Many blacks believe him to be conservative, particularly when he has come out and spoken about inner city violence and stuff.

I do see his point. There used to be a gentleman's agreement in Washington that the guy who gets elected to be President gets to move in the direction he wants to go in, but tempered with check and balances and some compromises with the other party.

It didn't ever use to matter who the President was, the Highway Bill would get passed and unanimously so. But today, the rhetoric about wanting to see this President fail is being backed up by a concerted effort, it seems, to hold up even the most basic of things like transportation.

I want Republicans to win because when they propose what they propose, it makes the majority of folks say, "Yeah, that makes sense, it checks out, it's fair, let's do it".

But it seems like through this President's administration that their tactic is to stall on everything and then publicly display outrage at how divisive this President is, or how extreme he is or what not.

But I just don't see it. I see a Democratic President who is for cap-and-trade and the individual mandate, both of which are conservative values that are borne out of the notion of "individual responsibility".

You can fault the President on real things, but holding up the President, no matter what their party affiliation, just for the sake of hoping it makes the President look bad is kind of cheap, if you ask me. It's "small ball", not the big leagues. I fear you can't win the big general election playing that kind of game.

The American people like this President. I don't mean his job approval. That has been split for several months now almost down the middle. But in terms of the question of "Do you want to see this President do good things?", he's up in the high 60's/low 70's the last time I checked.

I think that like Reagan, when he speaks of responsibility, I think it touches moderate people in the same way.

I have my druthers with every President, including this one, but I would have to say that as a vehicle to get some important matters done, I think that Obama is actually not so bad, it's just that I feel that the folks who hate him, really really hate him and it's given us a pretty nasty gridlock and the American people are going to have to decide whether they feel Obama gets part of the blame for the gridlock or if they decide that it's his opponents who are to blame for being too stubborn to compromise with him on even their own long-held views like cap-and-trade and the individual mandate.

Well thought-out and -written, positive rep extended. Good job. Welcome aboard.

 

[taichiliberal]

With ALL due respect to Bill Cosby, I STILL hope President Obama fails.

I am allowed to detest the path he chooses to try to steer.

We are allowed to resist and oppose.

And the President is flatly wrong on so very many things, he deserves to be opposed.

I SURELY don't want him to "succeed" where his definition of success is my definition of failure.

And your alternative is to go back to the very same policies that put the country in this economic disaster in the first place?

And Obama must fail in trying to keep jobs in America, give people healthcare and make companies tow the line in NOT giving the shaft to the consumer?

Seriously, is that what you are advocating?

 

[MuadDib]

I actually respect Cosby for most of his opinions about how the black community has allowed itself to be used and brought down. He's mostly a stand-up kind of guy. Funny comedian, too...

Yes and I think he's pretty much been right in his comments about the black community. Of course, he caught a lot of flack for them, so I wonder if he's...overcompensating on this one.

 

[taichiliberal]

I like Bill Cosby the Comedian. I don't like Bill Cosby the Political Commentator. His views are based on perceptions and generalities rather than fact. To me, he's just another ignorant Hollywood celebrity who ought to stick to what he knows best: entertainment.

In order for you to say this, you have to IGNORE EVERYTHING THE GOP AND ITS PUNDITRY have put forth since the 2008 campaign. Hell, remnants of that are being reflected on this thread by the usual flock of willfully ignorant and stubborn neocon parrots.

I don't agree with Cosby on everything he says all the time, but his public opinion/observations are on par with any other celebrity or pundit that fills the airwaves and newspapers/magazines. That YOU don't like it doesnt' automatically make him wrong.

 

[taichiliberal]

Cosby has his opinion like every other American has their opinion. The ability to appear on television and voice said opinion neither makes it correct nor worth listening too. I lost some respect for him after that opinion he shared. I believe that a lot of African American personalities are letting Obamas minority status cloud their vision of his lack of performance. They use lines like he had to overcome more hurdles than any other president to justify their statements. When in fact, his hurdles were not so high. Democrats lost a lot of seats while he was in office because America was sick of how things were going. The majority of Americans were against the health care initiative and he pushed it through. Now the Supreme Court is siding with the people and in November Obama will see that the American public is not sick of a black President they are merely sick of him.

It's hysterical how YOU deem yourself qualified to judge black celebrities mindset simply because they support Obama. Like most neocon/teabagger parrots who get their talking points from Drudge or Hannity or Hume or Kristol and the like, you push OPINION, SUPPOSITION AND CONJECTURE as if it's fact.

Hint: it's not.

Just to correct some of the false premises you put forth: No one claim that Obama had to overcome great hurdles...they just pointed out that his life was NOT some "elitist" easy ride or a bogus "affirmative action" given. And the majority of Americans were FOR the health care reform...I defy you to produce evidence to the contrary. And Democrats SAT OUT the 2010 election in PROTEST of Obama's capitulatory actions to the Party of NO (Republicans). And the Supreme Court sure as hell wasn't "siding with the people" when it overstepped it's bounds on Citizen's United....and they sure as hell will not if the rule against Health Care Reform (just ask Dr. Peelo and Wendell Potter).

Cosby, while not always right, does hit the nail on the head on this one. TFB if you don't like it.

 

[taichiliberal]

Right, Now we can't even say it's the White man keeping us down lol

The only thing that ever keeps any person down is that person.
(I must needs address the next observation in generalities, but understand that it is not inclusive of all blacks.)
There are two aspects to the shame in the case of black voters and Obama. The first is that Obama takes for granted that most blacks will cast their votes for him on the basis of his racial composition. He does not pander to them as he does to other constituencies. He assumes, takes for granted, that the black voters will overwhelmingly support him without question.
What he does is far more heinous, though. He foments racial division in this country. He encourages anger, hatred, and the will to do harm based solely on the race of the other person. This is the second point of shame. There are plenty of anecdotal examples of blacks admitting they voted for Obama only because he was black. During numerous interviews, they amply demonstrated their lack of interest in any issue other than his perceived race. The shame is that anyone would vote blindly, throwing away one of the most powerful tools to shape government that an individual owns in this country, just to be able to claim they helped place the first black into the White House, regardless of the candidate's lack of qualifications.
Of course, there are far too many people of all stripes who will cast their votes for specious reasons, not having considered real issues or asked hard questions of the candidates. They allow themselves to be sidetracked by the sideshow, the flash-bang, and the hollow rhetoric that promises them all their wishes will come true, all without ever knowing the scantest details about how the candidate plans on fulfilling those promises.

That is the most fantastic bunch of convoluted BS I've ever seen come off the typewriter of some neocon/teabagger parrot who thinks he's qualified to talk about black people.

I don't even have to go point for point...I'll just pull the rug out from under this silly assed sheet wearers rant here:

There are two aspects to the shame in the case of black voters and Obama. The first is that Obama takes for granted that most blacks will cast their votes for him on the basis of his racial composition. He does not pander to them as he does to other constituencies. He assumes, takes for granted, that the black voters will overwhelmingly support him without question.

So Obama is damned if he "pandered" the black vote, an he's damned if he doesn't. Our clairvoyant "gallant warrior" claims that Obama just knew that EVERY black vote he got was based solely on his skin color (a few interviews of those who did out of 12% of the population of the country is hardly a landslide indicator....but prejudiced people will take what they can get).

Funny that, because if it weren't for a MAJORITY of NON-BLACK voters in 2008, Obama would not have won. Also, what was the motivation for past Presidents who got the majority of the black vote who were NOT black, but white?

This is the BASIS for the convoluted "logic" of jokers like our "gallant warrior"...who in this case would make Don Quixote look sane. Carry on.

 

[hortysir]

Cosby is an old fartw ho starredin the grounbreaking 60s series I Spy

 

[MarcATL]

It's funny how some RWers claim they felt Carlin got bitter with age...when any fan can clearly see he only got better at his craft.

Just b/c they don't agree with the RW tripe doesn't mean they are bitter...they are simply speaking truth to power.

 

[MarcATL]

Cosby has his opinion like every other American has their opinion. The ability to appear on television and voice said opinion neither makes it correct nor worth listening too. I lost some respect for him after that opinion he shared. I believe that a lot of African American personalities are letting Obamas minority status cloud their vision of his lack of performance. They use lines like he had to overcome more hurdles than any other president to justify their statements. When in fact, his hurdles were not so high. Democrats lost a lot of seats while he was in office because America was sick of how things were going. The majority of Americans were against the health care initiative and he pushed it through. Now the Supreme Court is siding with the people and in November Obama will see that the American public is not sick of a black President they are merely sick of him.

What a bunch of claptrap. You lie like it's going out of style. The minute you REFUSE to acknowledge the FACT that half or more than half of the American People wanted the health care bill to go FARTHER than the RWers wanted it too. The general poll question was something like "are you happy with the bill?" most weren't happy with it because they felt it DIDN'T DO ENOUGH and radical RWers kuntinue to claim and act as if EVERYBODY wanted things to stay the same. It's a lie of the worse degree.

How can anybody take your words seriously going forward if you can't get the basics straight?

Sheesh!!!

I do know the first black President hype is over. I know that the black community is disappointed and he is making last ditch efforts to secure a strong minority turn out. We shall see.

How do you know? I'll tell you what...if there were any blacks who WERE getting disappointed w/Obama around 2010, they sure are WITH him now...thanks to the RepubliCON$ ultra-RW and divisive and disrespectful response to HIS EVERY MOVE.

bush wasn't treated the way this president has been from day one...

after 9/11 everyone wanted bush to succeed. it's not our fault he was a failure.

You sure got THAT RIGHT! And I, for one, will NEVER forget what a COLOSSAL failure Herr Bush and Komrade Cheney were. The country damn near collapsed under their heavy handed, reckless and frightening regime.

Okay, so eight months into office, and before that there were justifiable doubts that he was entitled to hold office?

There were justifiable doubts before he got elected. That's why I didn't vote for him. As a matter of fact I believe a few years before he ran for President he said that he wouldn't run for President after the term because he knew he wasn't ready.

Wow - now see? And I am only speaking for myself (I find that I need disclaimers in the face of hostility) ... when I voted for him both times, I was essentially casting my mother's vote. Church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night for years. I voted my "conscience" (somebody tell me the root meaning on that one, since obviously science is involved), and that meant voting Republican, without any further thought or investigation.

Sounds like you were properly brainwashed...WoW!!!

Bill Cosby has never been known to be a knee-jerk type from either side.

Many blacks believe him to be conservative, particularly when he has come out and spoken about inner city violence and stuff.

I do see his point. There used to be a gentleman's agreement in Washington that the guy who gets elected to be President gets to move in the direction he wants to go in, but tempered with check and balances and some compromises with the other party.

It didn't ever use to matter who the President was, the Highway Bill would get passed and unanimously so. But today, the rhetoric about wanting to see this President fail is being backed up by a concerted effort, it seems, to hold up even the most basic of things like transportation.

I want Republicans to win because when they propose what they propose, it makes the majority of folks say, "Yeah, that makes sense, it checks out, it's fair, let's do it".

But it seems like through this President's administration that their tactic is to stall on everything and then publicly display outrage at how divisive this President is, or how extreme he is or what not.

But I just don't see it. I see a Democratic President who is for cap-and-trade and the individual mandate, both of which are conservative values that are borne out of the notion of "individual responsibility".

You can fault the President on real things, but holding up the President, no matter what their party affiliation, just for the sake of hoping it makes the President look bad is kind of cheap, if you ask me. It's "small ball", not the big leagues. I fear you can't win the big general election playing that kind of game.

The American people like this President. I don't mean his job approval. That has been split for several months now almost down the middle. But in terms of the question of "Do you want to see this President do good things?", he's up in the high 60's/low 70's the last time I checked.

I think that like Reagan, when he speaks of responsibility, I think it touches moderate people in the same way.

I have my druthers with every President, including this one, but I would have to say that as a vehicle to get some important matters done, I think that Obama is actually not so bad, it's just that I feel that the folks who hate him, really really hate him and it's given us a pretty nasty gridlock and the American people are going to have to decide whether they feel Obama gets part of the blame for the gridlock or if they decide that it's his opponents who are to blame for being too stubborn to compromise with him on even their own long-held views like cap-and-trade and the individual mandate.

Very well said, VERY well said. Welcome to this board indeed my friend.

 

[gallantwarrior]

I actually respect Cosby for most of his opinions about how the black community has allowed itself to be used and brought down. He's mostly a stand-up kind of guy. Funny comedian, too...

Yes and I think he's pretty much been right in his comments about the black community. Of course, he caught a lot of flack for them, so I wonder if he's...overcompensating on this one.

He is getting closer to his maker. Perhaps he's feeling some of that guilt that white people appear to be prey to, and is now seeking atonement for his criticism of the black plantation dwellers. After all, it isn't their fault! A shame, really.

 

[BDBoop]

He is getting closer to his maker. Perhaps he's feeling some of that guilt that white people appear to be prey to, and is now seeking atonement for his criticism of the black plantation dwellers. After all, it isn't their fault! A shame, really.

Do you ever read some of your posts and think "Shit, I got a little too obvious with the trolling, there. Hope nobody notices!"

 

[Mr. President]

]What a bunch of claptrap. You lie like it's going out of style. The minute you REFUSE to acknowledge the FACT that half or more than half of the American People wanted the health care bill to go FARTHER than the RWers wanted it too. The general poll question was something like "are you happy with the bill?" most weren't happy with it because they felt it DIDN'T DO ENOUGH and radical RWers kuntinue to claim and act as if EVERYBODY wanted things to stay the same. It's a lie of the worse degree.

How can anybody take your words seriously going forward if you can't get the basics straight?

Sheesh!!!

How do you know? I'll tell you what...if there were any blacks who WERE getting disappointed w/Obama around 2010, they sure are WITH him now...thanks to the RepubliCON$ ultra-RW and divisive and disrespectful response to HIS EVERY MOVE.

Really? You seem to have a case of pliable statistics. The majority of Americans were in favor of a strengthened government health care system. No in favor of government MANDATED health care. The mandate is what was being pushed. The system was a joke. How can you try to discredit the generality of my statement about the black voters being disappointed with Obama and then insert your own blanket statement of generality justifying your view of why the majority of the black American vote is back with Obama because of the Ultra RW movement? You affirmed and denied my generality in the same post............. Think it through then respond Marcy Mark

 

[Liability]

It's funny how some RWers claim they felt Carlin got bitter with age...when any fan can clearly see he only got better at his craft.

Just b/c they don't agree with the RW tripe doesn't mean they are bitter...they are simply speaking truth to power.

No. They are babbling incoherent trite tripe with which you happen to agree.

They are speaking gibberish to power.

 

[Mr. President]

Cosby has his opinion like every other American has their opinion. The ability to appear on television and voice said opinion neither makes it correct nor worth listening too. I lost some respect for him after that opinion he shared. I believe that a lot of African American personalities are letting Obamas minority status cloud their vision of his lack of performance. They use lines like he had to overcome more hurdles than any other president to justify their statements. When in fact, his hurdles were not so high. Democrats lost a lot of seats while he was in office because America was sick of how things were going. The majority of Americans were against the health care initiative and he pushed it through. Now the Supreme Court is siding with the people and in November Obama will see that the American public is not sick of a black President they are merely sick of him.

It's hysterical how YOU deem yourself qualified to judge black celebrities mindset simply because they support Obama. Like most neocon/teabagger parrots who get their talking points from Drudge or Hannity or Hume or Kristol and the like, you push OPINION, SUPPOSITION AND CONJECTURE as if it's fact.

Hint: it's not.

Just to correct some of the false premises you put forth: No one claim that Obama had to overcome great hurdles...they just pointed out that his life was NOT some "elitist" easy ride or a bogus "affirmative action" given. And the majority of Americans were FOR the health care reform...I defy you to produce evidence to the contrary. And Democrats SAT OUT the 2010 election in PROTEST of Obama's capitulatory actions to the Party of NO (Republicans). And the Supreme Court sure as hell wasn't "siding with the people" when it overstepped it's bounds on Citizen's United....and they sure as hell will not if the rule against Health Care Reform (just ask Dr. Peelo and Wendell Potter).

Cosby, while not always right, does hit the nail on the head on this one. TFB if you don't like it.

Hmm I didn't deem myself qualified to judge black celebrities mindsets just because they support Obama. I gave my opinion hence the "I believe" being inserted into the sentence.

Just to correct the false premise you put forth if you watched the full interview Cosby stated that Obama had to overcome more hurdles than any other President. Damn, kinda screwed the pooch for the rest of your argument didn't it?

Do Americans Really Hate Health Care Reform? | TPM2012

Poll: 1 in 4 want Supreme Court to uphold health care law - Political Hotsheet - CBS News

Obamacare Polls Show Little Change Since Reform's Passage

You're welcome.

 

[gallantwarrior]

He is getting closer to his maker. Perhaps he's feeling some of that guilt that white people appear to be prey to, and is now seeking atonement for his criticism of the black plantation dwellers. After all, it isn't their fault! A shame, really.

Do you ever read some of your posts and think "Shit, I got a little too obvious with the trolling, there. Hope nobody notices!"

It would appear that you took the bait.

 

[BDBoop]

He is getting closer to his maker. Perhaps he's feeling some of that guilt that white people appear to be prey to, and is now seeking atonement for his criticism of the black plantation dwellers. After all, it isn't their fault! A shame, really.

Do you ever read some of your posts and think "Shit, I got a little too obvious with the trolling, there. Hope nobody notices!"

It would appear that you took the bait.

It would appear that I recognized the bait for what it was, and did not take the bait.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Do you ever read some of your posts and think "Shit, I got a little too obvious with the trolling, there. Hope nobody notices!"

It would appear that you took the bait.

It would appear that I recognized the bait for what it was, and did not take the bait.

Any comment will suffice. Otherwise, why not ignore the bait? Owned!

 

[BDBoop]

Pwned! You sound just like the e-peen wavers on trade chat.