Does Obama read Metafilter?
November 26, 2008 11:14 AM Subscribe
President Elect Obama volunteers at food pantry This post had lots of good ideas regarding what we could do to feel empowered to make a difference. Our President Elect spent time at a church pantry on the South side of Chicago today, handing out food to the poor. Contrast this to our current President who vetoed the Farm Bill which would have provided the poor of American increased access, access only, to food. I truly hope that a new day has dawned.
This post was deleted for the following reason: This is a terrible post. The front page is not your political blog. -- cortex
I'm pretty sure Bush did this exact kind of thing at least once during his tenure in the White House. Also GYOB.
posted by shakespeherian at 11:18 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by shakespeherian at 11:18 AM on November 26, 2008
The 2008 Farm Bill was also SUPPOSED to cut subsidies for agribusiness, which (unfairly, some might say) dips into agricultural subsidies meant for family farms.
Congress wouldn't cut those subsidies as much as Bush wanted, which is why he vetoed it.
What happened to "new politics"? We're supposed to STOP twisting people's reasons around to demonize them. Maybe Bush should have signed the bill, but it's not like he WANTS lower-income people to have less access to food.
posted by jock@law at 11:21 AM on November 26, 2008
Congress wouldn't cut those subsidies as much as Bush wanted, which is why he vetoed it.
What happened to "new politics"? We're supposed to STOP twisting people's reasons around to demonize them. Maybe Bush should have signed the bill, but it's not like he WANTS lower-income people to have less access to food.
posted by jock@law at 11:21 AM on November 26, 2008
> Does Obama read Metafilter?
If he does, I'd like to think he'd find this kind of hero-worship kind of embarassing for all concerned.
posted by you just lost the game at 11:21 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
If he does, I'd like to think he'd find this kind of hero-worship kind of embarassing for all concerned.
posted by you just lost the game at 11:21 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
"What is this? Hope? Hope?? My kids can't eat hope, jackass!"
posted by boo_radley at 11:25 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by boo_radley at 11:25 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
This one time, Obama turned my water into wine. Which was kind of a dick thing to do, actually, since I was taking a shower at the time.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:25 AM on November 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:25 AM on November 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
See also. He's done a lot of bad but there have been a few good things mixed in.
posted by Tehanu at 11:26 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by Tehanu at 11:26 AM on November 26, 2008
Saddly, more and more of the people who are using the services of food banks and pantries are not the just the "poor and homeless" the article refers to.
posted by amphigory at 11:27 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by amphigory at 11:27 AM on November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving 2007:
"Earlier in the day, Bush spent time helping volunteers pack boxes of groceries at the Central Virginia Foodbank in Richmond, Virginia. The food bank provides donated food to more than 500 charitable agencies in central Virginia that prepare thousands of meals for the poor each day."
posted by found missing at 11:27 AM on November 26, 2008
"Earlier in the day, Bush spent time helping volunteers pack boxes of groceries at the Central Virginia Foodbank in Richmond, Virginia. The food bank provides donated food to more than 500 charitable agencies in central Virginia that prepare thousands of meals for the poor each day."
posted by found missing at 11:27 AM on November 26, 2008
I think it's a cool thing for him to do. Of course it's a photo-op. It's a photo-op to tell people on the bottom that they are a priority with him. And I believe they are. And I believe his actions in office will back this up.
posted by marsha56 at 11:29 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by marsha56 at 11:29 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
first
posted by Sticherbeast at 11:30 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Sticherbeast at 11:30 AM on November 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I voted for Obama and I think he's poised to do a great job. But this is clearly a photo op and even if it weren't would be a pretty weak post.
posted by DU at 11:30 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by DU at 11:30 AM on November 26, 2008
He is also that, Burhanistan. Even Evil had a heart, once.
posted by Tehanu at 11:30 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by Tehanu at 11:30 AM on November 26, 2008
I feel like that something like that must be a nightmare for the secret service.
Also, flagged as bad post.
posted by Caduceus at 11:34 AM on November 26, 2008
Also, flagged as bad post.
posted by Caduceus at 11:34 AM on November 26, 2008
If people around the world are looking at photos of you doing something then you're not really volunteering. It's a photo op. Not that it's a bad thing, but I think it's kind of foolish to use this as an example for people. This doesn't hurt, this doesn't take time out of his day, this doesn't cost him money. He's never going to be frustrated, defeated, unthanked, or attacked for doing this. There's no sacrifice there.
Contrast this to our current President who vetoed the Farm Bill which would have provided the poor of American increased access, access only, to food. I truly hope that a new day has dawned.
I dislike your current President as much as the next guy, but honestly, axe grind much? I truly hope a new days dawns as well, only for me, that new day means there won't be people complaining like you are in this post. (I don't mean this as a personal insult, just a critic of the wording in this post.)
posted by blue_beetle at 11:34 AM on November 26, 2008
Contrast this to our current President who vetoed the Farm Bill which would have provided the poor of American increased access, access only, to food. I truly hope that a new day has dawned.
I dislike your current President as much as the next guy, but honestly, axe grind much? I truly hope a new days dawns as well, only for me, that new day means there won't be people complaining like you are in this post. (I don't mean this as a personal insult, just a critic of the wording in this post.)
posted by blue_beetle at 11:34 AM on November 26, 2008
So maybe my Obama Underoos are a little too tight...and maybe all of the blood that should be rushing to my brain is hindered in other parts...admittedly, not a strong post...if the mods want to give it the hook, I respectfully concur...to save the spirit of Thanksgiving...
posted by zerobyproxy at 11:35 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by zerobyproxy at 11:35 AM on November 26, 2008
Yes We Canned Pumpkin
posted by Joe Beese at 11:35 AM on November 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by Joe Beese at 11:35 AM on November 26, 2008 [3 favorites]
This is even worse than the post with the porn links. :D
posted by sonic meat machine at 11:35 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by sonic meat machine at 11:35 AM on November 26, 2008
critique
posted by blue_beetle at 11:35 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by blue_beetle at 11:35 AM on November 26, 2008
Yeah, you kind of killed this yourself with the Bush editorializing (even in the tags - really? you think thankgodbushisleavingoffice is a good tag?) when your actual link really doesn't have anything to do with Bush at all.
posted by donnagirl at 11:36 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by donnagirl at 11:36 AM on November 26, 2008
Also, can we start calling him Pebo? Or P.E.B.O? Because I think that would make a great Japanese cartoon.
posted by blue_beetle at 11:37 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by blue_beetle at 11:37 AM on November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving is a time to be spent with family. He spent years with low-income communities in Chicago. These people are his family.
As a community organizer in the Altgeld Gardens public housing project in the mid-1980s, Obama, then 23, quickly emerged as a tireless and pragmatic advocate for the community—traits that characterize the kind of president he says he wants to be. "His work as a community organizer was really a defining moment in his life, not just his career," his wife, Michelle, told U.S. News. It helped him decide "how he would impact the world"—assisting people in defining their mutual interests and working together to improve their lives.
Listening. In a speech in February announcing his presidential bid, Obama said, "It was in these neighborhoods that I received the best education I ever had." His work, he added, "taught me a lot about listening to people as opposed to coming in with a predetermined agenda."
posted by marsha56 at 11:37 AM on November 26, 2008
As a community organizer in the Altgeld Gardens public housing project in the mid-1980s, Obama, then 23, quickly emerged as a tireless and pragmatic advocate for the community—traits that characterize the kind of president he says he wants to be. "His work as a community organizer was really a defining moment in his life, not just his career," his wife, Michelle, told U.S. News. It helped him decide "how he would impact the world"—assisting people in defining their mutual interests and working together to improve their lives.
Listening. In a speech in February announcing his presidential bid, Obama said, "It was in these neighborhoods that I received the best education I ever had." His work, he added, "taught me a lot about listening to people as opposed to coming in with a predetermined agenda."
posted by marsha56 at 11:37 AM on November 26, 2008
I'm just disappointed you went for the photo op and not the newest gossipy goodness.
posted by Tehanu at 11:37 AM on November 26, 2008
posted by Tehanu at 11:37 AM on November 26, 2008
He spent years with low-income communities in Chicago.
You know who else hung out with poor people?
posted by Joe Beese at 11:38 AM on November 26, 2008
You know who else hung out with poor people?
posted by Joe Beese at 11:38 AM on November 26, 2008
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photo op is all it is.
posted by billybobtoo at 11:16 AM on November 26, 2008