Obama using Bush tactics. We will see how this plays out. I voted No, only because, if he is as great as everyone says he is, then he should know what is best for the US and not be beholden to public opinion regarding the matter. But I guess if the stimulus doesn't work, he could always say that he did his research and it was what the people wanted. And he probably does want to get reelected in 2012. I can't say I blame him, but he has already said government is the only answer. i think he has already made up his mind.

In general, it seems like a reasonable idea but I won't say it's smart or not until I see some results.

Bush using Clinton tactics?

"if he is as great as everyone says he is, then he should know what is best for the US and not be beholden to public opinion regarding the matter."
Does anyone claim Obama has superpowers? Besides Limbaugh?

it wasn't like that Steph. Obama just seems to despise everything Bush has been about but yet "it looks like the shrewd Obama campaign will use some of its tactics to help rule." it said it in the article. Stop jumping down my throat...
Super powers no... but he has been claimed to be the messiah in random postings ( ) No, really though, people seem to think he knows more than anyone else, and he is so in touch, and such a genius. And those were actual comments I have heard on sugar sites.

I don't see anything wrong with it just another tool to add to the montage of angles that we're attacking this problem with.

I would also like to take this time to gloat because I never to so consider this the steam valve going off. Yesterday in his press conference President Elect Obama acknowledged that this crisis was cause by government, corporation, loner and borrower which = "no clean hands" something I've been saying all along. O.K. I'll shut up now. TeeHee.....

*loaner

Sorry Hypno, he apparently forgot mine. Maybe I'm the one who's perfect!

Polling is part of modern politics. Love it or hate it, it's not a "Bush tactic" or a "Clinton tactic." Part of why Bush, Rove, & Co. were accused of running the government like a campaign was because they treated opposition to their ideas like you would in a campaign, not because they used polling.

I think Obama really wants to sell his package, so he's trying to figure out tactics to do that. If he starts to govern exclusively based on poll results then I have a problem with that. Using it as an information source can be helpful, using it to make decisions is not the way to be a leader.

1.) I think that since he is representing the public, it makes sense that he would want some sort of valid reflection of how they feel about issues, and how those feelings change.

2.) I think that so much of what happens for good or bad depends on how it is framed for public consumption. People sometimes go against their own best interests, simply because certain phrases and words set them off.

"I think Obama really wants to sell his package..."

I took this out of context and was provided with a few chuckles. See example below:

Ha!!! Indie!!

Hey indie!

Hey Jill and blue()...Happy New Year(late, I know) to you guys.

Indie!

Smart approach. Those polls may have more of a punch to them than people think. As of yet, no one here is completely sure of the questions in those polls. Detailed questions, not at all detailed questions, etc. There are different ways to create an effective poll. And as long as the results aren't lost (like our government looses other things...) everything could be awesome in the end. I'm for it, but, only if its effective and worth this more than the post I'm making.

If you just use polls, you are giving the people what they want to hear, not necessarily what they need to hear. Cigarette companies were masters of polling, did they give the people what they needed? Marketers are masters of creating demand, I prefer an administration who gives its constituents the truth, not electioneering drivel.

Your right about cigarette companies there Grandpa. However,I seriously doubt that polls are the only things Obama is going to use. He knows that that isn't what he was elected for. Plus, I am almost certain that cigarette companies asked only certain questions and chose only specific types of people. People who would make the polls and the companies look better. The old approaches have not worked in 8 years... and some might say more than that; so this I think should at least be given a spin.

**I meant to put 'to' as in "She wouldn't have to..." not 'too'. My mistake.

Hey kas!

Oi, Indie!!! Nice avatar!

I highly doubt that polling and focus groups are going to replace actual policy research. Anyway, as Jill said, it shows a desire to actually receive feedback from the public.

Is it quite obvious that I have a mad crush on EdWe?

And yeah, what Jill said. I concur.

"to help..rule?"

Did we become a monarchy?

You've just elected me to lead you, now can you tell me what to do??

Great - Clinton all over again.

I love when we over-simplify and run with it. It's sooo much easier than critical thinking. "Obama took a poll: Obama is a cigarette company or Clinton."
Exhausting. But easier than taking into consideration everything else we know about the man.

Oh come now this extremist view that President Elect Obama is using this method to solely rely on the opinion of the citizenry to run the country is simply partisan snipping.

Please tell me that beyond your bias you have a back up of common sense which realizes that this method is in addition to not a replacement of every other method used to run the country.

Taking polls isn't a way to lead the country. It's a way to get re-elected. What is the point of having a cabinet if your going to poll the public? I thought we all wanted change, not politics.

First of all UnDave The Magnificent, and yes I'm being flippant , if you think for one minute that polls have not been used in every Presidency since polls became a popular gauge of opinion than you need to splash some cold water in your face and wake up. President Elect Obama is simply being up front about it from the get go. Also as I stated it is just silly to think that this method is going to be a crutch of sorts rather a simple gauge of opinion.

I really think that the questions are going to be a primary gauge of what Americans are experiencing in their daily lives rather than how they think the country should be ran, you are correct that is the job of the President and his team of advisers. IMO they will more likely use first hand information of what problems Joe the esthetician is facing in order to help focus on certain key issues. It's called research, information gathering and any administration that wouldn't do that has got their head too far up their @$$.

Well lets see, $600 in the mail popular: yes effective: no, bailout banks: popular: no effective: no, war on terror popular: yes effective:50%, welfare reform: popular: no, effective: yes farm bill popular: yes effective:no. so what can we derive from all this? that people in opinion poles have no idea what works. so other and all ready working on term number two this is pointless. not that i blame the man for wanting to keep his job. but if i was in his shoes i'm not shure i would even want the first term, the way things are shaping up. lol

Then call it research. Taking a poll suggests that you want to do only what the majority of Americans want you to do, and not what is necessarily best for the country.

sure i'm not tring to be argumenitive. i'm just making the point that the "people" seem to rarely know what is best, due mostly to a lack of understanding. but like we said you can't blame him for using poles its just part of the way things get done.

It may be "politics as usual", but it isn't change. I thought he was all about change.

change is, was and will remain code word for "not George W Bush" and in all reallity his cabnit looks odly like that of Bill Clinton. not that that is or isn't a bad thing but its definitly not change

If there was any evidence that all Obama had done was take polls to determine what he's going to do, you might have a point Dave. But there isn't.
Bush said he was a uniter not a divider, so I'd think by now you'd be used to taglines that disappoint your expectations.

see i diss agree. you are not looking at the whole picture stephley. when bush said he was a "uniter not a divider" he was making a promise and he keep it. bush did unite us. you see 78% of us hate him. lol

and i think the remain 12% just say they support him because they are hopping to make the pardon list. lol ;p

I stand corrected m0readventur0us

Nice! Are you sure its just 78% though? The number is higher.

no you have to leave a 10% margine for error these number where generated by th Bush white house. lol

That 'poor' man... I have to wonder what president was REALLY disliked more?

Carter? Nixon?

carter, wilson and franklin pearce. pearce was hated so much that we started the civil war over the taxes and laws he pushed through. you know the funny thing is that franklin pearce is W's greate greate greate grand father. barbra bushes maidin name is pearce, and i'm not making this up at all.! it's kind of scarey to think that family has produce three horible presidents and we keep electing these people, i think a family tree should be made public from now on. lol well Bush Sr. wasn't that bad and well he isn't a blood relative so i guess that would make since.

Carter, Nixon, Bush (1 and 2), Clinton (for those who think he was awful), and I feel like I'm missing one...

m0readventur0us, I totally forgot about Pearce.

isn't that wild to think these to a-holes are derect family.

Yeah! In all future elections there should be full family line checks. If you are in any way related to a bad political figure, you can not have any sort of political power. Ever. lol Its not at all likely to happen like that...

no don't stop them from tring just make people awere that pol pot was you uncle thats all i'm saing. lol

If only history never repeated itself... Maybe SNL should run the country. Put Seth Myers and Tina Fay in office, let Tracy Morgan and the rest of funny town rule politics. At least then I know I would die laughing.

Seriously though, there is only so much worse that this country can get. And people have to be at least a little bit confident that their country won't get as bad as Rawanda, Germany (Hitler times), and so forth.

"In response to comment #4, Hainan: She wouldn't have too jump down your throat if the comments you make had any merit and not so many fallacies and distortions.
Try to deny it all you want, you know it's true."
don't know it's true... nothing I said was acting like it was hard evidence. It was my opinion. And she jumped down my throat regarding the fact i said "Obama using Bush tactics ...hmm" It was said in the article... how is that a fallacy or distortion?
Actually what did I say that was a fallacy or distortion? Please I beg of you...

I think the man ought to make his own decisions, rather than doing it this way. See, by doing this he's relieving himself of responsibility. This way, when things fail all he has to say is "I did what the people wanted."

I'm not surprised that a man with little to no experience is depending on polls and focus groups though.