Oh, Zod! There's that M-word again (mandate)! Now Obama believes that everything he did in his first 4 years is just the way it should be in the next 4 years. Never mind the noisy nattering nabobs of negativity who don't agree with Obama's sell-out to the corporate right and Murder Inc. who make scads of blood money from the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. I would be very shocked if Obama did in this next four years what many Democrats hope would be a shift to the left...for a change...and truly represent all those who voted for him.

And, again, we are getting a hint of "blame the lazy people who merely voted for Obama" in his statements saying essentially the same thing he did before that "voting is not enough you have to do more...get more involved--you have to 'make' him do what is correct". Maybe what Obama meant was that we all had to riot in the streets to make ourselves absolutely clear on the matter? Occupy Wall street was not enough it seems. Obama just kept bending over for the corporate maggots who commanded him to. He will most likely continue in that posture for the next 4 years.

When angry people did react against his previous anti-democratic, anti-progressive, war-criminal actions he got mad at us and couldn't understand why so many of his supporters were upset by his actions. Now he's essentially repeating the same old verbiage that will allow him to blame the people who elected him because THEY didn't do enough.

I didn't throw away my votes on Corporate America and Murder Inc. I voted for Jill Stein. Everyone else wasted their votes on more of the bloody same.

The only thing that your votes for Obama has done is to temporarily delayed the inevitable...when you all wake up and realize that voting for the least evil of the two party system candidates will not change things for the better. Hope dies hard and you suckers will find that out very soon. I'm happy that Romney lost but sad that Obama won. Obama really didn't deserve to win...and neither did Romney. But the wealthy won again and America lost again.

And speaking of a movement...I think I feel one coming on right now...movement...my A$$! Now, could you be more specific as to what you mean by "movement"? Wasn't the majority of Americans voting for Obama a "movement"? It was an "action" but so is rioting in the streets. Sounds like just more rhetoric to bandy about. Sounds like just another way to wheedle more money out of people who can't afford it.

Like, all these "movements" all beg for money. Do you know how many leeches try to game the system (the people) when they come up with bright ideas that they want people to believe are "movements". Maybe write a book or two, create a web site, go on talk shows, beg for money. They're the scavengers, bottom feeders, of the political money machine. They can make a very good living that way.

So much for taking money out of the political system. And with all of the money that the Republicans threw into the election...didn't do them much good did it? If we're going to get money out of politics..."movements" begging for money is not a good start. Movement...now there's another M-word for you. Mandates and Movements and, oh yeah, Money! How about Mickey Mouse? How about Mooch?

Mysogyny and Corporate raiding are two things, at least, that Romney and Obama didn't have in common. And I'd say that Romney certainly had Obama beat on lying. But Obama was certainly not without sin on that last account.

Am I happy that Romney didn't win? Immensely so!!! But, I'm afraid, unless Obama really does change his tune (and actions) from his last four years we will see, eventually, what would have occurred much sooner had Romney won...massive uprisings. I believe that had the Green Party made a huge showing...and by some quirk actually won...then it would have sent a strong message that our ruling elite have lost their corrosive and coercive powers. I had no realistic expectation that Americans, in numbers, were brave and bright enough to effectively buck the entrenched, corrupt two party system. But, at least, I feel that I did not waste my vote this time when I voted for Jill Stein.

I fear that the only way the criminal, right-wing, ruling elite will stop their economic war on the people will be when the people, as in all those other countries around the world are doing, revolt in mass unrest. As prices for food, gasoline, and other necessities dramatically escalates, driving the value of people's savings (if they have any) down... driving more people into poverty...as people start needlessly losing their loved ones because of lack of expensive medical care...they will eventually cower and die themselves or they will strike back at their wealthy and greedy tormentors.

If you don't want your President to be a wimp...someone who you thought would FIGHT for your ideals...but are too much of a wimp, yourself, to express your fears and beliefs even to the extent of expressing "bitterness and cynicism" then how can you expect to "push" Obama to do anything? He'll just do what he did last time...be upset that some of us were not happy with his performance. If you really want change...don't be a wimp...like your President...sulk...and then continue screwing us. Yell... SCREAM!...express your utmost contempt for promises unkept and actions undone. The noisy wheel gets the grease. The timid whisperer gets ignored. If you want to play mr/mrs niceguy then you will wind up just as effete as Mr President Obama. Now that Romney is no longer a danger to us, we can YELL at Obama and make him follow through with representing us the way he pretended he would.

Welcome to foll blown Socialism, to see your future don't look to the Greeks, visit the Ukraine.

you guys sure expect a lot. Why don't you just start with putting people back to work so they don't need food stamps. Maybe we can get all the twenty somethings out of there parents basements after they spent all the money on education. Sorry I guess I am probaly asking for too much too. Things like this are below the great Obama.

First on my agenda is getting money out of politics. Getting busy on the Move to Amend movement is one place to begin. I think just about everything that stinks in politics stems from the money, legalized bribery, and inevitable corrupt politics that follows. We don't get good government by allowing huge PACs or corporations (KOCH) pour money money money into campaigns.

Another place to start is forcing campaigns and candidates to disclose the sources of their funds. Americans are sick to death of those ugly, frightful, lying, ads. I doubt that many people listen to them or hear them. I have my mute button on whenever they come on. Even republicans hate them. This is the time, while we still remember them.

Palindromedary: The next 4 years are not going to be the same, not at all. Quityerbitchin' and go to work. Name calling is not an argument. Neither is arrogance. What makes you think you have all the answers? Don't lie and exaggerate to try to put across your views. If you want to make a comment, why don't you make one that is answerable. You remind me of my born-again cousins; THEY ARE RIGHT! and everyone who disagrees is wrong. Just like those ugly lying ads. It's impossible to have a conversation.

I am thinking that this 4 years could change. Obama has nothing to lose now. He even mentioned Climate change in his speech last night. He can stand up to Republicans and get things done because the fear of not getting reelected is over. He had to play nice the first time around, but I do believe we may see a different and more agressive Obama this time and some Republicans more willing to play nice or they know they will be voted out in two years. I would advise you to go to 3chicspolitico and see what Obama has accomplished in office. It is actually quite remarkable given the animus of the Republican house who filibustered everything. I truly believe that he is a good man, though a bit of an idealist and actually believed that he could make a difference when he made the promises in 2008. He had no way of knowing that a whole bunch of Tea Party candidates would be elected to the house and senate. We have a difficult political system to navigate, it certainly is far from perfect and most people that end up in Washington have the attitude of I'll scratch your back if you'll scratch mine. As much as I align my thinking with the Green Party, I am sure that no candidate from any party that is elected will not end up in Washington a changed politician, it is the nature of compromise and politics.

It's great that Obama won but at what cost? (5.8 BILLION DOLLARS and 2 years campaigning!) What I propose instead is to have a 6 year/one term presidency! Oh, and while I'm dreaming... let's make congress have to excuse themselves from voting on any bills where they accepted campaign contributions! Finally, let's have a way for the PEOPLE to impeach supreme court judges!

I have been extremely vocal in my criticisms of Obama's hypocrisy in not keeping so many of the most important campaign promises he made. But it may be that the only way Obama can get away with doing the right thing on big issues (without being assasinated), is to have such a powerful groundswell of popular support from the Occupy folks and from millions more, that the people who actually run this country will say, "Can't avoid it this time, better let them have it."

I heard that Roosevelt succeeded in getting the New Deal because so many of the little people had no food, no place to live, and no way to improve their quality of life. In other words, they had nothing to lose. And the last group of people that the anal retentive rich white thieves want to have REALLY pissed off at them, is millions of people who have nothing to lose.

To me the most strange aspect of this whole thing is that the billionaire thieves have talked poor white trash men into voting for republicans whose only job in congress is to protect the thieves who are keeping those poor white trash people's kids from being educated and enjoying better lives.

I think the thieves are lucky that Romney didn't win, because we would have slid deeper into the depression that we are still in (and which may not have hit bottom yet...). And can you see Mitt Romney being the only thing standing between those thieves, and millions of people who have nothing to lose? Let's look at a partial list of what Mitt would say to those millions of people:

1. "I know exactly what you are feeling. Why, before I became president, I was unemployed myself."

2. "Well, you could all become Mormons and then the church would give you unemployment, but you'd have to agree that women don't have souls and that men should control women's bodies, and when you get a job you'll have to give a hefty percentage of your income to the church and if you don't give it to them they'll send someone round to your house to collect it. And finally- and this is the good part- you'll have to wear Mormon brand magic underwear."

3. "Of course I declared war on Iran. Why for the money that Israel gave me, I would have declared war on you. In fact, wait- let me check on something- oh yeah- I HAVE declared war on you."

4. "I understand how you feel about having no homes. Why, just the other day I was in Miami, and Miami isn't one of the ten or twelve cities where I own houses, and I had to have one of my servants rent the entire top floor of the best hotel in town for me. I'm telling you, I know about suffering."

5. "My friends, you have a problem. In fact, you have two problems. First off, you think the government owes you a fair shake at life, but the thing is, the government's too busy giving billionaire thieves your money, to give you a fair shake. And your other problem is that you could be billionaires, too, if you were willing to claw, lie, steal, and murder your way to the top of the corporate dung heap. And if you're not willing to do that, well, I'll just quote Herman Cain: blame y'self!"

6. "Would it make you feel any better if my wife dresses up in leather clothing and says she loves women?"

I just wrote to Michale Moore and will enclose email here.... we need to let the President know where we stand on issues before they come to past..not afterwards.

Hello Michael Moore,I couldn’t agree with you more... as an individual I am one voice.. I have already wrote President Obama and told him that the Right have told him they don’t like him and have proved it over and over again these past 4 years... it is now time to stand up to the plate and ...SWING!... or make those 3 point shots!!After watching Sicko, and Corporations:A Love Story............Fahrenheit 9/11... I think we are on same page.I think some people should go to jail!! if for nothing else for OBSTRUCTIONIST... no more fines.... jail time... no more converted Holiday Inns... maybe some of the jails THEY built or maybe even own.I think Grover Norquest should be tared and feathered and ran out of the country.Washington has become increasingly the house of liars and thief's. Government by the people for the people... if not... fire them! No more guarantees.xxxxP.S....Great job on all your films and for standing up for the citizens of USA.

Great list, very attentive and solution oriented. I must add that cleaning up the campaign finance mess is fundamental to anything else. One idea is to level the playing field by putting all contributions in the "pot", then divided equally amongst all current candidates along with air time. The details to be hashed out in the process by non-partisan entities. If the big money wants to throw in huge amounts of money, so be it, they simply don't have a say in where it goes. Somehow we have to "mandate" that wealth and special interest have no place in the electoral process. They must have EQUAL representation. We all have to engage in due process. Democracy is designed to be slow moving, thoughtful, fair, proactive and messy. The more clear and united we the people are on this, the more we are a force to be reckoned with. We only have freedom if we live it and live up to it.

The corporate bullies and war criminals are just that and will always want more than their fair share of everything. Our leadership makes a HUGE mistake in ever thinking or expecting the likes of them to be an asset to society. They are sociopaths, psychpaths and must be stopped, arrested, charged, convicted and sentenced absolutely, without hesitation or negotiations. They are criminals and an imminent threat to the world. How to deal with the bully on the playground, the existential question we all must contend with. Obama needs to get off the fence on this. A little martial arts in the political realm, use their strength against them.

Wholeheartedly I agree with medicare for all. Have seen many facts and figures on the topic. The credible sources are those in the field and most all of them say that we already have the infrastructure, the gains will be in quality of care, more resources and money for true health care and preventive medicine, better paid employees, a healthier population-children will be better cared for, thus have more success in their lives, healthier workforce. lower operating costs. Health and wellness ought not be for profit! How anti-social must we be? Same for education! Our contempt for education in the last several decades really shows itself in the form of our current congress. So many of the new tea partyers are hugely lacking in knowledge of history and our form of government. They have such an ignorant impassioned commitment to working against their own best interests. At the risk of seeming judgemental I say this. I feel I need to listen to opposing beliefs and viewpoints to be a better citizen, and this I do, however this observation is accurate. The solution is not debate, that is a win-lose scenario. We just have to leave the haters in our dust. Taking action and participating in the process of changing the status quo is the only true solution. Education is the key to much of our dilemma. "When the people lead the leaders follow" Great bumpersticker

Time to go, thanks all for being here. Democracy only works if you work it. (that is also borrowed expression, not an original thought)

With ya Koolnightes, Check out South of the Border by Oliver Stone

Palindromedary, I really thought you were gone, or hoped as much! What gives you the right to judge people if they did not vote the same as you? People have the right to exercise their constitutional right to vote for whomever they choose. And, please do not remind me it is not a constitutional right with your pious and disparaging attitude. I find your words so repulsive I cannot or will not bother to counter your B.S... I thought we were rid of your conspiracy rants and pious attitude or at least hoped! You hate the people of America and their political representatives so much, why don't you take your old carcass and move to Canada or Mexico where you can build your own kingdom? You are the biggest downer I have ever come across. You sound like some old retired guy with nothing to do but sit down and vent your anger in your rants you are so fond of posting. Christ, I do not think I can stand being in the same online environment with someone as vile as you. I was really hoping to see your stupid and pious name,"Palindromedary" in some online obituary column. If you really had any balls you would use your own name and picture for your rants instead of hiding behind some delusional name! As an Independent I find your manners more like someone from the far right wing ultra conservative Republican party. And what makes you think you represent the thoughts of fellow Americans concerning why they voted for President Obama. I feel no civility towards you and your rants that are posted on this site. I would really like to meet you in person to see what a person who rants such vile looks like. I picture you as some old hunched over grungy lost soul. On second thought that is the last thing I would like to do. Why don't you run for office? You seem to think you’re the type of person who has all the answers to the problems that plague America. Probably because you would be assassinated the first week in office if you won by some wild charge of the imagination. If you get the feeling I do not like your personification you are so right! I got enough pious attitudes from the likes of Romney. And I feel no civility towards you in anyway and had to state how I feel about your ranting’s. I might be asked to stop posting my thoughts on Hartmann's blog and it will have been worth it to speak my mind to a person

flyguy8650, ARE YOU RELATED TO "PALINDROMEDARY"? YOUR RANTING’S SEEM STRANGELY THE SAME! THE MONEY RAN OUT IN 1928 AND WE ARE STILL HERE. I USE TO RANT ON WITH THE SAME DOOM AND GLOOM UNTIL I STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WAS SAYING AND HOW FOOLISH IT SOUNDED. I AM NOT TRYING TO INSULT YOU OR CRITICIZE YOUR OPINION, EVERYONE HAS ONE. HOPE YOU LIVE LONGER THAN YOU THINK, IT IS REALLY NOT THAT BAD HERE! BESIDES, IF WE RUN OUT OF MONEY WE CAN ALWAYS START ANOTHER WAR TO START THE ECONOMY! HA!

I am one happy California voter. The billionaires here in California designed a proposition to cripple the unions in our state from donating funds to their candidate’s campaign. It was funded by the wealthy Munger clan here and with funds from out of state. A Pac in Arizona was caught laundering campaign funds illegally to a Pac here in California. A California Commission got a court order to subpoena their records and found out they were illegally funneling funds from the likes of the Koch brothers through a Pac in Arizona called Jobs for America to a Pac here in Calif. The Commission plans on charging them with money laundering(the pac). Also, the California voters passed a bill to add a minimal tax on people making more than $250,000 a year and a sales tax increase of 1/4 of a cent on sales made here. It will stop a 50 billion dollar cut in educational funding for next year and will stop the massive overcrowding we have in our schools. The wealthiest in our state and country learned a severe lesson; you cannot buy our elections once the people are aware of what you’re doing! A victory for the California voters and residents, a loss for those who think they can buy our state and nation. I have to believe there are a lot of angry billionaires in our country today when they found out they did not buy a new tax cut for themselves...This message has been brought to you by one very happy Californian Voter!

We all knew that Obama's win would not be the end; but, the beginning. The real battle started yesterday! We have a couple groups out now and are mobilizing for many reforms. Voter reforms are high on the list right now. Don't stop and start joining and let's make the changes we know we can make!! Join groups such as Center for Media and Democracy or MovetoAmend or Nomorestolen elections. I know, it's been a long year; but, we have only 4 to make corrections/changes to the boilerplated Corporate-made ALEC laws!! Just 4. We still have many states that are controlled by the New Right of Paul Weyrich! Help turn our country around!!

Thanks.