Is SNL right that Obama's accomplished 'nothing'?

[snopes]

This weekend "Saturday Night Live" opened with Fred Armisen as President Obama, delivering an address from the Oval Office. Noting up front that he'd failed to secure the 2016 Olympic Games for Chicago, Armisen's Obama said it was just further proof that his detractors' fears are unfounded: How could he transform the country into something resembling the former Soviet Union or Nazi Germany when he's failed to accomplish anything at all? "When you look at my record," he said, "it's very clear what I've done so far, and that is nothing."

But are SNL's accusations of Obama being a do-nothing president accurate? Let's run down the list of the nine promises SNL lampooned President Obama for doing "nothing" on to see where he actually stands.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/200910...ws/ynews_pl942

[Canuckistan]

Why do some people think that change happens overnight? And if it doesn't, clearly nothing is happening?

[Cervus]

SNL is still on the air? And people watch it? And care about whether their political satire is an accurate representation of current affairs?

[RCIAG]

To quote Seth & Amy, "REALLY?!?"

It's SNL, it's their JOB to make fun of any & all politicians.

[AnglRdr]

As far as I am concerned, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, passed during Week 1 was a greater accomplishment than the 12 previous years combined.

He doesn't have to do more to be better.

But I thought the sketch was funny; not Armisen's best Obama, but not horrible.

[hoitoider]

He's set some unrealistic deadlines: Gitmo isn't going to close in 3 months, and all the troops won't be out of Iraq in 10 months. The original August deadline for Health Care reform was impossible to meet. There was no way it could be debated in Congress - forget those ridiculous town hall meetings.

[WildaBeast]

Pull all troops out of Iraq:

I think some people confuse this with "bring all the troops home" and take the fact that most of those soldiers are still deployed, but in Afghanistan now, as evidence that Obama "hasn't done anything". At least that's what I've gathered anecdotally from some people.

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Cervus

SNL is still on the air? And people watch it? And care about whether their political satire is an accurate representation of current affairs?

And some people are ignorant of how often SNL was cited as influencing public opinion during the 2008 presidential election?

[Bryan With a 'Y']

Originally Posted by hoitoider

He's set some unrealistic deadlines

Hasn't the Administration has as much as said so? I recall a spokesman saying in a news interview that they never assumed the deadline for Gitmo, as an example, would be reached, but rather that if they didn't set SOME kind of deadline, it would never happen.

Basically it sounds like that friend you have that's always half an hour late to everything, so when you expect to have dinner ready at 7:00, you tell them 6:30.

[Wintermute]

Originally Posted by snopes

"When you look at my record," he said, "it's very clear what I've done so far, and that is nothing."

Sadly he has done a few things, but in my opinion have hurt things worse. He said he would try to prevent outsourcing, and he has done nothing. In fact he tried to prevent the American clause in the stimulus package. I would say so far he is a much weaker leader then I had thought, but I honestly did not have high expectations of his leadership after watching him on the trail. I still voted for him. I was hoping someone with out the years of experience in DC WOULD be a very good thing for the country.

[Silas Sparkhammer]

After eight years of King Stork, having a King Log is an improvement.

Also, if the Senate didn't have the filibuster, a lot *more* would have been accomplished. It isn't as if Obama hasn't proposed anything, just that there is organized opposition that prevents it from being approved.

(Which, in a way, is also a good thing, Loggish rather than Storkish.)

Silas (apologizes to all the real Storks for the odious comparison to GWB)

[AnglRdr]

Originally Posted by Silas Sparkhammer

After eight years of King Stork, having a King Log is an improvement.

What does this mean?

[lyriccoloratura]

After his term is up, will he be pumpkinified?

Lyric-Claudius fan-coloratura

[CannonFodder]

Originally Posted by AnglRdr

What does this mean?

Aesop's fable of the frogs who desired a king. Zeus first sent them a beneficent but placid log. The frogs were eventually unsatisfied and requested a king who moved. Zeus was annoyed by their repeated requests and sent a stork who promptly ate all of them.

[AnglRdr]

Originally Posted by CannonFodder

Aesop's fable of the frogs who desired a king. Zeus first sent them a beneficent but placid log. The frogs were eventually unsatisfied and requested a king who moved. Zeus was annoyed by their repeated requests and sent a stork who promptly ate all of them.

Thanks! Aesop leaves me cold, so I prefer synopses like these. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I am exceedingly lazy.

[Silas Sparkhammer]

Originally Posted by AnglRdr

Thanks! Aesop leaves me cold, so I prefer synopses like these. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that I am exceedingly lazy.

I like Aesop (although, of course, he certainly has his faults -- foxes don't eat grapes!) It's fun to have an universal source of moral parables that come from Pagan Greece -- "The abomination that causes desolation!" in the eyes of the Bible!

Silas (blows hot and cold at the same time....often!)

[Chloe]

Originally Posted by Silas Sparkhammer

I like Aesop (although, of course, he certainly has his faults -- foxes don't eat grapes!) It's fun to have an universal source of moral parables that come from Pagan Greece -- "The abomination that causes desolation!" in the eyes of the Bible!

Silas (blows hot and cold at the same time....often!)

Anyway, the fox was being eminently sensible in deciding to view the grapes as something he didn't want instead of wishing he had them. Good for him.

[Dactyl]

Originally Posted by Chloe

Anyway, the fox was being eminently sensible in deciding to view the grapes as something he didn't want instead of wishing he had them. Good for him.

Unfortunately this very parable is one of my greatest munchkins as it is regularly misused to mean bitter, even on the BBC.

With respect to the OP, I have never seen SNL but if it's anything like the satrical news shows we get over here, I woudln't expect it to be accurate. I enjoy both Have I Got New for You and The News Quiz both of which play on stereotypes of parties and politicians for laughs.

People also have to appreciate they weren't electing a dictator who can just force through anything he likes.

[Chloe]

Originally Posted by Dactyl

With respect to the OP, I have never seen SNL but if it's anything like the satrical news shows we get over here, I woudln't expect it to be accurate. I enjoy both Have I Got New for You and The News Quiz both of which play on stereotypes of parties and politicians for laughs.

It's kind of like those, except not clever and not funny.

[woodness03]

Originally Posted by Chloe

It's kind of like those, except not clever and not funny.

I would caveat your statement with "anymore"

SNL used to be good, but hasn't been for at least 10-15 years IMO