Neoconservativism is a real ideology, with real writings and a history, and people who acknowledge being followers of it.

Searching "Team B" for it's history, of "Leo Strauss" for it's ideology is a good starting point for people interested in this topic.

The actions of the G.W.B. administration are actually fairly understandable when you consider that most of his cabinet was from Team B.

As for Obama, all indications of his pre-presidential history is that he is ideologically traditional liberal, applying the term to him is problematic, even though his actions in office could indeed be described as neoconservative.

This makes him far more difficult to assess.

This article tackles a lot of confusion that has come with the word over the past couple decades: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/05/neoconserva...

    we'd label him a neoconservative corporatist in the same vein as Cheney

Only if you are a child who is unable to appreciate that people are far more complex than simplistic labels. Why not call him a socialist fascist as well ? Or a war monger ? Or a liberal ? Or anti capitalist ? Oh wait there are some contradictions there.

Well, let's take a look at two definitions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservative

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism (what I mean by corporatist)

Think about those two in the context of the president's actions and come back to your statement.

Let's tally his accomplishments, shall we? He's bailed out private corporations at the expense of the middle class (ugh, don't like this phrase) through both taxes, and worse, inflation. He's not only continued the middle eastern wars, he's vastly expanded them (and I won't even mention drones). He's allowed the wholesale spying on Americans. Increased the size of the incompetent DHS. Basically said that murdering Americans without due process is alright. He hasn't legalized gay marriage. He hasn't decriminalized marijuana. What political ideology does that sound like? The president has only been 'liberal' on one point: healthcare. Even there, he basically handed (well, forced) over all our healthcare to private corporations. And our healthcare is still expense, even more so!

Look, President Obama is neither liberal or conservative, he's a political opportunist who's actions happen to align with the neoconservatives minus the religious stuff (thankfully). I doubt it's intentional, but if it walks like a duck...

Religious stuff? Do you know the origins of the term "neoconservative"?

Obama, together with the Fed, pulled the US back from the brink of financial disaster in 2008. If the banks and AIG hadn't been bailed out, we'd be in a great depression now. Luckily we learned something since 1930 (although people like you didn't, apparently).

Obama pulled us out of Iraq and Afghanistan more or less on schedule. And he kept us from getting sucked into Libya and Syria, except for extremely minor aid like the 2011 no-fly zone, and arming the rebels in Syria.

Obama has used executive orders to promote policies like reducing allowed federal standards for carcinogens, promoting open data standards, and much else. http://blog.okfn.org/2013/05/10/government-data-open-and-mac...

Since Obama wasn't sworn into office until 2009, I'm curious what he did in 2008 to prevent financial disaster.

As a senator, Obama voted for TARP in 2008 (as did fellow candidate McCain). So in some sense, he did do something. It would also be naive to believe that he didn't spend a lot of time planning his future actions during that year. But you are correct that his main role in solving the 2008 financial crisis came in 2009 after he was sworn in.

But exponentially more charismatic to the general public, which means he will run the ball down the field further than Cheney ever could. Look out.

Apparently the CIA agrees with you: http://www.salon.com/2010/03/27/wikileaks/

From TFA: "the CIA sees Obama as a valuable asset in putting a pretty face on our wars in the eyes of foreign populations."

Man, this is so true. I think 90% of Germans would vote for Obama. Mission accomplished.

I would have preferred a press that wasn't just a damn fan club. Public opinion be damned, the press is supposed to report, not bow down