President Obama: History So Far

[Bond]

http://www.samefacts.com/archives/president-obama.jpg

Well, Mr. Obama has been President for just a few weeks now, but I was curious as to what everyone thinks of the job he is doing, and how everyone thinks about the country as a whole?

[GameMaster]

From what I can derive from my limited, limited exposure to news and such, the country hasn't changed at all. Makes sense to me. Nothing's going to change that quickly.

As far as how Obama is doing:

The president's initial job approval rating -- 68 percent -- is the second highest in Gallup polling since World War II, eclipsed only by (you guessed it!) John F. Kennedy who in a February 1961 survey had a stratospheric 72 percent job approval score.

[Bond]

Here is an article that appeared in WSJ by John Yoo (Professor at Berkeley) about Obama's decision to close Gitmo:

Obama Made a Rash Decision on Gitmo (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123318955345726797.html)

[Professor S]

Initially, his era of "change" appears to be business as usual. It still makes me laugh every time I hear both parties yelling about "bi-partisanship" when really they both mean "agree with me or you're partisan!"

The GITMO closing is a political move, not a policy decision. The real test will be where the detainess are put and whether or not policy moves in the realm of treating them like American citizens. That would be a complete mess and turn our juducial system into a carnival-like joke for the world to witness.

The "stimulus" package is a joke in its current state, but we'll see how the minority opposition changes the bill before it passes. Obama should be encouraging his party to curry Republican votes if he wants America to think anything has changed. Right now it just fels like the same politics of 2000-2006 except with the other party being in charge.

Overall, most of America's disasterous times happened when there was a consoldation of power. FDR's, Johnson's, Carter's and Bush's administration all took place when one party weilded all the political power. Meanwhile Reagan and Clinton presided over boons in domestic and economic policy, as well as considerable foreign relations wins (mainly Reagan) when power was not consolidated.

We'll see if Obama can but the trend, but quite honestly it's not looking that way, but there is still a lot of time. Clinton came out the gates a liberal but found success as a moderate.

[Dylflon]

I'm blown away by the non-stop right wing media smear campaign that's gone on right out the doors. Of course I'm thinking of the extreme examples (Fox News, Bill O'Reilly, Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, basically everyone you'd expect).

But I thought it was ironic when Rush Limbaugh straight out said he hoped Obama fails and all other republicans should hope that too. He's now operating on a whole new level of hypocrisy that I would dub 'ultra-hypocrisy".

[Bond]

Rush Limbaugh has become very insensitive, offensive, and cruel in the past few years. He was always a little ridiculous, but the things he says on his radio show these days are just despicable.

[The Germanator]

The best thing to do with Limbaugh is ignore him. I recently saw a clip of him talking on some public access show back in the day basically explaining how to succeed in talk radio. He talked about how you exaggerate everything you say because this not only attracts the right wing audience that is afraid to say these things out loud, but it pisses off the left so much that they listen just to get angry. It's all about ratings with him. Maybe if we just ignore him he'll shut the hell up. Probably not, but it's worth a try.

I agree with most of what Obama has done so far in regards to Gitmo/torture etc. I also dig the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, Obama's first law he's signed...

[manasecret]

The best thing to do with Limbaugh is ignore him. I recently saw a clip of him talking on some public access show back in the day basically explaining how to succeed in talk radio. He talked about how you exaggerate everything you say because this not only attracts the right wing audience that is afraid to say these things out loud, but it pisses off the left so much that they listen just to get angry. It's all about ratings with him. Maybe if we just ignore him he'll shut the hell up. Probably not, but it's worth a try.

I laughed because I've seen this in action. My dad hates Bill O'Reilly, he always ends up getting completely angry at him and argues back to the TV, and yet he continues to tune in whenever I see him watching TV. I've never understood it. If you hate what he says and it makes you pissed off, why oh why don't you just turn it off?

I agree with you Germy. Ignoring the rating-seeking whores, right or left, is the best way to deal with them. Take away their ratings, and they're off the air.

As for Obama's performance so far, hard to say much yet. I do think, without thinking much on the debate, that closing Gitmo was the right thing to do. It certainly was rash, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. That article makes it seem like because he closed Gitmo that we will no longer be able to conduct tough interrogatations of military prisoners. Did Obama make the pronouncement that tough interrogations are no longer allowed, or just that Gitmo would be closed in a year? Secondly, the article has the same ol' feeling of, "We have to do these things even though our principles tell us not to do them, otherwise you and your family will not be safe from terrorists." It forces you to agree with what he says, because otherwise you're endangering your family and no one wants to do that. It's the tone that Bush has used since 9/11. I'm tired of it. Is it really impossible to fight terrorists without holding them indefinitely with or without proof (who knows?) for almost a decade and torturing them by waterboarding when you feel it necessary? I don't think so. I think we're more crafty people than that.

As far as the stimulus package, from what I've heard on NPR, it now includes a lot of very-left policies that were compromised out before, but one way or the other got back in. I don't like that. But it's unclear to me (from the same NPR segment) whether they got put back in because Democrats are exploiting their newly elected power, or because Republicans are playing politics and refusing to work on the stimulus package for purely politic reasons.

[BreakABone]

If nothing else,the man has personality


I am seriously glad to be here tonight at the annual Alfalfa dinner. I know that many you are aware that this dinner began almost one hundred years ago as a way to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee. If he were here with us tonight, the General would be 202 years old. And very confused.

Now, this hasn't been reported yet, but it was actually Rahm's idea to do the swearing-in ceremony again. Of course, for Rahm, every day is a swearing-in ceremony.

But don't believe what you read. Rahm Emanuel is a real sweetheart.

No, it's true. Every week the guy takes a little time away to give back to the community. Just last week he was at a local school, teaching profanity to poor children.

But these are the kind of negotiations you have to deal with as President. In just the first few weeks, I've had to engage in some of the toughest diplomacy of my life. And that was just to keep my Blackberry. I finally agreed to limit the number of people who could email me. It's a very exclusive list. How exclusive?

Everyone look at the person sitting on your left' Now look at the person sitting on your right. None of you have my email address.

[TheSlyMoogle]

Yeah he has a way with words and a big smile. He's smart, funny, and a bit sarcastic.

I already liked him from the moment I saw him.

As far as how things are going now, we'll see. I mean obviously he made a lot of promises, and I believe that was stupid, but at the same time I really believe that Obama will follow through.

Most importantly I hope that he changes the education system of America. That is what I most want to see from his time in office. I feel like there are so many uneducated people, that things would be a lot better with some serious education. Of course society is geared as a way to keep the poor man poor, and it seems that when one of those rags to riches stories happens most of the time they forget the people still in rags who helped them to riches.

:(

I hate the way America is right now. Don't know if you noticed.

[BreakABone]

I don't know if this is a trait everyone wants in their leader, but I do respect him for manning up to his own mistakes and not trying to lay the blame solely on his appointees.

Obama said he was "angry and disappointed" to lose Daschle and Nancy Killefer, who also withdrew her nomination today over a failure to pay some taxes. And the president also took part of the blame. "I appointed these folks. I think they are outstanding people. I think Tom Daschle as an example could have led this health-care effort ... better than just about anybody," the president remarked. "But as he acknowledged, this was a mistake. I don't think it was intentional on his part but it was a serious mistake. He owned up to it and ultimately made a decision that we couldn't afford the distraction, and I've got to own up to my mistake which is that, ultimately, it's important for this administration to send a message that there aren't two sets of rules -- you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes."

Obama later added, "I'm here on television saying I screwed up, and that's part of the era of responsibility. It's not never making mistakes; it's owning up to them and trying to make sure you never repeat them and that's what we intend to do." He also offered one more mea culpa: "[S]o, did I screw up in this situation? Absolutely and I'm willing to take my lumps, you know that's part of the job here. But I think it's important not to paint a broad brush here, because overall, not only have we gotten in place a -- functioning government in record time -- but overall the quality of [the other appointments] are outstanding."
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/02/03/1779622.aspx

[manasecret]

I don't know if this is a trait everyone wants in their leader, but I do respect him for manning up to his own mistakes and not trying to lay the blame solely on his appointees.

Good! I do like that. Now if he could just stop using fear to try to pass this "Stimulus Package" like a certain other president whose name I won't mention was keen on using, I'll be a little happier.

[Professor S]

Good! I do like that. Now if he could just stop using fear to try to pass this "Stimulus Package" like a certain other president whose name I won't mention was keen on using, I'll be a little happier.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Obama is running into the same problem Clinton ran into in `92, and that is the fact that most Americans just aren't for more government control and spending, regardless of their voting habits. Obama isn't losing the battle when it comes to the message, they're losing the battle of ideas. The more people learn about this stimulus package, the more they hate it, and the polls show it.

Trying to rush a bill that doesn't really kick in for almost a year doesn't help matters either; it just makes people think you're trying to get one past them. I think if Obama had come out in favor of mediation instead of publicly supporting the hard-line stance of Pelosi, Reid, etc. he could have come out smelling like roses. Instead the bill he has endorsed has increased the public level of distrust of the government, not decreased it.

Instead, his shiny exterior is beginning to dull a bit and his cries of partianship are reflecting more on him than the GOP.

[Jason1]

Personally I think Obama has been doing great under the circumstances of what he has to deal with. I think he's destined to become the greatest president ever.

[KillerGremlin]

I think he's destined to become the greatest president ever.

I'm all for optimism but that is a bold statement. We haven't had enough time pass to even look at the true historical scope of the Bush presidency, so I dunno.

I'd like to think Obama will be the best thing we've had (especially in regards to global politics), but it will be a long time before we can tell.

[TheGame]

I like having a president who knows how to admit he's wrong about things. Also, I like how in the press conference how he said the stimulus bill isn't perfect, and touched on things that could have been changed.. though he justified himself with this being a time of emergency.

Was nothing like a Bush press conference, where he'd basically just say its a black and white world with good and evil, and what he picked was right all the time. Of course they both used fear to some extent, but I guess in today's world that's the only way to get any bipartisanship.

[Jason1]

I say if its fair game to judge what Obama has done so far in 3 weeks time, its fair game for me to say hes going to be the greatest president ever.

I was actually trying to be sarcastic when I made that statement, as in its stupid to judge obama so far, as it is stupid for me to say hes going to be the greatest president ever.