President Obama: History So Far
 

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?

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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:

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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".

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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...

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

If nothing else,the man has personality

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archi...3/1779622.aspx

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.

Re: President Obama: History So Far
 

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.