Obama So Far: Good Job!

[babylonsister]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/07/20/obama_so_far_good_job_106379.html

Obama So Far: Good Job!
By Richard Reeves

snip//


If you happen to think Obama is a reasonable man, you are impressed that he can survive at all in the current political context. His presidency and campaigns are and will be about a fundamental American question: What is the role of government?

Obama has shown what he thinks it is, as Stolberg wrote:

"Mr. Obama has done what he promised when he ran for office in 2008: He has used government as an instrument to try to narrow the gaps between the haves and the have-nots. He has injected $787 billion in tax dollars into the economy, provided health coverage to 32 million uninsured and now, reordered the relationship among Washington, Wall Street, investors and consumers."

That would look great to many -- and will to history -- without context changers like stubborn unemployment, suggesting fundamental changes in the economy that Obama and the rest of us do not yet understand, and the damned oil spill. That context changer is an example of how much hypocrisy the electorate can tolerate and pundits can understand. The same people who are attached to Reagan's line that the government is the problem, that we need less government outreach, are the people who have been attacking Obama for not doing enough in the Gulf.

Personally, I think the guy, the president, is doing a pretty good job in ominous times. I will repeat that if any pollster wants to call.

[jaxx]

1. I think he's doing a pretty good job too.

Big K & R

[mkultra]

12. this is fly paper for the "angry left" propoganda machinists

this is exactly the target they need for their bought and paid for talking points.

[Uben]

2. Are you kiddin?

You think he's doing good? Faced with the immediate collapse of the financial industry, a disaster in Haiti, and the worst oil spill in American history, a republican blockade of virtually everything, and the guy gets healthcare reform and financial reform passed in the first year and a half, and you think that's good? I'd call it damned near miraculous! He's done more in 18 months than Bush did in eight years, and Bush was handed a surplus in a time of no wars.

I truly believe the republican plan was to sabotage the democratic administration from the git-go. And I believe that plan is traitorous to America. That makes every republican congressman a traitor. They put party above country, and in my book, that's enough to never, ever vote for a republican.....although, I must admit, I never have voted for one, ever, and wouldn't even if Jesus himself was running on the republican ticket!

I was a Clinton backer in the primaries. I'm glad I was wrong. Obama is da MAN! Can we make him king?

[NJmaverick]

3. Excellent points! Couldn't agree more

[pokercat999]

4. I was an Obama backer/voter in the primaries..........we were

BOTH WRONG!

[Kweli4Real]

13. Do you really think that ...

Hillary would have done better? Looking back at their primary positions, there was really very little difference between the two. But I thought then, and continue to believe, that President Obama's persona/temperment made him the better choice.

Despite what many on the left want to believe ... In this environment we don't need a fire breathing, "I'm gonna kick your ass" president, we need the appearance of calm and stability. We could, however, use a few of ass-kickers in congress ... you know, where legislation is written, debated and enacted.

[SoxFan]

17. Let me translate this

"I saw a black guy with an exotic name. I assumed he was an identity politics leftist. Boy, I should have read his policy papers and looked at his record"

[pokercat999]

19. Missed it, how about, I should have realized I was looking at

all pre-approved candidates. For both the primary and the general elections. Approved by international corporations that were and still are their primary sponsors and the enemy of the people.

[MadMaddie]

9. Well Said Uben!!

He has accomplished a great deal more than we could have hoped for under the circumstances he has to deal with.

We still need to crush the opposition in November so there is no doubt more will get done. The Repugs will continue to up the rhetoric to deafening levels but we must continue to fight them at every turn.

[FiveGoodMen]

15. "Can we make him king?"

We fought a revolution to get away from that.

[depakid]

5. Obama had one major job to do- on which most other things relied

Return accountability under the rule of law to pre-Bush norms.

He wilfully failed to do so- and among the many poor results of that- the Gulf of Mexico has been fouled for generations.

Worse- the administration has shown no signs that it has any intention of changing that pattern.

[babylonsister]

7. If he hadn't addressed the failing economy,

nothing else would have mattered.

You know that; willful ignorance must be bliss! Reminds me of a bunch of other people...

[Hydra]

8. He didn't address it

He picked the safe road, because someone advising him assured him that the economy would rebound by itself in 1 year.

The Stimulus was only meant to blunt the effect for a year, and now he's going to have to scramble to keep everything together...while the newly empowered(by him) Republicans will do everything in their power to stop him for their political gain.

I'm waiting to see with great eagerness what the President will do now that he's painted himself in a corner, whether by excessive caution or due to wanting to keep his moneyed supporters happy.

[girl gone mad]

18. He did not address the failing economy.

He propped up a bunch of zombie banks to save some billionaires and millionaires from the consequences of their bad bets.

Structurally, we are worse off now than we were two years ago. Possibly much worse off.

[uponit7771]

10. hate much?

[Kweli4Real]

14. Are you kidding ..

President Obama had one major job? Yeah, return to a rule of law and address every other issue that every other constituency wanted. I'm sorry, but an effective presidency is not that simple.

[SoxFan]

16. Of course

Obama personally blew up the oil rig. Not content with that, he comandeered an Air National Guard KC-135 and dumped jet fuel over the Rigoles Pass.

I heard that his next plan is to put old people in FEMA concentration camps so that we can spend Social Security dollars on gold leaf for the White House basketball court.

[saltpoint]

6. In too many U.S. Americans there's a stubborn vein

that won't allow us to praise people in whom virtue is demonstrable.

We're too tough on many public servants especially. We don't sufficiently appreciate school teachers, for example.

There's a wonderful couplet from Auden that goes:

- - -

In the prison of his days
Teach the free man how to praise

- - -

The Obama administration has been getting some good dividends on initial investments. Also, he's a class act. I like the way he and his wife life in the White House as our First Citizens, 'citizens' being the point.

[Arkana]

11. Richard Reeves, eh?

Well, this is a guy with experience on evaluating past Presidencies--his word is good.