Well, I'll start off by saying I am an avid supporter of Obama so yes, everything I see is looked through a biased lens. But I'm also not stupid and actually listen to what he says and does, and it all seems pragmatic, and with the best of intentions. Intentions however don't do much, but I think he's on his way to getting a lot of great things done. Bullet points!
-The wars are coming to a close... well, atleast somewhat:
-Yeah, no one knows how the draw-down in Afghanistan will work, but we know that it'll atleast begin... it all determines how things go on the battlefield. This makes the taliban not just wait out till the US "deadline" since we won't be leaving if the status quo hasn't changed. Iraq isn't talked about nearly as much now, so I'm assuming things are going well there. I know the combat troops are set to leave soon, with reserve troops staying behind to maintain security until Iraq can stand on its own two feet.
-Health care reform is at the brink of completion:
-Sure the public option isn't going to be in it (well, looks like it anyway), but with either the Senate bill or the House bill, 94% (+/- a few) Americans will be covered. It will be mandatory to get coverage, and the poorest who can't afford it will be helped by the government I believe. Go preventative medicine! No more discrimination, and a cap on out of pocket expenses. I'm a little confused with the Senate bill - if not the public option, what's covering the 30 million Americans? A government-based mandate? The question of how to pay for it is still open - I personally want the families that make $500k+ getting a tax increase to be most practical. It won't hurt them at all, and benefit the greater good tremendously (go utilitarianism!)
-The economy is getting better:
-This recession was way worse than the one in the early 80's, and that's why it's taking longer for us to get back in track. Job loss has been essentially 0 for the last month, and very minimal the month before that (compared to 700,000 a month when it began!!), the GDP shows the economy is growing, and the stocks are going up with each day. We've passed the heart of the storm, now to get back on our feet stronger. Now we need those scared banks to lend a bit more (before they lended like crazy, now they aren't doing any! Extremes aren't good), and this'll help small businesses grow which is the backbone of the middle class!
Those are essentially the 3 big-ones that have dominated the presidency so far. Outside of this, Obama's done a lot to promote peace and restore the standing of the US in the world, opened talks for climate change and nuclear disarmament. Here's to the next 3 years, where things'll really start rolling! Once the economy is back in gear, I think we can see a lot more progress at a faster rate.
Anyway, that's my ultra-biased take on his presidency so far. His approval rating according to CNN stands at 54%, and most other polls hover around there. Considering how immense of a mess Obama came to office with, I think he's doing a great job (also considering how a lot of former presidents had similar, some lower, ratings at this period of their presidency even when the country wasn't going to hell as they took office).
So, to you, how's Obama done so far? Filled the expectations? Failed miserably? Made change, but not as dramatic as you hoped? Go!
Last Edit: December 22, 2009, 08:28:32 pm by XxNemesis29xX
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A year has almost passed since his historic inauguration, ...how's President Obama done?