Presidential Rating

[Bulldog]

I'll give the man a rating of C.  I think well of his basic intentions, but his execution is sub-par.

[Philoctetes]

I gave him a D. He's well on his way to failing.

[Todd]

I'll give him a C.  On the one hand, he has been instrumental on pushing through three major pieces of legislation (stimulus, health care, and financial reform), but his foreign policy strikes me as too uneven. 

[Lethevich]

As an outsider, B. I don't know whether I am just not as exposed to his failures, but his biggest problems so far appear to be stemming from his pragmatic attitude - he sometimes seems to take a while to look at something that requires a faster decision.

However, in the case of him announcing more troops going abroad after calls from the generals I would consider his weeks of deliberation a sign that he actually gives a damn.

[karlhenning]

I gave him a D. He's well on his way to failing.

Not merely a fortune-teller, but one who weights his grades by his prognostications.

[Bulldog]

As an outsider, B. I don't know whether I am just not as exposed to his failures, but his biggest problems so far appear to be stemming from his pragmatic attitude - he sometimes seems to take a while to look at something that requires a faster decision.

Yes, that's a major weakness on Obama's part.  Where's the passion to get things done?

One thing's for sure.  Running a campaign is quite different from running a government, and Obama seems to have little aptitude for the latter.

Another thing that bothers me about him is his poor decision-making when selecting his cabinet members and other high-level appointments.

[oabmarcus]

D- a failure, corporatist, centrist, not a progressive. He and his administration has done nothing to fix today's pressing issues. Instead they have embarrassed themselves on countless occasions, the latest of which is this Shirley Sherrod business.

I can't wait to vote his ass out of the white house and get an actual progressive into office (as unlikely as that sounds, we all can hope!).

[Todd]

Another thing that bothers me about him is his poor decision-making when selecting his cabinet members and other high-level appointments.

Gotta agree with this.  Where is his Kissinger or Brzezinski or Kahn or Schultz or Baker or even Rubin (though he may be a bad man now)?  That's not to say that I agree with everything these people did or said, but they, and others, seemed to display a higher degree of competence than we are seeing now.  Maybe his second round of appointments will be better.  That written, I liked Peter Orszag, at least as much as someone can like a budget director with a different outlook.

[Todd]

I can't wait to vote his ass out of the white house and get an actual progressive into office (as unlikely as that sounds, we all can hope!).

That will not happen until at least 2036.

[oabmarcus]

Gotta agree with this.  Where is his Kissinger or Brzezinski or Kahn or Schultz or Baker or even Rubin (though he may be a bad man now)?  That's not to say that I agree with everything these people did or said, but they, and others, seemed to display a higher degree of competence than we are seeing now.  Maybe his second round of appointments will be better.  That written, I liked Peter Orszag, at least as much as someone can like a budget director with a different outlook.

Rubin, lol, that corporatist son of bitch. I get steamed just seeing his name.

[oabmarcus]

That will not happen until at least 2036.

really, the recession is going to last that long? You are a one pessimist, hum?

[Bulldog]

D- a failure, corporatist, centrist, not a progressive. He and his administration has done nothing to fix today's pressing issues, but has embarassed themselves on countless occasions, the latest of which is this Shirley Sherrod business.

I can wait to vote his ass out of the white house and get an actual progressive into office (as unlikely as that sounds, we all can hope!).

I think you'll be waiting a very, very long time.

That Shirley Sherrod mess was quite revealing - the White House is intimidated by Fox News, although there's no compelling reason for the fear.  Testosterone levels are very low among Obama and his buddies.

[Scarpia]

I give a C.  If it had not been for Afghanistan, I would have given him a B.  I can see that he was backed into a corner and had to up the ante on the Afghanistan war, but I think there is no possibility of "winning" anything there.  He should have gone on television and said, "I've considered all the options and the only sensible plan is the 'cut and run.'"   

Maybe we should have given every citizen of Afghanistan 1000 rounds of amunition and an uzi submachine gun, modified with a GPS devices that prevents it from being fire unless it is within the borders of Afghanistan.

[Bulldog]

Gotta agree with this.  Where is his Kissinger or Brzezinski or Kahn or Schultz or Baker or even Rubin (though he may be a bad man now)?  That's not to say that I agree with everything these people did or said, but they, and others, seemed to display a higher degree of competence than we are seeing now.  Maybe his second round of appointments will be better.  That written, I liked Peter Orszag, at least as much as someone can like a budget director with a different outlook.

And Orszag will soon be gone.

[oabmarcus]

That Shirley Sherrod mess was quite revealing - the White House is intimidated by Fox News, although there's no compelling reason for the fear.  Testosterone levels are very low among Obama and his buddies.

I only agree 100%.

[Brian]

B-

Points awarded simply for quickly reversing the Bush culture of opposition to mental ability, dissent, and competence. Some points for the stimulus, health care reform, and the arms reduction agreement with Russia. Points awarded for boldness in suing Arizona over its immigration law. Further points awarded for Hillary Clinton surpassing my expectations as secretary of state. Points awarded for responding to the BP disaster in a way which strikes a balance between holding BP accountable for its shoddy work and lack of oversight, and resisting the temptation to paint all of business, or all corporate entities, as the 'bad guy' in environmental issues.

Points deducted for being too slow to action on finding an immigration plan which circumvents fences and racist local laws, and even slower to action on environment reform.  Deduction for the irritating ability of the administration to create minor, stupid scandals (ie Sherrod, McChrystal) which distract from the real agenda.

Questions yet to be graded:
- Did the economic stimulus work?
- Was sticking to the guns in Iraq and Afghanistan the right decision?
- What advances have been made on gay rights and other social issues?
- What action has been taken to wean the United States off its oil dependency?
- When the stimulus has largely been doled out, will Obama trim the budget and cut the deficit?

Obama has based his first term on several major gambles (health care, stimulus, Iraq/Afghanistan) which may succeed or may fail spectacularly. I think it's too soon to tell how some of those dice will fall, but his grade may be anything from a B+ to a C- from me depending upon the outcomes. Regardless, I have yet to spot a Republican candidate whom I would find preferable.

[Todd]

Questions yet to be graded:
- Did the economic stimulus work?

This can never really be answered completely since there is no way to really know.  Economists can create contrafactual models to try to determine what may have happened had the stimulus not been passed, but such models are of questionable value.

Based on what I have seen, the answer is yes, though not well enough.  That would have required a larger outlay, and one more geared toward immediate expenditures.  Another may be required, but deficit-phobia appears to be taking a greater hold of people's minds, at least with an election coming up, so it may not materialize.

[Josquin des Prez]

F for suing Arizona over the immigration law.

[karlhenning]

Gosh, some teacher(s) must have slapped you silly once on a time.

[Josquin des Prez]

And i'm glad they did.