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Matt, your like it and lump it attitude is much like those that tell rape victims that if they can't avoid it they might as well relax and enjoy it. And no one is screaming "we are all going to die", you must have that thought confused with the feigned hysteria of the H1N1/swine flu. You quote Obama saying it's "time to put away childish things", tell us what, in your estimation, he meant by "childish things". You might even throw in your own opinion of what "childish things" have happened in the history of this republic.
Matt -
5/2/2009
I'm not counseling patience. I'm saying that screaming "we're all gonna die" every five minutes is not going to convince anyone to give the wheel back to the Republicans. The uniformly shrill pitch of crazy over every action of the President, no matter how minor discredits criticism, not Obama. A child pounds the table in rage or cries in frustration. And it is time to put away childish things, as the President has said.
Vernon Clayson -
5/1/2009
Matt and Eric obviously don't see the cultural revolution we are undergoing and condescendingly imply patience is the answer. People won't run out of opinions on Obama and his actions this month or any month; he won't let us with his major speeches, ten in three months and his daily photo ops and comments on every subject dear to his heart - and the hearts of his handlers as he isn't alone in this attack on our culture. If the staggering debt he has imposed on us doesn't frighten you, the ever greater federal government control over every aspect of our lives should.
Eric -
5/1/2009
Wow. I have to agree with Matt. I am quite surprised by the vitriol. I didn't vote for W. in 2000 but I did give the guy about 700-800 days (as long as we're talking about length in days) before I concluded that his policies and leadership were detrimental. The folks on this board seem to be railing against Obama merely by virtue of his party label. For better or worse, in a representative democracy the majority opinion (call it tyranny these days) rules. W eventually wiped away his majority with policies and persuasion that folks on this message board are implicitly clamoring for. So I guess Obama truly does deserve high marks for effectiveness. The hysteria exhibited in the previous comments would lead one to believe that he has turned the fabric of this country inside out in a little over three months.
matt -
5/1/2009
Guys and Gals,
You folks have got to pace yourselves. We have four, and probably eight years to go with President Obama. If you start screaming about destroying the country, secret muslim, America hating, antichrist, socialist/fascist/communist now, what's left for June?
Don't confuse tyranny with the reality: you lost an election. Because you failed at governing the country. That's the way it works. The shrillness and irrationality of many of the commenters above radiate "irresponsible crazy" not, "rational alternative."
Shirley -
4/30/2009
Has everyone fogotten the American Revolution in addition to the Civil War? Our ancestors fought for freedom, government of the people, by the people. Not a dictatorship, which is what we are coming closer to being.
Joe Potts -
4/30/2009
In such a short time the "socialist in chief "has managed to insult the USA while abroad more than the dixie sluts. He has apologized for saving europe from tyranny twice, rebuilding the world economy more than that, and being less racist than any nation in history. True, look it up. We also are the cleanest industrialized nation on the face of the planet. To hear the messianic poser talk the USA is single handedly destroying the planet. Despite the evidence to the contrary. I would never have believed that we would be so stupid as to elect someone as stupid as Carter and more criminal than Clinton. The lemmings have taken over and are running us off the cliff!
Richard -
4/30/2009
For those wanting a President who hates America (much like his spiritual mentor, Jeremiah Wright) and who will always blame America first for the ills of the world (much like his friend, Bill Ayers, and many other academic Marxists), Obama is proving to be an excellent choice. For those who want to penalize producers and reward moochers (again like Ayers and other academic Marxists), Obama is a godsend. For those who want to destroy the American economic system and replace it with Marxism, he's an excellent choice. For those who believe 9/11 was no big deal and there is no such thing as Islamic terrorism, he's a godsend.
For those who love America, believe in rewarding hard work and thrift, and highly value freedom, Obama is proving to be a nightmare.
Diane Senski -
4/29/2009
One word___ DISASTROUS!
The one stupid comment out of many that he made "America is NOT a christian nation!"
Just how does he think this country got started?
He wants it to be a Muslim nation!!
Vernon Clayson -
4/29/2009
Mr. Gibson, the patience you suggest seems out of place, the subject wasn't Obama's promises, prayer, miracles or enduring him as compared to enduring George Bush, it was about his first 100 days. If you believe that Obama will remain as popular for his full term you haven't given the subject thoughtful consideration. We will tire of him sooner than later. I refer you to a quotation by Homer, circa 800 BC, "The best of things, beyond their measure, cloy".
Michael Gibson -
4/29/2009
President Obama never promised a "bed of roses". He made it clear that changes take time--often lots of time.
Anyone who expected miracles to occur in a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years are only dreaming---Obama is not a saviour and never made any claims to be one. All good things are worth waiting for--citizens of this country need to be very patient---things will change. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket and don't expect miracles. Pray and be patient. Afterall we survived several Bush administrations and were very patient and accepting of conditions. Let's do the same with Obama--100 Days is a drop in eternity.
Vernon Clayson -
4/29/2009
Grade him by letter grades if you are so compelled but judging this president will be pass-fail over his term of office, not the first 100 days. He's taken his best shot, so to speak, but the final results are not in, three years and 200 days hence we shall see how how the voters grade him. He would do well to remember that the new wears off, his speeches, like a new song, will not keep our attention for long.
Vernon Clayson -
4/29/2009
Obama has had his first 100 days and we have had our 100 days, his were spent in self-aggrandizement and posturing, aided by the main-stream media, ours were spent in bewilderment, wondering how we were to pay for his profligacy and where he was taking us as a nation. He's used his 100 days traveling to meet and greets with socialist dictators and presidents to tell them he is with them and things will get better and a few trips to one or other of our states to tell them things are going to be worse before they get better. Very many of us have spent his first 100 days of promised change signing for unemployment benefits while looking for work, leaving foreclosed homes and ruining our credit, and watching our retirement plans and funds disappear, all in his radiance. He has spent 100 days marveling at his good fortune, his every whim a command, we've spent that time wondering what terrible combination of circumstances availed him his good fortune.
John D. Beatty -
4/29/2009
A for arrogance
David S. -
4/29/2009
President Obama has greatly expanded the scope of government and tried to enhance our image around the world. Unfortunately, a larger government is not what the times calls for and our image has only changed from firm and bullheaded to one of being weak and malleable. Historians as a whole will though be kind to him as they have to FDR, despite neither deserving it.
Eric -
4/29/2009
Point taken. I was addressing the question "How would you rate Obama's first 100 days" from a more global perspective. That is, without weighing one individual decision or action over another. Sure I have qualms with the auto bailout, the enormity of the stimulus package, waffling on torture prosecutions, etc. But, by "heartstrings" I meant the gut reaction or emotions of the public- the public's consciousness. We are living in very tough times, and maybe the totality of his actions during these first 100 days will ultimately prove harmful, but at this point, the public generally believes otherwise. Thus, an A.
Patrick -
4/29/2009
"On that point alone: give him an A."
I will give him a B- on the point to which you refer: he does seem to have "found the heartstrings of public consciousness" (whatever that means), However, this is not true of "the public" at large. Many on the left and many many more on the right feel that he is making poor decisions and going back on some of the promises he made during the election. It seems that there is no possible way for him to not to raise taxes for the majority of the middle class. That's something we will all feel no matter who has his eye on our "heartstrings." But, it is true that, for the most, of the folks who voted for Obama, he is still viewed as something of a hero.
As for his answer to economic problems, that is, to throw money at it, this will solve nothing in the long run. In fact, we will be worse off than we are now, when he's lost our money in companies that we all know are about to fail. It's mind-boggling, really. He gets a D- for his economic policy.
Moving on to foreign policy and international relations, I give him a solid C. He's certainly more likable than was Bush. However, let's face it, Cuba and Venezuela are totalitarian nations. He should not have accepted anything from Chavez, nor should he have yielded to Cuba. But at least the world doesn't hate us, so, a solid C.
Over all I'll give him a C- thus far, but I agree with the commentator above, this "first 100 days" thing is arbitrary.
Frank Eissing -
4/27/2009
looks like we are getting ready to bury the United States. No money, no jobs, no military, no cars, no fuel,and no common sense.
Walt McElligott -
4/27/2009
Considering what Bush left him with, debt, an unnecessary war in Iraq, economic collapse around the world, & a selfish/greedy GOP, Pres. Obama has done very well, but the results are yet to reach the less than rich not on Wall St. Just the way Boehner would have it.
TJF -
4/27/2009
He has borrowed a lot of money from an insolvent banking system to turn around and loan it back to an insolvent banking system in an effort to fix an economic crisis.
He looks good and gives a great speech, but offers no change at all. He has been and will continue to be a status quo President. I think he may be charismatic enough to pull it off for some time. I think he is sincere and believes what he says, but I find it scary that he seems to believe his own hype and it is as if he thinks he is the smartest man on the planet.
Paul -
4/27/2009
Another Moderate Republican. Like Baby-Bush-Chaney were fossil fuel and giant construction companies, Uncle Toma-Obama-Biden are Wall Street and Big Banks. The Fascism Continues were the opposite of the presentation is truer: there will be no real change.
Eric -
4/27/2009
Thus far Obama seems to have found the heartstrings of public consciousness. If he can continue to successfully steer the unwieldy public opinion barge through rough waters (like his doppelganger Lincoln had), he should be in a good position to advance the administration's agenda. On that point alone: give him an A.
Ernie Spoon -
4/27/2009
Any president's first 100 days in office proves nothing. FDR had an extraordinary first 100 days and, with a Congress nearly 100% backing his agenda, was able to accomplishment much. Ever since then, our stupid, lazy media has measured the performance of every other first-term president by the same standard. Utter nonsense.
I have also observed, in these types of "polls" libertarians, Ayn-Rand cultists and other various half-baked conservatives bemoan the imagined loss of "liberty" and the "return" of a form of late Nineteen Sixties' campus radicalism. Again, utter nonsense.
It should be pointed out that at least one reactionary Republican politician, Minnesota U.S. senatorial race loser Norm Coleman, was something of a long-haired, pot-smoking campus radical during his undergrad days at Hofstra University. It gives one pause to wonder how many of these libertarian/reactionaries now populating the Republican Party were once peace-and-love hippies "back-in-the-day," as the kids say?
Ernie Spoon -
4/27/2009
Any president's first 100 days in office proves nothing. FDR had an extraordinary first 100 days and, with a Congress nearly 100% backing his agenda, was able to accomplishment much. Ever since then, our stupid, lazy media has measured the performance of every other first-term president by the same standard. Utter nonsense.
I have also observed, in these types of "polls" libertarians, Ayn-Rand cultists and other various half-baked conservatives bemoan the imagined loss of "liberty" and the "return" of a form of late Nineteen Sixties' campus radicalism. Again, utter nonsense.
It should be pointed out that at least one reactionary Republican politician, Minnesota U.S. senatorial race loser Norm Coleman, was something of a long-haired, pot-smoking campus radical during his undergrad days at Hofstra University. It gives one pause to wonder how many of these libertarian/reactionaries now populating the Republican Party were once peace-and-love hippies "back-in-the-day," as the kids say?
Shirley -
4/27/2009
For the most part, I can't see much progress.
I don't feel the homosexual agenda to be dire project and it seemed to be the most important to him, and I don't see a lot of improvement in the industries that are getting all our money, (especially the fact that the admin. can't seem to use any control over how our money is being spent)
Mr. Obama needs to spend more time worring about our nation that all the others that he keeps sending our money to.
Thank you
Rob McDonough -
4/27/2009
With the newly elected President came hope for a positive change for me. This feeling, however, has waned and I am left with an image of the Manchurian Candidate in my head. If I were a teacher and I had to grade our President's first 100 days I would give him a D-. Not a complete failure, but close to it. Promises broken and an ego too big to fit in a single room have turned me away from the President and towards a hope for something better in 4 years. As a veteran I am deeply saddened by the state of our nation. I fought for freedom. What I'm getting in return is a 1960's throwback of university campus style socialism. I'm ashamed.
