The most important thing we now know about Barack Obama, after nearly 100 days in office, is that he means to confront that way of life directly and profoundly, to exchange sand for rock if he can. Whether you agree with him or not — whether you think he is too ambitious or just plain wrong — his is as serious and challenging a presidency as we have had in quite some time.Also take a look at this wonderful photo essay by Callie Shell documenting the man's historic first three months in office.
His pledge to take on both the immediate (the financial crisis and economic recession) and the apparently intractable (healthcare, Cuba, immigration, the environment) even as he ramps down one war, escalates another and raises taxes on the rich, is epoch-defining in its ambition.
So far it seems to be popular. When Obama took the presidential oath, 78% thought the country was heading in the wrong direction; today that is down to 48%. His approval ratings are around 65% - only Reagan was in better shape at this stage (and even that was within the margin of error).
But this popularity is precarious. People like Obama far more than they like his policies. And even though they think the country is moving in the right direction, polls show this to be one of those rare periods where those same people remain unsatisfied with their lives. In other words, people are suffering and are optimistic at the same time. And the reason for their optimism is Obama himself. In a reprise of the spirit that distinguished his primary and presidential campaign, people have embraced who he is as a portent of what he might do.
2 comments:
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I would certainly count myself among those who believe the country is certainly on a better track in these first 100 days than before.
However, I think that some, like Joe Klein, are reading a little too much into what Obama wants to and can do.
I have been profoundly disappointed by Obama, but not altogether surprised, in his economic policies, particularly in the stimulus plan.
Of the $790 billion that was signed, over 50% were for projects which could not begin within a year. Therefore, about $395 billion of spending was added to a bill deemed an "emergency" measure which could easily have waited to go through the regular and (relatively) transparent budgetary process. Instead, they were put into this plan which was rushed through congress with little oversight.
I take a term from the Economist for what Obama has done: "subcontracting" his budget and stimulus package to congress.
While no party should be trusted with a super majority in Congress, which is what the Democrats will probably have in the next couple months, I believe subcontracting this and any future economic legislation to a Democtratic congress is especially dangerous at a time like this.
Yes, President Obama arrived in office with a record deficit (only one measure of how far Republicans strayed from their traditional beliefs). However, if he does cut the deficit in half within four years, which is what his quite optimistic budget claims, the US will still have a larger deficit than what we had under Bush or Reagan in terms of size and percentage of GDP.
I forget who wrote it, probably someone with questionable motives liek David Brooks or Andrew Sullivan, but I repeat that George Bush made me question whether I was a conservative. Thanks to Barack Obama, I no longer wonder.
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