DU Presidential Approval Poll: One year after Election Day

[FlyingSquirrel]

Just curious. Me, I'm pretty happy overall - Congress, not so much.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. I'm generally pleased,

but to me he seems kind of aloof from some of these issues. I wish he would be a little more proactive and take the lead when Congress seems to be floundering around -- that would make me happier -- but I'm sure he has his reasons for the hands-off approach.

I would not want his job.

[vaberella]

4. I think this article is the best in getting an idea into Obama.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8719750

Secondly, from what I can see Obama is not hands off, we just assume so because he's not parading around everything he does. Take for instance Prop8. Many on DU and others were lambasting him that he wasn't speaking out against it and fighting for Gay rights. Then it comes out a few weeks or months later that Obama, before Presidency, wrote a letter and spoke to several officials to end the madness on Prop8 and that it was infringing on rights. I'm sure it will come out that he'd have done the same in the past gay marriage vote. Then there was his actions in working with the Secretary of State and AG Holdr in working around DOMA and DADT to get some rights in the LGBT community. But that's just there. Then there's the various things he's done in the past, that have been listed before that get ZERO media attention and most don't even know about it. Which would add on to this "hands off" idea.

Third, if Obama was so hands off then we wouldn't have all these bad press releases that the WH did this or that. When it's something bad we're the first people to hear about it. Don't you wonder why that is...that would mean that Obama isn't hands off if we're getting the BAD press on what the White House supposedly said or did. However, when they do something good, rarely is there something good unless it's the WH refuting BS lies from secret sources. Most would say that he's most definitely not hands off. I sincerely think he's not, but we're getting lots of others saying he is.

Lastly, he does townhalls regularly. He knows what the best way is to get Congress to make a move on anything. It's not armtwisting from the White House, because the WH is not the constituency. The WH is part of the system. You get the people to make moves. Why? Because if you take note of every single Repub talking head, they always say my constituency or the demographics in my state say this or that. Then the best way is to get their demographics to tell them. He can push all he wants but he can't force those people to do anything. Only we can do that by threatening to not vote or fund their elections and definitely the media to air out some dirty laundry.

Many people are putting a lot on Obama when we bare some responsibility on this and/or just not looking at everything that's been going on. These are just a few of the things that I'm picking up on.

[Onlooker]

2. He's a good man, but not a leader

He's not doing a good job on health care, Guantanamo, Afghanistan, Don't Ask/Don't Tell, regulatory reform, protecting those who face foreclosures, or educating Americans about the flaws in conservative reasoning. He's a good man, but so far his leadership skills seem to be limited to campaigning. But, I'm holding him to a far higher standard than many here at DU. I measure a president by his successes, and so far Obama been only a little better than average.

[FrenchieCat]

3. What have the "good" Presidents achieved in their first 10 months

that Obama hasn't?

[vaberella]

6. Better question, what leader has achieved more in the last 10 months of Presidency?!

People want a panacea, they don't realize the world doesn't work like that and Obama is not Absolute Emperor.

[Onlooker]

7. Thanks for asking.

http://clinton5.nara.gov/WH/Accomplishments/eightyears-02.html

January 22 Abolished Restrictions on Medical Research and the Right to Choose
February 5 Family and Medical Leave Act
March 3 "Reinventing Government" Initiative Launched
April 1 Childhood Immunizations
May 20 Motor Voter Registration Signed
September 21 AmeriCorps Community Service Initiative Enacted

Kennedy dealt with the Cuban Missile crisis, initiated the Peace Corps, and I believe got the space program underway. He probably did other things, but it's hard to find a detailed timeline.

Obama's not doing terribly, but he's certainly not what most true liberals and progressives have hoped, especially his failure to get the party behind him, educate the public about the dangers of conservativism, and address the needs of Main Street rather than Wall Street. He's better than Carter, and Truman, but he certainly has to do a lot better to be one of the great Democratic leaders.

[FrenchieCat]

8. I'm sorry, is that Clinton list supposed to impress me?

Obama's list:

Appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East peace

Order the closing of Guantanamo Bay

Prohibit use of torture

Orders Secret Prisons and Detention Camps Closed

Sets Bold New Principles for U.S. Energy, Climate Policies

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

Omnibus Public Lands Management Act

Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Act of 2009

Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 or FERA (PDF)

Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009

Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 (Kerry-Lugar includes funding for Obama's global poverty initiative)

Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009

End of 22-Year Discriminatory Travel Ban

Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act

Stopping Conflict-related Sexual Violence Against Women and Children

The UN, Women & Girls

New policy steps towards Cuba

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia

Strategy to address the international nuclear threat

For the Media: "30+ Reasons Obama deserves the Nobel Peace Prize"

Russia on Nobel Peace Prize: Obama thawing 'second cold war'

World Reaction to Obama Winning the Nobel

Turkey, Armenia sign historic accord

Why the Stimulus Worked

Green jobs for real people: The story behind the recovery numbers

Obama's Plan: Financial Regulatory Reform: A New Foundation (PDF)


Requiring Strong Supervision And Appropriate Regulation Of All Financial Firms (pdf)


Strengthening Regulation Of Core Markets And Market Infrastructure (pdf)


Strengthening Consumer Protection (pdf)


Providing The Government With Tools To Effectively Manage Failing Institutions (pdf)


Improving International Regulatory Standards And Cooperation (pdf)


House Panel Moves Derivatives Toward Obama’s Proposal

FACTBOX: Major U.S. financial regulation reform proposals

Obama says Senate bill on tax havens would stop abuses

Statement by President Barack Obama on House and Senate Introducing Legislation to Crack Down on Overseas Tax Havens

Obama to chair historic U.N. council nuclear meeting

G20 to Become Forum for Global Economic Cooperation

Next comes Obama's budget, health care reform and more.


Each item above is linked as documented at the below link:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8730317&mesg_id=8730317


Of course, I'm not counting the pirate incident.

[angee_is_mad]

10. Tell them Frenchie!!!!!

Set the record straight.
By some of these posts, it makes you wonder if some PUMAs are coming back on here.

[Arugula Latte]

13. Clinton spent a lot of time pushing Nafta early in his term.

Thanks a lot for that, Bill.

[grantcart]

15. Lol you would compare Kennedy's disasterous start to Obama's

Now what was the first thing that Kennedy did as President.


Oh yeah 3 months into his Presidency he gave a green light to invade Cuba in what is generally considered one of the worst Presidential decisions by any President in the 20th Century.


Yes he did pull it out in the Cuban Missle Crises, but there is broad unanimity that the Cuban missle crises would not have occurred had Kennedy not agreed to the Bay of Pigs invasion.


Not only did the Bay of Pigs lead to the Cuban Missle Crises but Kennedy then took a much more defensive line against the Soviet Union and significantly increased the rhetoric and heat of the cold war - including making the test ban treaty less likely:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Khrushchev
The failure in Cuba led to Kennedy's determination to make no concessions at the Vienna summit scheduled for June 3, 1961. Both Kennedy and Khrushchev took a hard line, with Khrushchev demanding a treaty that would recognize the two German states and refusing to yield on the remaining issues obstructing a test-ban treaty

This exaggeration of other Democratic President achievements and the diminishing of President Obama's significant record is not based in fact. Kennedy significantly increased the cold war with Russia in his first 12 months and President Obama ended a second cold war that Bush/Cheney had started with Russia.

So he's better than Carter, Truman and Kennedy, alot better in the first year.

What about my favorite President, Roosevelt.

Well Roosevelt decided to have no public meetings with President Hoover and calm down people in the middle of the stock market panic. Unfortunately at that time the President wasn't innaugurated until March so the additional time of uncertainty and wild speculation that Roosevelt created by not appearing in public (and Hoover was willing to meet under virtually any condition) is considered by even Roosevelts' strongest supporters to have been a completely unnecessary and tragic begining that sharply increased unemployment and increased the severity of the depression significantly. President Obama on the other hand provided a seamless transition and as a result the stock market has recovered 50% of the plunge from last year. Again Roosevelt was a great President (who also made some of the worst mistakes, i.e. imprisoning Americans in concentration camps) but his initial start was terribly mishandled.


Now do you want to try again?


Exactly which President do you think has outperformed President Obama with actual accomplishments in the first year since his election?


Name one.

[Onlooker]

20. People losing their homes is far worse than the Bay of Pigs

especially while at the same time we gave hundreds of billions that did nothing but help big investors and huge banks.

Also, under Roosevelt, Keysian economics was new and he was slow to embrace it, but he did and proceeded to set in place what was in many ways our most progressive government (relative to the times) in modern history.

Comparing Obama to either of those great men at this point is delusional, unless you think it's better to give billions to Wall Street while thousands lose their homes. But maybe you're an Obamacon who likes how much he's helped Goldman Sax, CitiBank, and the others.

[impik]

12. A-F*****-MAN

Other than FDR, i don't remember any president who has done so much on so many areas. If he'll finish his first year having pass health care reform, restoring America's name in the world, preventing a terrible economic catastrophe and starting the quiet withdraw from Iraq - His critics will look quite ridiculous.


He's a terrific president. The ate from the left has nothing to do with reality and it comes from people who mostly voted for someone else in the primaries. The only disappointment i can understand and agree with, us the gays issue. DADT should have been gone by now, but i give Obama credit that it's only strategic delay. But other than that? He is a wonderful president.

[grantcart]

18. FDR became a great President

but his begining was not so great if you consider what he did between election and his inauguration in March.


He refused to have any public meetings with Hoover and the increased speculation dispair made the depression much much worse than it needed to have been.


Obama provided a seamless transition and was able to significantly restore general economic confidence much faster than Roosevelt.

[Onlooker]

19. Interesting that you support the corporate bailout ...

... and don't mind how little Obama has done for those who are losing their homes to foreclosure. Obama has done an average job, but has yet to deliver on almost any of his promises, except those perhaps he made to Wall Street.

[vaberella]

5. You sound like a paid for and approved advertising from the McCain campaign. n/t

[Zavulon]

16. I could have written this post.

I know any complaint will result in a lot of people accusing you of "wanting everything now," but the waffling on the public option and failure to get Democrats to unite behind something better than the piece-of-shit bill currently being debated is a problem. His (in)action regarding Gitmo and Afghanistan are making him look even worse.

[KansasVoter]

9. Wow, this place is as biased as the Bush Supporters were. No one can really justify 95%!!!

[FrenchieCat]

11. No it isn't...because unlike with Bush supporters, you'll notice that

not everyone voted 100%.

And Obama ain't Bush, so comparing the votes here to that of what Bush supporters might do
is really a low blow. Means you don't really like it here, I guess.

[HamdenRice]

14. If you understand how politics work, that president is not an elected king, 95% is about right

[Flying Dream Blues]

22. Agree! nt

[branders seine]

17. so far, not so good

he could still start leading I suppose, but his passionate, fluid-swapping love affair with Goldman Sachs makes me wonder in which direction he would lead...

[BlueIdaho]

21. Turning the ship of state takes a tremendous amount of energy

So much inertia to overcome...

[Odin2005]

23. 85%