How much change did you expect?

[kentuck]

[xultar]

1. Maybe what Obama did was change considering he tried working with the repubs

Because it was a change from the last president...you know having a president attempt to work with the opposition.

Change is different, there is no guarantee that we will like it...

[el_bryanto]

2. Obama, once you got past the admittadly significant racial significance, always seemed like

Clinton II. And when Rahm E. was installed, I was sure.

Bryant

[Greyhound]

10. I had hope from November until January. Appointing that low-life thief was

hanging the "Open for Business" sign on the White House.

[doc03]

3. I am 62 and have been around long enough to realise change

comes very slow for Democrats. All Democrats can rarely agree on anything. Republicans keep issues simple and vote as a group. They have two simple core beliefs cut taxes on rich, and oppose any spending that doesn't benefit the rich.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. From a centrist professional politician in a rigged system? Politics-as--usual.

The slogans about "hope" and "change" were catchy though.

[uncommon]

5. I didn't expect anything faster than what we've seen.

I think the President is doing as good a job as anyone could reasonably expect under our system.

[Brickbat]

6. I hoped for benign neglect of my interests -- like in the Clinton years -- and have instead gotten

active destruction.

[Hosnon]

7. I tend to agree with those who remind us that he ran as a pragmatist.

Which is one of his best qualities in my opinion. However, pragmatists can be taken advantage of if they're not constantly vigilant. And I think President Obama is a people-pleaser which ups that risk.

But the liberal within me who still clings to idealism hoped he would be a bit more aggressive...

[Greyhound]

8. I expected what we got, new drapes and pictures on the walls.

And the looting continues unabated...

[Change Happens]

9. Happy with the change.....nt

[dennis4868]

11. In 19 months....

i did not expect this much change....it's incredible how much change we got from Obama in just 19 months in the WH!

[Ohio Joe]

12. Other

Honestly, I was not sure how much change to expect. I do know that I've not as much as I wanted.

[CrispyQ]

13. I voted for the status quo.

Much as I bitch about Obama, he's doing pretty much what I expected. He's not changed direction, he's simply slowed down the sprint to the quickly approaching cliff. We're still going over, it's just going to take a few seconds more to get there.

[blindpig]

14. Quite frankly, I'm amazed.

I knew well what we were getting, a rather conservative, very business friendly administration. What amazes me is the lack of basic politics, ie, of at least providing a bit of the substance that was implied or promised during the campaign. Crapping so forthrightly upon one's base is a rather unorthodox method of building and maintaining support, I don't know how that's supposed to work, mebbe that's the change we heard about.

[lutefisk]

25. Me too.

I'm more than amazed. I'm disgusted.

Good to know that no U.S. administration will be investigated for war crimes. That would be so messed up.

And public education- who the hell thought that one up? Come on Arne, let's kill that idea and monetize the whole system for profit. That's change!

[Tesha]

15. I expected at least $0.75 worth; I got a nickel's worth, tops. :-( (NT)

[damntexdem]

16. About 72 cents.

;-)

Actually, I expected dramatic change from the Bushista policies, but that the recovery from them would be slow.

[Monique1]

18. Change is slow

very very slow. People want change but do not like change. I remember when I was a manager - there was a change that would improve my department and receive national accreditation, staff did not want the change. They wanted accreditation without change. They fought every change, caused turmoil with the administration, talked lies, created problems within different areas. They did try to cause chaos and sometimes they did but I was also aware of this. Then they tried to take me down- I kept going, received accreditation and than after the main changes were completed, I retired. This brought on another more progressive manager where the staff either got sick and left or retired also. I returned to the position 5 yrs later upon request from administration as a sub for three months ------ the department was what I wanted 5 yrs ago. It took five years but the change was there and it changed more.

The sad thing though.......... all that work and a negative group destroyed the entire department. Actually neither group won, it was those the department was serving lost.

Negativity does cause a lot of damage, we must fight for positive thinking or we will self destruct.

[Winterblues]

17. Some Change came quickly, such as Student Loans no longer by banks.

but direct from the Government with some forgiveness built into them.. Other more important change apparently will not come at all. I am talking about the part of ratified treaties that require investigation and prosecution of "War Crimes" including Torture. The Supreme Law of the Land Requires we address those issues and yet that Change will never come about with the current Administration.

[Monique1]

19. I might add

to my earlier comments - it was not the staff that destroyed the department but was done by another department who wanted to dominate. That happened after I returned after 5 yrs. --- I saw it coming when I returned but by then there was nothing I could do. The negative group already created so much turmoil that it was beyond repair.


Is this happening to our country?

[Rochester]

20. I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of change

that has taken place so far. The cynic in me thought that there would be almost no improvements. Of course I still want to see a lot more change.

[proteus_lives]

21. Real change doesn't happen quickly.

I know we live in a tweeter, internet, on-demand, fast-food culture but you gonna give Obama more then 18 months to work on thin.

[paulk]

22. I thought it was just another empty campaign slogan

that could be interpreted differently by everyone - like all the rest of his empty campaign slogans.

What I "hoped" (another slogan!) for was something else -

GW Bush stole the 2000 election (and quite possibly the 2004 one) and, without a mandate, immediately set about dismantling the accomplishments of the Clinton administration. I had hoped, at the very least, Obama, with a mandate, would do the same for the eight years of the illegitimate administration that preceded him. Instead he has accepted those years as a fait accompli.

[Blue_In_AK]

23. I hoped for more,

but I expected about what we got. I kind of assumed all along that Obama's promises were too good to be true.

[old mark]

24. We have had some change, but not as much as we needed, and much of the

good was watered down by Democrats, which disappoints me.
The whole "bipartisan" thing is just foolish.

ADDED: I really wanted a Democrat to win, and I'm still not sure about that.


mark

[Better Believe It]

26. "I understood the makeup of Congress and knew change would be difficult." ??? !!!

Right.

What else could one expect with a substantial Democratic majority in control of the House and Senate and a Democratic President?

[LiberalAndProud]

27. Speaking for myself ...

Ben Nelson is one of the leading, most obstinate of obstructionists. I am familiar with him to the point of nausea. I hold him personally responsible for the watered-down nature of legislation and for voting with the other party on *so* many important issues. Time and Time and Time again. Those who would blame Obama should really educate themselves.

[Fumesucker]

28. Obama's FISA and telco immunity vote let me know what to expect..

I was certainly _hoping_ for more, but I was expecting pretty much what we got.

A resounding Meh..

[Swamp Rat]

29. More change, please...

and less republicans in office.

[bobbolink]

30. I didn't expect positive change in poverty.... but what I didn't expect was CUTS to food stamps, cut

in Medicaid, purge of disability, and other NEGATIVE changes, mostly hidden.

We were told we would all have to "sacrifice".... how "progressive" that the sacrifice ccmes mostly to those already suffering the most.

[maryf]

32. amen nt.

[county worker]

31. The repubs get in power and immediately go to work putting their agenda

in place. They do it so well Dems are afraid of going against it. The patriot act, the Iraq war and the tax cuts and the Medicare prescription drug thing all had Dem backing. The things that hurt us the most we also support. The deficit is as much a fault of Dems as it is the repubs.

Yet we have the White House and both Houses of Congress and for some unknown reason to expect quick change on our part is ridiculed!

We are not as good at governing when it comes to putting our agenda in place as the right is. We out number them and are as strong as they but we are chicken shit when it comes to change!

I really don't understand the go slow bunch on this board. You folks have this chance and no other. We have the controls why are we afraid to use them. And please don't talk about the watered down bills we passed as if they were what most of us thought we were going to get!

[maryf]

33. not much of any substance...

A smooth voice, and empty rhetoric can hypnotize many, and, like magic, make them hear something they want to hear, when the opposite is being said.

The people pay, the impoverished the most.