Well I'm English so he hasn't effected me.

However, I do like the fact he has tried to push universal healthcare for America, it's something that's been a long time coming. People can't exactly accuse him of asking where the change is any more because slowly it's happening. I think he will also make things more efficient domestically once the recession is in the past, which isn't hard to do after Bush.

His major tarnish is the promises he hasn't kept about the war on terror. He said he wanted to withdraw soldiers out of Iraq and Afghanistan, but that hasn't happened. He also said he wanted to close Guantanamo bay, he announced it on his first day; But he has back peddled since then.

hey he was in Ottawa which kept me from getting around because of security issues so F

He's started a lot of things. He needs to finish them before I feel comfortable grading him.

I wish he didn't, but that's not the case.

OT: I still think the economy is his biggest problem. He appointed many of the characters which were responsible for the crisis, and he's not doing any fundamental changes to solve the problems. In fact many government agencies are now doing horrible loans with almost no downpayment and little assurance of credit worthiness (look up recent articles about FHA).

It's not just Obama's fault, though... it seems the US government as a whole is catering far too much to the bankers, with few or none of the promised benefits of increased lending, decreasing foreclosures etc. (not that those promises were realistic in the first place).

I doubt that he is already passed the "give time" stage. It has been... what, a year now? Probably a little less. What i have seen from past cabinets (who also take 4 years a cycle if they don't fall) is that the first two years are set-ups of things to finish in the last two years.

And then still you can only judge a politician past their term as a ruler because in hindsight everything changes and how they leave the country for their succesor should also be taken into account.

In any case, Obama has fixed one major issue that still gives him my support and which apparantly goes unnoticed in America - he has reinstigated the faith the whole world has in America back to the level it was during the Clinton years. Both Russia and China are once again warming up to the ol' US of A and really in the long term this might be worth even more then a $4000 cut in a student loan or a revised healthcare.

He's changed a few minor laws. But kept the Bush path the same way.

So far if Bush gets a D. Obama gets a C-.

Though if healthcare passes he may end up at Bush level.

This healthcare plan was one the America Medical Association was against until they were bribed... outright by congress promising to rollback cuts in medicare payments.

The plan is worse then both a real universal plan and the status quo and will do nothing but drive up insurance costs and fine the poorer middle class who don't qualify for medicare but can't afford insurance...

For a comparison though of the Presidents I remember well enough.

Bush: B (Raised in retrospect at the time didn't understand why we beat the Saddam in a week... yet left him in power.)

Clinton: B+ (Did a good job, maintained the status quo, mostly a president of his time though as a lot of the economic growth was technologically based. Fought some wars he shouldn't have... but he kept it mostly out of the news and mostly just bombed people.

Bush: D (He wasn't the worst president. If he was president during WW2 or something he'd been a great president. However he had a bunch of war time stuff during a time where there was no "big" war. Invaded Iraq for no reason, and nobody had a plan for a workable afghanistan other then get the terrorists.

Obama: C- (Fixed some things bush broke or that just never had been fixed yet... but it's like fixing the grammar on a poorly written research paper. It's not addressing the big problems. The stimulus spending is worse under bush, but probably follows what the bush plan would of been. Healthcare is looking like it's going to be a DISASTER... however gotta wait to see if it passes.

hmmmm id give him a 8 for geography
7 for english
6 for Middle-eastern langauges
7 for home economy

Wait, has Obama done anything? Can we grade him on inaction?

rocketpig said: Wait, has Obama done anything? Can we grade him on inaction?

He changed some really minor laws... something involving... I want to say womens rights. 

Increased stem cell funding.

Increased SCHIP (healthcare for children)

Made a speach where he defended the Islamic headveil (negative)

I think... is ahead of the Bush plan to pull troops out of Iraq by about 20K.

 

Though as for grading people on inaction... people had no problem doing it with Hoover or James Buchanon.