survey results

Everyone I know is busy these days. I want to thank everyone who took time to answer the survey question. The results don't surprise me at all, and I doubt if they will surprise anyone else. What I didn't get was an unbridled enthusiastic 10 from anyone.

Here was the question -

I am sending this to people I know --- or am pretty certain --- voted for Obama, as I did. When a reasonable time has gone by, I'll compose the answers I receive into a posting for Birches.

I plan to use your first name unless you want something else. You can remain anonymous if you want. Just let me know.

As of July 20, President Obama will have completed 1/2 year in office. Looking at his Presidency so far, would you say he has done as well as you had expected, or less well than you had expected? Have you been disappointed in his efforts at all?

[If it helps, you could use a scale like 0 - 10, with 10 being great and 0 being terrible.]

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Here were the answers -

MARSHA: To me the question isn’t how well he’s done. He has clearly stubbed his toe a few times, but overall he’s done great and represented us in a way that is finally not a global embarrassment. What is disappointing—though not unexpected—is the unrelenting partisanship, sniping, recalcitrance etc. of all this politics as usual in Washington. It sickens me.

TRASE: I'll say an 8.

ANON: I expected more change and more courage. In foreign affairs he's great. It seems to me he has backed down on a lot of things like closing Guantanamo and a good health plan. It remains to be seen if he'll be the man I thought I voted for.

SCOT: I would give him a 7.

Obviously, I think he's a huge improvement over the Bushies. But I think he's taken on too many projects at once. I also think he has been somewhat less enlightened than he had promised to be. After talking a good game about transparency and openness, he has actually continued some of the Bush Administration's secrecy policies, and his Justice Department is following through on a number of lawsuits which the Bushies started which take very right-wing stances on executive power. His Administration has mused about holding some of the Guantanamo detainees indefinitely, even if they are tried in tribunals and found not guilty.

I don't think the financial crisis was his doing, and I don't think the current unemployment crisis is his fault. But it soon will be, and I don't think the stimulus he pushed and signed into law was well-built. Now, I think the health care bill looks like it will fail to make real reforms because it was rushed into the agenda.

BOB: "As well as expected"? I'm not sure what that means to me. I didn't expect any miracles in 6 months so I'm not disappointed in his "performance" at this point. However, I do think he's not taking advantage of a historic moment that doesn't come along very often - and doesn't last long. People like Paul Krugman thought Obama was too cautious in February in failing to ask for a sufficiently large stimulus spending plan when he had overwhelming public support. Now he's probably going to come back to Congress for more money but without the momentum he had in the winter. I also fear that he'll take a similarly cautious/pragmatic course on health care reform and miss a real opportunity to make a fundamental change in the system.

Disappointed? His continuation/defense of many of the Bush "executive prerogative" positions really pisses me off.

SANDY; I would give him an 8 out of 10, because we finally have an intelligent, well-spoken president who is capable of earning the respect of other world leaders. I believed him when he said there was no easy fix to the problems we face as a nation, and I believe we are heading in the right direction. It bothers me a bit that he is so hard on the auto makers, after the bailout of the financial big whigs with no strings attached, while the little guys in the union are the ones making all the concessions (or so it seems from my viewpoint). I still believe (after 6 months) that he is the best chance we have to address some of the serious issues facing our nation today.

JERRY: I’m no longer excited about what he promised and what he is proposing. My anticipation has worn thin as I have seen few results.

The promises are still rolling out of Washington for more “change.” I’m still waiting to see my IRA and 403B make a change upward. I’m becoming a little fearful of his unbridled spending proposals, seeing few if any results yet.

I don’t have a good feeling about the public’s 60% ownership of GM as I don’t believe government is an efficient manager of any program due to lack of oversight, innovation and possible abuse. I’m fearful that it will become another plum ripe for abuse by some of the powers in charge.

Unemployment remains at an all time high with little hope of a short term turn-around in Michigan. Housing sales have yet to pick up and more “For Rent” signs seem to appear daily as people leave our area for jobs elsewhere.

On the ongoing world military engagements, I see the “changes” as merely a shift from one country to another.

Money being spent on homeland defense seems to be a joke. Reports of tests of bypassing government building safeguards with bomb making supplies last week show how little has been accomplished by the spending on the program. On a positive note, I dutifully went out and spent my $250 stimulus money. With interest rates remaining at such a measly amount, why let it sit in an account and shrink in value?

As I read back over what I have just written, I think I have become more cynical trying to think of anything positive to say. (Maybe it’s also the cold weather that’s depressing me.)

I’ll give him an 8/10 for trying and a 2/10 for any positive changes I have seen. (Now I’m more depressed)

PAT C: I'd give him a 10 for his Supreme Court nominee. His vetting of

appointments in the beginning @ 4-5; attempting to work with both sides

of the aisle: another 10. Dealing with Wall Street & GM @ 5 ( the

scoundrels are still leaving with millions). His attempt at civil

discourse with other nations 10, his dedication to finding a health

care solution 10. I'd rather have him at the helm any time. I give him

another 10 for the way his family handles being in the White House and

their genuine affection for one another which is very visible. Pat

PAM: I would give him at 8 out of 10. I have been very pleased with his policy statements and what he is trying to accomplish. He can't do things alone, but the leadership he provides is such a breath of fresh air. I'm proud to have voted for him. So many people have wanted our country to stand for something good and Obama has set us in the right direction for that with foreign policy and domestic. We need nationalized health care so much. I just hope the insurance companies can be kept away from leadership positions in whatever is decided.

BUD: Like most of you, I would give him an 8, also. That's like a "B" in teacher terms. In handling the economy, I'm still reluctant to score him well. In dealing with other countries and reasserting a positive American image, I think he's done very well. Like Pam, I'm glad I voted for him, and it's wonderful to have someone to look at on the news everyday who I essentially trust and I believe will do well. I wish he was more liberal than he's turning out to be. I absolutely dislike, although I was willing to accept, the bailouts of financial institutions and the automakers. Like Bob, I hate every sign from him that looks or sounds like Bush.

I do know that the Congress is in terrible shape. This makes it hard to work toward a real set of changes. None of that mess is his fault.