A reflection on Obama: 2 years later
I remember back in 2008 when he was a young, bright-eyed senator who thought he could change the world.
What happened?
Many of my friends often ask me what I feel being an African-american male and having Obama in the office. While my own views on race quite often differ from that of the norm, I have to say that I do associate more with Obama than any other president past. This may or may not have to do with a racial correlation; I think it is more of his attitude. Obama has a cool and collected way about him. He often thinks things through before talking about them, and seems to be highly reflective and well-thought out. Rather or not you agree with his politics, he does take the time to think about what he is going to say / do before he does it. And if you know me, that is generally how I am. Over the past two years we have gotten a taste of how Obama views politics, how he works, and what his White house does to get the job done. Was all that "Hopey, Changey stuff" stuff, as Palin described, actually just fluff? Where were we two years ago... and where we are now with Obama? Has Obama been an effective president?
First off, Obama's White House:
It seems his White house has yet to take a page from the president himself. The White House as a whole have made a number of gaffs (such as the Shirly Sherrod incident) which has made the American public often question if there are adults in the government or just adult-sized children. It seems that Obama's press office, no matter how much it criticizes the media, is also highly responsive to every little attack made on them or the president. For someone like me, this is just maddening. I understand the need to defend the president, but when someone says "HES A MUSLIM" (whatever that may imply) and the White House lashes out at the comment, they are only giving legitimacy to the commentators who make such claims. The reason such things make news headlines is that they get ratings, because they are so outlandish. When the White House adds fuel to the media's often misguided firestorm, it rarely comes out being for the better for them. But it is a ratings producer.
In the 24-hour media cycle, news organizations like CNN have to talk about something to keep people watching. I remember sitting one day at my job over the summer, and watching CNN "report" on rather or not Obama was a Muslim for like 2 hours. Now, im sure people may be talking about these things at their own kitchen tables, but I don't see the BBC reporting news like this. There are more pressing issues in the country that should be focused on, and when some mute point like this is often addressed, a lot of bigger issues are not being talked about. The White house has to learn to sometimes not fight the media, that its rambling is apart of its structure (or that it is misguided sometimes to "report" for ratings sake) to gracefully pick its battles, and stay above the fray.
This is only part of the communication problem the White House has though.
Secondly, Policy:
One thing you can say about the Obama administration is that they can pass legislation. Rather or not they can communicate with the American public what that legislation does is another issue.
The Obama administration has a serious problem when it comes to telling the American public exactly what it is doing. Part of that is due to the complexity of the problems facing America right now. But largely, it is what I think a trust issue. The Administrations harshest critics can easily paint them as "the other", not in touch, etc. and the administration has a hard time defending against that. The same administration that fights back against petty attacks made by critics is also the one that has a problem gaining the trust of Americans. This partly has to do with the last administration and how they outright lied about policy and intentions, deepening America's distrust in government. The Obama administration has yet to find a way to gain the people's trust and to not just tell them, but let them know, that they are on their side. This is a shame, because I believe a lot of the policies the administration has passed will ultimately benefit the American populous. What you sell and how you sell it are two different things, however. And more than often on policy issues, the administration has allowed the other side to define the argument and the rules of the argument, and then try to argue from their point of view. It's like fighting a rigged boxing match.
The Obama administration has passed a series of sweeping legislative bills; from health care to the financial reform package, and a lot of good things have been done. I know that is a highly debatable point, but to be completely honest, I think it is one more of politics than actual facts. When asked, Americans like the individual aspects of the health care bill, but for some reason they don't like the bill as a whole. I am inclined to believe this is more of a perception issue; individuals may like it less because they perceive it to be "big government" or "obama-care". While the health care bill did not go far enough to change the overall health care structure, it did make significant gains. I think over the next 4-5 years the American public will come to see how much has changed in regards to this, and will actually come to like it better.
The Economic Stimulus package, although technically passed by Bush, has also been a more or less win. The economy as a whole is still far from "recovered" but I do believe that we barely avoided complete economic meltdown, and this in part was due to the stimulus package. Buying out the Banks and Car companies was a highly risky and contentious issue -- one that I did not agree with, but in retrospect I can see what the administration was driving at. Although what the banks did to get their selves in that situation and having the US government bail them out was a huge "no-no" to the average american citizen, it had to be done. It was more or less a necessary evil, because without it we all would have been worst off. All of the banks and most of the car companies have paid us back in full--- with interest, which is a win for the American public. Having them not go under is also another win, although most people don't see it that way. We often don't focus on "how bad it could have been" but more on "how bad it is now". I argue that even though bailing out the banks and car companies was a hard short term decision, one I might not have even made, it could have been a lot worst if we did not. It is hard to see it in that way.
There are a lot of building projects that have taken place because of the stimulus package as well. Where the package has failed is in the job numbers. We are still well beyond 9% unemployment. Although I personally am unaware of what could change the job rate, it is a burden the administration bears and they will be the ones to take the blame, regardless.
Third, but not least, the man:
Oh Obama. You came into office Jesus like. There was only one direction to go...
It's the economy. Obama came in on a huge high, so it's no surprise that his numbers have dropped. What is, or might be to some, is that his numbers have stayed down no matter what he has passed. I honestly believe this has less to do with policy matters, but a connection issue--- i.e. "what will x bill do for me" (me being the American citizen), and of course, THE ECONOMY. Until the economy turns around for every day Americans, most people will continue to view him and the white house in a negative light. This is where the White House is failing. History is on their side however. I will make a post about that at a later date. But right now, Obama is failing the American society when it comes to individual employment.
If you look at what Obama promised on the campaign trail and what he is doing, he is actually living up to what the American people voted for. Politifact follows this pretty well: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/ :
Tracking Obama’s promises
121 - Promise Kept
39 - Compromise
22 - Promise Broken
81 - Stalled
240 - In the Works
3 - Not yet rate
This may come as a surprise to most Americans, who think he is doing a bad job. I cannot argue enough about how this is largely just our perception of things, and not things as they are. When it comes to legislation and campaign promises, Obama has largely lived up to what he said he would do. This is quite shocking to be honest, as for most politicians say what they need to say to get elected and then do whatever.
I will commend Obama on this. He does stand on his principals a lot more than other politicians.
With regard to public speaking as President, Obama communicates fairly well. What most people miss the most is the passion and intensity Obama had in the '08 Election season. When he speaks now, it is more of a drone, "professorial" as the news calls it. He has yet to be able to translate his passion for people in his current political office. Unlike Clinton he isn't crying on camera, and unlike Bush he isn't yelling into a speaker phone as a rallying cry. There is a passion that Americans have come to expect from their presidents, a passion for what America stands for, and a passion that the president is so engulfed by that he can barely contain himself. If you read his writings, this passion comes out quite well. It is just, when he is front of the camera as the president of the united States of America, it is highly under raps.
And to be completely honest, im ok with that most of the time. I think that is just him. He is the cool, collected, no-drama type of person. Although he feels and experiences things very deeply, he does not emote them as much as we would expect a person would all of the time. Once America falls out of love with the idea of "Jesus Obama" will they see Obama as just another guy. Then we can learn to accept him as the person he is. I think thats another huge issue; the fact that we voted for "change", and that it hasn't happened over night. I'm not sure why people were expecting this guy to take office, wave a magic wand, and fix everything. Its not how the world works.
Two years later, I can say that I am not really surprised either way. There is this one part, from his election speech, that stuck with me that explains why I still think Obama is a fairly decent president,
"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/04/obama-victory-speech_n_141194.html)
He is optimistic, but highly realistic. That's the thing I value the most. It is one thing to have the desire to change the world, and it is another to actually have the ability to not get lost in your desire, but to let it fuel a sense of pragmatism I think America has lost. I think we get too lost in ideologies and -isms and forget that we are dealing with people's lives. As long as Obama has this, I think he will do well.
What happened?
Many of my friends often ask me what I feel being an African-american male and having Obama in the office. While my own views on race quite often differ from that of the norm, I have to say that I do associate more with Obama than any other president past. This may or may not have to do with a racial correlation; I think it is more of his attitude. Obama has a cool and collected way about him. He often thinks things through before talking about them, and seems to be highly reflective and well-thought out. Rather or not you agree with his politics, he does take the time to think about what he is going to say / do before he does it. And if you know me, that is generally how I am. Over the past two years we have gotten a taste of how Obama views politics, how he works, and what his White house does to get the job done. Was all that "Hopey, Changey stuff" stuff, as Palin described, actually just fluff? Where were we two years ago... and where we are now with Obama? Has Obama been an effective president?
First off, Obama's White House:
It seems his White house has yet to take a page from the president himself. The White House as a whole have made a number of gaffs (such as the Shirly Sherrod incident) which has made the American public often question if there are adults in the government or just adult-sized children. It seems that Obama's press office, no matter how much it criticizes the media, is also highly responsive to every little attack made on them or the president. For someone like me, this is just maddening. I understand the need to defend the president, but when someone says "HES A MUSLIM" (whatever that may imply) and the White House lashes out at the comment, they are only giving legitimacy to the commentators who make such claims. The reason such things make news headlines is that they get ratings, because they are so outlandish. When the White House adds fuel to the media's often misguided firestorm, it rarely comes out being for the better for them. But it is a ratings producer.
In the 24-hour media cycle, news organizations like CNN have to talk about something to keep people watching. I remember sitting one day at my job over the summer, and watching CNN "report" on rather or not Obama was a Muslim for like 2 hours. Now, im sure people may be talking about these things at their own kitchen tables, but I don't see the BBC reporting news like this. There are more pressing issues in the country that should be focused on, and when some mute point like this is often addressed, a lot of bigger issues are not being talked about. The White house has to learn to sometimes not fight the media, that its rambling is apart of its structure (or that it is misguided sometimes to "report" for ratings sake) to gracefully pick its battles, and stay above the fray.
This is only part of the communication problem the White House has though.
Secondly, Policy:
One thing you can say about the Obama administration is that they can pass legislation. Rather or not they can communicate with the American public what that legislation does is another issue.
The Obama administration has a serious problem when it comes to telling the American public exactly what it is doing. Part of that is due to the complexity of the problems facing America right now. But largely, it is what I think a trust issue. The Administrations harshest critics can easily paint them as "the other", not in touch, etc. and the administration has a hard time defending against that. The same administration that fights back against petty attacks made by critics is also the one that has a problem gaining the trust of Americans. This partly has to do with the last administration and how they outright lied about policy and intentions, deepening America's distrust in government. The Obama administration has yet to find a way to gain the people's trust and to not just tell them, but let them know, that they are on their side. This is a shame, because I believe a lot of the policies the administration has passed will ultimately benefit the American populous. What you sell and how you sell it are two different things, however. And more than often on policy issues, the administration has allowed the other side to define the argument and the rules of the argument, and then try to argue from their point of view. It's like fighting a rigged boxing match.
The Obama administration has passed a series of sweeping legislative bills; from health care to the financial reform package, and a lot of good things have been done. I know that is a highly debatable point, but to be completely honest, I think it is one more of politics than actual facts. When asked, Americans like the individual aspects of the health care bill, but for some reason they don't like the bill as a whole. I am inclined to believe this is more of a perception issue; individuals may like it less because they perceive it to be "big government" or "obama-care". While the health care bill did not go far enough to change the overall health care structure, it did make significant gains. I think over the next 4-5 years the American public will come to see how much has changed in regards to this, and will actually come to like it better.
The Economic Stimulus package, although technically passed by Bush, has also been a more or less win. The economy as a whole is still far from "recovered" but I do believe that we barely avoided complete economic meltdown, and this in part was due to the stimulus package. Buying out the Banks and Car companies was a highly risky and contentious issue -- one that I did not agree with, but in retrospect I can see what the administration was driving at. Although what the banks did to get their selves in that situation and having the US government bail them out was a huge "no-no" to the average american citizen, it had to be done. It was more or less a necessary evil, because without it we all would have been worst off. All of the banks and most of the car companies have paid us back in full--- with interest, which is a win for the American public. Having them not go under is also another win, although most people don't see it that way. We often don't focus on "how bad it could have been" but more on "how bad it is now". I argue that even though bailing out the banks and car companies was a hard short term decision, one I might not have even made, it could have been a lot worst if we did not. It is hard to see it in that way.
There are a lot of building projects that have taken place because of the stimulus package as well. Where the package has failed is in the job numbers. We are still well beyond 9% unemployment. Although I personally am unaware of what could change the job rate, it is a burden the administration bears and they will be the ones to take the blame, regardless.
Third, but not least, the man:
Oh Obama. You came into office Jesus like. There was only one direction to go...
It's the economy. Obama came in on a huge high, so it's no surprise that his numbers have dropped. What is, or might be to some, is that his numbers have stayed down no matter what he has passed. I honestly believe this has less to do with policy matters, but a connection issue--- i.e. "what will x bill do for me" (me being the American citizen), and of course, THE ECONOMY. Until the economy turns around for every day Americans, most people will continue to view him and the white house in a negative light. This is where the White House is failing. History is on their side however. I will make a post about that at a later date. But right now, Obama is failing the American society when it comes to individual employment.
If you look at what Obama promised on the campaign trail and what he is doing, he is actually living up to what the American people voted for. Politifact follows this pretty well: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/ :
Tracking Obama’s promises
121 - Promise Kept
39 - Compromise
22 - Promise Broken
81 - Stalled
240 - In the Works
3 - Not yet rate
This may come as a surprise to most Americans, who think he is doing a bad job. I cannot argue enough about how this is largely just our perception of things, and not things as they are. When it comes to legislation and campaign promises, Obama has largely lived up to what he said he would do. This is quite shocking to be honest, as for most politicians say what they need to say to get elected and then do whatever.
I will commend Obama on this. He does stand on his principals a lot more than other politicians.
With regard to public speaking as President, Obama communicates fairly well. What most people miss the most is the passion and intensity Obama had in the '08 Election season. When he speaks now, it is more of a drone, "professorial" as the news calls it. He has yet to be able to translate his passion for people in his current political office. Unlike Clinton he isn't crying on camera, and unlike Bush he isn't yelling into a speaker phone as a rallying cry. There is a passion that Americans have come to expect from their presidents, a passion for what America stands for, and a passion that the president is so engulfed by that he can barely contain himself. If you read his writings, this passion comes out quite well. It is just, when he is front of the camera as the president of the united States of America, it is highly under raps.
And to be completely honest, im ok with that most of the time. I think that is just him. He is the cool, collected, no-drama type of person. Although he feels and experiences things very deeply, he does not emote them as much as we would expect a person would all of the time. Once America falls out of love with the idea of "Jesus Obama" will they see Obama as just another guy. Then we can learn to accept him as the person he is. I think thats another huge issue; the fact that we voted for "change", and that it hasn't happened over night. I'm not sure why people were expecting this guy to take office, wave a magic wand, and fix everything. Its not how the world works.
Two years later, I can say that I am not really surprised either way. There is this one part, from his election speech, that stuck with me that explains why I still think Obama is a fairly decent president,
"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/04/obama-victory-speech_n_141194.html)
He is optimistic, but highly realistic. That's the thing I value the most. It is one thing to have the desire to change the world, and it is another to actually have the ability to not get lost in your desire, but to let it fuel a sense of pragmatism I think America has lost. I think we get too lost in ideologies and -isms and forget that we are dealing with people's lives. As long as Obama has this, I think he will do well.
i mean that's all well and good but there are other, much more troubling aspects of his presidency. For example the obama DoJ recently fought to prevent detainees from suing the government after being kidnapped and sent into another country. The Obama DoJ has continued the prosecution of a boy who was arrested at the age of 15 for throwing a grenade at an American soldier - in his homeland of afghanistan - and has since been detained for 8 years, without a trial, under charges of terrorism. he "confessed" under what appeared to be a significant amount of coercion (including threats of gang rape).
ReplyDeletethose are things that aren't because of "the economy" or "his advisors" or "media cycles". They are very scary, very real instances where e has gone against his campaign promises of ENDING Bush terror policies - and instead EXPANDED them.
I know Zach, and you are right. You are far more left than I, and most liberals are mad with him. When Obama was elected, I honestly did not expect this to go away anytime soon. Im just saying, with what time he has had, he has done a lot, far more than I was expecting at least. This doesn't mean that we should expect less nor continue to push for more.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to get caught up in what he hasn't done, or what he "failed to do right". And while a lot of those concerns are valid, I am just pointing out that in the current state of politics in America, he has gotten far more done...most of those things I think positive, than most other presidents past.
Ironically, policial factcheck just posted something recently about this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/176/end-the-use-of-extreme-rendition/