I'd give Obama a B+ so far

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

The calculated slaps at the left are dismaying but unsurprising.

The 1980s-1990s mindset that Republicans still run everything and must be seduced is tiresome.

And playing politics with the stimulus scares me.

But the overall picture is pretty good. It's still the best transition we've seen. Some excellent choices, some daring choices that may or may not work but are worth the gamble and a pretty good set of policy priorities.

[SuperTrouper]

1. I'd give him an A. I don't think that he is playing politics

with the stimulus...

[Creideiki]

9. An Illinois politician not playing politics?

You should really change your user name to RobertTheFiddle, because you're getting played.

[Beetwasher]

29. Oh Yes He Is, But There's Nothing Wrong W/ That

He's doing it masterfully and will get what's needed in the end BECAUSE he's playing politics and doing it well. I too give him an A PRECISELY because his politics are masterful.

[hedgehog]

2. All he's responsible for to date is the assigned summer reading -

he can't be graded until after school starts and he has to take part in classroom discussions and turn in his homework!

:)

[HughMoran]

3. Since he's not made a single decision as President yet

I'll defer judgement at this time.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. Just an opinion of the transition to date

[HughMoran]

10. I find it difficult to grade

I haven't seen many real surprises based on what I know of Obama and what he said as a candidate.

Since he's being true to his word, and that in itself is unusual, I'll give him an "A" for not caving to the desires of others. We need a strong unwavering leader at this time and I think he'll be one of our best ever.

[Why Syzygy]

8. He has been making executive decisions.

That means there is some graded material already turned in.

[Lost-in-FL]

5. I would give him a zero

Because one cannot give grades until class starts.

He isn't in power yet so I save my judgement for later days, at least his first 100 days.

[monmouth]

6. Obama can handle the Right, it's his own side he has to worry about...n/t

[Lost-in-FL]

7. ...

:thumbsup:

[peace13]

11. Pretty good considering he isn't even President yet. n/t

[Armstead]

12. B- or C+

So far, his choices and actions have (IMO) been mediocre.

In different times -- and if the country had a different political history for the last 30 years -- mediocre would be fine. But with the fix we're in -- and the fix that has been building for far too long under both D and R -- we need some new material.

[Zodiak]

13. That is about where I'd place him, too.

From marginally good (B minus) to decently fair (C+).

Too much reliance on the people who got us in this mess in the first place, and too little acknowledgment of the people who have been right consistently for many years. Still, there have been some decent picks, just too few and far between.

[Onlooker]

16. I agree

He's been a big disappointment, but I keep hoping that once he takes the reins of power he'll show some guts and won't act like the DLC's waterboy.

[HughMoran]

19. lol - that's pretty sad

My opinion of your judgment is really impaired when I read a post like this.

[Armstead]

27. I don't think your opinion of it was very high to start with

You'd probably give me a C-

But I believe it is mediocre to choose the same people from last decade -- or those who fall under the same general philosophy -- and especially when time has shown how wrong the judgement of many of them has been.

I just kinda think that when the financial system has collapsed largely after the earlier suggestions of people like Summers was followed, it's not a great leap to bring the same people back, while ignoring those who were right about such issues in the first place.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

31. I agree. If he doesn't immediately start to get us out of Iraq he's going to F

[WhiteTara]

14. his pick of Vilsack is extremely

troublesome. Monsanto Vilsack is not our friend.

[LynneSin]

15. You could give Obama a D- and he'd still be a far cry better than Bush

seriously

[WyLoochka]

17. "The 1980s-1990s mindset that Republicans still run everything

and must be seduced is tiresome.

It's worse than "tiresome."

It means to me that it didn't make a lick spittle difference between the Clintons and Obama, as far as our nominee.

I misunderstood Obama, I guess. I thought "change" meant we wouldn't be groveling at the Repubs ankles, fighting over inconsequential crumbs.

When Obama said Clinton did not change the dialogue or the trajectory in the 90's, I had to agree to this obvious truth and that's when he got my vote.

I thought he meant to change exactly these things. I'm very disappointed with the continuation of the groveling before the Republicans.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

22. Is it "groveling"

Or just politics? Has he caved to them on anything so far or am I missing something? I think that we need to face the fact that Obama wasn't the so-called "pitbull" in the last election (and the real so-called "pitbull" was less a pitbull and more of a dimwit). He has telegraphed repeatedly that he intends to work with EVERYBODY which, yes, includes Republicans. I don't think he plans to let them run things and I think he has his own strategy of how to deal with him but IMHO it's going to be a far less "in your face" approach than what many of us here expect (or seem to want). I think some people here simply want vengeance (and I can hardly say I blame them) but Obama gave none of us any sign that his plans included beating the Republicans over the head with a sledgehammer nor has he given us any sign AFAIK that he plans to let them run the show either.

[kestrel91316]

18. How can he get a grade when class hasn't even started yet?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

25. He has made a boatload of decisions. He's hard at work.

[WI_DEM]

20. A or A-

His transition so far as been almost seamless, with a couple of problems, but overall excellent.

[Jennicut]

21. Too early for a grade. It how the administration is in actual action for me.

Way better then Bill Clinton's transition as the only Dem I have to compare to, I was only a baby when Carter came in. Bubba was sloppy and all over the place at times, Obama seemed smoother and more experienced.

[Orsino]

23. Trouble is, I'm afraid only an A+ can save the country.

I don't think there's much room for error.

[rvablue]

24. He gets an A+ from me, for winning and for getting to serious work on Nov. 5th n/t

[mvd]

26. I'd also give his choices/picks a B+ so far

This grade is based on the way he campaigned; not what I would like to see. There is a lot to be positive about: willingness to talk to Hamas, picks of Hilda Solis, Susan Rice, Shinseki, Chu, Panetta, and Clinton, the stimulus plan that should help rebuild infrastructure, etc.

[TheBigotBasher]

28. That was the same score Ashley Todd gave him

[Deja Q]

30. He's not stepped in office yet, but for his picks I'd say B or B+.

If he remains true to most of what he said on change.gov, it'll be an A soon enough.

[FriendlyReminder]

32. C+

[ddeclue]

33. B- he picked too many old Clinton admin retreads for a guy who preached "change"

to get a higher grade from me.